Far From Reality

Description from Goodreads 

Maidservant Yue-ying is not one of those beauties. Street-smart and practical, she's content to live in the shadow of her infamous mistress—until she meets the aristocratic playboy Bai Huang.

 Bai Huang lives in a privileged world Yue-ying can barely imagine, yet alone share, but as they are thrown together in an attempt to solve a deadly mystery, they both start to dream of a different life. Yet Bai Huang's position means that all she could ever be to him is his concubine—will she sacrifice her pride to follow her heart?

I love my fiction books, I love action and blood and gore and epic adventures, but romance? Not so much. Unless you mention the name Jeannie Lin, then I am willing to read her masterfull chinese romance fictions. It is something about the way she makes the characters come alive and makes you actually care for them. The careful storytelling and the descriptions are so lyrical and the amount of time she spends on research is commendable. 

The characters are both charming and multi-faceted. Yue-Ying is a great main leader, she is shy ad self dependant. loyal and hard-headed. She would do anything for Mingyu. When she witnesses a dead body (murder) she is thrown into a conspiracy that will shatter her would and everything she has known. Our other hero Bai is a lovable fool who may or may not be who he says he is. 

The romance was sweet and believeable, there were points were i was going 'awwww' and 'nooo!' I really got inot it. The mystery part was also pretty good, It gave you little hints and you think you know who it is but then you don't and it was a great revelation.

 If this is your first book by Jeanie Lin, do not expect any action (Go to TheSword Dancer) for that, but do expect a lovely ride that will melt your heart and warm your day.