jayvall reviewed City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn
Review of 'City of Jasmine' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
First, hardcore romance readers should know that CITY OF JASMINE is less of a traditional romance and more of a women's fiction with romantic elements. Even calling it women's fiction is a bit of a stretch; it reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie, but with a female lead. Evangeline is an aviatrix who's embarked on a world tour of the ancient seven seas with her eccentric aunt and gay handyman. As they make their way east, Evangeline is plagued by glimpses of her husband who was presumed dead after the sinking of the Lusitania. She decides to detour to Damascus to try and determine, once and for all, whether her husband is still alive. What starts out as a quick detour quickly devolves into a game of intrigue as she tries to hunt down an ancient relic hidden in the desert. Sounds far-fetched, I know, but CITY OF JASMINE …
First, hardcore romance readers should know that CITY OF JASMINE is less of a traditional romance and more of a women's fiction with romantic elements. Even calling it women's fiction is a bit of a stretch; it reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie, but with a female lead. Evangeline is an aviatrix who's embarked on a world tour of the ancient seven seas with her eccentric aunt and gay handyman. As they make their way east, Evangeline is plagued by glimpses of her husband who was presumed dead after the sinking of the Lusitania. She decides to detour to Damascus to try and determine, once and for all, whether her husband is still alive. What starts out as a quick detour quickly devolves into a game of intrigue as she tries to hunt down an ancient relic hidden in the desert. Sounds far-fetched, I know, but CITY OF JASMINE is actually a really fun read and a perfect example of a book that should not be judged by its (boring) cover.
What I liked most about CITY OF JASMINE is that it's an adventurous type
novel that's set in the Middle East in the 1920s. Readers who are tired of the same old thing certainly won't find that here.