katiemack's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
I loved the star-crossed / class-crossed lovers trope here--it helps that Yue-ying and Bai Huang are both funny, realistically flawed characters--and even though I could've done without 50-100 pages of some of the angst and murdery events, I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. (Gotta love Bai Huang's devotion and Yue-ying's insistence on calling him out on his crap.) The ending is way too neat, though, and Bai Huang didn't have to give up enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Sexual content
sydapel's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
3.75
Jeannie Lin has a knack for creating characters that really fit well together, and it's shown in Yue-ying and Lord Bai's story. I liked a lot of this, apart from the rather easy way this ended (considering how far apart their social classes are), and the mystery is really well interwoven. Yue-ying as a character learning to go after what she wants and not just follow, was also really well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Death, Murder, and Trafficking
chrisljm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
relaxing
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
3.75
The romance was more compelling than the murder mystery. It felt like the mystery was set aside sometimes for the romance (not that I’m complaining), but I think the book could’ve been more well rounded. I really enjoyed reading Bai Huang and Yue-ying come together despite their circumstances, and then seeing how they had to learn and work towards a more intimate relationship. Even though it was so satisfying seeing the slow burn and angst and the longing between the two, I also wish I could’ve gotten to see more. I feel like their relationship, along with other parts of the novel, could’ve left a bigger impact but there was just a lack of something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Body shaming, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Torture
massivepizzacrust's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
I was really excited for this because it's a romance novel set *not in period England* and it has a mystery at its core, which I always like. But I found the romance itself kinda forced and not enjoyable. The mystery itself was pretty good though there was a lot of miscommunication between characters who should have trusted each other, which prolonged the conflict more than I thought was necessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual assault
Spoiler
the main character has a history of being sold into prostitution, that part isn't graphic. What is graphic is the first sex scene with the love interest where she disassociates from the scene and just lets it happen. He doesn't really notice until after the fact. He feels terrible after and is more sensitive to her mood after that experience but it's distressing to read.
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