liberianmocha 's review for:

The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang, Kate Quinn

3.25

adventurous inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book totally scratched my historical fiction itch — the setting, the atmosphere, the real-life backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake? All amazing. You can really tell the research was solid, and the details pulled me in. 

That said, I’ve been on a romance kick lately, and I really wanted more feeling from the characters. Not necessarily steamy scenes, but just…more yearning, more tension, more moments that made me feel the stakes in their relationships. George and Gemma had potential, but I kept waiting for something to really ignite between them. Or, if the authors had leaned into the emotional weight of Henry and Gemma’s storyline, the twist could have hit so much harder. 

Even with Suling and Reggie—there’s this moment where Reggie gives Suling her mother’s ring (!), but emotionally it just kind of…passed by. No intense confession, no big emotional payoff. I wanted someone to say something real and vulnerable. 

Overall, it’s a good book. Solid writing, great historical setting, compelling plot. I just felt like it told me what the characters felt instead of letting me feel it with them. It could’ve been a phenomenal read if it had leaned a little harder into the emotional beats—especially since the potential for romance and deeper character connection was right there.