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Love Is Never Past Tense #1
Love Is Never Past Tense...
*An Epic Russian Romance Saga Based on a True Story*
"A sensual love story set across contemporary Russian culture. It is inspiring as a reminder of passionate love beyond early youth." - Dorothy E. Siminovitch, Ph.D., MCC, Coach, Author, Conference speaker and learning consultant.
A whirlwind romance on a romantic Black Sea beach turns into a quick marriage for Serge and Janna, only to have family, fate and foolishness tear them apart. As the cold war grinds to a halt, the politics of late Soviet Russia separates the lovers on different continents. Never quite coming together, never quite letting go, their lives overlap and entwine over the years...
"Can the power of love stand up to time, politics and distance? Two young lovers face turmoil, separation and the fall of their homeland. This intriguing and often painful love story spans for decades of life-altering years, life-altering events, but proves that true love will endure as long as the human heart beats." - Amazon top 1000 reviewer
"The portrayal of Communist and post-1991 Russia is brilliantly done and made the story so much more than 'just' a romance." - Amazon top 500 reviewer, Christoph Fischer
Beneath the adventure and romance is a deeper story of achieving dreams regardless of obstacles. Janna Yeshanova brings forth her personal account of courage in the face of impossible odds, her indomitable spirit, and a heart of gold that held onto a lost love for decades.
"This very modern love story, lets you feel the sorrow, fear and joy of a couple coping with events that reshaped the world. A great, dramatic romance in classic Russian style." - Amazon reviewer
Anyone who's ever pondered the eternal question, "What makes life worth living?" can find the answer within the international romantic saga of LOVE IS NEVER PAST TENSE.
"A sensual love story set across contemporary Russian culture. It is inspiring as a reminder of passionate love beyond early youth." - Dorothy E. Siminovitch, Ph.D., MCC, Coach, Author, Conference speaker and learning consultant.
A whirlwind romance on a romantic Black Sea beach turns into a quick marriage for Serge and Janna, only to have family, fate and foolishness tear them apart. As the cold war grinds to a halt, the politics of late Soviet Russia separates the lovers on different continents. Never quite coming together, never quite letting go, their lives overlap and entwine over the years...
"Can the power of love stand up to time, politics and distance? Two young lovers face turmoil, separation and the fall of their homeland. This intriguing and often painful love story spans for decades of life-altering years, life-altering events, but proves that true love will endure as long as the human heart beats." - Amazon top 1000 reviewer
"The portrayal of Communist and post-1991 Russia is brilliantly done and made the story so much more than 'just' a romance." - Amazon top 500 reviewer, Christoph Fischer
Beneath the adventure and romance is a deeper story of achieving dreams regardless of obstacles. Janna Yeshanova brings forth her personal account of courage in the face of impossible odds, her indomitable spirit, and a heart of gold that held onto a lost love for decades.
"This very modern love story, lets you feel the sorrow, fear and joy of a couple coping with events that reshaped the world. A great, dramatic romance in classic Russian style." - Amazon reviewer
Anyone who's ever pondered the eternal question, "What makes life worth living?" can find the answer within the international romantic saga of LOVE IS NEVER PAST TENSE.
214 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2009
26 people are currently reading
1263 people want to read
About the author
Janna Yeshanova
5 books172 followersJanna...
Every one of her classmates was enchanted with her name, her beauty and her grace. We looked up to her. We lived on the same street in a sunny Soviet Republic - postwar children with wonderful, hard working parents. Her mother, decorated with medals from WWII, to us was legendary. Her mother and father were attorneys...protectors.
But suddenly, among sunlight, a dark cloud snuck into her life. Both parents lost their jobs. Protectors were moved out of the way, and those from the inside started to undermine the country. And they succeeded! Oh, how they succeeded in their task!
Janna successfully finished high school. She participated in archeological expeditions and traveled a lot. Her University was not just an academic entity, a philological department. Her University was life!
Janna got married and her Allochka, her daughter, her sunshine was born. Her classmates were already starting to leave their native nest, their homeland, but Janna taught Russian language and Literature in a Kishinev college and shone with all the light of her soul. She loved beauty, the sea, and Odessa - a special city.
Before leaving for America, she quickly said her farewells, wished everyone happiness, and left.
The USSR fell apart. War began in Moldova. And her father, the protector, has been gone for a long time. He left forever....died unexpectedly. And Janna, with a child and a sick mother, became a refugee. In a distant America, she finished a Master's Degree and began teaching in a University.
Now she lives in Ohio. Everything else is in the book because it extends Janna's light, forever, for all readers...
Nina Kachurenko, teacher, NY, NY (Janna's classmate)
----------------------------------------
Janna Yeshanova, M.A., M.Ed., founder and principal of Life-Spark LLC, is a dynamic and powerful life coach and trainer. Janna leverages her passion and engaging style to help others overcome adversity, achieve their goals, and spark the possibilities of their lives.
Originally from the Soviet Union, Janna began her career as an editor of scientific and technical information in her native Moldova, one of the Republics in the Soviet Union. Later, she taught college level Russian language and literature in Kishniev.
Janna escaped to the United States when persecution became violent during the crumbling of the Soviet state. She left behind house, social status, citizenship, and every friend she had to seek a new life in America. Arriving in the United States with her mother and daughter in tow, $126 in her pocket and knowing not a soul, she earned a Masters Degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Wright State University, and became a US citizen. She taught at Antioch University and participated in the Dayton International Peace Conference on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Today, she continues to pursue her passions of teaching, training, life and executive coaching and public speaking. Janna's experiences rebuilding her own life have helped her serve as a living model of the power of persistence to individual and organizational clients.
Every one of her classmates was enchanted with her name, her beauty and her grace. We looked up to her. We lived on the same street in a sunny Soviet Republic - postwar children with wonderful, hard working parents. Her mother, decorated with medals from WWII, to us was legendary. Her mother and father were attorneys...protectors.
But suddenly, among sunlight, a dark cloud snuck into her life. Both parents lost their jobs. Protectors were moved out of the way, and those from the inside started to undermine the country. And they succeeded! Oh, how they succeeded in their task!
Janna successfully finished high school. She participated in archeological expeditions and traveled a lot. Her University was not just an academic entity, a philological department. Her University was life!
Janna got married and her Allochka, her daughter, her sunshine was born. Her classmates were already starting to leave their native nest, their homeland, but Janna taught Russian language and Literature in a Kishinev college and shone with all the light of her soul. She loved beauty, the sea, and Odessa - a special city.
Before leaving for America, she quickly said her farewells, wished everyone happiness, and left.
The USSR fell apart. War began in Moldova. And her father, the protector, has been gone for a long time. He left forever....died unexpectedly. And Janna, with a child and a sick mother, became a refugee. In a distant America, she finished a Master's Degree and began teaching in a University.
Now she lives in Ohio. Everything else is in the book because it extends Janna's light, forever, for all readers...
Nina Kachurenko, teacher, NY, NY (Janna's classmate)
----------------------------------------
Janna Yeshanova, M.A., M.Ed., founder and principal of Life-Spark LLC, is a dynamic and powerful life coach and trainer. Janna leverages her passion and engaging style to help others overcome adversity, achieve their goals, and spark the possibilities of their lives.
Originally from the Soviet Union, Janna began her career as an editor of scientific and technical information in her native Moldova, one of the Republics in the Soviet Union. Later, she taught college level Russian language and literature in Kishniev.
Janna escaped to the United States when persecution became violent during the crumbling of the Soviet state. She left behind house, social status, citizenship, and every friend she had to seek a new life in America. Arriving in the United States with her mother and daughter in tow, $126 in her pocket and knowing not a soul, she earned a Masters Degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Wright State University, and became a US citizen. She taught at Antioch University and participated in the Dayton International Peace Conference on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Today, she continues to pursue her passions of teaching, training, life and executive coaching and public speaking. Janna's experiences rebuilding her own life have helped her serve as a living model of the power of persistence to individual and organizational clients.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 9, 2013
Love Is Never Past Tense by Janna Yeshanova is a wonderful trip through the eventful life of the author. Her colourful descriptions of 1970s life in Odessa are so vivid I actually remember my own adventures during that period. She really got to grips with the way people talked back then and skilfully blended dialogue as only Russians speak. I was expecting first person here, but Janna used third instead and without losing any emotional impact. I take my hat off to her. Her love for Russia is evident in every word, phrase, sentence and page, imbuing the novel with a richness it so deserves. The sea-saw love story is well handled over a 40 year period without losing any impetus to the lives of Janna and Serge and their feelings. I loved this adventurous romance revolving around a part of history that tore mother Russia apart. Will those events tear Janna and Serge apart or is their love truly never past tense.
A FIVE STAR ROMANCE with its heart in the right place.
A FIVE STAR ROMANCE with its heart in the right place.
October 17, 2013
"Love is Never Past Tense" by Janna Yeshanova is a great love story at heart. Two people fall in love by the Black Sea during the times of the USSR and in the whirlwind of their attraction the two get married. But they are too young to appreciate what they have and divorce, only to experience the regret and continuous magnetic pull towards each other.
Circumstances and wider political developments push the two further on their individual past.
The book is beautifully written and told with a complex narrative that takes us back and forth in time. Such fragmented telling of a story does not always work for me but in this case it succeeded to show the disjointed nature of their relationship, the back and forth of their feelings for each other and the inevitable ending. A good choice.
The romance part of the book is heart breaking and took this often cynical reader by surprise. The portrayal of Communist and post-1991 Russia is brilliantly done and made the story so much more than 'just' a romance. For me this turned into an unexpected compelling reading experience. Making the outer circumstances and the changes in Russia have a personal impact on the characters brought the tragedy home to me.
Enjoyable, insightful, sad but a very worthwhile read.
Circumstances and wider political developments push the two further on their individual past.
The book is beautifully written and told with a complex narrative that takes us back and forth in time. Such fragmented telling of a story does not always work for me but in this case it succeeded to show the disjointed nature of their relationship, the back and forth of their feelings for each other and the inevitable ending. A good choice.
The romance part of the book is heart breaking and took this often cynical reader by surprise. The portrayal of Communist and post-1991 Russia is brilliantly done and made the story so much more than 'just' a romance. For me this turned into an unexpected compelling reading experience. Making the outer circumstances and the changes in Russia have a personal impact on the characters brought the tragedy home to me.
Enjoyable, insightful, sad but a very worthwhile read.
May 19, 2013
Love Is Never Past Tense sets the power of love against the political and social forces of a crumbling Soviet Union. A couple in love struggles for survival as their once comfortable world changes in ways that could not be predicted. The characters were people I could meet on the street, not the stereotypes you often find in books. The realism and detail of the story was amazing.
-Natalia Koyrakh, Minneapolis MN.
-Natalia Koyrakh, Minneapolis MN.
October 13, 2013
Love Is Never Past Tense by Janna Yeshanova is a wonderful trip through the eventful life of the author. Her colourful descriptions of 1970s life in Odessa are so vivid I actually remember my own adventures during that period. She really got to grips with the way people talked back then and skilfully blended dialogue as only Russians speak. I was expecting first person here, but Janna used third instead and without losing any emotional impact. I take my hat off to her. Her love for Russia is evident in every word, phrase, sentence and page, imbuing the novel with a richness it so deserves. The sea-saw love story is well handled over a 40 year period without losing any impetus to the lives of Janna and Serge and their feelings. I loved this adventurous romance revolving around a part of history that tore mother Russia apart. Will those events tear Janna and Serge apart or is their love truly never past tense.
A FIVE STAR ROMANCE with its heart in the right place.
A FIVE STAR ROMANCE with its heart in the right place.
May 27, 2013
This is a great adventure in love, romance, and the unfolding of life. It's was great enjoyment to read this book and share it with others!
June 8, 2013
This book, which is based on a true story, doesn’t read as an autobiography at all. That basically sums it up I’m very happy to say so.
It tells the story of the author but not by the author and in no way telling. If that makes any sense. Let me explain this a little better. This book reads as if it is pure fiction. A love story about two lives coming together and overcoming difficulties.
It is peppered with facts only one who has been to the USSR can know, but not in a way that distracts from the pleasure of reading the story. They enhance the story, giving it depth and volume. The glossary in the last section of the book wasn’t used by me, because the author managed to use the foreign terminology in a way I didn’t need to look up the words to know what she meant. The scenes are set and show you life and love in Russia during the communistic regime.
The characters are fully developed and real. Within the first few pages you will root for them and wish them well, while you know there is despair in their future and hope it will not happen, whatever bad luck will no doubt disturb their happiness.
I will not spoil your pleasure of reading this book by revealing too much, but I do want to say this story has a happy end even if it is not fully revealed.
It tells the story of the author but not by the author and in no way telling. If that makes any sense. Let me explain this a little better. This book reads as if it is pure fiction. A love story about two lives coming together and overcoming difficulties.
It is peppered with facts only one who has been to the USSR can know, but not in a way that distracts from the pleasure of reading the story. They enhance the story, giving it depth and volume. The glossary in the last section of the book wasn’t used by me, because the author managed to use the foreign terminology in a way I didn’t need to look up the words to know what she meant. The scenes are set and show you life and love in Russia during the communistic regime.
The characters are fully developed and real. Within the first few pages you will root for them and wish them well, while you know there is despair in their future and hope it will not happen, whatever bad luck will no doubt disturb their happiness.
I will not spoil your pleasure of reading this book by revealing too much, but I do want to say this story has a happy end even if it is not fully revealed.
May 19, 2013
I loved the book! One of the best historical romance books I've read. Tatiana Kishkovich.
May 20, 2013
Great love story with history.
December 2, 2018
A hot summer romance leads to a hasty marriage, a quick divorce, and years of struggling to survive the fall of the Soviet Union until the lovers find each other again from opposite sides of the ocean.
Love Is Never Past Tense is a true story written as a classic Russian Romance. It is part biography, part romantic adventure, and part behind-the-scenes look at how real people were impacted by the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is a real life second chance romance and a testimonial on how hope, focus and persistence overcome obstacles.
Like The Master and Margarita it has its origins in Soviet culture and connects to events in Soviet times, though these are later rather than earlier Soviet era. Both stories are heavily influenced by the bureaucracy of the government. Both books tell their story through several connected threads, which makes classifying them by genre a challenge.
Like In The Time of Cholera, it is a story of frustrated love that spans the adult life of the couple involved. Unlike it, this is not a love triangle story. Both are essentially second chance romances. Both books use the characters as a lens to examine their respective cultures.
Like Gone With The Wind we see a society collapse through the eyes of a generation growing up in privilege before tragedy struck, working to adapt and survive when the world changed around them. Both books rely on a strong female leading character.
Like Same Time Next Year it is an intimate love story which focuses on the primary couple. All other characters are given minor roles. Both stories stretch over decades.
Like The Notebook, this is a story which stretches over a lifetime. Both books start with the couple having a summer romance, and both couples are torn apart by interfering parents who disapprove of their child's selected partner.
Unlike any of them, it is a true story set in recent and current times. It shows the Soviet Union when generation of young adults lived happy, cultured, educated lives until the country collapsed around them. Even then, their goal was to find happiness somewhere else. This book gives voice to a group, a time, and a perspective not previously revealed in film or literature, a society living in comfort on the other side of the iron curtain that America hasn't heard about.
As a contemporary romance, this book will appeal to the broad range of women romance readers.
As a true story, it offers a look at everyday life in late and post-Soviet Russia. Readers of The Master and Margarita would find the look into late Soviet times intriguing.
As a study of the human condition, it offers a contrast between the indecisiveness that cost Serge his marriage and nearly cost his life with Janna's decisive action leading to a new life in America.
It also offers a cultural differences study. Janna's different heritage inspires Serge's parents to force a divorce and it eventually compels her to seek refuge in America.
If you enjoy epic romance, the kind that explores a real relationship that spans a lifetime, put Love Is Never Past Tense on your list.
Love Is Never Past Tense is a true story written as a classic Russian Romance. It is part biography, part romantic adventure, and part behind-the-scenes look at how real people were impacted by the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is a real life second chance romance and a testimonial on how hope, focus and persistence overcome obstacles.
Like The Master and Margarita it has its origins in Soviet culture and connects to events in Soviet times, though these are later rather than earlier Soviet era. Both stories are heavily influenced by the bureaucracy of the government. Both books tell their story through several connected threads, which makes classifying them by genre a challenge.
Like In The Time of Cholera, it is a story of frustrated love that spans the adult life of the couple involved. Unlike it, this is not a love triangle story. Both are essentially second chance romances. Both books use the characters as a lens to examine their respective cultures.
Like Gone With The Wind we see a society collapse through the eyes of a generation growing up in privilege before tragedy struck, working to adapt and survive when the world changed around them. Both books rely on a strong female leading character.
Like Same Time Next Year it is an intimate love story which focuses on the primary couple. All other characters are given minor roles. Both stories stretch over decades.
Like The Notebook, this is a story which stretches over a lifetime. Both books start with the couple having a summer romance, and both couples are torn apart by interfering parents who disapprove of their child's selected partner.
Unlike any of them, it is a true story set in recent and current times. It shows the Soviet Union when generation of young adults lived happy, cultured, educated lives until the country collapsed around them. Even then, their goal was to find happiness somewhere else. This book gives voice to a group, a time, and a perspective not previously revealed in film or literature, a society living in comfort on the other side of the iron curtain that America hasn't heard about.
As a contemporary romance, this book will appeal to the broad range of women romance readers.
As a true story, it offers a look at everyday life in late and post-Soviet Russia. Readers of The Master and Margarita would find the look into late Soviet times intriguing.
As a study of the human condition, it offers a contrast between the indecisiveness that cost Serge his marriage and nearly cost his life with Janna's decisive action leading to a new life in America.
It also offers a cultural differences study. Janna's different heritage inspires Serge's parents to force a divorce and it eventually compels her to seek refuge in America.
If you enjoy epic romance, the kind that explores a real relationship that spans a lifetime, put Love Is Never Past Tense on your list.
July 18, 2014
Romance that Survives Time & Distance!
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Can the power of love stand up to time, politics and distance? Two young lovers face turmoil, separation and the fall of their homeland. This intriguing and often painful love story spans for decades of life-altering years, life-altering events, but proves that true love will endure as long as the human heart beats.
Love is Never Past Tense by Janna Yeshanova is told with such emotion and depth, that it becomes an inspirational read that is a testimony to life, strength and love regardless of the obstacles before you. Each moment is vividly captured from the characters’ first meeting to the last page, but be warned, this is not a flowery love story full of sunshine and fluff. This is tense, often gut-wrenching and dark. Ms. Yeshanova has captured the story of her life, her struggles and her love with passion.
I highly recommend Love is Never Past Tense and wish to thank the author for sharing her story.
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Life-Spark, LLC
Genre: Adult Literary Fiction/Romance/Historical
Page Count: 208
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Click on Banner to Enter!
Can the power of love stand up to time, politics and distance? Two young lovers face turmoil, separation and the fall of their homeland. This intriguing and often painful love story spans for decades of life-altering years, life-altering events, but proves that true love will endure as long as the human heart beats.
Love is Never Past Tense by Janna Yeshanova is told with such emotion and depth, that it becomes an inspirational read that is a testimony to life, strength and love regardless of the obstacles before you. Each moment is vividly captured from the characters’ first meeting to the last page, but be warned, this is not a flowery love story full of sunshine and fluff. This is tense, often gut-wrenching and dark. Ms. Yeshanova has captured the story of her life, her struggles and her love with passion.
I highly recommend Love is Never Past Tense and wish to thank the author for sharing her story.
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Life-Spark, LLC
Genre: Adult Literary Fiction/Romance/Historical
Page Count: 208
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
May 9, 2013
Love Is Never Past Tense... was as much of a cultural experience for me as it was an enjoyable read. The novel did an excellent job of immersing me (an American reader) in Russian culture, through the eyes of a character experiencing extremely turbulent times for that region.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book was the relationship between the two love interests. This isn't some Disney fairytale - their relationship is messy, passionate, subtle, and always complicated. In short, it feels like a real relationship between two evolving personalities. As such, I kept turning the page to see how the two love interests would end up, since it wasn't predictable from Act 1 (like so many fairy tales are).
Also, watching the main character as she struggled to escape the Soviet Union's collapse (with a young daughter and elderly mother in tow) was captivating. This section of the novel is written in vivid detail, and we've spent enough time with the characters by this point to have real concern for their outcome.
Love Is Never Past Tense... was a fun read, and I'd highly recommend it.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book was the relationship between the two love interests. This isn't some Disney fairytale - their relationship is messy, passionate, subtle, and always complicated. In short, it feels like a real relationship between two evolving personalities. As such, I kept turning the page to see how the two love interests would end up, since it wasn't predictable from Act 1 (like so many fairy tales are).
Also, watching the main character as she struggled to escape the Soviet Union's collapse (with a young daughter and elderly mother in tow) was captivating. This section of the novel is written in vivid detail, and we've spent enough time with the characters by this point to have real concern for their outcome.
Love Is Never Past Tense... was a fun read, and I'd highly recommend it.
June 3, 2013
This book was on the Dramatic Love Stories list on Listopia. Because of this, I expected a lot, and I got it. This book is a romantic hero’s journey. What starts as a story of young love on a romantic beach morphs into a struggle for survival as any hero’s journey must. The separated couple give two different looks at the closing days of the Soviet Union. He deals with his challenges timidly; she deals with hers boldly. Just as they couldn’t possibly be farther apart, modern communications connect them across borders to offer another chance.
Romance, adventure and drama are woven together in the style of a Russian novel, using a light, friendly language that attracts you from the beginning. Beautiful descriptions of nature are presented in simple language, providing a contrast to the sophisticated and contradictory nature of the heroine and her star-crossed love. If serious romance, tense drama in exotic locations, and world events shifting individual destiny sound good to you, put this book on your list.
Romance, adventure and drama are woven together in the style of a Russian novel, using a light, friendly language that attracts you from the beginning. Beautiful descriptions of nature are presented in simple language, providing a contrast to the sophisticated and contradictory nature of the heroine and her star-crossed love. If serious romance, tense drama in exotic locations, and world events shifting individual destiny sound good to you, put this book on your list.
June 2, 2013
I read the book in one breath, which seldom happens with modern literature. The book has easy, sincere language. My sensation of truthfulness and acuteness of empathy with the author was absolute. Personally, I received huge pleasure from reading it.
I have lived, together with characters, all nuances of a great feeling, which we call Love. It is very pleasant to understand that, during our cynical time, works which inspire optimism and faith in love are created.
Lina Braikowsky
I have lived, together with characters, all nuances of a great feeling, which we call Love. It is very pleasant to understand that, during our cynical time, works which inspire optimism and faith in love are created.
Lina Braikowsky
October 18, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. The story is intriguing and illustrative of a time in our history when things were very different. Janna tells a compelling story about her adventures and how she came to the US. At times I could just feel the energy in the air. I highly recommend this book!
October 13, 2013
This is the story of a love torn apart by fate, family and foolishness -- and then, miraculously, given a second chance.
The story is told in two parts, each with its own protagonist. In Part One, we see his story, where love is ignited, then crushed, and the downward spiral he suffers as he tries to deal with his internal demons. In Part Two, we see her story, where her persistence and focus combat external forces that reshape her life and her world.
In the end, modern technology and transportation allow them to reunite and reconsider, a Soviet-era Romeo and Juliet story where the couple survives to try again.
The story is told in two parts, each with its own protagonist. In Part One, we see his story, where love is ignited, then crushed, and the downward spiral he suffers as he tries to deal with his internal demons. In Part Two, we see her story, where her persistence and focus combat external forces that reshape her life and her world.
In the end, modern technology and transportation allow them to reunite and reconsider, a Soviet-era Romeo and Juliet story where the couple survives to try again.
May 26, 2013
A modern romantic adventure in the style of a classic Russian novel. How can love survive when a crumbling Soviet Union has torn them apart? Great read!
October 12, 2013
DNF.
Too boring. Shame as it was recommended in the same category as the unparalleled Bronze Horseman series. Err. No. I think not.
Too boring. Shame as it was recommended in the same category as the unparalleled Bronze Horseman series. Err. No. I think not.
October 16, 2013
"Love is Never Past Tense" is an intense love story full of tension. The fact that the characters are real is moving. An early divorce divided the couple who kept connecting throughout big history changes and continents. The courage of Janna leaving her country with a few dollars in the pockets is epic! I like the story, the characters, and have a great admiration for the writer and life-coach. No less than 5 *****.
September 12, 2019
This is my first read by author; Janna Yeshanova. This is also the first novel in the new series, "Love is Never Past Tense". This novel is a fact based fictional romance, with that being said, this story was a wonderful read. The author really brings the reader back to the year 1973 in the Soviet Union where the two main characters find one another and that's where their story begins. I loved reading about the Russian culture through both the main characters eyes and for one another. It was beautiful. The journey of this couple's romance was just truly amazing. I would recommend this novel for anyone interested in reading something a little different.
March 15, 2016
I won this eBook from an “Ask the Author” forum in October. It is an interesting story based on a true story. The majority of the story is told from the male perspective alternating between Sergei’s “present day” and his past. It gives insight into the world of the U.S.S.R in 1973 and 20 years hence when it is no longer united. It tells of a love that was ”love at first sight” for the woman, Janna. The young man, Sergei, is not sure if it is love or not but he knows he is infatuated with Janna, so he “goes along for the ride”. He tells the story as an old man looking back on his life and his regrets through flashbacks. Then, in the final chapter you learn more about Janna and what her life had been like in the interim years before she and Sergei, meet again. It is a very interesting story and at times a little “rough” due to the translation from Russian into English. Bravo to Janna for telling this tale and sharing it with the reader.
July 17, 2014
This book is gripping from the first page. Janna brings to life a torrid love affair that unfolds during the Cold War Era, proving that love in the Soviet Union was anything but cold. There is no mushy romance here, but a genuine struggle to find love in spite of societal pressures and family expectations. Add to this a dangerous scheme to defect when malevolent forces threaten her life, and you have the makings of a genuine thriller.
I love the way Janna writes. From one paragraph to the next, you never know what to expect. This book did not insult my intelligence, like a lot of pop culture novels. It is intellectually engaging, written in a manner that Hemingway would have respected. It not only granted me the opportunity to see the U.S.S.R. from the inside like I had never seen it before, but it also brought back many memories of a time when I feared all Russians and had no understanding of what they were personally living through across the ocean.
I highly recommend this read. Love, suspense, and history at its best!
I love the way Janna writes. From one paragraph to the next, you never know what to expect. This book did not insult my intelligence, like a lot of pop culture novels. It is intellectually engaging, written in a manner that Hemingway would have respected. It not only granted me the opportunity to see the U.S.S.R. from the inside like I had never seen it before, but it also brought back many memories of a time when I feared all Russians and had no understanding of what they were personally living through across the ocean.
I highly recommend this read. Love, suspense, and history at its best!
July 19, 2014
A compelling love story that reminds us that women are capable of overcoming great hardship and even heartbreak when that is what must be done. It was truly an enjoyable journey - so much so that I read it twice!
February 10, 2014
Interesting book - you get a history lesson on the break up of the Soviet Union in the midst of a tragic love affair. My opinion - Sergei was never good enough for Janna.
May 16, 2015
it is a russian writers love story. glad it was short
July 6, 2025
This story—a dual reflection of the lives of Janna and Serge, spanning decades across countries and continents—is not your run-of the-mill romance. She is an intense woman with a vital spark that drives the engine of their relationship. “Good Lord, what a ripe woman! She wasn’t a girl who’s never been kissed.” He is a contemplative man with piercing observations, colored at times by humor and other times by grand Russian pathos, of his own shortcomings. When his parents relay how insulted they were by his marriage to Janna, he observes their opinion that “Janna had wrapped him around her finger and put a ring on his.”
He recalls, “I do not remember how or when I came to the firm thought of divorce”, which is followed by his second marriage, second divorce. Longing at times for Janna, he asks himself, “Did you assume that it is impossible to glue together a broken vessel?” Following the collapse of the soviet union. she moves to the USA, but the full story of the intense, nervous crossing of the Soviet border will be told by her decades later, when they agree to meet again. Will they rekindle their love?
Five stars.
Disclosure: I was given this the audiobook edition as a gift in exchange for my honest opinion (and in addition bought the kindle edition)
He recalls, “I do not remember how or when I came to the firm thought of divorce”, which is followed by his second marriage, second divorce. Longing at times for Janna, he asks himself, “Did you assume that it is impossible to glue together a broken vessel?” Following the collapse of the soviet union. she moves to the USA, but the full story of the intense, nervous crossing of the Soviet border will be told by her decades later, when they agree to meet again. Will they rekindle their love?
Five stars.
Disclosure: I was given this the audiobook edition as a gift in exchange for my honest opinion (and in addition bought the kindle edition)
December 4, 2018
This is my first time reading (listening to) something written by Janna Yeshanova. This story is based on true life events and not normally a type of story I would read. It’s hard to “judge” a story when you know someone actually lived what you are seeing before you in the pages of a book.
But, I was intrigued. I love finding new authors and new tales to dive into. This was no different. It was a good read.
The story of love, loss, hardships and fighting for a change not only to better Janna’s life but that of her mother and daughter. The story itself is a lesson in history and how life once was in the USSR. Hard, and at times as dangerous as being locked in a shower with a cobra.
The younger Janna shows us the way of life and how a trip to the Black Sea starts a road to change for her. We learn of how love finds those that stumble upon it. Serge and Janna’s story had me laughing, and worrying right along with them.
No one knows what daily life can bring them, but in this story you see one woman’s journey to not only conquer new lands but to show that love is never past tense.
But, I was intrigued. I love finding new authors and new tales to dive into. This was no different. It was a good read.
The story of love, loss, hardships and fighting for a change not only to better Janna’s life but that of her mother and daughter. The story itself is a lesson in history and how life once was in the USSR. Hard, and at times as dangerous as being locked in a shower with a cobra.
The younger Janna shows us the way of life and how a trip to the Black Sea starts a road to change for her. We learn of how love finds those that stumble upon it. Serge and Janna’s story had me laughing, and worrying right along with them.
No one knows what daily life can bring them, but in this story you see one woman’s journey to not only conquer new lands but to show that love is never past tense.
March 10, 2019
wonderful book, also, This is one of the best audible books I have ever heard. A wonderful true story. The narrator is wonderful! I felt as if I was in the story. Serge and Janna had an enduring love that spanned over 20 years of separation. This book will make you feel.... make you cry... make you rejoice in how their love endured. Lost of historical content of government upheaval in Odessa, full of intrigue, drama, heart wrenching pain, This is a real love story.
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