Monday 21 January 2019

My Fair Concubine - Book Review


My Fair Concubine (Tang Dynasty #3)
by Jeannie Lin


What is it about:
The Nobleman Who Turned a Tea Girl Into a Princess...

Yan Ling tries hard to be servile—it's what's expected of a girl of her class. Being intelligent and strong-minded, she finds it a constant battle.

Proud Fei Long is unimpressed by her spirit—until he realizes she's the answer to his problems. He has to deliver the emperor a "princess." In two months can he train a tea girl to pass as a noblewoman?

Yet it's hard to teach good etiquette when all Fei Long wants to do is break it, by taking this tea girl for his own...


What did I think of it:
I love the original play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, and even the My Fair Lady musical version where they give it a happy end (It must be the songs that put me in a forgiving mood). So I couldn't resist giving this historical romance re-imagining a try. Voodoo Bride was happy to have a reading buddy for once.

And this is a fun romance. Fei Long is as stubborn as Higgins, but doesn't have his stick as far up his ass as Higgins has,luckily enough for Yan Ling. His sister was promised to a foreign chieftain as a bride, but she runs off. When Fei Long meets Yan Ling he comes up with a plan: train Yan Ling and let her take his sister's place as bride.

I loved Yan Ling from the start. She is down on her luck and goes along with Fei Long's crazy plan out of desperation. She tries her best to be the well controlled and graceful creature Fei Long is trying to turn her into, but her passionate nature keeps intruding.

I loved reading about this time period in China, and I loved the characters and the slow burn romance between Yan Ling and Fei Long. Although Pygmalion is the inspiration for this story Lin manages to make this a unique and enjoyable romance that is fun and satisfying.

All in all a very enjoyable read and I will read more by Lin if I can find the books, as several of the print versions are out of print.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun re-imagining of Pygmalion


buy from Amazon

No comments: