I was looking foward to this book since I enjoy time travel stories and women getting revenge, but I was left wanting. The plot was basic without any intrigue, the characters felt flat and the main character just frustrated me. The only scene I actually liked was the performance in the palace. The book felt too long, but at the same time nothing happened.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Long story short: I loved this book. I loved it. Did I love everything? No. But the small things that if I can remember after just finishing it, I did not enjoy must truly be so small that all the goodness outweighs it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC. I simply enjoyed every moment reading this beautiful story.

What I loved?
The FMC is able to avenge herself and mature after a twisted turn in her fate that occurs very early in the story. There’s the whole “trope” of learning to trust and love again, which usually not a huge fan of BUT the second chance romance really made me happy for her. Since I am a biased fan of all things magic, I enjoyed the whole “all things magic was abolished and now it’s back” thing. I don’t know why, but it is a thing.

What I wanted more of…
More history of the magic. What is its source? I mean I feel like it was explained but it did leave me a bit wanting. So shave off a little bit from a FULL five stars.

What else does this story contain?
Some side love story. Evil and villains, of course. Politics of kingdoms. A person of royalty who loves someone of a lower standing. Did I mention magic? Protection of family. Death (for those a bit queasy about it).

Overall: would I recommend? Heck yeah!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, but I did have a few qualms. I loved the action and court intrigue so much. I thought it was really well done. Mingshin was a great MC and I’m excited to see the rest of her story. I do think the one big flaw of this book was starting with Ren’s betrayal. I think if we had gotten to see him and Mingshin together and in love, what he does to her would have packed more of a punch and made the reader feel a bit more strongly about them. Also, it did feel like I had been dropped in the middle of the story which was a bit jarring. I think the use of flashbacks could have really helped with showing Mingshin’s relationships in her previous timeline to really contrast with the current one. I just felt like there could have been a lot more emotion with how Mingshin is betrayed, but because we start at the betrayal, none of it really hit me as hard as it could have. The world building was certainly interesting and I’m looking forward to more of it in the next book.


Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks Union Square & Co. for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars!

TL;DR: A Bright Heart was an enjoyable YA fantasy debut with a lot of potential! Mingshin was a fierce, determined and easy to root for character and I loved her story of vengeance and justice. Even though I'm not very familiar with Wuxia stories, I appreciated how the author brought the popular second-chance revenge story trope to a wider audience and I think she delivered an intriguing story full of court intrigue, mystery, a bit of magic and mythology, as well as a sweet slow burn romance. This is a great introduction to Chinese fantasy and mythology and I'm already looking forward to the sequel!

When I started this book, I have to admit I was a bit worried because the writing got off to a pretty rough start but I'm happy to say it steadily improved as the story progressed. It's very straightforward and simple, which is great for readers who don’t want a lot of world-building, but for those who love lush prose and grand world-building, the writing may come across as flat. There is more telling than showing, which is generally a peeve of mine but I think the great thing about the simplicity of the writing here is that it makes for a very quick read. The world-building wasn't strong and we learned about the history, myth and magic, in random and patchy chunks. I wanted so much more from the mythology and magic aspect which felt conveniently dropped in when Mingshin needed it most, but also very late in the story, too. There were also moments where the logic went a bit fuzzy and you had to suspend your disbelief a little more than usual. I'm just hoping the sequel will bring more light to the magic/mythology and that the writing will be stronger, as I do see the potential!

The pacing was very fast. In fact, at times I would say that it was too fast and didn't give readers enough time to digest what was happening before moving on. I’m not normally a fan of flashbacks but it was interesting to see how Mingshin’s previous life was brought up through the moments she encounters in the present. I liked that we learned about things that happen along the way. Ultimately, I do think that the author delivered her intent with the story. We have a revenge plot, we have a heroine seeking justice and getting it (to a point), we have the court intrigue, slow-burn romance, and adventure, and we also have a main character who undergoes a lot of growth by the end.

I liked Mingshin and the cast of characters who accompanied her along the way! The friendships that form and the romance that blooms were enjoyable to read about and it made me root for everyone. From the moment we meet Mingshin, she’s fuelled by anger and a drive for vengeance. She is strong-willed and determined and this backbone only gets stronger as she experiences (once again) all the wrongs done to her, only this time with her eyes wide open. She not only grows wiser and more sure of herself but she also learns to open herself up to others, including when it comes to love, and it was so great to see her shine and be recognised for her cunning intelligence. Jieh was a surprisingly swoony love interest who I think will have many fans. He does come across as arrogant initially but he proves that high opinion is earned through skill, bravery and honor. The romance gets off to an awkward start as Mingshin already has formed opinions of him from the past and she's determined not to fall in love again, but he's determined to prove his worth to her. I liked that he appreciated her boldness and intelligence and that he didn't treat her like a fragile flower. Plus, he says many swoony things! 😍

Aside from Mingshin and Jieh, I think the other characters were a bit one-dimensional but that didn't make me like them less. I couldn't get enough of Yunle, Fei, and Yao. This unlikely group of friends made this read so much more enjoyable for me and I hope they all get bigger roles in the sequel!

In the end, I really enjoyed this one! I didn’t think I would because of the rough beginning but I did want to come back to this when I had to put it down. I was intrigued by how the author would pull off such an intense plot and for the most part, she delivered. The intrigue was solid throughout and as more of the scheming plots were revealed, the more eager I was to keep reading. I'm already looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel!

This was really fun! I've read a few webcomics written in a similar vein, and seeing it in book form was pretty darn neat. Webnovels tend to get too lengthy for me (I feel like the way they're published means they aren't trimmed down like they could be and end up with stuff that's more filler) so this was a nice balance between the typically more polished webcomic, and the more indepth novel.

This was an excellent young adult fantasy! I loved the unique storyline of this book! This book was so good and had me invested in the story the entire time. I loved the characters in this book, especially Minshin. The characters were all very well developed. The author also did a great job with world building, I felt like I was right there with the characters.

Read This If You Like:

💫 YA Fantasy
💫 Asian Literature
💫 Revenge Stories
💫 Magical Twists

This was an amazing debut novel and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

This was a lovely, easy read! It is a "second chance" fantasy, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.

Our main character defies death and is transported to the past (two years beforehand), where she uses the opportunity to seek revenge. It is full of high stakes, fast paced and full of court intrigue.

Sometimes the characters can be a bit immature, but you have to take that with YA fantasy about young people. Some of the dialogue was a bit clunky and very cringey, and didn't feel like real people speaking at times. I still loved the the supporting characters and friendships in the story, despite the aspects of political rivalry.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for an e-arc! All opinions are my own.

Thank you netgalley and unionsquareandco for the ARC in exchange for an honest review⁣
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I love the trope but the execution was not very good. The character was not subtle at all that she knew things she shouldn't 😂⁣
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And it was just so convenient how she knew about things no one is allowed to know, can sense magic and became friends with the princess. So convenient 😂😂⁣
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Also the writing style was too simplistic. Too much telling not enough showing

This was SO easy reading and enjoyable. I loved the protagonist so much, she was really kind and passionate and also recognised how much she needed to trust and rely on herself before building romance, which was so refreshing to see. The plot reminded me of so many TV dramas but I mean that in an excellent, bingeable way.

What a great debut Kate Chenli has with A Bright Heart. I think it would be a very good option to translate it and allow it to be expanded further. I think a lot of people would like it and enjoy it.

Here we find a story that I read several times in webtoon: a young woman who gets a second chance when something bad happens in her present life and manages to travel to the past to mend things. I read this type of format in several webtoons and as the author says, it is something that is being seen a lot, also in novels.

The author wanted to make her own "second chance" story with fantasy, where she can express what she always liked and what inspires her and the truth is that she did it very well.

I think it has some things that are a little repetitive, that are unnecessary in some situations, but I really liked everything else although it didn't hook me as much as I expected. I had a lot of faith in him and although he didn't disappoint me, I think that worked against me a little.

I also liked that there was no ROMANCE, but that it was more about how our protagonist grows, matures and trusts herself to be able to change the course of what would be marked by destiny.

Without a doubt, she is an author I would read again.

Thank you Union Square & Co. for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to a revenge story inspired by "classic Chinese tropes," but this felt like a generic story inspired by overused authors'-first-fanfic tropes that where the word revenge was thrown around occasionally. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against tropes themselves--I literally came for the tropes--but they were used so unoriginally and paired with such a watered-down story that the whole book felt uninspired. I've read plenty of plain-girl-with-a-dead-parent-captures-the-eye-of-the-extremely-wealthy-attractive-skilled-prince/jock/gentleman (in this case, it's a prince)-because-of-her-fearlessness-cleverness-and-fighting-prowess-oh-and-also-she-has-special-magic stories, and there was nothing about A Bright Heart to make it stand apart from the rest. The writing wasn't particularly memorable, the worldbuilding was weak, and the plot wasn't nearly as cohesive as it needed to be. I love the thought behind the book, but the execution just wasn't there for me.

As a long time lover of the fantasy genre I’m always on the lookout for unique, Asian fantasies to devour—and this book provided me exactly that.

A bright heart is so much more than your typical fantasy. It encompasses the same magic and comfort of it, of course, but it also sets a backdrop for an utterly unique story of a girl who defies death, and uses her second life to seek vengeance on her murderer. From the addictive, high stakes plot to the most wonderfully fleshed out main character, this book was probably one of the best books I’ve read all year. I adored every page and I highly recommend you give this a read! Thank you so much to Union Square and Co. for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! A BRIGHT HEART releases OCT 17th and deserves a definite 5/5 stars.

as a wuxia drama fan, i really enjoyed this one! i like the plot and the characters, i enjoy the interactions between the characters. however, it feels a bit flat and the book is more of a tell than a show to me.

After she gets murdered by the finance she helped become king, Mingshin is transported into the past, two years before her death. She has the chance to avenge her own murder, but her return to the past also features people she didn't know anything about before.

I really loved this. Court intrigue is always fun. And I liked the fantasy aspect as well. I also enjoyed the characters and the way they acted in relation to each other. It also was great seeing them grow and change over the course of the book. Overall this hits a lot of tropes that I like but in a way that felt new to me.

I really enjoyed this book!
It was a bit fast paced and sometimes the language choices were a bit immature, but it’s a great YA fantasy.
I really liked how strong Mingshin was. I loved her core group of women, Mai, Fei, and Yunle.
Jieh is also great and I enjoyed seeing his and Mingshin’s relationship developed. I also wanted more Yao; he could’ve been a great comedic counterpoint if developed a little more.
Hangxin was also interesting to me, with the constant twists and turns.
A really solid YA fantasy that I recommend!

this was surprisingly good and i really think it has the potential to be the next hit (in the east asian YA fantasy genre). that is, if the marketing were not so woefully lacklustre. substance-wise this novel is really quite legit. the plot is sufficiently complex and engaging, making it more substantial than scores of other stories in the same genre. i am looking forward to the next book. as for the cover art, the unofficial mock of it looked like it was AI generated, but i would give the benefit of the doubt since the artist is a relatively reputable one.

*Actual rating is 4.5 stars*

After being betrayed by her love Prince Ren and killed, Mingshin is transported into the past to avenge her own murder when the universe gives her a second chance at life. But nothing is the same, new actions change things and new problems arise. But nothing will stop Mingshin from getting her revenge on the people who wronged her.

A Bright Heart is a revenge story in the truest meaning of that concept. There’s no forgiveness to be found here, just a main character learning from her past life, getting smarter and harder in this new chance of life.

You immediately get thrown into the action, getting a face full of the awful treatment Mingshin gets to endure. This made it very easy to understand what her motivation was for her future (past?) actions and why she decides to act the way she now does. It’s very engaging and made me root for Mingshin and her revenge plot from the get go. I also loved the amazing supporting characters, the female friendship in the book, and I honestly preferred the girls over the princes and their squabbles. Furthermore, the overall lore is very interesting (even if it didn’t always stick the landing). The political rivalry also wasn’t my cup of tea, it did come off as almost petty at times, especially at the ending. But even with these flaws, I had an enjoyable time with the book and I’m looking forward to what the sequel will bring.

Mingshin helped Ren outsmart his brothers and take the throne, only to have her life end in betrayal at his hands. As she's dying, Mingshin asks the gods to give her another chance and wakes up two years prior. Using her knowledge of future events, Mingshin vows to get revenge on Ren and prevent him from becoming the crown prince by any means possible. The plot is straightforward and not super unique, but the story is so well-written that I found myself getting sucked into the story. Mingshin is a great character, and her vow to become ruthless in her second life isn't just talk. She makes plans and is quick to take advantage of the situation, putting her in a position to make new friends and allies that are more trustworthy than the ones she sided with the first time. There's an element of magic throughout, but it's not super prevalent until the last half or so when things start getting revealed. I also liked jieh's character, he was interesting and a good foil to Mingshin and Ren, but I did feel like his character switched a little too quickly after his first few scenes. The end was satisfying, but leaves room for a sequel, which I would love to see.

tl;dr
Court drama and romance with a touch of magic in a tasty revenge plot.

Thoughts
I love a good "I was wronged and murdered and have been sent back in time to get my revenge before I'm wronged again" plot. A prevenge plot? Sure! I love a good prevenge plot. And this certainly is a fun one. The story wastes no time dropping us into the plot, and Mingshin wastes no time making different choices. She also stays pretty firmly locked into her goal, even with the distractions of romance and a sudden alteration in the timeline. That's not to say she ignores romance entirely. Jieh is a pretty big part of the storyline, and he checks all the boxes as far as love interests go: hot, strong, totally arrogant, and eventually incredibly soft. I confess, I prefer his sister, though. She's probably my favorite character in the whole thing, and would make a great lead character in her own drama. The political maneuvering is top notch, with the MC and her opponents all cleverly matched against each other. Anyone looking for machinations and plot twists will find lots of tasty moments here. The ending ties up several threads in a satisfying manner, but revenge is a long process, and there are definitely more questions that need answers. I hope we get future installments!

3.5 ! not spoiler=free!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

At first, I was captivated by the cover, then when I read the summary, I immediately requested an e-arc! A story strongly inspired by Chinese fantasy elements and tropes, I was so excited to read this story of second chances and revenge!

One thing that I really enjoyed and that I think this story did well, was its delivery of Chinese revenge elements, that were also quite reminiscent of Korean revenge webnovels/ manhwas as well! So if you like those kinds of stories, you'll for sure enjoy this!

Unfortunately, it didn't deliver as much as I would have preferred in several aspects. There were two things that I was looking forward to the most: the revenge and the fact that it seemed like a standalone. If you read Chinese webnovels or Korean manhwas/ webtoons, is that those stories are LONG. It takes a long time for the main characters to achieve their revenge, so I was excited to read a book in which hopefully it would deliver its revenge swiftly and satisfyingly. However, from the way the story ended, it does seem like it might stretch into a series, so yeah. It's also telling that this is the author's debut novel.

In terms of the revenge, I felt like the revenge kind of lost its priority and importance as the story progressed. In a sense, I understood why, but the way it ended up developing made half of her revenge feel really lackluster. It just didn't feel satisfying (to me) the way in how that happened, because of how complicated everything became. It didn't really deliver in the revenge I was looking forward to. In spite of that, I did enjoy the way the situation became complicated and the deeper elements that came into play.

If you like situations where the MC has to work for their revenge because their opponent is almost or just as crafty, I think you'll like this story and its development.

As for the romance, personally, it seemed underdeveloped in how quickly it developed. With the way things were developing, I was kind of expecting a plot twist in which Jieh had also reincarnated with his memories, and in his first life he fell in love with Mingshin, which is why he fell so quickly for her this time around. I wasn't a big fan of how it kind of relied on the "I'm not like other girls" in order to make Jieh as well as many other characters so interested in Mingshin - which was also emphasized a good amount of times by our main character herself. I also couldn't understand when Mingshin started liking Jieh, let alone saying "I love you" to him.

Lastly, I thought the reveal of the bigger enemy came slightly out of the blue. I could not remember reading that name beforehand, yet when it's revealed who was truly behind everything, all the characters were acting as if that name was mentioned before in the story, yet I could not remember. In addition, the role of a certain "surprise" character did take me by surprise by how sudden their personality and role seemed to have taken.