This latest book in the Meant to Be Series is loosely inspired by Mulan, but set in the modern world. Main character Mulan works at her dad’s hedge fund company. When he gets hospitalized before an important meeting with the potential acquisition of a family run whiskey company, Mulan decides that the only way to impress this traditional family is to impersonate her dad. Not by dressing as a man like she does in the movie, but by pretending that the person they’ve been emailing with is her. Since in those emails her dad said he grew up on a farm in China, she has a lot to live up to on a big trip to the family’s ranch. Not to mention her attraction to Shang, one of the family members.

This was just such a cute one! Not quite as silly as Sutanto’s Aunties series, but with plenty of the humor and heart present in the Aunties and Vera Wong books. Plus a sweet romance and appealing characters - not just the main characters but lots of great side characters too. A charming and easy read.

I have to share a secret - I have NEVER seen Mulan! However, I am sucker for the Meant to Be series and I have enjoyed Jesse Sutanto's prior books, so I picked this up. I was so glad I did - I really enjoyed this story. While silly at times, I found myself rooting for Mulan and Shang and watching the story unfold!

✨Book Review✨
Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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This book was a 3.75 for me. Probably one of my least favorite Sutanto books, but she is one of my favorite authors and can still do no wrong in my eyes. I did really like the retelling of Mulan. I like that they found a way to retell this story in a less problematic way than the original. The Meant to Be series has done a really good job of this overall!
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This book is a little too on the nose when it comes to feminism and toxic masculinity. It got old after hearing it so directly for so long. It felt like it took over the whole book. The romance was sweet, and I did appreciate how Shang was in touch with his softer sides, but the romance did feel a little too perfect at times and had "my life is perfect because I met you" vibes. Overall, not sure if I would recommend this one, but it was cute enough and kept my attention. I will continue to read the Meant to Be series if they come out with more. I love the concept of having a different author tell each story, and the author choices have been so good.

If you were/are a Mulan kid (the animated version, of course), this one's got your name written all over it. Jesse Q. Sutanto takes the legendary warrior and drops her into the high-stakes world of hedge funds, whiskey empires, and one very inconvenient crush.

Mulan is killing it in finance - literally out-working and out-smarting every bro in the room. But when her dad falls ill mid-deal, she does the only logical thing: pretends to be someone else entirely to keep the deal alive. That's how she ends up on a weeklong retreat at a whiskey ranch, trying to bluff her way through butchering lessons and bonding with Shang, the skeptical heir to the company.

This isn't my favorite Sutanto book, but it's cute, clever, and full of heart. Think modern-day fairy tale meets cowboy rom-com. If you're in the mood for something fun and a little ridiculous (in the best way), this might be the rom-com you're looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Fun twist on mulan, loved the ranch atmosphere and the cousin and the male lead. I don't think i have seen mulan, but know the plot generally so not sure how this held up as an adaption, but enjoyable read!

Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a whip-smart, laugh-out-loud romcom with heart, hijinks, and a heroine who’s impossible not to root for. Mulan Fa is sharp, scrappy, and determined to prove herself in the cutthroat world of private equity—even if it means impersonating her ailing father to close a major deal. Sutanto masterfully blends corporate intrigue with fish-out-of-water hilarity as Mulan navigates cowboy country, steak dinners, and suspicious relatives, all while trying to maintain her cover.

The chemistry between Mulan and Shang is both slow-burning and sizzling, layered with tension, mistrust, and undeniable attraction. While some of the twists require a little suspension of disbelief, the heart of the story—Mulan’s struggle to balance love, legacy, and self-worth—feels genuine and empowering. Sutanto’s signature humor shines through, making this a wildly entertaining and emotionally satisfying read. A romcom with guts, grit, and a heroine who knows her worth.

I thought this was going to be a book I’ve read before, but it was not and I really enjoyed it! The writing was amazing. Thank you!!

I really enjoyed this installment in the series. I always enjoy the references and Easter eggs to the original Disney story. I especially enjoyed having Shang's family in this retelling and getting to know Shang better. I LOVED the gender role reversal of the day to day tasks and seeing Mulan pretend to be a man in a man's world in a different setting. The book stayed true to her origin story as told by Disney but set in a modern setting that was relatable to readers today. I loved it. I loved the characters, I loved MUSHU most of all. Great storytelling and great writing, it was heartfelt and funny. I found myself laughing out loud at certain scenes and I'm just happy I was about to read this book.

While Mulan may not be my favorite Disney movie, I enjoyed this retelling. Because it was set in modern times, I could relate to the story more, and it felt a bit more real to me; while I struggled with the movie a bit more.

Mushu was my favorite of all of the characters in the book, it think because I could relate to a real person more than a dragon lol.

I will be adding this book to my collection of the Meant to Be books.

I love this book. I love her and I will read anything she writes. I love the way that she adds slight comedy to her writing. I love the way that she built up her characters. I love that the plot always has lots of intrigue to it and she builds off of that very well and I love how she wraps everything up in a nice bow at the very end of very well put together book!

I have enjoyed the other books in this series, but this one fell short for me. I didn’t enjoy any of the characters and the continuing comedy of errors was too much.

I loved this series and I love Mulan but this one didn't grab me in the same way that the others in the series did. I'm sure i'll read any others but this one wasn't my favorite.

While I have a lot of appreciation for the author and her previous works, this particular book didn't resonate with me. I think it may be because I’m not the intended audience, as I feel I might be a bit too old for it.
I appreciate the publisher/author for providing this complimentary advanced copy. The opinions shared in this review are entirely my own.

Mulan is a female finance powerhouse in a finance-bro world. She is excellent at her job and it used to being underestimated because of her gender. When her firm founder, her father, collapses on the verge of securing a new contract, Mulan has very big shoes to fill in her absence. The only way she can think of to be taken seriously is to impersonate him as the leader of the company. It all seems fine until she is pushed to test her strength as a man and needs to figure out who she really is

The Meant To Be series continues to hold a special place in my heart and this book is no exception. I grew up loving princess fairytales so seeing them reimagined in adult worlds that I can relate to at this point in my life bring me so much joy. Sutanto does a fantastic job of retelling Mulan's story with a fresh perspective. I laughed at Mushu throughout, just as I did in the movie. This is another hit in the Meant To Be series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC of Worth Fighting For.

This whole series is such a fun escape, especially for Disney fans! I was so excited to read this one because I love Jesse Q. Sutanto's humor in her Vera Wong series. Of all the Disney Princess stories, I would imagine that Mulan's would be the most challenging to adapt into a modern setting, but I love how it all came together! Mulan is trying to make it in the world of finance and must go in her father's place to save an important business deal when he is too ill. She has to show her abilities in various masculine endeavors to win over the family behind a whiskey company with a Marlboro Man-like image to uphold. Jesse Q. Sutanto does a great job painting a picture of the dynamics of both Chinese families and descriptions of delicious Chinese food. The romance was very sweet and the ending was satisfying.

Cute!!! I really liked this one. I was thought the romance was super sweet. The characters were great and the story was very enjoyable

I went into Worth Fighting For without knowing it was a retelling. And a retelling of Mulan at that. The twist was that a banker had to pretend that all prior correspondence between a potential client and her father was really with her once her father falls ill. She didn’t have to pretend to be a man in person but she had to pretend that it was her in all prior conversations, including his childhood on a ranch. This was cute and fun and made me giggle. And it had one of my favorite themes that women can do anything men can do and that we must eliminate historical gender norms. If you like Mulan, this is for you.

Another great book in this modernized dinsey re-telling series! Jesse Q Sutanto did a great job with this one and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

This book was amazing and my favorite from the Meant For More Series. Highly recommend for people who enjoy modern retellings of Disney stories. Love this book.

4.25 stars

Worth Fighting For is a great addition to the Meant to Be series with author Jesse Q. Sutanto delivering on a fantastic modern interpretation of Mulan.

Readers who love the original movie will appreciate the way that Mushu is depicted, as Mulan’s best friend/cousin, and enjoy the subtle Easter eggs that pay homage to the film. Even if you haven’t watched the film, this book stands alone because of its wit, humor, and great storyline.

If you’re looking for a funny, closed-door romance with a healthy amount of hijinks, this is the book for you!