The Friend Zone Experiment

Hugo Award winner Cho (Black Water Sister) detours from fantasy and sci-fi with this soapy contemporary romance. Renee Goh is the black sheep of her über-successful family whose business, Chahaya Group, “own[s] half of Singapore.” She’s made her own way as a successful London fashion designer without their support—so she’s shocked when her father calls to say he’s stepping down from heading the conglomerate and offers Renee the job. Accepting would change her life and enable her to take her own brand to new heights, but it also means subjecting herself to her judgmental, patriarchal family once more. Making matters more complicated, a chance encounter with Ket Siong, the talented musician who broke her heart 10 years before, reopens old wounds. Back then, Ket Siong and his family lost everything due to the machinations of the Chahaya Group, and he’s spent years bent on revenge—but of course he doesn’t tell Renee that. As they rekindle their old flame, corporate intrigue and family drama threaten their budding romance. Cho loads the story with melodramatic subplots, flashbacks, and heavy emotional beats, making it sometimes feel like a slog. Once the angst lifts, however, Renee and Ket Siong prove a supportive and loving couple. Readers who don’t mind a bit of brooding will find plenty to enjoy. (Aug.)