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A review by jackiehorne
Mr. Hotshot CEO by Jackie Lau
3.0
An amusing scene opens this short (category-length) rom-com contemporary: Julian Fong is forced to take two weeks off from his position as the hotshot CEO of his family's Toronto investment company—by his mother, grandmother, and amusingly dissolute brother, who all threaten him with embarrassing consequences if he doesn't agree not to come in to work for a full 17 days. Julian's always been the good son, meeting parental expectations, living up to his responsibilities, especially after his father's heart attack and retirement, and his family (if not himself) can see the toll his overwork is taking on him.
During his first afternoon off, goal-focused Julian decides that the woman he often sees in his local coffee shop, the one who seems to so enjoy her latte, is just the person who can teach him to enjoy the little things in life, and offers her $5k to do so. Which is a bit ironic, given that Courtney Kwan, who suffers from cyclically recurrent depression, can feel an episode coming on as fall approaches. But in need of funds for her sister, Courtney agrees to live with Julian during his time off and show him how she takes pleasure in the now.
The premise here is pretty hard to swallow, but if you can just shake your head and move on, Lau's story is a quick, frequently amusing read. The first person present tense narrative style isn't my fav, nor is the author's penchant for having the characters tell us what's happened rather than write scenes than show us how the relationship between Julian and Courtney develops. But Lau tackles stereotypes about Chinese immigrant culture with a humor and honesty that proves refreshing.
During his first afternoon off, goal-focused Julian decides that the woman he often sees in his local coffee shop, the one who seems to so enjoy her latte, is just the person who can teach him to enjoy the little things in life, and offers her $5k to do so. Which is a bit ironic, given that Courtney Kwan, who suffers from cyclically recurrent depression, can feel an episode coming on as fall approaches. But in need of funds for her sister, Courtney agrees to live with Julian during his time off and show him how she takes pleasure in the now.
The premise here is pretty hard to swallow, but if you can just shake your head and move on, Lau's story is a quick, frequently amusing read. The first person present tense narrative style isn't my fav, nor is the author's penchant for having the characters tell us what's happened rather than write scenes than show us how the relationship between Julian and Courtney develops. But Lau tackles stereotypes about Chinese immigrant culture with a humor and honesty that proves refreshing.