The Spanish Pearl
Ratings2
Average rating4
15
Ratings2
Average rating4
When Kate Vincent and her partner travel to Spain, Kate is accidentally transported back in time...way back in time...to 1085. What does a woman like Kate do in a world of no antibiotics, no feminism, no Diet Coke? She denies it as long as possible, then sets her mind to getting home. Tricky with her now useless twenty-first century skills. Things don't go well. Kate is captured by a band of mercenary soldiers and becomes an unwitting pawn in the violent conflict between the Catholic kings and the Islamic Moors. In her struggle to stay alive and return to the future, Kate must flee exotic harems, filthy dungeons, and treacherous Moorish courts. But when a sword-brandishing woman with an astonishing secret sweeps into Kate's life, Kate is suddenly torn between two women, and between two centuries. The Spanish Pearl is an epic adventure spiced with humor, lust, and danger—a story with surprising twists that will capture your imagination just as Kate's dilemma captures your heart.
Reviews with the most likes.
This book was so uncomfortable, I couldn't keep going. First of all, it's marketed as a lesbian book but really, i have my doubts. As the synopsis says the main character is transported to 1085 spain where she meets Luis and falls in love with him, not knowing he is, at least biologically female. She keeps saying how wrong it is for her to love Luis despite being a lesbian and when she finally learns the truth she is relieved and claims she must have somehow sensed it. It so ridiculous, why would a lesbian be interested in someone who she thinks of as male? The obvious answer is that she is bi but neither the book nor the character acknowledges that. Luis being a woman in itself is also questionable. It's difficult to ascribe gender identity to people who lived 10 years ago much less 1000. Perhaps Luis if living in the 21st century would happily live as a woman and perhaps not. In the context of the time he lives in however he seems to consider himself a man, and is uncomfortable when the main character keeps referring to him differently. Which she does. Repeatedly. As said, very uncomfortable. On top of all of this the cheating aspect bothered me (somehow understandable as her girlfriend lives 1000 years in the future and she doesn't even know if they'll meet again but she still seemed to be over it too easily), and also it was simply boring.
