This is the third title I have read by Christina Courtenay and I have already come to realise that she is a talented author with a passion for the places that she writes about as well as creating believable characters. The Scarlet Kimono met my expectations of romance and adventure in a historical setting. This time the story is set in 17C Japan and her obvious fascination in Japan shows in the meticulous attention to detail. The culture differences between the UK and Japan are well described and I felt that I had learnt a little about Japanese history when I finished the book. In my opinion it is always a bonus to learn something as well enjoy a good romantic adventure.
The heroine of the story is Hannah Marston who to escape an arranged marriage that she is very much against decides to stow away on one of her father's trading ships which is about to depart on an expedition that will take them to Japan and away from the UK for many years. Hannah believes that she will be safe as her brother is part of the expedition crew. Of course nothing is as easy as she had imagined and she finds herself pushed to her limits just to survive the voyage. Once they reach Japan, Hannah decides all the suffering was worthwhile, little does she know her greatest challenges still lie ahead of her. The male protagonist,Taro Kumashiro has been warned of her arrival and that she is a danger of some sort, so he arranges to have kidnapped. However what happens when fear turns to love in the clash of cultures between Hannah and Taro? Survive she does but for the details of how you will have to read the story yourself.
This was a very satisfying read and I think within the genre her novels are well worth reading. If you enjoy historical romance then I recommend you give Christina Courtenay's novels a try. I am already looking forward to the next one.
Author Profile: Christina Courtenay
Christina Courtenay lives in London and is married with two children. Although born in England, she is half Swedish and was brought up in Sweden. In her teens, the family moved to Japan and she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East and other parts of the world.
Christina is a committee member of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She has won two of their prizes - The Elizabeth Goudge Trophy for a historical short story in 2001 and the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2006.
Her debut novel Trade Winds was short-listed for the Pure Passion Award for Best Historical Fiction 2011. Her second novel, The Scarlet Kimono, received the Best Historical Fiction prize for the Big Red Read 2011, and her third novel, Highland Storms, won the RoNA (Romantic Novelists Association Award) for Best Historical Romantic Novel 2012. As well as her novels, Christina has had four Regency novellas published, all available in Large Print and soon to be released for Kindle.
Her hobbies include genealogy, archaeology (the armchair variety), listening to loud rock music and collecting things.
My reviews for Christina Courtenay’s other novels can be read by clicking on the links.
Trade Winds Highland Storms Her latest novel The Silent Touch of Shadows was published in July and is on My Wishlist
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Amazon Author Profile Goodreads Profile Christina Courtenay Official Website