When Natalya meets Alexander Pushkin at a ball, she is instantly drawn and attracted to him. Finding her to be beautiful and intelligent, Pushkin pursues a courtship. They marry and have children and are generally happy, up until another man enters Natalya's life and Alexander challenges him to a duel.

I find Russian history fascinating, and this story was no exception. Glimpses of the Russian czar and court life were sprinkled throughout the book adding a layer of depth to Natalya and Alexander's lives. I wish the author had spent some time to tell us what happens to Natalya and her family after the duel. After all, a woman's life doesn't end with her husband's. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

A historical fiction book that takes you way back into history and at least for me across the globe. It is 1828 and Russia. A famous poet and a young girl meet and the story unfolds from there.

I love when historical fiction is based closely on facts. It always makes me feel like I am learning and getting entertainment at the same time! I especially love it when it is a time and place that I don't read about a lot and although I am completely intrigued by Russian folklore, tradition, and history, I just don't read about it a lot.

The story is grouped in chunks of years and I loved how it was set up. Of course, while I was reading, I was checking the wikipedia page to try to determine facto or fiction and of course I spoiled the ending for myself - stay away this one is too good to be spoiled!

Also while reading, I looked up the author and realized she has two more books set in Russia, I just may have to pick them up soon and enjoy!

My review is at my blog.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

Russia is a alien place to most of us. It's customs, people, passions, and pain make a interesting mix for novels. This one will appeal to so many readers because who hasn't heard of the Alexander Pushkin. Loved leaning about his real family, lover, wife and muse.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This story is a historical fiction, it's based on Natalya and Alexander, who was one of Russia's greatest poets. Although history has painted Natalya in negative light, accusing her of being a whore and has made Alexander to defend her honor.
I loved that this author has shown Natalya in a better light. Women are blamed for everything! So it was nice to see her from a different point of view. This was my first book by this author,  I absolutely enjoyed every second of it.  It was fast paced and just alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a 4 star rating!

4.5 stars!

TW: sexual harassment, violent incident between Natalya and a side character.</i>

What a beautiful story of love! I hardly took any notes, only a notecard, because I was just so entranced with the story of love. Natalya and Alexander have a special place in my heart and their love story will stay with me for a long time.

As this is historical fiction, it is based on the events of Natalya and Alexander, who was one of Russia's greatest poets. However, history has painted Natalya in negative light, accusing her of being a slut and driving Alexander to defend her honor. I liked that this author has tried, and succeeded in my humble opinion, to show Natalya in a better light. Too often the women are blamed for the demise of whatever is going on, especially in history. For example, poor Anne Boleyn or Joan of Arc. I hope more authors like Jennifer Laam attempt to clear move historical women's names.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it is a story within a story. Natalya is telling us readers the story of her and Alexander. How they met, their marriage, their struggles. All of it. The story was weaved in such a beautiful way. The first chapter tells us what is going to happen but that still didn't stop me from crying when that part happened in the book. Tears were streaming down my face. I'm sure I looked a fright. But the love those two had for eachother was breathtakingly beautiful. I truly hope that each and every one of you experience that kind of love in your life.

Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with this book. It has made my heart so full and happy, despite what happened in the end. This is a one of the best love stories out there. So much better than a lot of them that I have read.

3.5 Stars

As a native Russian speaker who grew up with Pushkin's poetry I wanted to love The Last Season of Love and Snow. And even though I did enjoy it, I wasn't wowed by this book. I liked the fact that the story was told from Pushkin's wife, Natalya, point of view, the woman who was blamed for the poet's untimely demise. Like Ms. Laam noted, history is often unkind to beautiful and strong women who don't fit with society's expectations. Women have long been blamed for men's misfortunes and have been treated unfairly, so I really appreciated the way Natalya was portrayed in the book. She wasn't the villain that history made her to be.

Pushkin's life and death were very dramatic and so I was expecting an intense and emotional storytelling. He was a literally genius, arguably the greatest Russian poet, who died in duel defending his wife's honor. Natalya was one of the most beautiful women in court and she had many admirers including Tsar. Their life is fascinating and the author had a real chance to make these characters complex and intriguing. But I feel like she didn't do them justice, I found their portrayal in the book a little bland.

Also I wanted to see Pushkin's poetry and his letters to Natalya incorporated into the story. There was not a poem, a stanza, or a verse of his to be found in the book. I really missed that, I think it would have been a nice touch. And reading his letters to Natalya would have helped understand their relationship better. This was another missed opportunity by Ms. Laam.
The Lost Season of Love and Snow is by no means a bad book, if you love historical fiction and are interested in Russian culture and literature you may very well enjoy it.

Wow, what a sad and haunting story. The Lost Season of Love and Snow began rather tragically with the tale of a brief love story between Alexander Pushkin and his wife, Natalya. The author's words are so descriptive, I felt transferred to the tumultuous Tsar era where royalty and defiance ruled the country. I was truly saddened after reading the book and felt that young Natalya's life should have been better. She should have been treated better by the outsiders who claimed to have loved and appreciated her husband's work.
Natayla and Alexander fell in love almost immediately but since he was much older than her, he was careful to treat her with respect and understanding. Many men back then might have treated a young and beautiful woman much differently, but it seemed that Alexander had truly loved his wife. Of course, she was very intelligent and bright and was well matched with the brilliant author who only had eyes for his beloved wife.
The injustices that came and went with Natayla and Alexander were very well written. She was quite lonely at times when her husband would go off on his writing journeys leaving her very much alone. She was young and inexperienced so the attention of another man and even that of the current Tsar had tempted her. And while I couldn't really blame her due to her naivete, it was still quite sad how the author described Alexander's push to defend the honor of his wife. While the author indicated that Natayla had stayed faithful to Alexander, I was still heartbroken at her loneliness and how she was literally used by George, a wealthy Frenchman, and the Tsar, Nicolas.
The Lost Season of Love and Snow is told in the perspective of Natayla but it is interwoven with the intricate narrative of Natayla's perception of her life with Alexander and how after the death of her husband, she realized that she truly had to "grow up" of sorts.
The author also included an Author's Note where it described her reasoning and belief of what happened between Alexander and Natayla and the rumors of her love affairs. Alexander might even have had an unfaithful thought or two, but alas, he was written to have been madly in love with Natalya. And that was where the heartbreak truly gripped me. It was a brief and powerful love that should have lasted a lifetime.

Review will be posted week of 12/11/17
From a young age, Natalya Goncharova has known that she must marry well. Even though she has a variety of interests, her mother is more concerned about her marriage prospects, which should be promising as Natalya is a very beautiful girl. At a Christmas Ball in 1828, she attracts the attention of the very famous Alexander Pushkin, Russia's most prized poet. What is even more exciting is that Natalya has read Pushkin's work and is a fan. This possible love connection should be exciting to her family, but at first, her mother isn't convinced it's a good match as Alexander has a shady past. Plus, how much money can a poet make, especially if he isn't in the Tsar's good graces? But it seems that no one can keep these two love birds apart. Jennifer Laam's The Lost Season of Love and Snow is an interesting glimpse into the actual relationship between Pushkin and his beautiful wife, Natalya. There's romance, secrets, and major heartbreak in this historical novel.

Natalya is an interesting character in The Lost Season of Love and Snow. She cares about many things, not just the things her mother deems as appropriate, which I can appreciate about her. Her initial attraction to Alexander jumps right off the page. You can feel the sparks! I really enjoyed their romance. While I could have done without all the jealous episodes, it definitely made for an entertaining novel.

Alexander Pushkin was a compelling character in The Lost Season of Love and Snow. I am not too familiar with his life, so I was definitely intrigued by his story. While I found him to be utterly annoying at times and I didn't always agree with his decisions, I appreciated his romance with Natalya.

There's some court politics in The Lost Season of Love and Snow, a lot of gossip, some scandal, and tragedy, which really tugged on my heartstrings. A good historical novel will get me interested about the real-life events that are portrayed within the pages and that was the case here. I haven't read many novels that take place at Russia's Imperial Court; however, I enjoyed the setting and definitely want to check out more in the future. The Lost Season of Love and Snow makes for an entertaining wintertime read, especially for fans of historical fiction.

THE LOST SEASON OF LOVE AND SNOW captivated me with its beautiful time period and evocative details, which made me feel as though I was present in this fairytale land of snow and sleigh bells. Of course all is not as lovely as it appears and the intrigue--rumors of betrayals, flirtations, sisterly jealousy--keeps us turning the pages. Those looking for a fast-paced thriller will not be satisfied with the leisurely pace of this novel, but fans of well-researched historical fiction should enjoy it. I like how the author took the character of Pushkin's wife and imagined this story around her.

Natalya is content to read poetry and study French, but her mother feels it's time to marry her off. Being the most beautiful of her daughters, she feels this will increase the chances of her other daughters getting married. So she sends Natalya off to a Christmas ball, where she meets and falls in love with famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

Their life together is filled with love, devotion, and jealousy with Alexander's life ultimately coming to an end from a duel over Natalya. Russian high society blames Natalya for Alexander's death and she is left to pick up the pieces.

The Lost Season of Love and Snow is the story of Natalya Pushkin. I didn't know much about the main character so I found the author's note at the end very helpful. It's an intriguing, fresh perspective about Pushkin's wife, who has long been sullied by a forward reputation in history.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

This story focuses (heavily) on the 'romantic' relationship between the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and his young beautiful wife Natalya. Alexander dies of wounds suffered in a duel protecting Natalya as well as his own honor.

I began to lose interest half-way through the book. The book just didn't move forward, rehashing personalities over and over. It got to be 'second verse, same as the first'. And Tsar Nicolas .... what a letch!

3.25 stars

The Lost Season of Love and Snow by Jennifer Laam tells us the story of how the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, and his wife Natalya fell in love. I enjoyed this fictional account of the love between one of Russias' greatest poets and his wife. I think this would be a good book for fans of historical fiction as well as Pushkin.

It was maybe a 3.5, not just a 3... There was great promise - I really enjoyed the beginning and the history. Russian literature is such a fascinating subject, and I admit I didn't know much about the Pushkins before reading this one. I found it very interesting to learn how they came together, and to get a peek behind the curtain of Russian courtly/high society life in this particular era. The part I struggled with was the abrupt shift from a historical novel about women's roles in society and the difficulties of life under the iron rule of the Tsar to a rather fluffy tale about a woman whose husband tells her to flirt her way through society so he can write - and who is then surprised when she likes the attention and he doesn't.

Natalya starts out as a woman who wants freedom and opportunity, and rapidly becomes...a flighty flirt in over her head. Pushkin starts out brooding and uncertain yet interesting because of his inner passions, and rapidly becomes...annoying, not interesting, because of the other characteristics. True, it's not really that simple - but it's written to be nowhere near as complex as I'd imagine it actually was. It felt like the post-childbirth shift in the couple's relationship and fortune was rushed and over-simplified, and that short-changed both the characters and the story I think... It was still interesting, but not as much so as it would have been if the rich complexity of their personalities had remained in focus throughout the second half of the book.

Very good. Even though I didn't know about the real people depicted in this book it was so well written that when I read the historical note in the back it still felt part of the story. As it was well researched as I could see how similar the story was.

A story of true love, between a beautiful, desirable woman and her favored poet of the people of Russia.
Alexander Pushkin us instantly besotted by the young girl, Natalya. He knows he will marry her.
Thus begins a love story the equal to Romeo and Juliet.
Ones' destiny is death, the other may be banishment from Russia.
This is a remarkable story. It is well written, in that true facts are intertwined with fiction. It definitely keeps your attention with the marvelous, yet scandal that can be a part of court life. You are given an inside view of what life may have been like for women. They were to be beautiful to look at, but more of a person owned by their spouses. They were not taken seriously. If a scandalous relationship is uncovered, it was the woman who was slandered. Makes a person want to rethink living in those times.
5 Stars

"The Lost Season of Love and Snow" tells the story of Natalya Pushkin, wife of the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. As the book begins, Natalya is young, poor and amazingly beautiful. Her family circumstances are somewhat dire; her father has lost his mind, her mother is trying to raise Natalya and her sisters on her own, and the girls must make good marriages (or at least some of them must!) in order to support the family. Love doesn't even enter into her mother's calculations, but Natalya is instantly drawn to Alexander when she meets him. What follows is a story of two artists in a difficult time, with lots of intrigue, passion and drama, and tragedy.

Although the book covers more than just one season, the title is evocative of the story. Natalya, Alexander and the other character's are well developed and very human. I know virtually nothing about Pushkin, and this book made me want to learn more. I was sorry when I came to the end!

This is an amazing book with a great story and interesting characters! As it turns out, based on factual history. Maybe I'm showing my ignorance here. But... I'd heard of Alexander Pushkin, but had never read his works, nor had I know that he had a wife! That's what really made the story interesting to me!

The story itself is well told and as I said, based on facts. The central character, Natalya, opens the story as a young woman living in Russia during the Tsarist times. She is aristocratic, beautiful and doesn't have much money. Enter Puskin and the fireworks begin. Pushkin was a self-driven man, much more worldly than Natalya.

So you have Tsarist Russia, two people in love and family. What's not to love!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This isn’t my usual story to read, but I loved the title and the premise was on a bit of a theme because I had “I Was Anastasia” in my queue, two completely different books but both about Russia, with roughly one hundred years between them. Neither is Pushkin on my radar, but the author’s premise that his wife had likely been painted by a tainted brush by history, was appealing. Very well researched and flawlessly written with a tragic ending that ripped at my heartstrings—but…and this is me and not the author, but the bugaboo of females in nearly every century is being forced into this submissive role where her marriage, at first, was only about changing houses and the view from the window. Gradually she learns how to be Mrs. Pushkin and survive in her role with revolution whispering around the edges of society…who wouldn’t go mad? The endless rounds of parties and costume making and setting up the marriageable sisters made my eyes cross after awhile, but that’s me. The story couldn’t be told otherwise, and I thought this was a great slice of historical fiction very well told.