It was great! Mingshin is a great lead and it was nice to read the story from her POV. Love the plot and how everything came together in the end. Jieh is a dear, and I just love each and every characters. I think the prose was beautiful and it went well with the perfect pacing of the story. Excited to read more book from this author!

OMG, this book cover had me shaken! I mean, seriously, it was totally fire! So, of course, I had to pick it up!

The story had me hooked from the start, you know? And the way they incorporated those Chinese vibes? Totally awesome and on point! The characters were like legitimate goals, man. So realistic and relatable, I couldn't ask for more. Kate Chenli totally nailed it with her writing. I was seriously so into it.

The world-building in this book was undeniably extraordinary, constructing a vivid and immersive universe. The concept of the MC unraveling her own murder was nothing short of mind-blowing, offering a unique and thought-provoking premise. Furthermore, the intricacies of the mystery kept me on edge throughout, constantly engaged and eagerly anticipating each revelation. The romantic subplot was particularly enchanting, eliciting a swooning response from me.

All in all, this book was freaking great, and I'm totally down to read more from this author.

5 (deserved) ⭐

I really enjoyed the book 🤩

Actually the first thing that caught my attention was the beautiful cover but when I read the synopsis I knew that I needed to read the book. I had never read a book about second chance in life with revenge and the premise seems interesting so I need to read the book.

I really liked Mingshin's character and her development throughout the book. Also how she will try her best to protect the people she love. In her first life she messed up really bad and for her second chance in life, she really did a good job remedying her mistakes, fighting for what belongs to her and keeping Ren from being the next king. About the others, I really liked how each character have their own personalities and helped with the plot.

I really enjoyed the book and reading about Mingshin's new opportunity in life, I also liked her friendship with Yunle and her relationship with Jieh. And really hated Ren for what he did 😠

Pd.: Can't wait to read the next book 🙀🤩

This was a total cover request on NetGalley for me. After falling in love with the cover, I read the synopsis and realized this book is right up my alley.

I loved the world building and the premise. I thought the idea of the main character solving her own murder was really well done and the actual mystery was quite complex. I also liked the romance elements.

The only thing I didn’t like were the chapter breaks / scene changes. They felt like they didn’t always make sense. I think those breaks could have been placed better to make the story flow better.

Overall, this was a solid debut and I’d read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to extend my congratulations to Miss Kate Chenli on her exceptional debut novel, "A Bright Heart." I am glad her passion for creating elaborate worlds and characters finally found its way to the public.

What drew me to this story was the beautiful cover and the concept of a second chance. It is rare to find a story that features a chance to reverse what went wrong in your past life—at least not that I’ve heard of. This YA fantasy story is inspired by Chinese tropes and follows the journey of Mingshin, a young girl whose inheritance puts her in danger and leaves her fighting for her life. However, as she is lying in a pool of her own blood her plea for a second chance is answered, and she is transported back two years in time to right her wrongs, save her loved ones, and seek revenge against those who wronged her.

Chenli's target audience is very clear from the first pages, the language she uses is very clear and understandable for the young adult audience. Her world-building fits perfectly with this tactic, she gives the readers beautiful descriptions without overwhelming them. In addition, while there is fantasy, this tale is very focused on the betrayals and issues families face in order to scale and survive the changes in a dynasty.

What delighted me the most was that the novel never loses sight of Mingshin. The story is all about her and the new life granted in exchange to amend her errors. We see her character grow through the many challenges she has to face to avoid repeating past mistakes.
There is definitely romance. Many scenes will make the reader swoon because of how sweet it develops between the main characters—and some secondary characters. However, they do not take the attention from the main plot just make it more juicy.

A Bright Heart starts a bit slowly and I do have to admit that there should be some chapter editing before the release (or maybe it was the ARC error) but the tale is fascinating, I read it in less than 24 hrs and was very sad when I realized that there is a wait to see how the story concludes.

Overall, “A Bright Heart” is a remarkable debut that will leave readers eager for more.