What is your opinion?
From Russia with Love
"It may not be the namesake James Bond film, but there sure is enough action, plotting, scheming, explosions (!!) and, yes, even car action scenes, that could fit into one of those. Dr Nathalie Burgess was devastated when the man she had vowed her heart to mysteriously vanished, leaving absolutely no clue for his (apparent) change of heart. But life moves on, even if we don't want it to. The life of a Burgess has the (dis)advantage of moving at autobahn speed, so there's no time to mourn a relationship. Nat finds herself in the very place she never, in her whole life, wished to be: the spotlight. Suddenly becoming the head of the Burgess family and being the eternal black sheep (and adding the extra sprinkle of depression), the task seems daunting but, fortunately, some amazing side characters (and a seemingly unreachable but very, very alluring mafioso with a mysterious past) are there to pick her up and get her moving. A trip to the other side of the forbidden Iron Curtain, straight into the heart of the USSR (fortunately in very good, broody and charming company) soon devolves into a true horror show for everyone involved. And that could be the whole story and it would be good, but no!! No, because the author has decided to be a weaver of stories, a puppeteer mastering all the strings to those side-plots, artfully converging them into a grand finale of revelations, heartache, tension and despair. Angst, pain and the constant feeling of impending doom are the mottos under which this story unfolds. And, man, it's good. The MCs are so submerged in their own pain and struggles, that they fail to see themselves for who they truly are. Lucky for them, we can see the bigger picture, and we keep rooting for them, knowing how capable of love they are, even if they are, themselves, oblivious to it. But the tension, oh man, the tension!! I cannot count the amount of expletives followed by "just kiss her already" were uttered in this house. And the side characters are just deliciously matured and grown, easily turning them into absolute favourites, which I confess, I would love to see more of. As I said, the plot(s) is very well-built and, reaching the final pages, we realise just how connected everything is, even if it may seem different, throughout. I enjoyed how it left everything still very much open for the next book. The settings are vivid enough to feel the Siberian cold, to stealthily make your way through an enemy military base, to dread a plane trip. If I had to point out any flaw, it would be how loopy some of the MCs can become, when they get lost in their inner destructive spiral. But I'm also guilty of that sin, and I'm sure the final edit will trim those just a smidge, until they reach the angsty perfection the author is so good at. So, yes, my verdict is, most definitely, read the books! Read the books and step into the ongoing crescendo that is the life of Nat, Charles, Tedric, Jo, Uther, Albert and the amazing (ah-mazing, I cannot stress this enough) Detective Flapdoodle! It's all bound to blow up, eventually, and I bet I will love every second of it! Wonderful job, as always. 🖤"
I'll Leave Again
"If there are any mistakes, they were lost in the writers style of presentation. She worked hard and it payed off in how independent and individual her characters came out. I will be watching more from this series🌹"
