Author Kevin Kwan returns with characters from his earlier novel, Crazy Rich Asians: Nicholas Young and Rachel Chu who are about to get married, Nick’s cousin Astrid Leong, and Hong Kong soap opera star Kitty Pong who is now married to billionaire Bernard Tai. The plot has us bouncing around to various locations all over the world, a device which shows us how wealthy everyone is with their own jumbo jets, magnificent mansions, closets full of designer clothes, oodles of expensive jewels, and net worth in the billions of dollars. Kwan devotes plenty of ink to these trappings of wealth but unfortunately skimps on his characters and the story line. It gets rather tiresome after reading page after page of prose that resembles an inventory of valuables for an insurance policy. A big disappointment after enjoying Kwan’s earlier book.

I absolutely loved this book and of course must start by saying that you really need to read "Crazy Rich Asians" (Book One) before you even pick this up because some of the more subtle story lines will fall flat without that back drop. Above everything else, what I appreciated the most was that this mini series actually provided resolution to the most important stories.There were some characters from the first book who fizzled away without explanation, and a couple of twists that seemed to come out of left field, but none of that changed the fact that I devoured this 400+ page book and enjoyed every minute of it.

What bothers me the most is Kwan's misrepresentation of academics in the books, including Crazy Rich Asians. The author romanticizes academic life too much. In the books, Rachel and Nick, tenure-track assistant professors, seem to have lots of leisure time in the summer and in the spring break. Normal academics, including tenured professor, often spend their summers and spring break to catch up with what they have not had time to finish in research or grading or to do what they want to initiate in research. Based on the behaviors of Rachel and Nick, they would lose their jobs by the end of the third year or the end of their sixth year. In the movie, Crazy Rich Asians, Rachel was wearing a tank-top to teach. She would have been warned if this scene happened at a real university.In China Rich Girlfriend, the background of Bao and his family history are questionable. It is impossible for Bao's dad to be a billionaire tycoon in China even in the 1990s because every business was state-owned. I suggest the author so some real research before putting this type of trash in the book.

I thought this was better than the first of the trilogy (Crazy Rich Asians... which I also loved.) The drama started right away and you were quickly transported into the luxury scene of some of China and Singapore’s most elite families. This is a perfect beach read. Also great any time of the year if you’re just looking for something fun and entertaining. Be sure to read the whole trilogy!

I rated this book based on how engaging and fun to read it was. It's not my usual deep philosophical tome but having grown up in the Philippines , I did have many Chinese friends and was raised by a beloved Chinese amah. I love their culture and respect for family. This book shows a very extreme culture within that people who embody the notion that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.