Exquisite telling of an ordinary narrative, going into this, I was expecting an enjoyable, but rather standard retelling of a 'Beauty and the beast' scenario, but Tapestry immediately blew me away with its emotive, melancholic writing. It was also one of a few version of this particular setup I've read, where the 'beast' hero was truly quite disfigured (rather than a gash on the face or some non-visual disability), and generated one of many very touching little details (the glasses!). I particularly enjoyed its melodramatic, fatalistic tone—giving it a gothic, literary edge not usually present in a historical romance.

In comparison, the narrative beyond its romance was a bit subpar comparing to the lush writing: the antagonist was cartoonishly evil (and subdued before any real impact was made), and the subplot regarding the politic, while immersive, was verging into historical fiction territory with its details, which was not a genre I gravitate towards. The writing was also a double-edged sword, as much I enjoyed its lyricism, Karen Ranney had a tendency to constantly repeat the same information in different wording, resulting in more skimming than I would've liked.

Overall, Tapestry is definitely memorable: I like the way the romance is structured (its beginning took me by surprise), plentiful of endearing romantic moments (such as quoting literature as a way of banter), and the impressive writing. So even with its shortcoming in other aspects, I still think this is an iteration well worth reading.

***Historical Hellions Book Club | April 2024 Selection***