Aug 19 2010
Welcome Change of Pace
From Reader Sonoma Lass:
I loved this book! It’s wonderful to have a historical romance set in China. The setting is rich and the story and characters are imbued with its essence of honor, loyalty and tradition. Family is important, and so is love, and reconciling the conflict between those seems almost impossible at times. I was almost in tears by the end.
I especially appreciate the strong women in this book. Not just the heroine, although certainly a sword-wielding heroine is wonderful, but the strength of the other women, too. I’m usually not keen on the idea of sacrifice in romance, but in this book it is often the willingness to sacrifice that shows love and strength of character.
This is an action and adventure romance, set in a time and place where men (and some women) must literally fight for what they want and for what they believe to be right. The romance is central to the plot, with two characters who love, learn, and become their best selves for each other. It’s all the best things about historical romance, and I hope we’ll see more romance from Jeannie Lin set in China.
(Cross-posted from Goodreads.)
You can request a digital arc of this book for review at NetGalley. Suggestions for places to review include Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari, here (I set up a special page and will publish any user submitted review, regardless of whether it is positive or negative) or anywhere else readers can be found.
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Aug 19, 2010 @ 11:12:08
I am looking forward to reading the book – it has received great reviews plus it is a success story for Jeannie Lin as a Golden Hear winner.
Per her website, Jeannie wrote the manuscript while teaching high school – three cheers to our teachers!
Aug 19, 2010 @ 12:01:00
Can’t wait to read this one. Thanks for the review.
Aug 19, 2010 @ 13:55:48
@Kim in Hawaii: wow. I was going to buy it anyway after reading the excerpt that was linked from here some time ago, but she’s a teacher??? I just manage to prepare and review for my classes, but to also write books! Sherwood Smith was a teacher, too. Amazing ladies
Aug 19, 2010 @ 18:52:58
Kim, I should have mentioned that in the review. I wish any of my high school teachers had been cool enough to write this book.
Aug 19, 2010 @ 20:38:07
@SonomaLass: Your review motivated me to check out Jeannie’s website, where I read about her double life – a dedicated high school teacher by day, an adventerous romance writer by night!
I hope to score an interview with Jeannie for my blog (www.sosaloha.blogspot) when we celebrate International Wrold Teacher Day on October 5 – just in time for the Butterfly Swords release! Many military spouses are teachers (a portable job for military assignments) so I know they will appreciate Jeannie’s extra effort and glorious achievement!
Aug 19, 2010 @ 20:40:04
Oops! I clearly need an editor to correct my spelling – that’s International World Teacher Day.
Aug 20, 2010 @ 23:29:47
Kim, that sounds great. (Although I kind of like “Wrold Teacher Day” — there are days when I could be described as “Wrold”!)
What I Read in August « Sonomalass's Blog
Sep 02, 2010 @ 18:10:50
[...] so I jumped at the chance to get an e-ARC from NetGalley. My Goodreads response is cross-posted over at Dear Author. This book is available now as an e-book, and the print version will be released in October. [...]
Jeannie Lin | Award-winning historical romance author
Sep 03, 2010 @ 13:06:12
[...] Sonoma Lass (x-posted on Dear Author) A Grade Review by SonomaLass [...]