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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I love Sherry Thomas. She brings the angst and I love it. I haven’t read the prequel for this book but if was fine without it. I loved the setting—it’s so unusual to see China in a historical romance. Ying-Ying was an interesting character. Strong but vulnerable. The ending with Lin was abrupt but I’m not sure what else would have worked. I was glad that she got the ending with her stepfather she had craved. Overall really enjoyed.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I always enjoy Sherry Thomas and this novel was no different. I listened to it through Hoopla and found it quite enjoyable. (I was not sure what to expect listening to a romance.)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t expect this to start off where it did, but I was pleasantly surprised considering I love some pain and angst in my romance lol.
The characters were great, a wonderful mix of vulnerability and strength that makes them likable and interesting to read about. I don’t think the prequel really made that much of a difference in how I view them as they felt different, so it kinda just generally felt separated. I also liked that they were friendly and not at eachothers throats (lol) for the most part. The mutual respect was nice.
The back and forth timeframes were melded in well and flowed smoothly. I really enjoyed reading about their memories from the past and how they came back to them in the present. This mostly not being set in England was refreshing, it was really interesting to read about Chinese Turkestan. That in combination with the action scenes and historical artifacts gave me a lot of Lara Croft/Tomb Raider vibes, which of course I loved.
I do think the last third was a little rushed (for a lack of a better word), though in saying that, I don’t really know how else I’d think for it to be written.
The characters were great, a wonderful mix of vulnerability and strength that makes them likable and interesting to read about. I don’t think the prequel really made that much of a difference in how I view them as they felt different, so it kinda just generally felt separated. I also liked that they were friendly and not at eachothers throats (lol) for the most part. The mutual respect was nice.
The back and forth timeframes were melded in well and flowed smoothly. I really enjoyed reading about their memories from the past and how they came back to them in the present. This mostly not being set in England was refreshing, it was really interesting to read about Chinese Turkestan. That in combination with the action scenes and historical artifacts gave me a lot of Lara Croft/Tomb Raider vibes, which of course I loved.
I do think the last third was a little rushed (for a lack of a better word), though in saying that, I don’t really know how else I’d think for it to be written.
Catherine Blade is a half-English half-Chinese orphan, raised by her step-father who she yearns to impress. When he sends her to England to hunt down clues to a treasure, she runs into her ex-lover Leighton Atwood, who she had assumed was dead, accompanying his fiancée. Catherine and Leighton fell in love in Chinese Turkestan while she was pretending to be a male Turkic thief and he was pretending to be a Persian merchant, but their false identities cause them to betray each other. Can they ever bring themselves to tell each other the truth about who they are and what they felt?
I wanted to like this more than I actually liked it.
I wanted to like this more than I actually liked it.
2.5 stars
I loved the idea of this book and it's companion book, [b:The Hidden Blade|22751852|The Hidden Blade (The Heart of Blade Duology #1)|Sherry Thomas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405922335s/22751852.jpg|42298214], but couldn't quite connect to the story and characters. I really wanted to like the heroine: she's tough, smart, and capable of holding her own ala Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; but instead I found her aloof and difficult to sympathize with.
There is one part of the story that is completely heartbreaking, almost too heartbreaking to handle.
I was also surprised at how tame the love scenes were. Ms. Thomas can be quite sensual with her writing, so I was disappointed with the short moments where the hero/heroine connect on such an intimate level.
I loved the idea of this book and it's companion book, [b:The Hidden Blade|22751852|The Hidden Blade (The Heart of Blade Duology #1)|Sherry Thomas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405922335s/22751852.jpg|42298214], but couldn't quite connect to the story and characters. I really wanted to like the heroine: she's tough, smart, and capable of holding her own ala Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; but instead I found her aloof and difficult to sympathize with.
There is one part of the story that is completely heartbreaking, almost too heartbreaking to handle.
I was also surprised at how tame the love scenes were. Ms. Thomas can be quite sensual with her writing, so I was disappointed with the short moments where the hero/heroine connect on such an intimate level.