China Rich Girlfriend

A Novel

By: Kevin Kwan

Narrated by: Lydia Look

Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians, is back with a wickedly funny new novel of social climbing, secret e-mails, art-world scandal, lovesick billionaires, and the outrageous story of what happens when Rachel Chu, engaged to marry Asia's most eligible bachelor, discovers her birthfather.

On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiancé willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won't be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel into a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. Here we meet Carlton, a Ferrari-crashing bad boy known for Prince Harry-like antics; Colette, a celebrity girlfriend chased by fevered paparazzi; and the man Rachel has spent her entire life waiting to meet: her father. Meanwhile, Singapore's It Girl, Astrid Leong, is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly minted tech billionaire husband.

A romp through Asia's most exclusive clubs, auction houses, and estates, China Rich Girlfriend brings us into the elite circles of Mainland China, introducing a captivating cast of characters, and offering an inside glimpse at what it's like to be gloriously, crazily, China-rich.

©2015 Kevin Kwan (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Kevin Kwan’s brand of giddy wealth porn arrived in 2013 with Crazy Rich Asians, not a moment too soon… China Rich Girlfriend [is] the second volume in what has been projected as a gossipy, good-humored trilogy that will follow the richest old families of Singapore, Hong Kong and a few from mainland China. They join in a single shared pursuit: watching in horror as their youngest generations squander money in ways so staggering that Western show-offs look like pikers by comparison… Mr. Kwan has good aim with his fashion world- and ego-skewering shivs. And regardless of how reality-based these characters may be, he has his style references down cold… [Keeps] readers surprised and inquisitive… Snarky… Wicked… Funny.” –Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“As the real China rich dig their nails into the world of the wealthy and wasteful, Kwan sharpens his with another acerbic yet affectionate examination of Asian uber-elite social mores, still largely invisible in Western popular culture… The novel is filled with jaw-dropping accounts of opulence… and showdowns worthy of an episode of Gossip Girl.… China Rich Girlfriend is a crazy parade through the lives of the aspirational elite. It's also a rich portrait of Asia's real obsession with consumerism and its economic rise, one whose trajectory, like Kwan's, is not yet complete.” —Nicole Lee, Los Angeles Times

“In this year’s best beach reading, Jane Austen meets Singapore… There’s no timely cocktail I’d rather recommend than China Rich Girlfriend… As frothy as the egg whites on the sort of cocktail you should drink while reading Kwan’s books. But if you need to assuage your guilt about summer reading with a little intellectual patina, Kwan has you covered too; His peek into this rarified world is spiked with tart observations about old and new money, the nuances of racism and the way they all interact… A cheeky reminder that those who think they can’t make a romance or a comedy of manners work in an entirely non-white setting are not just lying or kidding themselves, but wasting the almost gluttonous opportunities available to storytellers who stretch beyond convention… Fizzy, highly entertaining.” –Alyssa Rosenberg, The Washington Post

Great story

It was a great second book in this trilogy. It was disconcerting to have a different person reading the book than in the first audiobook. Rachel and the Americans sounded much less intelligent, which I did not like.

Happily, more crazy rich Asians! :D

You know, in a way I think this is better than Crazy Rich Asians. I think there was more excitement & drama in this book. I think what I like best about it is you really feel immersed in their world. The one thing that felt a BIT inauthentic was that Rachel seemed to remain just as down-to-earth as always even after getting used to the high-wealth world she became a part of. I would imagine that any normal person would start to acclimate to it. However, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. :) And by the way cousin Eddie just cracks me up with his ridiculousness!

Enjoyable

I liked the narrator of the first book so it took me a bit to get used to Linda Look but she grew on me. I think this trilogy is just so much fun! Highly recommend if you’re just looking to be entertained.

I can't wait for #3!

Great story with plenty of crazy rich Asian drama! Rachel's father, Nick's mother, and plenty of KITTY PONG!!

Great book & audio

Lydia Look really brings this book alive! Great narration and awesome plot. Highly recommend this book to anyone!

very good read

I love the characters but the major issue I was not a huge fan of. It seemed out of nowhere and I know it was for shock but the book was doing good without.. Still a good read though. I love the drama and vanity this book has. Very good chisme.

excellent!

the reading of this book was superb. accenting, footnotes, inflection... all perfect! the plot line was a little forced compared to the first book, but moved along.
this is possibly the best audible book I've listened to yet.

Great story, but narrator’s voice annoyed me

I really enjoyed this book and the first, but found it hard to listen to the reader when she would change voices. They weren’t always consistent and the ones that were, weren’t very good at times.
Whenever in the voice of Rachel, I wanted to fast forward.

This series definitely has my heart.

I find myself missing characters when they aren't mentioned for a while. And Kwan's descriptions are masterful. I'm downloading the third book now.

Just As Great As The First!

If I've told one person to read these books, I've told a dozen! Truly one of the best series I've picked up in a while. Lydia Look gives a great performance bringing each distinct character to life. I was captivated.