Skip to main content

Lady of the Bridge by Laura Kitchell: A Book Review

Lady of the Bridge
Author: Laura Kitchell
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Laura Kitchell
Release Date: 2015
Pages: 245
Source: This book was given to me by Read for Review in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Forbidden love between a warrior princess and an elite samurai makes for an adventure set during the early days of the Tokugawa shogunate. Join this couple in a race across 17th century Japan where political unrest has created dangerous ronin, civil uprisings, and war-ravaged castles. Caught in the middle of the struggle between Shogun's rise to rule and the old regime, this warrior princess is forced to battle for her life. 

     In the end, she must choose between family honor and her heart's desire. 

     My Review: Princess Saiko  has lived a sheltered and privileged life. Her father dotes on her and allows her to study martial arts. When the time comes for her to be the imperial consort to the emperor of Japan in Kyoto, the princess is saddened that she has to leave behind the life she had always known. A few days before she leaves, she decides to take a walk in the garden. When she arrives at her favorite bridge, she meets a handsome samurai. The two immediately fall in love. However, she knows that they are already doomed. Yet, no matter how hard she tries to resist, she cannot deny the love they have for each other. Can the two of them find a way to be together or are they fated to be apart forever?

     Princess Saiko is a fun character. She is very intelligent and has a passion for art, books, and poetry. She is also very feisty and can fight. She is very loyal and is willing to do her duty as a princess. Still, she can sometimes be a very frustrating character. She is very reckless. I also did not like her actions. I think that the story would have flowed better had she been more open and straightforward. There were moments that I thought that she was weak. I thought that the romance between Saiko and Takamori felt a bit forced and would have liked more time to develop naturally. I also thought that Takamori needed more character development, for he seemed to be one-dimensional throughout the story.

     Overall, this story is about finding one’s happiness. I thought the story was a bit repetitive at times. It was also very slow-moving and drawn-out. I did however, love the setting of medieval Japan. I thought the author had done her homework on Japanese history. I also thought the book to be very well-written. While I did not like Lady of the Bridge as well as her other novel, Lady of the Imperial City, I did find it to be touching and romantic. I really loved the ending. I recommend this story for those interested in star-crossed love stories and Asian romances.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across The AncientWorld by Adrienne Mayor: A Book Review

The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across The Ancient World Author:  Adrienne Mayor Genre: Nonfiction, History Publisher: Princeton University Press Release Date: 2014 Pages: 530 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Amazons—fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world—were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general Pompey tangled with Amazons.      But just who were these bold barbarian archers on horseback who gloried in fighting, hunting, and sexual freedom? Were Amazons real? In this deeply researched, wide-ranging, and lavishly illustrated book, National Book Award finalist Adrienne Mayor presents the Amazons as they have never been seen before. This is the first comprehensive account of warrio...

A Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. Watson: A Book Review

A Right Worthy Woman Author: Ruth P. Watson Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Atria Books Release Date: 2023 Pages: 303 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In the vein of The Personal Librarian and The House of Eve , a “remarkable and stirring novel” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author) based on the inspiring true story of Virginia’s Black Wall Street and the indomitable Maggie Lena Walker, the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman who became the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States.       Maggie Lena Walker was ambitious and unafraid. Her childhood in 19th-century Virginia helping her mother with her laundry service opened her eyes to the overwhelming discrepancy between the Black residents and her mother’s affluent white clients. She vowed to not only secure the same kind of home and finery for herself, but she would also help others in her community achi...

Queen of Exiles by Vanessa Riley: A Book Review

Queen of Exiles Author: Vanessa Riley Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Release Date: 2023 Pages: 447 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Acclaimed historical novelist Vanessa Riley is back with another novel based on the life of an extraordinary Black woman from history: Haiti’s Queen Marie-Louise Christophe, who escaped a coup in Haiti to set up her own royal court in Italy during the Regency era, where she became a popular member of royal European society.       The Queen of Exiles is Marie-Louise Christophe, wife and then widow of Henry I, who ruled over the newly liberated Kingdom of Hayti in the wake of the brutal Haitian Revolution.      In 1810 Louise is crowned queen as her husband begins his reign over the first and only free Black nation in the Western Hemisphere. But despite their newfound freedom, Haitians still struggle under mountains of debt to France and indiffe...