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The Siege: A Novel
Artist Theia Constas receives a tour of Italy from her grandmother as a college graduation present. Before she departs, her ya-ya's deathbed revelation of a cache of WWII photographs and love letters extends Theia's itinerary to Crete in search of her unknown grandfather, a promising artist who studied under Chagall but didn't survive the war.
Wade Bingham, an actuary who always follows the rules and calculates the odds, finds himself alone on his honeymoon trip, wondering why his fiancée jilted him at the last minute.
In the wrong place at the wrong time when their hotel in Florence, Italy, is besieged by terrorists, the two strangers find themselves thrust together in Wade's honeymoon suite. Immediately attracted to each other, Wade conducts a siege of his own to win Theia's heart.
Wade Bingham, an actuary who always follows the rules and calculates the odds, finds himself alone on his honeymoon trip, wondering why his fiancée jilted him at the last minute.
In the wrong place at the wrong time when their hotel in Florence, Italy, is besieged by terrorists, the two strangers find themselves thrust together in Wade's honeymoon suite. Immediately attracted to each other, Wade conducts a siege of his own to win Theia's heart.
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Published April 21, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 26, 2021
3.5
This is a love story that starts on a terrorist siege on the hotel where both were staying. It is also a quest to find your family roots and who you are through them.
Each of the cultures is well portrayed, the dialogues make this an easy to follow story and characters are relatable through their background stories. I'm not sure how I feel at what seems to be a huge age difference, but that's personal, not the book's fault.
I would have loved to get to know Wade as deeply as Caroline, but I had fun listening to it. I believe the narrator did a wonderful job on voices and the tone was perfect to get me through the story.
A book that shows that the best thing of your life can come from the worst moments and that we should just flow with whatever comes, which doesn't mean we're going to accept everything as it is.
This is a love story that starts on a terrorist siege on the hotel where both were staying. It is also a quest to find your family roots and who you are through them.
Each of the cultures is well portrayed, the dialogues make this an easy to follow story and characters are relatable through their background stories. I'm not sure how I feel at what seems to be a huge age difference, but that's personal, not the book's fault.
I would have loved to get to know Wade as deeply as Caroline, but I had fun listening to it. I believe the narrator did a wonderful job on voices and the tone was perfect to get me through the story.
A book that shows that the best thing of your life can come from the worst moments and that we should just flow with whatever comes, which doesn't mean we're going to accept everything as it is.
February 12, 2022
***** A Unique Romance
This book starts out with a bang. Literally! Because Theia has misread her hotel room number, she is now trying to enter Wade’s room instead of the one to which she was assigned. But the hotel manager stops her cold from returning to her actual room. Why? Sudden loud, explosive, automatic gunshots indicate a deadly hostage situation is in full swing, so she and Wade are told to stay in his room overnight until the hotel is deemed safe.
We quickly find out how no two people could be more different. Wade is an Actuary; blond, of Swiss descent, here in Italty, to have a relaxing vacation, as he also tries to face life analytically and calmly. Theia is the complete opposite of him. Beautiful, Mediterranean looking, she is Greek and Jewish. She’s also a snarky, emotional artist, on her way to Crete to find out more about her artist grandfather; not only regarding his artwork, but also his mysterious death around Crete in 1944. She also has been told her entire life how she must marry another Greek who happens to also be Jewish. Certainly not someone like Wade, even if she is attracted to him and his seemly placid demeanor.
Meanwhile Wade is completely hooked. So much so that when Theia decides to move on to Crete, he goes with her as she visits a synagogue there, run by a woman who knew her grandparents well and was happy to fill in unknown facts for Theia. As the book continues on, the author provides detailed, well-researched facts of what it was like back under the Nazi takeover, and the horrendous things they did to the Jewish population that involved a mysterious episode at sea. Filled with rich sights and sounds of not only modern Greece, we are soon also privy to life back then––something I truly appreciate about this author. Will Wade and Theia overcome their differences and come together? I kept turning those pages to find out... I highly recommend this unique romance!
This book starts out with a bang. Literally! Because Theia has misread her hotel room number, she is now trying to enter Wade’s room instead of the one to which she was assigned. But the hotel manager stops her cold from returning to her actual room. Why? Sudden loud, explosive, automatic gunshots indicate a deadly hostage situation is in full swing, so she and Wade are told to stay in his room overnight until the hotel is deemed safe.
We quickly find out how no two people could be more different. Wade is an Actuary; blond, of Swiss descent, here in Italty, to have a relaxing vacation, as he also tries to face life analytically and calmly. Theia is the complete opposite of him. Beautiful, Mediterranean looking, she is Greek and Jewish. She’s also a snarky, emotional artist, on her way to Crete to find out more about her artist grandfather; not only regarding his artwork, but also his mysterious death around Crete in 1944. She also has been told her entire life how she must marry another Greek who happens to also be Jewish. Certainly not someone like Wade, even if she is attracted to him and his seemly placid demeanor.
Meanwhile Wade is completely hooked. So much so that when Theia decides to move on to Crete, he goes with her as she visits a synagogue there, run by a woman who knew her grandparents well and was happy to fill in unknown facts for Theia. As the book continues on, the author provides detailed, well-researched facts of what it was like back under the Nazi takeover, and the horrendous things they did to the Jewish population that involved a mysterious episode at sea. Filled with rich sights and sounds of not only modern Greece, we are soon also privy to life back then––something I truly appreciate about this author. Will Wade and Theia overcome their differences and come together? I kept turning those pages to find out... I highly recommend this unique romance!
January 31, 2018
THE SIEGE is my second Marilyn Baron story and I couldn’t be more pleased. I really enjoyed how Ms. Baron immersed us in the story – both in the present and 1944.
Likes: The little details that make the difference between a good story and an exceptional story. Examples include the banter between Wade and Theia drives the story in places intermingled with the rich historical details of her grandparents and the old cities they visit. The descriptions of Chania made me feel as though I were wandering the streets with Theia and Wade. The letters: so beautiful and tragic; their descriptions sweeping us away into a different time and place. The internal thought process Theia goes through as she’s planning her painting. They’re all imaginative and richly detailed.
Dislikes: I feel the need to point out that my dislike is actually the mark of really good storytelling. That said. I really didn’t like Theia; especially in the beginning. While I don’t think she (Theia) intends to be, the character comes across as overly antagonistic and I found myself getting frustrated with her inability to show any sort of empathy toward Wade. I will say that I do get it and why she is the way she is but I found her desire for control at the expense of love frustrating. Fear not, there is a happily ever after.
This is a remarkable story and one worth reading. You won’t be disappointed.
This review was originally published at The Romance Reviews.
Likes: The little details that make the difference between a good story and an exceptional story. Examples include the banter between Wade and Theia drives the story in places intermingled with the rich historical details of her grandparents and the old cities they visit. The descriptions of Chania made me feel as though I were wandering the streets with Theia and Wade. The letters: so beautiful and tragic; their descriptions sweeping us away into a different time and place. The internal thought process Theia goes through as she’s planning her painting. They’re all imaginative and richly detailed.
Dislikes: I feel the need to point out that my dislike is actually the mark of really good storytelling. That said. I really didn’t like Theia; especially in the beginning. While I don’t think she (Theia) intends to be, the character comes across as overly antagonistic and I found myself getting frustrated with her inability to show any sort of empathy toward Wade. I will say that I do get it and why she is the way she is but I found her desire for control at the expense of love frustrating. Fear not, there is a happily ever after.
This is a remarkable story and one worth reading. You won’t be disappointed.
This review was originally published at The Romance Reviews.
February 25, 2018
The Siege by Marilyn Baron reviewed by Susan Coryell
In 1944 a Nazi invasion of Crete wiped out virtually the entire Jewish population; today only a dozen Jews reside in Crete—just two of the startling facts I gleaned reading Marilyn Baron’s latest release, The Siege. The author successfully weaves fact with fiction, the past with the present in this fascinating novel.
Contemporary young American artist, Theia Constas, sets out for Greece at her late grandmother’s request to visit the site of Jewish annihilation. Though the grandmother escaped to America, Theia’s grandfather, an artist, perished in the Tanais, bombed at sea. Theia’s visit reveals some secrets about her family and what happened to them during World War II.
The book opens with a siege of the hotel in Italy where Theia and her travel group are staying. She finds herself inadvertently locked into a room with fellow traveler Wade Bingham. Falling for Theia, Wade travels on to Greece with her and a romance ensues. When Theia abruptly leaves for New York to try to find her grandfather’s paintings in the Museum of Modern Art, Wade wages his own siege to reunite with her.
I highly recommend this fast-paced novel to readers who like historical backgrounds and rich descriptions of exotic regions. The romance adds spice and the ending satisfies. Another excellent Mariyn Baron offering.
In 1944 a Nazi invasion of Crete wiped out virtually the entire Jewish population; today only a dozen Jews reside in Crete—just two of the startling facts I gleaned reading Marilyn Baron’s latest release, The Siege. The author successfully weaves fact with fiction, the past with the present in this fascinating novel.
Contemporary young American artist, Theia Constas, sets out for Greece at her late grandmother’s request to visit the site of Jewish annihilation. Though the grandmother escaped to America, Theia’s grandfather, an artist, perished in the Tanais, bombed at sea. Theia’s visit reveals some secrets about her family and what happened to them during World War II.
The book opens with a siege of the hotel in Italy where Theia and her travel group are staying. She finds herself inadvertently locked into a room with fellow traveler Wade Bingham. Falling for Theia, Wade travels on to Greece with her and a romance ensues. When Theia abruptly leaves for New York to try to find her grandfather’s paintings in the Museum of Modern Art, Wade wages his own siege to reunite with her.
I highly recommend this fast-paced novel to readers who like historical backgrounds and rich descriptions of exotic regions. The romance adds spice and the ending satisfies. Another excellent Mariyn Baron offering.
April 30, 2018
The first two chapters were pretty good, then this NOVELLA fell through a rabbit hole into repetitive info dumping about the fate of Cyprian Jews during the Holocaust. Once was enough, lady. Four times repetition of the same facts insults my intelligence. It ended well but predicably with a new painting to commemorate the event. $3.99 is just too much for a short novella that needs major editing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2018
The Siege is a novel that blends two stories from two centuries and is a mix of women's fiction and romance. I was intrigued by the premise, especially as I've read and enjoyed other books written by the author. Let's take the women's fiction segment first. Following her college graduation, artist Theia Constas receives two things from her dying ya-ya: a trip to Italy and clues to a family secret that dates back to WWII, the island of Crete, and the near extinction of the island's Jewish population. As Theia's story unfolds in present time, so does the secret story of her ya-ya and unknown grandfather sixty-some years earlier. I found both, but especially the earlier story, to be poignant, enlightening, and fraught with danger and heartache...yet also hope. The transitions from present to past and back to present were smooth and compelling, contributing to the overall emotional intensity of the story.
What did not work for me was the romance. Theia and Wade (part of the same tour group in Italy) are forced to take refuge in Wade's room when their hotel is attacked by terrorists. We're told they're immediately attracted to one another and that they have sizzling chemistry but I never felt it. Wade is on what was supposed to have been his honeymoon, after being dumped at the altar by the woman he was in a relationship with for several years. Twenty-four hours later he thinks he's in love with Theia, a virtual stranger who, frankly, does not treat him well. He decides to ditch the tour and accompany her on her quest to Crete. It all felt more than a little stalkerish - and needy. I'm sorry to say I never was able to buy into their relationship.
While the romance didn't work for me, the rest of the book did. Theia's personal journey, and what she uncovers, is poignant, even heartbreaking at times, but, ultimately, hopeful and emotionally satisfying. Baron's depiction of events in the past were eye-opening; illuminating events during the Nazi occupation of which I had been unaware. Her descriptions of both past and present-day Crete evoke images of an aquamarine sea, whitewashed buildings, a trail of history, and a resilient people who never give up, including a young 21st century American woman searching for her roots, her family's role in the past, and her place in the present. This is the portion of the book that makes me glad I read The Siege.
3.5 stars
What did not work for me was the romance. Theia and Wade (part of the same tour group in Italy) are forced to take refuge in Wade's room when their hotel is attacked by terrorists. We're told they're immediately attracted to one another and that they have sizzling chemistry but I never felt it. Wade is on what was supposed to have been his honeymoon, after being dumped at the altar by the woman he was in a relationship with for several years. Twenty-four hours later he thinks he's in love with Theia, a virtual stranger who, frankly, does not treat him well. He decides to ditch the tour and accompany her on her quest to Crete. It all felt more than a little stalkerish - and needy. I'm sorry to say I never was able to buy into their relationship.
While the romance didn't work for me, the rest of the book did. Theia's personal journey, and what she uncovers, is poignant, even heartbreaking at times, but, ultimately, hopeful and emotionally satisfying. Baron's depiction of events in the past were eye-opening; illuminating events during the Nazi occupation of which I had been unaware. Her descriptions of both past and present-day Crete evoke images of an aquamarine sea, whitewashed buildings, a trail of history, and a resilient people who never give up, including a young 21st century American woman searching for her roots, her family's role in the past, and her place in the present. This is the portion of the book that makes me glad I read The Siege.
3.5 stars
February 11, 2018
*I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.*
This is the story of Theia Constas who is on a quest to Italy to find out more about her family history and clues to these secrets that date back to WWII on the Island of Crete.
We see two stories unfold here, one of where Theia meets Wade in a hotel where she is forced to take refuge when terrorists attack the hotel. And how they both decide to take on the journey to find out more about the past.
The second story tells of the Nazi occupation in 1944 on Crete and it really shows the events that happened in that time.
Though this was a good storyline, of someone in search of there own roots by looking to the past events, the chemistry between Theia and Wade did not sit well. It could have been just a couple of friends on an adventure.
This is the story of Theia Constas who is on a quest to Italy to find out more about her family history and clues to these secrets that date back to WWII on the Island of Crete.
We see two stories unfold here, one of where Theia meets Wade in a hotel where she is forced to take refuge when terrorists attack the hotel. And how they both decide to take on the journey to find out more about the past.
The second story tells of the Nazi occupation in 1944 on Crete and it really shows the events that happened in that time.
Though this was a good storyline, of someone in search of there own roots by looking to the past events, the chemistry between Theia and Wade did not sit well. It could have been just a couple of friends on an adventure.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews