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A review by midnight_voss
The Spanish Pearl by Catherine Friend
4.0
More like 3.5.
In general, an enjoyable read. I’m not as well-versed as the author in Spanish history. Even so, the world felt immersive, and Kate and Luis’ romance was interesting... But there’s a lot less adventure here than I was expecting.
And more rape than I can tolerate in one book without some substantial recognition of longterm trauma. Also, I have to say that I loved Walladah, bisexual Moorish princess, and I wish our narrator had refrained from slut-shaming her. She’s unapologetic and powerful. I wondered for a moment if the plot would cul-de-sac around her romance with Kate.
In general, an enjoyable read. I’m not as well-versed as the author in Spanish history. Even so, the world felt immersive, and Kate and Luis’ romance was interesting... But there’s a lot less adventure here than I was expecting.
And more rape than I can tolerate in one book without some substantial recognition of longterm trauma. Also, I have to say that I loved Walladah, bisexual Moorish princess, and I wish our narrator had refrained from slut-shaming her. She’s unapologetic and powerful. I wondered for a moment if the plot would cul-de-sac around her romance with Kate.