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 !

BIG spoilers ahead

1. Every time Orion says “my beloved” take a shot
2. “who did this to you” moment oh my GOD. I'm going absolutely feral for this.
3. Is it strange that finding out Orion is bi makes me love him more?
4. Ok, take a shot every time Rosalind is jealous and says “philandering”
5. This is the best car chase scene ever.““ORION”
“I AM DOING MY BEST BELOVED”
YOU’RE GOING TO GIVE ME A HERNIA” I love that he doesn't break character even while crashing a car down an impossibly thin alley.
6. When Rosalind faints and asks Orion to stay with her. Orion’s SPEECH. THIS. MAN. MY HEART.
7. Lmao her biggest secret revealed because her picture was in a *magazine obituary.*
8. When Orion wakes up tied to a chair and the first things he asks is “are you okay?” 😭😭😭😭
9. Pg-473 “He had gone beyond getting attached to her. She was his guiding saint, The Polaris of his heart.” 😭
10. Orion has turned into the winter soldier help
11. 500 pages and you END HERE?!??!?
12. “Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange.”

I really enjoyed reading Foul Lady Fortune, by Chloe Gong. It was so very well written and I felt drawn in to the story. I highly recommend it

I was a big fan of the Violent Delights duology and Foul Lady Fortune packs a similar punch following on from that story.
Rosalind, or Lady Fortune, brings a supernatural element to this book with her ability to recover from injuries almost instantaneously. We met her in the previous duology so I wouldn't recommend people reading this book without reading the other duology first. While it is technically standalone, a lot of the characters including Celia and Alisa won't be given vast introductions as it is kind of expected that we already are familiar with the characters.
The fake marriage between Rosalind and Orion as they go undercover is entertaining and we can see Rosalind thaw slightly as the book goes on.
Gong is a very gifted writer, particularly in this realm. She makes the streets of Shanghai come alive once again in this fantasy wonder, but once again to the tune of Shakespeare inspiration. This is going to be a big hit.
At the core it is a spy thriller set in China during a time where Japanese invasion is nigh, communism is threatening and noone can be trusted. An exciting and gripping read from start to finish.
Also just a quick note on the cover - All of Gong's publications have been beautifully presented. I have the fairyloot special edition of this ordered and can't wait to get my hands on it!

A HUGE thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know where to start.
Chloe Gong is one of my favorite authors and with Foul lady fortune she catapulted herself even higher on my list.

What is this Book about?
Foul lady fortune follows a pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930 Shanghai.
Rosalind lang is immortal. After she fell Ill four years ago, she was injected with a medicine that saved her life. It
stopped her from aging and sleeping and allows her to heal from any wound
With her abilities she chooses to work as an assassin for her country.
When the Japanese Army starts it's invasion and a series of murders happen though, Rosalinds new mission is to find the culprits and stop them before more of her people die.
To not attract attention she's forced to pose as the wife of another spy: Orion Hong. Together they attempt to unravel this conspiracy while also finding out, that there's more to everything than they thought.

*internal scream*
This book was everything I wanted it to be. Gong already impressed me with her previous two books but with Foul Lady fortune she showed me how truly amazing books can be.
I loved this book so much.
The plot was intriguing. How Gong achieved to keep everything a mystery and only slowly gave us more and more answers kept me on my toes. On one hand she perfected the task of making the plot as interesting and clever as it could be while providing us with the best characters there could be. Rosalind is by far the loveliest and most interesting protagonist of Chloe Gong so far. I absolutely LOVED how smart she was. Everything she did was based on logic and not just sheer feelings. The way that her first priority is to protect the people she loves made me her #1 fan. She deserves all the happiness in the world.
I have a similar opinion on Orion Hong. Who doesn’t like a guy that’s taking care of his family? His mysterious demeanor and SELFLESS personality made me SCREAM. How he doesn’t allow himself to show his feelings almost made me cry for him. Chloe Gong PERFECTED these characters and I loved every sentence about them. THEIR DEVELOPMENT was everything. These two were made for each other and both of them being spies in a fake marriage? FANTASTIC. This book made me laugh more times than I can remember and fully had me in a chokehold. While writing this review, i have the urge to reread this masterpiece again. Chloe Gong isn’t Chloe Gong without the dramatic endings in her books though and OH BOY was the ending something. I genuinely can’t wait for the sequel. My soul is aching for it.

This book was absolutely phenomenal and a highlight of my year. Foul lady fortune will make you feel all kinds of feelings. You’ll laugh, smile, scream and cry while reading this book and every second will be worth it. Gong outdid herself with this one. A HUGE thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me the ARC again. Y’all did my year with this one.

Chloe Gong just keeps getting better so whatever you might think about her previous series, give Foul lady fortune a try. It’s story is different, and who wouldn’t like to read a book about a spy couple in a fake marriage ?

Foul Lady fortune will be available on 27th September 2022. You can preorder it on Amazon.
#Netgalley #FoulLadyFortune

"A dancer, an agent."

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (If I could rate it higher I would)

❗This is a spoiler-free ARC review from NetGalley❗


I finally got out of my reading slump. AT LAST. I knew this book would do it for me. COVID came at me hard and put me in a reading slump for over a week, then I have to prepare for my graduation right after, and then I went on vacation with my friends. I hadn't touched a book the entire time and it was KILLING ME. But Chloe Gong has delivered again. This was a masterpiece.

I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have been accepted for this ARC. I loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends so much and I was so happy that the series didn't just end there. Mostly because that ending obliterated me. But what would one expect from a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I could say that this series has more chances of letting my poor heart be, but it has already wrecked me, so I guess hope's for dopes. Just the mere mention of Roma and Juliette, and Benedict and Marshal had me weeping like a little baby. There was no conceivable possibility for me not to fall head over heels in love with this masterpiece. Chloe Gong's power over me is strong and eternal. I don't think I've read a spy book before but I enjoyed this so much I might actually give more books like this a try. Not that any of them will live up to this one, of course. The plot twists alone were enough to completely destroy whatever was left of my sanity. The plot itself was fast-paced, well-developed, fun, and complex in the way that didn't allow a single moment of pause. The very first chapter grabbed hold of my senses and did not let go. I was hooked.

I wasn't too interested in Rosalind's character while reading TVD and OVE to be perfectly honest. Sure, I felt bad for her and what she had been through but that was it. Now, I can safely safe that I love her almost as much as Orion loves her. And that's A WHOLE LOT. She is an incredible character and her development from the girl we knew in TVD and OVE to this skilled, immortal, and badass assassin was astounding. I was mind-blown. And she kept on developing in this book from a person broken by love and sworn off it to one that has learned to accept love and trust again. Rosalind's character arc made me so emotional.

As for Orion, he definitely found his place in my fictional male crushes. His aloofness and playboy personality were a delight on the page. I just felt pure joy whenever he was around. Yet, he was more than capable of showing gravitas whenever it was called for and cared deeply for the people in his life. Especially Rosalind 😉😉 He said 'my wife' so many times my heart almost gave away. He had and still has his own demons to deal with, making his backstory just as compelling as Rosalind's and his life incredibly complicated. That boy needs some serious help.

I loved every moment between Rosalind and Orion. Their chemistry was off the chart, the dynamic between them was *chef's kiss*. Every moment spent with them was a blessing. I couldn't get enough of them. Their banter was immediate, not even a few minutes after they met. The romance was so slow-burn that I was literally pulling at my hair reading about it. It was more than worth it though because their love for each other is so deep and so intense it made me hate the lame reality I live in. Even more so than I did before 😅😅 Men should read this book and learn from Orion. Seriously, he has a lot to teach them. The pet names were my favourite, though. Orion sure has a range of them 😍😍

Moreover, same as in TVD and OVE, there were multiple POVs other than Orion's and Rosalind's, even some secret ones too. Some of them we already knew like Celia (formerly known as Kathleen) Rosalind's triplet sister turned Communist spy, and Roma's little sister Alisa Montagova, who is now 17 years old and a pretty awesome (and hilarious) spy herself. There are also some newcomers as well. Namely Oliver and Phoebe, Orion's siblings, who are quite the delight themselves and have their own little romances that I am heavily invested in and can't wait to hear more about. Seriously...Chloe Gong needs to write fast because I only finished the book a few hours ago and I'm already feeling impatient.

I think it's safe to say that there was absolutely nothing in this book that I hated or disliked. Everything was amazing. Even that ending. 😵😵 Hopefully it'll be here soon. Like maybe in the next few days or something. 🙏🏻🤞🏻

If you need me to say it I'll say it. I highly recommend this book.

If you loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, I promise that you'll love Foul Lady Fortune just as much or even more. Chloe Gong has really developed her writing from the first two books and it really shows in this book. Rosalind and Orion were developed so well, as well as the other side characters! The storyline was gripping and the plot twists were totally unpredictable, and I actually understood the complicated politics that was built around around the story. This book is a solid 5/5 -- it was executed way better than These Violent Delights and its sequel, and I can't wait for the sequel!!