At 27, Winnie is on the verge of becoming an old maid. And she’s just fine with that. In medical school and studying for admission to an exclusive training program, Winnie just needs a few more years to get her life in order before she can even think about getting married. But her mother has other plans. Winnie’s mother orders her to return home for Chinese New Year to meet a young man she is … young man she is sure Winnie will agree to marry if she only meets him. But Winnie won’t let anything—even her overbearing mother—stand in the way of her own goals and dreams. So she does the one thing she is sure will get her mother off her back—she hires a New Year boyfriend.
Kai’s life is a wreck. Working two jobs to help pay for his mother’s cancer treatments, Kai has no time for family, fun, or love. But when he sees a job advertisement for posing as a New Year boyfriend, he can’t pass up the opportunity for some quick and easy cash.
It was supposed to be strictly a business arrangement. But as Winnie and Kai’s worlds come crashing down around them, their fake relationship might be the only real thing they have left.
ZOEY GONG was born and raised in rural Hunan Province, China. She has been studying English and working as a translator since she was sixteen years old. Now in her early twenties, Zoey loves traveling and eating noodles for every meal. She lives in Shenzhen with her cat, Jello, and dreams of one day disappointing her parents by being a Leftover Woman (剩女).
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ONE INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!!!
OMG! Wow! Talk about explosive. A whirlwind of emotions and events really pulls those heartstrings. Through all their combined and separate trials and tribulations they find themselves. All the drama, uncertainty, fear, anxiety, lies and deceit increases steadily while tension spirials as the plot thickens. Twists and turns abound with unexpected circumstances and unpredictable surprises that make for one thrilling experience. The characters are complex and believable with such depth and individually it’s easy to relate. The characters and scenes are written with such realism it really pulls this little jewel together beautifully. Zoey did an amazing job bringing this read. Fantastic job Zoey, thanks for sharing this little guy with us.
She may be almost an old maid according to her mother but she is doing just find as she is. Her mother wants her home to meet a new boy so she decides to hire one. He needs money so agrees but it may become more. See just where this take will take you
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great Holiday Book!!
Enjoyed it so much!!
Recommend it so much!!
My first book by this author and it will not be my last!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is not my usual choice in books but I have read this author’s stories and I thought I should try it. Maybe I should read this type of book more (romance) or at least by this author. I loved this story and recommend this (and others of this author’s books) to anyone who enjoys reading about different cultures. I highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you are looking for a holiday read, be sure to check out The New Year Boyfriend by Zoey Gong.
A story ripped from the headlines in China, in order to avoid an arranged marriage, Winnie hires Kai to pretend to be her boyfriend when she goes home for Chinese New Year. But as the lies build, so does the romance – until it all comes crashing down!
Both a typical holiday romance and something completely unique, The New Year Boyfriend is a book you are sure to love.
If you enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians, you will love this book!
A cute story that flowed from page to page, this is the first book by this Author that I have read but I will be looking for more by her. Winnie and Kai’s story is sweet and shows the love of family. I like the way things worked out for Kai. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A lovely way to pass an afternoon.
Winnie, a medical intern in Australia, hires Kai, a computer programmer and taxi driver, to be her New Year’s Boyfriend to stop her mother from arranging her marriage. As the story progresses lies get out of control, feelings are hurt and finding you way in the world becomes difficult without telling the truth. This is a sweet story about being true to yourself while not forgetting about your culture and history.
I received a free copy of the book from the author via Booksprout. I had the opportunity to review or not.
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author. It is a well written and fast paced story. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story pulls at the heartstrings and is filled with family relational issues and heartache. The family dynamics in Winnie’s life was full of asian obligation and living up to her parent’s expectations. Forging out on her own to obtain the medical degree she’d always dreamed of, has Winnie lying to her family for years.
It’s not as though she had been breaking the law, she is attending Medical School in Australia and battling the prejudices of being a foreign Chinese woman in a sea of narrow minded men. It hasn’t been easy for her, but when she finally confessed to her mother, it was as though she committed a crime.
Her controlling and overbearing mother’s main focus was to have Winnie marry an acceptable man and start a family. Sorry to say that although the mom is pictured as the unfeeling villain, this situation is all too common in Asian families.
As we follow Winnie’s struggles to placate her family and still try to live her dreams we see how convoluted and messy her life becomes. This is highlighted with the introduction of Kai, who poses as her fake boyfriend to keep Winnie’s mom off her back.
Kai is sweet, loving. and spends most of his time trying to raise money for his beloved mom’s cancer treatment. The differences in Kai and Winnie as they deal with their mothers are apparent. When Kai confesses to his mother that he did break the law and is facing jail time, his mother is still loving and accepting towards him. He values his relationship with his mother and is grateful for any and all the time spent with her knowing that her cancer is looming and threatening all that he holds dear. This allows Kai to try to have Winnie make peace with her mother even after she coldly disowns Winnie from the family.
This well written book gave an insightful glimpse of the complexities of trying to grow up in an atmosphere and culture where family obligation is a major part life.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This sweet story is about a Chinese girl, Winnie, who is being pressured by her mother to marry. She even goes to the extreme of picking out a guy and setting up a meet between the two families. To stop, or stem, the manipulation, Winnie hires a guy, Kai, to pretend to be her boyfriend during the Chinese New Year. He is desperate for money because of his mother’s cancer and the high cost of medical care in China. A pretend relationship is tested to the max. Yet, both can’t deny their developing feelings for each other. Terrific story! Very satisfying ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The New Year Boyfriend – I enjoyed Ms. Gong’s Animal Companions series and wanted to try something different. This is very well written and a better edited book than most native English speakers write. There’s very few editing errors and they are very minor. The storylines immerse the reader into a world of determination, love, fear, loss and lessons learned. The old managed marriage system meets the married for love system head on and the crash is difficult for everyone involved. All the characters are likable, realistic and doing the best they can for what they feel is right. There is humor amongst the angst, wisdom amongst the mistakes and plenty of love to carry everyone through the heartbreaks and hardships. I didn’t put the book down until I was finished. As with the other books, I found this on Booksprout. 5*
The Animal Companions Boxed Set 1 – 3: These are well written stories by a nonnative English speaker; she did an excellent job writing in English. Expect tears as well as joy from each of these stories. The storylines and characters are well thought out and the vivid descriptions introduce the reader to two worlds not common to outsiders. Girls are not valued by these societies and these three stories are wonderful, heartwarming, heartbreaking and show what actually is important in life.
The stories are clean, and the violence and hardships faced are suitable for children. Less violent than The Call of the Wild, which is a good book for children of all ages. I found Ms. Gong’s books on Booksprout. Minor editing needed, but nothing distracting, and these books are actually better edited than what passes for edited nowadays. 5 stars.
A Girl and Her Elephant – Interesting, likable characters that have honor and try to do the right thing in the face of adversities. Safi has a wonderful personality. Emotional, smooth flowing and well written filled with suspense and plenty of love and determination. 5*
A Girl and Her Panda – Another heart wrenching story that easily makes the tears flow, but leaves heartwarming feelings. The emotions run the gamut as this story flows through the pages leaving the reader immersed in this heartbreaking story. Again, the characters are interesting and likable, and filled with determination in the face of great adversity. PanPan is an amazing personality. 5*
A Girl and Her Tiger – I found this story a bit unrealistic, main character wise. Her actions are impulsive and emotional, therefore, not thinking of the consequences from her actions, and she does bring destruction in her wake. Her relationship with the tiger is wonderful, but she’s dangerous for the tiger also. This story doesn’t seem to have the flow of Elephant and Panda, and it was difficult to accept her when she was really out of control.
She does persevere through many ordeals and shows her fighting spirit and determination. The real British influence on her India blows her mind completely after trying to bring a British criminal to justice. She should grow up to be a major force, if she can overcome her emotions and let logic rule. I know India’s history and culture and this book rings true on the history. 4*