Reviews

The Jade Temptress by Jeannie Lin

paio's review against another edition

fast-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

3.5

arkham's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

spicedragon's review against another edition

5.0

5/5

Very few romances I've read I've genuinely enjoyed, and this one had it's claws in my from start to finish. I've been quick to realize my issue with your run of the mill romance novels is that... I don't really enjoy when the plot itself is just two people falling in love... On that note let me just say, Lin DELIVERED!!!!! The plot has us following our main characters Mingyu and Kaifeng as they get embroiled in the murder case of a high profile warlord/general... as they try to piece together clues they end up catching feelings and it is was just *chef's kiss*.

This is technically the second book in a series that Lin has written, but I had no trouble following the story or the different characters (think I'll go back and read the first book as well). Lin knows how to write tension between her characters, the seduction... the romance... Mingyu is a famous courtesan and Kaifeng an apparent lowly constable and they're not strangers to one another.

Spoiler

In fact, Mingyu was a murder suspect from the first book, and Kaifeng her interrogator... which was a very interesting set up indeed

You don't really have a third act breakup in the bland fashion that many novels tend to do, in the context of the world and story that Lin has written it makes sense and it's expected actually... in fact Lin's writing is so good that in 390 something pages of the ebook she is able to write both Kaifeng and Mingyu as multifaceted characters with complex relations with those around them (Kaifeng with Magistrate Li, Mingyu with her "Mother").. more importantly these two are still my brain even after finishing the book like !!! Mingyu/Kaifeng my beloveds etc etc

Spoiler

But also obvi since this is a het romance it falls into the writing conventions of "oh he's so masculine, and oh she's so feminine" but it's still better than that reylo author who's obsessed with giant men and minuscule women

nelsonseye's review against another edition

4.0

The Jade Temptress was really good. I liked Wu and Mingyu (Wu did redeem himself from the last book), and the mystery and suspense kept me reading when I should have doing other things. I'm glad to see that Bai's sister Wei Wei has a story [b:The Liar's Dice: A Lotus Palace Mystery|34813319|The Liar's Dice A Lotus Palace Mystery (The Lotus Palace Mysteries)|Jeannie Lin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491508275s/34813319.jpg|56030323]. I've added it to my "to read" shelf.

agentbird'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? No

3.75

jaydee4219's review against another edition

5.0

I love this book. I do not like enemies to lovers but this book was fantastic. I truly have nothing bad to say about this book. I loved both MCs so much I loved them together and individually. The book is well written, I loved the plot. I didn't think I was going to enjoy this as much as the first book but it surpassed the first one for me easily.

willa's review against another edition

5.0

a slow burn, a good mystery, and an astoundingly compelling central couple.

nbeckham's review against another edition

adventurous challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Such an interesting romance! The characters really had to grow in order to be together, particular Mingyu. I found myself rooting for them at the end but it took a while. I was really rooting for Mingyu to find herself and her bravery.  Super enjoyed the setting and time period, it was so interesting and refreshing compared to the 85 million British romances out there. 

wildwolverine's review against another edition

5.0

This book was amazing! I was a bit nervous because the first novel in this series, The Lotus Palace, was a little hard to follow. I thought Jeannie Lin did a fantastic job balancing the different elements of history, romance, and mystery with great pacing throughout. This made both the story and the characters multi-faceted and captivating. Even though I've read almost all of Lin's stories and thought I knew all her tricks, I still got sucked into the story and fell into the traps she set for readers. Overall, very engaging and highly recommend!

jordan_1_1's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0