The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons

Where to start? The Summer Garden is the last book in The Bronze Horseman series. This book was a bit slow and it was the second longest book in the series (I like long books). Overall I really enjoyed it.

The book starts off a bit after Tatiana and Alexander's reunion. They have left New York and are traveling, trying to find their place in America. After being apart for so long the young couple are having some issues trying to reconnect and become a family. For me that was a little hard to read through, I really feel for Tatiana and Alexander and I wanted so much for them to be as happy and in love as they were in Lazarevo, but logically it makes sense that they would need some time to adjust.

I was surprised to find there is a flash back in this book. I was skeptical about it at first, not wanting to stray from the main story, but I was glad it was included. The flash back takes us to one summer spent at Tatiana's dasha at the Luga River. She was fourteen years old and that summer brought with it some surprising and mysterious new neighbors. In the end we learn why Tatiana's arm was in a cast and why she is terrified of the woods. Very exciting indeed. Why her family ever had any doubts about her is a mystery to me.

In the end I was sad to put the tale of Tatiana and Alexander to rest but I was very please that we get the whole scope of their lives and not just a small sliver like most stories. I liked seeing what kind of man little Anthony had become and what shape the love between our main characters evolved into and reading about all their trials and tribulations along the way. I was very satisfied.

I think I will read more works by Paullina Simons. She is a wonderful story teller and I was surprised to learn (though an interview published in part on her website) that The Bronze Horseman was her first book to take place in Russia. All her preceding novels take place in America. I have been recommending this series to everyone I talk books with and I really hope to see it come to the big screen soon.