Publishers Weekly
06/24/2024
Hugo Award winner Cho (Black Water Sister) detours from fantasy and sci-fi with this soapy contemporary romance. Renee Goh is the black sheep of her über-successful family whose business, Chahaya Group, “own half of Singapore.” She’s made her own way as a successful London fashion designer without their support—so she’s shocked when her father calls to say he’s stepping down from heading the conglomerate and offers Renee the job. Accepting would change her life and enable her to take her own brand to new heights, but it also means subjecting herself to her judgmental, patriarchal family once more. Making matters more complicated, a chance encounter with Ket Siong, the talented musician who broke her heart 10 years before, reopens old wounds. Back then, Ket Siong and his family lost everything due to the machinations of the Chahaya Group, and he’s spent years bent on revenge—but of course he doesn’t tell Renee that. As they rekindle their old flame, corporate intrigue and family drama threaten their budding romance. Cho loads the story with melodramatic subplots, flashbacks, and heavy emotional beats, making it sometimes feel like a slog. Once the angst lifts, however, Renee and Ket Siong prove a supportive and loving couple. Readers who don’t mind a bit of brooding will find plenty to enjoy. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
A messy—yet beautiful—second-chance romance. Zen Cho writes vivid characters in difficult situations, and the hero and heroine’s history is deftly woven into their present-day interactions. It’s a compelling read, and I devoured it.” —Jackie Lau, author of Donut Fall in Love
“Renee and Ket Siong lose and find each other in an emotionally intense love story set against a dramatic backdrop of corporate greed, class, and family. Lovers of Zen Cho’s fabulous fantasy stories will be thrilled by her first contemporary romance.” —Lily Chu, author of The Stand In
“Cho is a marvel. Her deft observations go down like a charm, but their emotional power will leave you deeply moved . . . The Friend Zone Experiment is a story so intensely real that you’ll wonder later if it happened to someone you knew.” —Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun
“A lovely, tender romance, beautifully threaded through real world concerns that had me engrossed. I savoured every delicately written moment.” —Charlotte Stein, author of When Grumpy Met Sunshine
“A really fun and escapist read – I'm sure fans of Lauren Ho or Beth O'Leary will love this second-chance romance!” —Niamh Hargan, author of The Break-Up Clause
“A heartwarming second-chance romance, written with a sometimes sly sense of humor. With complicated family relationships, ominous shadows from the past, and the cameos of Southeast Asian food and beverages which are delectably familiar to me. A sparkling read.” —Eve Shi
“Reminiscent of classic K-dramas with a touch more reality, Cho perfectly balances a friends-to-lovers romance with familial tensions and business-world intrigue. Easily one of my top reads of the year!” —Simone Soltani, author of Cross the Line
“Renee Goh has joined the ranks of my favourite romance heroines; I was sucked into her story immediately and cheered for her the whole way through. This is a romance that celebrates its tropes while not being afraid to show its teeth, all delivered in Cho's assured and lively authorial voice. I can't wait to see where she takes us next in this genre!” —Freya Marske, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Marvellous Light
“I haven't seen an author weave romantic comedy and corporate complexity together quite this flawlessly. …Hilarious, insightful and hard to put down.” —J. F. Murray, author of Fling
