We see into the thoughts of numerous characters while Timofey is trying to avoid marriage to his boss' daughter, by convincing an old girlfriend to marry him. They get into some amusing situations, including being kidnapped and a brawl.
This book opens with Elizaveta Andreyevna walking out of the apartment of her "latest lover" and includes references to experiences occurring. There is very minimal dialogue for the first half of the book. Lots of long sentences that have a wealth of descriptive details, which makes for very slow reading. Elizaveta mentions every shop and stall she passes on her way to work and again after she leaves to go home. Written in the 3rd person, we switch from character to character, which leads to confusion, and sometimes tells what a different person was doing hours before the current event we just read about. Some characters have other names and numerous nicknames throughout, Elizaveta is also referred to as Bestuzheva. To say I'm confused is an understatement, "…she knew she held an entire universe inside her, replete with heavenly bodies. Some of her planets were inhabited, and she could hear the voices of all the countless creatures who lived there."
I'm sure this is a good book but do not put it down, read continuously or you will get lost. This is not one of those books that I couldn't not wait to pick up again, it dragged a lot and lost my interest. Not a Christian book. 2 out of 5 stars.
I received the review request for this book from kindlebookreview.net
From the back cover:
His crafty plan results in a deadly threat. Her hopes keep her locked in a vicious circle. They parted ways, supposedly forever. But will they be able to live apart?
Elizaveta, an attractive Muscovite, experiences a series of odd events: she is followed; she receives anonymous calls, flowers, and gifts. The culprit is her former lover, Timofey. He now lives far from Moscow and has a flourishing business, but a serious threat emerges when the daughter of a local mafia boss wants to marry him. Timofey knows his life is at risk if he says no. He creates a cunning scheme to save himself by staging a sham marriage with Elizaveta playing a primary role. Masterfully manipulating her feelings, Timofey persuades her to come visit him in his small town, but things soon take a dramatic turn.
A seemingly romantic journey becomes a struggle for survival. Timofey and Elizaveta confront real danger when they least expect it. Love and deception reveal their essence when the best of intentions come into conflict with each other. The protagonists try hard to achieve their goals, but, in the end, each of them finds something much different instead. Illusion, ultimately, proves stronger than reality. And coincidences are often not so random after all.
