A review by cupiscent
The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney

4.0

I enjoyed this a great deal. Set in a highly mannered alterni-Portugal of the very early twentieth century, it has all sorts of wonderful elements: mermaids (well, sirens and selkies and even a rusalka who I liked the most) and dastardly plots that need foiling (like being trapped in the library with an unmarried gentleman!) and an absolutely smashing romance between the two leads, wherein they form a solid bond of mutual respect that's just dripping with UST, but impeded by constraints that are genuinely part of who they are.

There were times when there seemed to be rather too much inconsequential detail cluttering up the page, but in general, I enjoyed the ride a lot, and I'm looking forward to more.