DNF ( )

It's been a while (at least a year) since I finished Lilac Girls but I think this book was better. I'm sure that part of the reason why I feel that way is because it doesn't deal with Nazis or the same level of atrocities that the first book dealt with. It still has its own war sadness and disgust but at least it's a bit lesser.
I loved all of the characters except the villains (of course). But, truly, I think that's because they just seemed a bit unbelievable in a lot of their actions. They were also left at the end with a big ??? which I thought was slightly strange given the detail of everyone else's stories and how they wrapped up.

I tried reading this book - twice - and was unable to get into it and care. So, I tried the audio book and I'm so glad that i did. This is the best audio book I've heard yet with the actors portraying the characters. It really brought the book to life.

I look forward to book three showcasing the cival war and the great great grandmother Woolsey. ( )

Actual Rating: 3.75 stars
Actual Review: This was definitely a fun and enjoyable read. The characters were good and you could easily sympathize with most of them. The storyline and setting were solid except in a few places where I had to reread an earlier part to remind myself what was going on. Coming off of [b:Lilac Girls|25893693|Lilac Girls (Lilac Girls, #1)|Martha Hall Kelly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462850258l/25893693._SY75_.jpg|45775594], I had relatively high expectations for Lost Roses; it didn’t necessarily fall short, but it didn’t blow me away either as Lilac Girls had done.
Also note: I really wish Goodreads would allow for partial star ratings (as in .25, .5, and .75) because I've seen so many people do this... ( )

The year is 1914, and for Eliza Ferriday the war hits home while she worries about her friend, Sofya Streshnayva, a Russian woman who is cousin to the tsar and whose family is in danger because of the unrest. Varinka, a young peasant girl, lives with her mother and a young caretaker named Taras, struggling with events out of her control and longing for escape from her situation.

The narrative switches from Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka through most of the story, with a few appearances by Sofya's sister, Luba, much like Kelly had done to very good effect in Lilac Girls. Here it felt a little more forced, and I got annoyed when chapters ended on a cliffhanger and I had to go back to remember what was going on in that narrative when events started abruptly again three chapters later. The historical element fell to the background while the focus of the narrative was on Sofya's attempt to escape and be reunited with friends and family. I was frustrated by this, finding Varinka's choices inexplicable at times and only serving to prolong the narrative, while at the same time chance encounters brought characters together suddenly to keep things moving. It ended up falling in that uncomfortable middle ground where I was enjoying it enough to continue reading and wanting to know what happened, but nitpicking all the while. ( )

I loved The Lilac Girls so was thrilled to hear there was to be a prequel. I have always been fascinated by the Russian revolution and was very interested in this story. This is very much a story of how strong women can be in the time of war and how strong their friendships can be to transcend oceans. Fans of historical fiction will definitely want to add this to their to be read list. A 5 star read for me.