"Peony Lanterns," by Patricia Correll

Historical Horror Romance

Book Blurb

Mitsu has been Shiro’s personal servant and best friend since they were both six years old, and he’s been in love with him for nearly that long. While Shiro takes lovers of both sexes, the gulf between their social classes is so vast that Mitsu has never spoken his feelings aloud.

When Shiro meets the beautiful Lady Keiko, he’s instantly infatuated. His affection soon turns to obsession, and Mitsu resigns himself to a life of unrequited love.

But as Mitsu looks deeper into Keiko and her motives, he realizes that Shiro is in grave danger. He will need all his courage-- and some help from a master of the occult-- to save the life of the man he loves.

My Review

This week’s read was a quick and delightful one. Peony Lanterns by Patricia Correll is a novella that serves bite-sized intrigue. Despite its brevity, Ms. Correll displays a masterful skill at both character and world building. I curled up on my couch and almost immediately got lost in the words.

I know little to nothing about historical Japanese culture. However, Ms. Correll’s depiction feels authentic. Rather than spending long-winded passages detailing the environment or providing historical exposition so the reader can understand the context, this author managed to interweave these important bits of information into the threads of the story itself. The world almost felt like a character not simply a backdrop.

Then there are the characters themselves. This story is packed with heart, and while some of it is certainly wrapped up in the gorgeous prose, most of it comes in the form of MCs you can truly root for. When I finished the final scene, my heart was aflutter. (And let’s just say… I was definitely fanning myself too! 🔥)

I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who might be looking for a quick afternoon read that will surely suck them in and leave them satisfied and then some.

So, what are you waiting for? Peony Lanterns is available for your immediate reading pleasure! It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited!