Capturing the Silken Thief

The Pingkang Li Mysteries #0.5

by Jeannie Lin

Tang Dynasty China, 823 A.D.

Musician Jia needs a valuable book of poems by a famous courtesan to buy her freedom...and she believes Luo Cheng has taken it. Her attempt to steal the book from him fails, but the tall and powerful scholar unexpectedly offers to help her quest! But when they finally find the book--and the arousing poems and artwork inside--Jia's longing for freedom is replaced with a new kind of desire for Cheng....

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Novella, Fiction, China

75 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

USA TODAY Bestselling author Jeannie Lin grew up fascinated with stories of Western epic fantasy and Eastern martial arts adventures. When her best friend introduced her to romance novels in middle school, the stage was set. Jeannie started writing her first romance while working as a high school science teacher in South Central Los Angeles. After four years of trying to break into publishing with an Asian-set historical, her 2009 Golden Heart Award–winning manuscript, Butterfly Swords, sold to Harlequin Mills & Boon. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal with The Dragon and the Pearl listed among Library Journal's Best Romances of 2011.

Titles by Jeannie Lin:
Gunpowder Alchemy (Gunpowder Chronicles #1)
The Jade Temptress (The Lotus Palace #2)
The Lotus Palace
Butterfly Swords
The Dragon and the Pearl
My Fair Concubine
The Sword Dancer

For updates, sign up for her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/42oZL
Find out more about Jeannie Lin online at http://www.jeannielin.com

Reviews

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely novella.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short preface to the Pingkang Li Mysteries series is a combination of a low-key heist and a romance. The reader has to do some heavy lifting to transform such an abbreviated relationship arc, including sex scene and Pride and Prejudice-like misconceptions and reconciliation, into a full-fledged romance, though the ending was effective despite that.

The cultural aspects and setting were great, though. I could easily picture the bustling streets and entertainment halls of the Northern Hamlet (since I'm an ignoramus, a lot of the description was overlaid with imagery from Japanese video games like Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood). It has a lot of potential for court intrigue and class mismatch romances... and murder, I suppose, since the following volumes are mystery stories. It was a nice introduction to the series and I'm looking forward to reading more. As a matter of trivia, I have a signed copy of The Lotus Palace whose signature includes a cool stamp impression in red ink. :)

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never underestimate the power of short, sweet and steamy romance. Jeannie Lin can give you a lot in a couple of pages.

[ToriLovesHea’s · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I needed to nab a stolen book of poetry and came across Lui Cheng, I wouldn't be mad about it, just saying. We're back in the pleasure district of empirical China and Jia robs the wrong scholar's room in a bid to secure her freedom.

It’s part heist, part star crossed lovers, and part sweet and spicy canoodling. Plus we really get into the Tang Dynasty’s civic exams which I sent me down a rabbit hole because I think they’re fascinating. Cheng and Jia are perfectly matched and don’t even know it because he’s really a poor farm boy there to take the exams thanks to the benevolence of a sponsor. And she’s working the pleasure district to pay off her debt, but as a poor musician and not one of the exalted courtesans that have power and respect. But neither goofball knows that about the other so they’re both like “ugh this could never be”. Oh but it can and it does, my sweet idiots.

And for all that’s a…gentle heist? I guess that’s how I’d describe it, it’s really just about two people that probably wouldn’t have met except under these strangest of circumstances figuring out that they want to see if a future together is possible. It’s short, sweet, and has the perfect beginning to the rest of the Pingkang Li Mystery series. Highly recommend!

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This novella packed a surprising amount of story into 75 pages! Short, sweet, and a nice introduction to the series which is set in historical China.

I liked the main characters (she’s a prickly musician, he’s an aspiring scholar), and the case of mistaken identity when she thinks he’s stolen the book of poems that will buy her freedom.

I wasn’t 100% sold on the writing style though — it’s more flowery than I usually like. I’ve heard really good things about this series though, so I’ll read a full-length book at some point.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

Short and sweet romance.

[Brontesruleromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A sweet novella with a lovely romantic ending.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read The Pingkang Li Mysteries for waaaaay too long and finally just picked up the prequel novella and read it through. It's sweet and satisfying, and a good start to the series.

[Catherine Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little novella to introduce the world of the Lotus Palace. I read it after book 1, but it's entirely stand-alone, so you could read it whenever. Recommended when you have less than an hour, but want something that feels like a complete story.

[Kate K. F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first historical romance I've read by Jeannie Lin and while I enjoyed elements of the story overall it wrapped a bit too quickly for me. It felt more like a fairy tale than something historical as the musician and the poor student found the book that gave them a chance to become more than they were. I enjoyed the different historical setting, the two characters were interesting and the sex was well written and hot. It just left me wishing that the entire length of the novella had been this story instead of having such a large preview of her new novel at the end. The novel preview didn't grip me in the same way the story did but I do plan on reading more of Lin's works. I would like to see what she does in a longer space.

I would recommend her to readers who enjoy Courtney Milan as Lin is examining historical issues with her characters as they navigate their lives and loves.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always, have been fascinated by stories set in ancient/historical China or Asia. Way back when I started reading, it was more historical fiction that I would read with that setting, but now that I’ve been hooked to historical romances I’ve been looking for historical romances in that setting and I had been curious to try this author.

This short novella is the introduction to the world in the Pingkang Li series. The story was nice and overall I enjoyed it. It had nice characters, and loved the setting. But it left me wanting more. Despite liking the characters and story I felt like I wanted more in order to connect better, but that happens to me a lot with stand alone short novellas. Having said that, I really liked the author’s style, so I’m definitely trying out the rest of the series and more full length books from this author.

[Aoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Is the book so important to you?” Cheng asked quietly.
“How important is it to control one’s own future?” He’d never understand. “There are no imperial exams for song girls,” she said in a whisper.


The author mentioned in the preface she thought this plot up in her university days. The author is a master at recreating the atmosphere of a thousand years ago, and make it seem like yesterday.

[Sylwia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked this a lot but couldn't finish because there's no audiobook.

[Tamera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fast easy read set in the Tang Dynasty China, 823 AD. I love the unusual settings of Jeannie Lin's books, and this is a short trip into the Pingkang Li world. Musician Jai is desperate to free herself from debt and ownership, which she can do if she finds a book of famous poems written by a well known courtesan. Believing it was taken by Luo Cheng, she arranges to steal it only to find out he doesn't have the book... but is willing to help her find it. Again, a fascinating look at the different levels of society in ancient China, and how limited and difficult it was to move out of society's preset classes.

[Ela (Mouse333) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fine, but it was too short to really get to know the characters or see them get to know each other.

I thought that this book was rushed as it doesn’t show any relationship development and by the end of the book Cheng and Jia decide to get married, which to me made no sense as they didn’t really spend time together.

There were no side characters either.

I want to read the next book in the series to see if I’m going to like this series as this book was too short to show anything.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5- at first I was pretty apathetic, but now that I’m done, if you see me binging this entire series next month, no you didn’t 😂. This fell into the curse of a lot of novellas for me, which is I wanted more than I got, but it did succeed in making me want to continue the series, so I guess Boo-boo the fool is me. This was cute and fun, and I hope to continue to enjoy the rest of the series even more.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little steamier than some of her others I’ve read. Love being immersed in a different culture. I was aware, that in ancient China, prospective government officials had to take an exam. I thought it was like our civil service exam. It wasn’t! It lasted three days and sounded more like the exams one would take for a Fine Arts degree.

[Sijing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short novella so naturally there's a whole lot of instalove here but for some reason I'm not mad at it!! I even.....love it!! I think it's really sweet and cute!!!!! 😱 Cheng and Jia are soooooo cute........they push my buttons just right haha I just love their personalities together and how they supported each other!! Cheng's got it going on hahahahaha

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked up on a whim from a NYT recommendation. Should have realized this was a Harlequin story set in ancient China, so the plot was never in doubt. I never really felt immersed in the story or characters and found myself skipping over the sex scenes. It’s a shame because the setting felt somewhat researched if it didn’t succeed in drawing me in.

[Ru · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great fun quick novella featuring a mostly cheerful country scholar and a mostly sceptical song girl. I loved how they both recognised their respective struggles and found joy. I entered immediately into the Tang dynasty world and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Shymsal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and short. The author gave the reader a good sense of the characters as people beyond the sex and attaction, even though their involvement felt a little insta-love at first. A nice introduction to the series.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very romantic novella set 25 years before the main events of the rest of the Pingkang Li Mysteries series. The heroine is an indentured musician who is trying to buy her freedom with a stolen pillow book, and the hero is a sincere hardworking scholar who just wants to pass his exams and do his people proud.

[Stella Battenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet short set in the world of the Pingkang Li. Jeannie Lin's writing is so lush it drew me in and made me wish it was a full novel. I would definitely have read 300 pages of Jia and Cheng.

[AGMaynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author recommended on either Dear Author or SBTB for her writing and historical settings in ancient China. Nice to get a little history and culture with your romance! Recommended.

[Melissa Cutler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet little story, and a lovely intro into the lush and complex universe of this series.

[Emily S · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness...dare I say that this is the perfect novella?
Yes I do say that
And it is

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I thought the time frame was too short for the relationship to develop. However, the author does an excellent job of setting the story in ancient China without a lot of exposition.

[Merb · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ 3.5 stars ~

[Xiong Bai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and decent read for a short novella 3.5 stars. Might make a full review later.

[ReadWithE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw this was a sweet novella