An action packed, spy, romantic, thriller that is more political than I expected. To be frank, this book had a lot going on. Apart from closely following up to the TVD duology, it sets out a similar political romance weaving in the magical realism. Knowing that this is based on As You Like It, I had expected this to be a bit confusing to follow but I caught up well. I could figure out the disguises and aliases. I still struggle with whatever politics Chloe cooks up, some of it doesn't make sense while most of it feels ad lib. A good thing about this book is that it did show Chloe's growth as a writer because of how well Rosalind is sketched out, I found her as a charming character one that I have longed to read. In fact, I would chose her over Orion any day. I'm sure if you liked TVD and OVE, you'd definitely love reading this. Watch out for the plot twists, it will definitely keep the pages turning. ❤️

Thank you to Hodder and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Foul Lady Fortune' by Chloe Gong. I'm extremely grateful.

Thank you to Hodder and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Foul Lady Fortune' by Chloe Gong.

I dont know if I can convey my emotions into words. I love Chloe Gong and I would probably do anything she asked of me. 2% in, I knew this would be a 5 star and I'm happy to announce that it remained that way.

'Foul Lady Fortune' ties perfectly into 'These Violent Delights' - to the extent some people might get confused as to why I am a massive lover of certain characters - but Chloe added much more detail and love into these characters. Our main character Rosalind - my favourite - is so well developed, I was attached to her and her actions throughout the book. The plot twists were so unexpected for me to the extent where I had to pause and just mentally applaude Gong for her brain.

However, I want to talk about the ending. Of course, this is only the first book for Rosalind and Orion but oh my goodness. I definitely didn't expect that ending and I will be awaiting the sequel where I can find out more.

I was given an e-book ARC of this book, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Foul Lady Fortune is a spy novel, with a new spin. We follow Rosalind, Code name: FORTUNE. Rosalind also has some unique skills... for her latest task she joins Orion Hong, the son of a Chinese General accused of treason and spy. They work together to solve the murders happening across the city.

Great concept, loved this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the Arc of Foul Lady Fortune.

I was really excited to read this novel as I've heard great things and the blurb intrigued me. It's my first novel from Chloe Gong and I wasn't disappointed.
I enjoyed the style of writing and the world building.
The characters gelled well, names were similar but overall was a good read.

I did struggle with the flow because of how the arc is set out(couldn't open on kindle- the flow is nothing to do with how it's written) but I do have Foul Lady Fortune on pre-order so can't wait to re-read when I have the physical copy.

This was a beautiful start to the spin off from the Violent Delights duology.

I've always loved retellings of plays and mythology and this just got added to the list. The mixture of spies and politics and 20th century Shanghai is fresh and fun and beautifully written - I have always loved Chloe Gong's flowery prose and her skill in writing from a third person perspective.

I will admit that I didn't find the two MCs as fleshed out as Juliette and Cai in the previous duology - I feel like I don't know anything about Orion and while he was fun, I didn't get a handle on the relationship between him and Rosalind. Forced proximity/fake marriage is always a fun concept but I feel like this could have been taken further. Some of Rosalind's dilemmas and thoughts were a little convoluted or repetitive and this is probably the main reason why this was just shy of a five star review for me.

Nonetheless I thought this was a fantastic start to another captivating duology - I flew through the last quarter of the book as the plot twists and drama began to unfold. I'm very excited for the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

First, let me say that I loved being back in this world. Sure, you can read Foul Lady Fortune without reading the original duology (These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends) but I highly recommend that because it would spoiler the duology´s ending for you and it makes so much more sense to read it because of the events and characters.

Foul Lady Fortune focuses on Rosalind. In the beginning, you get to know what´s happening in her life four years after the events of Our Violent Ends. It’s 1931 and Shanghai is unrest once again. Japanese Imperial Army is getting closer, while the city has to deal with a civil war between the Nationalists and Communists. As if the city hasn't been through enough already. It´s a golden age of espionage - with double and even triple agents roaming the streets - and that´s how Rosalind meets with her fake husband Orion Hong. Together, they depart on a mission to uncover the culprits behind the gruesome murders terrorizing Shanghai.

“Across the city and outside of it, Friday arrived to the sound of war drums.”

Heartbroken and atoning Rosalind is prepared to do anything to glue the broken city back together - to heal it, to make it whole again. You may originally hate her for what she´s done but in the end, cannot help to root for her. She´s not a perfect human, she has her flaws, but that´s what makes her a perfect character. By the way, Rosalind is demisexual and while it is not directly stated (through this modern term), it is discussed in the text.

Speaking about romance, Rosalind and Orion Hong are a great couple and a power duo, in public and in private as well. I loved how Orion calls her “beloved” or “ my wife” even when they are alone or with people who know. They both have their own secrets which undeniably adds to the ever-present tension between them. Their interactions are amazing and I live, ache, and breathe for this pairing.

Besides meeting and getting to know a bunch of new characters - (previously mentioned) Orion, his brother Oliver and sister Phoebe - we get to be reunited with now seventeen-year-old Alisa Montagova as well as Rosalind´s sister Celia. Together they become entangled in the political machinations and despite being on different sides of the conflict, end up cooperating and saving each other's butts. I loved this group (every one of them) and their dynamics.

Around ¾ of the book felt kind of “peaceful” to me or how to describe it. Of yours, there is a lot of spying to uncover all the dangerous secrets, occasionally some gunshots or poisoning happening, but overall, it is very political - which is still amazing because I love this kind of books - until the whole situation escalates, making you sit at the edge of your seat holding your breath and praying that everyone survives the inevitable storm coming their way. As the tension rises and the stakes get higher, it is very hard to put the book down. It is INTENSE. I could not stop reading till the ending, well… it broke me.

At last, I want to say that I´ve genuinely missed Chloe Gong´s writing. She never disappoints. Foul Lady Fortune is beautifully written and well thought through from the first word to its very last. Overall, it is very cleverly done. Now I have no idea how I am going to survive the wait for the second book of this incredible spin-off to These Violent Delights.


Special thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an electronic reading copy in exchange my honest review.

Foul Lady Fortune is the first book in Chloe Gong's latest duology, set in the same world as These Violent Delights. The book follows Rosalind Lang, traitor turned immortal assassin, and her desperate attempts at solving a series of murders causing unrest in Shanghai.

In summary: This book is frickin perfect, amazing and just all round 😭😭😭. There's angst, there's sexual tension, there's *who did this to you? I'll kill them🗡*. There are so many twists and turns and literally gobsmacking reveals. I had to put my kindle down at one point just to process what the f had just happened. There's secrets upon secrets upon even more frickin secrets. This book is just incredible. Chloe Gong has weaved such an intricate story, it is impossible to put down. The romance is slow burn but let me tell you it is not flat or boring at all. The chemistry between Rosalind and Orion is electric. I loved the re-introduction of already familiar characters and the new ones you'll be sure to love instantly. Basically, you need to read this book and I need the sequel like now please, thank you.

PS. Please can JM be who I want it to be so bad 😭🤞

I'm sorry but this is worse than These Violent Delight.

I struggled through this ARC so much. It's intensely heavy on its politics that everything else becomes a side story.

Both Rosalind and Orion are hardly decent main characters. I don't think there's any real depth to them. It's hard to feel or care for them because of this dense, stoic nature they carry.

Rosalind is now this legendary assassin, or so we're told. It didn't translate too too well into the story I think. All her competence are merely told to us, instead of shown for us to witness.

For me the thing that truly drag this book behind is its plot. The spying bits are DRAINING. This is the premise of the story, yet its the most dull. I really feel like Rosalind's character is swallowed into this spying acts, making her unable to really shine. Its also very slowly paced, and it only start to build a good momentum in the third act.

In some sense its like watching a chinese period drama. The repetitiveness and slow steady pace that a 30 episodes show is capable to invest on.

There's some big twists towards the end that is clearly going to be a new premise for the next book in this series.

I'm able to get my hands on this ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!!

This book made me feel so many things, I still didn’t recover from all the plot twists 😭
Foul Lady Fortune was a pleasure to read from beginning to end, I absolutely loved all the characters (despite not being fond of Rosalind in TVD), and I am once again LOVING the way Chloe Gong weaves intricate historical elements into her worldbuilding. If you like the fake marriage trope, spies, and historical fantasy, this book is for you!
Now I really need the sequel to make up for the emotional damage
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

fake married spies, in 1930s shanghai, investigating a series of murders !! flf is now my second favourite book after our violent ends:)

i'd like to say a huge thank you to netgalley and hodderscape for providing me with an e-arc of foul lady fortune - i truly appreciate it with all my heart as i'm a huge fan of chloe + her past works (these violent delights, our violent ends)

foul lady fortune is undeniably another masterpiece written by chloe - although i went in with impossibly high expectations, i found myself feeling rather impressed and satisfied. in fact, there were many aspects of the book i enjoyed more than her past duology, which are my all time favourite books. it's clear that her writing is improving progressively, and she never disappoints. i really love how chloe incorporates east asian history into her books as i feel like i'm being educated in the most immersive way out there !

onto the review :

1. characterisation
one of my favourite things about chloe's books is the way she crafts her characters - every single person introduced left a mark on me, and even though my memory is terrible, i could still remember them after finishing. after reading our violent ends, i wasn't a huge fan of rosalind, the main protagonist, and yet by the end of foul lady fortune i was OBSESSED with her. orion, who is introduced for the first time in foul lady fortune, is such an endearing male protagonist who will most definitely have you screaming on the floor. i absolutely loved seeing their relationship develop throughout the book - nothing felt unnatural or too sudden, which i often see in books with the fake dating / marriage trope.

2. plot
the way i threw my phone 5 times while reading this... there were so many plot twists that weaved together perfectly, and yet none of them felt predictable in the slightest. the pacing was also much better than her past duology, and made me feel as if i were watching a drama the entire time. it wasn't just reading for me, it was a whole EXPERIENCE !!

this might sound cliche, but the only bad thing about this book was that it ended (and that i have to wait over a year for the sequel). i can GUARANTEE you guys will enjoy it ☹️

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for honest review!

Foul Lady Fortune is the first Chloe Gong’s book I had chance of reading, even though These Violent Delights are sitting on my TBR for quite a long time now. And if I’m being honest, I’m glad I started with this one. Romeo and Julia is story well known, and I was missing the interest to begin reading, as the ending was- expectable, however, I had no idea what to expect with FLF. And I was amazed by it. Brief throwback to the events of TVD eased coming into the world and meeting the characters, as well as the relationships. It was well written, enough to explain the consequences, yet still leaving me interested for first duology. I absolutely loved writing and the sense of historical setting without heavy wording which was great for YA and made the book great to read. As English isn’t my first language, that I very important point for me. I will not describe what the book is about, because you can find the synopsis very easily, and I’m very afraid of accidentally spoiling anything, but the most important question is: would I recommend it? Yes, no hesitation. This book single-handy broke my reader’s block, and I’m so excited for more. Also, I will be buying physical copy just to have this gold on my shelf.

What I loved:
• Orion and Rosalind’s relationship? I would give ANYTHING for them. I would read a book on two of them just living day by day. All my favourite tropes stacked in one pairing.
• The ending of the book, incredible. The first part didn’t even come out yet, and I’m already looking out for second!! I did have my suspicions and they worked out 50/50 but it still punched me right in the gut as everything revealed itself.
• Number of characters was perfect to keep up the pace, reveal enough to the reader yet keep the good amount of information in the shadows. Plus, third narrative following different POV’s worked great.

What I didn’t loved:
• Orion’s and Oliver’s names. I suppose there was a reason for this but having two characters with similar-looking names was very confusing at times. I’d say similar with the amount of names all characters had, but I know there is a good reason for it, and I absolutely loved the use of them!! This whole point is purely due to the fact that I have no name-memory and am dyslexic! Please, do not make your mind on this book based on this point:)
• Celia’s backstory. I know that not starting with TVD I missed out a lot of story, but FLF was supposed to be explanatory enough. For me, Celia needed a bit more light because the short description of what happened to her before got me only more confused. I’m sure there was better way to word it.
• It kind of seemed- rushed? With the amount of tricky plot and worldbuilding it feels like characters got a bit lost, I would like to know more about them!!
• Random flashbacks even though the change of tense was quite clear, it did take me by surprise, throwing out of the rhythm.

It's hard to review this book because even though I finished it a few days ago I still don't feel ready to talk about it but here goes nothing! I'm fairly certain this is the first spy thriller I have ever read and Chloe has unlocked a new favourite genre for me! The back drop being 1930's Shanghai and including so much historical context worried me a little bit at first; I thought the plot might become clunky including so much in a relatively short book (as well as squeezing a little romance in) but I really should have had more faith after reading (and LOVING) the These Violent Delights duet! Chloe has such a magical way with weaving stories that are so detailed and heavy on information yet they don't feel like a trek and I come away feeling like I've learned so much! She's just such a beautiful writer.
After These Violent Delights I knew she could write a strong and complex female character well but Rosalind really blew me away; such a strong, smart woman, capable of so many things that others actively shy away from in this story, and yet the doubts and fears that she keeps to herself? The hatred she feels for what she is? Yeah, she's my new favourite!
Everything about this book was a 5 ⭐️ from me and I can't wait to but the physical copy when it's released!
Really not looking forward to the wait for the sequel but so grateful we get more Chloe in the next couple of years!

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. I loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, so I was really excited for this book, and it didn’t disappoint. I loved everything about it from the characters to the plot and how they developed, and I didn’t wanna put it down. An easy 5/5 stars, I can’t wait to see what she produces next!

Thank you Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read an ARC of this book from Netgalley

Review:
5/5⭐

I was afraid that I wouldn't like this book as I wasn't particularly fond of Rosalind in These Violent Delights. However, I adored her so much in this book. Obviously she has her flaws like most characters do but she is just a girl trying her best.

I loved all of the POVs as each character had their own personality as well as goals and obstacles to overcome. Even though there was a lot of plot, I would say the characters drove a lot of it so I was glad that all of the characters were interesting and kept my attention.

The storyline was intense as you had all of the Communists, nationalists, Japanese imperialists, on top of killings from an unknown drug, so there was always something happening in the backdrop. The characters also took an active role within this mixture of struggle and fight, whether it was through their own volition or not.

The writing was beautiful and detailed, and the story all came together perfectly and I just overall enjoyed reading Foul Lady Fortune and would highly recommend to anyone if you love high intensity storylines, spys, romance, well developed characters, and plot twists.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book as the cliffhanger has me hanging!

The one thing I would say that could be improved would be to have a little more foreshadowing because I felt some things just came out of nowhere (unless that was just me not picking up on the hints, if so I apologise!) such as *SPOILER* the involvement of Orion's mother, I felt like she just appeared so suddenly when all we knew of her came from the Hong's backstory.

Foul Lady Fortune review

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you sooo much to netgalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and when I tell you I squealed with delight in the middle of work when I found out I got an arc!!

Foul Lady Fortune follows the story of Rosalind and Celia Lang after the events of These Violent Delights and I have to say I loved this one as much as I loved TVD! All the characters are fleshed out so well, the plot was engaging and exciting throughout and the setting is so cool I loved every minute of it!

The whole enemies to lovers, forced proximity tropes were done so well and had me frantically reading to find out how the characters relationships were going to go and even the side characters stories were interesting!

I’ve said it many times but if you he not read Chloe Gongs works you are so missing out because her writing and her ideas are so wonderful please go and read her works!

Overall I’m sooo happy I got an arc and it lived up to my expectations, now the problem is I need the second on immediately but this one hasn’t even released yet…

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Foul lady fortune is set in 1931 in Shanghai, following our protagonist Rosalind, whose goal is to find the person responsible for killing multiple people in the streets. To uncover the mystery, Rosalind has to pair up with Orion, whilst pretending to be a married couple. But Rosalind has a secret of her own. She is Lady Fortune, the immortal woman, able to heal from any injury. Concealing her identity, faking a marriage whilst solving a murder mystery and battling a war between the Nationalists and Communists will prove to be quite the challenge. Even for someone as extraordinary as Lady Fortune herself.

This story was fantastic regarding everything from the setting in Shanghai which was vividly described to the characters which I immediately rooted for (though it was quite confusing to root for everyone, since we followed the Nationalists' POV and the Communists's POV). The action scenes were easy to follow and were kept short, which I appreciated immensely. Rosalind's and Orion's conversations were ones I could actually picture people having in real life, and their chemistry was in my opinion perfect.
So if you love romance, fantasy and an action filled story set in a Chinese setting, this is definitely the story for you to read.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging - and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.

I could not put this novel down. The premise was amazing, and I was drawn into Rosalind’s beautiful and Technicolor world. The writer has done some stunning work in creating this amazing place. The characters were phenomenal, the plot writing on point and the level of detail superb.

It has been one of my fav books to read this year. It had everything I could ever want in a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong is another incredible start to a tale of spies, assassins, communists and nationalists in Shanghai. Set 5 years after These Violent Delights duology that utterly broke me, this book focuses on a character we've previously read about and even more familiar characters throughout.

I am so excited to be back in the world of Chloe Gong, this time as an undercover agent with the code name Fortune. In the previous duology, Rosalind didn't give me a lot of impact as a character and it's great to see her as the main character as she poison through the city, just being herself and kicking ass.

Marriage of convenience. Yes, it is my absolute favourite trope. Rosalind and Orion is cute at times but they're really more invested with the mission more than anything. It is only towards the end of the book when their feelings start to spark and that's basically it. This book is more of the buildup to the villain's motive and the overall story. Which makes me desperate to read the sequel because that ending? Holy hell.

I thought I was already super excited with this book but the continuation of what is to come in the next book takes me on a whole other level. Because someone or two someone we are very friendly with makes a comeback, enough to repair my heart that was already broken.

It is impossible to hate a Chloe Gong book and this one too has managed to take my breath away. I highly recommend you to read this book just so you could also read the sequel and I know will be thoroughly epic.

First of all i want to say THANK YOU NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me the ARC for Foul Lady Fortune!

It was one of my most anticipated books in 2022 and what can I say, I absolutely loved it; it was everything I wanted it to be!

Coming back to this world felt like a warm and needed hug and Rosalind Lang is just such a well written protagonist, I was really happy to learn more about her after TVD.
She is so smart and in some ways super relatable and I loved to read about her feelings for Orion becoming more present and strong. It felt really realistic.
I really liked the pacing of this book, since it was not too slow paced but I still had enough time to get to know all the new characters properly and catch up with what happened in the years after TVD.
Speaking of new characters, Phoebe, Orion, Silas and all the others were the perfect addition to this universe, I could not love them more!
The plot kept me on my toes and I was really surprised by some of the plottwists, I didn’t see them coming at all.
The fake marriage trope was *chefs kiss* aswell!!!!!!
What I also really liked was that it has multiple POVs and especially meeting Alisa again made me insanely happy and I cannot wait to learn even more about her I LOVE HER!
Overall i would say that this has easily become one if my favorite books that I have read this year and I need to know what happens in the 2nd book immediately. Especially after that epilogue! Chloe Gong really knows how to write insanely good epilogues that change everything. (all i’m saying is OVE). Speaking of OVE I have a tiny tiny hope that (SPOILER!!!!) JM might mean Juliette Montagova.

This book now owns a place in my heart right next to TVD & OVE and won’t be leaving anytime soon since i can’t stop thinking about it!

Thank you Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange of an honest review. Foul lady fortune was a very solid story entry into this duopoly. It is also a very welcome reunion with some familiar characters. FLF is different from These violent delights, but succeed in creating its unique ambiance and tension. Chloe Gong's writing is as strong as ever, filled with precise descriptions giving this historical noir spy thriller a delicious (poisonous?) atmosphere. Rosalind is a wonderful main character trying to redeem herself after the decisions she made in Our Violent Ends. Her internal monologues were so great. Orion is a delight to discover throughout the book and the slow burn romance a pleasure to read. Those two last chapters... BOOK 2 WHEN !