_{Feature photo above by Arif Riyanto on Unsplash}

City Girl Reads #4 – Last Tang Standing
by Lauren Ho

Genres: Fiction, Women’s fiction, Romantic comedy
Year: 2020

It’s been a while since my last City Girl Reads post! It look a little while longer than I expected – not because I haven’t been reading because I’m always reading, but more because I want to be selective and share my favourite reads. :) I’ve also turned into a bit of a slow reader as an adult, compared to when I used to zoom through books as a child and teenager, anyone else feels this way?

Anyway, for this post, I’m excited to recommend Malaysian author Lauren Ho’s hilarious debut novel Last Tang Standing. This book was just published this year and is a romantic comedy fiction story set in my sunny home of Singapore! If you’re looking for a funny and lighthearted book that will make you laugh in the midst of this challenging year, you’ve got to pick this one up!

The story is about 33 year old Chinese-Malaysian Andrea, who’s a successful lawyer trying to make partner at a top law firm where she dedicates most of her waking hours to. She has a successful career, great friends, lives in a posh condo and has the spending power to afford expensive meals and designer bags. With all her achievements in life, Andrea is also single, much to her mother’s disappointment. 😆 Hahaha! Sound familiar?

The portrayal of life in this Singapore based story is slightly exaggerated for humour and it’s really funny, I was giggling throughout most of the story! However, as someone who grew up in Singapore, and I think for those of us who grew up in Asian families or societies, it’s easy to relate to the expectations of life achievements, comparisons (university rank, career, job titles) and constant judging that is being shown in this book. I also liked that the author explored topics of interracial dating and social class, presenting it realistically through the different characters in the story.

I really enjoyed Andrea’s journey as she learns to navigate her career, love life and family. She’s confident, intelligent and sarcastic, but quite silly and lost as well, just like the rest of us who are trying to figure it all out. To sum it up, Last Tang Standing is a story filled with humour and heart. :)

Lauren Ho made a strong debut with this book and I’m definitely looking forward to her next one.

Auntie Wei Wei’s tone conveyed the pity her eyes couldn’t. “You know, I always thought my daughter would be the last to marry among all the Tang women of your generation, but it looks like that’s no longer the case.”

A wave of nausea overwhelmed me as the realisation broke: for the first time in my life, I would indeed be last at something.

Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho

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