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Hello everyone! Welcome to the Book Nook. Today we are going to be doing a review on The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel. This was another book on my Kindle shelf and I was surprisingly pleased with these read. Before we get started, I encourage you all to comment down below and tell me your thoughts. Also, make sure you are following the Book Nook on WordPress, Instagram and YouTube; that way you don’t miss any of my reviews in the future. So, without further ado, lets get into it.

Set in 1940s Shanghai, Aiyi, a Chinese nightclub owner hires Ernest, a Jewish refugee, as a pianist to bring in new business. Aiyi doesn’t care about the backlash she receives from hiring Ernest because he is a talented artist. The more time Aiyi and Ernest spend together they harder they fall for each other. But as war escalates, the two are torn between their love for one another and their responsibilities. The Last Rose of Shanghai is a historical tale of love, loss and survival.

I really liked this book because it was different from what I normally read. I don’t read historical fiction but this book was from a foreign perspective of WWII when Shanghai was occupied by the Japanese. I knew the two countries had bad blood but I don’t think I knew just how ruthless and brutal the Japanese were.

I didn’t catch that Aiyi’s POV was in first person while Ernest’s was in third until I was halfway done the book. I think I would’ve preferred if both POVs were in first but it must not have been that big of a deal if I didn’t notice until I was 50% done.

There were two reasons I couldn’t give this book a higher rating. One, I wanted more of a buildup into Aiyi and Ernest’s relationship. The book had great pacing; it toggled back and forth between months going by and days going by but I didn’t feel as though the author was speeding though the story. However, I wanted to actually see both characters talking to each other about their families, their feelings, their hopes and dreams, etc. Second, the book ended…weirdly. Like, it was unfinished. Years later, in 1980, Aiyi makes a big revelation about her past and the person she’s telling this to has an emotional reaction to it and then the books ends. Like I said, it seemed like there was some unfinished business that needed to be addressed and it wasn’t.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. It was different, the pacing was great and the author did a great job giving a different perspective on WWII. Again, I wanted more insight into Aiyi and Ernest’s relationship and the book ended on a weird note. But other than that, if you are into historical fiction I would recommend this book.

Overall, I give it a 3.5/5.

Until next time!