A Bright Heart

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli★☆☆☆☆   1.5/5—TL;DR: I wouldn't recommend this book when decently translated regression novels with this exact plot and better exist and are fairly accessible, but A Bright Heart is probably a good introduction to this particular subgenre. Generic isekai/villainess/reincarnation/regression trope, written in English. This is actually my favourite trope/plot to read when reading manhwas or light novels, so I badly wanted to love this story. I cannot emphasise enough how I never get tired of reading this particular plotline. Although the beginning of the stories may seem basic and start the same, there's so many ways in which an author can take their story. It's much like how all cookies have the same basic base ingredients, but so many little adjustments and additions that make each flavour unique. However, A Bright Heart doesn't present any unique or new ideas, and the story feels too rushed overall.I think the biggest downfall of this story is pacing. The beginning was unbearably slow, but then picks up halfway through the book. All main plot events are brief, under-developed and under-described, and resolved all too quickly. This is comparing to reincarnation light novels I've read: I find that CN/KR novels tend to focus more heavily on unraveling the opposition's plot little by little and drip feeding future plot points (this is of course, aided by the usual 200+ chapters), but these pivotal events in A Bright Heart are too brief to have any impact (see: guqing incident, Hanxin's sudden marriage proposal). They act as foreshadowing, and only just barely. The butterfly effect of Mingshin's actions is barely explored in depth. I can concede that surely there must be a happy medium between the two lengths, but it felt as if A Bright Heart was trying to fit too much, in too little words. The prose itself was quite off-putting as well. It reads juvenile and stilted at times, with an emphasis on descriptors for appearances, and not much else. “We're going to stay in my uncle's home for a while. We shall be very careful. I must warn you, no one in the capital is what they seem. No one.” This read so awkwardly I couldn't help but roll my eyes. As an aside, the names Aylin and Lafne are incredibly jarring in a Chinese setting.I was not a fan of Mingshin. After her regression, she starts off by trying to warn every one of the dangers of the city (seen in quote above), but then proceeds to visit a weaponry shop without a disguise. I understand that deciding to go to the weaponry shop as two women was a decision to push further plot points, but it annoys me that this is after Mingshin clearly said they needed to be wary. Would it not be better off to have Mingshin start off floundering in this newly regained life, then transition her into cunning and intelligent character as she has a firmer grasp on her current self? To add: what's satisfying about this particular subgenre is that you get to see the MC properly thwart obstacles, only to find new, unfamiliar obstacles rise up in her way as a result. None of this occurs in A Bright Heart.As a rare occurrence, I thought the romance between Jieh and Mingshin was cute. The romance itself could have been better developed, but I think that's just a issue as a result of pacing of the plot so I don't have much to add in this case.To conclude: would not re-read, unlikely to read the sequel.