Jasmyn's Reviews

This was my first historical romance in Chinese culture. I'd read some fantasy based on old myths, but never anything set in "real life." The culture of the pleasure houses is very vibrant. If the woman is considered a great beauty, she can live a life of ease - hosting grand parties and holding discussions with intellectuals and poets. If the woman is flawed she becomes nothing more than a piece of flesh to buy and sell. Mingyu is a great beauty, but her maidservant Yue-ying is flawed. They are both shocked with the oldest son of a wealthy family, Bai Huang, begins to show an interest in Yue-ying. (I did have a problem with the names at first just because they were very unfamiliar.) 

During this time there are two horrible murders in the city, one of which is another courtesan, and Huang finds himself drawn into the investigation for a wide variety of reasons, dragging Yue-ying along with him. This part of the story didn't flow as smoothly as the rest of the story for me. It dragged quite often and slowed down the progress of the book overall. I wish there had been either much more or less about it instead of it hovering uncertainly in the background for much of it. It seemed to just be the excuse to get the two characters to have a conversation instead of a major driving force (which I think it was meant to be). 

There is a HEA, but it seemed to be a little forced - but I won't be saying much more on that. The romance was well written and I love how much of the culture was brought into the story. From the clothing and hair accessories, to the family formalities it really brought the story to life. 

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*