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tatdine's review against another edition
4.0
There are some very *very* problematic aspects of this book, so I would recommend getting it from the library or…other means. But like, the writing is so good…the chemistry is so palpable. I cant give it less than 4 stars…I just cant.
Evony is absolutely fierce and her hatred of Reinhardt is powerful. It takes a long time for her to finally succumb and everything just works so well.
Reinhardt is part of the secret police in east Germany and catches Evony when she tries to flee to west Germany. He “keeps her safe” by keeping her hostage in his house and ensuring she’s never far from him. He pretty immediately falls in love with her.
He’s a bad guy, no if’s ands or buts about it. He’s very bad. Like a nazi bad. It’s not skirted around.
But the story works. The writing is so good. The spicy scenes are truly elite. And sometimes romance novels are super problematic.
Merged review:
There are some very *very* problematic aspects of this book, so I would recommend getting it from the library or…other means. But like, the writing is so good…the chemistry is so palpable. I cant give it less than 4 stars…I just cant.
Evony is absolutely fierce and her hatred of Reinhardt is powerful. It takes a long time for her to finally succumb and everything just works so well.
Reinhardt is part of the secret police in east Germany and catches Evony when she tries to flee to west Germany. He “keeps her safe” by keeping her hostage in his house and ensuring she’s never far from him. He pretty immediately falls in love with her.
He’s a bad guy, no if’s ands or buts about it. He’s very bad. Like a nazi bad. It’s not skirted around.
But the story works. The writing is so good. The spicy scenes are truly elite. And sometimes romance novels are super problematic.
Evony is absolutely fierce and her hatred of Reinhardt is powerful. It takes a long time for her to finally succumb and everything just works so well.
Reinhardt is part of the secret police in east Germany and catches Evony when she tries to flee to west Germany. He “keeps her safe” by keeping her hostage in his house and ensuring she’s never far from him. He pretty immediately falls in love with her.
He’s a bad guy, no if’s ands or buts about it. He’s very bad. Like a nazi bad. It’s not skirted around.
But the story works. The writing is so good. The spicy scenes are truly elite. And sometimes romance novels are super problematic.
Merged review:
There are some very *very* problematic aspects of this book, so I would recommend getting it from the library or…other means. But like, the writing is so good…the chemistry is so palpable. I cant give it less than 4 stars…I just cant.
Evony is absolutely fierce and her hatred of Reinhardt is powerful. It takes a long time for her to finally succumb and everything just works so well.
Reinhardt is part of the secret police in east Germany and catches Evony when she tries to flee to west Germany. He “keeps her safe” by keeping her hostage in his house and ensuring she’s never far from him. He pretty immediately falls in love with her.
He’s a bad guy, no if’s ands or buts about it. He’s very bad. Like a nazi bad. It’s not skirted around.
But the story works. The writing is so good. The spicy scenes are truly elite. And sometimes romance novels are super problematic.
bookish_kayy's review
4.0
Different but good.
This was a different kind of read for me. Ordinarily, I shy away from anything that has any sort of ‘historical’ feel to it, but this one was just calling my name and I couldn’t resist.
I’m really glad I didn’t. It was nothing and everything I was expecting, all at once.
Volker was a different kind of hero, and yet still managed to be a confident sort of alpha male that we can all appreciate.
And Evony. The things she was going through, her reactions were just so spot on for what you’d imagine someone in her situation to be like. I really enjoyed this.
This was a different kind of read for me. Ordinarily, I shy away from anything that has any sort of ‘historical’ feel to it, but this one was just calling my name and I couldn’t resist.
I’m really glad I didn’t. It was nothing and everything I was expecting, all at once.
Volker was a different kind of hero, and yet still managed to be a confident sort of alpha male that we can all appreciate.
And Evony. The things she was going through, her reactions were just so spot on for what you’d imagine someone in her situation to be like. I really enjoyed this.
britlitnerd's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
roseamy's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bibliophile90's review
4.0
"On these cold, unfriendly streets I found a flower, and I plucked it. I will have this one pleasure, this girl whose final surrender was that of a queen in battle."
I love historical romance especially ones that are about forbidden romances. I haven't read any books that are set in Germany when the Berlin wall was up, so this was a very interesting read to me. I wanted to see how Evony could fall in love with the 'enemy'. Secret police officer Reinhardt Volker is an anti-hero and the author did a great job in getting me to dislike him in the beginning. He did some very horrible things, which he didn't regret doing. Evony hated him before and after he kidnapped her. He saw something in her and he wouldn't let her go for anything.
"Do we deserve our happy ending, a Stasi officer and his captor who's not only forgiven him but fallen in love with him?"
I loved seeing how Evony was fighting with herself, because she was attracted to him but he was also the enemy. I thought the development in her feelings was very organic and it didn't come across as fake. I loved seeing how she piece by piece surrendered herself to Volker, but she also knew what she was doing shouldn't feel so good. There was also enough suspense in this story, that had me on the edge of my seat. It also had a dark edge to the story with explicit sex scenes (which were very HOT). This story has increased my interested in romance books that take place after the WW2 in Germany, specifically when the Berlin wall was still up.
voldaren's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
minxreads's review
1.5
Heroine’ hot and cold attitude was giving me whiplash and made me think that a time or two their seggs scenes could be labelled as dubc0n as after all hero kidnapped the heroine. Couldn’t care less about the historical side in the book, found myself skim reading the book. Overall, found it an okayish sort of read.
lucy_qhuay's review
5.0
YES! My first Brianna Hale book and it won't be the last. I loved the writing, the atmosphere and the characters. Reinhardt was definitely the star of the show, but Evony wasn't much behind.
You gotta love an unhinged antihero who's single-minded in his pursuit of the heroine. Someone who plays mind games with her and just doesn't give up until she has no other option but to want him with everything she has. But someone who can also show incredible tenderness and protectiveness. Once again, YES! Also, a heroine who is strong and just won't give up easily who she is even though she might have fallen in love with the hero.
Another thing I loved was the true enemies to lovers in here. Reinhardt and Evony truly represented the most hated things for each other. I loved the contrast between Reinhardt being able to compartmentalize everything and Evony being in agony over loving someone she shouldn't. The angst was heaven.
thanaetos's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
seffra's review
5.0
5 STARS.
OHHH-EMMM-GEEE!!
This book wasn't real, how was it real? How COULD it be real? I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book going in because of the make up of the story. We have a woman who is kidnapped by a man who seems to be a Nazi sympathizer or even just an evil soul. I was really ready to hate Reinhardt and to rake him over the coals....I did for a bit.... it didn't last long. I fell in love with that cold and sometimes distant man. He was such an enigma, I had all those questions that Evony had and we had the same struggles with him. UGHHH, I love him...GAWDDDD.
Evony!! WOAH, her character was such a great and well written person. She felt real to me; her needs and hopes, her desolation and her slow journey to love. Her never ending fight was awesome to read.
The overall story was so well told! I was sucked in from the first word until the very last, in fact, I'm still thinking about these characters and their brutal world. One thing that makes me nervous in actual Historical stories is making the time period believable. Can they get the feeling right? The day-to-day life? Lemme just say that Hale was able to make me believe that I was in Germany 1963. She got the little nuances, the small things that make the scenery believable. I really enjoyed the writing and the prose Brianna Hale developed throughout this novel.
I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance, good action and a KICKASS story!
OHHH-EMMM-GEEE!!
This book wasn't real, how was it real? How COULD it be real? I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book going in because of the make up of the story. We have a woman who is kidnapped by a man who seems to be a Nazi sympathizer or even just an evil soul. I was really ready to hate Reinhardt and to rake him over the coals....I did for a bit.... it didn't last long. I fell in love with that cold and sometimes distant man. He was such an enigma, I had all those questions that Evony had and we had the same struggles with him. UGHHH, I love him...GAWDDDD.
Evony!! WOAH, her character was such a great and well written person. She felt real to me; her needs and hopes, her desolation and her slow journey to love. Her never ending fight was awesome to read.
The overall story was so well told! I was sucked in from the first word until the very last, in fact, I'm still thinking about these characters and their brutal world. One thing that makes me nervous in actual Historical stories is making the time period believable. Can they get the feeling right? The day-to-day life? Lemme just say that Hale was able to make me believe that I was in Germany 1963. She got the little nuances, the small things that make the scenery believable. I really enjoyed the writing and the prose Brianna Hale developed throughout this novel.
I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance, good action and a KICKASS story!