I must sadly DNF this book at 24%

The writing itself is fine, but I just could not bring myself to care about this version of Mulan (which is heartbreaking because she's my all time favourite Disney princess).
Her instalust for Shang was offputting, as was everything about her characterization. You can prove yourself a stong, capable woman in the workplace without having burping contests, you know. It just feels anti-Mulan to divide her sense of duty from her womanhood.
Also everything Mushu said sounded like a line Awkwafina would be given in a movie (said with hate).

I have really liked some of the other books in this series that picks authors to recreate Disney stories in new settings and with contemporary timing. I was curious about how Mulan would translate, and this is not my favorite re-telling of a Disney movie. In this update, Mulan works for her father's hedge fund and is constantly trying to prove herself in a very male-dominated workplace. Her father falls ill right before a deal with a very masculine whiskey brand, so Mulan pretends she's her father in order to get the deal through. Mulan spends a week at Shang's (head of the whiskey company) family ranch. There's where you get all of your romance tripes. Insta-love for sure. There is so much toxic masculinity in this book which I know is part of Mulan, but I think the author was trying to do too much here. As a RomCom, it's good. As a re=telling of Mulan, it's also good. I'm just not sure those two things needed to be together here.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really tried to like this book—I gave it a fair shot, but sadly, it just didn’t work for me. I ended up having to DNF it just past the halfway point. It started feeling more like a chore than a joy to read, and that’s never a good sign. That said, maybe it just wasn’t the right time for me to pick this one up. Who knows? I might circle back to it someday when the vibe is right. For now, it's on the “maybe later” shelf.

3.5 stars

Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto is the fifth novel in the Meant to Be Series and it takes on a new princess’s story, the one and only Mulan! I love me some good retellings.

The beginning was a bit slow for me and the topic is not something I’m interested in. The finance space, while interesting for some, doesn’t quite keep my attention. I wish it was less focused on the job and more about her.

I did enjoy that the story took on the angle of a woman working in a space that’s male dominated and being treated less than because of it. It creates a space for her to have to prove herself while also being half of herself because expressing anything would create problems for her. She had to live up to some many expectations of people while not truly knowing who she was and how she needed to be. It was a journey for her.

I really liked the Mushu character and how wild she was as well as the full on nepotistic tendencies without a care in the world. She’s hilarious. Thank you for bringing her in to break up the tension.

Check out the other stories in this series: If The Shoe Fits, By the Book, Kiss the Girl, Tangled Up in You

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Worth Fighting For from Jesse Q. Sutanto via NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley and Disney Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honey review. Pub date is June 3, 2025✨

Hua Mulan has worked hard to ensure that she is seen as an equal amongst her peers in finance, who happen to all be men. But when her Ba, Hua Zhou, has a heart attack before meeting with a potential buyer, Mulan decides to step up. The only problem? Wutai Gold is known for their sexism. So Mulan pretends to be her father since it was never specified in their correspondence that Zhou was a man. Things get even more complicated when she begins to fall for the company CEO, Li Shang. Can she pull this off with the help of her cousin, Mushu? And what will happen when her lies inevitably surface?

A modern Mulan retelling. The beginning was a little hard to get through because Mulan’s voice just wasn’t it for me. She sounded immature, and she was so thirsty for Shang right from the start. There was also too much use of the word “bro”😂.

But! It got better 1/3 of the way in, and almost everyone was redeemed by the end. Except maybe James. He still sucks.

2.75 rounded up
I wanted to love this book, I really did since Mulan is my favorite Disney movie. Unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. First off, and this is no fault of the author whatsoever, but the two main tropes--workplace romance (especially in finance) and cowboy romance--aren't favorites of mine. That being said, I can be won over by most tropes, but this book just didn't quite do it for me.

The story felt a little disjointed to me with big moments feeling underplayed and smaller moments overplayed. The character of Mushu was also conflicting. While I loved how Mushu represented the original character well with her flare and unearned confidence, at times her antics were too much, making situations worse for Mulan not by accidental words and choices but by poor judgment.

What I did like was how Sutanto presented different immigrant experiences from the same culture. Not everyone had the same story, and I appreciated that. It broadened my own perspective on what immigrants overcome and the manner in which they do so. Mulan and Shang had great chemistry, though it moved a bit fast for me. I also struggled with Mulan's initial judgment of Shang as it did not match the actions the author presented in the book. I would have been okay with this had Mulan addressed this, but in her narration she presents Shang as being the one who changes his actions not her as the one who changes her view of him.

I did like the way in which the conflict was resolved, and I appreciate the skill with which Sutanto makes me sympathize with the "bad guy," but overall, it just didn't hold my attention.

“There’s something about Shang that disarms me. Something about him reaches out to me and whispers: You don’t have to play a part with me. You can let your guard down. And I don’t want to fight it. I’m so tired of fighting the real me. But this is so dangerous. I can’t afford to go down this road. It could put the entire acquisition at risk.”


ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW


Mulan is my mom's favorite Disney princess, so I've watched the movie countless of times. Naturally when I read the sinopsis of the book, I knew I had to read it. So I was beyond excited to get this arc.

This contemporary take on Mulan's journey keeps the essence of the character we know and love while also shunning a light on how we face in real life those same prejudices and expectations.

Mulan and Shang are spectacular, and the way they're portrayed here and their family relations are just adorable. I love them more than before if that was possible.

Mushu is fantastic. Her character is the perfect companion just like in the movie but with a twist and I would love to have a Mushu in my life. Just like Shang's mom and Mulan's mom. I just love them so much. And her dad too.

I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone because it's the perfect companion to these beloved characters.

I knew my girl Jesse wasn't going to let me down!!!

I was excited for a Mulan retelling, but this wasn't all I'd hoped for. I really enjoyed Mushu and Shang. I struggled with Mulan needing to prove she was worthy of their company by feeding into Shang's family's views on masculinity.

I liked the idea of a Mulan retelling in the finance world, and there were some fun moments but overall, this one didn’t fully click for me. The constant “finance bro” talk and heavy focus on toxic masculinity felt repetitive and pulled me out of the story. The romance also felt rushed, and I struggled to feel the chemistry between Mulan and Shang. It had potential, but ultimately fell short for me.

Synopsis: A contemporary romance reimagining of Mulan

Thoughts: I don’t really have strong feelings about this book either way. The way the Mulan storyline is reimagined is very creative with a woman working in a male dominated business. There were some fun scenes, especially with the FMC on a ranch out of her element. I also enjoyed the Chinese culture featured throughout. The romance was too insta-love and didn’t really do anything for me. Overall, I had fun with this one but it just wasn’t super memorable.

Read this if you like:
🐴 ranch setting
🐴 workplace romance
🐴 secret identity
🐴 family drama

As a diehard Disney fanatic I’m totally embarrassed to say I didn’t know about the Meant to Be Series until now. But as someone who thinks Mulan is criminally under-appreciated I must say this was the perfect book for me to start with. You see Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a reimagining of Mulan as a modern day romance. Instead of pretending to be a man to be able to fight in her father’s place, in this story Mulan assumes her father’s role in business negotiations. When her father has a heart attack and ends up in the hospital, Milan assumes her father’s position/persona within the company to enter into negotiations to acquire a whiskey company owned by a Chinese family that has strick and antiquated beliefs about women’s role in business.

This story is just so much fun and I have to say Sutanto was the perfect author to pick for this retelling. Every character is so well drawn, so vibrant. I loved what she did with Mushu. (If this gets made into a movie I cannot imagine anyone other than Aquafina for the role.) Sutanto nails the cultural gender roles often displayed in traditional Chinese families. (Loved all the Aunties.) It totally rang true to me based on the interactions I’ve witnessed among the families of my Chinese friends. (Especially those that have grandparents that grew up in China) This story has so much humor and heart. The love Mulan has for her father shines through and it’s so touching. If you are a Mulan fan you’ll love this story. Heck, even if you know nothing about Mulan and are just a fan of romcoms, you’ll love this story. Can’t recommend this one enough. I’d like to thank Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Worth Fighting For.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3TXTPV02PJ5OM/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I am a huge sucker for fairy tale retelling and this series is just so fun with all the awesome authors that have retold classic Disney tales. I was so excited to see this Author because she has become one of my favorites with her witty and amazing characters and the crazy stuff she puts them through. Mulan was the perfect tale for her to tell. She incorporated all the amazing quirkiness of her characters while updating and modernizing the tale of Mulan.
I think I have mentioned that miscommunication is a huge pet peeve of my but know we were staying true to the story I was very forgiving on the lying about who she was. Plus it totally made for hilarious scenes on the farm. I totally believe that you can learn to shear a sheep and ride a horse on Tik Tok. I loved the family interactions and the culture that she is able to portray in her stories.
The romance in this book and in the series is sweet, closed door and based on seeing the movie Mulan a few million times I knew Shang and her were going to end up together. So the romance is sweet and cute I truly think the winner of this story is the relationships between Shang Mom's and Mulan, her parents, her cousin and her and ultimately believing in her self and knowing she is worthy!
Highly recommend to those that love Disney, fairytale reimagining's, great stories with lots of family dynamics and girl power!
,

I read the arc of Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto - and I just love this author. She has written the Vera Wong books and Dial A for Aunties. Her humor in these books is fantastic and that is the case in Worth Fighting For, too. If you recognize the lyric, you know, this is a Mulan retelling. And, it is a fun read. I absolutely cackled reading this book and I loved the love story. This was completely unexpected. I thought the premise a little out there - Mulan works at her dad's private equity firm. He is the managing partner and Mulan is a rising star. He wants to acquire this whiskey business with a very macho brand image. Mulan thinks the numbers don't look good, but the deal is important to her dad so she starts digging into the company and the industry. Then her dad collapses and is hospitalized with a heart attack. Mulan is beside herself with worry and fear. The only communication this company has had with the firm has been with her dad, and there is no reference to his sex so she decides to take his name - she doesn't disguise herself as a man, she just takes her dad's name so the firm thinks they are still dealing with the same person that they have trusted. All that's fine except her dad has told them he grew up on a farm in China (he did) but Mulan was raised here in San Francisco in the US and has never been on a farm. She and her cousin, Mushu, go to the Whiskey family's ranch and it is hilarious. Mushu is the ultimate hype woman. Maybe a little too much. They are managing until Mulan falls in love with the CEO. I had such a good time reading this book and I need to thank Net Galley and Hyperion for my e-arc. This book is out today, June 3, 2025.

The friendship between Mushu and Mulan was so much fun to read in this book! Mushu was cracking me up and I think that part of the retelling was done so well. I understand the hostility of Mulan being a woman in a man dominated field but it was a bit much for me. The negativity from Shang’s family was not it and I kept getting irked by the term “finance bro.” Overall a good read but it wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

A cute, quick read. I think Mulan is harder to adapt than a lot of other princesses so I’m not sure this will resonate with everyone, but it’s still so nice to finally see a less prominent princess get a retelling!

Another fine entry in the Meant to Be series of Disney retellings. This reimages the story of Mulan in a modern corporate setting. Mulan works for her father's financial company and hopes her next deal will ensure her promotion to partner. Her father, Zhou, has been corresponding with the CEO of a family-owned whiskey company and is working on a buyout with them when he suffers a heart attack. Since the board of the other company is very traditional, Mulan fears they won't respect her as a woman despite her rank, so she impersonates her father. The Mushu character is reworked as Mulan's female cousin who oversells her ranching skills (Mulan is definitely a city girl) to the Li family, leading to funny and embarrassing situations. Mulan wants to remain professional, but she is attracted to Shang, the CEO she is working with. Throw in Shang's large, meddling uncles and aunties and you have a recipe for a fun tale.
Romance, standalone.

I've always been a huge Jesse Q. Sutanto fan as well as this series so when the opportunity to read an ARC of Worth Fighting I jumped on it.
Worth Fighting For is a Mulan retelling in the corporate finance world.
I love how the themes of the original Mulan are all there, except instead of Mulan having to be a man, she proves that a woman could do everything that a man can do while still being herself. I also love that she set it in the finance world because that field so male dominant and it was nice to see a female succeed in that setting.
Overall this was an extremely fun read and if you loved the other Meant to Be novels, you'll enjoy this as well.
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue, NetGalley and Jesse Q. Sutanto for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.
This one publishes today!

I am a huge fan of this entire series and Worth Fighting For is my new favorite of the bunch. I've always loved Mulan, and Jesse Q. Sutanto did a fantastic job bringing her story into a modern setting. It's a pretty faithful retelling, but instead of going to war to save all of China, Mulan is in corporate finance.

Shang is the CEO of his family's whiskey company and is looking to sell to someone they can trust to take good care of the legacy started by his family when they all immigrated to the US from China. Mulan works for her father's capital firm, and when he becomes ill, she steps in to close the deal with Shang (through a series of lies). Shang's family is very traditional and does not want to sell their company to a woman, so Mulan has to prove that she can handle life on their family ranch.

A majority of the book is spent on the ranch and the entire time they are there, I'll Make A Man Out of You played in my head on repeat. In contrast to the Disney movie, this book was more about smashing the patriarchy than joining it, which I was all for. Shang and Mulan definitely have an instalove connection, but you do get to see their relationship develop throughout the book.

I highly recommend this one, the whole series is fantastic, but this definitely my favorite (I reread all of them to be sure :)). Thank you to Jesse Q. Sutanto, Hyperion Avenue Books, and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Thanks to NetGalley, Jesse Q. Sutanto, and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC. My opinion is my own.

I really liked _Dial A for Aunties_ and _Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers_, so I was excited to see a Jesse Sutanto book show up on NetGalley. Unfortunately, I DNFed this one at 40% because I couldn't handle the intense levels of character embarrassment - humiliation, really.

The plot: Mulan works for her father's venture capital firm, where she is a highly skilled professional but still struggles to prove her worth to the finance bros she's surrounded by. Her father is trying to buy a family-owned, high-end whiskey company that's only willing to deal with the company founder. When he has a sudden heart attack, Mulan decides to pretend *she's* the founder who's been in correspondence with them all along.

Two problems arise: (1) everyone in the whiskey family except the dreamily handsome, pro-feminist CEO is a cartoonishly sexist jerk. (2) for thin plot reasons, Mulan is immediately taken out of her domain of competence (business analysis) and stuck on the whiskey family's ranch, where she has to bluff her way through tasks like herding cattle and shearing sheep.

So it's like:
Sexist asshole: "Of course we could never sell our company to a woman, women aren't capable of decisive leadership. Now, herd these cows."
Mulan: "Sure. I'm pretending to be my father, who was chatting with you about his childhood on a farm, so I'm going to insist that I can in fact herd these cattle."
Mulan: *fails miserably and falls down in a pile of cow shit in front of everyone*
Sexist asshole: "Seems like you have trouble herding cows."
Mulan (covered in cow shit): "Oh no, I definitely know how to herd cows. Your cows must be defective. Bring on the next ranch task!"

We're supposed to hate the antagonists for looking down on Mulan and assuming she can't do stuff, but she's... lying about being able to do stuff? And then doing it badly?

Anyway, I was cringing so hard at the character humiliation that I never made it far enough to find out if the MMC, Shang, had any personality characteristics or motivations other than being hot and supporting women. Sorry.

Worth Fighting For is the fifth installation in the Meant to Be Series. This standalone, contemporary romance genre, modern Mulan retelling centers around family expectations, a slightly falsified identity, the bonds we create, and the truth of the heart.

At first, I didn’t know what to think about a hedge fund version of Mulan going to prove herself on a ranch, but this book was so good. I legitimately stayed up all night reading Worth Fighting For. I can’t believe I’m saying this because one of my all-time favorite movies has already been retold via the Meant to Be series (and I’ve read it) but Worth Fighting For may be my new series favorite.