Worth Fighting for

I seriously LOVED this book so, so much!! If you’re a fan of Mulan (and really, who isn’t?), this laugh-out-loud, swoony, and empowering contemporary re-telling is everything you didn’t know you needed. Part of the Meant to Be series, this story brings all the charm and magic of the classic tale but reimagines it with a fresh, modern voice that’s full of heart, humor, and girl power. 💪💃The main character is fierce, smart, and relatable—and watching her transformation unfold was so satisfying. She’s thrown into a totally new world (hello, fish out of water vibes!) and faces pressure from family expectations while figuring out who she really is. And let’s talk about the romance—forbidden, full of chemistry, and perfectly closed-door for those who love a little tension without too much spice. The opposites-attract energy was spot on, and the love interest? HOT. 🔥There’s also a hilarious sidekick that adds so much personality and charm, making this story even more of a delight. The blend of Chinese culture, wit, and heartfelt moments made this not just entertaining but also meaningful. I laughed, I swooned, I rooted for every second of it. Such a joyful and empowering read—I didn’t want it to end! 💖

Worth Fighting For is the fifth installment in the Meant to Be Series. This standalone, contemporary romance genre, modern Mulan retelling centers around family expectations, a slightly falsified identity, the bonds we create, and the truth of the heart.At first, I didn’t know what to think about a hedge fund version of Mulan going to prove herself on a ranch, but this book was so good. I legitimately stayed up all night reading Worth Fighting For. I can’t believe I’m saying this because one of my all-time favorite movies has already been retold via the Meant to Be series (and I’ve read it), but Worth Fighting For may be my new series favorite.

I really enjoyed this installment in the series. I always enjoy the references and Easter eggs to the original Disney story. I especially enjoyed having Shang's family in this retelling and getting to know Shang better. I LOVED the gender role reversal of the day to day tasks and seeing Mulan pretend to be a man in a man's world in a different setting. The book stayed true to her origin story as told by Disney but set in a modern setting that was relatable to readers today. I loved it. I loved the characters, I loved MUSHU most of all. Great storytelling and great writing, it was heartfelt and funny. I found myself laughing out loud at certain scenes.

This series continues to be one of my favorites!The "Meant to Be" series takes classic fairy tales and modernizes them with contributions from various romance authors. Every installment introduces readers to different cultures and writers. It's so rewarding!"Worth Fighting For" takes on "Mulan" and is written by Jesse Q. Sutano.Mulan is the devoted only daughter of a Chinese businessman. She feels like she's constantly making up for not being a boy, and then when her father falls ill, she goes to extremes to land an account for him.What follows is a humorous, poignant story that explores gender swap, familial obligations, and, of course, romance.Sutano avoids what could be a cliche'd retelling and instead modernizes the struggle many daughters in a variety of cultures feel when it comes to expectations. It also looks at both genders' attempts to meet goals they feel set for them by society. And the power of communication.A really great read.

This whole series is such a fun escape, especially for Disney fans! I was so excited to read this one because I love Jesse Q. Sutanto's humor in her Vera Wong series. Of all the Disney Princess stories, I would imagine that Mulan's would be the most challenging to adapt into a modern setting, but I love how it all came together! Mulan is trying to make it in the world of finance and must go in her father's place to save an important business deal when he is too ill. She has to show her abilities in various masculine endeavors to win over the family behind a whiskey company with a Marlboro Man-like image to uphold. Jesse Q. Sutanto does a great job painting a picture of the dynamics of both Chinese families and descriptions of delicious Chinese food. The romance was very sweet and the ending was satisfying.Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read and review this much-needed feel-good story!

4.25 starsWorth Fighting For is a great addition to the Meant to Be series with author Jesse Q. Sutanto delivering on a fantastic modern interpretation of Mulan.Readers who love the original movie will appreciate the way that Mushu is depicted, as Mulan’s best friend/cousin, and enjoy the subtle Easter eggs that pay homage to the film. Even if you haven’t watched the film, this book stands alone because of its wit, humor, and great storyline.If you’re looking for a funny, closed-door romance with a healthy amount of hijinks, this is the book for you!

What drew me in was the fact that it was a Mulan retelling. I liked that they kept the character names, because it made it easy for me to follow.What got me frustrated in this book was the heavy emphasis on sexism and how the FMC worked through it. I felt like it was said way too much. Very "beat the dead horse". I appreciated learning about the Chinese culture and foods. I understood where the FMC came from because we have similar backgrounds. Since the seismic was something the FMC really struggled with, I can see how it would be stated more often, but for me, was to the point that it was off putting.I really loved the family dynamics, and the storyline itself is great. I thought her doing farm things was funny, and can totally see the character hyping herself up to do those things. My favorite moments were the FMC with her cousin and when she was cooking. I enjoyed the twist with James. Although I was expecting it to be more explosive. I love Auntie Jaiyi, and loved to see her in action at the end.The romance was very much a slow burn. There is kissing in this story, but spice is closed door.I would recommend this to someone who enjoys Asian culture, clean/closed door romances, and Mulan retellings.

This is a whip-smart, slow-burn rom-com that reimagines Mulan as a hedge fund heroine with a killer instinct for mergers and a soft spot for emotionally constipated cowboy and heritage family owned distilleries. The author blends mistaken identity, feminist grit, and cattle ranch chaos into a story that’s equal parts heart and hustle as well as being one hundred percent farming and fanciful. Come to this story for awkward glances, family dynamics, city girl in the country vibes like cattle herding and axe-throwing, and stay for the banter, sweet clean romance, and self discover. You are sure to leave with a renewed belief that love doesn’t ask you to shrink—it dares you to rise.Although Worth Fighting For pays loving homage to the cartoon I grew up with, this is a story that’s grown alongside me. It’s a Mulan who’s smart, sharp, and the cubemate I'd absolutely want at the office. And Mushu? Still the scene-stealer—delivering one-liners with that glint that lets you know he knows. You’ll find yourself humming familiar tunes even when they aren't there… and still wondering how it’ll all play out.Kudos to Sutanto for giving more time to Ma and the Aunties—these women amaze, delight, and leave you cheering. Worth Fighting For is the Mulan story the woman in you never knew she needed… and the little girl in you will always crave.

A heartfelt thank you to author and BookSparks as part of SRC2025 for the gifted book.This is an enchanting retelling of Mulan in the contemporary setting as part of the Meant to Be series.Mulan, working at her father's finance firm, faces a pivotal moment when a crucial deal with a traditional and deeply misogynistic whiskey company is jeopardized by her father’s sudden illness. In a bold move, Mulan disguises herself as her father to salvage the negotiations. Enter Shang and his family, the owners of the whiskey company, and a whirlwind of chaos ensues as Mulan juggles deception and familial loyalty.The writing flows effortlessly, rich with humor and layered with genuine emotion. There were countless moments that had me laughing out loud, especially thanks to Mulan’s cousin, Mushu, who is both hilarious and supportive, often leading to the book's comedic highlights. The mouth-watering food descriptions only enhance the story, pulling you into Mulan’s world.At its core, this narrative underscores the importance of family and growth, as even Shang’s misogynistic uncles come to realize the invaluable contributions of women. The budding romance between Mulan and Shang adds a delightful sweetness to the tale.If you enjoy innovative retellings of classic fairy tales, this captivating book is a must-read and is available now.

3.5 but rounded up.Mulan is one of my all time favorite Disney movies and I was super excited to read this book! Loved the spin on her being in finance! While a bro dominated field, I loved that we also get a super smart STEM storyline as well. My favorite character was our side character and Mulan’s best friend Mushu! Just like the amazing dragon in the movies, she is fierce, funny, thoughtful and surprisingly intuitive underneath her comedic outer layer. I love that even she gets her HEA in a job she loves. The female empowerment in this book is spot on!I appreciated the Chinese culture that was incorporated and the male toxicity that still exists. With that said it definitely got to be too much and when added to all the talk of finance bros it started to annoy me. However I really enjoyed Shang, our MMC, who while working as CEO of the company doesn’t share this mentality and also openly cooks delicious meals despite his uncles telling him that’s the females job.

This is a cute, cozy little retelling of Mulan in the Meant to Be Series based on the Disney princesses. Mushu, Mulan’s cousin, is a perfect sidekick. Hilarity ensues.

"It hits me then how exhausting simply existing as a woman, and a woman of color at that, has been in the finance industry."Mulan's father was in a middle of acquiring a whiskey company when he fell ill. Mulan took it upon herself to seal the deal, but the company is old-fashioned so she pretended to be her father.I don't know why it took me so long to read a Mulan reimagining but I am here for it.Premise sounded really intriguing and I wanted a fresh take of a fake identity trope so I was excited to read this book especially with the Mulan retelling."All my life, I’ve felt pressured to hide my true self, because everything centers the men in my life. Trying to impress them, or prove them wrong, or make sure they’re not disappointed."Love the Chinese representation this book brought. The whole chaotic family dynamic added a lot of plot to the book itself that made me laugh out loud, and I did love Shang and how he was written.I resonate with Mulan so much, I love her right off the bat. She's smart, knows how to navigate the finance worldand persistent, but behind all that, all she wanted was to make her parents proud."Shang brought me back into myself, a self that I’d thought was missing. And I don’t want to lose that self again."The romance was also good. I love how both Shang and Mulan was just their true self when they were with one another. Overall, a great Mulan retelling!

I was thrilled and honored to receive an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of *"Worth Fighting For"* by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Thank you to NetGalley!This book is part of the Meant to Be series, where different authors retell popular Disney stories, and *"Worth Fighting For"* offers a fresh take on Mulan. Mulan works for her father at his male-dominated private equity firm, surrounded by “finance bros.” To be taken seriously in this environment, Mulan must adopt a tough and smart persona, embodying what she calls "Work Mulan." When Mulan’s father, Zhou, falls ill, she fills his role and finalizes the deal to acquire a family-run whisky company he was eager to purchase. However, she faces a significant challenge: the company is traditionally run by men reluctant to engage with a woman in a leadership position. While trying her best to win over the Li family, Mulan falls in love with “G-two” family member Shang.This book captures the essence of Mulan in a humorous and charming retelling. Mulan struggles to be true to herself while juggling the multiple roles she plays daily. The storyline between Mulan and Shang is sweet and challenges traditional gender roles as their romance evolves towards the happy ever after (HEA).Mushu steals the spotlight in parts, and I would love to see Jesse Q. Sutanto write a whole story about her!

2.75 rounded upI wanted to love this book, I really did since Mulan is my favorite Disney movie. Unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. First off, and this is no fault of the author whatsoever, but the two main tropes--workplace romance (especially in finance) and cowboy romance--aren't favorites of mine. That being said, I can be won over by most tropes, but this book just didn't quite do it for me.The story felt a little disjointed to me with big moments feeling underplayed and smaller moments overplayed. The character of Mushu was also conflicting. While I loved how Mushu represented the original character well with her flare and unearned confidence, at times her antics were too much, making situations worse for Mulan not by accidental words and choices but by poor judgment.What I did like was how Sutanto presented different immigrant experiences from the same culture. Not everyone had the same story, and I appreciated that. It broadened my own perspective on what immigrants overcome and the manner in which they do so. Mulan and Shang had great chemistry, though it moved a bit fast for me. I also struggled with Mulan's initial judgment of Shang as it did not match the actions the author presented in the book. I would have been okay with this had Mulan addressed this, but in her narration she presents Shang as being the one who changes his actions not her as the one who changes her view of him.I did like the way in which the conflict was resolved, and I appreciate the skill with which Sutanto makes me sympathize with the "bad guy," but overall, it just didn't hold my attention.

This fun, closed-door romance reimagines the tale of Mulan and is as charming as it is witty. In this story Mulan is the daughter of a managing partner of a venture capitalist firm who falls ill as he is getting ready to acquire a new business and must pose as her father to continue the negotiations with the Li's of the Wutai Gold Whiskey company, whose traditional family values would never allow for a woman in place of power/business. To prove herself worthy, she goes to stay at their distillery/ranch, where her city girl ways are put to the test as she battles the challenges of a working farm. Throughout the journey, she is never caught too far from the ever-so-handsome CEO of the company, Shang, and feelings will begin to evolve, as well as the guilt of hiding her true identity.I loved the characters in this book. They all felt genuine while a little quirky. I especially loved Mulan's trusty sidekick (cousin) Mushu who was always close by with witty banter to help Mulan stay grounded. I thought the relationship between Mulan and Shang evolved naturally and was sweet and endearing. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I think if you enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians, this has similar vibes, and you also will thoroughly enjoy this.

“The patriarchy is so tiresome"Worth Fighting For is number five in the “Meant to Be” series of modern Disney retellings. Since Mulan is one of my favorite princesses, I was super excited to see what a modern take on her story might look like and let me tell you, it was super cute. I’m not sure that every part of the story worked but the idea of Mulan as her father’s right hand “man” at their hedge fund company navigating the world of finance bros was so much fun! I will say that the romance was a little light and there weren’t nearly enough sparks between Mulan and Shang as I would have liked but I truly appreciated the way that this story centered around Mulan’s self discovery and perseverance. Throughout the story she fought hard and always picked herself up to try again when things didn’t go her way which I think captured the true spirit of the original tale.I don’t know about you but one of my favorite things is to read the author’s note at the end of the book. In this one, Jesse Q. Sutanto writes about the honor that it was for her to be chosen to write Mulan’s story and why writing this book meant so much to her. Reading her beautiful thoughts helped me to connect even more with the story.Thank you to Hyperion Avenue for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.Read if you like:Modern RetellingsForbidden RomanceFish out of water storylinesFemale strength and empowermentSpice FreeSlow Burn

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Spice: 🌶️ (it’s mainly alluded to)Tropes:* Hidden identity* Closed-door romance* Forced proximity* Female empowerment and breaking gender norms* Honor and duty to family* POC representationSong that I think represents this book: “The Man” by Taylor SwiftThank you to NetGalley, Jesse Q. Sutanto, and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.For a Disney adult, I have loved every book in this “Meant to Be” series, including this book! Each one has done well adding modern-day twists, and this one ESPECIALLY does well if this! This is the first book I’m reading by Jesse Q. Sutanto and I enjoyed how much you could tell she brought her own life experiences and culture into this too. She understood how to make the story of Mulan relatable, both to POC readers, but to any female reader that understands family duty and honor, respect for elders, and following gender norms, but also wanting to break free from all of this restraints.I really liked Mulan already being successful and established due to her hard work and sacrifice. Her bond with her parents was still traditional, but love was at the forefront and made her duty to them not just about wanting the position, but about how much she knew it meant to them that she become partner on her own merit.I also thought it was a great choice to make Mushu female and her cousin sidekick; she reminded me of Akwafina in “Shang-Chi” and very funny!Shang’s family was a good way to cause a problem that felt like it rang true to what could happen in real life. By having them expect her to prove herself in their own element showed how dedicated Mulan was to not just prove them wrong, but to show her character and strength as a woman who wouldn’t back down from doubt and challenges.And of course, I adored Shang and his mom! I think having him be raised mainly by his mom was a smart choice to show that he did not agree with his family’s traditional values and gender expectations, making him a perfect match for Mulan! I actually liked their relationship in this book more than I did in the Disney film!!I hope this series is continued with more Disney films because I will read every single one!

Let’s talk about Mulan! The fifth installment of the meant to be series is here and features finance aficionado Mulan. Her father’s company is getting ready to acquire a whisky distillery company, but her father has a heart attack the night before the negotiations. Mulan assures her father that she will take care of it. She discovers that the whiskey company only works with males. However, the email exchanges between her father and this company does not identify gender, so she decides to pose as her father to save the acquisition. The Li family is not impressed, but offers for her to visit their ranch to prove herself. The real shenanigans begin on the ranch as she tries to herd cattle, shear sheep, and fjord a river on horseback. The stand out character in this book is mulans cousin Mushu. She brings major comic relief and helps Mulan along the way. The author does a fabulous job with the storytelling. It was like a movie playing in my mind during each chapter. This is certainly one of the better installments in the meant to be series.

“Worth Fighting For” by Jesse Q. Sutanto is part of the "Meant to Be" collection of romance books inspired by Disney stories.This book is a retelling of "Mulan".Thank you Hyperion Avenue for the advance digital copy of the book (via Netgalley).Opinions from this review are completely my own.Even if it is the 5th book in this collection, this is the first book I read.Tropes:- FMC in finance x CEO MMC- Disney retelling- Female empowerment- Chinese representation- Forbidden romance- Closed-door romanceIn this story, Mulan works in finance and needs to convince a a family that believes only men can do business well to let them buy their company.She is actually impersonating her father's role as he is in the hospital.Shang is the CEO of the small family company that produce whiskey.We only have Mulan's perspective. She is attracted to Shang from the start, but thinks that he is also a misogyny like his male relatives.The story was lighthearted and funny at times, but also deals with subjects like sexism, misogyny, gender equality and stereotypes.I enjoyed the story overall, but some situations were not realistic, with Mulan managing to do some tasks after watching a few videos.The secondary characters were also interesting. Mushu was funny and I liked that Shang's mother because an ally for Mulan.The romance part was insta attraction from Mulan's part, then a slow burn with closed door interactions.I would have liked to have more of their relationship.If you enjoy Disney stories and strong women trying to prove themselves, you will enjoy this book.

This is my first time reading this author. I'm glad I did. Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto was a delightful story that caught my imagination from the start. I may be the only person out there that hasn't heard of the "Meant to Be" Series and also knows almost nothing about the story of Mulan. I think that might have actually helped me going into this read. I had no expectations or anything to compare the story to, so I had a totally open mind when it came to believability. I had no problem seeing most of what happened in this story actually happening in real life.The writing was fantastic. The characters were multi-dimensional which gave me a clear picture of each one in my head as I read. By mid-book I was completely caught up in the plot, the characters, and the possible outcomes. The dialogue was fabulous, especially anything Mushu was involved in. She was hilarious and made me laugh-out-loud multiple times. I LOVED her! I also loved Mulan and the supporting cast of characters. They all had a level of reality that kept me wanting to know more.By the end, I was totally invested, wanting badly for the story to end happily and give these amazing characters the ending they deserved. I was flipping the pages, desperate to find out what would happen to these wonderful people. Most of this book, I felt like I was there with them, experiencing what they were feeling. Any author that can write so well that they make you feel like you are there in the story, hovering above, watching and waiting, is key for me when reading. Jesse Q. Sutanto does just that in Worth Fighting For. This is a beautiful story, filled with life lessons, beautifully written and told. One-click it and enjoy!