mafia rom-coms are so back, a look at Kath Richards debut series: A Love Most Fatal + A Love Most Brutal book review

Title: Morelli Family(series) [A Love Most Fatal, A Love Most Brutal]

Author: Kath Richards

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Mafia Romance, Dark Romance

Format Available: paperback(ALMF), audio-book(ALM), paperback(ALMB), audio-book(ALMB)

Review:

• A Love Most Fatal

This book is what happens when you take a mafia romance and flip the entire script. Vanessa Morelli isn’t your typical mob princess, she’s the boss. The woman running both her family’s construction empire and their criminal operations, all while being told she needs to settle down and produce an heir. Enter Nate: a math teacher with zero business being anywhere near her world… and yet, he somehow fits.

What I loved: the power dynamics are completely reversed, but it never feels gimmicky. Vanessa’s strength doesn’t come from being ruthless, it’s from being human, and watching her balance control with vulnerability? Yeah, I ate that up. Nate isn’t the usual macho savior either; he’s calm, grounded, and absolutely smitten in the quietest, most devastating ways.

Now I’ll be honest, the book started off strong (like, immediate intrigue and tension levels at 100), but somewhere around the middle, the pacing dipped a bit and I lost that initial spark. Thankfully, the second half swooped in like a dramatic plot twist and pulled everything back together. The emotional payoff? Totally worth sticking around for.

And listen… when I found out who was actually behind all the things going wrong in Ness and Nate's lives? I literally sat there, staring at my wall, with my mouth wide open for five full minutes trying to process. Like, jaw on the floor, brain buffering, heart in shambles, felt like throwing up. Did not see that coming at all.

The writing? Addictively smooth. The tension? Immaculate. The slow-burn chemistry? It’s giving danger, desire, and a little bit of doom.

It’s the perfect balance of dark and sunshine, it’s emotional, and it somehow makes you root for love even when every sign screams don’t.

• A Love Most Brutal

Kath Richards really said “mafia romance but make it actually fun.” A Love Most Brutal gave me chaos, banter, longing, and a marriage of convenience that turned into something way more intense than either of them signed up for. Mary Morelli might just be my new favorite FMC, she’s fierce, loyal, and unapologetically sharp around the edges, the kind of woman who doesn’t need saving. Maxim, on the other hand, is a broody crime boss with a soft spot a mile wide for her… which, let’s be honest, I ate that up. Ngl, I loved this book way more than book one, not that book one wasn't good or anything, but because Mary and Maxim's story was slowly building up since book one, and all of that was totally worth it.

The book started off strong with all the tension and clever dialogue. The action in the book was once again, awesome just like book one. Kath really knows how to twist the knife.

If you’re into mafia stories with powerhouse women, complicated family loyalty, betrayal and action with a slow-burn love that sneaks up on you when you least expect it, this one’s for you.

A diaspora espionage novel: Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park

 

Title: Oxford Soju Club

Author: Jinwoo Park

Number of Pages: 244

Publishing Date: 30 September 2025

Available format: paperback

Genre: Asian Literature, Espionage, Asian Diaspora 

Synopsis:

When North Korean spymaster Doha Kim is mysteriously killed in Oxford, his protégé, Yohan Kim, chases the only breadcrumb given to him in Doha’s last breath: “Soju Club, Dr. Ryu.” In the meantime, a Korean American CIA agent , Yunah Choi, races to salvage her investigation of the North Korean spy cell in the aftermath of the assassination. At the centre of it all is the Soju Club, the only Korean restaurant in Oxford, owned by Jihoon Lim, an immigrant from Seoul in search of a new life after suffering a tragedy. As different factions move in with their own agendas, their fates become entangled, resulting in a bitter struggle that will determine whose truth will triumph.

Oxford Soju Club weaves a tale of how immigrants in the Korean diaspora are forced to create identities to survive, and how in the end, they must shed those masks and seek their true selves.

 

Review:

First time reading an espionage novel, kinda nervous

This book isn’t just about betrayal, hidden identities, and secret codes, it's a book that proves that the biggest missions are the ones inside yourself.

We’ve got three main players tangled in secrets:

Yohan Kim, a North Korean spy hiding in Oxford under an alias;

‎Yunah Choi, a Korean-American CIA agent trying to unravel the web of lies after her mentor’s murder

‎And Jihoon Lim, an immigrant restaurateur whose life was meant to be quiet, but the Soju Club restaurant drags him into intersections of identity, grief, and danger.

 

‎What hits me hardest: it’s not just about who kills who or who is double agenting. It’s about those masks we wear — assimilation, loyalty, sacrifice, heritage — and what it costs when you’re forced to shift them depending on who’s watching.

The setting is gorgeous in its tension: Oxford’s cobbled alleys, secret meetings in a Korean restaurant (Soju Club), spies in daylight pretending everything is normal. It’s both moody and alive. Yes, there are twisty spy bits, some betrayals, some heartbreaks. But what really stuck with me were the quieter moments — Jihoon cooking his mother’s recipes, Yunah fighting to not be “othered,” Yohan trying to carry both loyalty to his homeland and the weight of his mentor’s dying request. And honestly? I deeply loved how Doha and Dr. Ryu’s quiet, steady affection for Yohan gave the story some of its most tender layers. In a book built on suspicion and secrecy, their warmth toward him felt like flickers of light in the dark.

On top of all that, Jinwoo Park’s writing is poetic and beautiful, but also sharp enough to cut right into your heart. One of my many favorite moments came when a character, standing so close to death, has a conversation about how the people we love most can slowly disappear from our memories. That reflection gutted me — tender, haunting, and so true it’s almost unbearable.

My only caveat:

because there are multiple POVs + flashbacks, the timeline shifts can get confusing. Sometimes I had to pause and think, “Wait, who's this again?” But I think that messiness mirrors the characters’ inner confusion, so it kind of works.

Final Verdict:

‎If you love spy thrillers with heart, identity crises, diaspora nuances, and characters who aren’t just cogs in a system but people battling to be seen, Oxford Soju Club is for you. High tension, and even higher emotional stakes.

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Between Love, Loss, and Survival: Emma Pei Yin’s When Sleeping Women Wake, book review + Q&A with the author

 

Book:  When Sleeping Women Wake

Author: Emma Pei Yin

Pages: 336

Available format: hardcover

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Genre: Asian Lit, War, Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction

disclaimer: you'll find a special Q&A with the author at the end of the review (feel free to skip over to that if you want)

Synopsis:

In this remarkable and harrowing debut novel, three extraordinary women—a mother, her daughter, and their maid—are each forced on a journey to survival during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II.

1941. Following the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, the wealthy Tang family has settled in Hong Kong, believing it to be protected under British occupation. As the First Wife of the family, Mingzhu leads a glamorous, if at times lonely, existence—mothering the son of her husband’s concubine, overseeing her daughter Qiang’s education, and directing their household of servants, including her long-time confidante, Biyu.

But when the Japanese invade Hong Kong, the three women’s paths wildly diverge. Although Mingzhu’s affinity for languages spares her from physical labor, she finds herself coerced to either work for the enemy or face certain death. Qiang and Biyu scrape through days of factory work and meager food supplies, constantly on the run from newly unfolding dangers until an encounter with the East River Column Resistance fighters separates them. The longer these women become embroiled in the brutal occupation that engulfs the region, the more determined they are to resist—but can they support the resistance and still find their way back to each other?

At once monumental and intimate, When Sleeping Women Wake powerfully explores how ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things, and the unwavering hope that love can carry us through even the darkest of times.

Review:

Emma Pei Yin’s When Sleeping Women Wake is the kind of historical fiction that seeps under your skin and refuses to let go. Set against the brutal backdrop of Japanese-occupied China during WWII, this novel doesn’t just recount history—it makes you feel it, breathe it, and grieve it.

What struck me the most is how the book doesn’t rely on a single perspective. Instead, it weaves together the voices of three unforgettable women—Mingzhu, Biyu, and Qiang—each caught in the impossible crossfires of war, yet each battling completely different inner wars of their own. Mingzhu’s struggle between love and loyalty, Biyu’s tug-of-war between freedom and duty, and Qiang’s fight between tradition and individuality made the narrative layered, raw, and painfully human. I loved how distinct their dilemmas were, yet they tied together seamlessly in showing the multifaceted ways women bore the burdens of war.

Another thing that hit me hard—and honestly made me tear up—was how Emma Pei Yin doesn’t just focus on the children orphaned by war and occupation, but also on the parents who lost their babies. That double lens of grief feels so rare in historical fiction, and it makes the heartbreak all the more complete. It’s not just about what war takes away, but who it leaves behind to keep living with that loss.

But perhaps one of my absolute favorite things about this book is that it not only tells but also shows, with haunting clarity, that there are innocent people on both sides of a war. Pei Yin carefully unravels how ethnicity should never be the sole reason for hatred, disgust, or blanket judgment. The novel reminds us that generalization is never the solution—it only perpetuates cycles of pain and prejudice. In that sense, When Sleeping Women Wake feels like both a historical reckoning and a timely lesson for our present day.

And if I’m being honest, part of why this book feels so close to me is because I see bits of myself in all three women. Mingzhu’s yearning for a pure, soft love, Biyu’s longing for freedom and the chance to discover who she is when she’s not tied to anyone else, and Qiang’s fierce disdain for marriage coupled with her search for individuality and camaraderie—each of those threads resonated in a deeply personal way. But most of all, what connected them, and what I related to most, was their shared hunger to be seen not just as women but as whole, separate human beings. Human beings who are just as capable, resilient, and worthy as any man.

This is one of those books that makes you ache, makes you reflect, and makes you want to hold onto the humanity in others even tighter. It’s beautifully devastating, and it’s going to stay with me for a long, long time.

Q/A

Before we begin, I would like to say a big thank you to Emma for taking some time out and answering all my questions while she's busy with the Asia tour right now. Love you Emma!!!

Q. First of all, congratulations for introducing your fist literary child to the word!! As a debut author, what advice would you give to other writers—especially women of color—trying to break into publishing?

Never be afraid to ask questions and especially to ask for what you want.

Q. What was the first spark that inspired you to write When Sleeping Women Wake—was it history, a character, or something more personal?

The seeds of the novel was planted long before I realised I wanted to write the book. It began when I used to spend mid-autumn festival and lunar new year in Hong Kong with my family. During those days, my grandfather would tell me stories of the Japanese occupation in Hong Kong.

Q. The novel follows three women with very different circumstances. How did you develop Mingzhu, Qiang, and Biyu into such distinct yet interconnected voices?

Mingzhu is a character that has been with me for over a decade. Every character has traits and personalities derived from women I know in my everyday life. Like my grandmother, my aunt and my mum.

Q. Why did you choose the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong as the backdrop for your debut novel?

It was a means to reconnect to my own family history and to discover new truths I had not yet learned.

Q. Many war novels center men at the frontlines, but your book places women at the heart of survival and resistance. Was this a conscious decision to reclaim women’s narratives in history?

Absolutely. I also cannot fathom ever writing a book where all the main characters are men. Women's voices are constantly erased or rewritten by men - and it's down to us to keep talking and sharing stories so that these voices don't get lost.

Q. Which of the three women do you personally feel closest to, and why?

For me, it would Qiang. I am most like her. In the way we both stand up to what we want and are never afraid to ask questions. I feel that many of Qiang's hopes are my own. Of course, I wasn't always like this.

Q. You weave in themes of loyalty, morality, and survival—sometimes with no “right” choice available. How did you approach writing those morally gray decisions?

The entire world is grey. Everything we do leans left or right and will always be seen as right or wrong depending on who is looking in. Life is messy. There's no benefit in writing characters any other way. It would be a lie.

Q. What kind of research went into building the historical detail? Did you draw on family stories, archives, or oral histories? Any books you read specifically for writing this beauty?

The research took many years. This book took over a decade to finalize and I think one of the biggest challenges to unearthing women's voices in history is that there's so very few accounts recorded. I found so much on the experiences of white people during the occupation and what happened to them. I definitely drew on family stories but also made sure to read as many history books as I could while researching archives online. One book I always recommend is The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang.

Q. Was there a scene that was especially difficult for you to write emotionally?

Most scenes were difficult to write because we're exploring themes of race, class and gender. These are all topical issues we still face today and so writing becomes an act of mirroring real life situations or experiences. It's never easy.

Q. On the flip side, was there a scene that gave you joy or a sense of catharsis while writing?

The very last sentence on the very last page.

Q. You’re also an editor and mentor for other writers. How did that editorial eye help (or complicate!) the process of finishing your own debut?

It didn't help at all. I can't edit my own work to save my life. I'm too close to the story and so I always seek the help of another editor.

Q. The title When Sleeping Women Wake is so striking and fitting for the book and the characters. How did you land on it, and what does it mean to you?

It's always been one of my favourite proverbs growing up and the title didn't come to me until quite late into the writing process. To me, it means that women are capable and strong and that nothing can get our way, even if sometimes we forget our strength.

Q. If your novel had a soundtrack, what three songs would definitely make the playlist?

I have made a playlist on Spotify! The first 3 on there were on constant repeat while I was writing and editing the book.

(you can find Emma's playlist here)

Q. A fun question before I ask the last one, if you could have tea with any of your characters, who would it be, and what’s the first thing you’d ask them?

It would be Qiang and I would ask: What's next for you? What life do you want to live?

Q. What's next for Emma Pei Yin as a writer? And what do you hope readers carry with them after finishing When Sleeping Women Wake?

I don't expect too much from readers other than the hope they go away from the book with a small sense of hope. I'm currently working on my next novel and can't wait to share it with you and the rest of the world.

Language, Sympathy, Architecture, AI? Are they related? In Rei Qudan's Sympathy Tower Tokyo, they are. A book Review

 Book:  Sympathy Tower Tokyo

Author: Rei Qudan

Pages: 224

Available formats: hardcover paperback kindle

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Genre: Translated Lit, Contemporary fiction, Literary fiction

Synopsis:

The award-winning, bestselling Japanese phenomenon. A propulsive, prophetic novel about the beauty of language and the nature of identity in the age of AI.

Welcome to the Japan of tomorrow. Here, the practice of a radical sympathy toward criminals has become the norm and a grand skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo is planned to house wrongdoers in compassionate comfort – Sympathy Tower Tokyo.

Acclaimed architect Sara Machina has been tasked with designing the city's new centrepiece, but is riven by doubt. Haunted by a terrible crime she experienced as a young girl, she wonders if she might inherently disagree with the values of the project, which should be the pinnacle of her career. As Sara grapples with these conflicting emotions, her relationship with her gorgeous – and much younger – boyfriend grows increasingly strained. In search of solace, in need of creative inspiration, Sara turns to the knowing words of an AI chatbot…

Awarded Japan's highest literary prize, Sympathy Tower Tokyo is an extraordinary novel from one of the most exciting new voices in world literature. Partly inspired by conversations with an artificial intelligence, it offers an extraordinary defence of the power of language written by humans, a touching exploration of the imaginative impulse, and an often hilarious send up of our modern world's unrelenting conformity.

Review:

Imagine being asked to design a skyscraper that isn’t just a building, but a philosophy: a prison built on empathy. That’s the premise of Sympathy Tower Tokyo, the Akutagawa Prize–winning novel by Rie Qudan, and honestly? It’s one of those books that makes your brain feel like it just ran a marathon—in the best way.
We follow Sara Machina, a celebrated architect in an alternate near-future Tokyo, tasked with building a 71-story “sympathy tower” where inmates are treated not as criminals but as products of their environment. The concept is both fascinating and terrifying: can radical empathy truly replace justice, or does it just blur the lines between compassion and accountability?
What makes the book even more meta is that Qudan admitted around 5% of it was written with AI—mostly the chatbot dialogue. It’s a clever trick, because it makes the AI sections in the book feel authentically hollow, showing how technology can mimic rhythm but not soul. Reading those parts gave me chills, like staring into a mirror that doesn’t quite reflect you back.
Beyond the tech gimmick, though, the novel digs into bigger questions: how language can be weaponized or softened through euphemisms, how architecture carries moral weight, and how a society that prides itself on tolerance can smother individuality. Sara is both glamorous and fragile, carrying personal trauma while shouldering a project that feels bigger than her humanity.
It’s not the easiest read—it’s dense, cerebral, and occasionally abstract. But if you like speculative fiction that forces you to wrestle with messy questions instead of handing you neat answers, this is exactly your kind of book.

Fiction or Reality:

If you're someone who is active on social media every-day, you might be aware of internet slang that were made for the soul purpose of dodging the algorithm have now become a part of our every-day conversations offline too, resulting in brain-rot and what not. The slangs don't only downplay the situation at hand but also with the increase of the use of AI. are making us dumb and illiterate. Once you start reading this book, you'll find the beautiful and artistic way with which the author explores all of that, how people around the world have started to find the intimacy of speaking your own language a bit too over whelming and find using a second language a much better decision. All of these aspects have been discussed in Sympathy Tower Tokyo, providing perfect food for thought.

Why You Should Read It:

If you’re into architecture-as-metaphor, this will be candy for your brain.
If you like stories that blur the line between human creativity and AI mimicry, it’s got that too.
And if you just want a novel that makes you pause, reread, and argue with yourself afterward—yeah, this one delivers.

Sympathy Tower Tokyo is not just a novel, it’s a provocation. It asks: what does true empathy cost us? And at what point does sympathy itself become a prison?

Themes & Takeaways

Language & Power: The novel critiques how Japanese society leans on katakana loanwords to soften or obscure meaning. Sara hates how the language has lost depth, turning labels into euphemisms 
Architecture as Symbol: The Tower becomes more than a structure—it’s a symbol of empathy, a social experiment and maybe a warning. Sara feels the weight of being both architect and moral arbiter
AI & Authorship: Fun twist—Qudan revealed about 5% of the novel was AI‑generated, specifically the chatbot dialogue and scenes where Sara interacts with an AI. That was super meta, since the story itself explores AI's limits & its effect on creativity and identity 
Readers on Goodreads and Reddit flagged how the AI-generated sections were clearly marked in-text, used to embody the AI's inability to self-reflect, and also how language shapes perception and society 

What it is: A provocative, near-future Tokyo novel about empathy‑based incarceration, architectural charisma, and how language and identity intertwine.
Why it hits: It’s intellectually ambitious, visually imaginative, and doesn’t shy from messy ethical and technological questions.
Shock factor: The author actually used AI to write a chunk of the book—blurring creator and creation in real life and on the page.

If you’re into speculative fiction that smacks you in the jaw with questions about ethics, language, and AI—this one’s your jam. It’s sorta tongue-in-cheek yet brutal in its seriousness. Sara Machina might be glamorous on paper, but she’s haunted and fragile underneath. The Tower? Equal parts utopia & dystopia—and exactly the kind of idea that’d keep me up at night.

hardcover paperback kindle

Women, Seated by Zhang Yueran: A Quiet Collapse in the Shadow of Power, ARC review

Book: Women, Seated

Author: Zhang Yueran

Ttranslated by: Jeremy Tiang

Pages: 208

Available formats: kindle hardcover

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Genre: Literary fiction, Political Thriller, Translated Literature

Synopsis:

From the award-winning author, an enthralling novel about the unravelling lives of a nanny and the family she works for following the downfall of its patriarch, a prominent Chinese politician

Enter the world of an elite Chinese a life of luxury, limitless power, and around-the-clock service, which includes their trusted nanny Yu Ling. Slipping in and out of the shadows, careful to speak deferentially, meticulous in her care of their only son Kuan Kuan, Yu has served the family for years and knows their secrets. But little do they suspect that Yu has secrets of her own.

In the pressure-cooker political environment of China, the fates of even the most powerful families can reverse overnight. When Kuan Kuan’s father and grandfather are arrested and his socialite mother goes on the run, Yu is left behind to make a series of life-changing choices. Will she be able to outrun her own past, and how far will she go to claim what she considers her due?

Review:

This book??? Whispered its way into my bones and then refused to leave. Like, genuinely—I’m days removed and still looking at walls thinking about it.

Zhang Yueran masterfully drops us into the ruins of a powerful Beijing family, seen through the eyes of Yu Ling, a nanny who’s been invisible her whole life—until now. When the family's men are swallowed up in a political corruption scandal, Yu Ling is left with nothing… except for one fragile child and one completely unhinged goose.

And let me just say—Kuan Kuan?? My soft little emotional wrecking ball. His unbreakable bond with Yu Ling, the way he never doubts her, even when everything around him is screaming betrayal? That pure, quiet trust had me TEARING UP. In a house filled with secrets, lies, and silence, this child gives her something real—something she didn’t even know she needed.

Their dynamic isn’t overdone. It’s not sentimental. It’s just… true. And the way Yu Ling shoulders all that emotional weight while still protecting him, comforting him, trying to help him understand without breaking him? It’s motherhood in its rawest, most invisible form.

And yes. A goose, named Swan... can't blame Kuan Kuan, the do look quite similar...

And no, Swan is not just a random bird. It's an agent of pure chaos and emotional metaphor. It hisses. It bites. It gets involved in deeply sensitive moments like it owns the place. And somehow?? It works. As every icon, the goose had it own epic ending...

It's maybe comic relief, but also this bizarre, perfect symbolism of everything falling apart. There are a few moments where Kuan Kuan is talking to or refering to the goose but it fells like so much more than just a lonely kid talking to his new favorite bird. Like, the rich have lost control of their house and their pets. It’s giving “the center cannot hold” with feathers.

But back to the heart of the story, Yu Ling and Kuan Kuan. Their relationship is EVERYTHING. The way this child clings to her with an unwavering trust that no adult in the story deserves? It wrecked me. He doesn't care about politics or money or status—he just wants her. And she doesn’t think she’s worthy of that kind of devotion, but she still holds him tight anyway. Ugh. My poor  heart.

And while the house crumbles around her, Yu Ling experiences both betrayal and connection. There are moments of kindness from people she never expected. New friendships forming not from joy but necessity—and yet they still mean something. These aren’t happy friendships to be accurate but they’re survival bonds. They’re the kind you don’t realize meant everything until it’s too late. 

And yes, there are betrayals too. Ugly ones. The kind that aren’t shocking so much as they are disappointingly human. But even in the chaos, there are flickers of community, loyalty, and dignity. She’s no longer just surviving—she’s reclaiming something. 

But let's talk about the elephant in the room: THAT ENDING.

Bro. I don’t even know. I saw the callback, I connected the dots, but I still don’t get it. 

I finished the last page like 😐. Then reread it like 😳. Then stared at the wall like 🧍‍♀️. I know it circles back to something from earlier. I see the connection. But what does it MEAN?? Why does it feel like both a full stop and a question mark and maybe also a comma idk??? Even days later, I’ve got zero closure, infinite vibes, and one (1) emotional breakdown pending. Zhang doesn’t explain. She just… leaves you with it. And honestly? Power move.I still can’t figure out if it was brilliant, devastating, or just completely unhinged. Probably all three. Zhang Yueran said “closure is for the weak,” and I respect that—but also I need therapy now, thanks.

Major love to Jeremy Tiang, whose translation delivers all the precision and ache of Zhang’s prose while still letting the tension breathe. 

Quick Hits:

— Emotional caretaker energy

— Tiny child with unshakable loyalty

— Elite downfall but it’s slow and silent

— New friendships built in the rubble

— One chaotic goose that *absolutely* deserves a spin-off(imagine a book from swan's perspective, omg)

— Ending that will emotionally gaslight you for weeks

Have aneak peak at some quotes from "Women, Seated" on my Instagram acc, here.

From caliper stabs to connection: The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang, a book review

 Title: The Satisfaction Cafe

Author: Kathy Wang

Number of Pages: 352

Publishing Date: hardcover paperback kindle

Available formats: 1 July 2025

Genre:  Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction 

Synopsis:

Joan Liang’s life is a series of surprising developments: She never thought she would leave Taiwan for California, nor did she expect her first marriage to implode—especially as quickly and spectacularly as it did. She definitely did not expect to fall in love with and marry an older, wealthy American and have children with him. Through all this she wrestles with one persistent question: Will she ever feel truly satisfied?

As Joan and her children grow older and their circumstances evolve, she makes a drastic change by opening the Satisfaction Café, a place where people can visit for a bit of conversation and to be heard and understood. Through this radical yet pragmatic business, Joan constructs a lasting legacy.

Review:

The Satisfaction Café is a beautifully written, bittersweet journey through one woman’s life—from a caliper stabbing to creating a café of human connection. It’s got humor, heart, and subtle critiques of privilege. If you’re into quiet literary novels about identity and found family, this one’s a major win.

I was just 2 to 3 chapters into the book when I realized that this book is going to leave a very strong impact on me and I might have to write a full blog review about it instead of just a small Instagram book review. So, lo and behold, here I am.

The Satisfaction Café follows Joan Liang, a Chinese immigrant who arrives at Stanford in the '70s, escapes a less-than-ideal marriage (via an accidental caliper stabbing, no less), and slowly builds a new life in America with a new but white and old husband, Bill. But this isn’t your typical immigrant struggle narrative—it’s smarter, messier, funnier, and deeply real. Kathy Wang crafts a brilliant character study spanning decades, weaving through class, culture, family expectations, womanhood, and the weird, isolating noise of privilege.

This book has the softest core wrapped in razor-sharp wit. Kathy Wang hasn't just written characters—she dissected them. All the characters in the book (specially Joan) are so layered and flawed and human, and I swear I saw bits of myself in their stubbornness, longing, quiet fights to stay afloat in a world that demands so much without offering the same back.

It’s also one of the few books I’ve read where satire doesn’t cancel out sincerity. It talks about cheating spouses that are everywhere around the world, whether that be your own father or husband. It pokes fun at elite, tech-adjacent Bay Area society, but it also deeply explores loneliness, grief, and how women—especially immigrant women—carry so much generational weight without ever being handed the tools to unpack it. How mothers give their all and still the only thought that roams their brain when the end is near, is "did I do the right things?", "Are my children happy with this life?", "I gave everyone all the care and love they deserve but would I become a burden if I want them to reciprocate that now?".

Also, that café? THE café?? It doesn’t even appear until later in the book, but when it does, it’s like the emotional thesis finally blossoms. The café isn’t about food. It’s about people listening, finally, with no expectation.

This is the kind of book that creeps up on you and then lives rent-free in your soul. It’s full of messy family dynamics, unspoken grief, hard-earned wisdom, and women just trying. I couldn’t stop highlighting passages. I couldn’t stop crying. I don’t even know how to write a “proper” review for it because it’s one of those books that becomes a feeling instead of a story

If you’re a fan of layered literary fiction with a lot of heart, biting commentary, and a touch of chaos—The Satisfaction Café is your next obsession.

 

Should You Read It?

If you vibe with character-driven sagas, cross-cultural storytelling, satirical takes on wealth/power, and lifelong arcs with emotional payoffs. The Satisfaction Cafe is more about voice and vibe than plot twists—it’s gentle, introspective, and slow.

get the book here: hardcover paperback kindle

Is she in danger, or is she the danger? read A Twist Of Fate by Sae-Ah Jang(translated by S.L. Park) to find out | ARC review

 Title: A Twist Of Fate 

Author: Sae-Ah Jang

Number of Pages: 352

Publishing Date: 29 July 2025

Available formats: hardcover kindle

Genre: Suspense, Crime Thriller, Murder Mystery, Asian Literature, Translated Literature

Synopsis:

Two women meet on a train. Each is running from a deadly secret. When one disappears, the other decides to take her place—for better, or for worse.

Jae-young has just left everything she’s ever known, not that it was much. Her thankless job, her infested apartment, her abusive boyfriend—who happens to be dead on the kitchen floor. Murder was never the way she envisioned leaving, but it was desperate times. Now, escaping her transgressions on a train to the bustling city of Seoul, Jae-young is just hoping to become invisible—safe.

On the train she meets a chatty mother with her infant son who seem to be running from a similarly harsh life with her unfaithful husband, hoping to find refuge with the in-laws she’s never met. To avoid further conversation, Jae-young excuses herself for a moment. When she returns, the woman is nowhere to be found, but her crying child remains with a note, pleading with Jae-young to take him to his grandparents in a remote province far from Seoul.

It’s not an ideal pitstop, but for the sake of the child she can’t ignore the request. When Jae-young arrives, the house takes her by surprise. It's a gated manor oozing with opulence and the finest luxuries. Having never met their grandchild or daughter-in-law before, the family assumes Jae-young is the boy’s mother and ushers her in. Then Jae-young There’s nothing more invisible than becoming someone else.

But both women have ghosts in their pasts. Jae-young may have no idea what lies rotten under the shiny veneer of her new life, but there's nothing she won't do to make sure she never goes back.

Review:

Disclaimer: This book holds the power to not only bring you back to your murder mystery/crime thriller obsession if you've strayed away from it(lie me...) but also to start your murder mystery/crime thriller obsession if you aren't already obsessed with them.

Imagine boarding a train to escape your past, only to accidentally step into someone else's life… and decide not to leave. A Twist of Fate by Sae-ah Jang is a slow-burning, chilling thriller that wraps you in silk and paranoia at the same time—and let me tell you, it does not let go.

If you love books where every character is a potential liar and every luxury setting feels like a trap—this book is gonna mess with your head in the best way.

Sae-ah Jang slays with atmosphere. The writing is elegant but sharp, like drinking your favorite warm tea but laced with poison. The manor is almost a character itself—haunting, cold, and full of things unsaid. And Jae-young? She’s a fascinating mess. Not quite a hero, not quite a villain, but deeply human. You’ll judge her. You’ll root for her. You’ll side-eye her every move. Same can be said for the young mother from the train. Both women show and represent many topics that have been deemed a taboo discussion topic, by our global society. 

The characters of the dead boyfriend and the rich fake brother-in-law are also well written and were even more dark, sick, and twisted than the women. I think that these two are the characters that Collen Hover was trying to achieve while writing/coming up with Ryle in It Ends With Us. When i say that every single character here is trying to bury down some secrets of their own... I ain't exaggerating anything. The multiple layers of this book and all of it's characters(the main and the side characters) will have you second guessing your own second, third, fourth guess(and many others that you'll keep making until the very end for sure).

The slow pacing may not work for everyone, but if you’re here for that creeping sense of dread—the kind that builds in your stomach like thunder before a storm—this is it. Even with the slow pacing the book is written in such a epic , smooth, and intriguing way, that once you are hooked you won't even realize it and you'll already find yourself reading the very last chapters. Last but not the least, a shout-out to S.L. Park for the translation; the prose flows naturally, but never loses that eerie, K-thriller tone.

 Themes to Look Out For:

Identity & performance

Domestic suspense + found family gone wrong

Class divide (poor woman faking her way into the 1%)

Grief, motherhood, and the lies we cling to

The classic “is she dangerous or in danger?” tension

Content Warnings:

Domestic abuse (past)

Death of a partner (off-page)

Psychological trauma

Child neglect (minor subplot)

Final Verdict:

If Parasite and Rebecca had a psychological baby and dressed her in luxury Korean fashion—this would be her. A Twist of Fate is suspenseful, morally grey, and dripping in slow-burn tension. It’s not loud. It doesn’t shout. It whispers. And that whisper will live rent-free in your brain for days after the final page. For the fans of Verity by Colleen Hoover (but make it classier and add a well written Ryle), My Lovely Wife, The Housekeeper, or K-drama thrillers like Mine, The Glory, Parasite and Little Women (the 2022 one, not the March sisters).

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely—but don’t go in expecting twists on every page. This is a psychological unravelling, not a plot rollercoaster. It’s for patient readers who love watching someone slowly lose their grip on reality… while sipping tea in a designer robe

What happened after the last post? The Haunting Side of Internet Influencers: Q/A with Liann Zhang, debut author of Julie Chan Is Dead

Title: Julie Chan Is Dead

Author: Liann Zhang

Number of Pages: 320

Publishing Date:  29 April 2025

Available Format: hardcover paperback kindle

Genre: Asian Representation, Young-Adult, Murder mystery, Thriller

Review:

In a world obsessed with curated perfection, Liann Zhang dares to ask: what’s really hiding behind the feed?

Liann Zhang is the mind behind Julie Chan Is Dead, a debut thriller that’s as razor-sharp as it is unsettling. With a background steeped in storytelling that blends psychological tension and cultural insight, Zhang brings a fresh, bold voice to the genre. Her work pulls you in with the glittering lure of social media glamour — and then rips the façade away to expose the dark secrets lurking underneath. With biting wit and nerve-shredding tension, Zhang crafts a story about a young woman who slips into her twin’s glittering, influencer-perfect life — only to find herself tangled in something far more dangerous than she ever imagined.

In Julie Chan Is Dead, we meet Julie, a supermarket cashier who steps into the life of her late twin sister Chloe — a famous influencer whose perfect online persona hides more than anyone ever realized. What begins as a daring reinvention quickly spirals into a deadly game of deception, secrets, and survival. Set against the glossy, high-stakes world of influencer culture, Zhang's novel is a chilling exploration of identity, envy, and the dangers hidden behind the filters.

In today’s Q&A, Liann Zhang opens up about crafting this twisted tale, how she tackled writing about influencer culture, her inspirations, her love of messy, complicated characters, and why Julie Chan Is Dead feels terrifyingly real in an era when image is everything, how this is much more than just a thriller — it’s a story about the masks we wear, online and off.

Q. This book is your debut—congratulations! What has surprised you the most about the publishing process?

A. Thank you! Honestly, I don't think a lot has surprised me, and it's only because I've read so many articles and forum posts about what surprised other authors, that anything that should have surprised me, I already know about. If that makes sense. But I'm incredibly grateful for all the fellow debut authors who I've been able to connect to during this exciting time, and the resounding support of readers everywhere!

Q. What inspired you to write Julie Chan Is Dead, and how did you come up with such a thrilling and unique premise?

A. I think a lot of JULIE CHAN had been brewing in my brain for a long while. I just wasn't sure how to put it all together! These crazy hijinks from influencers are based off many things I've seen during my years of being chronically online, and I'm sure other people who have spent a lot of time scrolling would recognize them too. Some parts from the latter half of the novel, was directly inspired by a brand trip I saw a lot of influencers go on near the tail-end of COVID. It was crazy to see so many people suffering from the pandemic, then going online to see a bunch of rich, famous, beautiful and already privileged influencers go on a private island retreat. When I watched those videos, I always thought about how we only get to see a small sliver of what they do on these influencer getaways... what happens during the hours they don't film?

Q. The book dives deep into the influencer world. What kind of research did you do to capture the glitz, glam, and underlying darkness of this lifestyle?

A. I honestly didn't have to do much research. All of the glitz and glamour are things I've seen with my own eyes through vlogs. It was a pretty simple process to put what I've watched into words--mostly, because I've just seen so much of it! So many influencers out there openly showing their luxurious life. Parts of some dynamics and scenes were also influenced by my own experience during my short time as a content creator on Instagram. I had the pleasure of attending a few events then. 

Q. Julie and Chloe are such distinct yet intertwined characters. What was the most challenging part of writing their dynamic?

A. I think the most challenging part was finding a way to show Chloe's POV in the book. It's hard since, you know, she's dead! I had to get clever with how I showed her thoughts through the novel. Especially the side of Chloe she didn't share on the internet.

Q. The island retreat and the people there feel like a whole another story in itself. How did you craft such an atmospheric and tense setting all while adding some of the least discussed & controversial topics?

I think putting all the characters on a isolated island inherently creates tension in the setting itself. The reader knows they are stuck there, without escape. (Uh oh!) The characters become incredibly insulated, which would lead to more drama and tension, and things to pop off. In a way, the island retreat could mirror anonymous group chats, where the girls are able to speak their mind, and do silly things, without the rest of the world watching on. It's curious to see what people might say, think, or do when they know other people aren't watching, and when they are surrounded by yes-(wo)men. The worst parts of them might come alive, y'know? Then those controversial topics just come out naturally.

Q. The story touches on themes of identity, envy, and privilege. Was there a particular message you wanted readers to take away?

A. At the end of the day, all societal structure is rooted in privilege, which goes hand-in-hand with race, class, etc. You can't change what type of environment you're born into, but you can certainly acknowledge it in a fair way. And I think as consumers of media, we need to be more critical of what we are supporting/consuming. We need to really think about who these people are, what are their true intentions, and just really critically analyze Why and What and WHO we are listening to.

Q. What was your favorite scene to write, and which scene kept you awake at night, thinking, ‘How am I going to pull this off?

There's a particular scene in the second half that I was super excited to write. The scene is mostly intact from the original, and while I wasn't kept awake from thinking how I would pull it off, I was more concerned about the reception. I know some people might not gel with what's shown, but I also sincerely believe that the girls that get it, get it, and those are the people I'm writing for!! I am so grateful to the people who are receptive to that scene. Our brains work in similar ways!!

Q. Julie’s journey is filled with morally gray decisions. How do you, as the creator, feel about her choices?

A. I think Julie, is in part, wish fulfilment. I mean, don't we all want to be a vapid, rich, privileged influencer some days? I think she's sometimes a mirror version of myself, if I existed with less empathy and zero concern of consequences ahaha. But sometimes, her shamelessness also makes her admirable. 

Q. Are there any authors, books, or media that influenced your writing style or inspired this novel?

A. Yellowface by RF Kuang came out while I was writing the book. The positive way it was received really empowered me to believe in Julie, and to write a character that might be disliked and controversial. I was also influenced by Bunny by Mona Awad, and the girl-cult. Similarly, movies like Midsommar, Triangle of Sadness, The Menu, and Yellow Jackets are totally my speed and helped inspire some elements of the book. In terms of writing style/voice, a lot of it is my own, in the way that a lot of the way I speak is directly influenced by online/Tik Tok lingo. So, I should probably also acknowledge that. A lot of my sense of humor is directly absorbed from my time online. It's built my personality!

Q. Without giving too much away, do you have plans for more stories in this world, or are you working on something new? Can you give us a hint?

A. I don't plan to continue Julie's story. But I am working on a new horror novel! It's a modern day re-telling of a famous Chinese horror story. :) I'm also brainstorming a new novel that's tangentially related to the influencer world, but not influencers perse. I've had enough of them!

A desi take on Jane Austen's Persuasion, "Yours, Eventually" by Nura Maznavi + Q&A with the author

Title: Yours, Eventually 

Author: Nura Maznavi 

Number of Pages: 400

Publishing Date:18 February 2025

Available formats: paperback kindle

Genre: Romance, Asian Literature, Young-Adult, Re-telling

Synopsis:

A mesmerizing debut novel set in a tightly knit Pakistani American community where a young doctor gets an unexpected second chance with the first love she never got over when he becomes one of the most eligible bachelors in town.

The Ibrahim family is facing a crucial moment: Their patriarch just lost his fortune as the result of a Ponzi scheme, and the family is picking up the pieces. At the family’s core is Asma—successful doctor and the long-suffering middle daughter who stepped into the family center after the death of her beloved mother years ago. Despite what the prying aunties think, Asma is living the life she has always wanted, fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a doctor . . . or so she thinks.

In walks Farooq Waheed, Asma’s college sweetheart whose proposal was cruelly rejected by Asma’s aunt and father. Now, eight years later, Farooq has made his fortune by selling his Silicon Valley startup and is widely considered one of the most eligible bachelors in California. As he enters Asma’s social orbit, she finds herself navigating a tricky landscape—her pushy sisters, gossiping aunties, and her father’s expectations—on her path to reconciling the past and winning Farooq back in the present. If there is still time. 

Yours, Eventually is a story about a young woman finding the courage to follow her heart and coming to the realization that living your life according to what other people think is no life at all.

Review:

Let me just say this upfront—Yours, Eventually is a total chef’s kiss of a retelling. Imagine Jane Austen’s Persuasion but set in a vibrant, tightly knit Pakistani American community, complete with all the auntie gossip, cultural expectations, and one deliciously awkward reunion between old flames. Nura Maznavi has absolutely nailed it with this debut novel.

Asma Ibrahim is the kind of protagonist you root for from page one. She’s the dutiful middle daughter, the glue holding her family together after a financial disaster shakes their world. On paper, she’s living the dream: she’s a doctor, respected in her community, and totally “put together” (according to those meddling aunties). But beneath it all, there’s this ache—the kind that comes from making life decisions based on other people’s expectations.

Enter Farooq Waheed, the one who got away. Well, actually, the one who was pushed away thanks to Asma’s family rejecting his college proposal years ago. Now, Farooq’s back, richer, more handsome, and armed with an energy that screams “I’ve moved on”—but you just know he hasn’t. The tension between these two is thick, especially as Asma realizes she’s never stopped loving him.

What makes this book shine is how Nura captures all the layers of South Asian family dynamics. From the meddling siblings to the judgmental whispers of the auntie brigade, it’s all so hilariously relatable. But it’s not just drama for drama’s sake—there’s so much heart here. Asma’s journey of self-discovery is powerful, as she learns to put her own happiness first, even if it means challenging the expectations of her father and community.

And Farooq? Oh, he’s a dream. He’s charming without being over-the-top, successful yet grounded, and the way he still carries a torch for Asma is just the right balance of swoony and heartbreaking. Their reunion is filled with just the right amount of tension, angst, and longing. Every glance, every conversation is loaded, and you’ll find yourself yelling at them to just talk it out already!!!

The community setting adds so much depth to the story. Maznavi brings the Pakistani American experience to life with vivid details-the food, the family gatherings, the relentless matchmaking. It's all so rich and immersive, and you'll feel like you're right there in the middle of it all. At its heart, Yours, Eventually is about second chances-not just in love, but in life. It's about finding the courage to follow your heart, even when the world around you has different ideas. It's hopeful, emotional, and deeply satisfying. If you're a fan of Austen, South Asian lit, or just love a good slow-burn romance with all the feels, this one's for you.

By the end, you'll be smiling, swooning, and maybe a little hungry for a cup of chai. Honestly, Nura Maznavi has arrived, and I can't wait to see what she does net!

Q&A WITH NURA MAZNAVI

Q1. Yours, Eventually reimagines Persuasion through a distinctly Pakistani American lens. What inspired you to take on Jane Austen’s work, and how did you balance staying true to the original while making it your own?

Nura: I first read Pride and Prejudice in high school and loved everything about the world Jane Austen created. It felt so familiar to me and South Asian American Muslim community in which I was raised, especially the themes of love, family and community. I took a Jane Austen class in college and read the rest of her novels - Persuasion was my favorite, I thought it was the most romantic of all her books. It also struck me well that it lent itself to a modern adaptation in my community. I personally knew people whose relationships didn’t work out because of parental disapproval. Family plays such a huge role in our search for a partner and I wanted to tell that story. 

Q2. Asma and Farooq’s second-chance romance feels layered with cultural expectations, personal growth and desire. How did you approach crafting their dynamic and weaving in those challenges?

Nura: I took a lot of inspiration from the characters in Persuasion. I rooted for Anne Elliot in Persuasion because I felt her heartbreak, but I also wanted her to be a bit more assertive. I knew Asma had to have professional success to contrast her role and the weight of responsibility she had in her family. I also wanted to show how we sometimes see ourselves so differently at work compared to within our family and community. Since Sine this was set in the San Francisco Bay Area, I knew Farooq had to be a startup hundred millionaire who was kicked to the curb as a college dropout. 

Q3. The Ibrahim family adds such richness to the story, from the meddling aunties to the fiercely loyal sisters. Were any of these characters or dynamics drawn from your own life or community?

Nura: I think there’s a little bit of me and everyone I know in all the characters! I grew up in a large South Asian and Arab Muslim community in Southern California where there’s constant interaction with all sorts of different people. What I really wanted to show in the book is that none of us are one-dimensional – even the meddling aunties! 

Q4. Adapting a beloved classic can be daunting. What were the biggest challenges in reworking Persuasion into "Yours, Eventually", and what aspects of the novel felt the most rewarding to write?

Nura: I think the biggest challenge is that in Jane Austen’s time there was a lot of room and opportunities for missed communication and delayed information. That’s not the case here – we get info (gossip!) within seconds via text. So there were some scenes where I had to figure out a creative way for Asma to miss that gossip. I think the most rewarding (and fun) scenes to write were between Farooq and Asma and seeing them slowly reconnect.

Q5. Your background as an attorney and editor is fascinating. How do these experiences shape the way you approach storytelling, especially in a novel that balances romance with social critique?

Nura: I don’t like reading books where I feel like the author is trying explicitly to teach me something or preach culture or religion – my goal is to write a compelling story and let the story and characters speak for themselves. 

Q6. The novel blends Austen’s timeless themes of love and regret with the cultural nuances of South Asian identity. How did you ensure the story resonated with both South Asian readers and a wider audience?

Nura: There’s the old adage that you should write specific to write universal and I think that’s the case here. Love is a universal emotion and love stories have a way of connecting people across cultures and faiths because it’s something we can all relate to. 

Q7. Asma’s journey highlights the tension between societal pressures and personal happiness. What do you hope readers—especially women in similar situations—take away from her story?

Nura: I think there’s a fine line you have to balance living in a close-knit community and enjoying the support that comes along with it without being suffocated. I hope readers can see how it’s possible to figure out yourself and what you want while tuning out the noise of what everyone else thinks and might say. 

Q8. You’ve previously co-edited anthologies featuring Muslim love stories. How did that experience influence your approach to writing "Yours, Eventually", and what drew you to retelling a classic novel?

Nura: The process of putting together Love InshAllah really expanded my understanding of how young American Muslims meet for marriage. Family and community usually plays a role and I wanted to dig into that in this story and Persuasion seemed the best vehicle to do so.

Q9. What advice would you offer to writers, particularly those from underrepresented communities, who want to reimagine beloved classics or tell stories rooted in their cultural heritage?

Nura: Keep going! I talk to so many people who are interested in writing a novel. There’s no timeline – if this is something you want to do, keep writing until you get there.

Q10. Can you share what’s next for you? Are there more retellings, anthologies, or other projects in the works?

Nura: I’m working on my next novel which is about a type-A overachiever whose life spirals out of her control two weeks before her wedding.