Silk, Swords And Surrender/The Touch Of Moonlight/The Taming Of Mei Lin/The Lady's Scandalous Night/An Illicit Temptation/Capturing The Silk

Tang Dynasty #0.5, 2.5, 3.5

by Jeannie Lin

Be swept away to a land of silk and swords and take a journey to the Tang Dynasty China and join five unique heroines as they fight, seduce and steal their way into their heroes' hearts. Five interlinked stories of passion and surrender!

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Anthologies, Historical Fiction, Short Stories, China

369 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2016

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

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF
Свежа струя с епохата на Тан в Китай, която е емблематична в културно отношение, но самите разкази не ме грабнаха. Може би кратката форма просто не е подходяща за историческа романтика, не знам, или по-скоро авторката сблъсква челно елегантно по източноазиатски начало с колизия на всички възможни сюжетни нишки и клишета без много-много обяснения и прибързан финал. Все пак е освежаващо - на запад са зарязали отдавна светоизграждането (то историческите любовните романи са си вид фентъзи), на изток пък има свирепа “морална” цензура, водеща до смехотворни абсурди, та тук се опитват двете да се срещнат без прибързаност и конфуцианско лицемерие, но има още какво да се желае.

2,5⭐️

[Jaymee Goh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea how much I would enjoy romance novellas and shorts until this little collection! I'm so pleased that they were in paperback--the cover is beautiful, for starters. Each story follows the predictable formula, but they are such a great comfort, and to see Chinese representation, to see Asian men allowed to be macho and masculine and sexually attractive, is such strange subversion.

What I enjoyed the most about these stories, however, is how much attention Lin pays to the tensions of class differences and the ambitions of the lower classes. (These are generally my favourite kinds of romance stories!! So I'm really psyched to see them here.)

"The Touch of Moonlight" has a cutesy feel: childhood friendship turned sensual, a younger female neighbour trying to catch the eye of her hot older neighbour. Cute cute cute.

"The Taming of Mei Lin" I'd read a long time ago, and it holds up well on re-reading.

"The Lady's Scandalous Night" had all the painful angst of a good old-fashioned Chinese drama, with a suitable deus ex machine at the end for the happy ending. Of course there's a happy ending, but the angst was great while it lasted.

"An Illicit Temptation" with its fake!princess in Chinese Wild West was also pretty ace--it also captures the exotification of the wild west that mark the Western westerns (ahaha I love that I get to write that noun phrase) and I really enjoy the protagonist's challenged worldview at the denouement.

I was especially pleased with "Capturing the Silken Thief"!!! Most of Lin's heroes are some warrior/swordsman types, so the scholar-and-singsong-girl combo here was a really nice change. (Yay nerds!) I also thought this was the most successful of the stories with its high stakes (the FUTURE of BOTH protagonists) and low-key attraction, making the ending really, really sweet and putting both of them on equal footing in a way that is very satisfying.

Basically, A+ collection, no regrets slamming my keyboard when pre-ordering.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeannie Lin's Tang Dynasty world including the Lotus Palace Mysteries of some of my favorite all-time historical romances. I knew she had several shorter stories from both those series, but stuck to the novel-length ones first. About the time I was ready to tackle the shorter pieces, the author did me a solid by corralling them all into one collection and I'm excited to be delving into it now.

The Touch of Moonlight
standalone

A salacious spin on the boy and girl next door romance. When young man left and barely noticed her, full-grown young lady uses her wiles to seduce the man she has never stopped loving.

The Taming of Mei Len
#.5 Tang Dynasty

In a loose Taming of the Shrew tale, an expert swordswoman with the Butterfly swords lives in a small village with her aunt and uncle who aren't cruel, but not loving. An unwelcome proposition from a local leader has her issuing the challenge that she'll only marry the man who bests her. When a young stranger comes into town and takes up the challenge, she is tempted to lose for the first time. Their story is held dear by the heroine in Butterfly Swords.

The Lady's Scandalous Night
#2.5 Tang Dynasty

Stuck between his duty to his overlord and her familial duty when her brother joins the rebels, a star-crossed pair of lovers meet when he comes looking for her brother and she must trick him from the path. How can their love survive with their opposing duties?
Their story takes place during the events of The Dragon and the Pearl.

An Illicit Temptation
#3.5 Tang Dynasty
Out on the western frontier where two large empires vie for power, the Khitan tribes must decide who they will offer their fealty. A young woman is sent as a peace bride to the Khitan leader of the tribes and she is happy to leave her life as a servant to play the role of princess in place of her half-sister until her escort turns out to be a dangerous temptation to her heart and her duty.
Their story takes place after the events of My Fair Concubine.

Capturing the Silken Thief
#.5 The Lotus Palace
A young scholar from an obscure village has the opportunity to rise in status by passing the Imperial Exams and this is his last chance. A few days before the exams, he is waylaid and robbed of his study materials and then discovers that a beautiful musician has turned thief and mistakes him for the man who possesses a rare poetry collection. She hopes to sell the poetry to free her of debts, but now she is distracted by this earnest man who will be out of her league when he passes his exams. Or so she thinks.
Their story introduces the world of the Pleasure district and the Lotus Palace mysteries.


All in all, I was enchanted to be back in this historical world. These stories were short and the romances were quick and spicy, but the setting, plot, and characters were not under-developed. The stories were something more to me since I have read the novels they go between, but they will work fine as standalones for those coming new to the Tang Dynasty and Lotus Palace series. Definitely recommend these to fans of historical and Asian romance.

[Harlequin Books]

"Four reader favorites and a new novella, all linked to Lin’s full-length novels, appear together for the first time. Taking minor characters or creating a story within a story, Lin builds conflict and sexual tension quickly. Though condensed, these tales are fully realized, sexy romances that bring readers a clear picture of the era, settings and characters" (4 stars @ RT Book Reviews).

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeannie Lin's writing is a genuine delight every time. It's incredibly refreshing to read stories set in Tang Dynasty China instead of more typical historical romance settings, and it has definitely fit in line with my own interest in exploring more of Chinese history. I've only read one of her novels before this, My Fair Concubine, and it was awesome to see the follow-up story to that in this collection of novellas. I definitely have more interest in reading many of her other novels, especially the ones that tie into these novellas.

Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good historical romance.

[Treece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

Silk, Swords, and Surrenderby Jeannie Lin

This fun, sensual anthology is set during the Chinese Tang Dynasty era. The author sure knows her way around obscure historical research. The heroes are masculine and affable while the heroines are assertive and independent. The period suggests that women had more freedom in some ways and that it may have been encouraged. All in all, this was a pleasant read by exploring romance set in ancient China. I quite enjoyed it because I love diving into the landscape of different cultures and continents.


“The Touch of Moonlight”: A delightful tale of a mischievous tomboy who grows into her confidence and beauty. When she sets her sights on her childhood sweetheart, the neighborhood hunk, chaos tumbles into love. My favorite overall because it is familiar, humorous and sweet. Girl-next-door wins/woos popular hottie who doesn’t see her as a woman yet. But of course, *waggles brows* that all changes.


“The Taming of Mei Lin”: A poor relation must defend her honor against a despicable suitor and his henchman. When a mysterious stranger defeats her in combat, she decides to seize her fate. This was my second favorite story. I really love lady warriors who can defend themselves in a society ruled by men. The hero was sexy and intelligent with a gracious sincerity that made him endearing. It contrasted Mei Lin’s tough determination and sharp edges. The story ended quite abruptly, with a cliff-hanger snap. I intensely dislike cliff-hangers. Good thing this is an anthology.

“The Lady’s Scandalous Night”: A soldier tracks down his sworn sword-brother who betrayed their master. When he arrives at the traitor’s ancestral home, he is tempted by the woman he has dreamed of and longed for. This one was my least favorite even though the H and h are likable enough. I’m not sure if the sword-brother’s sister would so easily succumb to her feelings for the hero who is coerced by duty to kill his closest friend. It felt a touch inauthentic. Still, there is a whimsical vibration of “what ifs” resounding throughout. You be the judge.

“An Illicit Temptation”: A princess travels to meet her barbarian bridegroom in the wilds while being escorted by a handsome guard who thrills her. This story of political intrigue, deception and marital convenience is funny, sweet, and interesting. It was my third favorite with yet another feisty heroine on the loose who knows her own mind and takes charge of her life. The hero is just along for the ride though he is more than willing.

“Capturing the Silken Thief”: A scholar is lured into a risky plot by a smart-mouthed song girl with secrets. At most I didn’t like or dislike this story. It just was lukewarm. The historical setting and details were more interesting than the characters or the plot. In this case the best was not last, but this was not the worse of the group either.

Warnings: No OW, OM. No cheating. Triggers: Attempted rape scene. Sensual sex but nothing too explicit or graphic, no kinks or fetishes.

[Fedora · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Touch of Moonlight
A lovely take on the unrequited love of a neighbor girl becoming requited ;) Lian and Baozhen's families have known each other for years, but while Baozhen has turned his charm on many lovely girls over the years, Lian just wants his eyes on her.

The Taming of Mei Lin
A prequel of sorts to Butterfly Swords, Mei Lin is a fierce swordswoman who meets her match in Shen Leung.

The Lady's Scandalous Night
A dutiful sister meets the swordsman who, once her brother's closest companion, has been tasked with bringing him to justice.

An Illicit Temptation


Capturing the Silken Thief

Jeannie Lin's writing is eloquent and beautiful. Each short story is packed with action and emotion and heat.

[Rosemary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tang Dynasty in China provides the exotic setting for Jeannie Lin's five stories that make up Silk, Swords and Surrender. I loved each and every romantic tale. The heroines are talented, accomplished as well as strong-willed and feisty. These women are more than a match for the intelligent and honorable heroes that they are destined to love. These stories are sweet, touching and passionate. I was pulled into this world where love may not be enough to bring about a HEA. Jeannie Lin's writing paints vivid pictures that evoke passion and desire. I never miss a book by this author. I love her writing.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of five short stories all set in Tang Dynasty China.
The Touch of Moonlight uses the familiar trope of: "the girl next door," in a unique way.
The Taming of Mei Lin is a prologue to another novel, establishing a family dynasty. It also features a female warrior.
An illicit temptation moves out of the capital and out into the wilds of the Steppes. The couple in the story are a princess and a Khitan warrior.
The final story in the collection is The Silken Thief and feature a scholar and a musician.
All of the stories are very sensual.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Silk, Swords and Surrender" included five novellas about the Jeannie Lin's Tang Dynasty China, including one brand new one "Touch of Moonlight". I quite enjoyed the collection overall. The novellas make a fine introduction for her books. I think my favorite was "An Illicit Temptation" with an alliance bride falling for her guard instead. Each story's couples had different conflicts and expectations and I liked how each weighed the demands of their futures versus choosing to fall in love. I won a copy as a member of the author's mailing list in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheryl Beesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book because I don't know much about Chinese Culture especially ancient times and it intrigued me. it is actually a collection of 5 short stories which doesn't give you much time to get into a story... The first two were fluffy that could be any time period any culture but the last 3 were good. they were also all companion pieces to existing books so that might have helped to read them first.. I would have liked more of a history lesson but it was a good read..

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the Tang Dynasty, these five novellas have distinctly different plots, and are fun, sexy, and romantic in turns. All stories except the first one are tied to Lin's novels but can be read independently. Full review here: http://lilac-eve.net/?p=403

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Aoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating only for "The Touch of Moonlight"

[Laurie Sand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun stories but somewhat awkward pacing.

Two stories in this collection merited 4-5 stars from me: The Lady's Scandalous Night (in which a soldier falls for the sister of a man he has been sent to kill) and An Illicit Affair (in which a woman poses as a princess to marry a nomadic king). These two actually reminded me of all the things I love about American Westerns like Forbidden Valley and Under Northern Stars: tales about honor, desperation, and an element of lawlessness. The other stories, however, fell into the 2-3 star range. Lin's pacing frequently feels off to me, resulting in a rushed romance resting almost entirely on the physical attraction between the principles. At times the details of how one event physically leads to another are inexplicably left out (for example, a person laying in bed one moment and picking something off the floor in the next), which left me feeling disconnected from the flow of the story.

[Tedders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had no idea this was a collection when I bought it. That didn't really bother me, but a collection of Harlequin formula stories by the same author all in one place? C'mon guys. By the third story in I was just "There it is. In two more pages they frickfrack."
That being said Jeannie Lin's writing was just the right amount of pretty, the characters were likeable enough, the conflicts weren't so tropey as to make me want to hurl myself off anything, and oh thank heaven I have been looking for a romance novel set in East Asia since I was like twelve.

[LittlePiscesReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

An good collection of stories, with ties to other works, and not. There was a set formula to them that could be a little tiring when reading all at once but while it the stories had certain ticks that I wasn't fond of, and the repetition became much, I appreciate that in the end Jeannie Lin always pulled me back on side.

[Angel Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading these. Helped to add depth to other books by Jeannie Lin which I have read.

Can be read both before or after the full lengths. The intro to each tells you which full it goes with.

[Sinyee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories are too short to develop anything substantial. Instalove is a crutch used over and over again in much of the stories. The characters all felt like the same person placed in roughly the same scenario over and over again.

[sora]

😈😈😈😈😈😈 actually very interesting and well-researched

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love every book in this series! More, please!

[Abhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great set of stories!

An anthology of really sweet short stories. All based in different parts and eras of China, I'm up for non-European settings for historical romances anyday!!

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading love stories of secondary characters from good books.

[Michelle allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of short stories set in Asia.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I read this at the wrong time or in the wrong format, but it just wasn't holding my attention

[Mysterious · Rating 3 out of 5]

Approve of the enterprise - yay, diversity in historicals! But not wowed by the stories.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have seen these novellas individually and I was excited when I heard they would be put together into a collection. Jeannie Lin's books have always been so unique and enjoyable. Butterfly Swords has to be my favourite and The Lotus Palace comes next. I will be reviewing each novella individually.

A Touch of Moonlight
3/5 stars

This one is by far the newest and not tied to any of the series. I really love the setting as usual. But the story did not do much for me. The characters felt undeveloped.

The Taming of Mei Lin
Prequel to Butterfly Swords
3.5/5 stars

This one held promise because it was related to the book I enjoyed. I liked Mei Lin and she presented quite an opposite to Shen Leung and I would have loved to read more of their story.

The Lady's Scandalous Night
Novella to the Dragon and the Pearl
3/5 stars

I did not read The Dragon and the Pearl and I felt that it might have given me more context. Other wise it was too confusing. Arranged marriages and quick romances do not really appeal to me. Even less so when the characters do not know each other and immediately say they are in love. I can praise Jiang for her protectiveness of her brother but Chen was just okay, he seemed very righteous until it came to Jiang.

The Illicit Temptation
Novella to My Fair Concubine
3.5/5 stars

I really likes the setting of this one and learning about a new culture, the Khitan. I felt that this can be read as a standalone as I did not read My Fair Concubine but this was not too confusing. The Steppes were wild and untamed and provided a really adventurous setting. Dao "An Ming" was quite adorable in her defiance but naive. The romance did not feel believeable and the ending too convenient. The only part I liked about her was when she was so candid about not wanting to be a second wife to the Khigan cheiftain.

Capturing the Silken Thief
Prequel to the Lotus Palace
3.5/5 stars

I liked this one as well because the character felt older. I got a look into what it is like to study for the imperial exams, fail and try again. Luo Cheng is an outsider not a rich boy and I liked his determination. He will not be complacent and the setting shed light onto the age old realization that money does make things easier. The romance was a nice added bonus. I also discovered the position of woman in that time. They did not have much prospects and led me to think about how things have changed.

In general, I felt the novellas had the problem where they could have been better if the characters were more fleshed out and the story given more time but as these are novellas, this isn't their nature. All of the female main characters had similar feels: young, naive and innocent. They honestly blended abit into each other for me. I would have preferred a range of characters. Still a nice filler for those who enjoy Tang Dynasty romances and Jeannie Lin's books.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love that this is an anthology built around ancient China - it's so refreshingly unique in this genre.

The Touch of Moonlight - 2 / 5 - Not my favorite. Girl worships a womanizing guy as she’s growing up and when he comes home after being away, she manipulates things so she’s able to seduce him and ends up trapping him into marriage. Which is what she wanted all along, even if he’d only wanted a bit of fun. He forgave her way too easily and I did not like her deceitfulness. Didn’t like him all that much either, come to think of it.

The Taming of Mei Lin - 3/ 5 - A swordswoman meets her match loses so she can marry her opponent only for him to reject the opportunity. They develop a nice relationship and he does want to marry her, but honor prevents him from accepting. This was a good, cute story, but we never really get to know much about the hero and it felt necessary to better understand his reasons. I liked that the heroine was so non-traditional.

The Lady’s Scandalous Night - 4 / 5 - I liked the tension and angst here. Two characters have never met, but have heard about one another and dreamt of a possible future together. But then the little issue of honor and family comes between them and makes for a deliciously angsty little tale. My only complaint is that the disappointingly quick ending did not balance it all out...too quick to satisfy their torment.

An Illicit Temptation - 2.5 / 5 - Dao is masquerading as a princess on her way to marry a nomad chieftain, to secure an alliance of peace. But she finds herself falling in love with Kwan-Li, her liaison with the Tang empire and the only one who speaks her language. But they have no future since she’s determined to see her marriage through, as a matter of honor. This was just okay. I liked the set up of the angst and how they couldn’t seem to work things out to be together, but there wasn’t enough time to develop a believable relationship between them (which is ironic, since they spent weeks together in the story, but we don’t get to see that). There was also a lot that didn’t get resolved or discussed that I would have liked to have seen discussed. The ending, as always, was too quick and short.

The Silken Thief - 3 /5 - This one started out with me pretty much despising Jia, the heroine. I didn’t warm up to her until the last few pages of the story. I think it was because she was so willing to step on other people to get what she wanted, including the hero. It wasn’t until she realized she loved him that she regretted what she’d done. At that point, she becomes likeable. Unfortunately this story, just like the others in the anthology, end way too abruptly and with too little detail.

[WinieP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silk, Swords and Surrender is a collection of five Tang Dynasty novellas from Jeannie Lin. Four were previously released as ebooks.

It includes one new short novella “The Touch of Moonlight” , which a boy & girl next door story. Baozhen has returned from a nearly year long trip for his family’s business, and he finds that little Lian next door has grown up. I don’t I’m giving away any spoilers by saying things between them quickly get hot and sexy. This is a Jeannie Lin story after all.

The four previously released novellas are:
"The Taming of Mei Lin" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
"The Lady’s Scandalous Night" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
"An Illicit Temptation" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
"Capturing the Silk Thief" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

If you already have the 4 earlier novellas, I don’t think it is worth getting this collection just for the one new short story, unless you just want to get books in print.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even in a shortened form, Lin miraculously manages to weave history, romance, and plot seamlessly. Each story had unique characters coming to sweet and satisfying ends. Initially, I was nervous romance short stories wouldn't have much substance, but Lin proved me wrong.

For non e-readers out there, this is a delicious little collection that keeps you in the loop of the on-goings in the Tang Dynasty.