 Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan.
This is a fun rom-com where the couple is already together at the start. Nick and Rachel are teachers, both Chinese; he's from Singapore and she's American-raised. After dating for a couple of years, he's bringing her to Singapore to meet his family and attend a friend's wedding. I'm willing to suspend disbelief for a comedy. And it's explained that Nick was raised to believe it's crass to talk about money. But. Nick's cluelessness simply beggars belief. All this time together, and Rachel had no idea Nick was from the wealthiest family in Singapore? They're not just rich, they're crazy rich. And Nick blithely assures Rachel that his family will love her. Has Nick met his family? Nick's mother and grandmother bluntly tell Nick she's not good enough for him. The other women in their social circle are calling Rachel a gold-digger and throwing their own daughters at Nick. His mom actually hires a private detective to dig up dirt on Rachel's family. How did Nick not anticipate any of this? There are assorted subplots involving Nick's cousins. (They translated surprisingly well into the movie, in simplified form.) Eddie lives to show off his "perfect" family in the society pages, while making them miserable behind the scenes. Alistair is a movie director who falls for a vulgar actress. And Astrid is a shopaholic who married "beneath her," and now suspects her husband of an affair. The plot and subplots end at a point where they're tied up for the moment, but with plenty of room for more in the sequels, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. I hope Nick is a little more clueful in those. Popsugar Reading Challenge: About a bachelorette trip. 52 Book Club Challenge: Includes a character list. Booklist Queen Challenge: Debut novel. Around the Year Challenge: Vacation book.
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