Misfortune Cookie by Michele Gorman

Hannah and Sam have been friends and colleagues for a year but had only been a couple for a few months when Sam landed his dream job in Hong Kong. Still very much in the honeymoon period of their relationship, Hannah is reluctant to say goodbye to their romance. Sam, it seems, doesn't want their relationship to end either and suggests Hannah move with him. Hannah is in love with Sam so, going against her mother's wishes, she packs her belongings and flies away to join Sam on an adventure of a lifetime.

But soon after arriving in Hong Kong, Hannah realises her romantic move isn't what it first appeared. While Sam wants her to move to Hong Kong with him, he doesn't want them to live together once there. And, while she's suffering from a bout of food poisoning, Sam drops the bombshell that he won't even be in the same country as Hannah for the first few weeks due to work commitments elsewhere. Leaving Hannah behind in a strange new city, Sam flies to Vietnam to begin his new career, leaving Hannah alone to search for an apartment and a job of her own.

From the beginning, Misfortune Cookie is a humorous read that had me giggling out loud on the bus. Told from Hannah's point of view, the book is full of funny anecdotes and Hannah's unique outlook on life.

I felt both sorry for and frustrated with Hannah every time Sam visited for a weekend and moved the goalposts of his return. Her friends and family could see Hannah deserved more than Sam was giving but love had made Hannah blind to her own needs. She loves Sam so it didn't matter that he'd asked her to move so far away before abandoning her within days. I willed her to be strong and tell Sam what she needed from the relationship but I can understand why she couldn't at that time.

I've never been to Hong Kong but Michele Gorman brought it to life with her descriptions, from the food and culture to the stifling heat set against the beauty of the country.

Thank you to Michele Gorman for providing me with a copy to review.