Rating: 
Summary: Unique Historical Romance
Review: This does not start out as your typcial romance read at all. Expect the unexpected from M.J. Putney. She takes what could be a totally familiar walk through familiar territory and makes it her own unique story.The story takes place in China in the late 1800s. Kyle is an English merchant in China. Troth is a Chinese/Scottish young lady posing as a male translator. The fact that Troth is Chinese and Scottish is in itself unique. I don't recall ever reading any romance featuring that particular heritage. Troth's mother was a Chinese lady who's marriage to the Scottish man was arranged. Her mother told Troth she came to love her husband. So Troth is a product of a totally unique marriage. When Troth meets Kyle she never means to fall in love. Something about Kyle caught her attention. He instantly noticed Troth also. But since she was disguised as a male, his fascination with Troth seemed unexplained. The story does go into a great deal of historical detail. Other reviews have said the detail bogged the story down. I do not think so. I love history. History is why I love reading historical romances. The story goes into the background of China opening its doors to the rest of the world to buy and sell. It talks about the opium trade, which became the Boxer Rebellion. Ms. Putney does a very even handed job of telling all this so it is not slanted to make the Chinese look perfect, or the Europeans, English and Americans involved in the buying and selling of goods, such as ginsing, fabric etc look totally bad either. If you want a cookie cutter romance, read a Harlequin romance. If you want something a bit unique and different from all the other romances, read The China Bride. It is unique. How many books start out with the hero dead, the heroine falling at the feet of the hero's identical twin brother and go from there? It takes a real talent to start a book out with such a depressing beginning and pull the story out of the fire. I will not spoil the story by telling you how Kyle and Troth fall in love, escape China, survive and prosper. It is way too interesting to spoil for you.
Rating: 
Summary: CHINA BRIDE is positively luminous
Review: Troth Mei-Lian Montgomery as a mixed blood of Scots and Chinese, finds herself disillusioned and trapped by the parochial shades and customs in Canton where women are submissive and subjugated. She lives a life as a spy for her benefactor Chenqua, a powerful Chinese merchant who raised her after the demise of her parents and is adept at martial arts wing chun to be convincing as a male undercover. Least did she expect destiny opens a door for her when Kyle Maxwell - an adventurer and a wealthy viscount arrives and sweeps her away in a torrent of unfulfilled dreams and passion. She is promised a gateway to Scotland to trace her roots if she brings Kyle to Temple of Hoshan - the final destination of his voyage to see the world. Woven with intricacy, The CHINA BRIDE by Mary Jo Putney is a refreshing read with its scope on an exotic Asian culture as well as an interracial romance. The meticulous details and descriptions of Canton, Chinese traditions and ideals are written with extreme accuracy; no less sublime is her sensitivity towards Troth as the protagonist - who struggles to live her freedom and such is the triumph you will feel when she reaches Scotland to find her true destiny. There is a stage for grand romance and intrigue - Kyle is captured and almost gullotined after their trip to Hoshan goes haywired. As a Fanqui or a foreigner, he is watched and rigidly supervised by Chenqua and little did he expect that his objections on Opium trading could lead to assasinations on him.... On the emotional and romance side, Kyle and Troth are both tortured souls with wrenching emotions. Kyle believes his capacity for love is dead with the passing of his former lover; Troth faces her tough ordeal as a foreigner in Scotland with tongues wagging and discrimination rampaging - she considers herself restricted under the society's mold again. THE CHINA BRIDE is exquisite for Ms. Putney's skilled observations on historical facts of China and her thoughtfulness in characterization - and Troth makes an irresistible heroine whose courage and straightforwardness crashes against the stereotypical domestic appeal of Chinese women. It is a riveting read with its Oriental escapade - and is high on adventures and thrills. Poignant and engaging, The CHINA BRIDE shines as a luminous pearl in the genre of historical romance.
Rating:
Summary: Sequial to The Wild Child
Review: True- it's not a conventional romance story and I agree it was harder to get through this one than The Wild Child but it was a great romance story to be told. After the death of his beloved mistress and the unexpected marriage of his twin, Kyle travels to fill a life long dream of seeing China before fulfilling his responsibilities as Lord Maxwell for the family. China is closed to foreigners/traders and they are required to stay within the settlement set aside for them to due their trading in. During his trip, Kyle is assigned the help of Jin Kang, a young male Chinese interpreter. Jin turns out to be Troth Mei-Lian, the daughter of a Scottish trader and Chinese concubine who is being forced to live as a male spy for a Chinese lord that took her in at the death of her father years ago. Troth is wanting to escape to Europe to return to her father's family. When Kyle discovers Troth's identity he offers his help for Troth to travel by ship to Scotland if she is willing to show China to him. Of course, this will be dangerous and disguise will be required. The pack is made and the trip is planned and carried out. Towards the end of the trip Kyle's true identity is discovered and he is arrested and thrown into prison. Troth sneeks into the prison and they perform marriage ceremony to each other hoping that his marriage to a chinese will help save his life but before Troth can get to the right authorities she hears his execution. She now has to escape herself, find Kyle's partner, travel by ship and present herself to his family as his wife. It was a wonderful story. Different!
Rating: 
Summary: It's been done.
Review: Yet another love story about an Oriental flower who is rescued from the evil opressive uniformly sexless and chauvinistic Chinese by a big strapping "real" white man. A mass-manufactured plot if I've ever heard one. Asian-American romance? I think not.
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