You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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:
Complicated
Tang Dynasty Pygmalion with a twist: a nobleman trains a tea girl for a peace marriage (和亲) after his sister ran away, but falls for her. He's grumpy, honorable and rigid; she's spirited and sweet. Their relationship evolves from wariness to trust and then to love, and their romance is a slow burn with so. Much. Pining. The emotions, yearning and the love are felt in the subtley of their interactions - every furtive look, every light touch (the lesson scenes!).
The conflict of honor/duty vs. love is woven wonderfully, though I was just screaming for them to get together, lol. I also loved how they grow to become stronger because of each other. And the sensuality of their love scenes is perfect. Lin did a great job with the historical setting as usual but I wished their HEA was more drawn out (like another 50 pages more). P.S. Li Bai Shen is a treasure.
The conflict of honor/duty vs. love is woven wonderfully, though I was just screaming for them to get together, lol. I also loved how they grow to become stronger because of each other. And the sensuality of their love scenes is perfect. Lin did a great job with the historical setting as usual but I wished their HEA was more drawn out (like another 50 pages more). P.S. Li Bai Shen is a treasure.
The kiss was still very much alive and unfaded for both of them. ~ Jeannie Lin
I liked this one for the simply reason that it was so different from the historical romance that I have read before. I loved going back to China 800 AD and experiencing something totally new. The clothes, the manners everything needed to transport me there.
The story is a take on my fair lady as Fei Long needs a"princess" and fast. So he takes on Yan Ling and tries to teach her etiquette and everything else needed. She is to be a peace bride and sent away to distant lands. The whole princess part is not really true as the Emperor has found ways to cheat sending his own daughters and instead he can make a high ranking nobleman's daughter a princess. Still Yan Ling has a long way to go, or at least cheat her way through as what would her family know in the end.
Yan Ling saw a way to a new life and who can blame her. She is also strong and speaks her mind. Even if she tries her best not to. While our hero Fei Ling is quiet, strong, proud and wants to the best for his family so they will not be ruined.
And of course they fall in love, but slowly, and it takes time as they are from two different worlds. They are careful about their true emotions as they should be. It's a delicate dance as they both have their duty to fulfill and that is not to love each other.
I really must read more by her after this. I wish all historical romances could be this different, new and wonderful. I fear I have been stuck in regency land way too long, or playing with Highlanders.
Conclusion:
A wonderful story in a rich setting.
The story is a take on my fair lady as Fei Long needs a"princess" and fast. So he takes on Yan Ling and tries to teach her etiquette and everything else needed. She is to be a peace bride and sent away to distant lands. The whole princess part is not really true as the Emperor has found ways to cheat sending his own daughters and instead he can make a high ranking nobleman's daughter a princess. Still Yan Ling has a long way to go, or at least cheat her way through as what would her family know in the end.
Yan Ling saw a way to a new life and who can blame her. She is also strong and speaks her mind. Even if she tries her best not to. While our hero Fei Ling is quiet, strong, proud and wants to the best for his family so they will not be ruined.
And of course they fall in love, but slowly, and it takes time as they are from two different worlds. They are careful about their true emotions as they should be. It's a delicate dance as they both have their duty to fulfill and that is not to love each other.
I really must read more by her after this. I wish all historical romances could be this different, new and wonderful. I fear I have been stuck in regency land way too long, or playing with Highlanders.
Conclusion:
A wonderful story in a rich setting.
i am so glad i read this with my book club (But Do They Bang: Tales as Old as Time edition) because I was near to DNF'ing around the 30% mark. Fei Long was so closed off and I wanted more character depth for Yan Ling BUT then, then, it all started to come together as I kept reading, and holy wow the payoff at the end was simply amazing.
As I said on my instagram review, My Fair Concubine was like watching a cherry tree slowly bloom. Once it does, magnificence. This is a great slowburn that ends in great pay off, and I just loved the archery contest too.
Also, Fei Long simp'ing for Yan Ling through calligraphy, my whole heart. Sexy calligraphy lessons for the win, reminding me of the sexy Italian lessons in Julie Anne Long's [b:After Dark with the Duke|57341079|After Dark with the Duke (The Palace of Rogues, #4)|Julie Anne Long|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617170420l/57341079._SX50_.jpg|87021961].
As I said on my instagram review, My Fair Concubine was like watching a cherry tree slowly bloom. Once it does, magnificence. This is a great slowburn that ends in great pay off, and I just loved the archery contest too.
Also, Fei Long simp'ing for Yan Ling through calligraphy, my whole heart. Sexy calligraphy lessons for the win, reminding me of the sexy Italian lessons in Julie Anne Long's [b:After Dark with the Duke|57341079|After Dark with the Duke (The Palace of Rogues, #4)|Julie Anne Long|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617170420l/57341079._SX50_.jpg|87021961].
Yes king give us nothing (except some cool archery that was kinda sick)
CW: Sexual content, violence
CW: Sexual content, violence
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fei Long is in desperate straits. His sister has been selected to be sent to a foreign court to secure an important political alliance through marriage but has instead eloped with her lover. Once Fei Long catches up to the runaway couple, he doesn't really have the heart to force his sister back home, so instead, he lets her and her new husband go. However, if he doesn't present a princess candidate to the imperial court, his family's reputation will be ruined.
So when he encounters Yan Ling, a beautiful serving girl at the tea house where he rests after sending his sister off, he hatches a plan. Not many people have actually seen his sister in the last few years. If he manages to train Yan Ling enough in courtly manners and etiquette to pass for a young noblewoman, they can pretend she is his sister, and he won't have to worry about the wrath of the emperor.
Of course, they don't have a lot of time, and Yan Ling doesn't even know how to read and write, so a lot of work has to be done. To complicate matters further, it turns out that Fei Long's recently departed father had a massive gambling problem and has left the household with massive debts that are now Fei Long's responsibility to deal with. A high-ranking city official also wants to monitor the progress that Fei Long's "sister" is making, to make sure she is a suitable candidate to send off to secure the alliance.
Of course, despite their initial social standings and animosity, Fei Long and Yan Ling fall for one another, and both try bravely to resist the attraction, as their love is impossible, and they only have a few months together before Yan Ling needs to be sent off to a foreign country to marry someone else.
This is my second Jeannie Lin novel this year, and while it was fine, I didn't enjoy it as much as The Dragon and the Pearl. It's another of the novels that originally were published by Harlequin, and anyone looking for high spice should probably look elsewhere. This book is mostly pining.
I really liked the bits with Yan Ling working to become delicate and sophisticated enough to pass for a noblewoman. The subplot with Fei Long dealing with his father's gambling debts and dealing with a mob boss and having to do a bunch of archery dragged the story out, however. Could have done with less of that.
Judging a book by its cover: This cover feels pretty generic, except for the fact that it has Chinese people in historical costumes on it, rather than white people in period garb readers are probably more familiar with.
So when he encounters Yan Ling, a beautiful serving girl at the tea house where he rests after sending his sister off, he hatches a plan. Not many people have actually seen his sister in the last few years. If he manages to train Yan Ling enough in courtly manners and etiquette to pass for a young noblewoman, they can pretend she is his sister, and he won't have to worry about the wrath of the emperor.
Of course, they don't have a lot of time, and Yan Ling doesn't even know how to read and write, so a lot of work has to be done. To complicate matters further, it turns out that Fei Long's recently departed father had a massive gambling problem and has left the household with massive debts that are now Fei Long's responsibility to deal with. A high-ranking city official also wants to monitor the progress that Fei Long's "sister" is making, to make sure she is a suitable candidate to send off to secure the alliance.
Of course, despite their initial social standings and animosity, Fei Long and Yan Ling fall for one another, and both try bravely to resist the attraction, as their love is impossible, and they only have a few months together before Yan Ling needs to be sent off to a foreign country to marry someone else.
This is my second Jeannie Lin novel this year, and while it was fine, I didn't enjoy it as much as The Dragon and the Pearl. It's another of the novels that originally were published by Harlequin, and anyone looking for high spice should probably look elsewhere. This book is mostly pining.
I really liked the bits with Yan Ling working to become delicate and sophisticated enough to pass for a noblewoman. The subplot with Fei Long dealing with his father's gambling debts and dealing with a mob boss and having to do a bunch of archery dragged the story out, however. Could have done with less of that.
Judging a book by its cover: This cover feels pretty generic, except for the fact that it has Chinese people in historical costumes on it, rather than white people in period garb readers are probably more familiar with.
Another fun and fascinating book by Jeannie Lin! This novel takes the familiar concept of My Fair Lady and puts a Tang Dynasty twist on it, which is something I am very unfamiliar with but appreciated nonetheless. It's a very compelling, if somewhat restrained, story with a great supporting cast. There might not be any flying swordsmen in this, but it still transports you and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
An important thing to note: this is not your typical romance novel. In a romance novel set in Victorian England or the Regency period, there are a lot more stolen kisses, and the sexual tension is more obvious. This novel will seem tame in comparison. Some might say even too restrained and detached. While I think Lin could've preserved the Eastern ideals of duty, honor, and familial responsibility while increasing the sexual tension more than she did, I didn't mind the restraint. The stakes felt very real, so I was compelled to keep reading even when the romance stalled.
The lack of sexual tension (except in the last 80 or so pages) is the reason I docked this a whole star. Otherwise, there's a lot to love. Her descriptions are beautiful without being over the top. The cast was interesting and fun, and the pacing was decent. Overall, I recommend this novel if you're looking for a little something different or if you don't like lurid romances.
An important thing to note: this is not your typical romance novel. In a romance novel set in Victorian England or the Regency period, there are a lot more stolen kisses, and the sexual tension is more obvious. This novel will seem tame in comparison. Some might say even too restrained and detached. While I think Lin could've preserved the Eastern ideals of duty, honor, and familial responsibility while increasing the sexual tension more than she did, I didn't mind the restraint. The stakes felt very real, so I was compelled to keep reading even when the romance stalled.
The lack of sexual tension (except in the last 80 or so pages) is the reason I docked this a whole star. Otherwise, there's a lot to love. Her descriptions are beautiful without being over the top. The cast was interesting and fun, and the pacing was decent. Overall, I recommend this novel if you're looking for a little something different or if you don't like lurid romances.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked this up, as I do many romances, because it was mentioned on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, and I ended up really enjoying it. The story is basically "My Fair Lady" in Imperial China.
Things I loved: There are lots of awesome people having compelling friendships. I especially liked the way that the women's friendships fleshed out, though the other relationships were great as well. The friendship between Dao and Yan Ling, in particular, was really delightful. I loved the way Lin wove in little explanations for things that Western readers might not be familiar with, while at the same time avoiding info-dumps or "as you know Bob" sorts of worldbuilding. (Corollary: the writing assumes the reader is smart enough to pick up the cues, which I liked.) Little things, too, like the fact that sleeping arrangements in this place and time were not the massive four-poster beds of Western design but rather small compartments.
I loved the way that the affection built between Yang Ling and Fei Long without being all about pantsfeels. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely pants-related feelings and they were lovely, but so much of this was about a slow and meaningful evolution in the characters' perceptions of and feelings for each other, and I loved that. I loved the way everyone simply dealt with the various issues they had been handed without making a big fuss of it, and just doing what needed to be done without a lot of dithering.
And the ending made me genuinely happy - I kept hoping there would be a resolution that somehow worked out to keep everyone in a place where they could be happy, and there was, even though I feared for the worst a few times. I would definitely read more by this author.
Things I loved: There are lots of awesome people having compelling friendships. I especially liked the way that the women's friendships fleshed out, though the other relationships were great as well. The friendship between Dao and Yan Ling, in particular, was really delightful. I loved the way Lin wove in little explanations for things that Western readers might not be familiar with, while at the same time avoiding info-dumps or "as you know Bob" sorts of worldbuilding. (Corollary: the writing assumes the reader is smart enough to pick up the cues, which I liked.) Little things, too, like the fact that sleeping arrangements in this place and time were not the massive four-poster beds of Western design but rather small compartments.
I loved the way that the affection built between Yang Ling and Fei Long without being all about pantsfeels. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely pants-related feelings and they were lovely, but so much of this was about a slow and meaningful evolution in the characters' perceptions of and feelings for each other, and I loved that. I loved the way everyone simply dealt with the various issues they had been handed without making a big fuss of it, and just doing what needed to be done without a lot of dithering.
And the ending made me genuinely happy - I kept hoping there would be a resolution that somehow worked out to keep everyone in a place where they could be happy, and there was, even though I feared for the worst a few times. I would definitely read more by this author.
This is a slow burn and for me had a very rough start… but totally picks up around 55% mark and had very satisfying ending