My Beautiful Enemy (Heart of Blade Book 2)

My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas follows closely on the heels of The Hidden Blade. I would say this once again, this time having finished the 2nd book that signals the end of this duology; you have to read The Hidden Blade first in order to really get into the characters Leighton Atwood and Bai Ying-Hua (Catherine Blade), whose tragic and moving pasts entwine both of them in a way that’d not be felt if you just end up reading My Beautiful Enemy as a standalone.My Beautiful Enemy tells the story of Catherine Blade aka Bai Ying-hua, who is tracking the three jade tablets for the treasure it might unearth based on the legend of the monks that had been a part of Catherine’s life when she had been growing up. She seeks the tablets on behalf of her stepfather Da-ren, the closest thing she has left as family, to win his approval and perhaps be considered worthy of all that he had done for her.Catherine is well versed in the art of fighting, she is like a lethal blade honed to perfection. But her life had not come without making a formidable enemy in its wake. The man who searches for her seeks vengeance of the kind that needs Catherine to be in her best form, something she has been hard pressed to achieve ever since the last encounter between them. Her journey takes her to London, the stories of a city that teems with life according to her childhood friend that fails to live up to her expectations. And then it happens; she crosses paths with that of her lover, the lover that she had poisoned trying to kill him, the man she’d searched for in vain after, the man who still has the ability to bring her to her knees, the only man she has ever loved.Leighton hasn’t forgotten the young woman who had slayed his heart in the Chinese Turkestan 8 years back. His love for her had been swift, but it had been a relationship based on half-truths at best, which hadn’t served well for either of them when the time had come. Seeing a different version of the woman he has tried to forget all these years throws him for a loop, and Leighton is hard pressed to act normally and not let his fiance think anything untoward about his aloofness around Catherine.Old habits die hard and before Leighton knows it, he is swept into his old role of taking care of Catherine, looking after her well being because Leighton would rather die himself than see any harm come to Catherine. My Beautiful Enemy consists of a lot of flashbacks into the entwined pasts of Leighton and Catherine, how they meet and how the beautiful man that Leighton is wins the prickly Catherine over with his gentleness, charm and the fact that when it comes to Catherine, his heart had never stood a chance.For the most part, Catherine comes across as someone who is straightforward and assumes a no nonsense lifestyle. Though well versed in the etiquettes of what is deemed as proper behavior for a lady, beneath the facade that she presents to the rest of the world lies a heart filled with loneliness, an aching soul that yearns for nothing else but love. Her past had taught her to be wary, but when it comes to Leighton there is little fight left in her when she had already succumbed to his touch years ago. I didn’t like the flashbacks all so much. I felt that one reason why I failed to connect to both Leighton and Catherine as the story progressed was because all that had indeed connected them happens through flashbacks in the story.My Beautiful Enemy is certainly different from the books that I have read from Sherry Thomas to-date. This tale doesn’t focus mainly on the element of romance between Catherine and Leighton. Rather I would say this duology focuses on the fated connection between Catherine and Leighton that spanned continents all those years back, the near miss of a meeting that should have happened between them and how years later, finally, Catherine and Leighton find their way towards each other.I felt a trifle bit disappointed with the steam factor of My Beautiful Enemy, perhaps the reason why I felt that Catherine and Leighton’s connection didn’t touch me in the way it really should have. Especially, after having read the scrumptious scenes of passion that Ms. Thomas can weave in her romances; The Luckiest Lady in London will attest to this fact, needless to say I felt My Beautiful Enemy was a bit of a letdown in that sense. Point; I just didn’t fall as hard and fast in love with either Leighton or Catherine as I should have.Entertainment wise, My Beautiful Enemy hits the spots. Emotional wise, thought I felt a bit disconnected from Catherine and Leighton, I was still swept away by the sheer magic that is Sherry Thomas’ writing.And oh yes, this bit in the novel that describes my country, the Maldives, blew me away! “There is a chain of tropical coral islands not far from the southern tip of India. And all around them the water is the exact color of the sky, and so clear you can see the fish swim. I want to take you there.”I’d say Sherry Thomas has done a perfect job in describing a country renown for its beauty.Recommended for those who love historical fiction and romance. Sherry Thomas is an author you ought not miss in this genre.Rating = 3.75/5For more reviews & quotes, visit www(dot)maldivianbookreviewer(dot)com.

Absolutely Amazing Story - Sequel to  The Hidden Blade: A Prequel to My Beautiful Enemy (Heart of Blade Book 1)  - with the storyline of "My Beautiful Enemy" set in 1880's-1890's. I pre-ordered this book and read it in one sitting with barely a trip to take care of the necessities of life. Sherry Thomas writes an amazing story about two people - Captain Leighton Atwood and Catherine Blade (Ying-ying) who encounter one another in England after having met and fallen in love eight years earlier in far off Chinese Turkestan. Leighton was a spy on assignment for the English government and Catherine was a highly skilled operative working for her stepfather who served as a governor in a remote area of China.Theirs is first and foremost a love story, however - it is also a story about two people who initially have very little in common except for the rough country they find themselves in, their fascination for one another and what one might call their destiny. Separation happens, and by the time they encounter one another in England, Leighton is set to marry a lovely English girl and Ying-ying has been sent by her stepfather to find some treasures that were taken out of China. For her part, she had reason to believe Leighton was long dead, after deserting her eight years previously.Leighton's and Ying-ying's story is revealed in flashbacks going back and forth from the present to the past. The reader is engaged in their story to the point, one feels the grief, heartache but also the warmth in the hearts of two people whose stories are shared against the harsh, yet beautiful land that brought them together. Sherry Thomas does a fabulous job in bringing an understanding to the reader of how Leighton's and Ying-Ying's lives were torn asunder, the misunderstandings that took place between the two of them and the long-held regret that both have carried in their hearts for their mistreatment of one another.I am still reeling from this story. Rarely does one have such an honorable "Main Guy" presented in this genre. In my opinion, "My Beautiful Enemy" is comparable to another of Ms. Thomas' works - "Not Quite A Husband" relative to the story of love, misunderstanding, years apart and love eventually overcoming loss, sadness and misunderstanding. What to say, except that few authors in this this genre have the ability to craft a story in the manner in which Sherry Thomas brings it. She is truly gifted.

Really enjoyed this book. Was completely different from your standard regency romance - felt the author really did her research regarding Chinese Turkestan and really loved this side of the story - it gave the book a fascinating, almost magical, Arabian Nights flavour. My only small criticism was that, when Catherine and Leighton met again, their reunion seemed a bit too easy, especially when Miss Chase was so easily made into a villain and dismissed. Would have preferred more tension and emotion to this love triangle. However, I would still recommend this book. Sherry has now secured her position among my favourite authors.

An extremely well written book. Sherry Thomas is getting to another level. I have read all her books and this book shows her doing something different than what she used to do before. The author being ethnic Chinese, the descriptions and the prespective from that viewpoint was very authentic. I have learnt Chinese and many times in the book, it struck me what she was saying in Chinese and the exact phrases or idioms she was saying. The book is really striking and beautiful to read. I would highly recommend this to any romance readers. It is something different from the masses of books out there.

Such a splendid, beautifully written resolution of the story of Ying Ying and Leighton. I loved the depiction of China and the development of their relationship there. I was completely engaged by Catherine's/Ying Ying's gradual defrosting in England and how she and Leighton eventually resolved their differences and came together again. So good I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it all over again. Would definitely suggest reading The Hidden Blade and then this one immediately afterwards - but you'll get nothing done until you're finished so beware!

Couldn’t put it down. Really compelling read. Unusual story and characters but really well written. You feel the connection and the fact that they are soulmates. Only shame is that there isn’t an epilogue.

I'm a huge huge fan of Thomas' work and this just takes her work to another level. Action packed, sensual, writing to die for and so emotional I had tears in my eyes by the end. And hey it takes a lot for me to start blubbing. Wish all HR could be this innovative. I'm going to leave it for a couple of weeks and then take my time reading it all over again. Can't wait for her next spectacular novel.