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Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated Close To Me in Books
Oct 6, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)
Really enjoyed Close To Me by Amanda Reynolds, wasn't sure what to expect this being a debut author but I certainly wasn't disappointed.
Close To Me tells the story of Jo Harding after she falls down stairs hitting her head and losing her memory of the past year.
On coming home things feel different and disjointed, Jo feels there is an undercurrent of deceit, secrets being kept from her by her husband and children and as she unravels the mysteries of the past year things escalate to a shocking conclusion.
So this was a great psychological read, it kept my interest and pulled me in, the writing was superb, and the storyline very easy to follow.
Close to me is told in two parts, real-time and snippets of the past year, though it has a slow build this is not a bad thing as you get to understand Jo's life and how she is the person she is.
The characters here felt real and human, some you could sympathise with others not so much.
If I had to pick my least favourite person in this, it would have to be the daughter I found her very self-centred and immature, but she's a product of her overindulged upbringing.
I myself have grown up children there is no way on this planet I would be paying for their accommodation.
what a right spoilt brat Sash is.
Close to me delves into the dynamics of family and the resulting aftermath when things ultimately implode.
I did kind of guess where this was going but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment reading this.
Would I recommend this? Hell Yeah!!!
It was an engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and the author for providing me with an arc of Close to me
This is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Close To Me tells the story of Jo Harding after she falls down stairs hitting her head and losing her memory of the past year.
On coming home things feel different and disjointed, Jo feels there is an undercurrent of deceit, secrets being kept from her by her husband and children and as she unravels the mysteries of the past year things escalate to a shocking conclusion.
So this was a great psychological read, it kept my interest and pulled me in, the writing was superb, and the storyline very easy to follow.
Close to me is told in two parts, real-time and snippets of the past year, though it has a slow build this is not a bad thing as you get to understand Jo's life and how she is the person she is.
The characters here felt real and human, some you could sympathise with others not so much.
If I had to pick my least favourite person in this, it would have to be the daughter I found her very self-centred and immature, but she's a product of her overindulged upbringing.
I myself have grown up children there is no way on this planet I would be paying for their accommodation.
what a right spoilt brat Sash is.
Close to me delves into the dynamics of family and the resulting aftermath when things ultimately implode.
I did kind of guess where this was going but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment reading this.
Would I recommend this? Hell Yeah!!!
It was an engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and the author for providing me with an arc of Close to me
This is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Debbiereadsbook (1727 KP) rated Choose Me (Banger Trilogy #1) in Books
Jan 7, 2018
Awesome 5 star read
This is book ONE in the Banger trilogy, which was previously released as 7 part books. I was going to buy them, all 7 books, once they were all out, but life got in the way and I totally forgot about getting. Until I saw they were being rebranded and rereleased as a trilogy. They were released on Jan 1st 2018 and I purchased all three in one.
And let me ya!! You NEED all three before you start!! Seriosuly, DO NOT attempt these books til you have all three (book one is currently free Jan 6th 2018)
Because this will GRAB you and not let you go! Took me about 90 minutes, to read all 233 pages and I did not move for those 90 minutes!
And you know what?? I did not notice, it did not even occur to me til I was over half way through about something about the way this book is written
First Person
Multi Point of View
AND!
Present Tense!
So there I was, merrily reading away, about Katherine and her hunt, about Greyson and his personal affliction and about them doing naughty unexpected things to each other and it hits me! Like a freaking sledgehammer to the face! It hit me that this book, that grabbed me so well, is written in the PRESENT FLIPPING TENSE! For me to get way past half way, for that penny to drop, just shows you how engaging I found Katherine and Greyson.
It is explicit, it's down and dirty. It makes no apologies for being so either! It is, in places, emotional. Not quite the bawl your eyes out, more the kind I wanna stab Katherine's ex's eye out with a blunt pencil, but I have a feeling the bawling is to come. Oh yes, I know its-a-coming!
I Love Ms Lynne's work, and this is an excellent addition to her library.
Off to read book 2, Covet Me now.
5 full and sexy stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
And let me ya!! You NEED all three before you start!! Seriosuly, DO NOT attempt these books til you have all three (book one is currently free Jan 6th 2018)
Because this will GRAB you and not let you go! Took me about 90 minutes, to read all 233 pages and I did not move for those 90 minutes!
And you know what?? I did not notice, it did not even occur to me til I was over half way through about something about the way this book is written
First Person
Multi Point of View
AND!
Present Tense!
So there I was, merrily reading away, about Katherine and her hunt, about Greyson and his personal affliction and about them doing naughty unexpected things to each other and it hits me! Like a freaking sledgehammer to the face! It hit me that this book, that grabbed me so well, is written in the PRESENT FLIPPING TENSE! For me to get way past half way, for that penny to drop, just shows you how engaging I found Katherine and Greyson.
It is explicit, it's down and dirty. It makes no apologies for being so either! It is, in places, emotional. Not quite the bawl your eyes out, more the kind I wanna stab Katherine's ex's eye out with a blunt pencil, but I have a feeling the bawling is to come. Oh yes, I know its-a-coming!
I Love Ms Lynne's work, and this is an excellent addition to her library.
Off to read book 2, Covet Me now.
5 full and sexy stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Adam Colclough (3 KP) rated The January Man: A Year of Walking Britain in Books
Apr 19, 2018
The Long and Winding Road
The relationship between fathers and sons is contested ground. An emotional boxing match with incomprehension at golden opportunities wasted in one corner, and frustration at being held to impossible standards in the other.
The sometimes awkward, but always close, relationship between journalist Christopher Somerville and his war hero father is at the heart of this hugely engaging mix of memoir and nature writing. Their shared love of walking was the bond that united two very different characters in a story that unfolds against a backdrop of profound social change.
The quiet stoicism that saw a generation of men through the war giving way to rebellion born of affluence, then morphing into the busy atomisation of twenty first century life. This could make for a maudlin exercise in chin stroking, but is saved from it by Somerville’s good humour and inherent optimism.
Added to this is a deep love of nature and the English countryside and the people who have painted, written about or made their living from it over the centuries. Somerville is able to translate this into nature writing that carries the message that we should value what we’ve got without being either sentimental or didactic.
As a memoirist, he has an eye for the eccentricities of family life and a welcome sense of empathy with the experience of his parent’s generation and how it shaped their outlook. Being reserved is not the same thing as being distant, love strong enough to last a lifetime doesn’t need to announce itself with flowers and candy hearts; it manifests in the little acts that make up a life.
This is also a resolutely practical book, something Somerville senior would have approved of, with several associated walks that can be downloaded. Even if the journey from the bookcase to your easy chair is the closest you get to hiking, it is still worth reading.
The sometimes awkward, but always close, relationship between journalist Christopher Somerville and his war hero father is at the heart of this hugely engaging mix of memoir and nature writing. Their shared love of walking was the bond that united two very different characters in a story that unfolds against a backdrop of profound social change.
The quiet stoicism that saw a generation of men through the war giving way to rebellion born of affluence, then morphing into the busy atomisation of twenty first century life. This could make for a maudlin exercise in chin stroking, but is saved from it by Somerville’s good humour and inherent optimism.
Added to this is a deep love of nature and the English countryside and the people who have painted, written about or made their living from it over the centuries. Somerville is able to translate this into nature writing that carries the message that we should value what we’ve got without being either sentimental or didactic.
As a memoirist, he has an eye for the eccentricities of family life and a welcome sense of empathy with the experience of his parent’s generation and how it shaped their outlook. Being reserved is not the same thing as being distant, love strong enough to last a lifetime doesn’t need to announce itself with flowers and candy hearts; it manifests in the little acts that make up a life.
This is also a resolutely practical book, something Somerville senior would have approved of, with several associated walks that can be downloaded. Even if the journey from the bookcase to your easy chair is the closest you get to hiking, it is still worth reading.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden in Video Games
Feb 8, 2019
Hard Game But Core Fans May Like it.
Fans of turn based combat will likely enjoy the latest game in the genre Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. The game has a Post-Apocalypse setting where players take control of two mutants, a Duck and a Boar, as they explore, battle, and salvage in a hostile environment.
There is a base of operations which is fairly safe for players to enjoy as they can not only gain new missions; but they can upgrade their loadout to better survive the tasks ahead.
The early missions were fairly routine as using my allotted number of moves per turn I was able to move, take cover, heal, reload, fire, and even throw a grenade.
The problem comes when the enemy has numbers as an early mission involved taking on 5 enemies of the same or higher skill level.
The enemies were able to flank players and call in help which only increased their superior advantage.
Hiding and waiting for them to pass, hit and run, and direct assaults did no good and added to the frustrations.
Considering players would have to take a turn to reload and enemies did not, plus the sheer numbers made it a frustrating undertaking.
In many ways it is a microcosm of the game itself as there are challenges and then there are challenges which are a bit too much for gamers who are not hardcore and are looking for a simple escape.
Casual players are likely to enjoy the premise and some of the gameplay but will become frustrated with the excessive challenge and combat mechanics required on some of the missions.
The game has decent graphics and sound and the characters are engaging and likeable but in the end the game becomes a tedious series of turn based battles that can grow old and frustrating after a while.
3.5 stars out of 5
There is a base of operations which is fairly safe for players to enjoy as they can not only gain new missions; but they can upgrade their loadout to better survive the tasks ahead.
The early missions were fairly routine as using my allotted number of moves per turn I was able to move, take cover, heal, reload, fire, and even throw a grenade.
The problem comes when the enemy has numbers as an early mission involved taking on 5 enemies of the same or higher skill level.
The enemies were able to flank players and call in help which only increased their superior advantage.
Hiding and waiting for them to pass, hit and run, and direct assaults did no good and added to the frustrations.
Considering players would have to take a turn to reload and enemies did not, plus the sheer numbers made it a frustrating undertaking.
In many ways it is a microcosm of the game itself as there are challenges and then there are challenges which are a bit too much for gamers who are not hardcore and are looking for a simple escape.
Casual players are likely to enjoy the premise and some of the gameplay but will become frustrated with the excessive challenge and combat mechanics required on some of the missions.
The game has decent graphics and sound and the characters are engaging and likeable but in the end the game becomes a tedious series of turn based battles that can grow old and frustrating after a while.
3.5 stars out of 5
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Seance (Harrison Investigation, #5) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<b>4.5 stars</b>
<b>The Seance</b> was one of those books that I just could not put down! Addictive, fast-paced, thrilling, and thoroughly fun, it had everything I wanted to read - mystery/suspense, romance, paranormal - and reminded me of R.L. Stine for adults. Of course it's not 'serious' fiction, who wants that when picking up a book that looks like this? It's fun brain candy, plain and simple, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I haven't had an easy time finding books to read because my concentration level has taken a nosedive, but this book had me hooked from the back synopsis - and kept me hooked throughout. Yes, there are some editing issues, coincidences, red-heads seem to be the main populace, redundancies (e.g. victims are attractive red-heads, beautiful red-heads, gorgeous red-heads, and did I mention Christina's a beautiful, attractive, gorgeous red-head also? Argh, it was annoying! I got it the first time; I don't need it repeated ten million times.), and I figured out who was behind everything in the first-seventh of the book, which could have used more of an explanation for the why at the end, but my problems are eclipsed by the engaging plot.
After Christina called Gen, I wondered if there was a previous book with her, Thor, and Adam, and there is called [b:The Vision|731809|The Vision (Harrison Investigation, #3)|Heather Graham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308964367s/731809.jpg|717999], and I've already ordered it from the library - I can't wait to read it! I'm thinking Heather Graham's romantic suspense novels might just be the key that'll keep me reading all the way to the end of a book. :) So, overall, I liked the characters, the story was great, and even though it isn't even close to Hallowe'en, I would still recommend it for a thrilling good read.
<b>The Seance</b> was one of those books that I just could not put down! Addictive, fast-paced, thrilling, and thoroughly fun, it had everything I wanted to read - mystery/suspense, romance, paranormal - and reminded me of R.L. Stine for adults. Of course it's not 'serious' fiction, who wants that when picking up a book that looks like this? It's fun brain candy, plain and simple, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I haven't had an easy time finding books to read because my concentration level has taken a nosedive, but this book had me hooked from the back synopsis - and kept me hooked throughout. Yes, there are some editing issues, coincidences, red-heads seem to be the main populace, redundancies (e.g. victims are attractive red-heads, beautiful red-heads, gorgeous red-heads, and did I mention Christina's a beautiful, attractive, gorgeous red-head also? Argh, it was annoying! I got it the first time; I don't need it repeated ten million times.), and I figured out who was behind everything in the first-seventh of the book, which could have used more of an explanation for the why at the end, but my problems are eclipsed by the engaging plot.
After Christina called Gen, I wondered if there was a previous book with her, Thor, and Adam, and there is called [b:The Vision|731809|The Vision (Harrison Investigation, #3)|Heather Graham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308964367s/731809.jpg|717999], and I've already ordered it from the library - I can't wait to read it! I'm thinking Heather Graham's romantic suspense novels might just be the key that'll keep me reading all the way to the end of a book. :) So, overall, I liked the characters, the story was great, and even though it isn't even close to Hallowe'en, I would still recommend it for a thrilling good read.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Bronze Horseman in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Well, the Bronze Horseman started off well enough. The love story between Tatiana and Alexander was beautifully written and engaging for the first two parts of the book. Then in the third part, entitled Lazarevo, the book fell apart. Barely any plot, I could have skipped it and not missed much at all. Not to mention Alexander took a turn for the worse. He always was a bit short-tempered before, but he was ten times worse and became way too possessive of Tatiana for me to consider this romantic at all. Truthfully, it didn't feel like it belonged in this book and nearly made me abandon the book altogether. Nevertheless, I trudged through the 157 pages and got to the fourth part. Finally. After reading the first page, the writing and story already appeared better, more like how the book started, but it didn't really catch my interest again until the last sixty pages. That was the turning point and now, after thinking I wouldn't, I probably will pick up the next installment of their story.
As far as the characters and plot, Tatiana will not be for everyone, she's pretty much a saint throughout the whole book. I mostly liked her, and yeah, sure she was a pushover, but hey, different time, different culture, I could accept that. What I had a hard time with was how Alexander kept seeing her (selfish, irredeemable) sister. What the heck? Why couldn't he have just broken it off with her? I never understood that, as it didn't seem to be a cultural thing, and it just ended up being a weak plot device. The war-time scenes were very good though and I could feel their hunger, their numbness, their fear, all of it was well done. So, as I said, I will read the next book and hope it continues with all the good this book had and very little of the bad.
As far as the characters and plot, Tatiana will not be for everyone, she's pretty much a saint throughout the whole book. I mostly liked her, and yeah, sure she was a pushover, but hey, different time, different culture, I could accept that. What I had a hard time with was how Alexander kept seeing her (selfish, irredeemable) sister. What the heck? Why couldn't he have just broken it off with her? I never understood that, as it didn't seem to be a cultural thing, and it just ended up being a weak plot device. The war-time scenes were very good though and I could feel their hunger, their numbness, their fear, all of it was well done. So, as I said, I will read the next book and hope it continues with all the good this book had and very little of the bad.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2534 KP) rated The Sentry in Books
Apr 23, 2019
Wrong Place, Wrong Time – But for Whom?
It all started because Joe Pike stopped to put air in his tires. While he is at the service station, he notices two suspicious men about to enter a sandwich stop across the street. Pike follows them and stops them from beating up the owner, Wilson Smith. When Pike is waiting to talk to the police, he meets Wilson’s niece, Dru Rayne. Both of them are refuges from New Oreleans, feeling after Hurricane Katrina five years before the story starts. When trouble comes for the duo again, Dru calls Pike, who brings his friend and partner Elvis Cole in to help. Elvis begins to uncover clues that things aren’t quite what they appear to be. What has the innocent act of stopping at a service station and doing a good deed gotten the duo into?
Thanks to the multiple view point narration, we have an idea what else might be happening before Pike and Cole do, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t interested. There is so much going on that what we are privy to is only a small part of the story. There are plenty of twists as this thriller works its way to the climax. Along the way we get new insight into both Joe Pike and Elvis Cole. We do see a few of the recurring characters, but they don’t get enough page time for any real development. The new characters are engaging enough to help keep us invested in the story. Even though we get some passages from Cole’s point of view, his humor is missing here, and I would have enjoyed it. Even by this series’ standards, this book is violent. While these books always have more language and violence than my normal cozy mysteries, I felt what we got here could have been tone down without impacting the story in the slightest.
Thanks to the multiple view point narration, we have an idea what else might be happening before Pike and Cole do, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t interested. There is so much going on that what we are privy to is only a small part of the story. There are plenty of twists as this thriller works its way to the climax. Along the way we get new insight into both Joe Pike and Elvis Cole. We do see a few of the recurring characters, but they don’t get enough page time for any real development. The new characters are engaging enough to help keep us invested in the story. Even though we get some passages from Cole’s point of view, his humor is missing here, and I would have enjoyed it. Even by this series’ standards, this book is violent. While these books always have more language and violence than my normal cozy mysteries, I felt what we got here could have been tone down without impacting the story in the slightest.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Oblivion (2013) in Movies
May 12, 2019
Why didn't more people see this?
Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski brings his unique, stunning visual splendor to this unusual sci fi tale where everything is not quite what it seems.
Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough are in change of keeping robotic drones which protect large machines in a future where Earth is derelict and most of humanity has relocated to a moon of Saturn or a giant orbiting space station en route to the same destination.
A mysterious spacecraft crashes to Earth and one of the occupants is saved. They also have to deal with the unruly "scavs" out to kill them. Events take an interesting turn when the real villains and heroes are revealed and I doubt you can predict the outcome.
I am usually one to say movies that are just "eye candy" don't hold my interest; however, this film has a soul which goes deeper and kept my attention and riveted throughout.
Th engaging story and interesting characters mixed well even though I may have felt I had seen some of this before. Some trappings of films like The Matrix, 2001, Solaris or Arrival are present, but the director puts his own spin and the story kept pace entirely.
Also a standout was the score by musical group M83 who had never done a soundtrack before according to Tom Cruise during the audio commentary.
Not sure why this film was lost at the box office. Could've been the anti Tom Cruise factor, crowded summer movie season or even the highbrow concept plot which meant mediocre word of mouth kept people away.
I had recalled very mixed reviews myself which is why I hadn't watched until now which was a good thing I suppose which meant I was pleasantly surprised.
Appetites for much better-than-average science fiction should give this a try.
Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough are in change of keeping robotic drones which protect large machines in a future where Earth is derelict and most of humanity has relocated to a moon of Saturn or a giant orbiting space station en route to the same destination.
A mysterious spacecraft crashes to Earth and one of the occupants is saved. They also have to deal with the unruly "scavs" out to kill them. Events take an interesting turn when the real villains and heroes are revealed and I doubt you can predict the outcome.
I am usually one to say movies that are just "eye candy" don't hold my interest; however, this film has a soul which goes deeper and kept my attention and riveted throughout.
Th engaging story and interesting characters mixed well even though I may have felt I had seen some of this before. Some trappings of films like The Matrix, 2001, Solaris or Arrival are present, but the director puts his own spin and the story kept pace entirely.
Also a standout was the score by musical group M83 who had never done a soundtrack before according to Tom Cruise during the audio commentary.
Not sure why this film was lost at the box office. Could've been the anti Tom Cruise factor, crowded summer movie season or even the highbrow concept plot which meant mediocre word of mouth kept people away.
I had recalled very mixed reviews myself which is why I hadn't watched until now which was a good thing I suppose which meant I was pleasantly surprised.
Appetites for much better-than-average science fiction should give this a try.
kelsey (8 KP) rated Honey Heist in Tabletop Games
May 29, 2019
A Roaring Good Time!
I ran a one-shot of Honey Heist with my TTRPG group and had an absolutely wonderful time with it. The rules are extremely simple (one page long!) and don't need a lot of effort/studying to get a game rolling. Honey Heist runs on a D6 system that's very GM-hands-off. The players completely run this game, and the only time you need to step in is when providing some description, for NPC role-play, or if your players need you to step in and help them out.
My players had a wonderful time with this game, and I did too. Of all the games I've run, it's probably the one where I had the most fun. We couldn't stop laughing, and I really felt engaged in helping my players move along through the story. As with all TTRPG sessions, things never go to plan and even with a really simple one-shot laid out, we had absolutely no chance of finishing a story in one night.
The one thing I will mention that I don't love is the point system in the game. Players have 6 points which they allocate to two dimensions: Criminal and Bear. Dependent on rolls, you move these points (for example, a player wants to knock someone out, they succeed on a roll and move one point to Criminal, thus they now have 4 in criminal and 2 in bear.) I found that pretty quickly balancing was precarious, especially because my players wanted to do a lot that was roll-worthy. We employed the mechanics that allow you to counterbalance a little bit, but it still felt tough to help my players stay leveled (or at least in territory where they were "safe".)
Overall though, this game is a wonderfully good time, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a fun TTRPG to try out.
My players had a wonderful time with this game, and I did too. Of all the games I've run, it's probably the one where I had the most fun. We couldn't stop laughing, and I really felt engaged in helping my players move along through the story. As with all TTRPG sessions, things never go to plan and even with a really simple one-shot laid out, we had absolutely no chance of finishing a story in one night.
The one thing I will mention that I don't love is the point system in the game. Players have 6 points which they allocate to two dimensions: Criminal and Bear. Dependent on rolls, you move these points (for example, a player wants to knock someone out, they succeed on a roll and move one point to Criminal, thus they now have 4 in criminal and 2 in bear.) I found that pretty quickly balancing was precarious, especially because my players wanted to do a lot that was roll-worthy. We employed the mechanics that allow you to counterbalance a little bit, but it still felt tough to help my players stay leveled (or at least in territory where they were "safe".)
Overall though, this game is a wonderfully good time, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a fun TTRPG to try out.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Huntress in Books
Jun 6, 2019
Great story with engrossing characters
I loved reading this one! A great blend of action, intrigue and romance complete with a cast of likable characters. Each one with their story to tell and it’s told well. For some background information it would help to read up on the subject of the Night Witches and their exploits during World War II (which is a fascinating subject on its’ own)
Of all the stories to read, Nina’s naturally, is the most interesting. She’s a wild child, does her own thing and doesn’t care about norms, conventions, and rules. She does her own thing but joins up with her squad not because of the love of her land and country but because she loves to fly. It’s her passion and it shows. I love reading about Nina because of her free spirited attitude and her drive. It’s what keeps her going.
The plot is free flowing and the chapters goes back and forth time-wise, and changes perspective depending on the character. Besides Nina, Jordan’s point of view is also interesting. She’s also got an independent streak in her and it’s nice to see her go on her own path based on her decisions. It’s unheard of back then in the day (we’re talking about 1950’s here) so it’s nice to read.
The writing is excellent and it grabs your attention from page one. I rather wish there was a small glossary to see what Nina says in Russian (although I’m sure it’s rather colorful language) but other than that small bit, the characters are engaging, and it’s nice how they all come together in the last third of the book.
The Author’s Note is also good for explaining what she’s done historical speaking wise. If you are stickler for history perhaps this isn’t for you - it’s more character and story driven. Still an engrossing read and greatly recommended!
Of all the stories to read, Nina’s naturally, is the most interesting. She’s a wild child, does her own thing and doesn’t care about norms, conventions, and rules. She does her own thing but joins up with her squad not because of the love of her land and country but because she loves to fly. It’s her passion and it shows. I love reading about Nina because of her free spirited attitude and her drive. It’s what keeps her going.
The plot is free flowing and the chapters goes back and forth time-wise, and changes perspective depending on the character. Besides Nina, Jordan’s point of view is also interesting. She’s also got an independent streak in her and it’s nice to see her go on her own path based on her decisions. It’s unheard of back then in the day (we’re talking about 1950’s here) so it’s nice to read.
The writing is excellent and it grabs your attention from page one. I rather wish there was a small glossary to see what Nina says in Russian (although I’m sure it’s rather colorful language) but other than that small bit, the characters are engaging, and it’s nice how they all come together in the last third of the book.
The Author’s Note is also good for explaining what she’s done historical speaking wise. If you are stickler for history perhaps this isn’t for you - it’s more character and story driven. Still an engrossing read and greatly recommended!