Our heroine Mei is summoned to the Emperor’s palace after her father’s untimely death. There she quickly discovers the social stratification among the emperor’s many concubines. She also learns the intricate politics among the women, though not as quickly as perhaps she should have to succeed in her overriding goal: attracting the Emperor’s attention quickly so that she could assist her mother. The most intriguing aspect of this book is the interpersonal dynamics between the … Continue reading The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel →
The category is Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, which I interpret as a meaty fictional story with a side of romance. This is the first book of a duology (Empress of the Bright Moon is the second volume) about Empress Wu, the first and only Empress of China who ruled in her own name. She is an exciting historical character and while the basics of her life are known, there is much room for … Continue reading The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel →
NB: Trigger warnings for the below description racism and threat of rape. Well, I picked this book to review because I was late to the sign-up sheet and it was the only book left. Which wasn’t maybe the best sign, but you never know with these things, and part of my idea with this challenge was to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. The Depth of Beauty is not the book … Continue reading The Depth of Beauty by A.B. Michaels →
Julianne MacLean’s The Color of a Promise begins with a promising first line: “It’s kind of embarrassing to come back from the dead and still not get it.” Having no idea about the story or its series, I was charmed by that first sentence. It was self-aware and suggested that our hero, Jack Peterson, was going to demonstrate personal growth and a sense of humor throughout the story, which is always compelling. Alas, while he … Continue reading The Color of a Promise by Julianne MacLean →
Lovers of Romantic Comedy movies would love this. For a broken, dead inside person like myself it was “eye roll city” and not my favorite but still a fun, quick read. This book’s setup was a doozy of a meet-cute. Hats off to Ms. Fenske. Meg, a caterer and unsuccessful cookbook writer, goes to the hospital to bury the hatchet with her philandering former fiance, Matt, who she had pulled a Runaway Bride on previously. … Continue reading Now That It’s You by Tawna Fenske →
The best adjective I have to describe this book is unmemorable. While I was reading it, I was enjoying it and found it difficult to put down; but now as I sit down to write a review, I am finding it difficult to remember what happened. In the acknowledgements at the end of the book, the author thanks her agent, “for selling this book before I even had a subject in mind, and then for … Continue reading Now That It’s You by Tawna Fenske →
I picked this book mostly because it had a pretty title, which is the e-book variant on judging a book by its cover, I suppose! I don’t read in the Mainstream / Women’s Fiction genre much, and I like to use the RITAs to broaden my horizons. Usually, this makes books a little easier to review, because I am slightly less immersed in the experience, and can be more usefully critical. The Color of Promise … Continue reading The Color of a Promise by Julianne MacLean →
