Description:
Amid the violent last days of the glittering Russian monarchy, a princess on the run finds her heart where she least expects it.
1917, Petrograd. Fleeing the murderous flames of the Russian Revolution, Princess Svetlana Dalsky hopes to find safety in Paris with her mother and sister. But the city is buckling under the weight of the Great War, and the Bolsheviks will not rest until they have erased every Russian aristocrat from memory. Svetlana and her family are forced into hiding in Paris’s underbelly, with little to their name but the jewels they sewed into their corsets before their terrifying escape.
Born the second son of a Scottish duke, the only title Wynn MacCallan cares for is that of surgeon. Putting his talents with a scalpel to good use in the hospitals in Paris, Wynn pushes the boundaries of medical science to give his patients the best care possible. After treating Svetlana for a minor injury, he is pulled into a world of decaying imperial glitter. Intrigued by this mysterious, cold, and beautiful woman, Wynn follows Svetlana to an underground Russian club where drink, dance, and questionable dealings collide on bubbles of vodka.
Out of money and options, Svetlana agrees to a marriage of convenience with the handsome and brilliant Wynn, who will protect her and pay off her family’s debts. It’s the right thing for a good man to do, but Wynn cannot help hoping the marriage will turn into one of true affection. When Wynn’s life takes an unexpected turn, so does Svetlana’s—and soon Paris becomes as dangerous as Petrograd. And as the Bolsheviks chase them to Scotland, Wynn and Svetlana begin to wonder if they will ever be able to outrun the love they are beginning to feel for one another.
About the Author:
With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the INSPY and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.
My thoughts:
I honestly don’t remember hearing of this author, prior to this book coming across my screen one day, as I sought a different book to read. This one definitely seemed to fit the bill, being set in Paris during the Great War and surrounding a Russian princess fleeing her own war. I hadn’t a clue what to expect, so this was definitely something different.
I can’t fault the author at all in her storytelling abilities. I found myself easily drawn into the story, despite not particularly caring for the characters, at least in the beginning. Svetlana is standoffish and cold, though I was expecting that from the description. I greatly liked Wynn and his mostly easy-going nature. I absolutely loathed Svetlana’s mother, maybe even more than Sheremetev, which is saying something. She is childish and selfish, hardly a mother at all to Svetlana or Marina, and I was honestly kind of hoping something would happen and remove her from the story. Her only redeeming moment is at the very end of the book, making it a sometimes tedious 400 pages, with her so frequently a part of the story. Leonid was a surprising character and most often the comic relief, something this tale greatly needed. I realize it was a very difficult time in history, but I wasn’t anticipating how drab the story could be, with so few light-hearted or positive moments.
I honestly kept reading because I’m a sucker for “marriage of convenience” stories and was desperately hoping there would be a happy ending. Thankfully, there was! But I’m not sure I’d really recommend pushing through the heaviness to get there, unless that’s the kind of book you’re looking to read.
I'm thinking sometimes in the next 3-4 months, I'm going to be stepping back from reviewing, even more than I have thus far. Or maybe just taking a hiatus while we find our new normal with 2 little ones.
I've also been finding myself losing my joy of reading a great story and I want to find that, again. Hopefully taking a break will help with that.
I'm considering the idea of possibly writing some posts of a more conversational nature, but I want to pray about it more, before I add my thoughts/opinions to the litany that already exists online. So we shall see, just know, this blog might go through an adjustment period, as my own life changes. :)
Thank you so much for sticking around, this far!
