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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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:
N/A
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Set simultaneously in 2 time periods, it's a slightly jarring experience to realise that when we're first reunited with our hero and heroine it's actually their 2nd encounter.
Now under the name of Catherine Blade, Ling-Ling has come to England the land of her beloved teacher Herb. Sent by her stepfather Da Red to retrieve 2 jade tablets, she's stunned to run into Leighton, war hero, injured and now engaged.
The real truth however is much further in the past back in China, the history is so much richer and it's in the past where the story really flourishes.
Thomas excels with this mesh of cultures, the flavour it adds enriches the experience and if anything I felt the scenes in London felt rather bland in comparison.
Now under the name of Catherine Blade, Ling-Ling has come to England the land of her beloved teacher Herb. Sent by her stepfather Da Red to retrieve 2 jade tablets, she's stunned to run into Leighton, war hero, injured and now engaged.
The real truth however is much further in the past back in China, the history is so much richer and it's in the past where the story really flourishes.
Thomas excels with this mesh of cultures, the flavour it adds enriches the experience and if anything I felt the scenes in London felt rather bland in comparison.
Ok that was a rather rollicking read. I do love novels that read like travel journals.
The first half was decent albeit weaker than the prequel, and the flashbacks were quite fun (with the exception of the instachange instaconflict), but the plot of the second half... it felt like a list of plot points at times. The characters spent years apart and angry, but now they resolve their differences and just know they should be back together because fate. The story requires a lot of suspension of disbelief on a plot level, and I guess that is to be expected (though I'd much prefer it if that second meeting occurred through Herb or at least because they are both searching for the jade tablets rather than fully independently) but the emotions shouldn't require the same thing in a romance. And they did. The engagement resolves too neatly (he discovers the lady was a shitty human, so it's okay to break things off and leave her... to be destitute and possibly unmarriageable?), the dead baby gets ultimately glossed over... I don't know, it felt like a huge deadline had come too soon for Sherry Thomas, and that's a pity because the characters and the setting and the ideas deserved better.
(I still like her a lot though, not gonna lie.)
(I still like her a lot though, not gonna lie.)
Picking up where The Hidden Blade started, My Beautiful Enemy chronicles how Ying-Ying and Leighton Atwood met, fell in love, fell apart, reunited, and came back together. It's a beautiful, moving story while also touching on a lot social and political topics that would have been relevant to the time period, setting it apart from other romance novels. The blended wuxi (Chinese martial arts novel) and romance novel elements worked really harmoniously together, and I highly recommend this book, with some caveats.
When you meet Ying-Ying/Catherine Blade and Leighton Atwood, the two are already exes. Their reunion is bittersweet, and the way it's described - Ying-Ying is shocked that she didn't succeed in killing him after all - only makes me want to read on further. Honestly, I don't think this story could've worked any other way. Leighton was always dignified and honorable with regards to his fiancee while slowly falling back in love with Ying-Ying. For her part, Ying-Ying was equal parts devoted to her work and to Leighton. Their emotions were palpable, and I really felt for them. The writing between these two is well done!
This book stands apart from other romance novel because of the strong wuxia elements threaded throughout the story. Ying-Ying's commitment to her mission and her devotion to her blended family is unique to Eastern cultures, but it's no less poignant for being unfamiliar. Even though I didn't grow up in the same structures or with the same values, I felt how torn Ying-Ying was between personal desire and duty. For his part, Leighton had the same dilemmas, and while this initially tore them apart, it also brought them back together. It really was quite fulfilling.
So, what are my caveats? Well, readers may recognize this story, as it is very heavily "inspired" by the wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, if Ziyi Zhang's character then went to England in the latter half of the story. The whole cave scenes were pretty much lifted straight from the movie, complete with bandits. Rest assured. As this is a romance novel, it ends on a happier note than the film does.
Another point that irritated me is the character of Leighton Atwood's fiancée, Miss Chase. She seemed well-written until it was no longer convenient for her to be so.
I know the prequel is only a novella, but I highly recommend reading it before this novel. There are lots of characters and references in the prequel that really aid in understanding this novel. You could read this as a standalone, but you would miss so much of the growth and sacrifice of these characters if you read them out of order. The two stories together create a wonderful and compelling story with a heartfelt romance at its core.
When you meet Ying-Ying/Catherine Blade and Leighton Atwood, the two are already exes. Their reunion is bittersweet, and the way it's described - Ying-Ying is shocked that she didn't succeed in killing him after all - only makes me want to read on further. Honestly, I don't think this story could've worked any other way. Leighton was always dignified and honorable with regards to his fiancee while slowly falling back in love with Ying-Ying. For her part, Ying-Ying was equal parts devoted to her work and to Leighton. Their emotions were palpable, and I really felt for them. The writing between these two is well done!
This book stands apart from other romance novel because of the strong wuxia elements threaded throughout the story. Ying-Ying's commitment to her mission and her devotion to her blended family is unique to Eastern cultures, but it's no less poignant for being unfamiliar. Even though I didn't grow up in the same structures or with the same values, I felt how torn Ying-Ying was between personal desire and duty. For his part, Leighton had the same dilemmas, and while this initially tore them apart, it also brought them back together. It really was quite fulfilling.
So, what are my caveats? Well, readers may recognize this story, as it is very heavily "inspired" by the wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, if Ziyi Zhang's character then went to England in the latter half of the story. The whole cave scenes were pretty much lifted straight from the movie, complete with bandits. Rest assured. As this is a romance novel, it ends on a happier note than the film does.
Another point that irritated me is the character of Leighton Atwood's fiancée, Miss Chase. She seemed well-written until it was no longer convenient for her to be so.
Spoiler
Miss Chase starts out as a sweet yet intelligent woman who very much cares for Leighton yet recognizes she is losing him to Catherine Blade (Ying-Ying). When this happens, she doesn't meekly stand aside or fall in love with someone else, which is typical of romance novels to absolve the hero of guilt. Miss Chase fights to keep Leighton in the ways that would've been socially acceptable for her to do so. Yet, Thomas falls victim to tired romance tropes, and if Miss Chase can't be an angel, she must be a devil in disguise. Without explanation, she is turned into a villain and then summarily dismissed as someone who only wanted Leighton's money, despite there never being any evidence to this. It felt very cheap, lazy, and it really derailed the story for me.I know the prequel is only a novella, but I highly recommend reading it before this novel. There are lots of characters and references in the prequel that really aid in understanding this novel. You could read this as a standalone, but you would miss so much of the growth and sacrifice of these characters if you read them out of order. The two stories together create a wonderful and compelling story with a heartfelt romance at its core.
Those with unfinished business will meet on narrow paths.
"There is nothing here that isn't rightfully mine."
He was here. Was he also rightfully hers?
"You will have no disputes from me on that account," he said.
Wow. This book needs to be adapted into a miniseries. An absolutely remarkable blend of genres, and I am going to read the first book for sure to learn more about the characters' origin stories. I loved the wuxia elements and I felt like I was watching a classic English espionage film for this entire story with the great use of flashbacks. A great change of pace to read about Asian settings for a historical romance as well.
The idea of her in a violent fury did not bother him, but the possibility of losing her trust did.
I feel like I didn't get to learn Captain Leighton Atwood as well through his POV as I got to know Catherine, but this is a very unique story that will stay with me for a while. Tread carefully, there are some dark moments, and this is coming from someone fond of angst in historical romance - although I prefer it come from the purity of emotion, not grief.
All excellent remedies are bitter to swallow.
This is my first Sherry Thomas novel, but I've ordered more from her backlist, and I am excited to try her Lady Sherlock series as well. I've only heard great things about this author's writing!
"There is nothing here that isn't rightfully mine."
He was here. Was he also rightfully hers?
"You will have no disputes from me on that account," he said.
Wow. This book needs to be adapted into a miniseries. An absolutely remarkable blend of genres, and I am going to read the first book for sure to learn more about the characters' origin stories. I loved the wuxia elements and I felt like I was watching a classic English espionage film for this entire story with the great use of flashbacks. A great change of pace to read about Asian settings for a historical romance as well.
The idea of her in a violent fury did not bother him, but the possibility of losing her trust did.
I feel like I didn't get to learn Captain Leighton Atwood as well through his POV as I got to know Catherine, but this is a very unique story that will stay with me for a while. Tread carefully, there are some dark moments, and this is coming from someone fond of angst in historical romance - although I prefer it come from the purity of emotion, not grief.
All excellent remedies are bitter to swallow.
This is my first Sherry Thomas novel, but I've ordered more from her backlist, and I am excited to try her Lady Sherlock series as well. I've only heard great things about this author's writing!
This book is a literal GEM–you know, those novels with great plot, searing chemistry and heartbreaking romance, powerful characters, amazing storyline, but has low ratings and few reviews– I just can't believe My Beautiful Enemy isn't Sherry Thomas's best work because this is just as good to be adapted as a series or movie.
This is about two spies who fell in love and was seperated by their country, family, and opposing duty. Only to be reunited in the point of life where everything has changed. A tale of love, lost and sacrifice–and Good God! I'm such a sucker for these.
"The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are lovers who cannot be together, so they spend their lives on opposite banks of the Silver River, which is what the Chinese call the Milky Way."
“But on the seventh day of the seventh moon of the year, a flock of magpies form a bridge across the river, and they are briefly reunited, before they must each return to their own bank for the long wait to begin again.”
“It is up to the beholder to decide whether the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are about to reunite, or about to part again,” said Catherine...
“What is your verdict, Captain? Joyous reunion or more heartrending separation?”
o(〒﹏〒)o
This is about two spies who fell in love and was seperated by their country, family, and opposing duty. Only to be reunited in the point of life where everything has changed. A tale of love, lost and sacrifice–and Good God! I'm such a sucker for these.
"The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are lovers who cannot be together, so they spend their lives on opposite banks of the Silver River, which is what the Chinese call the Milky Way."
“But on the seventh day of the seventh moon of the year, a flock of magpies form a bridge across the river, and they are briefly reunited, before they must each return to their own bank for the long wait to begin again.”
“It is up to the beholder to decide whether the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are about to reunite, or about to part again,” said Catherine...
“What is your verdict, Captain? Joyous reunion or more heartrending separation?”
o(〒﹏〒)o