Tatiana and Alexander

Tatiana and Alexander are going on my list of most favorite couples of all time. I finished the Bronze Horseman (which, by the way, is an absolute must read before trying this one-- you will not come anywhere near realizing the depth of emotion unless you read that first) and then had to wait two weeks to get my copy of this book shipped from the UK. It was SO worth the wait. I sobbed through parts of it as though these people were my family members, and was astounded at the gift the author has for wringing emotion from the reader and truly capturing "it" with words. The ending left me breathless. Paullina Simons blew me away with this series, and they are all on my keeper shelf where they will stay so I can re-read them over and over again. I can't recommend them highly enough.

I really enjoyed this book. The author is wonderful with words and several times I felt the "cold" from the bitter Russian weather.

As always, the first will always be the best and the most memorable but like myself and many others, I simply cannot get enough of Tatia and Shura. TATIANA & ALEXANDER is the sequel to THE BRONZE HORSEMAN, both, by Paullina Simons. I felt that TATIANA & ALEXANDER was a very emotional story compared to the first novel. Critics say that this novel was almost as well written as the first, and that the characters were more developed. However, to me, it WAS more emotional and it pained me to the point that I cannot go on any further. It took me a WHOLE year to finish this novel, just because I was busy with work, university, and boyfriend (we know how boyfriends can take A LOT of our time). But I knew I had to finish it to know what becomes of Tatia and her Shura. I felt that it was excurciatingly slow at first. It seemed like the story brightened up and took a turn of fate when I was three quarters of the way from finishing it. I get bored easily when a novel drags on, part of the reason why it took me a year to finish. There is also a final novel of the Bronze Horseman series called THE SUMMER GARDEN. I will not spoil the story but reading this novel is not a necessity unless you are a fan of Tatiana and Alexander. But, you DO have to read TATIANA & ALEXANDER for your heart to have rest and your mind to be at peace. Happy Readings!

To me, The Bronze Horseman was an acquired taste -- I wasn't crazy about it in the beginning, but it won me over in more ways than one by the time the book came to end. I was dying to read the sequel, but said sequel isn't available yet here in the US, so I had to order a copy on the UK site. Tatiana and Alexander is not only a brilliant sequel, it is by far better than the first installment. This novel captured me in so many ways it is unbelievable. So, this one picks up where TBH left off. The World War II Leningrad is in progress, and it has torn Tatiana and Alexander apart. Tatiana, bearing Alex's unborn child, flees to America where she finds work, makes friends and begins a life that more or less makes sense. But her terrible grief plagues her. She thinks Alexander is dead, and she finds this knowledge difficult to cope. Alexander isn't dead, but he might as well be. He is to be executed for treason and espionage. And the fact that he's an American passing off as a Russian citizen may not help his case. Will these two star-crossed lovers be together again, or will the war come between them indefinitely? There are various twists throughout the novel. This novel captured me in such a way that it was almost impossible to put down from the moment I started reading it. The protagonists are so much more well rounded and better developed this time around. The further development is essential, for I felt that the author focused too much on the aspect of the Leningrad Siege than in the characters in TBH. Well, the main characters were well developed -- it was the secondary characters that felt underdeveloped to me -- but knowing more about them is great. The way the story is written leaves you with a feeling that you want to read more. And, boy, do I wish there were another sequel out! This novel enthralled me and made me cry in various occasions and my heart went out for Tatiana and Alexander. Theirs is a love that has gone through all kinds of trials and struggles and yet fails to die. The historical aspects are wonderful and accurate. You can tell that the author used a lot of attention to detail in the writing process. This saga has gotten all the better and I've begun to like it more than Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I hope the author will come out with more because I am dying to know what will happen next. Paullina Simons is a must-read author and I can't wait to read the next installment of this enlightening historical saga.

I needed more Tatiana and Alexander, so the book was a real treat. However, I am not writing to review the book, rather to alert people that "TATIANA and ALEXANDER" is the same book as "THE BRIDGE TO HOLY CROSS" by Paullina Simons. It has a different title and cover picture, but the ONLY OTHER difference is the size of the print. I did receive a better price on "TATIANA and ALEXANDER" and the print was larger.