China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
How did I get sucked into this again? I am so out of my realm of books here. I did not think that it was possible to have any more drama than Crazy Rich Asians, but China Rich Girlfriend somehow surpassed it. So without further ado, here we go!
Two years have passed since Rachel met Nick's family and had a very disastrous trip which resulted in the brief separation of the couple. But they reconciled and are now getting married! It has also been two years since Nick spoke to his mother; Kitty and Bernard ran off to Vegas and eloped; and Astrid and Michael gave love another chance, but money has changed him. Let's just say those two years have only been kind to Nick and Rachel. But on the eve of their wedding, Eleanor makes a reappearance; this time she comes baring good news though. Eleanor has tracked down Rachel's true biological father and has brought him to California just in time for the wedding. For their honeymoon, Nick and Rachel spend the summer in China so Rachel can get to know her father, but with a new cast of crazy rich Asians, Rachel might be in over her head.
Where to start? Where to start? I guess with the obvious: Rachel and Nick. When Eleanor crashes the rehearsal dinner, they believe that she is up to no good. No one would believe that she was actually there to make the day all the more special by introducing Rachel to her father, Bao Gaoling, a top Chinese politician and billionaire. Gaoling primarily went by a nickname, Kao Wei, in his youth, which is why he has been so hard to track down. While Nick's cousin Eddie is usually a raging buffoon, we have him to thank for connecting Eleanor with Goaling's wife, Bao Shaoyen, who has flown to London to take care of her recently hospitalized son, Carlton. Yeah, this is really confusing. But one thing I have learned about these characters, it is like six degrees of Kevin Bacon. And yes, Carlton is Rachel's half-brother. Gaoling invites Rachel and Nick to China to he can get to know his daughter, but what no one anticipates is that Shaoyen wants nothing to do with his "bastard daughter," as she so frequently calls her. China really just is not good to Rachel.
Carlton is an interesting character. Originally meeting Rachel just to piss off his mother, he grows quite fond of her. He runs in a circle similar to the other characters. At the start of the novel, Carlton is hospitalized briefly after crashing a car into a high end designer store in London. While Carlton is physically okay after the crash, he carries the guilt of paralyzing one passenger and killing another, a fact that is kept out of all news sources so as not to affect his fathers political career. This leads him to be quite reckless throughout the novel, and his not girlfriend, Colette Bing, provokes this behavior with her own careless travels, spending, and friends. But even Colette is worried sick when she learns that Carlton is going to race Richie, the man that caused the initial accident, again. The new bond between Rachel and Carlton is tested in this moment, but it proves to be invaluable as it more than likely saves Carlton. This relationship is one of my favorites through the book. Colette is sort of the devil on the shoulder, while Rachel is the angel, with Carlton in the middle, showing that siblings are incredibly important people in our lives, even if we have only known them for a short period of time.
Switching over to the Astrid-Michael-Charlie triangle, I am still in love with Charlie, and he proves himself time and time again. At the end of Crazy Rich Asians, Charlie, instead of professing his undying love for Astrid, purchases Michael's company secretly so that Michael no longer feels inadequate. However, the money that Michael brings in completely changes him. While we never see the Michael that Astrid fell for all those years ago, we are told that he was once sweet, caring, and devoted. Even in the last novel, he fakes an affair because he is too good to step out, but also cannot admit that he feels less because he cannot afford the lifestyle Astrid deserves. Now, all traces of that man have disappeared. He treats their son poorly, only bringing him out when he needs a publicity boost. He goes so far as to lock him in a closet for hours when the child misbehaves. Charlie, the entire time, not wanting to pull Astrid away from Michael believing that she loves him, listens to her woes and frets. But when Michael goes too far, Charlie once again pulls Astrid to safety and finally confesses his love. While nothing happens between the pair while they are both in their respective marriages, their love is obvious. And just one more time for emphasis, Michael is an asshole.
China Rich Girlfriend is full of drama, even more so than Crazy Rich Asians. The pinnacle of this is when Rachel is mysteriously poisoned, hospitalized, and almost dies. But of course, there is plenty of drama to go around between the old and new characters. The plot constantly leaves you guessing which character is going to do something ridiculous next, but also brings out an emotional response from the reader. Again, I find myself wondering how I have gotten myself into this, caring about books with characters whose issues are so far from believable and out of my grasp. And yet, for the most part, Kwan shows you who these people are beneath the money and clothes and status. You see what makes them tick and cry and laugh, and suddenly, it's no longer about those other things, and you want the best for them...well, most of them. It has a lovely ending that wraps everything up nicely, wondering where the third novel will go from, but if it is anything like the other two novels in the series, it will be wonderful!
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Rating: 8/10
Author: Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians (Book 2 of 3)
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit
Dates Read: September 16-18, 2019
 |
| (Source: Kelsey Darling) |
Where to start? Where to start? I guess with the obvious: Rachel and Nick. When Eleanor crashes the rehearsal dinner, they believe that she is up to no good. No one would believe that she was actually there to make the day all the more special by introducing Rachel to her father, Bao Gaoling, a top Chinese politician and billionaire. Gaoling primarily went by a nickname, Kao Wei, in his youth, which is why he has been so hard to track down. While Nick's cousin Eddie is usually a raging buffoon, we have him to thank for connecting Eleanor with Goaling's wife, Bao Shaoyen, who has flown to London to take care of her recently hospitalized son, Carlton. Yeah, this is really confusing. But one thing I have learned about these characters, it is like six degrees of Kevin Bacon. And yes, Carlton is Rachel's half-brother. Gaoling invites Rachel and Nick to China to he can get to know his daughter, but what no one anticipates is that Shaoyen wants nothing to do with his "bastard daughter," as she so frequently calls her. China really just is not good to Rachel.
 |
| (Source: Giphy) |
Switching over to the Astrid-Michael-Charlie triangle, I am still in love with Charlie, and he proves himself time and time again. At the end of Crazy Rich Asians, Charlie, instead of professing his undying love for Astrid, purchases Michael's company secretly so that Michael no longer feels inadequate. However, the money that Michael brings in completely changes him. While we never see the Michael that Astrid fell for all those years ago, we are told that he was once sweet, caring, and devoted. Even in the last novel, he fakes an affair because he is too good to step out, but also cannot admit that he feels less because he cannot afford the lifestyle Astrid deserves. Now, all traces of that man have disappeared. He treats their son poorly, only bringing him out when he needs a publicity boost. He goes so far as to lock him in a closet for hours when the child misbehaves. Charlie, the entire time, not wanting to pull Astrid away from Michael believing that she loves him, listens to her woes and frets. But when Michael goes too far, Charlie once again pulls Astrid to safety and finally confesses his love. While nothing happens between the pair while they are both in their respective marriages, their love is obvious. And just one more time for emphasis, Michael is an asshole.
"Michael picked up his cell phone after four rings, sounding sleepy. 'Hey. Is everything okay?'
'Yes.'
'You know it's one thirty in the morning here, right?'
'I do. But I think you're the only one in the house who's able to sleep. Ludivine just texted me that Cassian is still up. He's terrified of the dark now. Locking him in the closet...really?'
Michael let out a sign of frustration. 'You don't understand. He's been a little pest all week. Whenever I come home, he goes berserk.'
'He's acting out to get your attention. He wants to play.'
'The great hall is not a playroom. My cars are not toys. He has to learn to control himself-at his age, I was not jumping around like an orangutan all day.'
'He is an active, high-spirited kid. Like his father was.'
'Hnnh!' Michael snorted. 'If I had acted the way he does, I would have been whipped by my pa. Ten strokes on my ass with his rotan.'" (pp.181-182)
 |
| (Source: Giphy) |
The story line that intrigued me the most though was Kitty Tai. Kitty is determined to make it in to China's high society, so she brings on the help of Corinna Ko-Tung, a woman from a well-bred family who specializes in helping people climb the social ladder. While this is happening, Bernard and their daughter Giselle, are missing from the picture and it is quite the mystery trying to figure out what happened. Their are rumors of them contracting some horrible illness and being sequestered away for everyone's safety, and Kitty never corrects them. In the end though, Corinna says that she needs to know what is going on with them, so Kitty and Corinna fly to California where her husband and daughter have been living. Apparently, Bernard had a plastic surgery mishap and while going through reconstructive surgery to fix it, decided that he was going to live a completely clean life and that Giselle would live the same. They only eat what they grow, Giselle at the age of two is learning multiple languages, there are no plastics in the house, and they employ the use of many new age health systems, some of which are just completely bizarre. And to top it off, Bernard is intent on keeping Kitty out of Giselle's life. Upon seeing this, Corinna is horrified and determined to help reunite mother and daughter. Also, at the start of Corinna and Kitty's partnership, Corinna gives Kitty a list of books to read which I will include at the end of this post.
China Rich Girlfriend is full of drama, even more so than Crazy Rich Asians. The pinnacle of this is when Rachel is mysteriously poisoned, hospitalized, and almost dies. But of course, there is plenty of drama to go around between the old and new characters. The plot constantly leaves you guessing which character is going to do something ridiculous next, but also brings out an emotional response from the reader. Again, I find myself wondering how I have gotten myself into this, caring about books with characters whose issues are so far from believable and out of my grasp. And yet, for the most part, Kwan shows you who these people are beneath the money and clothes and status. You see what makes them tick and cry and laugh, and suddenly, it's no longer about those other things, and you want the best for them...well, most of them. It has a lovely ending that wraps everything up nicely, wondering where the third novel will go from, but if it is anything like the other two novels in the series, it will be wonderful!
 |
| (Source: Giphy) |
Corinna's Reading List for Kitty:
Snobs by Julian Fellowes
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
People Like Us by Dominick Dunne
The Power of Style by Annette Tapert and Diana Edkins (this is out of print; I will lend you my copy)
Pride and Avarice by Nicholas Coleridge
The Soong Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave
D.V. by Diana Vreeland
A Princess Remembers: The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur by Gayatri Devi
Jane Austen-complete works beginning with Pride and Prejudice
Edith Wharton-The Custom of the Country, The Age of Innocence, The Buccaneers, The House of Mirth (must be read in strict order-you will understand why when you finish the last one)
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
Anthony Trollope-all the books in the Palliser series, beginning with Can You Forgive Her?
Rating: 8/10
Author: Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians (Book 2 of 3)
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit
Dates Read: September 16-18, 2019
Comments
Post a Comment