The Taming of Mei Lin
Author: Jeannie Lin
Publisher: Harlequin Historical Undone
Pub. Date: September 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1426852923
Retail: $2.69
Length: Novella
Faced with a proposal from a man she despises, impetuous Mei Lin makes a daring declaration: she will only marry the man who can defeat her in a sword fight. She has bested everyone who has so far tried to teach her a lesson…until a handsome stranger comes to her village. In captivating swordsman Shen Leung , Mei Lin finally sees a man she wants to marry. A man she’s willing to surrender to in every way….
~*~*~
A passion-packed short story left me desperate for more.
In a genre that can sometimes feel quite limited in scope, it’s unfortunate – but probably natural – that a lot of the reviews Jeannie Lin will get will focus on the setting instead of the writing. But after reading The Taming of Mei Lin, a very short story released by Harlequin Historical Undone on 1 September, I found myself eager to read more because Jeannie Lin’s beautiful writing style drew me so deeply in to this fascinating time period.
The Taming of Mei Lin is set in China in 710 A.D. Around 35-pages long, it’s the prequel to her novel Butterfly Swords, which will be released in October by Harlequin Historical.
The heroine, Mei Lin, is being harassed by a local official because she spurned his offer of marriage, declaring that she’d only marry a man who beat her in a sword fight. When gorgeous Shen Leung – a legendary wandering swordsman – arrives in her village and tests her skill, she realizes he’s her one chance to escape her lonely life. More than that, though, she’s drawn to him in a way she’s never been to anyone.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from such a short story, but Jeannie Lin packs a lot in. The language is sensuous, the tension almost unbearable, and the plot twisty as a snake. This is one of my favorite passages, soon after Mei Lin arrives at Shen Leung’s room to kill him for (accidentally) publicly humiliating her.
They were still lying among the wreckage of the sleeping cot with the quilt tangled between them. She went still and soft beneath him. He could feel her heart beating against his chest. The last dregs of wine still swam in his blood and he sank his head down over her shoulder. The day had brought a long journey, an unexpected duel, several rounds of drinking and then finally this wild tussle with a beautiful she-demon. The scent of her hair assailed him. Orange blossoms mixed with something mysterious and feminine.
“You smell nice,” he said dully.
She said nothing. All he did was turn his face the slightest bit and his cheek brushed inadvertently against hers. Smooth, cool skin.
He inhaled. “You wore perfume to come and kill me?”
I love how familiar the imagery seems at first – a cot, a quilt, a tipsy hero, a duel – then the smell of orange blossoms reminds me these characters live in a time and place I’ve never explored in fiction before. It makes me stop and reconsider what that room looks like, that quilt and that cot. The hero had been drinking rice wine, not a tankard of ale, and the duel had been fought with Chinese swords, not pistols.
This story’s a beautiful reminder of love’s universality – that you didn’t have to live in Regency England to fear rejection, fight for the person you love, or triumph when you learned your passion was returned. But more than that, it’s a well-written, engrossing story.
As a woman who loves both beautiful writing and unusual settings, I’m thrilled Jeannie Lin’s work is being published. Now I just have to figure out how to get my hands on Butterfly Swords, since Harlequin doesn’t deliver to the UK and I hate reading on my computer.
*Update: Butterfly Swords will be sold by Book Depository in the UK. Huzzah!
Rating: 9 (Excellent)
Heat-Level: 3 (Sensual)
[starrater tpl=10 style=’christmas’]
Thanks, Katrina, for highlighting this novella, never knew it was out there. I am looking forward to reading ‘Butterfly Swords’ too. Don’t know how Ancient China will go over with romance readers, they do love their Regency English settings but then again, I never thought vamps, werewolves, shifters, etc. would get so popular either. =)
I absolutely concur! I bought this the day it came out and have read it twice already, just to dwell on its awesomeness. Terrific short story and though it’s self-contained, it makes me want to read her debut HH, BUTTERFLY SWORDS, which comes out in October.
Okay, I just purchased it and it’s on my Sony eReader. 😀
wow..this book got very good rating now i got try it out.
Okay, read it and loved it. Now dying to read my copy of Butterfly Swords. 😀
Having grown up on Ancient Chinese kungfu movies as a child with all it’s unrequited loved, constrained emotions and noble obligations, I’m looking forward to reading this. It’s not easy to convey the sentiment and the emotional constrains of the times and I’m interested to see how she handles them. Also interested to see how historically accurate this and the book will be. Thanks for highlighting this.
Harlequin is a good place to find authors that also write in longer formats. Their Super Romances are a longer format and allow more character and plot development.
Oooooo, a sword fight! This book sounds good and you gave it a great review. I’ll have to check this book out. 🙂
Now I want to read it. Thanks for the review. I love the cover.
This was an excellent review!!! You sold me. I’m rushing off to get this book.