Gorgeous :)
Second book in the series - Pingkang Li Mysteries
Dear Author - Recommended Read
Welcome to the infamous Pingkang Li--home of the celebrated Lotus Palace courtesans, and a place of beauty and treachery...
Charming and seductive, Mingyu is the most sought-after hostess in the pleasure quarter. She has all men wrapped around her finger--except Constable Wu Kaifeng, the one man she can't resist, the only man to have placed her in chains.
Wu Kaifeng's outwardly intimidating demeanor hides a reluctant, fierce attraction to beautiful Mingyu. But the passionate temptation she presents threatens to destroy them both when a powerful official is murdered and they find themselves on a deadly trail. Amid the chaos, a forbidden affair could change Mingyu's fate forever, for following her heart is bound to have consequences...
Review:
Okay, first of all just look at this cover. I loved the cover for "The Lotus Palace" - first book in this series, but this, I think I love it even better, the model is gorgeous and the green blue color combinations is stunning if you ask me.
I do not know how Jeannie Lin does it - I mean, she definitely transports me to Ancient China in these books, I completely forgot that I did not belong to that time and place. Her writing is beautiful and fluid, I never ever felt that the book stumbled over anything if that makes sense.
And she does not stop with the setting - characters are so very real and romance is built up slowly, we truly watch Mingyu and Wu fall in love, trying to deny that they did and at the end just surrendering to their mutual love. They are both flawed characters - same as I noticed in the first book, her main characters were flawed but likeable, and their flaws made so much sense based on what kind of lives they lead. I mean, isn't it what is happening in life? Some part of your personality is given to you in your genes, but some is formed by your life experiences as well.
I also thought that mystery was more complicated and interesting in this book.
Highly highly recommended.