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A review by alexalovesbooks
My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas
2.0
FIRST THOUGHTS:
3.5 stars, solidly. I loved the tension between the titular couple. I loved the hero and heroine, and the unusual lives they lead and skills they possess. I also thought the danger + thrill in the story's plot was fun! It was definitely darker than I expected it to be, and less humorous than the other Thomas historical novel I've read.
REVIEW:
(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
Well, I’ll give it to you straight: My Beautiful Enemy was totally not what I was expecting it to be! It’s a lot more serious than The Luckiest Lady in London (my first Thomas romance read!), with higher stakes and grave circumstances. This, however, doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it, because I totally did!
Characters: I absolutely loved Catherine Blade! She reminds me of some of my favorite historical fiction ladies (in particular, Christina from The Lion’s Lady) with her badass fighting skills. I really love that she has Asian blood (Seriously, this is SO. FREAKING. COOL.)! Christina is beautiful, but deadly; vulnerable, but sharp. While I wouldn’t want to be her, I admired her spirit. But here’s a quick confession for you: Leighton Atwood just didn’t appeal to me until a little later in the story. He’s got skills, and deeply cares for Catherine, but I just couldn’t fall for him the way I would have wanted to.
Romance: I actually liked the romance! It was balanced between love and hate, enmity and respect. The potent mixture of feelings that it inspired in me definitely kept me turning the pages all the way to the end. While I didn’t necessarily swoon all that much (a first for me!), I did want them to end up together. My one frustration is that all of the things that they went through could have been avoided if they had just talked it out, though I guess there would have been no story otherwise. (Remember folks, proper communication is important in any relationship!)
Plot: It doesn’t just focus on the romance, and that’s totally cool with me! Catherine, in particular, has a few other things to deal with, and they are things that just so happen to involve Leighton (or happen to be things he wants to involve himself in). I loved the sense of danger and action, and the mystery behind Catherine and Leighton’s history.
Even though My Beautiful Enemy was different, it was still quite readable! I loved the mix of espionage, mystery and intrigue, especially when combined with the romance. I’ve still got quite a few Thomas romances to read, but this one was pretty darn solid.
3.5 stars, solidly. I loved the tension between the titular couple. I loved the hero and heroine, and the unusual lives they lead and skills they possess. I also thought the danger + thrill in the story's plot was fun! It was definitely darker than I expected it to be, and less humorous than the other Thomas historical novel I've read.
REVIEW:
(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
Well, I’ll give it to you straight: My Beautiful Enemy was totally not what I was expecting it to be! It’s a lot more serious than The Luckiest Lady in London (my first Thomas romance read!), with higher stakes and grave circumstances. This, however, doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it, because I totally did!
Characters: I absolutely loved Catherine Blade! She reminds me of some of my favorite historical fiction ladies (in particular, Christina from The Lion’s Lady) with her badass fighting skills. I really love that she has Asian blood (Seriously, this is SO. FREAKING. COOL.)! Christina is beautiful, but deadly; vulnerable, but sharp. While I wouldn’t want to be her, I admired her spirit. But here’s a quick confession for you: Leighton Atwood just didn’t appeal to me until a little later in the story. He’s got skills, and deeply cares for Catherine, but I just couldn’t fall for him the way I would have wanted to.
Romance: I actually liked the romance! It was balanced between love and hate, enmity and respect. The potent mixture of feelings that it inspired in me definitely kept me turning the pages all the way to the end. While I didn’t necessarily swoon all that much (a first for me!), I did want them to end up together. My one frustration is that all of the things that they went through could have been avoided if they had just talked it out, though I guess there would have been no story otherwise. (Remember folks, proper communication is important in any relationship!)
Plot: It doesn’t just focus on the romance, and that’s totally cool with me! Catherine, in particular, has a few other things to deal with, and they are things that just so happen to involve Leighton (or happen to be things he wants to involve himself in). I loved the sense of danger and action, and the mystery behind Catherine and Leighton’s history.
Even though My Beautiful Enemy was different, it was still quite readable! I loved the mix of espionage, mystery and intrigue, especially when combined with the romance. I’ve still got quite a few Thomas romances to read, but this one was pretty darn solid.