I love the way Saracen enlightens the reader with history laced with an engaging story.

In this book, Mia takes us though WWII from a completely different perspective, as a Lend Lease administrator. She travels to Tehran and Moscow, along the way meeting the gorgeous Alexia who captivates her.

From there the world becomes harsh for the characters and the reader. History is not kind but the story continues to be entertaining.

Another great read.

I loved it! Saracen's stories continue to captivate the mind in their telling. The Romance and Historical pairing of events throughout her books bring to life places, events and people you may or may not have heard of before and in so doing transports the reader to the same places, making you feel a part of the story and bringing you closer to the characters. I truly enjoy the historical aspects of the stories and recommend them to people I know, as I love discussing the "what if" of the thrillers. Great Read.

Stevie‘s review of The Sniper’s Kiss by Justine Saracen
Lesbian Historical Fiction published by Bold Strokes Books 14 Mar 17

Although my preference for wartime stories tends to lean toward the 1914-1918 conflicts, there’s a lot of excellent lesbian fiction out there set during the Second World War. I’m also a great fan of Justine Saracen, no matter what era or location she writes in, so this book was pretty much an auto-read for me. Throw in the complications of a relationship between a Russian and an American – from countries technically on the same side, but with very different political outlooks in so many ways – and you can see why I was very excited indeed about the prospect of this story.

Mia Kramer is the American-born daughter of Russian immigrants, who has been brought up by her father and brother since the death of her mother. When her father dies as a result of a drunken fall from a rooftop, Mia falls under suspicion due to both her turbulent upbringing and the gossip spreading that she and her father were having affairs with the same married woman. Cleared of all charges, Mia takes full advantage of the possibilities opened up by the war in Europe to apply for a government job in Washington. She is soon noticed by one of the President’s advisors and moves again, this time to live and work in the White House where her knowledge of the Russian language and her ability to think quickly and logically are much in demand.

Also facing upheaval and the chance of previously unimagined opportunities due to the war is Alexia Mazarova, a schoolteacher and loyal member of the Communist Party. Having seen too many of her neighbours killed and their homes and businesses destroyed, she decides to join the army sas a combatant, rather than in a non-lethal role, much to the disappointment of the old priest she regards as a friend. Alexia’s striking looks lead to her selection for the Kremiln’s Honour Guard, and that posting leads to her path first crossing that of Mia, who is acting as translator on a diplomatic mission.

Mia and her bosses suspect that supplies the Americans are sending to Russia are being diverted to the black market, with the proceeds lining the pockets of unscrupulous members of the supply chain. Mia sets out to investigate, though not without a degree of flirtation between her and Alexia, which ends when Mia’s party returns to the States and Alexia requests a transfer to the front.

On a return visit to Moscow, Mia’s expressed suspicions raise those of the culprits, and she is snatched from the street and taken away to be disposed of in a staged ‘accident.’ Fate intervenes, however, and Mia finds herself flung into the same warzone Alexia is fighting in. Mia joins Alexia’s group under an assumed name and with false papers, but the pair will face many adventures and separations before the war is over and they can begin to consider whether either woman’s home country will offer a permanent welcome to the other.

This book was a truly thrilling read from beginning to end with just enough real history interspersed amongst the fictional exploits of the two women and their compatriots to ground it in the period. One that I may have to track down in print, I think.

Grade: A

I love historic novels and this one did not disappoint. The story was very well researched and written in a way that it still felt like a story but also that I learned a bit more about this part of history – a thing I really enjoy about historic novels – to learn something new!
The authors attention to details helps to make the characters come alive and as mentioned above it is great for the story.
The main characters were very well developed and I caught myself rooting for them. I also think that the timeframe was very well done – which is kind of important for me and can ruin a story if the timeframe feels unrealistic.

I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys historic novels.

This is Saracen’s twelfth published book, so she has some great skills as an author that comes across in The Sniper’s Kiss. She manages to blend new characters and plot into historical scenes so that you can barely see the lines from one to the other. I suspect this is really difficult to so, as few authors bring such scenes and characters to life so vividly.

Mia Kramer is an accountant seconded to work at the White House on a Lend-Lease program in 1943. This program sends munitions and supplies to American allies overseas, Britain and Russia, to help them build weapons, and to keep their soldiers fed and clothed. One of the reasons Mia is chosen is because of her Russian heritage and her fluency in written and spoken Russian.

Mia and her boss Harry fly to Moscow with her boss Harry to discuss the replacement of consignments that are being lost between the two countries. There Mia meets the stunning Alexia Mazarova, a Russian guard who is given the task of guiding Mia home after she has had a full night of celebration with Stalin and his men. The very drunk Mia kisses Alexia, and so begins their fascination with one another.

Alexia was a teacher in her local village when German bombs destroyed the school. Deciding that there was nothing left for her at home, she signed up, and was drafted into Marshal Stalin’s honour guard. Largely ceremonial, Alexia was given the job of guarding foreign dignitaries. She itches to be part of the action, and is transferred to sniper training. After that, she is on the front lines, battling the Germans for territory in the frozen winters of Russia.

But war has a strange way of bringing two people together as well as separating them, and so begins the extraordinary tale of two women in war.

Saracen has built two strong, believable women. I was happy following them around the world, reveling in their extraordinary exploits during horrendous times. The bravery of the two women would stand out now, but during wartime, Saracen cleverly paints them into the background of everyday bravery of people at war.

Saracen writes the scenes really well. I normally don’t read historical fiction, but she paints the story so vividly that it comes to life for me. She handles the detail and the context really well. There is enough detail to give us an understanding of how the bigger picture of context pushes the characters and the plot in certain directions, without the detail that paints us into the stasis of a photograph.

I highly recommend this dramatic thriller set in the last few years of the Second World War.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

‘The Sniper’s Kiss’ is an epic tale of one woman’s love for another and what she is willing to go through to be with her. It is a beautiful love story between two characters that pulled at my heart strings. Mia is American and works for the White House during World War 2. When she is sent to the Soviet Union to investigate the lend-lease programme she meets Alexia, a stunning Kremlin guard. One kiss is all it took to change their lives. The adventure they both end up living takes place among famous figures of history such as FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hicks, Stalin and Churchill. Justine Saracen has researched this period so well and her writing made me feel as if I was there amongst the noises, smells and tragedies of war. A truly fantastic book that I highly recommend.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

I really like Justine Saracen's historical novels and the Sniper's Kiss is no exception. It teaches a lot about parts of the history that is less known and it does it in an enjoyable way.
I knew a lot about the Soviet army "liberating" Eastern Europe - I grew up in one or those "liberated" countries with the presence of the Soviet army. All about the harsh circumstances, the rape and molestation by male soldiers, the corruption ring true.
It's not a romance novel and the romantic plot and the unexpected twist at the end to get a happy ending is less plausible.

<I>The Sniper's Kiss</I> by Justine Saracen

<b>Star rating</b>: ★★★★ ☆ 4/5 stars

<b>Format</b>: ebook galley

<b>Summary</b>: Mia is an American woman working for the White House during WWII, she works in the lend-lease program with Russia to supply them with things they need to fight the war. While working she meets Russian sniper Alexia and there is a spark of attraction between the two women.

<b>Review</b>: I received a galley of this book from NetGalley for review.

Overall, this had a lot of stuff that seems geared towards my interests. Wlw, Russians, WWII.... Pretty much everything I could want. I will say though, I didn't find the romance very compelling. I was interested in the story and characters but I was t drawn into the romance. I think the problem was that we never really saw Alexia fall for Mia, we were just told it happened.

I did really like the focus of Russian troops in this novel. Most every WWII novel I've read has been about Americans or Jewish people in various places in Europe. So this was a fresh look for me.

I liked the plot as well, I thought it was interesting and engaging. There were a couple of slow spots in the novel but not enough to trip me up in the overall reading of it. I liked the characters Mia and Alexia, they were both amazing and great to read about. Most of the POV was of Mia but there were chapters in Alexia's as well. I wish it had been more equal but at least there was some.

The history aspect seemed pretty accurate but I'm not very knowledgeable about the time period, especially Russia. I did find it odd that Mia admits to so many people that she's in love with another woman and everyone seems fairly chill about it. That didn't seem like it would be the case in this period. Then again I get doing that so the story doesn't get hung up on "homosexuality is a sin womp womp womp".

<b>Recommendation</b>: Even if I wasn't totally sold on he love story the book is still really good and I highly recommend it.

While historically accurate and adeptly descriptive in capturing the tragedy that the Russian people endured while fighting the Axis powers, neither of the protagonists had a true connection with the woman intended to be her partner. When discussing publications from this period, I invariably turn to Kate Christie, whose "In the Company of Women" remains the standard for me. I wanted more from an author of Ms. Saracen's talents.

It did seem as though the book was well-researched and having learned about the horrors of WW2 my entire life, I am sad to say that the Russian experience and casualties were never really spoken about. I also had absolutely no idea that women were fighting on the front lines of the Russian army! To that end, it was interesting to read about the non-American experience and a piece of the war I had known nothing about.
When the story focused on the war and the experiences of the soldiers during and between battles, it held my interest, but as for the main character Mia, I really felt nothing for her. I don't feel I ever had a full idea of who she truly was or what "made" her. I wasn't particularly sympathetic to her plight or the romance between her and the sniper she meets. Pages and pages and pages would be taken up by the minutiae of a political dinner meeting or marching in the army from one town to the next. However, the forced romance aspect of the book was essentially summed up with the line "they became closer to each other" over time followed by a pretty out of place sex-talk session while in the woods. Chemistry was lacking completely between the two because quite honestly they may have been snipers together but there are very few interacting scenes in the book playing out for the reader. It feels like a last minute add and honestly it felt more distracting than anything. I would have liked this book to focus more on Mia and building her into a "real" person. There is one line fairly late in the book about soldiers not necessarily dying for their country but willingly dying for each other. I really wish this had been more the theme of the book and its focus. It's a beautiful line (in context) but again it's something said and not really shown in the book's action.
Ultimately, I was disappointed with this book. It's well researched but I didn't feel as though the characters were able to carry it, nor was the romantic relationship (well) developed.

This is my second foray into Saracen’s writing. I read Dian’s Ghost last year, and though I enjoyed it, I devoured this one. In two days. With a full-time job and two graduate classes. Luckily, a chunk of one day was spent on a road trip, so plenty of time to dig myself into the story.

I’ve always been decent at history (particularly during Jeopardy), but I didn’t really know anything about women serving in the Red Army alongside the men during World War II, so to learn about that through fiction was amazing.

On the note of World War II, let’s start with the setting. Mia and Alexia’s story unfolds in Washington D.C., Moscow and the Eastern European front during World War II. Let it be known I am not one of those people who gets falsely nostalgic about this era. I don’t think it’s romantic. Often, people, read white people, think it was a romantic time because soldiers were falling in love, getting married, and shipped out, all within days. First off, gross. Secondly, there are so many problems with that skewed perspective, I do not have time to delve into them in this short review, so I’ll digress.

Anyway, I do enjoy historical fiction, and I feel that Saracen did a great job with realism. The soldiers of the Red Army are dirty and bloody and they endure terrible conditions. Sometimes while reading descriptions of grittier settings, I skim right through the details and picture freshly-showered, impeccably dressed ladies. Nope. Not so here. In short, Saracen does a great job with the realism. Soldiers lose limbs. Soldiers die. It doesn’t smell nice, and no one gets a shower. She even addresses the very real problem of getting your period surrounded by dudes in the middle of a battle. It’s not pretty, but it is real, and I appreciate that she doesn’t sugarcoat anything just to tell a more appealing story.

Next, and most importantly the characters. I can enjoy a book of just about any genre as long as I love the characters I love Mia and Alexia. They are rich, full, and flawed characters. They both go above and beyond for what they believe is right, and like many good people in this world, suffer for following their hearts and consciences. They learn that sometimes all you’ve got isn’t enough, and bad people get ahead. Such is the way of the world. Yet, they still have it in themselves to love one another and not give up on that connection.

I enjoyed the supporting characters as well. I wanted to have tea with Mrs. Roosevelt and get drinks with Lorena Hickok. I mean, I wanted to do that before this book, but I love how Saracen incorporates them into the story, as well as FDR, Stalin, and even Churchill. I was, obviously, rooting for Mia and Alexia the whole way and I almost threw my Kindle across the room at one point toward the end in my suspense for what would come next. Ask my roommate, I yelled a few obscenities as she played video games.

I could continue to gush, and I’m sure I’ve missed some details from my voracious, 48 hour consumption, but you should read it anyway. If you like war stories, read it. If you like romance, read it. If you like history, read it. If you like learning cool stuff about kick ass women in history, read it. Just read it.

I have wanted to read Justine Saracen for a really long time. Justine writes books about tough topics, war, religion; I think I was putting off reading her because I was worried she would be too cerebral of an author for me. I am so happy to say, that was not the case at all with this book. The writing is clear, easy to understand, and just really good.

The story takes place during World War 2. Mia, a Russian speaking American, is working for the office of the president as an interpreter and accountant. With discrepancy in the supplies the Americans are sending the Russians, Mia goes to Russia to find out what is going on. There she meets a sniper in the Red Army, Alexia. With so much danger at every turn, is there a chance for Alexia and Mia to be together, or will their lives be lost like millions of others at that time?

I must do a disclaimer. While this is historic fiction, you really do have to suspend disbelief. If you can do that, then this becomes a great action packed-ride.

The two main characters where very likeable, and I liked how Saracen weaved real characters into the story. The romance is sweet but pretty low key. The intimate scenes were fade to black. But considering they are in the middle of a war, I didn't mind it so much.

Once you get to the front of the line war scenes, with the snipers, is where this book really excelled. Very gritty and exciting, that absolutely had me hooked on this book. It is clear that Saracen did her research.

This book was well written, exciting, and addictive. I really enjoyed it, and can't wait to read more by Saracen.

An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.

Justine Saracen writing is very in-depth. You know going into them they are superbly well researched and you most likely will be a bit smarter by the time you finish. Saracen’s attention to detail and an inclusion of historical facts in her novels, help make the stories and characters riveting.

Mia Kramer immigrated to the United States as a young girl. Mia, 29, comes into the story with a lot of baggage. She was raised by an emotionally abusive father, upon his highly questionable death, (was it murder or suicide), Mia takes control over her life and flees her father’s home to work for the government to support the war effort. Her vast knowledge the Russian language and culture ends her a prime job as an accountant for the Lend-Lease program under Harry Hopkins and right inside the Whitehouse.

The other main player in the book is Alexia Vassilievna Mazarova. A former teacher, Alexia enlists in the Red Army to help her country anyway she can. Striking good looks leads her to a plush assignment guarding the Kremlin and or course, Joseph Stalin. This is how she meets the Mia, and they strike up an unlikely friendship.

This book is a fascinating tale of history and relationship’s born out of horrifying circumstances. A historical fiction with just a hint of romance, while at times a bit unrealistic, overall this was a fantastic read.

I'm afraid I found this to be quite the mess. While it's obvious that the book is well researched, the story itself requires too much suspension of disbelief on my part.

The writing was a bit of a disappointment as well, sometimes, the Russian speakers sounded very formal and sometimes not. However you deal with another language in translation, so to speak, it should be consistent. The same applies to the rest of the book, sometimes they sounded like characters from the 1940s, sometimes they sounded too modern. Especially with Churchill I found it hard not to draw a comparison with The Crown, which captured the era beautifully, I thought.

First book of hers I've read, maybe my expectations were a tad high.

*I received this book from NetGalley, and Bold Strokes Books in return for a fair review.*

<b>Genre/tags</b>: Historical Fiction, military fiction, politics, war, WWII
<b>Location</b>: New York, Washington DC, Tehran Iran, Moscow Russia, Other parts of Soviet Union, Eastern Front (including Belarus)
<b>Characters</b>: <b>Main</b> - Mia Kramer and Alexia Vassilievna Mazarova (both have Point of views);
<b>famous side characters</b>: Harry Hopkins (boss of Mia), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (USA President), Eleanor Roosevelt, Lorena Hickok (Eleanor's 'close' friend), Joseph Stalin (Soviet Premier), Vyacheslav Molotov (Minister of Foreign Affairs - Soviet Union), Lyudmila Pavlichenko (Soviet sniper with 309 kills), Fyodor Dostoyevsky ('obviously enough' Dostoyevsky does not make a physical appearance in the story - but he is brought up so often, his writings and the like, that he feels like another character in the story).

The book was not exactly what I thought it would be about - it opens with a prologue - a discussion with a Russian/Soviet sniper with someone named 'Mia'. Then moves to Mia's Point of View doing stuff . . . in the USA. As a citizen of the US. That's part of the - 'not exactly what I thought' comment.

Another part of that 'not exactly what expected' leads directly from the synopsis of the book 'It is 1944 . . . in the midst of it, two . . . women meet . . .murder in her heart . . . killed a hundred of them . . .' are all misleading. It's not 1944 when the book opens in chapter one in 1942, and for a good portion of the book, it is 1943. And the two women do not meet in the midst of the war in Europe, they meet in Iran, I'm not sure what 'murder in her heart' refers to, and that last one is . . . well, wrong. Though the sniper in the prologue had killed 309 men for Stalin. Not a main character, though.

<b>Mia Kramer</b>, otherwise known as Demetria Fyodorovna Kaminskaya ('They made us change our name when we arrived in the country'), starts the novel answering questions from the police. Who suspect her of having murdered her father. They can't pin it on her, though, so she moves on with her live - to a certain extent, finally starts it (since she had been under the very controlling thumb of her father before hand). She moves to Washington DC to work for the Government, and eventually, about a year later, moves to a job with the Lend-Lease program and living & working in the White House directly for the man running Lend-Lease, Harry Hopkins.

Mia is 29, though I wasn't certain of that until I looked over the book again just now - and saw her application where it listed her age. So, Mia is 29 in 1943 when she begins work as Harry Hopkins assistant at the White House. Before she can even learn what her actual duties entail, a man in a wheelchair enters the room - the president. So - it's that kind of book. The kind where a lower ranking individual is close to several people of power, including the president, his wife, and others. And even has drinks with Stalin (I might mention why later).

And before Mia can settle into her new job, she's off to Tehran with Hopkins for a meeting between Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill. This is where Mia first spots the other lead character of this book, as a very sharply dressed guard. Though the reader encountered Alexia earlier in the book. They don’t actually meet at this time Tehran, though, just see each other.

<b>Alexia Vassilievna Mazarova</b> started the book as a teacher – specifically one attempting to fight fires at her school in Arkhangelsk caused by German planes. When the school explodes, Alexia sees it as a sign to join the fight. And so she does, she enlists in the Red Army. After training she ends up in an elite guard unit that guards such things as the Kremlin and Stalin. Whether or not it is accurate, it is speculated that she got the job because of her looks. (Though she did get high marks in marksmanship in training.).

<b>Story</b>:
The book follows both Mia and Alexia as they attempt to live their lives against the backdrop of WWII (at least during the years of 1942-1945) - their lives mostly out of their own control because of WWII. Through various means, Mia ends up working directly for the man who runs the Lend-Lease program for Roosevelt. Which means that she rubs shoulders with several historically significant individuals, some clearly remembered in our time (the Roosevelt's and Stalins of the story), some more hidden (the famous, at the time, snipers and government officials).

Similarly Alexia ends up being a low-level individual who through various means, apparently mostly because of her looks, ends up rubbing shoulders - or at least is in the same room as some famous individuals. Mostly through her first assignment after training - working as an elite honor guard in Moscow.

<blockquote>"A name, for a kill? What's that?"
"The sniper's kiss."</blockquote>

Those following along, and/or seeing the title, seeing the book description, might be confused. Up to this point the only sniper I've mentioned is a side character, a famous one, but still - a barely seen side character. So . . . what gives? Well, somewhere along the line Alexia feels that it is somewhat 'cowardly' to be in the honor guard while a war is on. She feels like she needs to be at the front. And, somewhere along the line, she transfers from this elite honor guard to the sniper school - and from there moves to a unit to be a sniper.

The book, to a large extent, is quite interesting - though more as a look into an area of history largely outside most fictional accounts of the war, and less as something else, like, say, a romance (though there is something of that going on). Specifically the parts seen from the eyes of Soviet troops (Alexia . . . and later Mia); and specifically the parts seen by government types making sure the lend-lease program is operating correctly (Mia).

The book is more satisfying as a work of historical fiction, than as a romance. Largely because the people involved were reacting to events and unable to control them, shape them, mold them.

Rating: 4.25

February 4 2017