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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
✭✭✭✭✭5 STARS of Real Life, Romantic Beauty✭✭✭✭✭
But what does happily ever after truly mean?
In my opinion (& I recognize there are some pretty strong ones on both sides) - this is an amazing ending to an epic love story. Is it perfect? No. But what in life ever is?
Paullina Simons paints a real life portrait of married life - after the happily ever after.
There is struggle … there is sorrow ... fear ... and hurt ...
But there is also joy ... and peace ... and unconditional love.
This book spans a lifetime. From flashbacks to fast forwards. It is generational. It is not just commitment … it is communion.
The Bronze Horseman trilogy will forever be in my heart ❤
But what does happily ever after truly mean?
We thought the hard part was over - but we were wrong. Living is the hard part. Figuring out how to live your life when you’re all busted up inside and out - there is nothing harder.
In my opinion (& I recognize there are some pretty strong ones on both sides) - this is an amazing ending to an epic love story. Is it perfect? No. But what in life ever is?
When did I ever expect you to be perfect? You pick yourself up and you try to do better. You fix what you can , you move on, you hope you can learn. The struggle doesn't end just because you know the way. That’s when it’s only the beginning.
Paullina Simons paints a real life portrait of married life - after the happily ever after.
There is struggle … there is sorrow ... fear ... and hurt ...
But there is also joy ... and peace ... and unconditional love.
This book spans a lifetime. From flashbacks to fast forwards. It is generational. It is not just commitment … it is communion.
“I don’t want this life to end,” said Alexander … “We were always afraid all we had was a borrowed five minutes from now.” Her hands went on his face. “That’s all any of us ever has, my love,” she said. “And it all flies by. “Yes … But what a five minutes it’s been.”
The Bronze Horseman trilogy will forever be in my heart ❤
I’ve read the trilogy 3 times. This is my favorite out of the trilogy because we finally got to see Alexander and Tatiana together. I appreciated being able to see that their relationship didn’t turn out perfect and flawless once they FINALLY got to be together. I loved how the fight didn’t end once they escaped Russia, but took on new enemies (Their past, PTSD, jobs, friendships etc) and their relationship was once again tested but they endured and came out top. I loved every bit of the journey these books took me through, in Tatiana’s and Alexander’s life together (along with Anthony and how so much alike he was with his father, even though he constantly fought again his dad and was a mamas boy). I enjoyed the good times, the bad and the ugly, this book was so much and more to me.
I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who loves a Great story/plot intertwined with a breathtakingly beautiful love story.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find another story to top this trilogy....
I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who loves a Great story/plot intertwined with a breathtakingly beautiful love story.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find another story to top this trilogy....
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having now read this trilogy, I would say a reader should either read just the first one or commit to see it through, no matter how mad a character might make you. This book was probably too long, especially in the final section, but it told the full story of Tatiana and Alexander in a way most books would not, and I was glad to live in its world for a time.
If you like how Outlander has followed Jamie and Claire for decades, this book is for you.
If you like how Outlander has followed Jamie and Claire for decades, this book is for you.
This book had absolutely no plot. No main conflict no story arch. However, so many times when I read I just want to be like so what happens next? Or how did their life end? Basically this book is one big giant epilogue with a few twists. Am I complaining?? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I believe this book covers about 55ish years of a life story between Tatiana, Alexander, and their family. That is by far the longest sequence of events I have ever read.
I will remember this story for a very long time. I’m gonna go ahead and bump it up there with the faves. I’ve never been so gripped by the life story of two people in any book I’ve read.
I will remember this story for a very long time. I’m gonna go ahead and bump it up there with the faves. I’ve never been so gripped by the life story of two people in any book I’ve read.
The Summer Garden is the final installment in the trilogy about Tatiana and Alexander’s “epic love story”. I have not read the other two books, but I sure hope they were more interesting than this one. This novel could have been summed up in 100 pages or so, but I guess the author thought an extra 642 pages of fluff was necessary. I would have preferred putting my head in the garbage disposal and turning it on, but that’s just me.
I took the liberty of reading some reviews on the other two books in the trilogy and, apparently, they were much more exciting. I probably wouldn’t dissuade someone from reading all three books consecutively – maybe there’s something I’m missing – but I can’t imagine any cosmic buildup to The Summer Garden that would make it more enjoyable. Reading about every mundane happening in a couple’s life is always excruciating. I’m only giving it two stars because I read it out of sequence. Good riddance.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake. http://booksake.blogspot.com
I took the liberty of reading some reviews on the other two books in the trilogy and, apparently, they were much more exciting. I probably wouldn’t dissuade someone from reading all three books consecutively – maybe there’s something I’m missing – but I can’t imagine any cosmic buildup to The Summer Garden that would make it more enjoyable. Reading about every mundane happening in a couple’s life is always excruciating. I’m only giving it two stars because I read it out of sequence. Good riddance.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake. http://booksake.blogspot.com
I want to note that The Summer Garden was by far the weakest book in the amazing Tatiana & Alexander trilogy, but I still rank it as one of my favorites because the whole trilogy was very strong. I think that the book wraps the story up, but a few observations I had:
**Um, WTF was a 50 year old Alexander doing going all the way to Vietnam? The mere fact that Anthony was in Vietnam was cliched, the fact that Alexander goes to Vietnam and not only rescues him but survives a chest wound (at 50!) is just unbelievable. I realize that a 20 something Alexander survived the horrors of being in the Red Army and then being tortured and all that, but a 20 something combat soldier is way different than a 50 something civilian who is going into completely unfamiliar with the war, the war tactics and FFS, is 50 years old! (did I mention that?).
**Tatiana was kind of a doormat. Not gonna lie, she totally pissed me off. Stop being a doormat, Tatiana, and stand up for yourself! About the only thing I actually empathized with her about was her reaction to Alexander's infidelity. I found the whole concept of Alexander's infidelity absurd given how he was completely loyal to Tania for 4 years when he didn't know if he'd ever see her again, but I found Tatiana's reaction (and consequent forgiveness) believable.
**The very end when they were recounting all of the various family members who all had the same damn names made my head hurt.
**Despite the fact that the family members made my head hurt and I had a hell of time trying to figure out who was who and who was married to and parenting who, I thought it was cliched yet sweet how they showed the entire family after everyone had grown.
I really enjoyed this book. I'm not sure I'd read all of it again though. I'd probably just quit reading after the infidelity nonsense. The Anthony-Vietnam stuff was so contrived and unbelievable. I also might leave out the Luga stuff. I still didn't really understand the point of it.
Definitely the weakest book in the trilogy, but I don't feel that it lessened my impression of the rest of the books. Sometimes, it takes a while to get to your happy ending.
**Um, WTF was a 50 year old Alexander doing going all the way to Vietnam? The mere fact that Anthony was in Vietnam was cliched, the fact that Alexander goes to Vietnam and not only rescues him but survives a chest wound (at 50!) is just unbelievable. I realize that a 20 something Alexander survived the horrors of being in the Red Army and then being tortured and all that, but a 20 something combat soldier is way different than a 50 something civilian who is going into completely unfamiliar with the war, the war tactics and FFS, is 50 years old! (did I mention that?).
**Tatiana was kind of a doormat. Not gonna lie, she totally pissed me off. Stop being a doormat, Tatiana, and stand up for yourself! About the only thing I actually empathized with her about was her reaction to Alexander's infidelity. I found the whole concept of Alexander's infidelity absurd given how he was completely loyal to Tania for 4 years when he didn't know if he'd ever see her again, but I found Tatiana's reaction (and consequent forgiveness) believable.
**The very end when they were recounting all of the various family members who all had the same damn names made my head hurt.
**Despite the fact that the family members made my head hurt and I had a hell of time trying to figure out who was who and who was married to and parenting who, I thought it was cliched yet sweet how they showed the entire family after everyone had grown.
I really enjoyed this book. I'm not sure I'd read all of it again though. I'd probably just quit reading after the infidelity nonsense. The Anthony-Vietnam stuff was so contrived and unbelievable. I also might leave out the Luga stuff. I still didn't really understand the point of it.
Definitely the weakest book in the trilogy, but I don't feel that it lessened my impression of the rest of the books. Sometimes, it takes a while to get to your happy ending.
I severely, severely disliked this book. Tatiana and Alexander acted completley outside the realms of their previously establshed character. The storyline felt forced and dragged on for more pages than was necessary. The only, only, only reason I finished reading this book was because I loved the first two so completley. I can honestly say that I regret reading this book. I feel like Tatiana and Alexander's story was more complete after the second novel than it was after the third. I am so dissapointed.
The actual writing in this book was sub-par compared to this other books too. It went back and forth from being too modern (complete with modern slang) and being too gramatically incorrect. I found it very difficult to continue reading the book because of all of the typos.
The actual writing in this book was sub-par compared to this other books too. It went back and forth from being too modern (complete with modern slang) and being too gramatically incorrect. I found it very difficult to continue reading the book because of all of the typos.
I have the gutting feeling that I have just read the best three books of my life, the best story of my life and now it’s over.
Suddenly the bar for storytelling has been raised so high, I’m unsure how my future as a reader will look like.
“Someday we’ll meet in Lvov, my love and I...”
Suddenly the bar for storytelling has been raised so high, I’m unsure how my future as a reader will look like.
“Someday we’ll meet in Lvov, my love and I...”
This book took me forever to finish. The only reason I finished it was because I was determined to finish all the books on my currently reading shelf by the end of 2017. This book RUINED Alexander for me. Yes, life is messy, but absolutely no excuse for cheating on your wife and hitting her. He somehow figures out a way to make everything her fault. It’s disgusting. I’m wildly disappointed, Alexander was one of my favorite male characters, and now he is one of my least.