The Englishman: Can Love Go the Distance?

The Nordic Heart #1

by Helena Halme

A stylish 1980s Nordic love story - based on true events.

Review: 'The Englishman is quite the page-turner, I had difficulty stopping myself from devouring it in one go. All the small details about Finland and Sweden give the book such colour, and I love seeing England through Kaisa's eyes! Highly recommended!' - Tania Hershman, author of My Mother Was an Upright Piano.'

When a young Finnish student Kaisa is invited to the British Embassy Cocktail party in Helsinki to celebrate a Royal Navy visit to Finland, she's not looking for romance. After all, her future has been carefully planned: she's to complete her degree, marry her respectable, well-to-do Finnish fiance Matti, and live happily ever after.

Enter the dashing Peter, a newly qualified naval officer. Like a moth to a flame, Kaisa falls head over heels in love with the handsome Englishman. The young lovers steal passionate kisses in the chilly Esplanade Park and promise to meet again.

Kaisa and Peter embark on a long-distance relationship, but at the height of the Cold War, while the Englishman chases Russian submarines, Kaisa is stuck in Finland, a country friendly with the Soviet Union. Kaisa lives for the Englishman's passionate letters and infrequent long-distance phone calls, but her jealous ex-fiance doesn't want to let go, and her old-fashioned father hates foreigners.

Can Kaisa trust the gregarious Englishman? Wouldn't she be better off going back to her fiance?

While Kaisa struggles to keep up faith in the relationship, a war breaks out in the faraway Falkland Islands...

Will the love between Kaisa and the Englishman last and go the distance?

This 'Will they, won't they?' -tale of long-distance love is based on true events and attracted thousands of readers when first published as a series of blog posts on Helena's London Life.

"The Englishman will be one of the best true stories you'll read this year!"

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Amazon

Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2013

About the author

Helena Halme is a Prize-winning Finnish author based in London. Her books include The English Heart, a best-selling romantic novel, which won an Awesome Indies badge on publication. Her other titles include The Faithful Heart, The Good Heart, The True Heart and The Young Heart in the Nordic Heart Series and Nordic family drama, Coffee and Vodka. Helena has also written a Cold War spy thriller, The Red King of Helsinki.

Helena is the winner of the John Nurminen prize for best thesis on British politics, a former BBC journalist, and has also worked as a magazine editor and a bookseller and, until recently, ran a Finnish/British cultural association in London. Her articles have been published in the CoScan Magazine, The ScanMag and the Finn-Guild Magazine.

After gaining an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, Helena is now a full-time author and mentor. She lives in North London with her ex-Navy husband and an old stubborn terrier, called Jerry. She loves Nordic Noir and sings along to Abba songs when no one is around.

Reviews

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of love and the Cold War. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

[Nora · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am absolutely baffled how this book has such good reviews. I don’t get it, I really do not. I was rolling my eyes already on the third page and would have given up on it by page 50 had this not been a part of a book club I’m in. As a Finn myself, I would have loved to love this, but I just could not. Reasons below…

*SPOILERS START HERE*

I’m not entirely sure where to begin, but I guess I start with the obvious - the quality of the writing.

I know the story is based on real life events that were at first shared with the world via a blog. And that is exactly what the writing feels like - like someone dotted down their thoughts and left it at that. The writing isn’t exciting nor is it beautiful. At times it feels like a to-do list: I got dressed for the ball, I did my makeup, I took a car to the venue, I danced. And then we move on to the next day.

This was actually one of my biggest annoyances and it really made me question who the editor of this book was. There were so many times when, e.g., Peter was coming to visit (or vice versa) and it would go something like this:

“Peter called he’s coming to visit. I’m so excited! I need to plan all the things we’re going to do. I can’t believe it will only be two more weeks until I get to see him.
The Helsinki-Vantaa airport was really busy on the day Peter arrived.”

Like what?? You could have at least added a space so my brain could have comprehended that we swiftly jumped ahead two weeks.

I also feel like the book relied too much on stereotypes. Everyone in Finland was basically miserable and an alcoholic, drank Koskenkorva basically for breakfast, loved rye bread, went to sauna and lived their best cabin life. Everyone in England spent their evenings in a pub, or in a cold-as-hell flat, all the women only drank half-pints, and the whole “army wife thing” was just ridiculous. Sure, stereotypes come from somewhere, but had the characters not been so quintessentially Finnish and English, it could have made them a bit more interesting.

In addition, the author’s incapability to describe her characters in any other way than “the Englishman”, “the best friend at Hanken”, or “the bastard” would have been great. Even if I wanted to continue reading this series, I simply COULDN’T BEAR TO SEE THE WORD “ENGLISHMAN” EVER AGAIN. My god that was annoying. I think we got to page 150 before we learnt Peter’s real name (I’m exaggerating, but truly that’s what it felt like). Also, the sentence “her best friend at Hanken” happened literally on page 210(-ish) and all I could think was “WÉ KNOW! YOU’VE TOLD US THIS 20041 TIMES. SURELY YOU CAN CALL HER BY HER REAL NAME BY NOW???”.

Lastly, in the section of writing, I just have to say that the author’s way of including every single Finnish word and name dropping every part of Helsinki made it a very difficult read. I don’t think adding “Lonkero” in front of a description of what it was was entirely helpful. On the contrary, was I not Finnish myself, I would have found that extremely annoying. (PS. I would never call Lauttasaari a suburb, or far away from central! Fair enough, the city was smaller in the 1980s but seriously c’moon.)

Okay, moving on to the characters. Both of the main characters were annoying. There, I said it.

I don’t even think it was even the characters fault really. It was just very hard to relate to them or believe in their love story when the reader wasn’t let in on anything. All their conversations, all their phone calls, all their letters… Half of the time we were told some of the content, half of the time we just found out that a letter had been sent. We never really got to hear or read what was said, but we were told that the conversation had been about so and so. For example, on their first date, we were told that Peter talked about his family - we never actually heard him say anything.

This made it really hard to connect with the characters and to believe that the feelings that they supposedly had for each other were genuine and as strong as we were told. Especially when we were made to believe that they practically fell in love on page 3, it would have been great to get some kind of, any kind of, evidence of this. What did they have in common? What did they not have in common? What did they think about politics, religion, life, or anything worthwhile? Did they share any stories with each other? We simply do not know.

So now that you know I didn’t believe in their love story, I also found the main characters incredibly frustrating. Both Finnish and English people are notoriously more quiet and don’t share their feelings that easily, but OH MY GOD they never brought anything up! When the whole cheating happened they literally never discussed it (yes yes I know, they exchanged two sentences about it on their wedding day, big whoop), or when they were insecure about their relationship and where it was heading, they neverrrrrrr talked about it. There was no drama, no feelings, no real heartbreak, no real happiness, no nothing - there was no fucking dialogue in any point. It was Kaisa who always chickened out or simply thought “I will not think about it. Look, he’s so handsome.” And literally the only thing Peter ever said was “You’re so beautiful. You know how much I love you.” Actually, Peter, I don’t, but whatever.

That’s honestly all I have to say about this book. I won’t even go into the supporting characters because we never really even got to know them and the little we did, they were as flat as the two main characters.

I hate giving a bad review, but I just have to repeat myself: I don’t understand how this book has such good reviews.

[Elsbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story filled with the love, excitements, doubts and uncertainties of a long-distance relationship. Well written and very realistic.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this on Kindle because through following the author's blog I learned it was autobiographical about how she, a Finn, met and married her husband, an Englishman. I am a sucker for memoirs and autobiographical novels. Not sure how much of this one is fictionalized or actually happened but just the same it was very enjoyable reading, a delightfully intriguing love story. The Finnish girl, Keisa, meets the Englishman, Peter, at a dance in Finland and although it's basically love at first sight, there are many obstacles to overcome on the path to happiness.

I found myself really caring about these two characters and completely pulled into the story. I enjoyed the inside look at a country I know very little about. Most of it took place in Helsinki, with the occasional trip to England. Even the few paragraphs set in England gave wonderful description. Setting is important to me when I read a book, and I always enjoy learning about another land or culture while being entertained with fiction.

I liked the side story about Keisa's father and thought it added depth to her character, with this tendency she had to be overly controlled by the men in her life and her efforts to change that. A really good book and well worth the read.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Englishman is subtitled "Can love go the distance" and it is quite the page-turner, I had difficulty stopping myself from devouring it in one go. It is the story of Kaisa, a young Finnish girl who meets and falls in love with Peter, an English naval officer. The author, who is a friend of mine, lives in England and is married to an Englishman, and she has made no secret of the fact that this novel has its roots in autobiography - in fact, it started life as a series of blog posts called How I Came to Be In England. But what she has done here so well is to completely fictionalize the story and provide all the required tension that keeps you reading and reading. All the small details about Finland and Sweden give the book such colour, and I love seeing England through Kaisa's eyes! Highly recommended!

[Jonathon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a recommendation from my Finnish girlfriend - as a love story between a Finnish girl and an Englishman it seemed quite apt really! Whilst perhaps not the genre I would usually read, I was compelled throughout, completing the book in a couple of days. I really loved the little touches of cross-cultural romance; I could definitely identify with several of the Englishman's actions, for example making a sandwich out of the traditional Finnish snack of cheese, ham and rye bread! Not to mention hours spent wondering what your partner is doing or thinking in another country. Although I think my reading was enriched by my past visits to Tampere and Helsinki, I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good love story, particularly those who have experienced a long-distance relationship.

[JJ Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helena Halme, a Finn who grew up in Sweden, now writes in English. Her fictionalised memoirs give an insight into displacement, long-distance love, dysfunctional families, cultural differences between neighbouring countries, and the emotional journey of readjustment.

Check out Coffee and Vodka and The Red King of Helsinki by the same author.

As a perennial nomad, I identify. The light tones of romance and adventure are deceptive. Halme tackles awkward issues such as family problems, practical bureaucracy and the reality of prejudice.

Identity, conscience, duty, relatives, friends, and the inescapable ties of love, whether benign or otherwise, her books have serious ballast.

Yet the stories draw you in and only when you’ve finished a satisfying journey do you realised you’ve learned something.

And this is an author writing in her THIRD language.

[Sandy McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads First Reads Winner!!

Brilliant, endearing story. Couldn't wait for the ending, but so enjoyed the story, I didn't want to rush through it. Took my breath away. Glad it's a mystery as to who the story is based on. It makes it more mysterious and romantic!!! Can't say enough good things about it!!

[Awesome Indies Book Awards · Rating 5 out of 5]

AIBA Book of the Week: 21 September, 2025: 389/41374

Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include THE ENGLISH HEART by HELENA HALME in the library of Awesome Indies' Badge of Approval recipients.

[Texas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Young Heart - My first book by this author and I have conflicting thoughts after reading all five books sequentially. I usually chain read as many books by one author as possible, but I had to pick up other books to take a break from Kaisa. This is introduction to Kaisa the main character and several supporting characters of the Nordic Series. Kaisa is a 14-year-old female. Her thought processes, or lack of, her experiences with her family members and her friends-to-lovers relationship with a 21-year-old man. I was fortunate to read this book before I read the other four books in the series and found the foundation set in this story explained some of her decisions she made in the other books. But it is not a must read to understand the other books.

This is an in-depth story about Kaisa and Matti's relationship, so it may be good to read first, or not. While the book was well edited, thank you Ms. Halme, and I understood the Nordic and Russian cultures from history books and personal experience, I just didn't care too much for Kaisa, but she is a child in many ways. This book stops and The English Heart picks the story up. There's infrequent vulgar language and the sex is not explicit. 3*

The Nordic Heart series: I bought this set, else I would not have read the next four books. I bought the set before I read the prequel The Young Heart. Simplistic in writing, which is OK, and well edited, which is great, but I was disappointed in what could have been a great set of books. I've been aware of The Englishman and Helena Halme for over a year and was really looking forward to an interesting and entertaining series. I understand cross-cultures (been there, done that), alienation, abuse and misunderstandings, but her use of alcohol and promiscuous behavior along with her mindset is unsettling in how Kaisa handles life and problems. There are interesting descriptions of the different locations and the characters develop more with each book, except Kaisa she remains Kaisa, although in the last book, she does better with Peter. There's infrequent vulgar language and the sex is not explicit. Each book continues with my review. I'm not sure which was a better deal, this boxed set or a cuppa of English coffee as described. 3*

The English Heart #1 (aka The Englishman) - Well edited and easily read with a simplistic, choppy writing style, and interesting descriptions of Sweden and Finland and some good main and supporting characters. There's a lot of music references that don't do anything for the story but give a timeline, if you know when the music first played. The movies help explain some of her mindset.

Picking up where the prequel The Young Heart ended, Kaisa mets her Englishman, a likable but dumb young man and begins the start of their long distance relationship. By the time I finished this book I really disliked Kaisa. She's immature, self centered and very selfish, and doesn't want to learn from her mistakes. She knows what not to do, yet goes full-bore and repeats her mistakes again and again. She uses everyone without regard, doesn't consider the consequences of her actions and is about as social as a rock. 3*

The Faithful Heart #2 (The Navy Wife) - They're married now. Kaisa thinks she a feminist so she doesn't support her husband or her marriage. She thinks she's being a "navy wife" if she cooks his breakfast before he leaves in the morning; she wants to sleep late and she doesn't have a job. She won't work on her marriage and expects Peter to do everything. Instead of communicating with her husband, she screams and rages. Instead of working out solutions to her problems, real and otherwise, she remains the immature, selfish and anti-social idiot increasing her alienation from everyone. I really, really dislike Kaisa and feel sorry for dumb Peter for falling in love with this moron. Unfortunately, he gives in to her anger, instead of telling her to grow up. 3*

The Good Heart #3 (The Good Officer) - Kaisa abandons Peter right when he needs her most. Typical behavior from her, it's always about her. Her actions causes Peter to face a court martial, which affects his career in the Navy. Rose plays a large part in this story by helping and mentoring Kaisa with her career and life choices. Kaisa still ignores Peter's family. 3*

The True Heart #4 - Together but still with problems, Kaisa still isn't a likable character. She does do better with supporting Peter in his career. The past comes back to bite her hard, but she does better handling things than she did in the other books. She's 30, she should have learned something from all her mistakes. This is probably the best of the books but only the last 50 percent. She's still selfish, but others are supporting her. She still doesn't interact much with Peter's family. 3*

[Isabelle D · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this first book in a series, a Finnish girl and an English young man are in a long-distance relationship at a time when people could only keep in touch with "snail mail" letters and occasional (because it was expensive) landline phone calls. To younger readers, this might seem as unfamiliar as Finland, where most of the story is set. Speaking of that, I liked the mentions of things that are different in Finland compared to England (both being foreing countries for me), and more generally everything that gives the reader an idea of what life was like in Finland (and, in some chapters, Sweden, England or Scotland) in the 1980s. It may not be an enthrallingly eventful story, but I found its simplicity quite charming. That being said, knowing it was based on the author's real life made me uncomfortable at times (it felt like I was given too much information, even if there was thankfully no details about what happened every time the lovers were reunited and invariably jumped into bed to make the most of the short few days or weeks they had to spend together). Anyway, it was mostly a pleasant read and I'd like to read the other books someday (that is when I can afford to buy them).

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I like best about this story is that the romance feels "real." It's not some sappy Harlequin version, with the same old tropes and situations. The reader is allowed to grow with Kaisa as she falls in love with Peter, her Englishman. You see her eyes open to the world--that there can be more to life and love than what her fiance Matti had to offer her. If you want to get the full effect of this book (and Kaisa's relationship with Matti) and understand Kaisa and her actions better, read the prequel, "The Finnish Girl," as well.

I happened to be in Finland in 1982 when part of this story takes place. It brought back vivid memories of that time: the food, the places, the difference in culture. All of that and more gives you a sense of Finnish life and how it differs from the new life that Kaisa was headed for.

[Maria Cecília · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu li toda a série e acho este é o último livro (the good officer) os melhores. A Amazon vende a série de 3 livros, faltando apenas adicionar o prólogo The Finnish Girl à série, pois na minha opinião é uma estória curta que não se sustenta sem o livro seguinte (The Englishman). Na minha opinião, a
série The Englishman envolve o leitor em uma saga de amor com muitos altos e baixos emocionais e nos deixa pregados na estória e vivendo as angústias e ansiedades do amadurecimento emocional, amor à distância, adaptações culturais, paixões e desilusões de personagens muito bem desenvolvidos. Cada capítulo nos provoca a ler o próximo e a cada livro nos sentimos impulsionadas a continuar acompanhando a saga dos apaixonados. Helena Halme: por favor, queremos mais!!

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaisa a Finnish girl meets Englishman Peter at a cocktail party in Helsinki to celebrate the Royal Navy’s visit to Finland. Kaisa meets Naval Officer Peter and falls head over heels in love with him. Only thing is she is engaged to Matti her Finish fiancé. Kaisa breaks off her engagement to Peter. Kaisa and Peter have a long distance romance but he is an Englishman chasing Russian submarines. Kaisa is stuck in Finland which is friendly with the Ruissians. This story is about the love of two people that continue their love during wartime. I really enjoyed this beautiful contemporary romance novel.

[Sarah B White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Love Story

In this book, we have a love story. A young couple meets and falls in love. Kaisa, a Finnish university student, and Peter, an English submarine worker, meet and quickly decide that their lives will not be complete without the other. Because Finland is located near communist Russia, Kaisa will have to be interviewed and approved before the wedding can take place.

Again, Helena has written an enjoyable novel. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Jeanne Dierkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it

I loved the writing about the countryside and the way everything looks wherever Kaisa goes. Helena describes really well the way she's feeling and whenever she is in turmoil about how to feel or how to make a choice or certain decisions. I enjoyed the storyline in the prequel and The English Heart, though in places it is a bit too cheesy for my liking. I did get invested with the characters though wanted to know what will happen next. Great book!

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating tale of life in Finland, Sweden and Britain, with a little British Navy added. Interesting look at various customs and lifestyles. A sweet romance. A more open view of sex than is typical for Americans, but there are no intimate details. Americans are usually more uptight about nudity and sex. Of course, this is not about Americans or their point of view. The author generously provided a copy.

[Janiece Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful

I liked that the book included that True Love, was not a simple walk in the park. I liked even though these characters were deeply in love that it also takes work as you bump along life's road but you can make it over those bumps if you try! Thank you for being honest! The book was very good, I will recommend this author, Helena Ha!me to my friends and family. Read and enjoy!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and I look forward to treading the other books. This is a love story about two people from two different worlds and how they work to maintain love.

I received an ebook copy for an honest review.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating and thought-provoking story of the lives of two individuals from very different cultures who met, fell in love, and stuck by each other through good times and bad, showing patience, understanding, enduring love, and communication in spite of their flaws and failings!

[etherealfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Kindle e-book

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaisa and Ryan have feelings for each other. Is this a forever kind of love. Beautifully written that makes the characters feel real. Absolutely enjoyable.

[Debbie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I automatically give five stars to any book that has me staying up way past my bedtime to read it and abandoning anything else that I'm meant to be doing in order to get to the end, and this was one of those books.

Knowing that this was based on a true story and had started life as a nostalgic blog, I read it in a slightly different way to a totally fictitious novel, not judging it on plot, characterisation, etc, but enjoying the clear evocation of the various sittings (Sweden, Finland, England) and the period in which it took place. Being of a similar vintage to the heroine, the references to contemporary music (listened to on cassettes or vinyl, of course) and other telling features, such as a plastic phone with a cord and push buttons, were especially meaningful to me. It's startling to realise how quickly we've all come to depend on modern communications technology - I'd forgotten the tension of waiting weeks for a letter to arrive from a boyfriend, having no other way of getting in touch!

Although it's clear from the blurb that there will be a "Reader, I married him" ending, Helena Halme keeps the reader in nailbiting suspense as she relates the many obstacles in the path to Kaisa and Peter's happiness. In the 21st century, there wouldn't be the same difficulties - mobile phones, for a start, would make keeping in touch easy-peasy, and the Royal Navy would not be regarding Finnish girls as potential Soviet spies! These period details certainly add extra tension and interest.

Like most Nordic types, the author, a Finn, is clearly very much at ease with the English language, and this is a really well-written book. There's also something very matter-of-fact about the way the romance is related, and I wondered whether that comes from being written in what isn't the author's second language. Though the book is written in the third person, young Kaisa's naivety and innocence is effectively conveyed, without the story ever becoming sentimental. There's also a subtle evocation of the sense of foreignness between the two young lovers, with silly little everyday things becoming an issue, just how they do in real life e.g. Kaisa's incredulity when she first sees Peter make a sandwich, putting a slice of bread on top, instead of leaving it open, Nordic style.

In a way, the end of the story is only just the beginning of Kaisa's adventure. The prospect of a life as Navy wife to a man of your own nationality would be daunting enough, but to become a naval wife to a foreigner would be an even greater strain. I'm really hoping for a sequel so that we can see how the newlyweds get on!

Having read this in paperback, I'd like to add how much I liked the production and design of the book - fab cover, in a strokeable finish, and an interior that was gentle on the eye, even when staying up far too late to read it!

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of the paperback of this book in return for an honest review.

[Mystica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book recommendation on a blog and was intrigued by the title. Inter cultural marriages are very interesting and the blurb piqued my interest more.

A Finnish girl, very young, very insular meets up with an English navy officer working on a submarine at a cocktail party in Helsinki. It is a chance meeting and one of those times which is a real karmic one! if she hadn't gone this story would not be here. A developing attraction between the two continues over the years with him always on his submarine and she at University trying to finish her degree. They meet intermittently either in Helsinki or she flies to London. They meet each others families - she is nervous of meeting his clan, he isn't and is not put off by her overbearing father.

The story of the contrast and conflicts in culture is described very well in between the meetings and the love story which develops and this is what adds a lot of interest to the book. It is quite true that there has to be a lot of give and take in such marriages from simple things like food and drink to social habits. If one is adamant about not giving up on anything or not accepting anything "different" I would say the relationship is doomed. That the young couple here was flexible was the first plus point and you knew that there seemed to be a future for them both.

Long distance relationships are put under more pressure than any other and this one gets more than its fair share. The ups and downs of this relationship alongside the misunderstandings that arise when one is far apart are handled nicely in this book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the early 1980’s, this is the story, simply told, of a love affair conducted without the advantage of internet, email or mobile phones – all the things that we now take for granted and reminds us of the difficulties of conducting a long distance romance when all you have to rely on are letters and the occasional phone call.

Our young heroine, Kaisa, a Finnish student is superbly brought to life with great detail, and the cultural differences between the Baltic country of Finland and Britain are interesting to note. I visited Finland during a Baltic cruise a couple of years ago and until then I hadn’t realised how close in proximity the Nordic countries were to Russia. The joy and anguish that Kais suffers as she waits for a letter or a phone call from Peter, her Englishman, together with her fears and confusion are vividly portrayed and the tense situation she faces with her fiancé Matti ,who doesn’t want to let her go, and that of his overbearing mother are all too believable. We are privy to every detail of Kaisa’s daily life during her love affair with Peter and the problems that her difficult relationship with her father brings.

This was a very engaging and charming romantic story and you could well believe that it is based on true events. It felt extremely personal to read – almost as if I were reading Kaisa’s diary.

[Tiina Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book of an inter-cultural relationship, where one half of the couple is from Finland - personally, I could well relate to the story, as I'm also originally from Finland and although, I didn't marry an Englishman, I'm not too far: I married an Irishman & living now in Ireland.

I read the book in one day while travelling, and the hours of journey melted away, thanks to the Englishman - I was half-in love with him myself well before the story was over!

I particularly like the way I was transported back to Finland through the wonderfully subtle and detailed writing, which had a sense of a Finnish written text, although the words were in English. The sense of space and time rang true. It is always curious reading description of Finland/the Finns through another language (i.e. not Finnish). Somehow, I always end up learning so much more about my home country when reading about it through English, and the Englishman didn't disappoint in this regards, either.

The story reads like an autobiography of a Finnish-English relationship in the 1980's, mapping out in detail the difficulties of their relationship created by the cold-war era, the distance, the Englishman's challenging job, and Kaisa's university studies. I was rooting for the lovely couple, and was rewarded in the end.

I look forward to reading Helena's other books next.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having visited the Baltic this year for the first time, this was a perfect read for me. As well as being fascinated and intrigued by the central love story, I loved the detail about Finnish daily life, and it had never really struck me how – as recently as the 80s – Finland was seen as inextricably linked with the Soviet Union. The author is excellent at the detail of daily life, and we see everything vividly through the simple retelling by the naive heroine, filled with the minutiae of food and clothing, but imbued with all the emotion of a young girl in the middle of a love affair that she must fight to sustain. Although the author maintains that the characters and story are fictitious, it has the style of a personal memoir and seems firmly grounded in some of her own experiences. The novel started life as a series of blog posts called How I Came to Be In England, but the author has unquestionably produced a piece of fiction that wholly engages as a novel. Quite fascinating, and I look forward to reading more by Helena – in fact, Coffee and Vodka is already waiting on my Kindle.

[Grigory Ryzhakov · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Englishmen is a story of a long-distance romance between a Finnish girl and an English seaman. While I couldn't relate to any of the characters, they seemed very real to me. It is as if I was reading someone's autobiography.
The prose flows well, and a little bit simplistic, which makes the book ideal for an international audience.
Certain things are quite unique about this book. A contrast between Finnish and English mentalities. I thought the story explored nicely what it is to be young, and insecure. To me Kaisa came across as self-centrered, at times even selfish. Ironically, she criticised her father for failures she couldn't quite see in herself. Kaisa's family tensions have definitely added to the drama of the story.
I didn't learn much about Kaisa outside her romance, even her friendship with Tuuli seemed quite superficial. Yet, I still wanted to know how her relationship with Peter would develop. Because I think it's easy to make a herione likeable, but it's far more difficult to portray your character in a way that makes her seem like a real person. The author Helena Halme totallly excelled at the latter.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are parts of this story that fascinated me. I had never read a book that took place in Finland before, nor had I read much about the Cold War, so the geographical and the historical aspects of the story really appealed to me. I liked the characters and the few settings in the story. I would have liked the story itself had it been shorter. Many parts of it seemed to drag on, describing day to day mundane activities while the heroine, a young Finnish student waited for her dashing British soldier to return. They author did a good job of portraying the despair of the young girl, wondering if her love would ever return to her. All in all, it was a pleasant story, just a little slow at times.

[Diana Hockley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a most unusual treatment of a traditional scenario - a young Finnish girl meets a handsome young English naval officer at an Embassy party and they start a long-distance relationship.

There's a lot of "telling" in this story rather than showing - but just as you wonder if something more exciting is to happen, another layer of the relationship between Kaisa and her father, then predictable glitches between Peter and Kaisa, engendered by long separations.

It is a tribute to the author's skill that she kept my interest through the time of the relationship - no spoilers here - and the ending is very touching.