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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
This novel is a masterpiece in meshing different genres to create a cohesive story that celebrates all of its elements and holds nothing back. The historical setting is immersive and perfectly balanced. It never takes over the narrative nor does is it a vague after-thought. It's purposeful and authentic. The romance is poignant, nuanced, and rich. The mystery is gripping and perfectly paced. You never feel like one element is over-powering the other. Truly, Lin should teach a masterclass because this book is one of a kind.
Just like the Pingkang li, not everything is as it seems. Bai Huang is pretending to play the fool while he gets close to Yue-ying, a maidservant with a half-moon birthmark on her face who works at one of the establishments that houses courtesans. She is devoted to the courtesan Mingyu, who is hiding something in the wake of a fellow courtesan's murder. As Huang and Yue-ying team up to solve the mystery, they also grapple with their feelings for each other, as well as the obstacles that arise for people of their social status. It's a very realistic portrayal of an unbalanced relationship that avoids making Huang out to be a dashing rescuer and Yue-ying a passive victim of his love. She very much has her own agency, and her integrity is astounding. Lin's skilled writing makes her more than a match for Huang, so when their story finally ends in a fairy tale, it feels genuinely romantic.
The supporting cast! How could you forget them! Everyone is playing a part, and everyone is so complex. You're constantly guessing who's going to do what next. It's the perfect mystery and the perfect character study, and it's truly a feminist masterpiece, as they women avoid cliches and assert their independence at every turn. You must read this! You will be so glad you did.
Just like the Pingkang li, not everything is as it seems. Bai Huang is pretending to play the fool while he gets close to Yue-ying, a maidservant with a half-moon birthmark on her face who works at one of the establishments that houses courtesans. She is devoted to the courtesan Mingyu, who is hiding something in the wake of a fellow courtesan's murder. As Huang and Yue-ying team up to solve the mystery, they also grapple with their feelings for each other, as well as the obstacles that arise for people of their social status. It's a very realistic portrayal of an unbalanced relationship that avoids making Huang out to be a dashing rescuer and Yue-ying a passive victim of his love. She very much has her own agency, and her integrity is astounding. Lin's skilled writing makes her more than a match for Huang, so when their story finally ends in a fairy tale, it feels genuinely romantic.
The supporting cast! How could you forget them! Everyone is playing a part, and everyone is so complex. You're constantly guessing who's going to do what next. It's the perfect mystery and the perfect character study, and it's truly a feminist masterpiece, as they women avoid cliches and assert their independence at every turn. You must read this! You will be so glad you did.
This is the book you want if you like your romance with a side of murder. *creepy organ music* It’s also the book you want if you like historicals set outside of England. It’s also ALSO the book you want if you groove on complex power dynamics between lovers and appreciate nuanced portrayals of sex work. That is a lot going on for one book! In Tang Dynasty China (847 AD), Yue-ying is a maid to a renowned courtesan. She will never be a sought after companion in her own right because of a bright red birthmark on one side of her face, so she is baffled when Bai Huang, a privileged playboy scholar, starts paying her lots of attention. Huang is fascinated by Yue-ying because she is the only one who sees through his hapless demeanor (which is largely put on), but he doesn’t understand at first why his regard could cause her problems. When one of the courtesans in the neighborhood is murdered, Yue-ying agrees to work with Huang to find the killer. I personally found the romance more compelling than the murder plot, but I think this book would work very well for readers who enjoy mysteries.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
#23for23
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Slavery
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Violence, Trafficking, Murder
Minor: Police brutality
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings: Mentions of child slavery and mentions of sexual assault
—Yue-Ying: Our girl is tired, jaded by life rocking her left and right, but is whip-smart and and excellent judge of character. Love a protagonist who hates that she’s in love. 8/10
—Bai Huang: This man was a complete disaster, both intentionally and on accident. He had to go on a long, wild journey to be worthy of our girl’s love, but go on it he did. I also appreciate that he’s putting on an act and Yue-ying is the only one who can see through it. 8/10
—Plot: 8/10. Love a twisty murder mystery. Also, the slow-burn of their relationship and their angst was solid.
—Smut: This is probably a Harlequin edits thing, but I didn’t end the sex particularly interesting. The most interesting scene was their first one, where we enter the mind of someone having consensual sex that leaves them feeling kind of hollow. 2/10
—Vibes: 10/10. Love the setting of ancient China. It was really cool to read a historical romance in a setting I know jack-all about.
—Overall, one of the most unique historical romances you’ll come across. I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
—Yue-Ying: Our girl is tired, jaded by life rocking her left and right, but is whip-smart and and excellent judge of character. Love a protagonist who hates that she’s in love. 8/10
—Bai Huang: This man was a complete disaster, both intentionally and on accident. He had to go on a long, wild journey to be worthy of our girl’s love, but go on it he did. I also appreciate that he’s putting on an act and Yue-ying is the only one who can see through it. 8/10
—Plot: 8/10. Love a twisty murder mystery. Also, the slow-burn of their relationship and their angst was solid.
—Smut: This is probably a Harlequin edits thing, but I didn’t end the sex particularly interesting. The most interesting scene was their first one, where we enter the mind of someone having consensual sex that leaves them feeling kind of hollow. 2/10
—Vibes: 10/10. Love the setting of ancient China. It was really cool to read a historical romance in a setting I know jack-all about.
—Overall, one of the most unique historical romances you’ll come across. I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot felt a little stretched out, and the resolution to The Main Couple's Issue felt like it was resolved relatively quickly and mostly off-screen, but the characters, central mystery, and the setting were all so good that I am inclined to forgive these things. I also think this is one of the few historical romances I've read that takes the idea of courting outside of someone's class really, really seriously and that was really interesting to read. It also has some very interesting and nuanced depictions of sexual consent. Overall, very fun, very good and I'm definitely interested in reading more from both this author and in this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A little on the slow side, but I really enjoyed it. Will be picking up the next book in the series!
I loved this! As someone who really loves historical fiction it gets a little tiring hearing about bodices and corsets over and over again. I couldn't put it down and now I'm ruined because I have to find more books like this because no other books will be able to measure up