Pub date: 2-15-22

“Sometimes you look at a person, and they look at you, and you see it like the clearest water flowing over a riverbed. So quick and invisible that it almost looks like nothing. Only the ripples, the moments of uncertainty, reveal it for what it is.”

This was an interesting political thriller with clear narrative connections to very recent Presidential history. But the fictional President isn’t the main focus here, and this made the story much more interesting to me.

Instead, the story is told from the perspective of journalist, Sofie Morse, as she interviews the First Lady for her biography. There are descriptive experiences of each city the First Lady lived in as we learn about various parts of her life and the broader story—from her childhood in Russia and living in Paris (as her father worked as an attaché at the embassy while actually a KGB officer) to present day America and recent political struggles that will seem familiar to U.S. readers.

This was an interesting way to tell the story and there were some good surprises along the way. I particularly enjoyed the perspective on the Cold War and the perspective from both sides.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Anna Pitoniak’s first two book, “Necessary People” and “The Futures,” so I was thrilled to read her newest book, “Our American Friend,” which did not disappoint.

The book follows political journalist Sofie Morse, who is hired by the mysterious and very private First Lady Lara Caine to write her biography. As the story unfolds and Lara reveals more and more information about her life—born in Soviet Russia, raised in Paris, working as a model before moving to America and marrying the notoriously brash future president—Sofie becomes entangled in a world filled with secrets, spies, and scarifies.

I enjoyed how the book jumped back and forth from Sofie’s present, hidden overseas, to life beforehand in New York City and Washington DC, and to Lara’s life growing up in Soviet Russia and Paris. The story was captivating, but my only issue was that the President and First Lady are very clearly stand-ins for Trump and Melania, which was a little triggering.

I recommend this book for fans of Pitoniak’s first two books, as well as “Social Creature” by Tara Isabella Burton or “Luckiest Girl Alive” by Jessica Knoll.

I didn’t love this, the characters really fell flat. It was too trump-like for me to actually enjoy

Journalist Sophie gets the chance of a career to write a bio of the First Lady, a smarter-than-Melania-but-still-nonetheless-inspired-by-her woman who grew up in the USSR. The president here is clearly inspired by Trump, and the clincher is based on the private discussion Trump had with Putin. The book would have been stronger without Sophie's wishy-washy husband, who can't decide whether to be supportive of his wife or leave her for doing her job, and if the First Lady had more of a personality.

Growing up in the 1980’s I’ve always had a fascination with all things Soviet Union. President Reagan’s description as “evil empire” solidified my desire to one day visit this great nation.

This book tells the story of America’s First Lady as a former citizen of the USSR. As I stated I have a love of the Soviet nation. So I eagerly downloaded an ARC from #netgalley .

I was at first turned off by the storyline. In fact it sat in my kindle for weeks. I’d pick it up and stop. Over and over and over again. I was pretty sure it would remain unread. I did not like the similarities of Mr and Mrs Caine to Mr and Mrs Trump. The Trumps are the obvious inspiration for the President and First Lady of this story. As no fan of Trump, I had zero desire to read even a factionalized tale of him.

However, I eventually got past this aversion and the story of Mrs Caine’s early life was intriguing enough to keep me reading.

The book flips between present day and the story of Mrs. Caine, her mother (Irina), her father (KGB officer) and her sister, their life in the USSR/Paris. The story is told by a journalist that Lara Caine hires to write her biography.

The book has potential but feels a bit too soon in its publication. Many are trying to great from all things Trump. It’s a great story given time and separation from current politics, I think it will weather well.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Perfect for political junkies! White House journalist Sofie Morse is fed up with the shenanigans of the President and quits her job. She is stunned to be offered the chance to write the biography of First Lady Lara Caine and accepts the offer as she has always been intrigued by Lara and the mystery that surrounds her. Lara’s story is fascinating, with her childhood in the Soviet, her move to Paris, her family, and her current life spanning 1970 to the present. A fascinating political journey with a mystery thrown in. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my copy of Our American Friend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book and allowing me to provide a review. In return.
The book is a spy thriller during the Cold War which encompasses intrigue, mystery , love and loss.. it is written in two time lines past and present. Admittedly, I found this hard to follow and became confused. There is so much going on at one time.

The story is about two ladies one the President’s wife, Laura Caine and a journalist, Sophie Morse. Sophie works with the White House and quits because of the bad President Caine. However, she is called to write the biography of Laura Caine a rather private person.

The story unfolds with the story of Laura who was born in Russia, had a father working for the KGB, who was stationed in Paris. Laura, finds Love and Loss with a Russian dissident. She becomes a model moves to NYC and marries the President. She becomes an undercover spy for the Russians.

Sophie gets caught up in the intrigue and secrets to uncover that she and her husband end up in Croatia..

It is the spy suspense, the timing when it happens, the purpose of the mystery how it all unfolds in the end. I enjoyed reading the story but admittedly got frustrated several times because I lost who I was reading about, or what time frame the story was in. Taking notes as you go helps.

I would recommend this to ones that like reading the stories of the Cold War. The author provides an excellent description of what it was like in Russia.

i never knew i needed a cross between the americans, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo and the west wing until now. so precise in its every word, so exact and deliberate. it’s really worth your time

I really enjoyed Anna Pitoniak’s prior two books, so I was curious what she would tackle this time. And the answer is politics. President Henry Caine is obviously based on Trump, and his wife on Melania. But thank heavens reality diverges from fiction as we didn’t have to deal with a second term of Trump. “It’s like he’s made out of Teflon…The normal rules just don’t apply to him.”
Sofie Morse quits her job as a White House reporter, burned out after four years of covering President Caine. But then, his wife, Lara, asks for her help in writing her biography. Lara is an enigma, not the typical First Lady, revealing very little to the American public. Lara is Russian by birth, her father a KGB spy.
The book was a slow burn. We know something has happened, that Sofie has revealed something and that she and her husband are hiding out in Croatia. But what exactly? Using the book as backdrop, Lara’s early life is slowly revealed to the reader.
It’s an interesting story, showing Sofie being drawn in more and more. Are they friends? Where do her loyalties lie? Lara may be married to Caine, but there are signs their beliefs aren’t in line. The story weaves past and present. There are several twists and it all comes together beautifully in the end. I also felt I got a better feel of Russia in the 1980s as Gorbachev slowly opened up the country.
I’m not a fan of political thrillers, because they’re usually so unbelievable. Unfortunately, after living through Trump, this one is all too believable. Pitoniak makes you really understand the sacrifices that both Lara and Sofie make at various times of their life. And how often, we don’t truly understand what those sacrifices are going to be until our decisions are irrevocable.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

This book started out strong - great premise and set up with a nod to a recent “devisive” President of the USA. I was all in. The more it continued the more I didn’t understand - not only did I not understand, but I didn’t care nor did I feel any desire to invest or care about the characters. They were unlikeable. Some characters - even the main character - seemed without purpose in the story. What a bummer. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy.

Sofie is a mid-level White House correspondent that stumbles onto an opportunity to write the biography of First Lady, Lara Caine. The First Lady is enigmatic and almost reclusive. Sofie is suspicious from the get go as to why she was picked for this job. The First Lady, who is a Russian immigrant, slowly reveals her family history and involvement in the Cold War. As time goes on Mrs. Caine and Sofie become friendly and the arrangement is less than professional. There’s is more to what the First Lady wants than what she is admitting to and Sofie is desperately trying to figure out what that is.

The book is a Cold War spy thriller that bounces between a present day administration based loosely on the Trump’s and the 1970’s and 80’s cat and mouse interplay of the CIA and KGB.

The book is good. It’s fast-paced and engaging. It has a nice, satisfying ending if you don’t like the Trumpish president.

Thanks to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for an advanced copy of this book. It will be released on 2/15/22.

"You realize, sweetheart. This story is going to change your life."

Imagine a mashup of The Secrets We Kept , The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo , and some kind of top-tier Donald & Melania fanfic, and you’ll catch the basic vibe of Our American Friend.

"Even the most careful person—even the person who has the most to lose—will eventually trust someone they shouldn’t trust."

In this propulsive novel, Lara Caine, the glamorous, Russian-born First Lady of the USA, hires a journalist to write her biography. Through the interviews with her biographer, Sofie, Lara slowly unravels the threads of her secret past shaped by her father’s involvement with the Soviet Union’s KGB. In the process, she also reveals a few never-before-shared secrets of her own.

"To write your way into another person’s life, to lay your hands on the moments that altered them, to gaze out through their eyes, to make that invisible mystery visible: it’s like a plunge into an unknown world."

Impeccably researched for historical accuracy and brimming with political intrigue, I couldn’t put this book down! It was like a slowly unfolding past-tense spy thriller, coupled with a present-day mystery, because there is another timeline layered into the story, where Sofie and her husband are in hiding for some reason, and you’re also trying to mentally piece that together as you read.

"We are told not to trust anyone. The problem is, then we cannot trust each other."

And, underneath the intrigue and suspense, there is a love story that is powerful and evocative. There are characters brought to life uniquely, with a richly developed storyline and plot. There is effortless wisdom woven throughout Anna Pitoniak’s prose that is memorable and profound. I was fully absorbed in the narrative from beginning to end.

"You must see yourself clearly before you can see the world clearly."

Pitoniak masterfully ties the past and present-day timelines together, with Lara Caine's experiences in Russia having significant implications for her future as the First Lady, and ultimately for her husband's presidency. I was riveted by all of the twists and turns and betrayals that I never saw coming!

"When I look back, I’m surprised by how long it took me to put the pieces together. The truth was right there, glowing like neon in darkness. But, so often, we see what we want to see. When you’re expecting one thing, you can easily fail to notice what is right in front of you."

I absolutely loved Our American Friend. I found it to be an utterly fascinating, highly enjoyable read. Fans of Kate Quinn, or anyone who likes their historical fiction to include a side of espionage (think Atomic Love or Red Mistress ), will love this one!

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A huge thank you to Anna Pitoniak, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely love Pitoniak’s writing style. I knew I wanted to read this because I always love her books. The story flowed well and provided a clear image in my head during the entire book. I also really liked the development of the characters. I especially appreciated that they weren’t perfect, and that just made them even more realistic and interesting in my opinion. Sofie is nothing incredibly special, but she’s real and relatable. Lara is my favorite character in this book- she’s a strong and tough main character who’s been through so much but still manages to stand tall. The novel never is most riveting when it covers Lara’s early years. All that communism flavored KGB crafted excitement. Wow. This novel comes to life resoundingly and cinematically. At the very least as exciting as the show "The Americans." Yes, it was uncomfortably (and arguably unimaginatively) close to real life, but then again what a fun reminder of how creative minds work and see stories where some might not, imagine layers to what for all the world to see might be just a drawing of an onion. Very well done. I was thoroughly entertained.

I started this full of enthusiasm but it soon waned as it became difficult to keep reading. It wasn’t clear where this book was going and the inferences were vague and hard to follow. Could not finish it since it seemed muddled.

Well worth a read!
POTUS who is frighteningly familiar,, a Russian FLOTUS, CIA, more Russians, one biographer …. Connections and missteps. You’ll think you know what’s going on, but you won’t.

Who’s a spy and who isn’t? Why did the biographer have to leave the country for somewhere with no extradition?

This one will keep you guessing right to the end.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, as I don't typically like historical books or political thrillers, it was some of this and some of the very personal stories of the reporter, given the opportunity to write the biography of the mysterious First Lady from Russia. The writing style was so easy to read and get involved with. I finished it in a day. I did have a question about the last few paragraphs, wasn't clear exactly what the author was trying to say. Yes, there are comparisons that could be made to Trump and Melania, and while that seemed to be somewhat of the point of the story, it was also much much more

Our American Friend is an interesting political thriller that stuck with me! I typically don't go for this genre, but was intrigued by the premise of this book. I wanted to find out all about the First Lady's former spy days, and how that affects her current life. She wants a reporter to write her biography, so throughout this process we learn about First Lady Lara's past. We also can make connections to her present and how she can affect the state of things in the current presidency. This is very well written and the mystery kept me moving through the chapters!

Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak was beyond my expectations. I loved the background and slow burn. Stick with it as it becomes eye opening and everything you wanted. Even though it was fiction, it felt like we've lived through this in America. Definitely a mix of new fiction meets historical but overall a fantastic read!

This was an excellent political thriller focusing on the wife of an authoritarian American president. I am pleased to say this book was not a veiled attempt to criticize any political party or stir up the divisions in American politics. This was simply a fictional political thriller with spy thriller undertones. Russian born Lara, the wife of the US president, contacts journalist Sophie to write her biography. Lara, whose father is a member of the KGB, has an intriguing and secretive past that Sophie slowly uncovers during the process of writing the biography. Yes, there are similarities to the former president and his immigrant wife but it’s a stretch to suggest this book is about either of them. It’s enjoyable and interesting and I recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Already one of the most anticipated books for 2022, Pitoniak expertly crafts an atmospheric sense of place and a shockingly irresistible cast of characters--some with traits all too familiar to readers. The candid moments between First Lady Lara Caine and her biographer Sofie Morse are riveting and surprising. From Russia to Paris to New York to Washington (and elsewhere), the tale spun flips the script on power and who actually holds it. Those searching for more KGB to D.C. stories are in for a real treat