The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho

Title: The Friend Zone Experiment

Author: Zen Cho

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: MacMillan

Pages: 352

Release Date: 8 August 2024

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Hello fellow booklovers! Today I’m sharing my review for The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho— A thought-provoking, K-drama-esque romance that was everything I imagined it would be and more!

Synopsis

 From the outside, Renee Goh’s life looks perfect. She’s thirty and beautiful, running a glamorous–and successful–fashion company in London, and dating a hot pop star.

Until she’s dumped. Estranged from her family in Singapore, too, happiness soon feels a world away. A chance encounter with her first love, Yap Ket Siong, makes her question what she really wants. Then Renee’s father calls from Singapore and offers her the chance to become the successor of the family business, one of the largest conglomerates in Southeast Asia. Her father’s approval would mean everything - if she can fight off the competition of her unpredictable older brothers.

Just as she’s focusing on her future and a possible move back to Singapore, sparks seriously start to fly with Ket Siong, shaking her resolve to keep him in the friend zone. But he left her heartbroken at university - will either of them dare to share their feelings the second time around? Or will family business mean they can’t bank on each other . . .

Review

Having loved Zen Cho’s witty supernatural novel, Black Water Sister, I was excited to see how she would tackle the contemporary romance genre. Which I’m glad to report didn’t disappoint.

Delving into the complex (and slightly dysfunctional) bonds of family, class, corruption and ethics, Zen Cho’s social commentary-infused prose was a masterclass in nuance that had me glued to my seat.

The emotional depth in our protagonists (Renee and Ket Siong) was really well executed and the backstory that unfurls between them (detailing their unique family situations, longtime friendship and their reason for drifting apart) added a layer of complexity to their second chance romance that I found quite compelling.

I loved our fashion designer protagonist, Renee, and really enjoyed exploring beyond the ambitious public persona she has spent the past decade crafting to the endearing and emotionally vulnerable woman beneath.

Her struggle to gain respect for her hard earned success from her own family, and the high stakes, drama filled rivalry with her brothers (and their frustrating sense of entitlement) was edge of your seat worthy— I was completely invested in the drama and rooting for Renee the whole time.

Fellow protagonist and love interest, Ket Siong was really endearing too. His journey to uncovering the truth behind his friend’s disappearance is what leads him back into Renee’s orbit—and I loved the subtle, simmering development of their relationship.

I do think the romance aspect does occasionally take a back seat to some of the more important issue (like corruption, unethical business practices and family struggles) which is perfect if you love your romances to have a little depth.

Overall, a deft and engaging contemporary romance with a cast of flawed but compelling characters that fans of Succession or Crazy Rich Asians definitely want to consider checking out!

Also, thanks to Book Break UK and Chloe Davies for the fabulous proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author

 Zen Cho writes fantasy and romance. Her fiction has won the Hugo, Crawford and British Fantasy Awards, and the LA Times Ray Bradbury Prize. Her newest novel, The Friend Zone Experiment, is a contemporary romance set in London. Born and raised in Malaysia, Zen now lives in the UK

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