Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune

As a Chinese-American, I am always going to appreciate a story about the Chinese-American experience. Roselle Lim’s book was an easy read and cute story. I didn’t love it, but it was still enjoyable.

Without giving too much away, Natalie tan returns to her childhood Chinatown neighborhood following the death of her mother. She then embarks on a journey to re-open her grandmother’s restaurant while also discovering herself.

Recipes were sprinkled throughout that truly made me hungry while reading! Lim made an effort to describe Chinese customs and etiquette, which would be helpful to readers unfamiliar with the culture.

There is a bit of magic? Fairytale? with this story too. No, it’s not entirely realistic, but it makes you feel good when you read it. It’s not exactly a romance as it has been advertised in some places. In fact, I’d consider romance to be a very small part of it.

My one gripe? There were times when issues seemed to be resolved just too quickly. I felt like so much happened without much context. It was a constant rollercoaster of things going right and wrong, and I had no clue how I got there.

Overall, I liked the book. It’s a good read for a lazy weekend when you want a cute and magical story to fill your days.