What if you found out that your long lost father was just as rich as your friends were? What if you went from nothing to something in a blink of an eye? What if all this news brought some more troubling issues into your life?
China Rich Girlfriend is the sequel to the popular Crazy Rich Asians (currently in production, which I might add is super exciting) and carries with it the overwrought drama you would see in a Korean drama. Extremely enjoyable!
The plot
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 fiancé 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 into 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.
My thoughts
Without being too biased here, I thought China Rich Girlfriend was an absolute blast to read. It almost felt like I was reading a movie or like watching an episode of Gossip Girl where money needs to stick with money and those with new money can never be a part of the inner circle.
There were several different stories going on at the same time. We first have our Rachel and Nick getting married and starting their life together when lo and behold (SPOILERS) Rachel is reunited with her birth father who just so happens to be this rich politician living in Shanghai.
So off Nick and Rachel go to China to meet her dad and hang out with her new family. Obviously long lost kids don’t just show up and everything is fine, so the story begins to twist and turn as a family tries to figure out how to manage their feelings (and their money) with a new face.
Then we have Astrid and her sadness. If you read Crazy Rich Asians, then you already know that Astrid is not in the best state of affairs and the story here gets more intense as her husband tries to get a hold of himself with his new money. Remember, old money and new money just don’t mix so obviously drama ensues.
Finally, there’s Kitty Pong. That’s right. Kitty. Pong. The actress that marries the rich guy gets a small story threaded throughout the novel. However, I will admit I was disappointed when I learned about what happened to her husband.
The writing was great. It was eloquent and verbose (I’m working on my vocabulary), but while describing some crazy drama. And of course, there was no limit on the ridiculously rich lifestyles of these characters. Honestly, I felt like I was one of them while I stood on public transportation on my way to my minimum wage day job.
All in all, I actually thought this novel was better than the first. I’m really happy that the new one is finally out. You know I’ll be compulsively picking that one up.
Simone and Her Books 