The Russian Concubine Kate Furnivall

The Russian Concubine – Kate Furnivall

I’ve read several books since starting this one which is never a good sign if you can put a book down. I won't review those books here though.

The book is set in China and focuses on Lydia Ivanova the daughter of Valentina from the previous book. She has grown up in a settlement in China where different nationalities are segregated by country of origin.A ghetto with many secrets and harsh realities. Hated by the locals and referred to as `fanqui` (foreign devil) Lydia struggles to make her way in the world. Being a second generation immigrate known as the Russian girl who doesn't speak Russian she has no idea where she sits. Schooled in English, desperate to travel to the shores but struggling to feed herself and control her mother there is little hope.

She dreams of living in England but stranded without a passport the only way for her and her mother to obtain one is to marry an English man - who all seem a bore. To be honest this book just doesn't hit any chords with me and I think it just doesn't have the romanticism of the first book set in Russia. I find myself waiting for the characters from the first book to appear (Countess & Son) which is a real shame. The mafia references to the snake gang and difficult situations Lydia gets herself into just do not excite me. Chang (love interest) just doesn't conquer up the heroic images of Jens Friis form the previous chapter of this series. 

I may read the third book to see if it fulfills any desires but I'm afraid that after about 4 weeks and 269 out of 577 i have decided to jack it in with this one. Maybe I was just too bowled over by the first book and am disappointed by the tragic story of a young carer with an alcoholic mother in this book. I hope people who read the entire book can correct my opinion. I think the tragedy of Valentina is just too much for me!