[MPOV] The Housemaid, #1

My rating: 4/5

Goodreads rating: 4.31/5
Published: April 26, 2022
Author: Freida McFadden
Genre: thriller, mystery, suspense

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!

Finally, I have boarded The Housemaid train and there is no turning back! It was engaging with all the plot twists, but I did find it to be predictable and it does remind me of other similar books I have read. If you like Gillian Flynn and Sandra Brown, you should pick this up before it hits the cinema. Yeah, it has been adapted into the big screen! 

I did enjoy the journey painted and how it has ended so I am rating it 4/5 from the entertainment point of view. Also, I was hooked from the start to the last page, with the way it was written and how the story moved on. It did pop up some questions in my head with some parts lackadaisical, though not as significant, like when she finally hooked up with Andrew or when it was revealed what she was capable of. Sort of missed out some polishing to the set-up IMO.

Overall, an entertaining read and I do hope that book 2, The Housemaid's Secret, would be better! 

[MPOV] Love, Lies, Lunar New Year

My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 3.83/5
Published: December 11, 2024
Author: Grace Tang
Genre: Asian romcom

Lily Wong is an animal activist whose main goal in life is to save reptiles from being turned into purses. Scarred by a broken engagement, she is resolutely single at thirty-five, which doesn’t sit well with her overbearing Chinese parents. The pressure to find a partner intensifies after her brother brings home a new girlfriend just before the Lunar New Year. So when Charles Chen–dashing heir to a multi-million dollar shark fin empire–asks to fake-date her while she’s protesting at the mall, she agrees on the condition that he fake-date her in return, to get her parents off her back for the holiday.

Charles is faking a relationship with Lily to solve his own his parents can’t stand his spoiled, social media-famous girlfriend, Margaux. After a bad fight with Margaux leaves him alone for the Lunar New Year, Charles convinces Lily to pose as his girlfriend. Charles hopes that by bringing the obstinately plain, shark fin-hating Lily home as a contrast, his parents will appreciate Margaux and accept her, helping him win Margaux back.

Charles’s plan backfires when his parents unexpectedly take a liking to Lily. The more they try to remedy the situation, the deeper their lie gets–and the more their real feelings for each other grow. As their families threaten to unravel their increasingly-less-fake relationship, Lily has to confront her fear of getting hurt again, and Charles has to decide between his family and his feelings. When Margaux reappears to reclaim her wealthy boyfriend, Lily and Charles are forced to make a decision between going back to the lives they knew before, or following their hearts into the new and unknown.

Truth be told, I totally enjoyed this novel. IMO, it is a mix of Kevin Kwan and Sophie Kinsella, so Asian romantic comedy... somewhat akin to Bridget Jones, LOL! I liked how the story flourished from when Lily met Charles to fake-dating to slowly falling for each other. It was like a Diva movie vibe that I couldn't wait for the Happy Ever After!

Love, Lies, Lunar New Year was an easy read, a breeze to finish it though it took me awhile due to the Chinese New Year break :-) Yeah, I chose to read this during the Lunar New Year LOL! I also find that it is a great effort from the author since it is her debut novel! Not forgetting, a cool storyline to boot!

Anyway, thanks to LibraryThing and the author, Grace Tang, for this e-book. If you are looking for something light and fun to read, why not give this novel a try.

[MPOV] The Accidental Malay

My rating: 4/5

Goodreads rating: 3.52/5

Published: January 1, 2022

Author: Karina Robles Bahrin

Genre: Asian lit, romance, fiction

Jasmine Leong wants to be the next CEO of Phoenix, her family's billion-ringgit company known especially for its bak kwa. But when Jasmine discovers she is actually a Malay Muslim, her newfound identity threatens to upend her life and ambitions. Set in Kuala Lumpur and other areas of Malaysia, The Accidental Malay examines the human cost of a country's racial policies, and paints a portrait of a woman unwilling to accept the fate history has designated for her.

Initially, I was kinda uninterested to read this novel even though the title has caught my attention. It's influenced by the fact that the author has won an award for it. Ya, I'm a little doubtful with award winning titles as I usually find it overrated. I was gifted this by chance, so I took the plunge and read it. 

"You can never do enough. You will always need to do better. Nothing is ever promised to girls."

Lo and behold, I found it to be funny, predictable yet entertaining, similarly to Kevin Kwan's Lies and Weddings. It was a well written novel, but I was taken aback with its overly mentioned religious coup and the stereotype upbringing. That aside, it is an easy read with an engaging prose that definitely had me wanting to finish it. It took me a while to finish it as I stopped during the festive period and then picking it up where I left off was a breeze!

"You're only in love with the idea of us," she says, gathering herself and sitting up. She turns to him, holding his wan face in her hand. "We should have ended a long time ago. Neither of us can save the other."

I do understand why it is a controversial book especially since it is related to religion. As I have mentioned, it was insinuated a little too often. Luckily, the overall premise of the story is entertaining for me and though it may or may not be a truthful depiction, this is a work of fiction. I'm more to the romance aspect of this novel which I find a little weird. Why weird? Well, the way how Jasmine fell out of Iskandar (who has been stringing her along) and fell in love with Kuan Yew (the swoon worthy one). I guess I would have wanted more flourish LOL! I know, too much Harlequins, LOL!!!

Oh well, I've enjoyed it and now moving on to my next read!

[MPOV] Once Upon A Kamcheng

My rating: 3/5
Goodreads rating: 3.25/5
Published: January 1, 2020
Author: Lillian Tong
Genre: Asian Lit, Cultural

The Straits Chinese Babas and Nyonyas are ordinary people in extraordinary times. Their courage, sense of adventure, innate resilience and resourcefulness stood them in good stead through displacement and diaspora as they are buoyed along through centuries of dynamic and transitory history of the world.

The significance of persons and families as agents of history in affecting and causing the development of alternative history makes up the kaleidoscope of the memoirs and stories of Baba Nyonya life and experiences in this book.

We invite and welcome you to delve beyond gilded lattice screens, behind embroidered silk curtains, and immerse yourself in their eccentric and extravagant, if curious, strange, and wonderful world!

This is a compilation of true short stories pertaining the Baba Nyonya and Peranakan culture from way back then. It has been retold from the view of their children and grandchildren, reliving the glory days. It was an interesting reading though it wasn't as engaging since it's more of a retelling from their own experiences. It was also more of an enlightening read for me as I learn more of the culture, especially since my paternal grandma was a little bit Nyonya. If you are looking for an educational cultural read, then go ahead and pick this up.

Goodbye 2024! Hello 2025!

Finally, a chapter closes and another opens. I can't wait to leave 2024 behind and move forward to 2025. It truly was a challenging year filled with ups and downs... too many downs that it is hard to comprehend at times. How not to have mental breakdown, I wonder, but I just kept on moving as I didn't want to dwell on it too much or I would definitely have a meltdown. It is best to keep on moving forward and try to stay positively, for the sake of my family. I pray that 2025 will be a better year, more opportunities with more positive outcome. Let's usher in 2025 with a bang!