Screenshot 2025-02-28 at 11.33.46 AM
title: Worth Fighting For

author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

publisher: Hyperion Avenue

publication date: June 3, 2025

pages: 288

peppers: 2 (on this scale)

warnings: mysogeny

summary: In this modern Mulan retelling, Mulan is a finance bro whose father ends up hospitalized just before making the deal with a man-centric whiskey company run by the Li family. In order to get the deal, Mulan pretends to be Zhao, the senior partner of the company, which would work fine if she didn't have to prove how good she was as a rancher.

tropes:

fish out of water
woman in a man's world
big family-little family
what I liked: the basic Mulan retelling.

what I didn’t like: a little repetitive and she didn't do anything that wasn't her except change her name

overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)

4.25 ⭐️
I was so happy when I was accepted to receive this ARC because I have read and loved all the other books in the Mean to Be series and was eager to read this next installment.

This Mulan retelling had everything I wanted. Mulan was a badass, Mushu was hilarious, and Shang was soft-hearted and a sucker for Mulan the minute they met. I think Sutanto did a wonderful job incorporating the themes and feelings from the movie into a modern-day setting. You were frustrated every time Mulan had to deal with a sexist or misogynistic comment, you laughed when Mushu was quirky and kept getting Mulan into sticky situations, and you swooned when Shang and Mulan were flirty and adorable. I especially loved the scene where they swapped traditional gender roles – Mulan wanted to chop wood outside at the Lis family estate, so Shang showed her where it was and then returned inside to make dumplings. I also loved the moments when we saw Mulan and her father Zhou's relationship dynamic and how much love and respect there was between them.

I knew where the story was headed, yet I loved it all the same. I was just along for the ride. I was hooked from the first sentence, which was a nod to Pride and Prejudice – another novel with a spirited and confident heroine.

Memorable Quotes:
"Fate and destiny are my bitches, didn't you know?"
"The patriarchy is so tiresome."
"I am Hua Mulan, daughter of Hua Zhou and Hua Li, and the Lis would do well not to underestimate me."

I wish the author had included a few more easter eggs and references relating to the movie, but I loved the ones I did find. Here are a few I noticed:
The firm Hau Zhou owns is called Eighty-Eighty Capital. The animated Mulan movie is 88 minutes long.
They reference a Vera when talking about tea. Vera is the main character of one of Jesse Q. Sutano's other books.
A very recognizable moment is when Mulan says, "Who is this girl staring back at me? 'Why is my reflection someone I don't know?'" This is obviously a lyric in the song Reflection.
"You are the flower that blooms in adversity." As I was looking up the Ballad of Mulan, I discovered that her name was Hua Mulan, as it is in this book, and not Fa Mulan like in the movie. I also learned that Hua Mulan means Magnolia flower, and I thought this quote reflected that so beautifully.


Spicy rating: 0.5/5 🌶️ Moments leading up to closed-door scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time getting into this book. There were fun scenes here and there, but it took awhile to get into. The love story progressed very quickly and it didn’t seem like there was depth there. It was a heartwarming HEA, but to be honest the heart of this book is the Chinese culture and immigrant stories it tells.

Who doesn’t love Mulan?!?! What an enjoyable read from Jesse Q. Sutanto. It was a perfect reimagining of Mulan. As in the film you all you can do is root for her and want her to succeed.

Modern retelling of Mulan. Mulan works for her father’s company and when he has a heart attack has to entice a client by showing her ranching and riding skills that she doesn’t have. ARC from NetGalley.

This book honestly exceeded my expectations! As a big Disney fan who was born in the 90s, I grew up watching Mulan and loved how she stood for female empowerment. This book was a modern take on the story and an excellent retelling! Being set in the world of finance in the Bay Area was perfection. Jesse Q Sutanto writes San Francisco so well (I love Vera Wong and her tea shop!) and depicts cultural nuances with humor. The slow burn between Shang and Mulan kept me HOOKED, and Mushu’s relationship with Mulan was so heartwarming!!

A retelling of Mulan, part of the Meant to Be collection. Mushu is adorable and funny. The rest of the book was what you expect and just ok. Think my expectations were just too high. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the advanced copy. Pub date 6/3/25.

I've really liked the other Meant to Be books, so I was incredibly excited to receive the ARC of Worth Fighting For. The finance bros seeing seemed like a good choice for the Mulan retelling, and I loved the relationship between Mulan and Mushu. You obviously know that Milan and Shang are going to be together, the way they were almost pushed together was cute. There were some sweet moments and some gross ones (James 🤮). This was a cute one that did justice to the original character.

Actual rating: 3.5
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I always love seeing a Disney movie retelling. I also really loved the personal connection the author had with the Disney work as well as the historical stories of the original Mulan. The first chapter had me very hesitant, but then when the story picked up I found myself enjoying it more. The language of the book was a bit jarring at times. For example, the constant reference to "bros" and finance bros was a little too much. I don't think it's bad to use this terminology once or twice, but those words were used so much throughout the story it kept taking me out of it.

Just like the movie, Shang was great! The story really shined with the moments between just Mulan and Shang together. I felt like the relationship was progressing naturally throughout a majority of the book. However, towards the last 3rd of the book, I wasn't a huge fan of the insta-love of their relationship. When she was head over heels after spending like a week or two together, as a grown adults and not high schoolers, I was a little like "okay....."

The whole ranch section was fun, a little out-there, but considering the source material, I'm not mad about it. Mushu great as well. For some reason, she reminded me a lot of Awkwafina's character in Crazy Rich Asians as well as Mushu from the original Mulan.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Disney Publishing Group for the arc of one of my most anticipated books of 2025!!!

I have been a fan of Jesse for awhile now, and when I learned she was writing this retelling of Mulan I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! Mulan is my favorite Disney princess, and I LOVED this retelling! I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and most importantly I couldn’t put this book down! I cannot wait for everybody to read it! I feel incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley!

Thank you Jesse! Can’t wait to see what you write next and maybe “Carrie Breadshaw” will make a surprise appearance! Lol #iykyk

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

First and foremost, I am a massive fan of Mulan and Jesse Q. Sutanto, which made me incredibly excited to read Worth Fighting For, and it certainly did not disappoint! This has become my favorite book in the Meant to Be Series! I adored all the little Mulan Easter eggs and found myself laughing out loud on several occasions! However, at times, I felt the theme was emphasized a bit too forcefully. While the storyline effectively addressed sexism, the inner thoughts felt a bit excessive in reinforcing this point. Additionally, I thought the names Mushu and Mulan were mentioned a bit too frequently in the text. Nonetheless, I loved the storyline and the characters. The way everything came together was delightful, making it a beautifully written story!

I did not enjoy reading this. The flow of reading was off. The writing style was very choppy. It is an unedited version. Which I understood when I received this arc. The premise of the story was interesting. I love Mulan, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. I have also read the other books in this Disney series of princess stories reimagined in the modern world.
The FMC just didn't seem believable and wasn't that interesting. That's my honest opinion. I wish I could get around her cousin being called Mushu. I liked some of the story. I loved the Aunties. I wish the main story wasn't about buying this guys company. It needs a different story line. Mulan falling in love with Shang went from 0-60mph with a flip of a page. We need some build up. This book is probably towards the bottom of The Meant to Be series for

This book was so good! Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies so I was so excited for a modern retelling.

In this modern day Mulan retelling, Mulan works in finance and is trying to secure an account from old school, misogynistic owners. The writing was great. The story was fast paced. I found it to be hilarious but also very emotional. Very well done.

I had such high hopes for this novel as I've read the first book in this series and adored it. A Mulan retelling sounded fabulous as I loved the Disney movie and cheered for Mulan the entire time. However, I thought about not finishing this one, but wanted to finish it as I promised to give an honest review.

My favorite characters were Mushu and Shang's mom. Both women were strong and had to overcome obstacles to be seen and follow their dreams. I am not a fan of insta-love (and Mulan actually refers to her relationship with Shang as such) and the romance never felt like more than maybe a crush. True, there were a few swoon-worthy moments, but Shang and Mulan didn't have enough time to develop such a strong relationship to be called love.

The humor felt like a slap-stick comedy at all times. For example, out on the ranch, Mulan falls into cow manure. I often rolled my eyes at the stereotypical use of overdone situations.

Overall, it's a fast read, but also very redundant. The themes of immigration, sacrifice for family, and equality for women in the workplace were well done.

Worth Fifhting For is a contemporary Mulan retelling in which she is working towards becoming a partner in her father's business firm and helping to buy a new whiskey company owned by none other than the Lis, Shang's family, in which he is the current CEO.

The characters are just what you want from any romance novel that you read. Whitty, fun and lovable.
Mulan (FMC) is a badass and not in the fighting in a war kind of way, but in the work hard for everything you want to prove to yourself and others that you can do anything, be anything way. However, she has lost her true self along the way.
Shang (MMC) grew up in a misogynistic family where the males were brought up to lead and take control of everything work related, and the women just cook, clean, bear children, and do as told basically. But he aims to change that way of thinking and starts by how he chooses to live his life.
Mushu is Mulan's cousin, and she's absolutely hilarious, although sometimes she talks a little too much - causing mischief when she doesn't really intend to.
Their banter and chemistry were very fun to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way that the author brought a classic Chinese heroine story to life in an all new way.

This story is captivating and such a fun, easy read. I didn't put the book down except to go to sleep.

If you like tropes like insta love, forced proximity, and female leads who aren't only beautiful but smart and strong-willed, then this book is for you.

I only wish that the ending didn't feel rushed and leave me wanting more. But overall, I really enjoyed Worth Fighting For, and I recommend you definitely give it a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this eARC of Worth Fighting For in exchange for my honest review after reading.

Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto is the fifth book in Disney’s Meant To Be series. A reimagined Mulan set in the world of finance. Mulan pretends to be her father in the attempt to buy an anti-female whiskey company.

Thank you Net Galley and Hyperion Avenue for the arc!

If it were not for my love for Mulan and all things Mulan retellings I wouldn't have given this book a second glance.
This is a Disney a Mulan retelling in an urban setting. There's no going off to war in a literal sense and Mushu isn't a spirit. At first it was a little cheesey then the character development was good, the humor, the way I could relate as a first generation Asian American, the swoon worthy Sheng. I'm laughing, I'm tearing up. I'm hooked. All of a sudden I'm looking down and I'm 95% done with this book but I don't want it to end! Such a sweet fun read
This is the first book I've read in the Meant To Be series. If they are all this good, sign me up.
They are all standalone books which is great also.

I’ve loved the entire Meant to Be series, but I think this Mulan retelling may be my favorite. There’s plenty of slapstick and shenanigans (thank you, Mushu), but also so much heart (particularly familial). Reading this book simply brought me joy. Thanks to Disney/Hyperion Avenue for the ARC.

thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC!

i will not be beating the disney adult allegations with this one 🫣 jesse q sutano consistently delivers quality representation with a healthy dose romantic comedy; the romance fell flat in this one for me. the MCs lacked chemistry, so the narrative failed to build the tension necessary. more than that, i just couldn’t understand why Mulan didn’t speak up a little sooner? enjoying this genre means you gotta deal with the miscommunication trope to a point, but i struggled to believe the character’s motivations by the third act. too much telling, not enough showing for me 🤷‍♀️

Mulan is my favorite Disney movie of all time. I have always loved her story of bravery, courage, self-acceptance, and growth. I’ve also read every book in the Meant to Be series, so when I heard Mulan’s story was the next to be adapted I was elated.

There are things about Worth Fighting For that I loved. I think Mushu’s characterization was pretty spot on. Auntie Jiayi was so lovable and absolutely stole the show. And, I loved Mulan and Shang’s relationship (though it did feel like it went from 0-60 very quickly once it got started and I do wish we had seen more of their relationship earlier in the book). I also love the theme of female empowerment and women lifting up other women.

However, this didn’t mirror Disney’s Mulan as closely as I would’ve hoped. There weren’t as many easter eggs or pointed references throughout the book as there were in some of the other Meant to Be novels, which I missed. I also felt like there wasn’t representation of all of my favorite film scenes.

I’m happy I had a chance to read this early and am glad Mulan is represented in this series.