"from russia with love" by susan may warren

From Russia With Love, then known as Ekaterina, is the book that made me fall in love with Susan May Warren's writing. I'd read a few of her other novels before (Reclaiming Nick is the first I read), and while I liked them, I didn't love them. But I liked them enough to look for her other work, and the Heirs of Anton series grabbed my attention. I've been devouring Warren's novels ever since.

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Upon receiving an unusual package in the mail, Ekaterina "Kat" Moore boards a plane to Russia, her ancestral home, to seek some answers. What she finds leads her on a perilous journey through time as Kat must flee the Russian underground. To further complicate matters, she finds herself falling in love with FSB Captain Vadeem Spasonov, a man trying to forget the nightmares of his own past. When Kat's secrets lead to the answers Vadeem needs, the treasures they find unleash an avalanche of God's design. A trip to her ancestral home of Russia thrusts Ekaterina "Kat" Moore into a web of ancient conflict and family secrets.

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As I said before, when I first read this novel, I absolutely loved it. Time, which has led to my becoming a more discerning reader and Warren becoming a better writer, has diminished my love. On this second read (I just read it again last week), I definitely loved it much less. It's not that it's a bad book, but it didn't captivate my mind and emotions in the way I've come to expect of Warren's novels, and I found myself skimming quite a bit.

The story itself is intriguing as Kat seeks to learn about her past. Not too much is revealed, which is why you need to read the next book to discover the answers!

One thing I love about this series is the way it's written in reverse. From Russia With Love is set in the early 2000's. The next book, The Spy Who Loved Me (aka Nadia) is set in the 70's, and the third and fourth books are set before that. Even though I didn't love From Russia With Love on the second read, I'm still looking forward to rereading the rest of the series. 3 stars.

Buy the book or the ebook (The ebook is available exclusively in the Much Ado About Love romance collection--and at 99 cents for six books, it's a pretty good deal!)
Read my reviews of other Susan May Warren novels.

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Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors.

Find Susan online: website, My Book Therapy, Twitter, Facebook

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."