As someone who grew up on Mulan, I knew I had to read Worth Fighting For. It doesn’t hurt that it’s one of my favorite authors as well! This lived up to all the hype I had in my head. Keep reading this book review of Worth Fighting For for my full thoughts.
Summary
As the right hand of her father’s hedge fund company, Fa Mulan knows what it takes to succeed as a woman in a man’s work twice as hard, be twice as smart, and burp twice as loud as any of the other finance bros she works with. So when her father unexpectedly falls ill in the middle of a critical acquisition, she is determined to see it through. There’s just one the family company in question is known for its ultra masculine whiskey brand, and the brood of old-fashioned aunts, uncles, and cousins who run it—lead by the dedicated but overworked Shang—will only trust Mulan’s father, Fa Zhou, with the future of their business.
Rather than fail the deal and her father, Mulan pretends she’s Fa Zhou. Since they’ve only corresponded over email, how hard could it be to keep things moving in his absence?
But the email leads to a face-to-face meeting, which leads to an invitation to a week long retreat at Shang’s family ranch. One meeting she can handle, but a whole week of cattle wrangling, axe-throwing, and learning proper butchering techniques, all while trying to convince Shang’s dubious family that this young woman is the powerful hedge fund CEO they’ve been negotiating with? Not so much—especially as she finds it harder and harder to ignore the undeniable spark between her and Shang.
Can she keep her head in the game and make her father proud, all while trying not to fall into a trough, or in love with Shang?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I loved how Sutanto was able to merge the classic elements of Mulan with these new elements. For fans, you have to read Worth Fighting For. It’s a beautiful and swoony story about fighting for new traditions and finding our voice. I loved how the very soul of Mulan is present in the pages. We see Mulan struggling to prove herself not only to Shang’s family, but also to her parents. There are trials and ways that Mulan and Shang both challenge traditional gender roles. I was reading this before bed and couldn’t stop every evening. I loved the dynamic between Mulan and Shang! There are swoons and plenty of relationship building!
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One element I really loved was how Worth Fighting For also explores the intersection of sexism and racism. How because of the heavy emasculation of Asian men, their adoption of the hyper American masculine image is part of an attempt to assimilate. Worth Fighting For delivers depth and romance at the same time. This was such a fun read and is definitely a recommendation for me if you love the humor of Mushu, the themes of family, and swoons. Find Worth Fighting For on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, & Blackwells.