The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman #1) by Paullina Simons (review+giveaway)

From goodreads: The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler’s armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad.

Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander’s impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.

I’m so in love with this book that I simply cannot find the words to express what I feel at this very moment.  This book took me on the most incredible journey and I was completely and utterly captivated.  Where do I start??  This is a story about the human spirit and the will to survive; it’s a riveting story about love that blossoms during the most difficult of times.

“Good-bye, my moonsong and my breath, my white nights and golden days, my fresh water and my fire. Good-bye, and may you find a better life, find comfort again and your breathless smile, and when your beloved face lights up once more at the Western sunrise, be sure what I felt for you was not in vain. Good-bye and have faith, my Tatiana.”

Tatiana is a 17-year-old Russian girl from Leningrad who meets a 22-year-old Red Army Solider, Alexander and the setting is WWII, 1941.  They meet by chance and destiny keeps them in each other’s lives but unfortunately there is a love triangle of sorts because Tatiana’s sister, Dasha has been seeing Alexander before they even meet.  I’m over simplifying it of course because it’s much more complicated than that but Tatiana being the selfless and amazing woman that she is, puts her sister first before her own heart…no matter how much it pains her.

“A bus came. The soldier turned away from her and walked toward it. Tatiana watched him. Even his walk was from another world; the step was too sure, the stride too long, yet somehow it all seemed right, looked right, felt right. It was like stumbling on a book you thought you had lost. Ah, yes, there it is.”

The attraction between Alexander and Tatiana is intense and their need for each other is unlike anything I’ve read before.  The stolen glances, gestures and the occasional touches and don’t even get me started on their pet names for each other!!!! *melts*

“I want you to know that should something happen to me, don’t worry about my body. My soul isn’t going to return to it, nor to God. Its flying straight to you, where it knows it can find you, in Lazarevo. I want to be neither with kings nor heroes, but with the queen of Lake Ilmen.”

This book is different because war is such a huge part of the story which makes the romance so fragile and intense.  It felt so real and every emotion that Tatiana felt, I felt.  When she was hungry, I felt those hunger pains.  When she was cold, I was frozen to the core.  When she felt alone, I was despondent.  I. FELT. EVERYTHING.

“When you die, you’ll be wearing your white dress with red roses, and your hair will be long and falling around your shoulders. When they shoot you, up on your damn roof or walking alone on the street, your blood will look like another red rose on your dress, and no one will notice, not even you when you bleed out for Mother Russia.”

I realize that my review is mostly quotes but that’s because I adore this book and clearly, I can’t find the words to articulate how I feel.  This is a heart wrenching story with romance so powerful and so beautiful it will take your breath away.  You will fall head-over-heels for Alexander and I dare you NOT to love him because he is that amazing; his intensity and protectiveness over Tatiana will make you swoon.  And Tatiana is the woman I want to be; her courage, her passion and her angel like qualities inspired me.

“You are my hand grenade, my artillery fire. You have replaced my heart with yourself.”

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY and one you will not soon forget.  Don’t wait a moment longer to read this book!

GIVEAWAY CONDITIONS:

• OPEN INTERNATIONAL
• The e-book is in Kindle format and will be sent from Amazon US
• If a book is not available for download in the winner’s country of residence, it is the winner’s responsibility to exchange the gift for Amazon credit
• Winners will be notified via email and if winner does not respond within 5 days another winner will be selected

GIVEAWAY:

I was fortunate to win a copy of The Bronze Horseman because of Natasha is a Book Junkie and now I would like to pay it forward because this is an EPIC LOVE STORY!!!  ONE WINNER will win an e-book copy of this book!! Click on the image below to enter for a chance to win…good luck!  Winner will be announced on Sunday, June 23rd (evening EST).