Since our previous book club pick was very dark, we decided to go the opposite way for next book and opted for Annabelle Thong, a Singlit Chic-lit. Personally, I was very excited about this book because I prefer genre fiction to literary fiction, and I want to read more Singlit (and books from SEA authors) so this sounded like a fun read that would also fit one of my loosely held reading goals.

Annabelle Thong, twenty eight and still single, decides she must take drastic measures. So she goes to Paris for a masters and hopefully to also catch a man at the same time. While the plan to get to Paris went fairly smoothly, her time in Paris does not – she can’t decide what to write on for her thesis and the fact that she’s still a virgin seems to be impeding her love life.

Do you know who Annabelle reminded me of? Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic series. In fact, I reread one of the Shopaholic books after finishing Annabelle Thong and was struck by how similar these two women are – smart, slightly naive, and with a heart of gold. Although I was a bit dumbstruck that Annabel seemed completely unaware of the social issues in Singapore at the start of the book (I’m about her age and this was the only thing in the book that seemed rather implausible), I was really happy to see that her time in Paris managed to help her grow. She is a heroine that’s easy to like, and I feel like if Annabelle was an actual person, we could be friends.

I also really enjoyed Hashim’s depiction of Paris. I’ve only been there once, as a toddler, and never really thought of visiting again but he made me want to go there myself. It’s clear that this is a place that’s close to his heart and that translated beautifully into the setting of the book.

Honestly, I don’t have a single bone to pick with this book. Annabelle Thong hit all the right notes for me – a lovable heroine (with a great cast of supporting characters), good character growth, an enchanting setting. If you’re looking for something light and funny to read, I would highly recommend this book.