YOOOOO, this book… THIS BOOK! How can a romance book with a lot of boring adult problems could be so entertaining (maybe because I am entering adulthood myself… but hey!). Meet Andrea Tang, a successful Malaysian-born lawyer who is literally the last person in the Tang dynasty who is single. Of course, by Asian standard, this is unacceptable. Pressured by her family’s, especially her mother’s, expectation to live her best life (aka, get a reputable job, get married, have children), Andrea is on a mission to find a man of her dreams while she needs to maintain her position on her law firm--now that there’s a new rival, Suresh Aditparan, around the corner.

Reading this book feels so much like home. I love how Lauren Ho brings characters from various ethnicity backgrounds (there are Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, and FIlipino) which makes this book more lovable (hey, I’m all about Indonesian rep here). This book is intertwined with Asian cultures in which I can relate to. It feels so nice to read a book written by Southeast Asian authors where the character shares similar culture to me.

Although throughout the book, I feel like I want to yell at Andrea for being so, so clueless. You need to read this book yourself to find out why I want to yell at her.

THE PROS;
- A diary-like narrative that makes us see a glimpse of Andrea’s growth and development. Diary-like narrative can be so tricky, most of the time I don’t like this format, but Last Tang Standing is an exception. I got to see Andrea inside out, through the goods and the bads. Andrea is such a solid character to the point it almost feels like she’s real and not just a two dimensional character. I can relate to her insecurities about her life, her complaining about work while still doing the exact same thing she’s moaning about, her gossipy attitude. Andrea probably becomes my new favorite character!
- A slow burn romance that will swoon your heart away. Even though romance is more like a side-plot to me, it doesn’t mean every scene that involved romantic moments did not make me smile and laugh. We started with a-lunch-with-my-rival date, which slowly bloomed into a push and pull relationship until they admit that they do care about each other. I want you all to suffer with me having to get through a 400 hundred page novel where everything starts to really happen in the last chapters. And oh! If you don’t like romance books with smutty scenes, Last Tang Standing will be your favorite book!
- A humorous novel that is entertaining. I understand why so many people recommend Last Tang Standing for those who love Crazy Rich Asians. In my opinion, both are completely different in comparison, but I can see why. Last Tang Standing filled with humorous and witty comments that readers can relate to.
- Highlighting how important family is in Asian cultures. Family’s expectation can influence oneself while making a decision. A generational prejudice can also one’s judgement when it comes to other culture, practice, and interracial relationship. While this is something many Asian families have to face and fix, I like that this book does not try to sugarcoat everything.

THE CONS:
- The pace is really slow at the beginning. I admit I put this book on my ‘will-go-back-to-later’ shelf last year because I couldn’t get past through earlier chapters. Even though it gets better, it was so boring at the beginning. And I think, it’s my only complaint about this book.

Last Tang Standing is a must have book in your TBR, especially if you’re looking for a light, humorous reading with a little bit of spice in it.