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A review by nic55
The Jade Temptress by Jeannie Lin
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
This was so excellent, it made me come back and write my first review in months.
I had a feeling this would work better for me than the first, and I was very right. First of all, I love a romance with actual stakes and this one had them. Both characters were in vulnerable positions with shit to lose and valid reasons not to trust the other.... and they had to consider external factors in a fairly nuanced way before choosing each other. Mingyu and Wu Kaifeng were guarded af due to their life circumstances, and I'm a sucker for seeing two guarded people let down their walls in romances. Particularly with Mingyu's relationship to being a courtesan and having to weigh the pros and cons between security in society and true freedom. They just really had to work through some shit, and that journey made the HEA so satisfying. The mystery in this one was much more compelling than the first, and I was engaged the whole way through. The writing was just as beautiful too, I love how real Jeannie Lin makes this setting feel.
Since starting school, my reading has taken a huge hit, especially within romance. Ya girl has been struggling🥲 So reading a romance that really captured me like this was MUCH needed and makes me excited to take advantage of my summer. I'm glad this Jeannie Lin worked so well for me, definitely has the potential to join my list of go-to historical authors.
I had a feeling this would work better for me than the first, and I was very right. First of all, I love a romance with actual stakes and this one had them. Both characters were in vulnerable positions with shit to lose and valid reasons not to trust the other.... and they had to consider external factors in a fairly nuanced way before choosing each other. Mingyu and Wu Kaifeng were guarded af due to their life circumstances, and I'm a sucker for seeing two guarded people let down their walls in romances. Particularly with Mingyu's relationship to being a courtesan and having to weigh the pros and cons between security in society and true freedom. They just really had to work through some shit, and that journey made the HEA so satisfying. The mystery in this one was much more compelling than the first, and I was engaged the whole way through. The writing was just as beautiful too, I love how real Jeannie Lin makes this setting feel.
Since starting school, my reading has taken a huge hit, especially within romance. Ya girl has been struggling🥲 So reading a romance that really captured me like this was MUCH needed and makes me excited to take advantage of my summer. I'm glad this Jeannie Lin worked so well for me, definitely has the potential to join my list of go-to historical authors.