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City of Jasmine #1
City of Jasmine
New York Times bestselling author of Killers of a Certain Age, Deanna Raybourn, delivers the story of one woman who embarks upon a journey to see the world—and ends up finding intrigue, danger and a love beyond all reason. Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke never expected to see her husband, adventurer Gabriel Starke, ever again. They had been a golden couple, enjoying a whirlwind courtship amid the backdrop of a glittering social set in prewar London until his sudden death with the sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later, beginning to embrace life again, Evie embarks upon a flight around the world. In the midst of her triumphant tour, she is shocked to receive a mysterious—and recent—photograph of Gabriel, which brings her ambitious stunt to a screeching halt.With her eccentric aunt Dove in tow, Evie tracks the source of the photo to the ancient City of Jasmine, Damascus. There she discovers that danger lurks at every turn, and at stake is a priceless relic, an artifact so valuable that criminals will stop at nothing to acquire it. Evie sets off across the desert to unearth the truth of Gabriel’s disappearance and retrieve a relic straight from the pages of history.Along the way, Evie must come to terms with the deception that parted her from Gabriel and the passion that will change her destiny forever…Previously Published.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 7, 2013
158 people are currently reading
2998 people want to read
About the author
Deanna Raybourn
40 books9,443 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, three du Mauriers, and most recently the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has returned in several more adventures, most recently AN IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSTOR, book seven, which released in early 2022. Deanna's first contemporary novel, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, about four female assassins on the cusp of retirement publishes in September 2022. (Please note: Deanna is not active on GR.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
September 1, 2025
3.9 stars rounded up to 4.
Great desert adventure, impressive characters, lively dialogues and charming exotic setting with a hint of history.
Although I don't recommend "City of Jasmine" by Deanna Raybourn to those looking for a sweeping romance, I do wholeheartedly recommend it to those who want a light read, with fast-paced, thrilling adventures and a happy ending.
__THE PLOT:
1920s. Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke never expected to see her husband, adventurer Gabriel Starke, ever again. They had been a golden couple, enjoying a whirlwind courtship amid the backdrop of a glittering social set in pre-war London until his sudden death with the sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later, beginning to embrace life again, Evie embarks upon a flight around the world, collecting fame and admirers along the way. In the midst of her triumphant tour, she is shocked to receive a mysterious — and recent — photograph of Gabriel, which brings her ambitious stunt to a screeching halt.
With her eccentric aunt Dove in tow, Evie tracks the source of the photo to the ancient City of Jasmine, Damascus. There she discovers that nothing is as it seems. Danger lurks at every turn, and at stake is a priceless relic, an artefact once lost to time and so valuable that criminals will stop at nothing to acquire it — even murder. Leaving the jewelled city behind, Evie sets off across the punishing sands of the desert to unearth the truth of Gabriel’s disappearance and retrieve a relic straight from the pages of history.
Along the way, Evie must come to terms with the deception that separated her from Gabriel and the passion that will change her destiny forever...
*******______*******
*** WHAT I LIKED:
1 _ First and foremost, I really liked the brief but effective INTRODUCTION to Evangeline Starke, our main female character. We quickly learn how she transformed into a celebrated aviatrix, making a living by traveling the world and providing newspapers with exciting articles and photographs of herself, her old but adventurous aunt, and her aristocratic friend Wally. This immediately sets the stage for an unconventional heroine and promises globe-trotting escapades.
2 _ EVE, THE MAIN FEMALE CHARCTER _ a beautifully crafted character who resonates deeply because of her complexity and realism. She’s not a perfect heroine but a real person—full of contradictions, strength, and vulnerability. Her love for her husband, despite years of absence and a difficult marriage, shows a kind of passionate stubbornness that feels genuine rather than clichéd. The way she hides her true feelings from everyone, including herself, adds layers to her emotional struggle.
What really stands out is Eve’s refusal to be a victim. Even when faced with her husband’s rough treatment, she meets it with wit and iron will, showing both courage and a fierce loyalty. She’s patient beyond reason and willing to confront painful truths instead of running away, which gives her a remarkable depth. Her self-awareness, taking blame but also showing generosity and warmth to those around her, makes her incredibly relatable.
It’s a shame the author didn’t give Gabriel the same depth or charm because that imbalance can take away from the emotional impact. But Eve’s character shines enough to carry the story with authenticity and heart. She’s the kind of character you want to root for, the kind who sticks with you long after the last page is turned.
3 _ I absolutely loved the great DESERT ADVENTURE that unfolds, full of twists and turns. It magically rekindled that specific atmosphere of the Middle East, reminiscent of the fairy tales of Aladdin, Scheherazade, and The Arabian Nights, which I adored as a child. Unfortunately, I had lost that enchantment for the region as I grew up, especially after the rise of ISIS and the Taliban, their attacks on the West, the executions of journalists, and all the wars between various religious factions. For a long time, when I thought of the Arab world, all that came to mind was dust, dirt, blood, and fear.
This book, however, delivered an adventure that made me want to discover more about the historical and cultural stories behind these lands.
4_ I also thoroughly enjoyed the HISTORICAL SETTING of the 1920s. The narrative subtly highlights how, even after the ravages of the First World War, Western colonial empires continued their attempts to seize control of something that didn't belong to them.
The references to Lawrence of Arabia were particularly engaging (whom I only knew from movies, since he's part of British history, while I'm Italian).
While reading the book, I found myself exploring online the life of this Englishman who tried to help the Arabs establish an independent state, and how the subsequent events and the revolts against the Turks unfolded in a disappointing manner.
I enjoyed researching, through Wikipedia, blog articles, and old black-and-white photos, the real-world places mentioned in the book, such as Damascus, Palmyra, and the Zenobia Hotel – an elegant hotel that was still in operation until 2013, now sadly a victim of the conflict in Syria, full of holes and decay.
This historical immersion added a rich layer to the story.
5_ The INTRIGUE surrounding the archaeological finds, perfectly intertwined with the political situation of the time, was another strong point. It kept me guessing and invested in the unfolding mystery.
6_ Finally, I loved almost all the SUPPORTING CHARACTERS, both good and villains.
Evie's loyal friend Wally, the enigmatic Sheikh Hamid, the various personalities at the archaeological dig, Hallyday the British diplomat, and even the funny and chatty parrot – they all added depth and flavor to the narrative.
There was only one character I didn't quite like, though I know many readers did.
***WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE :
1_LACK OF ROMANCE : My primary disappointment stemmed from the book’s cover and blurb (in addition to a prequel written a year after the book), which strongly suggest an intense love story between two protagonists deeply in love with each other.
Actually, for up to 90% of the book, it seems like the only one truly in love is the young woman, Evie. Her ex-husband, meanwhile, uses a consistently gruff tone throughout, and the only two kisses we see toward the middle of the book are completely sterile and devoid of passion and genuine feeling. The romance trope should be "enemies to lovers," but here, even the slightest hint of love and interest on his part is missing, making the book profoundly disappointing from a romantic perspective.
Only in the last 10% do we get a making-love scene. Nothing vulgar; the author merely hints at it, but doesn't specifically describe it, so it's suitable for younger readers. Unfortunately, even after that scene, there are no strong emotions or romantic thrills.
The ending is happy, but here too the author missed an opportunity to make the hero more tender towards his ex-wife and now-returned partner. In fact, she's the only one who says "I love you," and there are no kisses that give you goosebumps (as any romance should, even if it's "clean" and free of explicit scenes).
2_ The character I didn't like was the ELDERLY AUNT and her behaviour.
While she's meant to be a whimsical, adventurous character, which could have been endearing, her portrayal as a 60-year-old Victorian woman who, despite her storied past, still flirts and makes insistent advances, even towards young men, was off-putting. I found it quite disgusting and it jarred with the rest of the narrative. It's also utterly absurd that at a certain point in the story, she, at 60 years old and without prior experience, manages to fly an airplane on her own after less than an hour of lessons. This is particularly unbelievable when Evie herself has taken countless lessons from aviators recovering from the war, preparing herself both practically, mentally, and physically.
3_The last thing that annoyed me a little was the constant and somewhat RIDICULOUS REFERENCES to Peter Pan and Wendy, and the famous fairy tale.
I've loved that fairy tale since I was a child, but in this context, it seemed a bit forced, and for a man of the world like Gabriel to constantly reference Peter Pan seemed a bit ridiculous and out of character.
******______ ******
In any case, the negative things I mentioned were only a minor annoyance for me; overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story, and the main characters and their friends stayed with me for several days after I finished reading.
Despite its few flaws, "City of Jasmine" is a fantastic read for those seeking adventure, historical intrigue, and an escape to a vibrant, bygone era.
Great desert adventure, impressive characters, lively dialogues and charming exotic setting with a hint of history.
Although I don't recommend "City of Jasmine" by Deanna Raybourn to those looking for a sweeping romance, I do wholeheartedly recommend it to those who want a light read, with fast-paced, thrilling adventures and a happy ending.
__THE PLOT:
1920s. Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke never expected to see her husband, adventurer Gabriel Starke, ever again. They had been a golden couple, enjoying a whirlwind courtship amid the backdrop of a glittering social set in pre-war London until his sudden death with the sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later, beginning to embrace life again, Evie embarks upon a flight around the world, collecting fame and admirers along the way. In the midst of her triumphant tour, she is shocked to receive a mysterious — and recent — photograph of Gabriel, which brings her ambitious stunt to a screeching halt.
With her eccentric aunt Dove in tow, Evie tracks the source of the photo to the ancient City of Jasmine, Damascus. There she discovers that nothing is as it seems. Danger lurks at every turn, and at stake is a priceless relic, an artefact once lost to time and so valuable that criminals will stop at nothing to acquire it — even murder. Leaving the jewelled city behind, Evie sets off across the punishing sands of the desert to unearth the truth of Gabriel’s disappearance and retrieve a relic straight from the pages of history.
Along the way, Evie must come to terms with the deception that separated her from Gabriel and the passion that will change her destiny forever...
*******______*******
*** WHAT I LIKED:
1 _ First and foremost, I really liked the brief but effective INTRODUCTION to Evangeline Starke, our main female character. We quickly learn how she transformed into a celebrated aviatrix, making a living by traveling the world and providing newspapers with exciting articles and photographs of herself, her old but adventurous aunt, and her aristocratic friend Wally. This immediately sets the stage for an unconventional heroine and promises globe-trotting escapades.
2 _ EVE, THE MAIN FEMALE CHARCTER _ a beautifully crafted character who resonates deeply because of her complexity and realism. She’s not a perfect heroine but a real person—full of contradictions, strength, and vulnerability. Her love for her husband, despite years of absence and a difficult marriage, shows a kind of passionate stubbornness that feels genuine rather than clichéd. The way she hides her true feelings from everyone, including herself, adds layers to her emotional struggle.
What really stands out is Eve’s refusal to be a victim. Even when faced with her husband’s rough treatment, she meets it with wit and iron will, showing both courage and a fierce loyalty. She’s patient beyond reason and willing to confront painful truths instead of running away, which gives her a remarkable depth. Her self-awareness, taking blame but also showing generosity and warmth to those around her, makes her incredibly relatable.
It’s a shame the author didn’t give Gabriel the same depth or charm because that imbalance can take away from the emotional impact. But Eve’s character shines enough to carry the story with authenticity and heart. She’s the kind of character you want to root for, the kind who sticks with you long after the last page is turned.
3 _ I absolutely loved the great DESERT ADVENTURE that unfolds, full of twists and turns. It magically rekindled that specific atmosphere of the Middle East, reminiscent of the fairy tales of Aladdin, Scheherazade, and The Arabian Nights, which I adored as a child. Unfortunately, I had lost that enchantment for the region as I grew up, especially after the rise of ISIS and the Taliban, their attacks on the West, the executions of journalists, and all the wars between various religious factions. For a long time, when I thought of the Arab world, all that came to mind was dust, dirt, blood, and fear.
This book, however, delivered an adventure that made me want to discover more about the historical and cultural stories behind these lands.
4_ I also thoroughly enjoyed the HISTORICAL SETTING of the 1920s. The narrative subtly highlights how, even after the ravages of the First World War, Western colonial empires continued their attempts to seize control of something that didn't belong to them.
The references to Lawrence of Arabia were particularly engaging (whom I only knew from movies, since he's part of British history, while I'm Italian).
While reading the book, I found myself exploring online the life of this Englishman who tried to help the Arabs establish an independent state, and how the subsequent events and the revolts against the Turks unfolded in a disappointing manner.
I enjoyed researching, through Wikipedia, blog articles, and old black-and-white photos, the real-world places mentioned in the book, such as Damascus, Palmyra, and the Zenobia Hotel – an elegant hotel that was still in operation until 2013, now sadly a victim of the conflict in Syria, full of holes and decay.
This historical immersion added a rich layer to the story.
5_ The INTRIGUE surrounding the archaeological finds, perfectly intertwined with the political situation of the time, was another strong point. It kept me guessing and invested in the unfolding mystery.
6_ Finally, I loved almost all the SUPPORTING CHARACTERS, both good and villains.
Evie's loyal friend Wally, the enigmatic Sheikh Hamid, the various personalities at the archaeological dig, Hallyday the British diplomat, and even the funny and chatty parrot – they all added depth and flavor to the narrative.
There was only one character I didn't quite like, though I know many readers did.
***WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE :
1_LACK OF ROMANCE : My primary disappointment stemmed from the book’s cover and blurb (in addition to a prequel written a year after the book), which strongly suggest an intense love story between two protagonists deeply in love with each other.
Actually, for up to 90% of the book, it seems like the only one truly in love is the young woman, Evie. Her ex-husband, meanwhile, uses a consistently gruff tone throughout, and the only two kisses we see toward the middle of the book are completely sterile and devoid of passion and genuine feeling. The romance trope should be "enemies to lovers," but here, even the slightest hint of love and interest on his part is missing, making the book profoundly disappointing from a romantic perspective.
Only in the last 10% do we get a making-love scene. Nothing vulgar; the author merely hints at it, but doesn't specifically describe it, so it's suitable for younger readers. Unfortunately, even after that scene, there are no strong emotions or romantic thrills.
The ending is happy, but here too the author missed an opportunity to make the hero more tender towards his ex-wife and now-returned partner. In fact, she's the only one who says "I love you," and there are no kisses that give you goosebumps (as any romance should, even if it's "clean" and free of explicit scenes).
2_ The character I didn't like was the ELDERLY AUNT and her behaviour.
While she's meant to be a whimsical, adventurous character, which could have been endearing, her portrayal as a 60-year-old Victorian woman who, despite her storied past, still flirts and makes insistent advances, even towards young men, was off-putting. I found it quite disgusting and it jarred with the rest of the narrative. It's also utterly absurd that at a certain point in the story, she, at 60 years old and without prior experience, manages to fly an airplane on her own after less than an hour of lessons. This is particularly unbelievable when Evie herself has taken countless lessons from aviators recovering from the war, preparing herself both practically, mentally, and physically.
3_The last thing that annoyed me a little was the constant and somewhat RIDICULOUS REFERENCES to Peter Pan and Wendy, and the famous fairy tale.
I've loved that fairy tale since I was a child, but in this context, it seemed a bit forced, and for a man of the world like Gabriel to constantly reference Peter Pan seemed a bit ridiculous and out of character.
******______ ******
In any case, the negative things I mentioned were only a minor annoyance for me; overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story, and the main characters and their friends stayed with me for several days after I finished reading.
Despite its few flaws, "City of Jasmine" is a fantastic read for those seeking adventure, historical intrigue, and an escape to a vibrant, bygone era.
April 28, 2014
I loved the lush atmosphere and gorgeous prose of A Spear of Summer Grass, but this one just didn't work for me.
Evie was outwardly more likeable than Delilah from Spear. A dashing aviatrix who exploits publicity and society's expectations while traveling the world with an eccentric aunt? One with a late husband who may have faked his own death in a shipwreck? The back cover blurb couldn't be more perfect.
Maybe my expectations were a tad too high, but Evie had no hope of meeting them. There was little depth to her beyond the tragic misunderstandings of her relationship. Her skills, knowledge, and interests seemed driven mostly by the needs of the plot. For example, she was portrayed as smart, cool-headed, and good with details, unless it was more dramatic for her to miss something she shouldn't have. Gabriel wasn't much of a charismatic lead, either.
Any sparks between them were based in what we were told about their whirlwind past. There's a prequel novella out there, one I didn't hear about until after finishing the book, that might have helped with that. But I don't think it's too much to expect a standalone romantic adventure to actually stand alone.
The pace was inconsistent, dragging us through some dull interactions while skimming past more interesting bits. Characters lectured each other to give exposition to the reader in awkward chunks of dialogue. There were several recurring literary references that felt like piling on too much of a good thing; it would have resonated more strongly if the book had been able to settle for using just one of them as a thematic touchstone. The plot was hopelessly convoluted as well, which wasn't helped by pointless connections to the author's other works.
One of Raybourn's biggest strengths as a writer is her flair for description and atmosphere, but even that felt shortchanged in favor of sharp-edged banter between characters I didn't care about.
The overall concept of this story was great. Too bad it never really came together.
Evie was outwardly more likeable than Delilah from Spear. A dashing aviatrix who exploits publicity and society's expectations while traveling the world with an eccentric aunt? One with a late husband who may have faked his own death in a shipwreck? The back cover blurb couldn't be more perfect.
Maybe my expectations were a tad too high, but Evie had no hope of meeting them. There was little depth to her beyond the tragic misunderstandings of her relationship. Her skills, knowledge, and interests seemed driven mostly by the needs of the plot. For example, she was portrayed as smart, cool-headed, and good with details, unless it was more dramatic for her to miss something she shouldn't have. Gabriel wasn't much of a charismatic lead, either.
Any sparks between them were based in what we were told about their whirlwind past. There's a prequel novella out there, one I didn't hear about until after finishing the book, that might have helped with that. But I don't think it's too much to expect a standalone romantic adventure to actually stand alone.
The pace was inconsistent, dragging us through some dull interactions while skimming past more interesting bits. Characters lectured each other to give exposition to the reader in awkward chunks of dialogue. There were several recurring literary references that felt like piling on too much of a good thing; it would have resonated more strongly if the book had been able to settle for using just one of them as a thematic touchstone. The plot was hopelessly convoluted as well, which wasn't helped by pointless connections to the author's other works.
One of Raybourn's biggest strengths as a writer is her flair for description and atmosphere, but even that felt shortchanged in favor of sharp-edged banter between characters I didn't care about.
The overall concept of this story was great. Too bad it never really came together.
March 6, 2014
How to review this without spilling all the beans? Most of what you need to know going in comes from the book blurb, so I'll cheat (I am three reviews behind):
"Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke never expected to see her husband, adventurer Gabriel Starke, ever again. They had been a golden couple, enjoying a whirlwind courtship amid the backdrop of a glittering social set in prewar London until his sudden death with the sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later, beginning to embrace life again, Evie embarks upon a flight around the world, collecting fame and admirers along the way. In the midst of her triumphant tour, she is shocked to receive a mysterious—and recent—photograph of Gabriel, which brings her ambitious stunt to a screeching halt."
I also recommend the short prequel to whet your appetite and see how the marriage first came about, Whisper Of Jasmine. Added plus for those who've read A Spear of Summer Grass, a glimpse of Delilah and her beloved Johnny just prior to WWI.
My thoughts? I loved it to bits and couldn't put it down. This was a grand mix of spies, adventures, dirty dealings, bait and switch and you never know what's going to happen next. Loved the Peter Pan, Wendy and the Lost Boys references. Oh, and romance too. I thought the desert setting was very well done, I do so like it when an author can make me feel like I'm there in the middle of it all. And the frosting on the cake? Aunt Dove - she was so much fun and stole every scene she was in.
“You know, I begin to see what Jane Digby was thinking in coming to live like this. It’s quite restful in its own way. If they could only mix a good whisky and water, I’d be tempted to stay.”
And...
"Where is Aunt Dove?”
I nodded towards the tent. “Inside. Reading to Arthur.”
He blinked. “She’s reading to the parrot?”
“Yes, the Q’uran. She said it’s only fair since he heard Mass in Rome.”
I do hope we'll get more of these two in the next book. If I read it correctly, there's still another treasure to be found in the desert...
Kindle copy obtained via library loan.
"Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke never expected to see her husband, adventurer Gabriel Starke, ever again. They had been a golden couple, enjoying a whirlwind courtship amid the backdrop of a glittering social set in prewar London until his sudden death with the sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later, beginning to embrace life again, Evie embarks upon a flight around the world, collecting fame and admirers along the way. In the midst of her triumphant tour, she is shocked to receive a mysterious—and recent—photograph of Gabriel, which brings her ambitious stunt to a screeching halt."
I also recommend the short prequel to whet your appetite and see how the marriage first came about, Whisper Of Jasmine. Added plus for those who've read A Spear of Summer Grass, a glimpse of Delilah and her beloved Johnny just prior to WWI.
My thoughts? I loved it to bits and couldn't put it down. This was a grand mix of spies, adventures, dirty dealings, bait and switch and you never know what's going to happen next. Loved the Peter Pan, Wendy and the Lost Boys references. Oh, and romance too. I thought the desert setting was very well done, I do so like it when an author can make me feel like I'm there in the middle of it all. And the frosting on the cake? Aunt Dove - she was so much fun and stole every scene she was in.
“You know, I begin to see what Jane Digby was thinking in coming to live like this. It’s quite restful in its own way. If they could only mix a good whisky and water, I’d be tempted to stay.”
And...
"Where is Aunt Dove?”
I nodded towards the tent. “Inside. Reading to Arthur.”
He blinked. “She’s reading to the parrot?”
“Yes, the Q’uran. She said it’s only fair since he heard Mass in Rome.”
I do hope we'll get more of these two in the next book. If I read it correctly, there's still another treasure to be found in the desert...
Kindle copy obtained via library loan.
February 27, 2014
I was nervous about this book, because I love this time period, but I don't care much for estranged married couple romance. However, Ms. Raybourn tackles both with beautiful grace. This book has wonderful atmosphere and Evie and Gabriel are both very endearing characters. The adventure was a much appreciated bonus.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
February 28, 2017
Good story full of adventure. I think DR is good at painting the picture for you. I really felt like I was there in the desert. Just like when I read A Spear of Summer Grass--the story was so vivid that I was right there in Africa. I really liked Evie and Gabriel. I kind of had a crush on Gabriel the whole time. I also loved Aunt Dove--she was a great character.
October 1, 2015
Deanna Raybourn's writing is spellbinding and her "Lady Julia" series is an all-time favorite of mine.
In "City Of Jasmine" she paints a wonderful picture of the lush, exotic European colonial outposts of the 1920's and takes us on one woman's journey to see the world.
Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke ends up finding danger, intrigue and a love once thought lost. Light hearted and entertaining we are taken on an action-packed adventure full of bloody sword fights, a high speed airplane chase, a lost relic in a desert hideaway, charming international characters and a romance full of witty back and forth banter.
Another wonderful read by Deanna Raybourn.
In "City Of Jasmine" she paints a wonderful picture of the lush, exotic European colonial outposts of the 1920's and takes us on one woman's journey to see the world.
Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke ends up finding danger, intrigue and a love once thought lost. Light hearted and entertaining we are taken on an action-packed adventure full of bloody sword fights, a high speed airplane chase, a lost relic in a desert hideaway, charming international characters and a romance full of witty back and forth banter.
Another wonderful read by Deanna Raybourn.
August 29, 2016
There are a lot of parallels between good writing and good cooking: it helps if you have decent ingredients but you need to be able to serve them up well too. While it's true the best cooks can make something delicious out of very little (read Courtney Milan's amuse-bouche here), over-cooking a meal or over-complicating the recipe is a sure way to ruin it.
All of which is a rather laboured way of saying that I think Deanna Raybourn has made an uncharacteristic dog's dinner of some decent ingredients. The starter is absolutely terrific, plunging us into Evie's project to fly round the Seven Ancient Seas, with some excellent secondary characters, especially Aunt Dove, who steals every scene she's even mentioned in -
"Where is Aunt Dove?”
I nodded towards the tent. “Inside. Reading to Arthur.”
He blinked. “She’s reading to the parrot?”
“Yes, the Q’uran. She said it’s only fair since he heard Mass in Rome.”
The most intriguing thing is Evie's back-story (her highly romantic, but doomed, marriage to Gabriel). She's then lured out to Syria by a photograph suggesting her dead husband isn't quite as dead as she'd thought, we get some fabulous descriptions of Damascus, and then - the soufflé collapses.
I think this was meant to be Indiana Jones or a screwball comedy, and once or twice there were exchanges that made me wonder whether I really had missed a moving love story -
He smiled again, and it was that beautiful smile I would take with me. “Time to go,” he said. “What did Peter say to Wendy? ‘“Now then, no fuss, no blubbering. Goodbye.’’”
I nodded, wiping my eyes on my sleeve. “I’ve only just realised—I thought you were Peter Pan. You’ve been the Scarlet Pimpernel all along.”
“No, love. Once a Lost Boy, always a Lost Boy.”
But I don't think so, somehow.
So, 2 stars because I need a not-entirely-unsensible plot: racing breathlessly round the desert is not an adequate substitute. Above all, I need my heroes and heroines to talk to & respect each other: Gabriel's lack of communication and Evie's plot-driven change of personality ruined that for me.
I expected Michelin-starred and I got McDonalds.
All of which is a rather laboured way of saying that I think Deanna Raybourn has made an uncharacteristic dog's dinner of some decent ingredients. The starter is absolutely terrific, plunging us into Evie's project to fly round the Seven Ancient Seas, with some excellent secondary characters, especially Aunt Dove, who steals every scene she's even mentioned in -
"Where is Aunt Dove?”
I nodded towards the tent. “Inside. Reading to Arthur.”
He blinked. “She’s reading to the parrot?”
“Yes, the Q’uran. She said it’s only fair since he heard Mass in Rome.”
The most intriguing thing is Evie's back-story (her highly romantic, but doomed, marriage to Gabriel). She's then lured out to Syria by a photograph suggesting her dead husband isn't quite as dead as she'd thought, we get some fabulous descriptions of Damascus, and then - the soufflé collapses.
I think this was meant to be Indiana Jones or a screwball comedy, and once or twice there were exchanges that made me wonder whether I really had missed a moving love story -
He smiled again, and it was that beautiful smile I would take with me. “Time to go,” he said. “What did Peter say to Wendy? ‘“Now then, no fuss, no blubbering. Goodbye.’’”
I nodded, wiping my eyes on my sleeve. “I’ve only just realised—I thought you were Peter Pan. You’ve been the Scarlet Pimpernel all along.”
“No, love. Once a Lost Boy, always a Lost Boy.”
But I don't think so, somehow.
So, 2 stars because I need a not-entirely-unsensible plot: racing breathlessly round the desert is not an adequate substitute. Above all, I need my heroes and heroines to talk to & respect each other: Gabriel's lack of communication and Evie's plot-driven change of personality ruined that for me.
I expected Michelin-starred and I got McDonalds.
March 4, 2017
I loved this! It's a historical adventure set in Damascus and the nearby desert during the 1920s. We have an intrepid British female pilot and her scandalous old aunt, a parrot, a dead husband not quite dead, archaeological treasure, and deadly pursuit across the desert.
Once again, Raybourn brought both the place and the time period alive. She put me down right in the desert with the sights and smells, and awoke my sympathies with the personal nature of the cultural conflicts after the Great War.
I liked it even better than A Spear of Summer Grass because it was more full of action and adventure. I also liked it better because there's none of the promiscuity that I disliked in that book, but Evie is still a liberated, willful heroine. I loved both her and Gabriel and their spirited sparring.
A note of caution - don't read the prequel novella before reading this! It gives too much background information. The mystery of Gabriel wasn't much of a mystery to me, unfortunately. I wish I knew how much I would have loved it without knowing anything about him beforehand.
Once again, Raybourn brought both the place and the time period alive. She put me down right in the desert with the sights and smells, and awoke my sympathies with the personal nature of the cultural conflicts after the Great War.
I liked it even better than A Spear of Summer Grass because it was more full of action and adventure. I also liked it better because there's none of the promiscuity that I disliked in that book, but Evie is still a liberated, willful heroine. I loved both her and Gabriel and their spirited sparring.
A note of caution - don't read the prequel novella before reading this! It gives too much background information. The mystery of Gabriel wasn't much of a mystery to me, unfortunately. I wish I knew how much I would have loved it without knowing anything about him beforehand.
October 26, 2014
Five years ago Evie married the handsome, charming, boyish Gabriel Starke after once dance. He then promptly broke her heart before dying on the Lusitania. Or did he? Evie has made her own way in the world first as a war nurse and now as a famed aviatrix. Just before setting out on one final trip in her beloved ancient plane, The Jolly Roger, she finds a mysterious photograph of Gabe in the desert she knows was taken recently. With her eccentric Aunt Dove in tow, Evie sets out for Damascus to find Gabe. When she does, she'll be sure to give him a piece of her mind and then properly divorce him as she meant to do so long ago. In Syria, she uncovers clues to her husband's whereabouts and believes he is involved in some sort of criminal activity. Together they embark on an adventure across the Syrian desert involving treasure, a thrilling chase and a deep and everlasting friendship with the Bedouin. Evie also discovers a lot of built up resentment and anger towards Gabe that she needs to work though. He's not the man she thought she married and she's not the girl she once was. She plans to stand by him and help him find this treasure he seeks and THEN she'll divorce him ... or will she?
This book is a companion to Night of a Thousand Stars. The action takes place just before Poppy winds up in the Levant. Even though I knew some of the story from Night of a Thousand Stars, I was curious enough to read this book. It's similar in plot, basically another view of the same story, but because it takes place earlier, there's a lot of political intrigue as well, which I found very interesting. Also, all the action takes place in the Badiyat ash-Sham, the great desert, is a major character in the role. The title of the novel is misleading. The descriptions in the novel of the landscape, the people and the culture are all so incredibly vivid and well-drawn. I got a better sense of the history and the setting from this novel than in the other. The author really excels as setting the scene. I liked learning all the ethnographic things that Evie liked too. The romance is fun. The bickering didn't annoy me so much because Evie had every reason to be angry and every reason to suspect Gabriel was what she thought he was. Even his name implies he's a fallen angel! There is one discreet love scene at the end but the story is PG-13. There are a few light-hearted moments to keep the story from being too dark. What I didn't like was the obvious spouting of anti-imperialist thoughts from the mouth of a well-educated British woman! I can see being anti-war after what she experienced as a nurse, and I don't know much about the post-WWI generation, but I would think she would be for King and Country, etc, etc. I also felt that the story didn't grab me and make my heart pound, I suppose because I already knew the outcome.
Aside from that possible inaccuracy, I really loved Evie. She's had a tough life and has finally come into her own and discovered who she is and what she wants. She still has some growing to do, which makes the story fun. I like how she grows and completely becomes a woman. Gabe is a bit too brooding for me. He's another poor little rich boy who longed for adventure. He has a lot of growing up to do, even in this story. He's had a rough couple of years too and is mature for his age, but still young and trying to figure out who he is. I didn't exactly find him romantic, or what he did noble, but I loved him for his convictions and for doing the right thing by his friends. My favorite characters are Aunt Dove, the eccentric Victorian lady traveler and Hector, her parrot. They add some levity to the story and I admire Aunt Dove for being her own person though she's a bit scandalous.
I really enjoyed this novel. It works as a stand-alone or part of a trilogy that includes Whisper of Jasmine and Night of a Thousand Stars. It is also related to Spear of Summer Grass
This book is a companion to Night of a Thousand Stars. The action takes place just before Poppy winds up in the Levant. Even though I knew some of the story from Night of a Thousand Stars, I was curious enough to read this book. It's similar in plot, basically another view of the same story, but because it takes place earlier, there's a lot of political intrigue as well, which I found very interesting. Also, all the action takes place in the Badiyat ash-Sham, the great desert, is a major character in the role. The title of the novel is misleading. The descriptions in the novel of the landscape, the people and the culture are all so incredibly vivid and well-drawn. I got a better sense of the history and the setting from this novel than in the other. The author really excels as setting the scene. I liked learning all the ethnographic things that Evie liked too. The romance is fun. The bickering didn't annoy me so much because Evie had every reason to be angry and every reason to suspect Gabriel was what she thought he was. Even his name implies he's a fallen angel! There is one discreet love scene at the end but the story is PG-13. There are a few light-hearted moments to keep the story from being too dark. What I didn't like was the obvious spouting of anti-imperialist thoughts from the mouth of a well-educated British woman! I can see being anti-war after what she experienced as a nurse, and I don't know much about the post-WWI generation, but I would think she would be for King and Country, etc, etc. I also felt that the story didn't grab me and make my heart pound, I suppose because I already knew the outcome.
Aside from that possible inaccuracy, I really loved Evie. She's had a tough life and has finally come into her own and discovered who she is and what she wants. She still has some growing to do, which makes the story fun. I like how she grows and completely becomes a woman. Gabe is a bit too brooding for me. He's another poor little rich boy who longed for adventure. He has a lot of growing up to do, even in this story. He's had a rough couple of years too and is mature for his age, but still young and trying to figure out who he is. I didn't exactly find him romantic, or what he did noble, but I loved him for his convictions and for doing the right thing by his friends. My favorite characters are Aunt Dove, the eccentric Victorian lady traveler and Hector, her parrot. They add some levity to the story and I admire Aunt Dove for being her own person though she's a bit scandalous.
I really enjoyed this novel. It works as a stand-alone or part of a trilogy that includes Whisper of Jasmine and Night of a Thousand Stars. It is also related to Spear of Summer Grass
January 4, 2014
What a pleasant surprise this book turned out to be.
Evie is an aviatrix in the 1920s, a widow to a dashing young adventurer, she is flying around on adventures and collecting sponsors with her aging, but young at heart aunt, who herself is a known adventures from her youth.
Evie has never really recovered from her failed marriage and her early widowhood, so when she get a mysterious message hinting that Gabriel might not be dead after all she can't ignore it.
Off to Damascus she goes and into an adventure that takes her places and introduce her to all sort of different people.
What a ride.
Adventure, romance, intrigue, action, archeological digs and history.
The thing is I'm usually judgmental and I pick on the smallest of things when it comes to writing about anything related to Islam or Arabs, because really authors just don't care very much about details and think they can get away with anything because really who knows better!
But as I got into this book I realized that the author has obviously done her research and I totally appreciated that. There were so many passages that impressed me but I wasn't sure I could quote from a galley.
But because old habits die hard I did wonder why they kept eating couscous instead of rice? They were in Syria and not in Morocco!
The characters were interesting, Evie was a strong heroine and Gabriel was dashing.
And there were many secondary characters that varied and sometimes surprised me totally.
But Humaid's character was more like the dashing young sheikh from romances, and I was left wanting more history on him, who was he really to have had an education in England?
Overall a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable book, and even though I have read for Deanna Raybourn once before, this book makes me want to read more.
This review is for a free copy courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley.
Evie is an aviatrix in the 1920s, a widow to a dashing young adventurer, she is flying around on adventures and collecting sponsors with her aging, but young at heart aunt, who herself is a known adventures from her youth.
Evie has never really recovered from her failed marriage and her early widowhood, so when she get a mysterious message hinting that Gabriel might not be dead after all she can't ignore it.
Off to Damascus she goes and into an adventure that takes her places and introduce her to all sort of different people.
What a ride.
Adventure, romance, intrigue, action, archeological digs and history.
The thing is I'm usually judgmental and I pick on the smallest of things when it comes to writing about anything related to Islam or Arabs, because really authors just don't care very much about details and think they can get away with anything because really who knows better!
But as I got into this book I realized that the author has obviously done her research and I totally appreciated that. There were so many passages that impressed me but I wasn't sure I could quote from a galley.
But because old habits die hard I did wonder why they kept eating couscous instead of rice? They were in Syria and not in Morocco!
The characters were interesting, Evie was a strong heroine and Gabriel was dashing.
And there were many secondary characters that varied and sometimes surprised me totally.
But Humaid's character was more like the dashing young sheikh from romances, and I was left wanting more history on him, who was he really to have had an education in England?
Overall a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable book, and even though I have read for Deanna Raybourn once before, this book makes me want to read more.
This review is for a free copy courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley.
October 15, 2015
City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn is a 2014 MIRA publication.
This book has a very long 'wait' list with my library so I've had to cool my heels waiting with much anticipation to read this book. Finally, this week, it became available to me after being 'on hold' for what seemed like an eternity. So, once I got it downloaded, I dropped everything else and dived into this book immediately.
This is a unique novel for this author, best known for her 'Lady Julia' historical mystery series. Set in the 1920's the adventuresome aviatrix Evangeline Starke, a woman well ahead of her time, is preparing for a whirlwind tour in her aeroplane, but takes a detour when a bombshell revelation takes her to Damascus in search of a long lost love and maybe even a priceless artifact.
I love historical adventures and the author does an amazing job of creating the atmosphere of the decade, with very vivid details of the surroundings, and introducing us to some very colorful characters, some of whom were terrible villains and some that I simply loved.
This story is all about intrigue, the hunt and fight for a priceless artifact, and the adventures Evangeline and Gabriel have while trying to retrieve the artifact and stay alive. This is also a love story, but it's very unconventional and I dare say some may balk at the outcome. It was a little hard to swallow sometimes and I admit, Gabriel was a tough nut to crack, and I never quite knew how to take him. Still, I couldn't help but forgive him in the end.
I really enjoyed going along on this adventure with Evangeline and Gabriel and this wonderfully zany and offbeat cast of characters. This is a satisfying and enjoyable historical mystery and romance, definitely worth the wait.
August 3, 2016
If Mary Stewart and Indiana Jones had a love child, it would be City of Jasmine, a fun read featuring a plucky aviatrix, a man back from the dead, a lost (and found, and lost again) treasure, a handful of archaeologists with hidden motives, and a tribe of Bedouins. Although the title refers to Damascus, most of the action (and I do mean action!) takes place in the Syrian desert. My only quibble was that, with WWI just over and the Mideast in turmoil, it never occurred to Evie to suspect that her husband might be doing something other than living a life of crime; still, the scene where she discovers the truth was so moving that I was glad not to miss it.
Oh, and another quibble that may not be the author's, but her editor's (and even if was hers, an editor should have caught it: (a) the past tense of sink is not "sunk," as seems to be increasingly common these days, but "sank," unless it follows has/have/was/were, etc.; and (b) one place read "Gabriel and I" where it should have been "Gabriel and me." (It isn't rocket science, people. All you have to do is leave of the other person(s), and read the sentence with only the first-person pronoun. The form you would use in this case is the correct form to use.)
Anyway, I finished the book and went straight to the prequel novella, Whisper of Jasmine, to read in more detail about Evie and Gabriel's first meeting and the whirlwind romance that followed.
Oh, and another quibble that may not be the author's, but her editor's (and even if was hers, an editor should have caught it: (a) the past tense of sink is not "sunk," as seems to be increasingly common these days, but "sank," unless it follows has/have/was/were, etc.; and (b) one place read "Gabriel and I" where it should have been "Gabriel and me." (It isn't rocket science, people. All you have to do is leave of the other person(s), and read the sentence with only the first-person pronoun. The form you would use in this case is the correct form to use.)
Anyway, I finished the book and went straight to the prequel novella, Whisper of Jasmine, to read in more detail about Evie and Gabriel's first meeting and the whirlwind romance that followed.
October 8, 2014
Famed aviatrix Evie Starke and her charming Aunt Dove are flying the seven seas of antiquity as part of a publicity tour when Evie recieves a mysterious photograph of her late husband. In Damascus and very much alive. So, naturally, Evie goes to Damascus to do some amateur sleuthing and what follows is a historical romance of the action-adventure variety. There is a lost relic and a desert hideaway, a high-speed airplane chase and a bloody sword fight, a band of Bedouins and an archaeologist or two of dubious background. There are even camels.
Maybe I read this at just the right time, but it was so much fun! Light-hearted and wildly entertaining, I just couldn't put it down. Sure, there were some info dumps about the state of political affairs in Syria, and some of the plot points were contrived (why couldn't Gabriel just contact Evie the traditional way instead of sending her on some goofball cloak-and-dagger search?), but the adventure just clipped along with its twists and turns, and the romance burned steadily on, fuelled by the main characters' acerbic (but witty!) banter and many, many misguided attempts to understand one another. Thoroughly enjoyable. I hope the author plans to write more about these characters.
Maybe I read this at just the right time, but it was so much fun! Light-hearted and wildly entertaining, I just couldn't put it down. Sure, there were some info dumps about the state of political affairs in Syria, and some of the plot points were contrived (why couldn't Gabriel just contact Evie the traditional way instead of sending her on some goofball cloak-and-dagger search?), but the adventure just clipped along with its twists and turns, and the romance burned steadily on, fuelled by the main characters' acerbic (but witty!) banter and many, many misguided attempts to understand one another. Thoroughly enjoyable. I hope the author plans to write more about these characters.
October 25, 2015
This is a hard book for me to review. I listed to the audio book and absolutely hated the narrator. Her voice was so wrong for Evie Starke and was so annoying to listen to that I almost didn't continue with the audio book. It must be a credit to the story and writing since I did push through the horrible narration and even found myself enjoying it after a while but it did take me a while.
I felt like the story took a while to build steam and really capture my interest but I did really enjoy the desert/Damascus setting and characters. I did expect a bit more cleverness when it came to the mystery- I had most things figured out after very early on and I didn't really care all too much about the relic they were chasing. I guess I expected a bit more since I love the Lady Julia series and how clever and intriguing the mysteries were. This book was more about the characters journey and their unresolved issues, with the mystery taking a backseat.
So while not my favorite Deanna Raybourn book, I did enjoy the story- once I could block out the painful voice narrating the book.
I felt like the story took a while to build steam and really capture my interest but I did really enjoy the desert/Damascus setting and characters. I did expect a bit more cleverness when it came to the mystery- I had most things figured out after very early on and I didn't really care all too much about the relic they were chasing. I guess I expected a bit more since I love the Lady Julia series and how clever and intriguing the mysteries were. This book was more about the characters journey and their unresolved issues, with the mystery taking a backseat.
So while not my favorite Deanna Raybourn book, I did enjoy the story- once I could block out the painful voice narrating the book.
October 10, 2014
Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke married her wildchild husband after knowing him just one night, and though it was a relationship full of passion they were on the verge of divorce when he died suddenly in the sinking of the Lusitania. Or did he? Five years later Evie discovers he just may be alive, which sets her off on a crazy quest to find him and get some answers. With lovely sensory-rich writing and a charming cast of international characters, including Evie’s Aunt Dove who in her younger days had been one of those forward-thinking, world-traveling Victorian women, City of Jasmine is an entertaining escape, though I missed Aunt Dove when Evie set off across the desert without her. Part romance and part a fast-paced Indiana Jones type adventure it manages to include both Peter Pan themes and post-WWI Mideast politics.
July 17, 2016
First Deanna Raybourn that I am not particularly fussed about. Sort of got bogged down in the middle and I was like ho hum get out of the desert already. Which is telling in itself because all her other books I have been riveted from the very first page.
February 2, 2015
Oh, I really enjoyed this book so much! Loved this new part that this book really joined the Lady Julia series! Can't wait to read more!
December 19, 2013
Thanks to the gorgeous writing, the sense of place was incredible, seriously. Deanna Raybourn outdid herself there!
September 6, 2023
This book really has everything- it’s like Indiana Jones meets James Bond meets the new Emily Henry rom com. And all in a captivating setting!
February 19, 2014
After the set up in Whisper of Jasmine, I was properly intrigued to jump into this story. It is set against the days just following WWI in the politically unstable area of newly emerging Syria. Against the back drop of mystery and intrigue along with desert adventure, a woman intrepidly pursues the truth about the husband she once thought dead. From the sweeping colorful descriptions of the place and time period, to the deft handling of the characters, and to the engaging twisting plot, this book delivered on all my heightened expectations.
Evie Starke, adventurous female aviatrix, along with her eccentric Aunt Dove and stolid mechanic friend, Wally are traversing the world on a sponsored tour with her plane when she receives a photo of a man she thought was dead. Five years before, Evie's soon to be ex-husband, Gabriel Starke, had been listed as one of those who died in the Lusitania disaster. Either the photo is a hoax or Gabriel is very much alive. And if he's alive, there are a slew more questions that she wants answered. She walked away once when the man she loved and married changed and practically drove her away with his cold, odd behavior, but that was a lifetime ago in which she has grown up. Now she wants answers.
The photo was sent from Damascus so to that ancient city she goes with Aunt Dove providing a splash of color and her different view on life. Evie immerses herself into the city and culture even as someone drops her breadcrumb-like clues that continue to hint that Gabriel is indeed still alive. She keeps her eyes open and allow the clues to lead her along to figure out what is going on. What she discovers leads her into the desert to join an archeological expedition where all is not as it seems and that leads her further into danger out in the desert sand where desperate people are all seeking the same thing. Evie's need for the truth crosses with other people's greed and it will take her guts, a bit of luck, and a jaunty Jolly Roger to see her through.
I was into this one from cover to cover. I loved the feel of being dropped into the Near East during the early part of the 20s when so much was going on. There was a mysterious and yet romantic feel to this one like being dropped into a modish Arabian nights. It's a romantic suspense story set in Lawrence of Arabia if that makes sense. Along with admiring the way the story made me feel, was my enjoyment for how the romance and suspense plots played out.
Since I read the prequel, I was well aware of what contributed to the break-up of Gabriel and Evie's marriage and I also knew what he had been up to for the last five years even though she was forced to figure it all out. In ways, I wish I had read the prequel after this book so I could be properly surprised by the secret reveals as Evie. In fact, I'll say it now that if you're reading this and haven't read either book and prefer a more suspenseful story then don't read the prequel until after. Trust me it will keep just fine. This story can be read without the other.
There is a point in the story that I had so many characters on the suspect list and I wasn't even entirely sure that I had right end of the stick anyway. Even the trustworthy people had their secrets and their own agendas going. I love that feeling.
Naturally, the romance was more of a delicate thing. There was so much that needed to be cleared between Evie and Gabriel, but it always had to wait until other pressing issues were dealt with. The tension was palpable. The story is all from Evie's perspective so there were only hints of what Gabriel was thinking and feeling. He hid behind a face of indifference much of the time, but Evie managed to crack his facade once in a while and I felt the triumph in this right along with her. She had every reason to bring down a storm around his ears for what he put her through, but she was one tough, admirable heroine. Yeah, she fired off some snark, but its not like he didn't bait her into it half the time. Five years made a huge difference with these two. I enjoyed watching them realize the changes in each other and accept them. I really liked them both and I liked them together when all is said and done.
To wrap it up, this was another smashing hit by one of my favorite authors. I can easily recommend this book to those who love historical romantic suspense with the added bonus of an exotic setting.
My thanks to Net Galley for providing this book in exchange for my honest review thoughts.
Evie Starke, adventurous female aviatrix, along with her eccentric Aunt Dove and stolid mechanic friend, Wally are traversing the world on a sponsored tour with her plane when she receives a photo of a man she thought was dead. Five years before, Evie's soon to be ex-husband, Gabriel Starke, had been listed as one of those who died in the Lusitania disaster. Either the photo is a hoax or Gabriel is very much alive. And if he's alive, there are a slew more questions that she wants answered. She walked away once when the man she loved and married changed and practically drove her away with his cold, odd behavior, but that was a lifetime ago in which she has grown up. Now she wants answers.
The photo was sent from Damascus so to that ancient city she goes with Aunt Dove providing a splash of color and her different view on life. Evie immerses herself into the city and culture even as someone drops her breadcrumb-like clues that continue to hint that Gabriel is indeed still alive. She keeps her eyes open and allow the clues to lead her along to figure out what is going on. What she discovers leads her into the desert to join an archeological expedition where all is not as it seems and that leads her further into danger out in the desert sand where desperate people are all seeking the same thing. Evie's need for the truth crosses with other people's greed and it will take her guts, a bit of luck, and a jaunty Jolly Roger to see her through.
I was into this one from cover to cover. I loved the feel of being dropped into the Near East during the early part of the 20s when so much was going on. There was a mysterious and yet romantic feel to this one like being dropped into a modish Arabian nights. It's a romantic suspense story set in Lawrence of Arabia if that makes sense. Along with admiring the way the story made me feel, was my enjoyment for how the romance and suspense plots played out.
Since I read the prequel, I was well aware of what contributed to the break-up of Gabriel and Evie's marriage and I also knew what he had been up to for the last five years even though she was forced to figure it all out. In ways, I wish I had read the prequel after this book so I could be properly surprised by the secret reveals as Evie. In fact, I'll say it now that if you're reading this and haven't read either book and prefer a more suspenseful story then don't read the prequel until after. Trust me it will keep just fine. This story can be read without the other.
There is a point in the story that I had so many characters on the suspect list and I wasn't even entirely sure that I had right end of the stick anyway. Even the trustworthy people had their secrets and their own agendas going. I love that feeling.
Naturally, the romance was more of a delicate thing. There was so much that needed to be cleared between Evie and Gabriel, but it always had to wait until other pressing issues were dealt with. The tension was palpable. The story is all from Evie's perspective so there were only hints of what Gabriel was thinking and feeling. He hid behind a face of indifference much of the time, but Evie managed to crack his facade once in a while and I felt the triumph in this right along with her. She had every reason to bring down a storm around his ears for what he put her through, but she was one tough, admirable heroine. Yeah, she fired off some snark, but its not like he didn't bait her into it half the time. Five years made a huge difference with these two. I enjoyed watching them realize the changes in each other and accept them. I really liked them both and I liked them together when all is said and done.
To wrap it up, this was another smashing hit by one of my favorite authors. I can easily recommend this book to those who love historical romantic suspense with the added bonus of an exotic setting.
My thanks to Net Galley for providing this book in exchange for my honest review thoughts.
December 17, 2018
2018 Monthly Challenge: December "My favorite things": 2. favorite scent or fragrance: Jasmine
The book has the necessary ingredients to be of my liking, but the final result has not been as I expected, too many unnecessary complications in the relationship between Evie and Gabriel, especially the unfair way in which he treats her. In spite of everything, the book has wonderful scenes, especially those carried out by Aunt Dove.
The book has the necessary ingredients to be of my liking, but the final result has not been as I expected, too many unnecessary complications in the relationship between Evie and Gabriel, especially the unfair way in which he treats her. In spite of everything, the book has wonderful scenes, especially those carried out by Aunt Dove.
June 22, 2020
I just re-read this for the millionth time and released I never transferred my book gush from my old book blog from there to here so GUSH
I am book-crushing on this book so hard I cannot even think straight.
I just wander around dreamily and want to draw Gabriel's name over and over on a notebook, scribbling hearts around it.
City of Jasmine is all of the books you love and all of the banter you love spanning through all of the great romances you love. Its Lawrence of Arabia setting is populated by the brilliant aviatrix Evangeline Starke. Years ago at a New Year's Eve party on the cusp of the Great War, Evie met the dashing and improbably charming Gabriel Starke and eloped with him. But as fast as you can say Percy Blakeney is a Demm'd Elusive Pimpernel he changed and got cold and their passion flickered dim. Evie found herself married to a stranger and drew up divorce papers just as Gabriel was reported lost with the Lusitania.
Five years after his death, she senses him around her: in an old song and photograph, a few cryptic messages, the fact that try as she might to escape to the other side of the world--barnstorming with beautiful lipstick and gorgeously taut curls-- he is never far from her mind. Thus, it is rather convenient when he turns out to be not-quite dead after all. In fact, very much alive and very much on the trail of a priceless religious artifact.
Nothing says couples' therapy like wandering through the desert being swung at, sliced at and shot at alongside a man who has become a stranger in life while still haunting your dreams.
If a book can be heartbreaking and beautifully funny at the same time: if it can have the first tang of a martini with immediate rush of intoxication even before your fingers fully tingle --- it is this. If it can act as a looking glass to which you see, in heightened coloured goodness, all of the romances that have swept you into the past, then this is it. This is it. This is Charles Boyer describing the subway to Hedy Lamar in Algiers. This is Percy kissing the stone steps where Marguerite's slipper has trod in The Scarlet Pimpernel this is Emerson Radcliffe and Amelia Peabody's first shirt-button-popping encounter in Elizabeth Peters' series.
And yet-- it is the best homage: for even as it wades wistfully into the great romances of the past, so Raybourn's voice is charmingly unique and knowing --- a sly wink and a raised glass --she knows you know and the whole thing is just jolly fun with this achingly perfect self consciousness.
I cannot express how breathlessly in love with this book I am. I read it first in one sitting and then picked it up and began at the beginning and it has been lulling around in my brain like an unending tune ever since.
Can we have a moment to nod to Longfellow here and his ballad to gorgeous L'Acadie? Poetry is a major motif in the prequel novella Whisper of Jasmine as in this novel and it is five times more swoon worthy than the most blatantly visceral sequence d'amour you might ever read. The characters are pitch perfect, the banter is sublime ( stay tuned for an entire blog post JUST on my favourite quotes) and the setting--oh the gloriously be-jewelled setting, sonorous and sweet with opaque and turquoise tones, whiffs of gorgeous scents, the lushly harsh desert, ancient ruins and the hint of mysticism at an artifact linked to Christ.
I cannot handle this book. I am just going to go pass out from sheer love in a corner and someone can bring me smelling salts. I have been ruined for real life, I died a thousand deaths and I still taste my favourite words on the tip of my tongue. This is a book I want to dream in.
I am book-crushing on this book so hard I cannot even think straight.
I just wander around dreamily and want to draw Gabriel's name over and over on a notebook, scribbling hearts around it.
City of Jasmine is all of the books you love and all of the banter you love spanning through all of the great romances you love. Its Lawrence of Arabia setting is populated by the brilliant aviatrix Evangeline Starke. Years ago at a New Year's Eve party on the cusp of the Great War, Evie met the dashing and improbably charming Gabriel Starke and eloped with him. But as fast as you can say Percy Blakeney is a Demm'd Elusive Pimpernel he changed and got cold and their passion flickered dim. Evie found herself married to a stranger and drew up divorce papers just as Gabriel was reported lost with the Lusitania.
Five years after his death, she senses him around her: in an old song and photograph, a few cryptic messages, the fact that try as she might to escape to the other side of the world--barnstorming with beautiful lipstick and gorgeously taut curls-- he is never far from her mind. Thus, it is rather convenient when he turns out to be not-quite dead after all. In fact, very much alive and very much on the trail of a priceless religious artifact.
Nothing says couples' therapy like wandering through the desert being swung at, sliced at and shot at alongside a man who has become a stranger in life while still haunting your dreams.
If a book can be heartbreaking and beautifully funny at the same time: if it can have the first tang of a martini with immediate rush of intoxication even before your fingers fully tingle --- it is this. If it can act as a looking glass to which you see, in heightened coloured goodness, all of the romances that have swept you into the past, then this is it. This is it. This is Charles Boyer describing the subway to Hedy Lamar in Algiers. This is Percy kissing the stone steps where Marguerite's slipper has trod in The Scarlet Pimpernel this is Emerson Radcliffe and Amelia Peabody's first shirt-button-popping encounter in Elizabeth Peters' series.
And yet-- it is the best homage: for even as it wades wistfully into the great romances of the past, so Raybourn's voice is charmingly unique and knowing --- a sly wink and a raised glass --she knows you know and the whole thing is just jolly fun with this achingly perfect self consciousness.
I cannot express how breathlessly in love with this book I am. I read it first in one sitting and then picked it up and began at the beginning and it has been lulling around in my brain like an unending tune ever since.
Can we have a moment to nod to Longfellow here and his ballad to gorgeous L'Acadie? Poetry is a major motif in the prequel novella Whisper of Jasmine as in this novel and it is five times more swoon worthy than the most blatantly visceral sequence d'amour you might ever read. The characters are pitch perfect, the banter is sublime ( stay tuned for an entire blog post JUST on my favourite quotes) and the setting--oh the gloriously be-jewelled setting, sonorous and sweet with opaque and turquoise tones, whiffs of gorgeous scents, the lushly harsh desert, ancient ruins and the hint of mysticism at an artifact linked to Christ.
I cannot handle this book. I am just going to go pass out from sheer love in a corner and someone can bring me smelling salts. I have been ruined for real life, I died a thousand deaths and I still taste my favourite words on the tip of my tongue. This is a book I want to dream in.
October 22, 2014
Featured in a "Pair It With" on Intellectual Recreation.
I am a longtime fan of Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia mysteries. City of Jasmine is the first time I have read one of her 1920s novels.
City of Jasmine stars aviatrix Evangeline Stark (I love her name). She is doing a tour of the seven seas in her airplane when she receives a mysterious photograph of her husband Gabriel Stark taken near Damascus. Everyone thought that Gabriel drowned with the Lusitania. Evie makes a detour from her tour to head to Damascus and put to rest her feelings for Gabriel once and for all.
City of Jasmine is kind of cross between Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia, and Amelia Earhart. Unfortunately it doesn't quite live up to the awesomeness of any of these things. Gabriel, like Brisbane of the Lady Julia novels, is surly and difficult and the keeper many secrets. Evie feels the need to constantly assert her independence (I don't blame her, it is the 1920s), but she is also naive and tempestuous. The two spend so much time bickering. Granted bickering does seem to be Gabriel's love language, and he also uses these little spats to distract Evie from his secrets, but I got so tired of reading about the two fighting.
My favorite part of the novel was the time spent in the Bedouin camp. One of the central issues of the book was the intervention of western Europe in the affairs of the Middle East and its outcomes.
I have not read A Spear of Summer Grass but there are
connections between the characters in that novel and City of Jasmine. I would say it's something of a companion novel. The short story Whisper of Jasmine appears to securely connect the two novels.
Review copy from NetGalley
February 20, 2014
First of all, I highly recommend reading the prequel to this novel: Whisper of Jasmine. It shows how Evie and Gabriel met, and gives good insight into the beginning of their relationship.
That being said, City of Jasmine takes place in 1920 Syria, and seeing as how I didn't know a whole lot of what was going on in that area then, I learned a lot. Evie and Gabriel were thrown into lots of adventures and came across a lot of suspicious characters, some dangerous, some just shady. The descriptions and seeing the area through the eyes of Evie totally brought the country to life. The descriptions were not overdone, but were the right amount.
While I miss the Lady Julia books, I'm just happy to have another book by Deanna Raybourn. Her style and feisty, independent heroines are still strong in books like City of Jasmine.
I couldn't put this down! Deanna Raybourn fans will not be disappointed.
That being said, City of Jasmine takes place in 1920 Syria, and seeing as how I didn't know a whole lot of what was going on in that area then, I learned a lot. Evie and Gabriel were thrown into lots of adventures and came across a lot of suspicious characters, some dangerous, some just shady. The descriptions and seeing the area through the eyes of Evie totally brought the country to life. The descriptions were not overdone, but were the right amount.
While I miss the Lady Julia books, I'm just happy to have another book by Deanna Raybourn. Her style and feisty, independent heroines are still strong in books like City of Jasmine.
I couldn't put this down! Deanna Raybourn fans will not be disappointed.
December 17, 2015
I'm abandoning this one. I gave it a good try but halfway through, I've decided to move on. I wanted a lighthearted adventure, which it is, but I don't like either of the main characters. I think I've also grown weary of Deanna Raybourn's (to me) formulaic characters: headstrong woman determined to have her way, ignoring any warnings from growling, exasperated man, jumping into impossibly dangerous situations and coming out unscathed. More than that, I'm tired of bickering, bantering couples who enjoy lashing out at each other. This relationship was one I particularly did not understand or feel invested in.
September 17, 2015
Oh my god, this book was terrible. I don't even know why I finished, except, I suppose, if the author went with the completely predictable ending or if she actually took the road less traveled (spoiler: she didn't).
It feels poorly researched, reductive, and full of stereotypes. I felt zero sympathy for Evie - she's sad because the man she married after knowing him for ONE DAY isn't the knight in shining armor she thought she was? No kidding. The only worthwhile character was Aunt Dove, and she is hardly in it. Ugh.
Don't bother with this one.
It feels poorly researched, reductive, and full of stereotypes. I felt zero sympathy for Evie - she's sad because the man she married after knowing him for ONE DAY isn't the knight in shining armor she thought she was? No kidding. The only worthwhile character was Aunt Dove, and she is hardly in it. Ugh.
Don't bother with this one.
November 28, 2014
I loved Deanna Raybourn's novella Whisper of Jasmine, so how did her full-length novel City of Jasmine measure up? Stop by the blog to see the full review of this wonderful book!
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
February 11, 2020
I read this book because I enjoyed the Veronica Speedwell series that Raybourn wrote. This is pretty much the same, but without the same familiar London, auxiliary characters, and gripping mystery. Even though this was was more an adventure novel, it still read very much like what you'd want out of a Raybourn story: plucky main character, dark broody love interest, supportive-but-eccentric aunt, etc.
I didn't like it as much as I thought and found the setting and the descriptions of the people a little old-fashioned, bordering on offensive, so 3 stars for now.
I didn't like it as much as I thought and found the setting and the descriptions of the people a little old-fashioned, bordering on offensive, so 3 stars for now.
October 23, 2020
I listened to this in the last days of Audible Escape (the soon to be extinct Romance Package) and liked it a lot. It is a nice mixture of adventure and romance, with lost treasure, betrayed love and an interesting cast of side characters. The author did very well with the historical setting, while addressing issues of colonialism, imperialism, racism and feminism, all the while spinning her yarn.
I thought the narrator did a very good job with the many different dialects and accents. It was quite an immersive listen for me.
I thought the narrator did a very good job with the many different dialects and accents. It was quite an immersive listen for me.
August 10, 2016
Deanna Raybourn's new book took me from the bitter Midwestern winter to the warm, exotic environs of Damascus in 1920. Five years after Evie Starke's short marriage imploded when she left her cold, distant husband, she is still reeling. Gabriel was presumed drowned on the Lusitania, but Evie, beset by self-doubt, has been unable to move on. One of the things she has learned is "how to put things in a cupboard and shut the door when it isn't time to deal with them."
Her marriage is a rather large thing in that cupboard. And since archaeologist Gabriel is not, in fact, dead, Evie is forced to open up that particular door. Gabriel lures Evie to Damascus in order to place a priceless artifact into her keeping, but his plan goes awry, and Evie ends up joining him in the desert, where they face danger along with the ghosts of their past.
Raybourn writes with her usual wit and poignancy, seamlessly weaving in past characters. She also introduces her usual assortment of memorable supporting characters. I especially loved Evie's flighty but dedicated Aunt Dove, and Gabriel's boyhood friend Hamid, a Bedouin sheikh with a fondness for Romantic poetry.
Evie, who has Delilah Drummond's sass and Julia Brisbane's naivete, wants to protect Gabriel from whatever danger he is in and also wants to protect him from himself. And yes, she is curious about what he wants from her. At one point, Evie asks Gabriel why he came back, and when he says he wants to make amends, she scoffs. "Gabriel, you make amends when you play the wrong suit in a game of bridge. You cannot possibly make amends for faking your own death."
Gabriel wants to atone for the past, but he is unable to confide in Evie, and she sees that as one more betrayal. Emotionally, she has become able to express her feelings and her independence, as she does when she rips into Gabriel mid-novel: "I spent the whole of our blessedly short marriage doing what you wanted. ... I let you have your way about everything and where did it get me? Standing on the deck of a steamer in Shanghai watching you walk away without a care in the world while I broke my heart over you. Well, I'm not that girl. I never was. ... Here I am, Gabriel -- the girl you should have married but didn't. I smoke cigars and I barnstorm and I wear red lipstick and I do as I damned well please. And when this is all over ... I am going to divorce you and we won't ever have to see each other again. But at least you'll know what you were missing."
Of course, neither wants the marriage to end, but the couple must come to terms with Gabriel's past choices and Evie's misguided assumptions, as well as with various people who are chasing, stealing from, and occasionally trying to kill the pair of them. The intrigue, politics and history, as well done as they are, were secondary. For me, the real joy of the novel was watching Evie and Gabriel sort out the past, work through the present and move into the future.
Raybourn tells the story from her heroine's viewpoint, as she has done in past novels. Here, though, we get more insight into the hero than in past books. At one point, Evie lashes out at Gabriel for the way he turned from the charming, laughing man she married into a polite and cold stranger. "You wrecked my memories of that dashing, impossibly wonderful boy I fell in love with when you went. You might have at least left me that." And Gabriel, ashamed, answers, "There are too many sins on my account to number, but I think that must be the most terrible." We also see at times, as Evie does, the pain and despair in his face. But we can see, where she cannot, that no matter what happened in the past, Gabriel still loves her. We later see Gabriel berate himself with what-ifs (as Raybourn writes, "the two most torturous words in the English language.")
As the book draws to a close in the desert outside Damascus, we learn along with Evie what really lay behind the unraveling of her marriage and what Gabriel has really been doing during their years apart. We get a resolution to the theft of the artifact Gabriel has been chasing. We see Gabriel's Bedouin friends come close to self-governance, only to have it taken away. Most importantly, we see Evie grow into a self-assured woman at peace with her past -- and at peace with her future.
Her marriage is a rather large thing in that cupboard. And since archaeologist Gabriel is not, in fact, dead, Evie is forced to open up that particular door. Gabriel lures Evie to Damascus in order to place a priceless artifact into her keeping, but his plan goes awry, and Evie ends up joining him in the desert, where they face danger along with the ghosts of their past.
Raybourn writes with her usual wit and poignancy, seamlessly weaving in past characters. She also introduces her usual assortment of memorable supporting characters. I especially loved Evie's flighty but dedicated Aunt Dove, and Gabriel's boyhood friend Hamid, a Bedouin sheikh with a fondness for Romantic poetry.
Evie, who has Delilah Drummond's sass and Julia Brisbane's naivete, wants to protect Gabriel from whatever danger he is in and also wants to protect him from himself. And yes, she is curious about what he wants from her. At one point, Evie asks Gabriel why he came back, and when he says he wants to make amends, she scoffs. "Gabriel, you make amends when you play the wrong suit in a game of bridge. You cannot possibly make amends for faking your own death."
Gabriel wants to atone for the past, but he is unable to confide in Evie, and she sees that as one more betrayal. Emotionally, she has become able to express her feelings and her independence, as she does when she rips into Gabriel mid-novel: "I spent the whole of our blessedly short marriage doing what you wanted. ... I let you have your way about everything and where did it get me? Standing on the deck of a steamer in Shanghai watching you walk away without a care in the world while I broke my heart over you. Well, I'm not that girl. I never was. ... Here I am, Gabriel -- the girl you should have married but didn't. I smoke cigars and I barnstorm and I wear red lipstick and I do as I damned well please. And when this is all over ... I am going to divorce you and we won't ever have to see each other again. But at least you'll know what you were missing."
Of course, neither wants the marriage to end, but the couple must come to terms with Gabriel's past choices and Evie's misguided assumptions, as well as with various people who are chasing, stealing from, and occasionally trying to kill the pair of them. The intrigue, politics and history, as well done as they are, were secondary. For me, the real joy of the novel was watching Evie and Gabriel sort out the past, work through the present and move into the future.
Raybourn tells the story from her heroine's viewpoint, as she has done in past novels. Here, though, we get more insight into the hero than in past books. At one point, Evie lashes out at Gabriel for the way he turned from the charming, laughing man she married into a polite and cold stranger. "You wrecked my memories of that dashing, impossibly wonderful boy I fell in love with when you went. You might have at least left me that." And Gabriel, ashamed, answers, "There are too many sins on my account to number, but I think that must be the most terrible." We also see at times, as Evie does, the pain and despair in his face. But we can see, where she cannot, that no matter what happened in the past, Gabriel still loves her. We later see Gabriel berate himself with what-ifs (as Raybourn writes, "the two most torturous words in the English language.")
As the book draws to a close in the desert outside Damascus, we learn along with Evie what really lay behind the unraveling of her marriage and what Gabriel has really been doing during their years apart. We get a resolution to the theft of the artifact Gabriel has been chasing. We see Gabriel's Bedouin friends come close to self-governance, only to have it taken away. Most importantly, we see Evie grow into a self-assured woman at peace with her past -- and at peace with her future.
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