I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I really enjoyed the first duology but I was scared to try this one as I didn’t love the lead when she was in that book. I am happy to say that I was as invested in the drama of this one as I was before. Chloe Gong really knows how to write angst and relationships and she had me liking characters I didn’t think I could. Very excited to read book 2.

Full review was delayed due to reviewer illness. I'll need to re-read the book to provide a full review, but star rating is accurate.

Another great chloe gong book. We saw these characters in these violent delights. So it was fun to get a longer story.

Unfortunately this one wasn't quite for me! I read These Violent Delights and really enjoyed that, so I thought I'd pick this one up too. I tried to sit down and actually start it a few times, but couldn't really get into it unfortunately. I think for now I will be putting this one down, and I'll come back to it in the future. I can't properly give it a star rating since I could not properly read it, so I will give it a 3 star average!

Absolutely loved this. Chloe Gong is by far one of my favourite authors so this was such a treat. Looking forward to more!

4.5 stars

I loved being back in this world and I really loved the spy element of this one!

I do recommend reading the These Violent Delights duology as it is referenced a bit in this one and the story follows on from the events of it too!

Honestly I didn't think I needed a spin off series based on Rosalind but I really enjoyed this one! I also loved the fake marriage trope! It was so fun watching Rosalind try and adapt to living with Orion!

Whilst I found it a little bit slow in a few points I loved the twists and turns that I never saw coming and loved being back with these characters!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly this book wasn’t the one for me, despite enjoying These Violent Delights. I struggled to relate to the characters and to get into the story itself.

A shame, but will still try their next book.

A very entertaining, and brilliantly written read. Rosalind as a character is one of the most intriguing that I've read in a long while. I think I liked her more than Roma and Juliette which I didn't think was possible. I loved the story line of this book and the setting is amazing, it felt different to the first duology in this setting but in a good way, as though it was more developed. The twists and turns were endless and I felt so baffled by the end of this book with everything that could have possibly happened, happening. My only critique is that Orion didn't feel very developed and I wasn't invested in him as a love interest or as an accomplice. I'm hoping that will change with the next book

This was unfortunately a DNF for me: I was not in the place to read it at the time, I will try to give it another chance in the future.
I did not enjoy These Violent Delights either I am afraid.

Of course, is this only my personal opinion on the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

I’ve already read „The Violent Delights“ and „Our Violent Ends“ and enjoyed this duology. I was curious to see how the story would continue after that grand finale.

Well, I should have read a recap for the other duology online because I had a hard time getting into „Foul Lady Fortune“. I’m not good with heavy politics in fantasy books, so maybe, that was also a problem for me.

The main story reminded me loosely of SpyxFamily, and overall I enjoyed it. The characters and the mission were interesting, and after overcoming my problems at the start, I read it very fast. I’m excited to continue the story and I’m delighted, that I don’t have to wait so long for the next volume.

Conclusion
Definitely don’t miss this book if you liked the other books by this author.

This was my first book from Chloe Gong and I enjoyed it! Not my usual genre but I couldn’t put it down!

Foul Lady Fortune has taken over as my favourite Chloe Gong book.

Revisiting Shanghai with some familiar characters, and some new, has been an absolute joy.

I had so much fun getting to know Rosalind on a deeper level and the dynamic between her and Orion was SO good! The spy vibes were impeccable and that ENDING? Dying. Will not recover until I have book two.

I loved all the different sides to this book, always keeping things interesting. An exciting noir-esque read, incredible just like these violent delights.

As a fan of These Violent Delights, I knew I'd be reading Foul Lady Fortune as soon as I could. Not only do I love Chloe Gong's writing, but I also adored the world of the original duology, and couldn't wait to read more about it.

Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind, who's become an accomplished spy and assassin after the events of the first two books. I wasn't particularly interested in Rosalind, but I did think she was an interesting character, and I'm happy to say that I ended up loving her in this new series.

She's still bold and strong-headed, but we got a more human side to her, as she allowed herself to open up and trust people. She's fierce and brilliant and I was rooting for her throughout the book.

We also follow Orion, who's everything I want and love in a character. Reckless, a bit foolish, but with such a big heart you just need everything to work out for him. Their dynamic was amazing, they bounced off of each other and had such great banter that I would've gladly read a contemporary book about the two of them.

Chloe's writing continues to evolve with each book, and, although this is set in the same world as her debut series, she managed to raise the stakes and make it even more exciting. There were so many twists I didn't see coming, and I have no idea what to expect from the sequel. But if this is any indication, I trust it's gonna be great.

Gong is on her way to becoming one of my favourite authors, and I'm eagerly awaiting to be back in 1930's Shanghai as soon as I can. 4.5/5 stars

This was such an interesting and incredible read, there was such depth and intrigue. I found myself completely entranced by the story.

Chloe Gong has quickly become one of my absolute favorite authors. Having delved into her published works, which currently total three (all of which I've devoured), I can confidently say that every single one has been an absolute triumph. There's no room for disappointment here; it's simply an unending streak of incredible storytelling.

It's truly remarkable how Gong manages to blend Shakespearean retellings with a backdrop of historical fantasy. This unique combination deserves more recognition. She effortlessly weaves together historical facts, fantastical elements, and nods to Shakespeare, creating a captivating and awe-inspiring reading experience.

From the compelling characters to the captivating romance and intricately crafted plot, this book deserves a perfect score in every aspect. It's a flawless masterpiece that leaves no room for improvement—a resounding 5 stars

This leaves you shook.
Chloe Gong introduces us to spy and assassin business in China and the tension is incredible. I love the fact we've got a supernatural element too which just makes it even more captivating to read.

This book was a fun romp through a reimagined Shanghai. While I have not read Gong's previous series, this book gave enough information that it wasn't completely vital to have read her other books (although I would highly recommend doing so as there were points that I did get a bit confused).

I really enjoyed the fake relationship aspect of the story, and found both main characters to be interesting to read about - I would say they were both strong characters with in their own rights, and I really did like their romance.

I also really enjoyed the mystery element of this story, and the cliffhanger it ended on left me really excited for the next book in the series.

6.5/10

This is a good 3-star read for me as a fantasy tale because I can assure you I don't know much about the historical events surrounding China and Japan's war in the 1930s.

Do you want to know Rosalind Lang? She was raised in Paris before becoming one of the most infamous cabaret dancers in the city. Her current whereabouts are unknown and she is presumed dead, but you must know she is an immortal assassin known only by her code name, Fortune. This mysterious figure has survived multiple attempts on her life and does not age or sleep. It all sounds like an exciting story, right?
However, I must confess with a broken heart as the excitement seems to end after only the first 5% of the book and doesn't pick up again until the last 5%.

She is skilled in assassination, not a spy, and definitely doesn't want to be a married couple for cover, hell no!

Compare that thrilling with a routine spy operation, with Rosalind and her partner Orion at the helm. Orion's younger sister, Phoebe, is a sneaky young girl, while their other brother Oliver works for the opposing side. Oh, I forget to mention that Rosalind's own sister, Celia, also works for the opposing side. And let's not forget about the Communist spy, Alisa Montagova, and the numerous other players involved in this espionage.
Why I'm telling you the names? because the story, often each chapter is narrated by these, too many individuals.

I didn't intend to be too critical of this book. It wasn't bad neither perfect, only fell a bit flat. Perhaps my expectations for Chloe Gong were too high. I'm unsure if I'll continue with this series, but I'll definitely give one of her other books a chance.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for giving me a chance to read the first book of Foul Lady Fortune (Secret Shanghai #3) by Chloe Gong. I have given my review solely based on my personal viewpoint and completely honest.

Gripping, awesome, the best atmosphere I could think off.
I came into this book completely blank. I know technically you are meant to read the other duology first but the premise of this just sounded too good to wait to read.
The story itself is awesome but what really spoke to me was the vibes. Vivid to the point you can smell the smoke and the lavish perfume.