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Saturday, February 22, 2020

Week 8 Reviews: Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems



From Goodreads:
Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

From Goodreads:
Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians, is back with a wickedly funny new novel of social climbing, secret emails, art world scandal, lovesick billionaires, and the outrageous story of what happens when Rachel Chu, engaged to marry Asia's most eligible bachelor, discovers her birthfather.

On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over-the-moon. She has a flawless Asscher cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiancĂ©e willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won't be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel in to a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. 

Here we meet Carlton, a Ferrari-crashing bad boy known for Prince Harry-like antics; Colette, a celebrity girlfriend chased by fevered paparazzi; and the man Rachel has spent her entire life waiting to meet: her father. Meanwhile, Singapore's It Girl Astrid Leong is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly-minted Tech Billionaire husband. A romp through Asia's most exclusive clubs, auction houses, and estates, China Rich Girlfriend brings us into the elite circles of Mainland China, introducing a captivating cast of characters, and offering an inside glimpse at what it's like to be gloriously, crazily, China-rich.

From Goodreads:
Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, is back with an uproarious new novel featuring a family driven by fortune, an ex-wife driven psychotic with jealousy, a battle royal fought through couture-gown sabotage, and the heir to one of Asia's greatest fortunes locked out of his inheritance.

When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside—but he's not alone. The entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe to stake claim to their matriarch's massive fortune. With each family member vying to inherit Tyersall Park—a trophy estate on sixty-four prime acres in the heart of Singapore—Nicholas' childhood home turns into a hotbed of backbiting and intrigue. As Su Yi's relatives fight over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu but tormented by her ex-husband—a man hell-bent on destroying Astrid's reputation and relationship. Meanwhile, Kitty Pong, married to China's second richest man, Jack Bing, still feels upstaged by her new stepdaughter, famous fashionista Colette Bing.

In this sweeping tale that takes us from the elegantly appointed mansions of Manila to the secluded private islands in the Sulu Sea, from a kidnapping at Hong Kong's most elite private school to a surprise marriage proposal at an Indian palace that is caught on camera by the telephoto lenses of paparazzi, Kevin Kwan hilariously reveals the long-buried secrets of Asia's most privileged families and their rich people problems.

My Review:
Yeah, I couldn't put these books down! I started reading these in the evening of the 15th, after watching the movie, and then I kept reading. And reading. I basically went into a binge read of this series, because these books were pretty dense, and I finished them in less than 24 hours. I didn't sleep until after I was finished. I was pretty wiped afterwards, but I just couldn't put these books down!

These stories, these characters, they were really engaging. I mean, who doesn't want to know how the other side lives? And the amount of money that these characters have, it's pretty staggering. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy from the outside enviable lives.

Nick's family is pretty extensive, because there are the 3 branches, and it's a bit complicated, because Su Yi's brother in law, married her brother's daughter, I believe. So there's plenty of family members to keep track of, though it was easier to remember, given that I'd just read about the, since I read them all so close together.

The first story is mainly Rachel and Nick's story, with a little bit of his cousin, Astrid, and her family life. Some of those story lines, yeah, just had me rooting for her, and being enraged on her behalf. It's just over the top, how these characters live their lives. The next one is even more split, and we meet even more characters. While finally, the 3rd book is mainly on the family dealing with Su Yi's pending death and the fall out of that.

There are differences between the books and the movie, and I can't wait to see how they adapt the future books! I loved reading these books, they were such engaging stories, and I enjoyed them so much!

Author: Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians #1, 2, 3
Read: February 15th, 16th, 16th, 2020
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Books! And Rich People Problems is a End of Series 2020 Book!
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Published: June 11th 2013, June 16th 2015, May 23rd 2017

Crazy Rich Asians:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








China Rich Girlfriend:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Rich People Problems:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

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