Thursday, August 14, 2014

Review: My Beautiful Enemy

MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY
The Heart of Blade Duology #2
Sherry Thomas
Adult Historical Romance
304 pages
Berkley
Available now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Hidden beneath Catherine Blade’s uncommon beauty is a daring that matches any man’s. Although this has taken her far in the world, she still doesn’t have the one thing she craves: the freedom to live life as she chooses. Finally given the chance to earn her independence, who should be standing in her way but the only man she’s ever loved, the only person to ever betray her.

Despite the scars Catherine left him, Captain Leighton Atwood has never been able to forget the mysterious girl who once so thoroughly captivated him. When she unexpectedly reappears in his life, he refuses to get close to her. But he cannot deny the yearning she reignites in his heart.

Their reunion, however, plunges them into a web of espionage, treachery, and deadly foes. With everything at stake, Leighton and Catherine are forced to work together to find a way out. If they are ever to find safety and happiness, they must first forgive and learn to trust each other again…


MY THOUGHTS
My Beautiful Enemy is a second chance romance; a story that alternates between the couple's original courtship and the distance that exists between them at present as they're forced to both emotionally and physically battle their shared past. While Ms. Thomas is a gifted storyteller with the ability to write deeply layered characters, the past vs. present setup of this novel works to the detriment of the overall romance, so much time spent reliving the past with Catherine and Leighton that we don't get the opportunity to really embrace the people they've become since then. It's certainly vital to their story to understand what happened to both all those years ago, but we can't help but wish the story wasn't split quite as equally between the two moments in time and instead focused more on rebuilding what a miscommunication brutally tore down.

Part of the reason the split format of this novel is a touch frustrating is due to the fact that every intimate moment between them, aside from a few fade to black love scenes toward the end, happens in flashback. We're left then with scenes that should be full of romance and tenderness, but casting a shadow over what's taking place on page is the knowledge that at present, while we're reliving that time with them, Leighton is engaged to someone else and Catherine is haunted by his abandonment and the many losses she suffered as a result. Every time we're sucked back in time, the itch to return to the present and watch the hand of fate work is nearly overwhelming, and we find ourselves rushing through the Chinese Turkestan chapters to get back to present-day (relatively) London.

Despite the emotional distance our repeated jaunts through Catherine and Leighton's painful past causes, both Catherine and Leighton are still a couple with whom it's easy to spend a few hours. Catherine is a bit of a badass, her extensive martial arts training allowing her to throw a blade with ease, move undetected when she wishes it, and hold her own against men twice her size, and it's only too easy to smile at how much enjoyment Leighton gets out of the fact that she could either best him physically or rob him blind before he knew it. Their banter and lightheartedness in the flashbacks are a painful contrast to the coolness and insecurity plaguing their every interaction in the present, drawing us into their story even if we do find ourselves favoring one timeline over the other.

Overall, My Beautiful Enemy features an extraordinarily strong heroine and a perfectly charming hero, but the complexity of the historical aspect of the story (including hard to remember location names) combined with the lack of a true spark romantically in the present-day keeps this tale from making its way on to the shelf of favorites.

Rating: 3/5
 

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36 comments:

  1. I an pretty sure I have read something by her, but what...not this one of course but some older one

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    1. I'm sure you have - she's written a number of historical romances and a couple YA fantasy novels as well. I'm a big fan of hers even if this one wasn't as successful for me:)

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  2. It sounds there wasn't quite enough time and detail spent in the present to really make this a stand out read although it doesn't sound completely bad either.
    Wonderful review Jenny!

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    1. I definitely could have done with a prologue that briefly outlined their past rather than having the story alternate chapters between past and present. I just wanted to know more about who they were now rather than then.

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  3. This one actually sounds quite good but it's disappointing to know that the past overwhelmed much of the present romance. Still, I'm happy to know that the characters are well-rounded and I think it's promising that I felt a twinge of sadness about the great difference in their past and present relationship since they did seem like a nice couple. Lovely review, Jenny! :)

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    1. I really enjoyed both characters Sarah, but I couldn't help but want to skip some of the past chapters and get back to the present:)

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  4. Ha! I can see getting enjoyment out of writing a character -- especially a female during this particular time period -- who can not only best her man but rob him blind while doing it. Too bad they spend too much time in flashback mode. Forward, people. Move forward!

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    1. YES! She had serious skills:) It was interesting - I finished this book and then immediately picked up book 2 in her YA fantasy series and it was split the same way between past and present as well. Except in the YA case, it was only about 7 weeks between past and present. Frustrating in both cases to be sure.

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  5. I haven't heard of this one, but I totally understand that sometimes pasts takes over the story that you lose the present. While it's really interesting to see the past, present is something I wish to see as well. Sorry that it was an issue here. But still glad you enjoyed it overall. Great review, Jenny :)

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    1. Exactly. We definitely needed to understand what happened in the past, but I feel like that could have been done in just a couple flashbacks rather than every other chapter.

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  6. I have a love-hate relationship with flashbacks and with this story, I get the feeling I'd be pretty annoyed with the flashbacks too. So, I think I'll pass on this one. Great review though, Jenny!

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    1. It was a bit of a disappointment for me Z because I so love her books, but I did enjoy both hero and heroine:)

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  7. I've been meaning to pick a historical romance by Sherry Thomas because I love The Burning Sky and The Perilous Sea, and this one had caught my eye because of the second-chance romance. While I like getting to know the cause of tension that broke apart a couple in the first place in second-chance romances, I don't like books dwelling on them, especially not on the intimate scenes. I'd be filled with dread and there's no way I would appreciate them as much. It looks like it could have received a stronger rating from you had it not focused so much on the past. I'm glad that you still enjoyed parts of the book. :)
    Lovely review as always, Jenny!

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    1. Pick up The Luckiest Lady in London Nick! I really enjoyed that one:) And I'm the same way - I couldn't appreciate their time in the past because I knew things were so rocky for them in the present. It just took away from the romance of it all for me.

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  8. I was all excited because I saw "Adult historical romance" and I did a little mental jig (mental, because it's early and I'm not moving). But... like you, I'm not a fan of the romances where the *fun* part of the romance is played out in flashbacks.

    Have you read any other books by Sherry Thomas? I don't believe I have...

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    1. Right?! I would have preferred the "fun" parts be fade to black in the flashbacks and the more detailed scenes take place in the present where I could better appreciate what it took to get them to that point:)

      And yes, I've read both her YA books and one other of her historical romances - The Luckiest Lady in London. Very much enjoyed that one:)

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  9. It's rare to have a complex aspect like that but when you're a little lost it's not a good thing. But well in a whole it sounds nice.

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    1. The politics and the setting of the Chinese Turkestan chapters were a bit complex for me which only made me want to return to London even more. Still, the characters were fabulous:)

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  10. I know I keep saying that characters are first and foremost the important ones in a story, beyond world-building and stuff like that, but I can't help but feel a bit disappointed when I saw you mention how the past and present factor of the story was underwhelming. I would feel pretty damn frustrated, too, if I were in your shoes. I mean, okay, awesome characters, but it would suck if other factors drag them down (sometimes that happens to me).

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. Yes. Even the strength of the characters couldn't override my desire for this book to have been told mostly in the present with just a few quick flashbacks to give us the history of their relationship.

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  11. I don't think I would like those back and forth moments at all. I have read books that do that and really take you out of the story each time. Sounds like you still enjoyed it pretty well though.

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    1. Exactly. I understand why it was setup the way it was, it just wasn't a format that really worked for me. I kept wanting to skim the past chapters:)

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  12. Oh no... I am not a big fan of flashbacks and more often than not they just don't work. I think I will pass on this one.

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    1. Read The Luckiest Lady in London Heidi! I loved that one:)

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  13. The storyline reminds me of Jane Austen's book Persuasion. Lost love revisited.

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    1. It is definitely a lost love revisited kind of story:)

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  14. It's a shame the style of storytelling detracted from the story, and I think I would feel the same way, Jenny. I want more happy time with my couple. A few flashbacks would be good just to give some background and explain the depth of feelings but there is a point where it's overkill. Excellent review! :)

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    1. YES. Exactly my feeling. I couldn't get all giddy about their relationship in their happy moments because I knew at present they weren't happy at all.

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  15. I haven't read a HR is quite awhile. I've wanted to lately, but just haven't done it,. I don't think I'll start with this one though when I do.

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  16. I don't know about this one...I'm not very of a fan on second chances themed romances...but only because those end up being very emotional and I tend on going more for happy books than emotional ones haha...Also, I realized that you always read book with pretty covers. :P
    Great review!

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  17. MY BEAUTIFUL ENEMY caught my eye awhile back since I've been craving more adult HR. Although this second book with its flashbacks seemed to hinder the romance a touch (darn!), Wow, the two characters, Catherine with her martial arts training and Leighton as perfectly charming hero, sound wonderful to me :)

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  18. I've experienced a similar issue with Thomas's Not Quite a Husband. With the past and present juxtaposed there was an aura of bitterness tainting even the romance and while the flashbacks in that one aren't as drawn out as they seem to be here, I didn't enjoy the experience. I'm glad to see you still enjoyed this novel, Jenny, but I think I'll be skipping it for now. Fantastic review, as always!

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  19. I do love second chance romances, but it sounds like this one spent too much time in the past for me to fully love it. I need to know the second chance is going to work out and that the characters have grown and are worthy of it or else what's the point? Glad you enjoyed it enough for 3 stars, and I appreciate your thoughtful review!

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  20. Well, given that I am not a big fan of romance books and since you only gave this one 3 stars... I will be skipping this one!
    Thanks for your awesome review, Jenny!

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  21. I struggle with books that have story lines heavily focused on the past. I'm a move it forward kind of girl, and will be passing on this one. But I'm glad it does have some good moments overall, and was a good way to pass an afternoon. Thanks for the honest review.

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  22. I don't mind have history in the books. It helps me understand the characters better.

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