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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
A quick read. An quick,entertaining, if somewhat predictable, story of two estranged twin sisters, based loosely on the Cambridge Five spy ring. I enjoy books with strong women characters and both sisters are very strong women in their own ways. It was kind of interesting reading this shortly after The Rose Code which also loosely deals with the Cambridge Five.
I have started a few books by this author only to not finish reading them for one reason or another. This one kept my interest and I enjoyed it for the most part. I did put it down a few times and realized when I went back to it that I was confused between characters. Also, because it was told in dual timelines only a few years apart, putting the book down and picking it up again sometimes made it difficult to follow what was happening. Once I read it more consistently those things became easier. I did think that the ending was too abrupt however, and was disappointed in that.
I like stories about women who are breaking the norm of the time period they are living. An espionage story set near the end and after WW2. Not a seat of your pants thriller but intrigued to see where it was going.
Well, that was a disappointment. I was looking for a compelling international spy thriller, but ‘Our Woman in Moscow’ didn’t deliver. An avid historical fiction reader and one who hasn’t read any books by this author, I was excited to read about the Cold War and the true story of Donald Maclean and the Cambridge Five.
I pushed myself to finish the book, but I really should have gone with my gut and let it go. At the 75% mark, the plot picked up, but by then I was overly tired with the protagonist’s attitude the OVERLY descriptive plot. As one reviewer put it, all the characters did was “smoke, drink, have sex, think about having sex, remember having sex, size up other characters for their potential as future sexual partners.” Agreed. I wanted more history and less focus on the (?) romance and personal relationships. The only way I got through this book was to write down the dates, places and characters (a cheat sheet) so that I didn’t have to flip back to remember who/what was going on. At 400+ pages, this definitely could have been trimmed.
A huge let down, despite the intriguing time period.
I pushed myself to finish the book, but I really should have gone with my gut and let it go. At the 75% mark, the plot picked up, but by then I was overly tired with the protagonist’s attitude the OVERLY descriptive plot. As one reviewer put it, all the characters did was “smoke, drink, have sex, think about having sex, remember having sex, size up other characters for their potential as future sexual partners.” Agreed. I wanted more history and less focus on the (?) romance and personal relationships. The only way I got through this book was to write down the dates, places and characters (a cheat sheet) so that I didn’t have to flip back to remember who/what was going on. At 400+ pages, this definitely could have been trimmed.
A huge let down, despite the intriguing time period.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m sorry to say, I was just bored. I was hoping for a spy novel and it really wasn’t until the end. It took me forever to get through. I’ve heard good thing about this author, but I wouldn’t really recommend this one.
I picked this one up based on the author and was not disappointed.
The story was good, though some of the bouncing around in time felt overdone. I called the "twist," though I kept expecting one more thing to happen (I was sure).
It wasn't without flaws: there were a couple of plotholes, a few unanswered questions, and I really didn't care for Sasha in any of his phases.
The story was good, though some of the bouncing around in time felt overdone. I called the "twist," though I kept expecting one more thing to happen (I was sure
Spoiler
Lyudmila Ivanova would turn out to be a relative or ex-girlfriend or somethingIt wasn't without flaws: there were a couple of plotholes, a few unanswered questions, and I really didn't care for Sasha in any of his phases.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Honestly not great. Just don’t like to “not finish” a book. It was a lot different than the synopsis- I was expecting a thriller with spies and this just didn’t follow through with that - very slow.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Based on the Cambridge Five, a spy ring in Britian which passed secrets to the Soviets during the 40s, this books weaves a tangled web of a story of sisterhood, marriage, the lies we tell ourselves, and the lies we tell others. Bouncing back and forth from the 1940s and 1950s, this has plenty of intrigue, mystery, romance, and an unbreakable bond between sisters. I really loved this bewitching, slow burn of a book and by the time I got halfway through, I couldn't stand to put it down. The first half is fairly slow and difficult to follow, but it is worth it for the execution of the second half.