When Nina Revskaya puts her remarkable jewelry collection up for auction, the former Bolshoi Ballet star finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland, and of the events that changed her life half a century earlier.

It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of dance and fell in love, and where, faced with Stalinist aggression, a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape to the West.

Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But now Drew Brooks, an inquisitive associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor who believes Nina’s jewels hold the key to unlocking his past, begin to unravel her story—setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all.

A number of things attracted me to this book before I’d even read a page; firstly, the ballet element – a world which has always seemed mysterious and glamorous to me. Secondly, the historical backdrop of Stalinist Russia which would seem to present a complete contrast to the beauty of ballet and finally, the saga/mystery element because I love stories that follow a character through time.

Daphne Kalotay definitely delivers on all three areas and I found Russian Winter an involving read that I didn’t want to put down once I’d started. The descriptions of Nina’s time at the famed Bolshoi Ballet were fascinating and detailed and Kalotay has certainly done her research; the entire novel is a complex and detailed depiction of life as a ballerina and how it was to live in Russia in the immediate post-war era. The element of mystery is nicely done and kept me guessing almost until the end of the novel with a couple of very good twists.

The story is told through the eyes of three key characters all narrated in the third person. The majority of the tale is Nina’s personal history told in flashback in parallel to the story of the sale of her jewellery collection in present day Boston. In the present, Drew Brooks, who works at the auction house and is responsible for putting together the catalogue for the jewel sale, begins to dig into Nina’s past and the history of the items for sale. The third key character, Grigori Solodin is also working in the present to unravel a personal mystery with a link to Nina and her jewels. Of the three, I found Nina’s story the most interesting and gripping but I liked the movement between the past and the present and the pace provided by Drew and Grigori which kept the mystery element moving, raising a number of questions as the novel progresses.

Although I found Nina’s story most interesting, I found it difficult to warm to her as a character for a large part of the novel. In the present she is suffering from ill health and wishes to forget her past which makes her quite a harsh and distant figure and her ambition and dedication as a ballerina, whilst admirable also give her a ‘separate’ air as her past is recounted. But this isn’t just Nina’s story and as the book progressed, I began to see how and why she became the person she is now and I felt more sympathetic to her. There are a number of complex sub-plots involving Nina’s friends and colleagues at the Bolshoi and her husband, all of which combine with Drew and Grigori’s uncovering of snippets of information in the present to create an historical saga with depth which builds to some shocking revelations at the end.

I did feel that the ending was a little abrupt – it tied up the story nicely but I’m one of those readers who always wants to know what happened next and the ending left me wondering about the characters and what happened following the final revelations. Overall though, I found Russian Winter a very enjoyable read and would recommend it as a sophisticated read for historical fiction fans.

4/5

I’d like to thank the publisher Arrow for sending me a review copy of this book.

You can find out more about Daphne Kalotay and Russian Winter on her website at: http://www.daphnekalotay.com/

This review is part of the Russian Winter blog tour organised by TLC Book Tours. Please check out the other stops on the tour to see other reviews and an interview with Daphne:

Wednesday, February 8th: Reading With Tea
Thursday, February 9th: Fleur Fisher in her world
Tuesday, February 14th: DizzyC’s Little Book Blog
Wednesday, February 15th: Pining for the West
Thursday, February 16th: Chuck’s Miscellany
Tuesday, February 21th: I hug my books
Wednesday, February 22th: The Sweet Bookshelf
Thursday, February 23rd: A Book Sanctuary

There are so many exciting debuts being released in 2012 and The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall is one that I’ve been seeing lots of buzz about. I was already in love with the beautiful cover and then I saw the book trailer below, released earlier this week and am completely intrigued!

Beth Lowe has been sent a parcel.

Inside is a letter informing her that her long-estranged mother has died, and a scrapbook Beth has never seen before. Entitled The Book of Summers, it’s stuffed with photographs and mementos complied by her mother to record the seven glorious childhood summers Beth spent in rural Hungary.

It was a time when she trod the tightrope between separated parents and two very different countries; her bewitching but imperfect Hungarian mother and her gentle, reticent English father; the dazzling house of a Hungarian artist and an empty-feeling cottage in deepest Devon. And it was a time that came to the most brutal of ends the year Beth turned sixteen.

Since then, Beth hasn’t allowed herself to think about those years of her childhood. But the arrival of The Book of Summers brings the past tumbling back into the present; as vivid, painful and vital as ever.

The Book of Summers is released in hardback on 1st March and in paperback in June. Find out more and read an extract at http://www.thebookofsummers.co.uk/

At midnight, the dogs, cats, and rats rule Venice. The Ponte di Ghetto Nuovo, the bridge that leads to the ghetto, trembles under the weight of sacks of rotting vegetables, rancid fat, and vermin. Seeping refuse on the streets renders the pavement slick and the walking treacherous.

It was on such a night that the men came for Hannah.

Hannah Levi is famed throughout Venice for her skills as a midwife but, as a Jew, the law forbids her from attending a Christian woman.

However, when the Conte appears at her door in the dead of night,Hannah’s compassion is sorely tested. And with the handsome reward he is offering, she could ransom back her husband, currently imprisoned on the island of Malta.

But if she fails in her endeavours to save mother and child, will she be able to save herself, let alone her husband?

Roberta Rich’s debut is a fast paced and dramatic historical novel with a touching underlying love story and gripping plot. There are two strands to the story which run in parallel; the first and more predominant is Hannah’s story, based largely in Venice; the second is that of Hannah’s husband Isaac who is being held to ransom in Malta. The two stories interrupt each other every two or three chapters, often leaving the other part of the story on a cliffhanger which makes The Midwife of Venice a real page turner!

Rich has clearly done her research and conjures up the sights, sounds and smells of sixteenth century Venice in excellent detail. I was drawn to this book because of its unusual subject matter – I haven’t come across another historical novel which has midwifery as a key theme and as with the detail of the setting, Rich’s descriptions of child birth are very vivid and despite their drama come across as all too believable and realistic (warning to pregnant readers – you might want to save this one for after you’ve given birth!)

Hannah is an interesting and complex character whose strengths and beliefs are tested to their limits during the course of the novel. The story launches straight into the action as Hannah is summoned in the middle of the night to attend the wife of a wealthy Conte who is suffering a difficult labour. Hannah is a Jew; the Conte and his wife are Christians. Hannah is forbidden by law to assist with the birth but to accept the the Conte’s plea would mean that she’d be able to free husband. This is just the first of the challenges thrown at both Hannah and Isaac during the novel and as the story plays out they both have their love and faith tested to the full. I found myself caught up in Hannah’s dilemmas and enjoyed reading as her character developed, admiring the strength she showed throughout. I found Isaac’s part of the story less engaging but interesting as he attempts to win his freedom.

The Midwife of Venice is far more action packed than its title suggests with subplots that involve murder, plague and blackmail leading to some dramatic scenes and a number of creative escapes on Hannah’s behalf. Underneath the drama there is a strong theme of love and faith and I found the story of young Matteo, the child who Hannah helps bring into the world at the start of the novel, very touching.

An entertaining and original debut, I found The Midwife of Venice a quick and enjoyable read. I’m pleased to see that Rich is already working on a sequel and I look forward to reading more of Hannah’s adventures in the future.

4/5

The Midwife of Venice is released today and I’d like to thank Hannah at Ebury Publishing for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Roberta Rich and her writing at: http://robertarich.com/

I’ll be interviewing Roberta next week as part of her blog tour so please stop by to find out more about her debut!

The cover for this book caught my eye when it was mentioned on Twitter recently – isn’t it cute? The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is Kim Izzo’s debut novel and will be published by Hodder & Stoughton on 12th April. It sounds like a fab fun read and as an Austen fan it went straight on my wish list!

It`s a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen knew more about marriage than anyone else. `Never mind that she never got married herself…`

It`s in the midst of the recession when Kate, a freelance journalist and self-professed Jane Austen addict, finds herself single, unemployed and soon-to-be homeless `not to mention about to turn 40`.

In desperation she accepts a writing assignment to prove a theory that in the toughest economic times a wealthy man is the only must-have accessory. So, with just Jane Austen`s advice for company, she sets off to see if Mr Rich can ever become Mr Right.

Her mission takes her to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London. Where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets billionaires, oil tycoons, and generally men who make Mr Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love?

‘Am I dead? I don’t feel dead…’

Sophie cannot leave the people she loves. Her husband, Ollie – a man who once watered a houseplant for a year before realising it was plastic – is lost without her. Their son Freddie is so little. And her friend Jenny? There’s something she desperately needs to know before it’s too late.

Sophie is only thirty-five when she gets hit by a bus on Regent Street, leaving her husband Ollie, six year old son Freddie,  her best friend Jenny and the rest of her family and friends shocked and grieving. But Sophie hasn’t quite left them yet; she’s still floating around, watching over her nearest and dearest.  The Angel at No. 33 is the story of Sophie and her loved ones in the year following her death. You might be forgiven for thinking this would be a real tear-jerker of a novel and of course, in places it is (Sophie’s little boy Freddie got to me every time) but as well as being incredibly moving The Angel at No. 33 is also funny, insightful and ultimately uplifting.

Sophie tells us much of the story herself with heartfelt, often amusing commentary on her life and death that strikes just the right emotional balance. If I met someone like Sophie in real life I’d probably be quite intimidated (gorgeous, amazing husband, life and soul of every party, clever and funny) but as a ghostly presence, Sophie becomes more reflective about her life and what was actually important and I loved the observations that she came up with as she watched over the people she loves most.

Alternating with Sophie’s thoughts, the rest of the novel is told in the third person and focuses on key characters trying to cope without Sophie. Predominantly Ollie and Jenny but also the Muswell Hill mums; Sophie’s quirky, eclectic and slightly frightening local support network. The Muswell Hill mums cover a multitude of mummy categories with Tash, the hot divorcee, Lydia the emotional one and Suze, the ultimate organiser and as they launch into committee mode in a bid to rescue Ollie from self destruction and domestic neglect this storyline brings a lot of the humor to the book! Jenny is also roped into their plans as the person who knows Sophie, Freddie and Ollie best and the coming together of the different friends in Sophie’s life made me think about my own friends and the ways I mix them or don’t!

Jenny has her own set of problems in the form of fiance Sam who is reluctant to set a wedding date and Sophie’s death also makes her step back and evaluate her life. I liked Jenny a lot, perhaps because she seems to be the most ‘normal’ of the female characters in the book but also because she tries so hard to be there for everyone and genuinely cares without going overboard.

As Ollie and Freddie’s lives become open to scrutiny, Williams addresses issues of bereavement, grieving and moving on, truthfully and I only had one small gripe about one of Ollie’s actions as he tries to come to terms with Sophie’s death. I liked the way Sophie is used as the detached observer to bring wry observations and humor to sensitive issues without belittling them.

Well written with engaging characters, I liked Polly William’s style and found The Angel at No. 33 to be a real page turner. Thanks to a mysterious box of hidden letters and a cryptic ‘to do’ list left by Sophie there is also an element of mystery to the plot. Although the subject matter is sad and very moving, it’s not depressing and  The Angel at No. 33 is a bittersweet, romantic and enjoyable read.

4/5

The Angel at No. 33 is Polly’s sixth novel and is out now. You can find out more about Polly and her books at: http://www.pollywilliams.com/

Does every relationship deserve a second chance?

When chief romantic Rose Delaney scores her dream job at London’s quirkiest new attraction, The Museum of Broken Hearts, she thinks she’s got it made. Sure, it’s a little depressing dealing with relics of failed relationships each day, but Rose is determined not to let it break her ‘love conquers all’ spirit. After discovering the museum’s handsome curator is nursing a broken heart of his own, Rose steps in to fix it. Can Rose heal the rift, or will this happy ending go awry?

Regular readers will know that I’m a big fan of Talli Roland’s novels so whilst I’m waiting eagerly for her next book to be released, I thought I’d read her novella Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts. For those who haven’t read any of Talli’s writing yet, this novella is the perfect opportunity to get a feel for her books. The story is full of Talli’s trademark warmth, humour and romance and I thought the idea of a Museum of Broken Hearts was quirky and original.

Rose is a hopeless romantic and very much an optimist and was a girl after my own heart from the beginning. As we meet her she’s working in the basement of the British Museum and thoroughly fed up with her fossil cataloguing job so when she sees the advert for a job at The Museum of Broken Hearts she has to apply! Despite the protestations of her best friend Mel who tells it like it is, Rose heads into the job full of enthusiasm and quickly decides that she needs to help her new (and very handsome) boss mend his own broken heart. Talli has created two lovely characters in Rose and Heath and the story is a clever take on both relationships and love with a couple of fab twists in the tale.

Some short stories are just that – a nice quick read but not much to them but I was impressed by the substance of this one. It’s an excellent read and very much worth the pennies that it cost to download.

*STOP PRESS* Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts is FREE to download on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com today so grab it quick!

You can find out more abou Talli and her books at: http://talliroland.blogspot.com/

Clarissa is almost seventeen when the spell of her childhood is broken. It is 1914, the beginning of a blissful, golden summer – and the end of an era. Deyning Park is in its heyday, the large country house filled with the laughter and excitement of privileged youth preparing for a weekend party. When Clarissa meets Tom Cuthbert, home from university and staying with his mother, the housekeeper, she is dazzled. Tom is handsome and enigmatic; he is also an outsider. Ambitious, clever, his sights set on a career in law, Tom is an acute observer, and a man who knows what he wants. For now, that is Clarissa.

As Tom and Clarissa’s friendship deepens, the wider landscape of political life around them is changing, and another story unfolds: they are not the only people in love. Soon the world – and all that they know – is rocked by a war that changes their lives for ever.

The first thing that struck me about this book was the vivid descriptions; Judith Kinghorn succeeded in immediately transporting me to another time and place with her depiction of Deyning, the Granville family and their friends in the summer of 1914. The story is told from Clarissa’s point of view; The Last Summer is her coming of age story. As readers we follow her as she develops from sixteen year old ingenue to grown woman and as her world changes more than she could ever have imagined.

I loved Clarissa as a character from the start with her enthusiasm, optimism and hope for her future. Despite her cosseted life, she came across as fun and not afraid to take a risk and as the story progressed I admired her strength of character and determination. She tells the story in the past tense from a future point so not only do we hear of events first hand but she is able to give her own perspective on her actions, thoughts and feelings and the reminiscent style suited the story perfectly.

Clarissa meets Tom and the attraction is immediate. I’ll willingly admit to being a little in love with the handsome Tom Cuthbert myself as I was reading. But Tom is not of Clarissa’s class and therefore their relationship cannot be. I found it fascinating to see the impact of the war on the traditional class distinctions and in particular on Tom and Clarissa’s lives. I don’t want to give out any spoilers but to say that the course of their love doesn’t run smoothly would be a major understatement. Kinghorn has created a sweeping story of love and loss which kept me guessing to the very end.

Judith Kinghorn has beautifully captured the thoughts and feelings of a particular group in a lost generation. From an historical perspective, Kinghorn has clearly done her research which is illustrated in the small details that capture the war and post-war periods, making The Last Summer entirely believable and often shocking. This is a very visual novel and I could easily see it translating to television or film. There is also an intriguing element of mystery as the story is punctuated with extracts from letters that hint at another love story.

Told in four parts, I thought the pace of this novel was excellent and I was surprised a number of times by the swiftness of the twists and turns to the plot which covers a period of sixteen years in total. I liked the fact that the story didn’t end with the war and homecoming and goes on to examine the consequences and lives of the survivors.

Despite the themes of loss, grief and change, The Last Summer is above all a wonderful and heartbreaking love story. As you can probably tell, I was completely caught up in Clarissa’s life and thoroughly enjoyed Judith Kinghorn’s debut. Highly recommended!

5/5

The Last Summer is out now in hardback and as an ebook and will be released in paperback on 26th April. I’d like to thank Helena at Headline for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Judith and her writing at: http://judithkinghorn.blogspot.com/

Last month I wrote a list of the ten ‘chick lit’ books that  I can’t wait to read this year. Lindsey Kelk’s summer release I Heart London was on the list so you can imagine my excitement when I saw that the cover has been released. I’ve loved all of the covers in this series and this one is gorgeous too – I can’t wait to find out what happens to Angela when she’s back on home turf!

Home is where the heart is. Right?

Angela Clark has fallen in love with America – and it’s starting to love her back.

Throw one expired visa into the mix, and things quickly take a turn for the worse.

Now, there’s another wedding in the offing – and everyone remembers how well the last one went . . .

After the break up of a long-term relationship Lisa escapes to the remote Isles of Scilly, twenty eight miles off the coast of Cornwall, for a new year reunion with old college friends. But as winter weather sweeps across Britain the airports close and only two people make it: Lisa and Dominic. She always thought him attractive and he still is, but he doesn’t even seem to remember her.

Kate Allan’s romantic short e-book novella Snowbound on the Island was released last week and is a very appropriate read for the current UK weather!

Lisa finds herself thrown together with handsome Dominic as they await the arrival of the rest of their university friends (who have been stranded in the snow) for a new year celebration on the Isles of Scilly. I thought this story was a fab quick romantic read with a plausible plot and two likeable characters in Lisa and Dominic. Despite this being a short story, Kate Allan really brings out her two characters’ personalities. I loved that Dominic hadn’t really noticed Lisa in the past which created a great tension between them. As the two make the best of the situation sparks begin to fly making Snowbound on the Island a romantic winter warmer!

You can find out more about Kate and her writing on her website at: http://kateallan.com/

Thirty-something Elyse is happy with her life. That is to say, she’s not actively unhappy. She’s got a perfectly nice husband, child, home and life and knows she should be grateful. Returning home one day from a work trip, she meets an attractive married man on a plane who forces her to question her life – and ultimately find it wanting. There are consequences for Elyse, her husband, her child and her circle of close friends, all of whom have an investment in her life continuing as normal. But things will never be the same again – and is ‘normal’ what she really wants after all?

Love in Mid Air dives straight into the story with an opening chapter that triggers events for the rest of the book as Elyse meets a stranger on a plane and feels an instant attraction to him. Confessing her unhappy marriage, she returns to her husband and family and the remainder of the novel examines the change this encounter brings about in Elyse’s life and the knock on impacts on her family and friends.

I have really mixed feelings about this book. It’s well written and the story held my attention as I really wanted to know what the outcome would be for Elyse, but I really didn’t like her as a character and I disagreed with many of her actions throughout the book. Elyse came across to me as quite a selfish person who was very much caught up in her own issues, which is perhaps understandable in the context of her unhappiness with her marriage but it was her judgements and condemnation of her friends that I found difficut to understand, particularly poor Belinda who is pitied because her clothes aren’t fashionable and her children seem to get into a lot of accidents.

I expected Love in Mid Air to be a story of strong female friendship and support. On the surface Elyse has a close group of friends who meet regularly for walks and lunches, have a book group and are active church and community members, supporting each other with their lives and children. Under the surface though, none of the women in the book are happy in their relationships. Their dissatisfaction seems to go further than a good moan over a glass of wine and the implication for much of the story is that women are the ones that stay and the group are quite willing to just carry on in the bubble they have created. I’m a very optimistic person and while I understand that everyone can’t always be happy, I found the deptiction of suburban life in Love in Mid Air a little depressing.  In fairness, Elyse is the one to say that she doesn’t accept the status quo but as I’ve already said, I wasn’t keen on the ways that she went about making changes to her life and I mainly ended up feeling really sorry for her little girl whose reaction to events wasn’t really explored.

Love in Mid Air is very much Elyse’s story. It’s written in the first person so has a very immediate and intimate feel to it. Kim Wright has certainly given voice to Elyse warts and all and I admire her for creating a character that will challenge readers. This wasn’t the book for me but if you’re looking for a fresh voice and a thought provoking take on marriage, relationships and aspects of female friendship this could be the book for you.

3/5

I’d like to thank Sam at Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book for review.

You can find out more about Kim Wright and Love in the Air on her website at: http://loveinmidair.com/