Did not finish. The flow of the story or the writing felt odd to me. It was an interesting premise, one I know people will love.

A treaty bride from a desert kingdom was forced to become the consort to the heir of the throne, a arrogrant, cruel and ruthless man who seems drawn to her despite claiming to love another consort...yet the more time they spend together an unlikely connection is between them yet beneath their connection lies a tragic secret that once it is revealed nobody will be the same. Xiaofeng loves her home, she loves her family and she's falling for a boy who married her and went off to war and never came back... and now she is his consort and new crown princess of the Li empire. Xiaofeng wants nothing to do with crown prince Li Chengyin but will do anything to keep her homeland safe, even be married off in a treaty... yet the crown prince seems drawn to her despite how cruel he is yet the deeper their connection grows the more old memories begin to shed... and the tragic truth will destroy them both. This is the original book that the C-drama was based off of and it is a TRAGIC ROMANCE, so be prepared. I love that the author gives you the events that happen in so many different character POVs and the history between the characters and their tragic fate is so interesting. it does take a bit to unravel but its so so worth it. I was so invested in the story until the very last chapter.

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

qu xiaofeng, a treaty bride from xiliang, has been living in shangjing for the past three years. she has everything she could ever want, except for her husband, the crown prince’s, heart. as a cruel, jealous, and ruthless crown prince, though, it’s debatable whether li chengyin has a heart to give. xiaofeng is content living this way, until another boy shows up and claims he’s her sweetheart from a life she can’t remember. as she unravels her past, she unknowingly sets a course to tragedy.

i was so excited to read this because 1. i love court intrigue, and 2. i’m a sucker for a nice and tragic story. this was such an interesting book, primarily because of the two characters at the forefront (plus some others who became more relevant later on). xiaofeng was as independent as possible, and i loved seeing her make such bold choices for her own life. chengyin, on the other hand…i don’t even know where to start with him. he was puzzling to me, which i mean in a good way as this made him that much more intriguing. most of the time, i wanted to reach into the pages and strangle him myself, but there were times when his softer side slipped through the cracks. these two made an interesting pair, to say the least.

there were also some short stories in the back, told through various viewpoints at different parts of the story. i enjoyed this extra insight into many different side characters!

overall, this was a lovely book. i’d recommend this to anyone who likes their romantic stories with some tragedy. i will be on the lookout for more books by fei wo si cun translated into english!

Oh my gosh. Ohh my goodness. I have so many feelings. I knew this was a Romantic Tragedy but I didn’t realize that it would actually be a tragedy. I wasn’t expecting my heart to get broken like this. While I spent much of this book really confused (I wish I watched the drama first like everyone else), I also spent a large portion rooting for the male and female lead. I didn’t think things would actually end the way they did. And the short stories at the end too? ONG they added so much to the story every opinion I’ve had about these characters has changed a gazillion times because as you find out more everything changes. I literally started watching the drama today I can’t get enough.

thank you to Simon Teen for the e-ARC and physical arc!

this book truly wrecked me. the mood is historical romance and mystery to start with, but it becomes more and more tragic with time. our FMC is upbeat and lively, which makes her situation seem less pitiable than it actually is, but there are moments where she really acknowledges her grief and loneliness. the background mystery is really intriguing, helping carry the story through when it’s otherwise just depressing.

the ending….. enormously satisfying but heartbreaking. in so many ways. and then the additional scenes add so much to the story.

the writing style is very lyrical and flowery, which really complements the tragic but mysterious plotline. I enjoyed reading the prose enormously, so compliments to the author and translator!

all in all, a wonderful read that left me distraught in the best way.

This book was beautiful and I went in knowing nothing about it. Just a warning - it's a romantic tragedy so there will be tears. Like. A lot of tears.

I have a love hate relationship with all of the characters. They're so complex that I can't just feel one emotion for them. There's so much going on in the background that you might not find out until you're like 75% of the way through and then it's gonna change the way you feel about them again.

The politics were crazy. There were so many things in play and it's a very trust me keep reading situation. Not me being constantly shocked when something else comes up.

I do wish some of the chapters were a bit shorter. A few of them reached 50+ pages and it made me feel like it was dragging in just a few places.

I can't wait to watch the show adaptation??

3.5

A heartbreaking yet beautiful book. The book started off slow for me and there were some parts that confused me as it is not told in chronological order. I still enjoyed this book and found it interesting though. I thought the writing was immersive.


I can't wait to go watch the show!

Thank you Simon Teen for the arc!

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read! I absolutely loved this book!!!

All hail the Queen of writing the most toxic male leads known to literature to c-drama adaptations. Fei Wo Si Cun, you did not come to play. Who hurt you??? Because the way every single one of her male leads is the walking, talking embodiment of the reddest flags I’ve ever seen?? Li Chengyin is no exception.

It’s been years since I first watched the TV adaptation, and I’ve never truly recovered. Goodbye, My Princess remains one of the most soul-crushing C-dramas I’ve ever seen. It’s the story of two lovers drawn together by fate but doomed by the harsh realities of duty, deception, and politics. This is not just a romance. This is trauma. This is pain with a side of heartbreak and poetic injustice. It’s a “stabbed in the chest then the knife twisted for good measure” kind of experience.

I’ve never read the original novel cause I’m basically bye-lingual in my own native language. But I’ve checked with authentic sources (my parents lmaoo) and have confirmed that the translations are very accurate and respectful to the original prose which is a nice bonus!

Reading the novel after having seen the drama gave me a whole new layer of appreciation. The book expands on the characters’ inner dialogue, especially side characters who didn’t get as much development in the adaptation. Certain events hit way harder when you realize the hidden motivations behind them. The sorrow just deepens. It’s one of those rare cases where the book actually enhances the show and vice versa.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way the book began. It throws you right in with no warning, and you’re just as disoriented as Qu Xiaofeng. Also, the chapter lengths??? Wild. Some of them went on for over 90 pages, and there were long stretches where not much happened. A bit of better pacing or formatting would’ve helped a lot.

I appreciated the references to Chinese poetry, idioms and the explanation in the footnotes. As well as the translator’s note on Chinese history, culture and the inner workings of the royal family relating to the crowning of an heir to king. That was well done and was such a nice touch!

Li Chengyin. I want to hate him. I really do. Then I remember Chen Xingxu’s amazing heart wrenching performance and suddenly I’m at a crossroad with my feelings. Li Chengyin is the product of his environment; he’s had to be cunning and manipulating every day in the palace just to stay alive. Conspiracies and plots around every corner, with a life like that, it’s no wonder he’s become a cold-hearted person. But in a place where having a weakness can place everyone close to him in danger especially the one person he loves. His attempts to protect Xiaofeng ends up being the very thing that destroys her and ultimately himself in the end.

Qu Xiaofeng, on the other hand, is a light in the tunnel for him. A brave, headstrong girl with a heart that sees the good in everyone. She comes from a land of warmth and love, and to see her caught in the web of palace schemes is devastating. If only in a lifetime where he was just a tea merchant and she a free-spirited princess.

Please, I beg of you watch the drama first, then come back to read this book. Peng Xiaoran and Chen Xingxu FULL ON embodied Qu Xiaofeng and Li Chengyin. Their performances tore me apart INSIDE AND OUT. And don’t even get me started on the OST and the fact that the leads sang their own songs?? God-tier T_T
This story is a wound that won’t heal for me but in the best, most haunting way possible. Prepare your tissues and your heart. You’ve been warned.

Thank you to Simon Teen for this ARC!

Goodbye, My Princess is an immersive English translation of a Chinese romantic tragedy full of politics, love/pain, and an unwavering princess consort. Qu Xiaofeng, princess of the kingdom of Xiliang, has been married to the crown prince of the Plains, Li Chengyin, for three years. However, they hate each other viciously, nearly to the point of murder. Qu Xiaofeng is unaccustomed to all the flowery expectations of the Court of Spring so she sneaks out to drink and interact with the people of the city. One day, she's startled by a man who claims they knew each other in a past life, but she has no idea what he's talking about. Meanwhile, back at court, Qu Xiaofeng is harassed by accusations from her husband's exalted favored lady. While she's the crown princess, she has to watch her every step. She also misses home, and while she doesn't realize it, but there's a huge chunk of her memory missing. To go after the truth would lead to certain tragedy.
I was sobbing by the end. This is the devastatingly complex story of a girl who can't truly speak up. The politics of the court were so complicated, I lost track of alliances all the time, so I can't even imagine what Qu Xiaofeng had to go through. She can't defend herself, even when she's wrongly accused, and when she is caring, she is rewarded with poison. She's also a true unreliable narrator. I love unreliable narrators; they make readers work for conclusions, and you're still left bereft at the end. My favorite character has to be either her or A'du. A'du is the fiercest and so resilient. She's a huge inspiration in life. I fell in love and felt the characters' pain as if it was my own. Qu Xiaofeng is so girlboss. Even when people are trying to get rid of her, she's still a good person. She's also not dainty. She's nearly as fierce as A'du, unafraid to spar, physically and mentally, with Li Chengyin.
Honestly, I don't think I'm able to appreciate this book to its full extent at my level of maturity right now. This book sucks you in just like a high fantasy novel, crafting a world to get lost in, and boy did I get lost. I may be growing up in Taiwanese culture, speaking Chinese, but I'm definitely American. I'll be revisiting this book, and perhaps watching the TV show, to truly understand the context and culture of this novel. It's just so beautiful and engaging, I don't want to leave. I'm still galloping through the plains.

This was an interesting story to read. I will say, while I understand that it was translated, the writing style was a bit hard for me to reach. It felt like it should've been chopped up into more chapters.
I thought the main character was honestly annoying in the first 20%. I understand that she was forced to be the crown princess but she didn't really do anything to try and better her circumstances such as learn the empress's language or even run her household properly. She does get better as things progress but it was a struggle with the first 20%.
We also find out that our main lead is missing memories but with the jumping back and forth in timelines, I was kind of thrown off of what was trying to be remembered and what was the present.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the eARC. I knew nothing about this book when I requested it. I have been trying to explore translated books and thought this would be an interesting one. I enjoyed this book but man did it cause my stress. Themes of loss and romance, a must read.

WOW. this one was absolutely amazing. the story broke my heart again and again. impeccable writing, tragic characters, and the "side story" material at the end really contextualized it all. would give it 6 stars if i could, but since the ranking only goes up to 5, 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

S is likely one of the most painful and conflicting reads I’ve tackled in the last year. I can’t even decide how to classify it. Is it a romance with fantasy elements, is air a horror if it story of gas lighting and abuse? I think it’s both, but poor Xiao Feng! To fall in love with the same horrid prince twice only to realize both times he is borderline inhuman in his ability to slaughter everything she loves and twist the truth in his own obsession for power and control is just overwhelming. I know this contains spoilers but I don’t know how to review this book without touching on good points and bad ones. First off, the good. The elements that are romantic are truely lovely. Catching a hundred fireflies, winning the kitten that was about to be drown, Li Chengyin jumping after her into the River of Obvion without a second thought, ready to die rather than be without her. Their complete and utter forgetting of one another yet somehow being drawn together against against all odds. Beautiful. What is NOt beautiful is the fact that he invades her country, destroys her family, kidnaps her and essentially forces her to marry him, then treats her as a lower life foam, insulting her, physically abusing her, manipulating her. Left and right, putting her in danger to further his own ends, giving her a kitten that drowning it in order to frame another for it, his disregard for A’dus life and existence despite it clearly being vital to Xiao Feng even if he only sees her as a servant,his violent tantrums and shutting her out one moment then romantically assaulting her the next. I only give him credit for the fact he never forced himself on her, but other than that how you can see him as a romantic male lead by the end rather than a villain who happens to have one redeeming feature of loving the hero of the story is beyond me. All I can say is beware if you are unprepared to have your heart and soul shattered. I truely feel there could be no ending other than the tragedy that unfolded.

oh my gosh, this book!!!! i haven't watched the c-drama yet, but based on how much this book ruined me, i might have to. it took me a while to get into it, but i loved the reincarnation and the court/palace dynamics and EVERYTHING about this. the romance isn't what comes to mind when i think of classic YA fantasy couples where the romance is mainly a sublot — so i can't judge it based on that, but rather based on the story it's telling. this book really did feel like i was watching a c-drama in my head, and i'm absolutely obsessed with it now!

I've never watched a C-Drama before, so I had never heard of this show, but I was pleasantly surprised! And then I cried a thousand tears because this was a tragedy of the highest regard, a la Shakespeare. I can't recommend this enough- it will break you!

I’ve never seen the show inspired by this book but if it’s as devastating as this was, no thanks!!

Talk about a romantic tragedy, my chest HURTS

Thank you to Simon Teen for an arc of this book!

I had no idea that there was a C-Drama based off this book, but I was interested in reading a translated book. I've always been intrigued by history, and this seemed like a book that would meet those expectations.

This is a high fantasy novel set in what I believe is a fantasy world based on Chinese history. I was intrigued about this book at first, but at some point I was just kind of...lost? And that might be because I don't understand the background of the story. What I didn't struggle to understand were the court politics. I felt that it was all explained very well, or shown well enough that it wasn't all that confusing. And I do honestly like some of those portions, I found it fascinating.

This book is told in first person, but it is not quite in chronological order. Part of the problem comes in not only because we're already partway through the story, but the heroine is also missing memories as we learn further into the book. Once this becomes clear the parts that I was struggling with made a bit more sense.

This makes some aspects of the book hard to follow at the beginning, but by the time you reach the end, you have an understanding of what is going on in the book, and can follow along more easily.

I enjoyed the aspects of the supernatural that were included in the book; I felt that it was done well and made the whole thing believable.

If you're looking for a romantic tragedy then try this book, I think you'll find what you are looking for in it!

I had a really long, detailed review written and then my phone somehow deleted it. Im not sure I’ll be able to rewrite everything and recapture just how much I enjoyed this book, but I’m going to try.

Going into this book, I knew it was going to be sad and tragic. but omg this book broke me. It had me crying in bed at 2am. I couldn’t believe what I had just read!! I was just staring in shock (which doesn’t happen often to me when I read books).

The romance in this book is also crazy. It’s full of power struggles and deceit. Neither character trusts each other, and they’re always trying to outwit the other. But yet they still love each other.

If you’re even thinking about reading this book, READ IT. It’s so good!!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of Goodbye My Princess! I absolutely love Asian focused literature. The majority of my favorite books lhis year have been Asian focused. Goodbye My Princess didn't quite live up to my expectations. Of course, that isn't the authors fault. The story is absolutely beautiful. The C-Drama is dramatic, fast paced, and lovely. The issue for me is the structure of the novel. Again, I love Asian focused literature. So the names and setting are not new to me. Court intrigue is my jam. Goodbye My Princess has all of the makings to be excellent but it just slightly missed the mark for me.

Goodbye My Princess definitely wants to be enjoyed on the big screen. The pacing in the novel is long and it introduces characters too rapidly. An index of characters and names would be incredibly helpful! Overall, the tragic love story is a good one. But definitely takes a bit to get through. Three stars because the story is good, I just think the execution in novel form could be better. That being said, I am so happy this is translated for English readers and I hope the publisher licenses more Chinese novels!! Thanks again for the chance to read this novel!