Review: Good Fortune by C.K. Chau

Good Fortune by C.K. Chau

Blurb from Goodreads:

A whip-smart and charming debut novel that brilliantly reimagines Pride and Prejudice, set in contemporary Chinatown, exploring contemporary issues of class divides, family ties, cultural identity, and the pleasures and frustrations that come with falling in love.

When Elizabeth Chen's ever-hustling realtor mother finally sells the beloved if derelict community center down the block, the new owners don't look like typical New York City buyers. Brendan Lee and Darcy Wong are good Chinese boys with Hong Kong money. Clean-cut and charismatic, they say they are committed to cleaning up the neighborhood. To Elizabeth, that only means one thing: Darcy is looking to give the center an uptown makeover.

Elizabeth is determined to fight for community over profit, even if it means confronting the arrogant, uptight man every chance she gets. But where clever, cynical Elizabeth sees lemons, her mother sees lemonade. Eager to get Elizabeth and her other four daughters ahead in the world (and out of their crammed family apartment), Mrs. Chen takes every opportunity to keep her investors close. Closer than Elizabeth likes.

The more time they spend together, the more conflicted Elizabeth feels...until a shocking betrayal forces her to reconsider everything she thought she knew about love, trust, and the kind of person Darcy Wong really is.

 I've read A LOT of P&P retellings so I think I know a thing or two about them.  Although I can't say why this one didn't work as well for me as others -- it was thoughtful, true to the characters and well written. However, Elizabeth was almost a bit too cynical for me?  I don't think I've had that problem before and I can't even say it's out of canon but it taints my review a bit.  I still recommend this book and think a lot of people will love it. 

Good Fortune comes out next week on July 11, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.  

On Sunday mornings, the religious went to temple and everyone else went to yum cha (or, if you prefer, dim sum). It was a weekly ritual and a gathering, a chance to eat their hearts out and gossip. More than that, it was their version of Marquee--a place to see and be seen. Anyone with ties in the neighborhood ended up in the crowded restaurant lobbies eventually, or found their way in the sights of an aunty who did.