The Concubine

by Jade Lee

Requirements for being a royal consort:
1) Exemplify purity.
2) Pass all demanding tests.
3) Gracefully withstand petty backstabbing.
4) Be chaste. Very chaste.

Check to all! Chen Ji Yue is on her way to empress superstardom in nineteenth-century China. She only has to vanquish 300 rivals to bring her family great honor. Oh, and she may not find the deliciously sexy Sun Bo Tao--the emperor's best friend--at all delicious. Or sexy.

Damn. Ji Yue is in big trouble.

Because Bo Tao is definitely very sexy....

And Ji Yue is about to discover that chastity is overrated....

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Harlequin Blaze, Historical, Harlequin, Fiction, Historical Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: Also writes under the pen name Kathy Lyons.

A USA Today Bestseller, JADE LEE has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords caught her attention early (thank you Georgette Heyer), and her fascination with the Regency began. An author of more than 40 romance novels and winner of dozens of industry awards, her latest series is RAKES AND ROGUES. The first one, 50 WAYS TO RUIN A RAKE, is an awesome tale of love and laughter.
And don’t forget Kathy Lyons.. She’s Jade’s paranormal half. Check out her new shifter series GRIZZLIES GONE WILD.
To find all the latest news on Jade or Kathy, visit them at www.jadeleeauthor.com or www.kathylyons.com! And find out where you can meet her at: http://jadeleeauthor.com/appearances

Reviews

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

For starters, here's "my" yummilicious Bo Tao:



I can't believe I'm going to say this, but this book would have been better if it was PG-rated. Serioulsy! I didn't know if I should have laughed or cried at the purple prose that filled the pages: dragon organ, root, jade stalk, jade stem, woman's petals, ... I know some readers enjoy that writing style, but it does nothing for me. Here's my "favorite" line: "She could feel his dragon organ push into her belly while her woman's petals grew moist." Really?!? Was that supposed to make me feel hot and bothered? Sorry, Ms. Lee, but that made me laugh. No sex talk and no lovemaking scenes would have made this book a winner.

Taking that aside, the story itself was very good and interesting. The premise reminded me of Zhang Yimou's "Raise the Red Lantern", one of my favorite movies, with the difference that The Concubine is focused on the proceedings of choosing the new Emperor's wife and concubines and the movie is focused on the solitary lives of the concubines after they marry the Emperor. Bo Tao and Ji Yue were great characters, trapped in a millenial culture that made their love forbidden and almost impossible. In real life, there would be no HEA for them, but this is Romancelandia... Need I say more? ;)

This was a great story with engaging characters. Too bad sex had to be included, "ruining" my overall enjoyment.

[Mojca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A forbidden love in the Forbidden City.

Chen Ji Yue is one of the hundreds of virgins flocking to the Forbidden City in hopes of becoming the new empress of China. The road ahead of her is rocky. She has to shine among the other girls to even get into the final cut of 28 emperor's wives, among which he'll choose his consort and four head concubines, while the others will be relegated into the middle and lower harems, probably never to see their husband again.

The task ahead of Ji Yue should be a piece of cake, she's been raised to be a politician's wife, she knows what she's capable of, she knows her family's expectations, and she's prepared to do what it takes to bring them all honor.

To even get into the final and attempt to become the empress, she has to impress the Master of the Fertility Festival, the emperor's best friend and consultant in the shadows. But this is easier said than done, since Sun Bo Tao is the same man she's kicked out if her palanquin on the way to the Forbidden City. Ji Yue's fate seems pretty grim indeed.

This was a wonderful read, albeit a bit heavier than what we're used to from a Blaze title. It's a story of a young girl's struggles as she navigates the intrigue, hypocrisy, and treason of the Forbidden City in the times of Imperial China, where women are mere objects, sitting on the lowers tung on the imperial food chain.

Chen Ji Yue was wonderfully portrayed, combining the decorum and shyness of the time of her upbringing with a more modern vibe of outspokenness and determination. Her inner struggles between her family and her heart was heart-breakingly well-written. She knew what she had to do, she knew the possible punishment if she decided to stand against the protocol, yet her heart didn't want to be denied. The author did an amazing job in maintaining the fragile balance without inconsistencies.

Sun Bo Tao was Ji Yue's perfect counterpart. Although he was often relegated into the background to make her shine, he had quite a bit of an inner struggle to battle as well. Just the fact the emperor was his best friend, yet he had to defer to him as his leader, hating the fact his best friend was responsible for taking Ji Yue away from him, yet never acting on that anger gave Bo Tao depth and realism, elevating his character from the sidelines.

The romance between the two grew slowly and steadily, resulting in a wonderful love-story that brought tears to my eyes. The magic they felt when they were together, the love that was almost palpable, the hopelessness of it all. It was amazing.

This is the second book by Ms. Lee I've read so far, but it certainly won't be the last. The pace was wonderful, the story flowed effortlessly, the court intrigues spiced things up just perfectly, and the characterization was the absolute best. And the final twist...Nicely done.

It almost made me forget the "jade stalk". Almost.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I've been reading this book forrrreeeeevvvveeeerrrrr. It's short. On my Nook it was less than 200 pages. But I just really could not work up any interest in the romance aspect of this book. I just find romances, at least those I've read (which is admittedly few) to be predictable in the worst way. I knew from the moment I learned who the dude in the palanquin was what would happen - it was just a matter of the details. I probably would have known before then if I'd read the book description... but I don't read those, usually.

Anyway. I actually thought that the Chinese political situation and process of finding an empress were the most interesting parts of the story, and I wish that these aspects comprised a bigger portion of the book. For all Ji Yue's abilities in observation and "being a political wife" - the political stuff was extremely limited. Saves room for talk of "jade stalks" and "dragon organs" I guess. You know, the important stuff. (Psst... Those are euphemisms for "penis".) *wink*

I also was bothered by the whole OMG-it's-so-amazing cherry pop scene. These girls have guarded their virginity like their lives depended on it (which, I guess, in a way, was the case), haven't even SEEN a penis, let alone know what to do with it, and then Ji Yue, after having learned to give a blowie just the day before... "sits" on Bo Tao's Dragon rod or whatever like it ain't no thang. No pain, not even discomfort, and she just goes to town. I mean, it just rubs me the wrong way (geddit?) when fiction portrays the first time as this wonderful, amazing experience, especially for the girl. It's not. It is not a rainbow sunshine daisy unicorn experience. Usually it's painful, then uncomfortable, then messy, and then it's just over. And then there's the second time, which isn't much better. It takes time and repetition and practice to get to the OMGYES sex. It don't just happen when that hymen breaks.

Anyway. This was OK. Predictable, cliche, unintentionally humorous at times, but nothing special. I wish the history and politics were fleshed out more, as well as the characters' personalities. Their euphemistic sexy times parts were fleshed out quite enough.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting setting and had a lot of potential to be a great read... That being said - it fell flat because it was just too short for things to get developed ! These are my main complaints:
- At the beginning we are told that Ji Yue is "nothing special" and shouldn't even pass the "first round" in the Empress selection process... 30 pages later, she's the Emperor 's favourite?!? We don't know why, we don't know how....
- The events and Forbidden City schemes and intrigues would have been interesting to read about but they are just hinted at or briefly described! We are given glimpses and then the author just starts writing about something else-something frivolous!
- The insta-love and quick loss of the much-prized virginity didn't match the plot!! It just made no sense with everything else that had been said in the story (not to mention the time period and setting!)
- The selection process of the virgins just didn't make sense! How did Ji Yue get in the top 30 if she generally had only low average scores?!?
- Final scene made little sense- the Emperor just gave her to Bo Tao?! Why didn't he do this earlier when Bo Tao asked him to?!

Overall, 3* for the originality of the story setting but more attention should have been paid to plot and details than the silly descriptions of Bo Tao's penis (Jade Column and Dragon Organ, etc....) and sex scenes that were totally unmatched to the period and setting!!

[Lynsey A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by Jade Lee and I quite liked it. At first I wasn't a big fan on Ji Yue but she definitely grew on me. This tale of forbidden love was a good first read of this author for me. It has me intrigued to read more of her books.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved that this book took place somewhere in the past OTHER than England. I found some of the writing clunky in places and, like other reviewers, wanted more description of the setting. I hope that books like The Concubine, The Shadow Duke, and Not Quite a Husband are signs that the historical romance world is branching out of London.

[Rachel Nevada Wood]

A historical romance between a young woman competing to become a concubine for the Emperor and the Emperor's best friend, who has been placed in charge of the ceremony.

This was fine, a quick read that satisfied my craving for a historical romance. It would have been better without a few problematic aspects. Namely, a decision to villainize eunuchs and older women (something something non-normative gender presentation something something), somewhat iffy consent (mitigated somewhat by the genius use of a plate) , the implied legitimacy of virginity examinations, and a few too many comparisons between the hero and the heroine's father. The ending also was very much a deus ex machina (the bratty emperor decides to oh so generously cede his claim over the heroine) , but as long as it's a HEA I'm not too picky.

[Joycee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copyright by Katherine Grill. 😁 I guess Jade Lee is an alter ego?

True love conquers all, and the emperor demonstrated his wisdom by having sympathy for Ji Yue and Bo Tao, thereby assuring their loyalty, methinks.

I enjoyed the peek into the Forbidden City, not really worrying too much about how historically accurate the portrayal was. It broke my heart to wonder that those women chosen to be part of the emperor’s harem cannot even share their joy and whatever honor they felt with their families because once they were selected, they left their old lives behind.

But as Ji Yue said at the end, she won at the end nevertheless, even if she was not made empress. She secured the love of a fair man who treated her as a partner in all things, even his government position. Oops. Spoiler?

[Itz Aloko · Rating 2 out of 5]

💖

[Joy (Cheery♡Reads)]

I really do not know how to rate this. It is not called a Harlequin Romance for nothing. But I do appreciate that the story has some solid substance. I was curious about the story because I wondered how the conflict will be resolved as being an Imperial Virgin isn't something to be taken lightly as your fate lies in the Emperor's every whims and fancies.
I had no idea why I read this. Seriously. I admit I used to years ago and have stopped for so long. Out of curiosity I guessed. As the saying goes, "Curiosity killed the cat". It didn't kill me. It just proved to me(again) that I've totally grown out of this genre and will not ever go back to it. This book isn't bad. But I'm an avid and heavy reader. I treasure and opt for more heavy books. This genre is more suitable for people who do not really read. Easy and simple enough to digest. Nothing memorable but the traditions and customs of ancient China in this story is interesting enough to keep me reading on.
I will not rate this because well....I don't know exactly how many stars it deserved. But I can guarantee this:
I will never be caught dead reading this in public. You know what I mean by that.

[CaliGirlRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always jazzed to see Harlequin feature different cultures especially in their historicals (which isn't very many times, sadly). Although this was a short book, the story was interesting and I loved the tension between the hero and heroine. There were some genuine suspenseful scenes in the book and I found myself pretty shocked towards the end at how far some would go to test the potential brides of the Emperor. I wish there were more descriptions of the customs and scenery so I can fully immerse myself in the world of imperial China but perhaps if it was not a category romance, more time and pages would allow for deeper exploration. Overall, I'd like to see more offerings in this vein from Harlequin and I hope they stretch their historicals to include other time periods and cultures.

I'll have to check out some single titles of this author's work and I hope to find more like this one.

[Gabri.13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secondo me questo libro merita tutte le 5 stelline per diversi motivi ... Prima di tutto il realismo della descrizione , e la capacità dell'autrice di introdurre il lettore nella realtà della storia ... Insomma , scorrendo le pagine sembra quasi di vivere davvero nella Cina della seconda metà del 1800 ! Un altro motivo per cui questo libro mi è piaciuto è il rapporto tra i due protagonisti .. che all'inizio litigano fino quasi a prendersi per i capelli e poi d'improvviso lui si trasforma nell'unica persona che davvero vuole salvare la ragazza dal destino che le viene imposto ... Infine , mi ha reso molto felice leggere il finale , sapere che la donna ha avuto la sua rivincita sociale , e agli occhi della sua famiglia risulta finalmente una persona libera e indipendente che può decidere per sé ! ;)

[Desere · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest at first look at the title I was not too keen to read the book as the whole male over woman your lower than I am thing has never been a favourite of mine,but because I have read and enjoyed other Jade Lee books I was certain that I would be surprised rather than disappointed.

And yes I was delightfully surprised, I loved that the characters were both unique in their own manner. The back drop was stunning depicted by Mrs Lee and once again she left me with that "speechless " feeling.

The book had real depth and a lot of emotion,and it was like I could picture everything Mrs Lee was so talently describing for me.

5/5 star review

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know if I would make it past the first chapter. However, this is the first book I have read written by Jade Lee so I soldiered on. I'm not going to lie and say some things didn't leave me shaking my head, because it did. BUT, the more I got into it and tried to envision the time and setting of the story, I just found it funny. It became enjoyable. As the end became near, I was actually looking forward to finding out who the heroine was going to choose. This book was different and not the kind of writing I am used to. That is what made it a winner.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mainstream romance heroes and heroines don't reflect the diversity of everyday society. So when one comes out, I buy it immediately. Unfortunately, this is my second, and likely to be my last Jade Lee book. Her characters are too superficial, and Blaze should not pursue the short form historical romance. 55K words is not enough to do the past justice.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this historical with a sexy slant written for Harlequin Blaze. Unusual setting, appealing characters, unusual circumstances. It is a winning combination. The hero is yummy and the heroine is strong and determined to win the Emperor as his Empress of China.

[Ester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story! Very entertaining account of what it's like to be a concubine in China in the 1800's. So much history and culture woven in made me feel like I was actually in the Forbidden City. And did I mention it was a hot, steamy novel?

[Ingrid Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly unique setting brought to vivid life. Loved characters, loved story, loved writing. Would read ten more set in the same time and place. Thank goodness for all authors writing outside the lines, like Jade Lee and Jeannie Lin. Definitely need to be more among their ranks!

[Sandra R · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I have enjoyed all Jade's books. I found this one especially interesting as it was set in the world of the Chinese Emperor and all the characters where Chinese. Very different from the usual ! Very well written.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awalnya sih seru, belakangan...standar harlequin... untung Xian Feng nya ksh Ji-Yue, kalau ga ??????????

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! This book was delightful.
Read the review on Truth Beauty Freedom and Books>>>

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this book very much at first..Can't say I understand the culture. But eventually I liked both characters.

[Seul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written love story based in the forbidden city in Ancient China.

[Darla Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was unique on how virgins in the forbidden city in china was. It proved that sublet glances can be just as seductive as a very heated sex scene.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto più carino di quello che pensavo.
Leggero, più erotico dei soliti harmony, complessivamente non me ne pento, ma vedo la storia come qualcosa con potenziale per esser di più