Today I’m paging my romantics- specifically my twisted fairy tale addicts. There are a few book series options to scratch your assorted itches if you love Boys over Flowers/Meteor Garden/MARS/The Heirs and other shows featuring damaged regular folks who fall for damaged ultra-high-net-worth people.

The first one I’m presenting is Sonali Dev’s Rajes Novels, followed by Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy. While my links are to Amazon, (I am an affiliate, no secrets here) I highly recommend using the Libby app to get books and audiobooks FREE from your local public library.

Both the series I present have the requisite building blocks of the shows we love; in addition to our plucky heroines and their handsome MLs, they are populated by overbearing, borderline-or-actually abusive/neglectful families, and spoiled rivals who do hateful things. Plus of course lavish parties, exotic trips and flashy threads. Check out the Kevin Kwan books especially for those last three.

 THE RAJE TRILOGY

Sonali Dev’s “The Rajes” Series follows the romantic ups and downs of the Raje siblings: scions of a wealthy Northern California family living in deliciously described luxury. This family knows how to entertain. Theoretically these books are retelling of Jane Austen’s classics – and if that works for you – great. It didn’t for me, but I still enjoyed the stories. I continue to recommend fast forwarding once anyone starts gazing too intently and scenes of physical “awakenings” begin, romance novel sex makes me break out in hives.

Pride, Pejudice and Other Flavors

This tale of a snooty, work-obsessed neuroseurgon and a chef from the wrong side of her and her controlling family’s approval/expectation “tracks” is Asian drama perfect. The story is set on grand estates, there are big fancy parties with drool-worthy food in dream kitchens. I’ve already mentioned the disapproving family, but there’s also a side plot of a sister with cancer. Further family intrigue that threads into other books in the series makes things even more drama-licious.

 Recipe for Persuasion

Recipes for a great romance in dramas often include chefs amirite? Cupids Kitchen, Dating in the Kitchen, and Dine With Love (mentioned in my initial post on The Drama of Books) all do the Emotional Tango with between the stainless steel tables and giant appliances each with their own recipe of trauma, drama and attractive leads. The second Raje book, about a chef/restauranteur who ends up reunited with her ex on a cooking competition TV show has TV drama written on every page. I will advise this one is heavy on the trauma, which is somewhat questionably handled.  

 Incense and Sensibility

The third Raje novel is about the brother who’s running for Governor. We join the story for the aftermath of an assassination attempt, and how the candidate recovers from the shock with the help of a yoga/meditation teacher. Have I mentioned these books are not winning any Pulitzers? Drama-wise, we have enemies to friends, a financial ruin sub-plot, and of course, a loyal bodyguard in a coma. Although the reality of North American politics is a garbage parade, the lives of powerful folks and those who wish to acquire power have made good stories since the dawn of time and been featured in many dramas. While I cannot offer solutions for our nation’s lawmakers, I happily offer these tips on how to keep political nastiness away from your dinner table.

 The Emma Project:

The last but not least of this series ( I think the least would be #3 if I had to pick) is the story of the baby brother with the charmed life and his brother’s ex. Well fake ex. But we’re familiar with fake relationships so the fallout from one is kinda interesting, no? And when it turns into a noona drama? Tell me more. This one goes all Silicon Valley startup on us- but where so many dramas now are about starting games or apps- this one is about philanthropy. And sexism.

While we won’t ever see a drama tackling the “Is a friends with benefits relationship worth sacrificing my dreams?” question, this series-ender does check a lot of boxes, and round up all the siblings and side characters we’ve gotten to know.

And now, from Northern California, on to Singapore!

Next up? Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy. These books are pure fun, right into the veins. The characters are likeable and the descriptions of the fantastically wealthy lives they lead are laugh-out-loud, over-the-top, cuckoo-bananas…well, crazy. A note here- the audiobook performance is spectacular. The asides of designer label clarifications or peculiar high society behavior are delightful and make you feel like you’ve been on the inside of this scene and “in the know” forever. Drama-wise, here’s where you find the helicopters to private islands for bridal showers, charter flights to Paris to shop the next season’s collection, and decadent real-estate around the globe.

Crazy Rich Asians

Rachel, a girl from a normal middle-class background and Nick, Asia’s most eligible/wealthy bachelor. fall in love and are engaged.  This is unacceptable to his tough-as-nails high-society mother. Rachel is up to the challenge, but has no idea what she’s in for. She’s a plucky fish out of water among the gossipy society swan mean girls in a world of overwhelming luxury like she’s never experienced. On top of that? Nick’s judge-y family. Hello all the adaptations of Boys over Flowers/Meteor Garden. The CRA movie was great- but the books have a level of detail that can’t be captured in any way but in writing.

China Rich Girlfriend:

More of our FL/ML from book one, plus new storylines. We get a pampered rich bad-boy with a DARK SECRET and celebrity girlfriend with her own stepmama drama, and a more serious beauty vs. new billionaire marriage-on-the-rocks. Of course there’s serious (custom fit for TV) DRAMA. Long-lost parents reappearing, crashing cars, papparazi attacks, helicopter scene entrances …it goes on. Buckle up and enjoy.

Rich People Problems

This series ender is no less colorful than the first two, and just as Asian Drama perfect. This time it’s a bit darker as the plot revolves around the family racing to the matriarch’s deathbed to fight over her grand estate – up for grabs since ML married FL against the family’s wishes. (Tho he was always the favorite and it ain’t over ‘til the ending OST hit plays, amirite?) We’ve also got the encore of both Stepmama Drama and Marriage-On-The Rocks from the last book. We go out with no less lengthy a list of tropes than the other books: a surprise proposal, a kidnapping, a devious husband/trapped wife, the status-obsessed husband grooming and bullying his “Perfect Family,” and so it goes. It’s delicious, dipped in handbags and real-estate. And naturally, we gotta have dumplings.

And there you have it – my two audio book series I recommend for twisted-fairy tale drama viewers. For more on “Boys Over Flowers,” I recommend checking out this podcast from some friends of mine to better gain context. And of course, check out the shows! My favorite version of the genre’s grand dame is the most recent, F4: Boys Over Flowers Thailand.  Happy listening!