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Circus Bim Bom: A Cold War Adventure
Not yet published
Expected 1 Mar 261990. The Soviet Empire is unraveling. A circus has just arrived in America.
When the first privately owned Soviet circus arrived in America in 1990, as the Soviet Empire unraveled, its elite performers hoped to build cultural bridges through spectacular shows. Instead, this prestigious troupe faced a perilous journey through Cold War America.
Circus director Yuri had to navigate treacherous waters where American mobsters, Soviet agents, and political forces circled like predators. As high-stakes conspiracies threatened to tear the circus family apart, they confronted an impossible choice: the authoritarian chains of home or the uncertain promise of freedom.
Forbidden romances blossomed between Soviet performers and Americans who saw past the ideological divide. Young aerialist Anton dreamed of becoming a clown against his father’s — he denied his feelings for his childhood friend, Katyana, who transform from a shy girl to a elite performer before his eyes, and he discovered he had feelings he could no longer deny, and a rival for her affections in the star trick-rider.
A bold Soviet aerialist and a mobbed-up American who ignored their language barrier and built their romance through a carousel waltz, a motorcycle ride, drunken mechanical bull rider, a bar fight and chocolate. Four romantic arcs weave through this Cold War adventure — from opposites-attract heat to slow-burn vulnerability, from a young love triangle of denied feelings to forbidden desires so dangerous that exposure could mean exile. These aren’t subplots — they’re the emotional engines driving the Cold War adventure.
Can human connection transcend ideology? Can storytelling bridge the divides that separate us?
As the Ringmaster reminds us, “The best Soviet stories are like vodka—they burn with suffering, intoxicate with conflict, keep you stewing in reflection, and leave you yearning for your heart’s desire.”
Based on true events the author learned in 1991, when the circus’s American road manager became a client at his Atlanta entertainment law firm.
For readers who love: Historical fiction, romantic adventure, and Cold War intrigue. Features 45+ embedded YouTube links to period music and historical footage—an immersive multimedia reading experience that brings Cold War America and the crumbling USSR to life.
When the first privately owned Soviet circus arrived in America in 1990, as the Soviet Empire unraveled, its elite performers hoped to build cultural bridges through spectacular shows. Instead, this prestigious troupe faced a perilous journey through Cold War America.
Circus director Yuri had to navigate treacherous waters where American mobsters, Soviet agents, and political forces circled like predators. As high-stakes conspiracies threatened to tear the circus family apart, they confronted an impossible choice: the authoritarian chains of home or the uncertain promise of freedom.
Forbidden romances blossomed between Soviet performers and Americans who saw past the ideological divide. Young aerialist Anton dreamed of becoming a clown against his father’s — he denied his feelings for his childhood friend, Katyana, who transform from a shy girl to a elite performer before his eyes, and he discovered he had feelings he could no longer deny, and a rival for her affections in the star trick-rider.
A bold Soviet aerialist and a mobbed-up American who ignored their language barrier and built their romance through a carousel waltz, a motorcycle ride, drunken mechanical bull rider, a bar fight and chocolate. Four romantic arcs weave through this Cold War adventure — from opposites-attract heat to slow-burn vulnerability, from a young love triangle of denied feelings to forbidden desires so dangerous that exposure could mean exile. These aren’t subplots — they’re the emotional engines driving the Cold War adventure.
Can human connection transcend ideology? Can storytelling bridge the divides that separate us?
As the Ringmaster reminds us, “The best Soviet stories are like vodka—they burn with suffering, intoxicate with conflict, keep you stewing in reflection, and leave you yearning for your heart’s desire.”
Based on true events the author learned in 1991, when the circus’s American road manager became a client at his Atlanta entertainment law firm.
For readers who love: Historical fiction, romantic adventure, and Cold War intrigue. Features 45+ embedded YouTube links to period music and historical footage—an immersive multimedia reading experience that brings Cold War America and the crumbling USSR to life.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ High Wire, No Safety Net
I’m still reeling from the final act of this extraordinary circus saga. From the first pages, the book seizes you like a ringmaster’s command and never releases its grip. There’s no gentle introduction to this world; you’re flung straight into the collision between Soviet control and American excess, between spectacle and surveillance, between longing and fear. Every chapter feels like stepping onto a high wire without a net.
The pacing has the urgency of a live performance. Scenes surge forward with momentum, leaping from glittering arena acts to tense backroom confrontations and culture-shock road trips across America. I kept telling myself I’d pause after the next scene, only to be swept straight into the next set piece. Like a great circus routine, it’s meticulously choreographed yet feels dangerously spontaneous.
What truly anchors the story is its cast of performers trying to find themselves beyond their roles. Yuri carries the crushing weight of responsibility; Anton wrestles with identity and expectation; Raisa burns with a restless hunger for freedom. Their emotional journeys are messy, risky, and often reckless, but always achingly human. No one is purely heroic or villainous; everyone is balancing desire against consequence.
The atmosphere crackles with tension. Beneath the glitter and brass bands lies a constant sense of threat: the watchful eyes of the state, the volatility of new “allies”, the knowledge that one wrong step could end careers or lives. Moments of humour and wonder burst through — clowns tumbling from suitcases, bears on motorbikes, aerialists defying gravity — only to be followed by jolting reminders of how fragile this fragile freedom is.
What makes the experience uniquely electric is how the story spills off the page. References to songs, dances and performances are paired with scannable links that let you hear the very music the characters are moving to. Instead of merely imagining a dance craze or a circus march, you can watch it, listen to it, feel its rhythm. It turns reading into participation, as if you’re seated in the audience while the band strikes up.
By the closing scenes, I felt breathless and slightly shaken. The story refuses tidy resolution; it ends mid-leap, leaving you suspended in that charged silence before the next act begins. It’s bold, provocative, and fiercely alive, a novel that doesn’t simply tell a story but performs it.
An unforgettable, genre-defying experience. I closed the book knowing the show wasn’t over — and desperate for the curtain to rise again.
*I received a copy of this book from Yarde Book Promotions for review consideration.
I’m still reeling from the final act of this extraordinary circus saga. From the first pages, the book seizes you like a ringmaster’s command and never releases its grip. There’s no gentle introduction to this world; you’re flung straight into the collision between Soviet control and American excess, between spectacle and surveillance, between longing and fear. Every chapter feels like stepping onto a high wire without a net.
The pacing has the urgency of a live performance. Scenes surge forward with momentum, leaping from glittering arena acts to tense backroom confrontations and culture-shock road trips across America. I kept telling myself I’d pause after the next scene, only to be swept straight into the next set piece. Like a great circus routine, it’s meticulously choreographed yet feels dangerously spontaneous.
What truly anchors the story is its cast of performers trying to find themselves beyond their roles. Yuri carries the crushing weight of responsibility; Anton wrestles with identity and expectation; Raisa burns with a restless hunger for freedom. Their emotional journeys are messy, risky, and often reckless, but always achingly human. No one is purely heroic or villainous; everyone is balancing desire against consequence.
The atmosphere crackles with tension. Beneath the glitter and brass bands lies a constant sense of threat: the watchful eyes of the state, the volatility of new “allies”, the knowledge that one wrong step could end careers or lives. Moments of humour and wonder burst through — clowns tumbling from suitcases, bears on motorbikes, aerialists defying gravity — only to be followed by jolting reminders of how fragile this fragile freedom is.
What makes the experience uniquely electric is how the story spills off the page. References to songs, dances and performances are paired with scannable links that let you hear the very music the characters are moving to. Instead of merely imagining a dance craze or a circus march, you can watch it, listen to it, feel its rhythm. It turns reading into participation, as if you’re seated in the audience while the band strikes up.
By the closing scenes, I felt breathless and slightly shaken. The story refuses tidy resolution; it ends mid-leap, leaving you suspended in that charged silence before the next act begins. It’s bold, provocative, and fiercely alive, a novel that doesn’t simply tell a story but performs it.
An unforgettable, genre-defying experience. I closed the book knowing the show wasn’t over — and desperate for the curtain to rise again.
*I received a copy of this book from Yarde Book Promotions for review consideration.
Review of advance copy
A Five Star Read
I thoroughly enjoyed this opening act of the Circus Bim Bom story — a striking blend of Cold War tension, cultural collision and big-top spectacle that held my attention from start to finish. A Soviet circus arriving in America might sound whimsical, but the book quickly reveals deeper stakes as performers chase freedom, love and identity under the glare of the spotlight.
The characters feel real and vulnerable, their bonds forged through shared danger and ambition. Moments of awe in the ring sit alongside unease backstage, where politics and personal desires threaten to upend everything.
What makes the book truly unusual is its interactive touches: scattered links and scannable codes let you hear the very music that fuels the dances and acts, turning the story into something you can almost see and hear, not just read.
*A compelling mix of history, drama and circus magic
*Believable characters caught between duty and desire
*A vivid, atmospheric journey across two very different worlds
*Innovative musical links that bring the performance to life
*I received a copy of this book from Yarde Book Promotions. I was under no obligation to leave a review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this opening act of the Circus Bim Bom story — a striking blend of Cold War tension, cultural collision and big-top spectacle that held my attention from start to finish. A Soviet circus arriving in America might sound whimsical, but the book quickly reveals deeper stakes as performers chase freedom, love and identity under the glare of the spotlight.
The characters feel real and vulnerable, their bonds forged through shared danger and ambition. Moments of awe in the ring sit alongside unease backstage, where politics and personal desires threaten to upend everything.
What makes the book truly unusual is its interactive touches: scattered links and scannable codes let you hear the very music that fuels the dances and acts, turning the story into something you can almost see and hear, not just read.
*A compelling mix of history, drama and circus magic
*Believable characters caught between duty and desire
*A vivid, atmospheric journey across two very different worlds
*Innovative musical links that bring the performance to life
*I received a copy of this book from Yarde Book Promotions. I was under no obligation to leave a review.
Review of advance copy
If you like extras and having a more interactive experience while reading this is a good book for you. The author has added lots of links though out the book to songs and speeches that are tied in to what is going on in the story. I wasn’t able to get a lot of them to work however since I’m a Kindle reader and also for myself I felt like it was too much and didn’t add anything for my own experience.
As far as the story goes it was interesting reading about some people that I learned about it school but it never grasp me and sunk its teeth into me. The Cold War era is interesting and the Soviet Union/American tension definitely added an extra level of unease. There is an insane amount of characters and perspectives and for me it was a lot to keep up with who was who and to keep up with what was happening between the present and the past.
As far as the story goes it was interesting reading about some people that I learned about it school but it never grasp me and sunk its teeth into me. The Cold War era is interesting and the Soviet Union/American tension definitely added an extra level of unease. There is an insane amount of characters and perspectives and for me it was a lot to keep up with who was who and to keep up with what was happening between the present and the past.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a free copy of, Circus Bim Bom, by Cliff Lovette, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a rather long story, just under 500 pages, about a Soviet circus, coming to Americas in the 1990's. Most chapters have a qr code to get more information on things they talked about in the chapter re: commercials, songs, and speeches. This was an interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews