The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman, #1) by Paullina Simons

May 13, 2013 Aestas Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of epic heart stopping romance books

Shelves: 6-star-books, favorites, book-1-of-my-fav-series

10++ bright shining stars!! Wow. WOW. WOW. !!!

This is the most intense and epic love story EVER told !!

Its exquisitely written, achingly heart wrenching, deeply heart warming and utterly and completely beautiful, unforgettable and incomparable in every way!!!

The author has a truly uncanny gift for really making you FEEL everything that her characters are going through. I FELT Tania and Alexander fall in love, I FELT their longing, I FELT their desire, FELT their heartache,...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of epic love stories

Recommended to Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* by: Viola and Quinn

Shelves: epic-love-story, historical-fiction, reviewed, owned-read, favourites, re-reading

"He wanted to explain but felt shattered. He was shattered." - Yes, I know, Alexander. Me, too. Review to follow when I feel less shattered. On to Book 2!! ^_^
..............................
12+ Hours later….

5+ Stars!!! - Also reviewed at:Lady Jayne's Reading Den

Okay, I figure there is NO WAY I can ever do this book justice, so, I just need to pour out this “review” now, and hopefully in the release of my swirling thoughts and emotions I’m not too nonsensical.

Firstly, I would like to THANK my GR

...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars

"It was a perfect day. For five minutes there was no war, and it was just a glourious sundayn in Leningrad June.
When Tatians looked up from her ice cream, she saw a soldier starring at her from across the street"

It is with this line it all begins. the most beautiful love story, introducing itself into history and my heart. A young woman, sitting in the Leningrad sun, eating her ice cream.

How do I even begin to even try to review one of the most beautiful books ever written? Nothing I write her...more

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May 27, 2013 Alexis *RealityBites! Let's Get Lost!* rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Historical Romance Lovers!

Shelves: i-own, kindle-book, mar-apr-may-2013, 2013-favorites, a-must-read, abrupt_ending, adult-romance, all-time-faves, alpha_male, bestofthebest, betrayal, blackmail, danger, discovery, emotional-read, erotica, family_drama, fighting-temptation, favesofalltime, first_comes_love_then-_comes_marria, heart_pounding_moments, heartbreak, heartbreaking, his-her-pov, historical-romance, jealousy, keep-u-up-all-night, kleenex-required, love_triangle, made-me-go-wtf, made_me_weep, marriage-proposal, mild-violence, panty-melting, secrets, reunited_love, self_discovery, soul_churning, soulmates, steamy, strong_female_lead, tbc-storyline, third-party-involved, tragedy-tragic, unexpected-twist, unputdownable

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS -mature content reader discretion is advised.
5 STARS out of 5
Genre: Romance

“Tania,” he whispered passionately, “you are naked and underneath me!” As if he could not believe it himself.
“Alexander,” she said, still trembling, “you are naked and above me.” She felt him rubbing against her. They kissed.
“I can’t believe it,” he said, his breath shallow. “I didn’t think this day would ever come.” He paused and then whispered, “Yet I couldn’t imagine my life witho...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Pavlina Michou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, hot-male, pavlina, favorite-boys, adult-romance, pavlina-2

The story of Tatiana and Alexander is the most amazing, heart stopping, love story ever written!!!!!

description

I read the Bronze Horseman in two days!!Simons takes you on such an emotional ride you cannot help but feel everything that the hero and heroine go through..
I can´t convey into words how much i adore this book!!!I devour it every world.It is the story about Tatiana and Alexander the most beautiful love story ever written.The book grabs you and holds you because you have to see what is going to hap...more

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Dec 16, 2010 m.allen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, own-read, mother-russia, shura, 2012, 2013, 2011

When I finished reading this book today, I kept the book open on my lap turned to the last page. Then I went back and reread a few of my favorite parts and still sat there with the book open on my lap. Finally my husband asked how long it was going to take me to read that page because I hadn't moved in an hour. Why did I do this? I didn't want the story to end! I absolutely loved this story so much that I didn't want it to end and that is why I found myself unable to even close the book.

This is...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Brenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Brenna by: AJ

Shelves: own-in-print, favorites, fave-series-book-1, a-league-of-it-s-own, kindle

ALL THE STARS IN THE WORLD!

Attempting to write a review for this book is almost ridiculous. There really is no way to properly express how incredible this story is. It’s just… EVERYTHING!

From reading the synopsis alone, I can tell you I never would have picked this book up. Never. So I don’t blame you if you are apprehensive about this one, because I was. Regardless of how many people told me it was amazing, I was still nervous. Historical romances are not my thing and it’s LONG. I get it… bu...more

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Feb 13, 2010 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, historical, why-the-hype, tres-annoying, romancelandia

Seeing how highly rated “The Bronze Horseman” is, I guess I’ll be one of those very few who don’t care for this book and brace myself for negative backlash. Oh, well, I just can’t stop myself from writing this review.

First of all, I am not sure why people love this story so much when there are so much better books/movies out there about: lovers separated by war (“Atonement”), surviving through a war (“Gone with the Wind”), Russia during its communist era (“Doctor Zhivago”), escape from Soviet Ru...more Seeing how highly rated “The Bronze Horseman” is, I guess I’ll be one of those very few who don’t care for this book and brace myself for negative backlash. Oh, well, I just can’t stop myself from writing this review.

First of all, I am not sure why people love this story so much when there are so much better books/movies out there about: lovers separated by war (“Atonement”), surviving through a war (“Gone with the Wind”), Russia during its communist era (“Doctor Zhivago”), escape from Soviet Russia (“East/West”). I truly can’t find a grain of the excellence everybody is talking about in reviews posted on this website.

The book starts well enough: a very young girl eating ice cream meets a soldier at a bus stop. They instantly fall for each other. They start meeting every day, walking and talking for hours. I must admit, this part is quite entrancing - all these emotions, and Tatiana obsessing over Alexander’s every word, every glance, every touch - I suppose I am a sucker for extended foreplay… However the interest starts vanishing once you read for the 50th time which bus they take, how many kilometers they walk, what streets they decide to walk along this time, etc. I guess Paullina Simmons must have done a lot of research about Leningrad and wrote her book with a map of the city nearby, but this is not the kind of detail that adds to the story!

The next blow comes when we learn that Alexander (Oh my!) is the man Tatiana’s sister Dasha is madly in love (and sleeps on regular basis) with. Tatiana, the tender-hearted martyr she is, decides to give up her love for Alexander for the sake of her beloved sister. Which would be OK I guess (every epic love story has to have some kind of obstacle for lovers to overcome) if we don’t learn later that Dasha is a self-centered tramp who also physically abuses Tatiana. Does Dasha deserve Tatiana’s sacrifice? No, she doesn’t, therefore Tatiana’s sacrifice is pretty much pointless and even silly. Dimitri is a more convincing “obstacle,” but even he (I am sure of it) wouldn’t make passes on Tatiana if Alexander simply marries her. What I am getting at is that the obstacles standing between our lovers are laughable at best and do not justify 400 pages worth of angst.

This fateful meeting is followed by another 100 pages of repetitive ramble. How many times can I possibly enjoy reading about Alexander and Dimitri coming over to Tatiana’s house, having dinner and drinking vodka, Tatiana watching Alexander with angst , Alexander seating with unreadable expression, Alexander getting it on with Dasha while Tatiana is groped outside by Dimitri, etc. My answer is: not many, it wears off after the second time.

Same goes for the next 200 pages (in a very small font) depicting blockade of Leningrad where the same thing happens over and over again: Tatiana goes out to get her family’s food rations, she is cold and in danger all the time, she comes home and portions the food (1 kg, 500 g, 300 g, 250 g of bread, etc.), everybody eats, they are hungry, they go to sleep. Same thing happens the next day, and next, and next, until someone dies.

The honeymoon part is written in exactly the same way. Another 100 pages of the same scenario: Tatiana and Alexander make love, talk cheesy rubbish, Tatiana makes cabbage pies/potato pancakes/mushrooms, they make love, talk rubbish, swim, Alexander attempts to build something, Tatiana flirts, they make love again, more cabbage pies. Come on, enough already!

Some more irritating things: Tatiana’s magical recovery from broken leg and 3 ribs in a matter of weeks; her ability to speak and understand English after flipping through English-Russian dictionary; Marina’s pointless presence in the story; Tatiana’s martyrdom; Alexander’s “perfection” in comparison to Russian men who, according to Simmons, are all smelly, with dirty fingernails, and oblivious to violence against women.

Bottom line is: this book could have been much better with 300 pages of repetitive nonsense edited out, because ultimately it has a decent story of love and survival in difficult circumstances, but unfortunately it got buried under a mountain of cheese.

Needless to say, I will not be reading the sequels or any other books by this author.
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Nov 30, 2012 Duchess Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Duchess Nicole by: Aestas Book Blog

Shelves: e-pcs, highly-rated, genre-historical-fiction, genre-historical-romance, read-in-2012, recommendations, y-complete-series, favorites-of-all-time, favorites, favorite-heroes

“God, we need to forget each other, Shura. I can’t believe how not meant to be we are.”
Tatiana

I would have never picked up this book if it weren’t for the gushing review and multiple prods from my GR friend Aestas. The blurb didn’t sound like something my happy-ending romance, fantasy, pnr reading self would really get into. When another friend decided to go for it, I though, “Why not?” So we started a buddy read. I don’t know how I can adequately gush enough to describe my feelings for this boo...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Marta ~ Ms Bossy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: emotionally-draining, favorites, heartbreakingly-beautiful, life-altering, thought-provoking, infinite-amount-of-stars

Once upon a time there lived a man, a shining prince among peasants, who was worshipped by a frail maiden. The maiden escaped into the land of lilacs and milk and waited impatiently for her prince, who came and handed her the sun.

You and I had only one moment. A single moment in time, in your time and mine... one instant, when another life could have still been possible.

I am at a loss for words here. There is no way I could write a review that will do this book justice. Five stars is not enoug...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Kris (KC) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, historical-romance, epic-reads

Absolutely beautiful! It's hard to write a complete review when I'm not yet finished with trilogy, but I will say that I LOVED this book!

Alexander and Tatiana are, hands down, the greatest hero and heroine ever! Alexander is the usual gorgeous, possessive male but he has so much more; he is faithful and unconditionally honorable. And Tania is the strongest, sweetest, most selfless heroine I've ever come across. I'm head over heels in love with them both and I've never hurt more for any character...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity by: Leea

Shelves: adult, favorites

"Tania...you and I had only one moment.." said Alexander, "A single moment in time, in your time and mine...one instant, when another life could have still been possible."

This might very well be the most exquisitely-written blend of historical fiction and romance in one book that I have ever read. Dare I even say that this heart-wrenching and beautiful tale has taken over the top spot from Outlander? I know. I can't believe it myself. Both are 5 star books and both will stay on my all time fa...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Serena **The Klutz** rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

More than 5 star, more stars than I could ever give a book!

Holly crap this book put me through the ringer!

I have been putting this book off. Thinking hmm it is really long and it is a historical romance.
Finally after all the rave reviews. I gave it a go..I did it with several friends on a buddy read.
I am soo happy I did, because I could not handle this alone.

I cried, I bawled, I laughed, I smiled, I was soo happy. I was the saddest I have ever been in a book EVER!
You FEEL every emotion. Yo...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Katrina Passick Lumsden rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I generally have a much harder time telling people why I like a book as opposed to making it clear why I dislike one. But I do try because I want to make it clear that I don't dislike absolutely everything I read.

Paullina Simons is a superior writer, her narrative, characterization, plot, and research are stunning, and the story she weaves around the reader is so breathtakingly emotional that you become quickly invested. Almost too invested. I'm not much of a crier, so any time a book manages t...more I generally have a much harder time telling people why I like a book as opposed to making it clear why I dislike one. But I do try because I want to make it clear that I don't dislike absolutely everything I read.

Paullina Simons is a superior writer, her narrative, characterization, plot, and research are stunning, and the story she weaves around the reader is so breathtakingly emotional that you become quickly invested. Almost too invested. I'm not much of a crier, so any time a book manages to make me shed a few tears, the author is doing something right. I don't normally bother with a synopsis because I assume you've already read it and just want to know what the average reader thought. So here it is; The Bronze Horseman is sweeping, detailed, frustrating, romantic, suspenseful, depressing, heartwarming, sad, infuriating, and interesting. It's one of those lovely stories that sweeps you up in the irresistible romance while also giving you a history lesson. The characters sometimes do stupid things, but here's where we see the difference between good characterization and bad; with bad characterization, the characters do stupid things because the author couldn't think of any other way to cause drama and create an obstacle. With good characterization, the characters do stupid things because they're human. An author has crafted superior characters when the reader occasionally forgets that they are completely fictional. I was pulling for Alexander and Tatiana from the beginning, even though I initially saw Tatiana as what she started as; a slightly spoiled, naive brat. Throughout the story, however, we watch as she matures from a helpless, love-struck child into a strong, self-sufficient, intelligent, loyal young woman.

This is a long story, so don't kid yourself into thinking you can pound it out in a day or two. I read abnormally fast most of the time, and even this would have taken me a few days under normal circumstances. The only reason it took me so long to finish this one was because I accidentally read a spoiler and was dreading reading the end, not because I thought it would be bad, but because I didn't think I could handle it emotionally. I finally got around to finishing it, however, because I wanted it to be one of the books I read in 2012. I'm so glad it was.(less)

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view all 8 comments

Cassandra Katrina wrote: "...here's where we see the difference between good characterization and bad; with bad characterization, the characters do stupid thing...more
Dec 31, 2012 09:01am

Katrina Passick Lumsden Thank you, Cassandra, I'd been struggling for a while on just how to describe why I thought some characters being stupid was OK, while it often drove...more
Jan 09, 2013 08:20pm

Nov 05, 2012 Lady Valee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, favorites, books-too-good-to-be-true

NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS COULD I HAVE IMAGINED HOW THIS BOOK WOULD CHANGE ME...

I just have no accurate words to describe how I'm feeling right now after reading this book. I had NO IDEA what I was getting into when I started it, I just knew everybody who read it adored it so I was almost certain I would probably be feeling the same way. Saying I adored this book is not really enough. It was such a surprise for me, such an emotional and heart-breaking read, a complete roller-coaster of all exis...more NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS COULD I HAVE IMAGINED HOW THIS BOOK WOULD CHANGE ME...

I just have no accurate words to describe how I'm feeling right now after reading this book. I had NO IDEA what I was getting into when I started it, I just knew everybody who read it adored it so I was almost certain I would probably be feeling the same way. Saying I adored this book is not really enough. It was such a surprise for me, such an emotional and heart-breaking read, a complete roller-coaster of all existing human emotions.

“Ask yourself these three questions, Tatiana Metanova, and you will know who you are. Ask: what do you believe in? What do you hope for? But most important - ask: what do you love?

... I know who I am, she thought, taking his hand and turning to the altar. I am Tatiana. And I believe in, and hope for, and love Alexander for life.”

... ALSO I JUST HAD NO IDEA HOW DIFFERENT THIS READ WOULD BE FROM ALL OTHERS...

Time just froze for me while I read this book. Reality seemed to stop existing for me because all I could think about was what will Tatia and Shura have to go through next. I just needed to read more, and how not to when you get right into Russia at time of war, while the city where the main characters live gets surrounded by an enemy who will not let them get out of it, who will not let food get inside it, a city where bombs explode every single day right next to them... You just can't help getting hooked as if your own life depends on it.

... BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING I NEVER THOUGHT SO MANY EMOTIONS COULD BE TRAPPED IN A BOOK...

This read completely took the floor from under my feet, my heart was being squeezed so harshly that I just couldn't breath normally. I have NEVER felt this way about a book before. I have cried, yes, but I have never felt so heart-broken and painfully aware of the characters and their actions. This read will torture you, but at the same time it will give you such tender and lovely moments that you just can't help but keep reading.

This was IMHO the PERFECT ROMANCE. It was real, It was everlasting, it was everything I picture as ideal. The time and space might not been the greatest, but they only made the romance stronger because despite everything they went through their love for each other never stopped.

This will be FOREVER a favorite of mine, and definitely a book to re-read in the future. (less)

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Mar 17, 2009 Misfit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, historical-romance

The Bronze Horseman begins in 1941 as the Germans have just invaded Russia, but seventeen year old Tatiana Metanova still stops to enjoy the day with an ice-cream, and as a bus passes she sees a soldier staring at her from across the street. Alexander Belov is mesmerized from the first at the sight of Tatiana, but is in for a surprise when he follows her home and finds her sister is a woman he's met before - and that sister thinks Alexander is in love with her. Out of love for her older sister,...more The Bronze Horseman begins in 1941 as the Germans have just invaded Russia, but seventeen year old Tatiana Metanova still stops to enjoy the day with an ice-cream, and as a bus passes she sees a soldier staring at her from across the street. Alexander Belov is mesmerized from the first at the sight of Tatiana, but is in for a surprise when he follows her home and finds her sister is a woman he's met before - and that sister thinks Alexander is in love with her. Out of love for her older sister, Tatiana keeps silent and encourages Alexander to court Dasha. Much of the story continues as the Germans advance on Leningrad, finally resulting in a siege of the city as Tatiana and her family struggles to survive amidst the ever growing shortage of food and fuel, along with the oncoming Russian winter. When on leave Alexander continues to involve himself with the Metanova family, not able to stay away from Tatiana even though he must hide his feelings for her, although his "friend" Dimitri openly courts Tatiana.

Since I am not into book reports and spoilers I'm not going to reveal much more of the plot, although Alexander does have a deep dark secret from his past that Dimitri holds over Alexander's head that threatens both his and Tatiana's eventual happiness, and finally culminates in a hair-raising attempt to escape from Soviet Russia. The good - the scenes in Leningrad were chilling, as people literally starved to death and dropped where they were (and left there) as bombs rained down around them daily. Alexander's devotion to Tatiana was very endearing, and I loved the scenes where he dealt with her injuries after the bombing. Sigh...

The problematic - Tatiana's never ending suffering at the hands of her family as she sacrifices all during the siege without a word of complaint (you know any seventeen year old who would put up with that??). Just stepping aside and letting her self-centered sister have the man she loves? Tatiana getting a private hospital room in overcrowded Leningrad? Once the cast came off her leg she was pretty much healed and able to trudge up and down icy stairs and streets with no discomfort or slowness? But the worst for me was the idyllic setting around page 600 that went on and on and on and on - I got the picture already and I did not need 100+ pages of nothing but sex and sex and more sex. Where was the editor?

So why am I still giving this one four stars even though I agree with the flaws pointed out by the critical reviewers on Amazon? Since I flat out couldn't keep my nose out of the book and the carpet didn't get vacuumed and the floors didn’t get mopped this weekend, I guess that's a good indication that despite the flaws I was pretty much sucked into the story and thoroughly enjoyed it and plan on reading the next in the trilogy Tatiana and Alexander. Just be warned that if you're not able to get past the nitpicks and the author's somewhat repetitive style, I suspect this is not the book for you.
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May 12, 2013 Smitten's Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-drama-full-reads, alpha-male, amazing-sexual-tension, angst-filled-reads, cliffhanger, dark, crime, death, emotional-reads, forbidden-love, five-plus-stars, grief, need-it-in-paperback, series, super-romantic-reads, virginal-heroine, war, historical-romance, got-it-in-paperback

You want me review this??? Are you kidding me? How the hell do you review a book like The Bronze Horseman?!

I read this book until 2.45am last night. I said to myself, 'I'll read until I finish this book and then I'll sleep.'
So I read until I finished. And I cried. And I tossed and turned and I couldn't help starting book two! And I read that until 4.30am!

And then I dreamt about Alexander and Tatiana. And then I woke up at 7am (On a Sunday!!) and couldn't sleep, so I read again. And now it's 11am...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Ash Wednesday (Cupcake Ninja) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Romance readers who might be looking for the best read of their lives?

Recommended to Ash Wednesday (Cupcake Ninja) by: Brenna

Shelves: paullina-simons, favorites, historical, review

5 STARS

It's either I'm getting easier to please or June really might be my Epic Reads Month.

I don't even know why I'm trying to fashion a review for this book. It's impossible. How do you encapsulate the depth and scope of a love story between a 17-year old girl and a 22-year old Red Army soldier in Soviet Russia on the cusp of WWII? Between someone like Tatiana Metanova and someone like Alexander Belov?

I'm not even sure how this book burrowed a hole in my heart and settled comfortably somewher...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Meredith

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Jenn "Awww Yeaaahhh"

Shelves: 2011, reviewed, books-about-books, hem-steppers-and-bodice-rippers, overshare

My father is afraid to fly. That meant every summer vacation and every other holiday, the giant gas-guzzling car was packed with stuff, my father, my younger brother and me, and we would drive to the relatives' houses, at a minimum sixteen hours away. One summer, when I was eight, he drove us from New Jersey to Chicago to Durango, through Phoenix (the only place I have ever been car sick), to LA, where we got to go to Disneyland, before he turned us around and drove us back to New Jersey by way...more My father is afraid to fly. That meant every summer vacation and every other holiday, the giant gas-guzzling car was packed with stuff, my father, my younger brother and me, and we would drive to the relatives' houses, at a minimum sixteen hours away. One summer, when I was eight, he drove us from New Jersey to Chicago to Durango, through Phoenix (the only place I have ever been car sick), to LA, where we got to go to Disneyland, before he turned us around and drove us back to New Jersey by way of Louisiana. He, like his father, had a fascination with America and what it looks like from the road. My father would explain that this was what his father did for summer vacations as well; pack up the family and drive them around the country. It's an "only in America" activity; not just because of the size of the country and its sweeping natural diversity but because everyone owns cars, looks for any excuse to drive them, and there is a highway infrastructure to support it. Also, citizens have the freedom to travel where they want. My grandfather, born in what was to become the Soviet Union, took full advantage of this freedom after he arrived.

My father, to keep my brother and me from killing each other with a thousand tiny pinches, pokes, and hair pulls, would pass the time by telling us stories. These were usually the history of World War II (WWI on occasion sometimes the civil rights movement sometimes complete fabrications). He'd divide it into the Pacific and European theaters plus the home front. So we heard stories of him as a boy during the war years, playing with his friends, and their fathers arguing with my grandfather, for whom the Soviet Union was still the model society and greatest country on earth. I don't know how good an idea it was to tell pre-teens the history of WWII, in detail, with explanations of battles, death tolls, concentration camps, et al. He definitely tamed it some (for example, I don't remember him giving details of the People's Volunteer Army, that all they had were rocks to throw at the advancing German tanks) but not that much. I'm grateful for these stories. Few people can say they find history interesting; it was a great gift from my father. But hearing about the winter campaigns in Russia, trying to understand what it means for a city of three million people in the summer to be one million people the following spring, and grasping that bread, what little their was of it, was made mostly of sawdust, is a tough thing for a kid to take.

If I had put it together that this book was set against the backdrop of the blockade of Leningrad in 1942, there is no way I would have started reading it. It didn't matter that Jenn and Michelle (who had been right about the Fever books!) had recommended it. It didn't even matter that my mother recommended it. No way. I still remember my father's stories and, to me, there is nothing that can be romantic about a million people starving to death. I know, I'm missing something here. The point of this type of story is to show that the lives of two people and their struggle to be together (and stay alive) against all the obstacles matters. They aren't just statistics and factoids from the history book. Each one of those people mattered. Each one had a story. The grand epic (and what is more epic than star crossed lovers?) can harness the tragedy of the situation and make it passionate, compelling, moving...it's like opera, especially when everyone dies at the end (that's a joke about opera, by the way, not a spoiler). There's a lot of death though, of course there is, and I groaned when I realized the year and what was coming for them.

But I couldn't put the book down. It's six hundred pages or something obscene and I read it in a couple of days (thanks to an enforced rest period from pulled back muscles). Doesn't matter though; it's one of those books that will wrap you up and carry you along and if I wanted to bail at one point (view spoiler) I was so invested I just couldn't. It reads like being in a besieged city. The monotony of the scenes in this section were amazing. It felt right, like this is what happens, marking the passage of time by the number of tins of ham left. Ms. Simons did capture me with the details of the bread ration, what people tried to eat, the violence within the city with food so scarce. She also captured the paranoia (usually justified) of living in the Soviet Union. Her details matched those of my cousins when they arrived in the eighties. The details of the war matched both my father's stories and my Russian history class. The only thing I had trouble believing was what these two (Tatiana and Alexander) put up with for each other and I think there were probably more misunderstandings between the two of them than in all other romance novels I've read, combined.

She also captured something else; she caught the unwillingness of people to see what is really happening around them. The deliberate blindness we exercise. The denial. She did this, beautifully, on the large and small scale: with the lovers, within the family, the village, the city, the country. She showed it to us in Communist Party members, and American ex pats who came to the Soviet Union in the 1930s, believing the propaganda, and not realizing that "sacrifice" for the state might include them. She made me think of my grandfather and the arguments between him and my father. Now, my father's pretty liberal by American standards but that isn't even close (and don't believe the Republicans when they say it is) to someone who grew up in Ukraine during the revolution and left the country before he had to see what happened there. Until he died, my grandfather believed that communism was the ideal form of government, and the Soviets brave pioneers creating a better world for all of us. It's an excellent book to have brought all of that together, to have brought the memories of my father and grandfather out for me. It's hampered as much as made by its central love story though. I wouldn't have read it without those two characters but I wanted to shake one or both of them (and many of the other characters) throughout the story.

What the hell, four stars.(less)

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Oct 20, 2008 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Historical Fiction Readers, Romance Readers

Recommended to Annie by: Belinda Sheehan

Shelves: read-in-2008, favourites

I am now forever indebted to my friend Belinda who begged me to read this book (I believe I am now one in a long list of Paullina Simons converts for Bel). I had previously read 100 pages of Tully and wasn't too impressed but I thought I'd give it a go anyway.

God am I glad I did!

What a beautiful book!!!! Alexander is absolutely amazing and the love story weaved between him and Tatiana is heart-wrenching. This love story is easily as emotionally involving as Jamie and Claire (Outlander) or Henr...more I am now forever indebted to my friend Belinda who begged me to read this book (I believe I am now one in a long list of Paullina Simons converts for Bel). I had previously read 100 pages of Tully and wasn't too impressed but I thought I'd give it a go anyway.

God am I glad I did!

What a beautiful book!!!! Alexander is absolutely amazing and the love story weaved between him and Tatiana is heart-wrenching. This love story is easily as emotionally involving as Jamie and Claire (Outlander) or Henry and Claire (Time Traveller's Wife). The romance component of this novel allowed the characters to grow and the author to show them at both their best and worst. Passionate and gutsy, the characters in this novel do not disappoint.

I haven't read a book set in the Soviet Union in WWII before so that was a large draw card for me. The war and historical elements were a massive part of the book without being overbearing or losing their human feel. I found myself with damp eyes more than once during the starvation of Leningrad and came away from the book with a greater understanding of a time and place that previously held no interest to me.

I don't know why but I always thought of WWI & WWII as boy's history and Medieval England as girl's history. Silly I know. Maybe it's because my Dad loves to tell me stories about the warfare of WWII and Mum has regaled me with individual survivor tales of that period. Paullina Simons however has changed all this for me. I am proud to announce that I will no longer automatically turn up my nose at WWII novels and exclaim "That's too modern," like it's a dirty word.

The only criticism I could possibly offer The Bronze Horseman is that at times it does tend to go on too much and you may find yourself skimming. I did just feel like that was purely a by-product of the author being so completely engrossed in her characters though. It's a fair trade-off.

Read this novel if: You don't mind a chunky historical with a bit of luuuurve and you're not offended by hot, hot, hot sex.
Don't read this novel if: Can't think of a reason you wouldn't love this book. I gave it a five!(less)

25 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Jessica **The Good Witch** rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars

Ok starting off I was somewhat bullied into reading this book by my *ahem* posse who told me this is the best book of all time blah blah blah blah. I hope they don't disown me for not loving this book as much as they do. I'm sure after reading this I will be told:

I considered my rating over and over. The book overall was pretty well written in my opinion and while there were great parts to this book I started to think it would never end! It got to the point where I started skimming just...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 24, 2012 Célia Loureiro rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: meus-books-i-own, romance-histórico-historical-novel, favoritos-favorites

Opinião: Não me é fácil, tendo já lido tanta coisa, encontrar um livro que abra caminho por entre os outros na minha atenção e gosto pessoal. Descobrir um obra como O Cavaleiro de Bronze (para mim é este o nome dele, bem como o único que faz sentido) - e, mais sorte ainda, saber que se trata de uma trilogia - é fonte de um prazer que se há de prolongar em mais dois volumes. A sinopse anuncia um grande amor; mas este livro é bem mais do que isso. Para mim, que em tempos fui romântica mas que aind...more Opinião: Não me é fácil, tendo já lido tanta coisa, encontrar um livro que abra caminho por entre os outros na minha atenção e gosto pessoal. Descobrir um obra como O Cavaleiro de Bronze (para mim é este o nome dele, bem como o único que faz sentido) - e, mais sorte ainda, saber que se trata de uma trilogia - é fonte de um prazer que se há de prolongar em mais dois volumes. A sinopse anuncia um grande amor; mas este livro é bem mais do que isso. Para mim, que em tempos fui romântica mas que ainda não me esqueci do que é amar, para mim, que sou uma apaixonada da História, este romance significa esses dois ingredientes levados ao expoente máximo. Estamos na II Guerra Mundial e eu conheço o contexto em que tudo se desencadeou sem ir ao google.com: Hitler sobe ao poder em 33, prepara a máquina de guerra mais poderosa da Europa, anexa a Áustria em '38, sob aprovação da restante Europa, reunindo dois imponentes aliados da I Guerra Mundial, e invade a Polónia. Tem um pacto de não agressão com a Rússia, apenas porque desconfia que podem aniquilar-se mutuamente. O que este livro acrescentou - e eu sabia que a Rússia foi essencial para a derrota do Hitler na Europa - foi que os russos andavam a dormir enquanto a máquina de guerra do Hitler se ia tornando mais mortífera. O livro arrasta-se do verão de 1941, quando a URSS é invadida, até 1943, quando estão perto de inverter a nação em desvantagem. O livro é tão poderoso que me foi físico. Para além do frio veio a fome - estava constantemente com fome na primeira metade do livro. Pus-me em pé tardiamente e disse ao meu irmão "este livro é só fome". Depois custou-me um pouco explicar-lhe que isso era bom num livro enquanto mordiscava uma côdea de pão sem mais nada, por solidariedade às personagens que, com racionamentos, nem isso tinham para comer. A dado momento, o livro também foi só frio. Menos 30º. Gelei, os cobertores eram poucos. Depois foram morteiros e espingardas e P-35(será mesmo 35? é que essa pistola é alemã, espero não me ter enganado), foram estradas sobre lagos gelados e camadas de gelo a estalar. Um mergulho no dito gelo. Foram a russa soviética - a rússia dos bufos, da NKVD (polícia política russa?), do comunismo exacerbado e prejudicial à saúde.
A Tatiana e o Alexander conhecem-se a 22 de junho, quando a Rússia, através dum comunicado na rádio, informa que a Alemanha violou o pacto de não agressão e, como tal, é doravante sua inimiga no conflito que vai arrastando, aos poucos e poucos, mais nações. Conhecem-se quando ela está despreocupadamente a comer um gelado num dia que ficará para a história da sua pátria. Desde aí, desenrola-se uma série de desenganos e, por vezes (o que em momentos lamentei mas que, a longo prazo, virando a última página, se revelou satisfatório) discussões a meias-palavras. Não aprecio muito rodeios mas a modos que, neste livro, se justificam todos. De início detestei a Tatiana, pareceu-me leviana. A comer gelados quando todo o dinheiro era levantado dos bancos e a comida esgotava nas prateleiras dos estabelecimentos! A dar voltas intermináveis no autocarro até aos limites da cidade e a regressar porque o soldado que conhecera na paragem lhe parecia atraente ou magnético. Enfim, eles estavam destinados e isso torna-se evidente sobretudo a partir da segunda metade do livro. Compreendo o amor deles a partir daí - ambos querem ser possessivos por si e oferecer liberdade pelo outro, ambos o querem só para si mas compreendem (ou discutem) a necessidade que o mundo parece ter do outro. Dificilmente se posicionam do mesmo lado numa discussão e achei isso estimulante. O Alexandre sim, é bem o homem dos meus sonhos. Dá murros na parede e saltam-lhe lágrimas dos olhos quando está a ferver, mas nessas alturas quase nos é possível (leitor) descortinar com clareza as suas intenções e a sua linha de pensamento sem que o livro o formule. E a Tatiana... identifico-me bastante com ela. Porque é teimosa como uma burra e não confia no juízo de mais ninguém que não no dela própria. Só segue a sua cabeça, para o bem e para o mal. É corajosa e sacrifica tudo pelo Alexander, porque ele vale a pena.
Quando terminei ontem o livro estava desconcertada. Com a sensação de assistir ao desfecho de uma obra épica, com todos os contornos de um clássico, que quero muito ver adaptada ao cinema!
Como ponto um bocadinho mais fraco, mas que nada rouba ao livro e até pode acrescentar para algumas leitoras, compreendo que a autora queira levantar véus sobre a intimidade das personagens para que, desse modo, compreendamos a dimensão admirável da sua comunhão. Mas houve ali uma série de páginas (bastantes) em que já estava a haver intimidade a mais na minha modesta opinião. Compreendo a importância daquele verão em Lazarevo, mas gostaria de ter visto o livro a desenvolver-se mais rápido a partir daí.
Raramente estou na penúltima página de um livro de 688 páginas e a desejar que ele não acabe. Pelo contrário, ando é mais rápido a ver se o termino, classifico, comento, e passo ao próximo. Mas neste bateu-me uma angústia... A última parte é tão bonita...! Todo o livro o é.
A autora não teve escrúpulos; obrigou-me a penar até poder ler o próximo!
(less)

10 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, russia, 4-stars, read-in-2011, big-fat-saga, world-war-two

I loved the first half of this book. The secret love between Tatiana and Alexander was tender, raw, innocent, passionate, full of longing, full of waiting. It made me sigh and tingle, and will them with all my being to find a way to be together. As a brutal contrast, the cruel and savage Russian winter in the grip of the horrors of WW2 was unbearably described, and made even more shocking by being true; absolutely heartbreaking. A highly emotional, evocative, intimate, real first half; I loved i...more

12 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2009 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2009, favorites, romance, historical, gifted-to-me, adult

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons is such a beautiful story of two people who fall in love in the midst of a country at war. I loved the two main characters, and their devotion and self-sacrifice for each other was beauteous! The author did a splendid job of mixing a good amount of history with a perfect balance of struggle, family, love, devotion, deceit, and all the things that become important when a country is in crisis and two people are fighting to hold on to the one thing that gives...more

11 likes · like · see review

Apr 15, 2008 Meagan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, favorites, russia, historical-fiction, world-war-two, part-of-a-series, love-romance, 2008-reads, big-fat-book, 2012-reads, favorites-of-the-favs

Originally read April 2008

This was an amazing love story that take place in Russia during WWII. It is heart wrenching and almost painful to read at times, yet I felt I developed such a personal connection to the two main characters that I wouldn't have dared to put it down until I knew that everything turned out happily ever after. I then found out this was a series of three books so the perfect ending I was hoping for wasn't quite as I pictured. That being said, as soon as the book ended I felt...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2008 Jimmyjane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is probably the greatest love story I will ever read. That's not an exaggerated statement, it's just a plain fact. Tatiana and Alexander stole my heart, made it sing, made it bleed, filled it with hope and smashed it a dozen times and goddamn, I loved every second of the agony and the ecstasy.

I never wanted to read it. A friend lent it to me, telling me I would love it, and after reading the blurb on the back I thought she must've been on crack to think that. A love story set in WWII Russi...more This is probably the greatest love story I will ever read. That's not an exaggerated statement, it's just a plain fact. Tatiana and Alexander stole my heart, made it sing, made it bleed, filled it with hope and smashed it a dozen times and goddamn, I loved every second of the agony and the ecstasy.

I never wanted to read it. A friend lent it to me, telling me I would love it, and after reading the blurb on the back I thought she must've been on crack to think that. A love story set in WWII Russia sounded like it was down my alley, around the corner and speeding away on the interstate. But after a month of letting it sit on my nightstand as a dust-catcher, the guilt got to me and I picked it up, planning on crawling through the first chapter so I could give it back saying at least I had tried it. And I have to admit, it took a little getting into- I wasn't hooked from that first chapter, but curiously I wasn't prepared to abandon it either. So I kept reading, a little further and a little further, until I was so heartwrenchingly involved that the world probably kept spinning but I didn't notice a thing except what was happening on the pages. I finished it in three days and when I soaked the last page in tears it had more than a little to do with the fact that I didn't want it to be finished.

Later, I would discover that it wasn't- there was a sequel, and then, while I was reading that, the third and final book of the what had become the trilogy was released. Neither of them diminished the glory of this original book- the second might even be my favorite of all three- and frankly, with these characters I would never be able to get too much. I've given this book to many friends and it's almost crazy how sure a bet it is that they will love it. An absolutely riveting, incredible story of love, honor, faith and triumph.

Oh, and to really rip your heart out, when you're done, listen to James Blunt's Goodbye My Lover. A good cry can be a wonderful thing ;)(less)

15 likes · like · see review

May 06, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Christina (A Reader of Fictions) by: Lisa V.

Shelves: sadie-hawkins

This is going to be one of those reviews, so prepare yourself right now, okay? This is going to be a three star book review that reads like a rant of hatred, but, honestly, it's not. Every so often, there's a book you like, but that you have a lot of issues with, and you have to be up front about all of them. So, take this to heart: I did like The Bronze Horseman overall, despite my myriad issues.

The Bronze Horseman and I were somewhat doomed from the start not to have as happy a relationship as...more This is going to be one of those reviews, so prepare yourself right now, okay? This is going to be a three star book review that reads like a rant of hatred, but, honestly, it's not. Every so often, there's a book you like, but that you have a lot of issues with, and you have to be up front about all of them. So, take this to heart: I did like The Bronze Horseman overall, despite my myriad issues.

The Bronze Horseman and I were somewhat doomed from the start not to have as happy a relationship as hoped, sort of like Russia and communism. Basically, I looked at this gorgeous, highly recommended book, and I made a set of assumptions. Based on the size, I believed this would be a historical, an epic one, full of feels and delicious historical factoids. I was wrong, which isn't really the book's fault necessarily, but that still colored my enjoyment of it.

Though historical fiction, The Bronze Horseman is first and foremost a romance novel. Now, I do not have anything against a good romance novel, but I really do not see the call for an 800 page romance novel. That just feels a mite excessive. A lot of readers are going to burn out along the way, I suspect. The first few hundred pages are romance, followed by some history, then a couple hundred pages of sexy times, and then more war-focused stuff. Readers here for historical will find the romance mind-numbing, and those just looking for sexy times will not appreciate the break to discuss starvation.

Unsurprisingly, the bit in the middle where Alexander disappeared for a good chunk of time was my favorite. The romance took a back burner to a depiction of life in Leningrad during the Siege. Simons does a brilliant job portraying the hunger, the desperation, and the hopelessness of that experience. The realities of survival, and how most people didn't, are conveyed unflinchingly.

Unfortunately, most of the book wasn't hard-hitting historical fiction: it was a romance that I just couldn't ship. From the beginning, I found Tatiana and Alexander's relationship off-putting, and I still haven't been able to forgive them for what assholes they were for so long. Now, I hope I can eventually so I can enjoy the next books in the series, but, for the moment, I'm very displeased with them.

To explain why, I have to delve into some SPOILERS, so now's the time to look away if you don't want things spoiled.

(view spoiler)[Tatiana and Alexander meet when she's just 17 and he's a soldier in the Red Army, several years older. The day they met, she was upset, unable to find food for her family on the day of the declaration of war, and comforting herself with creme brulee ice cream, when a soldier with eyes the color of her ice cream strikes up a conversation. His eye color already had me rolling my eyes with abandon, but it gets worse.

Alexander does what any red-blooded (Soviet pun!) soldier would do for a pretty girl he's just seen licking a cone: takes her to buy food for her family from a special store for the military. Once she has what she needs, he escorts her home, only to discover that he has flirted with her sister Dasha in the past. Dasha, who likes to hang around with soldiers if you know what I mean ;), immediately latches onto Alexander, with whom she believes herself to be in love. He exits swiftly, feeling really awkward, and Dasha proceeds to tell Tatiana how perfect he is and Tatiana fails to mention her own attraction to him.

Everyday, Alexander shows up to meet Tatiana after work and they fall in love. Meanwhile, whenever he visits her house, he pretends to like Dasha and even brings along his skeevy friend Dimitri for Tatania. To be fair, Alexander just wants to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may, but Tatiana is unwilling to hurt Dasha's feelings. This charade goes on forever, and Alexander eventually proposes to Dasha. Head, meet brick wall.

All this time, Alexander's hooking up with both sisters, and I basically want to murder all of them. To make things worse, Alexander and Tatiana never have to fucking come clean about the deception to anyone. Conveniently Tatiana's whole family dies except for her, with Dasha the last hold out. Gag me, okay. Ugh. No love triangle should ever be resolved by the death of one of the people in the love triangle. It's the coward's way out. Characters should have to face the consequences of their actions.

Instead, Dasha dies and the two reunite and then have mind-blowing sex approximately fifty times a day for a month, until Alexander has to go back to work. While they're enjoying their honeymoon, he berates her for giving to much of herself to others and urges her to never leave his side. Of course, serving others is wrong, but she should do everything for her husband, because, you know, gender roles. Alexander is controlling, codependent, rude, and occasionally violent, not to mention a guy who would cheat on both his fiancee and his love for months. I can't root for that relationship. I just can't. Had I read this when I was a bit younger, perhaps when I was a teen, I would have been swept away by the romance and concern for the main characters, but now, as a jaded adult, I kept hoping for them to obtain comeuppance for their actions. (hide spoiler)]

The Bronze Horseman is a well-written romance in a historical setting, but do not come to it expecting to learn much about the Siege of Leningrad. This novel has more in common with Diana Gabaldon than Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; that's not a bad thing, but was not what expected or wanted.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2012 Luu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Luu by: Judit

Shelves: favorite-series, je-v-preklade, i-recommend, new-adult, adult, epic-win, historical-fiction

Je 3:53 ráno, o dva dni (vlastne už o jeden) mi začína zápočtovým týždňom skúškové a ja si namiesto frustrácie nad literárnou vedou vychutnávam pocit, že som práve dočítala jednu z najlepších kníh v mojom živote.

Rok 1941, Leningrad. Vypuká vojna. Sedemnásťročnú Tatianu pošlú rodičia na nákup potravín a ako sa tak Tatiana vracia domov, dostane chuť na zmrzlinu. Autobus alebo zmrzlinár, autobus alebo zmrzlinár? Zmrzlinár, neodolá Tatiana, a autobus jej ufrnkne pred nosom. Nezostáva teda nič iné,...more

13 likes · like · see review

Dec 15, 2010 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-trilogy, genre-historical-romance, 2010-read-in, zz-reviewed, character-virginal, character-military-men

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There is a lot to say about this book. I read this on recommendation of a few friends. Although I liked the book, there were many things I hated about it.

It really brought out a lot of emotions--frustration being one of the most frequently felt emotion. Frustration at the way Tania was treated by everyone in her family...they treated her like a doormat. Then, even after she moved from Leningrad her so called friends treated her poorly. I just wanted to scream at her to stand up for herself! I w...more

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 14, 2010 Aimee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: absolute-faves, addictive-like-literary-heroine, holy-hotness-hall-of-fame-hero, made-me-cry, made-me-laugh-out-loud, want-to-buy

Oh. My. Goodness. I really don't know what to say about this book. The only think I can tell you is...read it.

I can't say that I have EVER so thoroughly connected with a character as I did with Tatiana. She starts off as an immature 17 year old. And you grow with her into a woman forced into womanhood by the trials she faces in the beginning of WW2. She is constantly handed the short end of the stick. She suffers not only from the war, but also by the hands of her loved ones, and a little from...more

15 likes · like · see review

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I NEED to read a book similar to this peoples!!	26	653	May 31, 2013 04:07am
Film confirmed - am I the only one who's nervous?	2	87	May 15, 2013 10:17pm
The Bronze Horseman	1	34	May 08, 2013 07:24pm
Romance, Historic...: Is The Bronze Horseman worth Reading?	11	47	May 07, 2013 05:39am
The Mystery, Crim...: Paulina Simons	1	10	Apr 23, 2013 09:15am

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