The Girl in Grey

by Annette Lyon

A country fighting to stay free. A woman with an impossible decision.

In November of 1939, Sini Toivola is sure of two things: she loves Marko Linna, and she has a comfortable life in Helsinki. But when the massive Soviet army invades her homeland and Marko spurns her affections, her life is turned upside down.

Needing a fresh start, Sini decides to join the female volunteer corps--the Lotta Svärd--and is sent to serve near the front lines. Service at a field hospital proves a good distraction--until Sini discovers a Russian soldier lost behind their camp.

Duty requires her to turn him in, but her heart begs to keep him safe and help him escape. Torn between love for her country and love for her enemy, Sini must choose--but no matter what choice she makes, heart-wrenching consequences await them all.

Cover design by Victorine Lieske

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Romance

334 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2019

About the author

Annette Lyon is a USA Today bestselling author, an 9-time recipient of Utah’s Best in State medal for fiction (three times for novel-length works and five times for short fiction), and a Whitney Award winner for BAND OF SISTERS. She's the author of over a dozen novels, at least that many novellas, a cookbook, a popular grammar guide, and over a hundred magazine articles.

She’s a founder and regular contributor of the Timeless Romance Anthologies line of sweet romance stories, which she served as editor for its first three years. She's also one of the four co-authors of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. She graduated cum laude from BYU with a degree in English.

Annette is represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Her first suspense novel, Just One More, releases 2023 through Scarlet Suspense.

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I thought it would take me longer to get through a 300 page book about Finland's Winter War--the 100 days of war in which the small country of Finland fought the massive, Russian army of Stalin, but I found the story so interesting there were times I didn't want to stop reading.

Sini Toivola is in love with Dr. Marcus Linna, who has been in love with Leila since they were teenagers. When Sini realizes all she'll ever be to Marcus is a friend, someone to share dinner with, she decides she needs to get away from Marcus until her feelings for him have passed, so she renews her Lotta Svärd membership to help with the war effort. Within days, Sini is back in the gray uniform of the Lotta volunteers traveling by train and bus to her assignment. Little does she know what lies ahead, and that while taking out a trash can one morning her life will be forever changed.

I don't remember much from World History class my senior year of high school, but I doubt we spent much time on this part of WWII. I loved that the author was so thorough in her research it enabled me to learn how a war between a small country's army could win a battle against a much larger army. Finnish sisu was only a part of it. The Finnish army leaders were so smart to camouflage everything in white--buses and trucks painted white, white snowsuits for the soldiers who skied through the thick forest where the Russian tanks couldn't go. The Lottas who served must have been tough women--driving trucks, skiing through forests to get supplies to the men and anything else you could think of.

The characters in this book came alive while I was reading. I didn't always agree with Sini's decisions but that's what made for some conflicting emotions in the characters. I was surprised at the ending, but it was 1940 and parts of the world were still in conflict and I thought it was a realistic ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl in Gray is a riveting story about the Hundred Day Winter War between Finland and Russia. To be honest, I didn't know much about this part of history and I could hardly put it down! Finland was the literal David facing the Goliath. They struggled to maintain their country's freedom and the people who were on the frontlines had a monumental task that they met with Finnish sisu, but those 100 days were costly---physically and emotionally.

We are first introduced to Sini Toivola who is sure she loves Dr. Marcus Linna, but her feelings are not returned. When war breaks out, Sini decides she needs a fresh start, so she volunteers with the Lotta Svard and is sent near the front lines. While there, she has to use every skill she has to not only assist with delivering supplies to the frontlines, but also in surgery and in the field. Pushed to her limits, Sini is grateful when she is asked to help in the kitchen, but while taking out the trash, she finds a lost Russian spy, who doesn't seem to be the enemy she imagined. But can she betray her country to keep him safe?

Historical fans will love all the details that bring this time period to life (for example, they used white snowsuits for camouflage for the soldiers because of all the snow!). Sini is such a relatable heroine who is forced to make difficult choices that affect her and the people around her. The author does an amazing job with not only the setting, but what it was like for the women providing support services during the war and the things that they witnessed and endured. But Ms. Lyon maintains that sliver of hope throughout the entire book that keeps readers turning pages to see what will happen to Sini and if she gets her happily-ever-after. The Girl in Gray will take you on a journey that you won't soon forget. I'm still thinking about the book long after turning the last page!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

War isn't pretty and this author does a fantastic job of creating a real, raw, and gritty tale of the effects of the fighting between Russia and Finland during WWII.

Sini wants to do whatever she can to support her country and its efforts in the war and finds herself serving as a Lotta, working in the kitchen and as a medical assistant. I love how Sini learns to look beyond a face to find a person's true self through her experiences and how she discovers core values and priorities.

I also loved the play on the title. Sini dresses blandly and in gray wool with her assignment, but she also learns that life and war isn't always clear cut between black and white, or good and evil. She finds there are a lot of gray areas and ends up smack in the middle of one.

I love a good history lesson, mingled with fiction and romance, and I haven't read much about WWII that takes place in this area. I enjoyed learning more and connecting with the emotions of these characters, as they not only battled the enemy, but battled their feelings and themselves. This story is gripping and definitely tugs at the heart.

Content: moderate romance (kissing, one scene that nudges the envelope and then fades-to-black); moderate violence (war stuff that is semi-graphic at times, but not over the top); mild language

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book club pick …not my favorite story. It was a lot of words with nothing to say.
Narrator was good.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5.0

“The Girl in Gray” is a story about the unrequited loves of Marko and Sini, and how they adapt. It also showcases the hell that is war and describes it in grisly detail.

Read full review in the 2020 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

First and foremost, this is a 'Harlequin' style romance with an historical setting. There is definitely an audience for soppy romances and weepy melodrama and I think those readers will enjoy this fairly 'clean' story of a Finnish woman falling in love during the harsh Winter War of 1939 (when Finland held off the Soviet forces at the beginning of WWII). The author gets the facts straight and gives a bit of a glimpse into Finnish culture (though the characters are shallow enough by being pigeon-holed into a romance that they feel very unreal). The book has heavy Christian overtones (including an angel speaking to our main character) so I would also classify this as a Christian romance more than an historical romance. The historical and cultural aspects are very light.

Story: After her parents died when she was a child, Sini was passed around relatives as an unwanted addition to their families. Now an adult, she lives in an apartment building in Helsinki and pines for an upstairs neighbor, Marko, who is in love with another woman. Dr. Marko Linna has been in love with childhood friend Leila for most of his life but she married his best friend and they had a son. After her husband died, Leila's whole life is devoted to her son, Taneli; so much so that she does not see Marko's years-long obsession with her. When the women join the Lotta Svart (military nurses) and Marko signs on to the military, their three lives will continue to intersect as Finland struggles not to be consumed by Stalin's forces.

The book takes place during the Finnish Winter War, which lasted for 6 months at the beginning of World War II in 1939. It is notable because the Finns managed to hold off Stalin through guerilla tactics, making full use of the snowy terrain against Stalin's conscripted soldiers (many of whom were from other countries/areas that had never experienced northern Winters). Not really mentioned in the story is how adverse Finns were to Russian occupation since they had suffered under Russian rule for centuries in the past. It was the reason the fighting was so spirited on the Finnish side. There are plenty of Finnish-perspective references throughout the book - including the overused tropes of Finnish Sisu and Sauna Vihta. But for the most part, the book takes places in a war hospital in the forest so you won't glean much about Finnish life/living as a result.

Our main characters all hail from Helsinki, creating an interesting perspective since those in the city were most fearful of what was to come - they knew their homes would be bombed if the Winter War failed. This, among other reasons, is why one character sends her young son to Sweden to be fostered until the end of the war. There are not really any actual war/battle/fighting scenes and Sini isn't a nurse so she does cooking and errands.

The novel gives three perspectives but, for the most part, the focus is on Sini. She is somewhat of a sad-sack character since she spends most of the book mooning after two unavailable men and being reactive rather than proactive. The war is more of a backdrop to the romance here in her quest for love. Marko, meanwhile, is just confused for most of the book and wanders around endlessly saying to himself how much he loves Leila while he goes through the motions of war. Leila is so perfect that I expected little birdies to braid her hair in the morning while she sang happy songs; Sini's love interest Nikolai is prince charming in a Soviet uniform.

Admittedly, I couldn't help but roll my eyes from the melodrama. It felt like 80% of the book was the characters repeating over and over the same topic - mostly about how much they are in love with someone else. It made it a chore to read for that reason and several times I decided to give up on the book in annoyance. In the end, I did finish it but I can't say I enjoyed it.

Those looking for a great source on the Winter War can go to the 1954 book The Unknown Soldier by Väinö Linna (or watch the recent big production 2017 movie of the same name). Linna wrote the book in 1954 as a form of protest of the over glorification of the Finnish soldiers after the war by showing the Finnish soldiers as ordinary people, mostly from small towns and villages, doing bad things and being just as desperate or dirty as the Russian soldiers. I imagine that choosing Marko's last name as Linna was an homage by author Lyon since Marko suffers the worst fate in the book of the three characters.

I listened to the audible version and I think a lot of the shallowness and problems with characterization may have come from the narrator. Her pronunciations of the Finnish words was adequate but the reading was bland and made the characters sound simplistic, rather stupid, and unrealistic. It was very hard to root for any of the main characters as a result. This also added to my issues with completing the novel.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually wanted to give it only 2.5, but rounded up because the story ends well.

***SPOILERS***

I did not like how chunky the story felt. It had very definite sections that did not transition well. I felt that Marko went to so many places along the war front simply to show us so much of the war. I understand war is hard and tragic and awful, but seriously? That many transfers in 3 months? And then to end up with him having delusions and then killing himself? It was way too much for one character in so short a time.

Sini was a sad character with lots of self deprecation. She didn’t do a great job of displaying the “sisu” they are so proud of. You couldn’t even feel sorry for her.

And to kill Leila on her way to pick up her son? That was ruthless. I know many lost their lives in war, but did 2/3 of the soldiers and volunteers really die? Senseless.

The overall story felt like it was history lesson with a little fiction to tie it all together. It felt forced.

The kindle version was so badly edited that there were glaring mistakes with words missing, extra random words inserted, and sentences that didn’t make sense. Words were skipped and it felt like it was a version caught between an edits. Was the sentence going to be plural? Nope, singular, didn’t fix that. Was it past tense? Nope. Present. But both words there. The script needed to be cleaned up of its massive typographical errors.

I’m disappointed an LDS author put in a sex scene. It surprised me and caught me off guard. This will not be one I re-read.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

I love reading about world war 2 and the different countries/events surrounding it. This book did not disappoint. I also totally did not see the twist coming and was pleasantly surprised at how the book ended. Fantastic read.

[Karen A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

World war 2. Horror of the camps. So brave

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book club book. While I enjoyed the narrator the content was too detailed and slow.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/12/2020)! 🎁

[sammstormborn]

I... uh... what?

Like, I loved the book until like the 65% mark and then it just went off the rails from there.

This occurs in Finland during the 100-Day Winter War in 1939 between Finland and the Soviet Union. Stalin invades but the troops are so under-prepared, like no camo, they end up starving and freezing to death. It focuses on Sini, who is in love with her upstairs neighbor, Marko, who is in love with his childhood best friend, Leila. He's a surgeon and goes off to volunteer for the war. Sini signs up to He goes off to war, she signs up to be a Lotta Svärd, to get away from Marko and her heartbreak. Sini ends up crossing paths with Leila and doesn’t hate her but sees she’s a wonderful woman. Leila had married Jaakob, her and Marko’s best friend. Jaakob died but they had a kid together. A Russian spy parachutes in and Sini saves him and helps him hide for a few weeks. The timeline was off there... at one point it was mentioned for weeks but then later on it says that he had been only hiding a week..
Anyway, Sini and Nikolai fall in love, they have sex in the food storage shed where he’s hidden. During this time, Marko is also sent there as a surgeon. He gets transferred elsewhere but finally confesses his love to Leila. She's not into it and says she sees him like a brother and has no plans to be with any man because she has to focus on raising her child. In the meantime, Sini reports Nikolai to save him (the Finns put the pieces together that there's a Russian who parachuted in and he's in their camp). As punishment, Sini is sent to the front lines. Marko has a psychotic break during surgery, there’s so much death and destruction. After the war ends, Sini is pregnant and without Nikolai who spat on her as he was led away, she thinks he hates her. Sini and Leila meet up and Leila’s son is being returned to her from Sweden. As they’re walking, Marko, now a drunkard who has severe psychosis, accosts them. He thinks he's rooting out Russian spies. He thinks everyone is a spy and that even as he sees Sini and Leila, he doesn't recognize them, and accosts them. He then grasps a small bit of reality and realizes it's Leila and Sini. But they're in the road and the women are trying to get him to cross it as he's like wavering between psychosis and some lucid moments. But then Leila is hit and killed by a tram. She legit says something like "You're his mother now" to Sini. Marko then flees into a “trench” - the ocean and dies. During the war, Leila had made Sini her son’s godmother. Cut to 15 months later and Sini has Leila and Jaakob's son and her own child, Leila. Nikolai rocks up and they confess their love to each other.

Like, the first 75% of the book was good enough. But then it just went bananas. Marko absolutely off his rocker, thinking Sini and Leila were Russian spies. And they didn’t even recognize him even though it had been a couple months since they last saw each other but only a few weeks since his break. For how far gone he was, because he was functioning somewhat OK at the ceasefire, he's become a severe alcoholic and deeply psychotic. I get that the author kinda laid the groundwork - he had multiple times where he kinda dissociated, was rocked by the mutilation and horrors of war. But for how entrenched he was in this new headspace - being a spy and trying to root out Russians, drinking his "medicine", etc... like how did he get back there after the ceasefire? He was kinda broken after the final barrage and just walked on in a fog but how did he get back to his home city? If he was that deeply in a psychotic break where he couldn't even recognize or remember his name or the woman he loved, how did he get back to his home city? How could the Finnish army have released him from duty? Or is he AWOL? How could he look and be so drastically different like two weeks later from the ceasefire? And then having him just yeet himself into the ocean... again, I get it -- mentally unsound... But the author had seemingly laid the groundwork for this to be a double love story - Sini and Nikolai and then Leila and Marko. Is the point that war fucks everyone up and no one can have a happy ending? But yet Sini and Nikolai seemingly get one. Why couldn't Leila get to live her life with her son? Why did she have to be (basically) killed by Marko (accidentally)? What purpose does her death serve? Sini would have been a single mother on her own and part of Leila's family, she was the son's godmother and they planned to live together. Having Marko be the cause of her death kinda sends the message that mentally ill folks, especially those who have had psychotic breaks, are inherently dangerous. And then add to that that Marko dies a pretty horrific death - that the only solution is death... I understand the author really wanting to emphasize the life-altering horrors of war, I truly do. And saying how it affects those around them... I think it could have been accomplished without Leila's death (like having her injured, in a coma, she only comes out of it after a few days, and is disabled and has to do rehabilitation...). And I get that the author is also saying that there are casualties even after war but this book is billed as a romance. Part of the contract readers have with romance authors or books billed as romances first is that there is a happy ending. I could have called this a happy ending if Leila had lived. And I also get that the author was kinda completing the circle that Sini went through - orphaned at a young age - but she breaks the cycle of those who take in the child don't really want them and see them as a burden. I just feel that the same points could be gotten across while allowing Leila to live and be with her son and having Sini gain a family.

Also, I wish the author had included a POV from Nikolai because there were POVs from the other three. He was kept as a POW for the remainder of the war and then found his family again. 15 months he stayed away from Sini. He couldn't pen her a note? What happened after he was captured? Was he tortured? How could Sini have gotten off that lightly by hiding an enemy in their camp? Even just like one chapter would have been nice. I get trying to build suspense of is Nikolai alive... but then why not have a longer chapter where Sini and Nikolai are reunited and he talks about his time in captivity more? Or how he got to Finland? How he was able to reunite with his family?

This also had a kinda religious ending and message - that being mother and wife is the only thing that completes you. And that Sini, while in the shelter with Nikolai and her two kids, God or Leila "speaks" to her saying that her family will live. In one way, I don't like that but in the other, it does kinda give some "closure" because Finland faces another few brutal wars in the coming months and years.

So, yeah, a lot of questions kinda unanswered and overall just dissatisfying for me. Ugh, I was so loving it until that point of Sini yarfing and going "omg I don't have a fever... why am I sick? Never mind, I am just weak!"

I get it... the author trying to show the war takes a toll on everyone but damn, this was billed as a romance book.

ETA: I also feel like I struggled to connect with the character a bit because a lot was focused on pining for someone. I liked the detail of setting, the realities of the war, and there was some character growth. Also, I am someone who reads romances of any type - open or close door. Some folks are upset about a "sex" scene. They get into some heavy kissing, the word "breast" is mentioned once, and then it fades to black. I thought it was nice because it showed tenderness and their connection beyond an emotional level.

ETA2: I hope this doesn't sound like I hated the book. I am just disappointed because I think it had such great potential. And I really loved the first 65% or so. I will definitely give this author another read because I like her writing style and I like that she has a few set in Finland.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly vivid retelling of the Winter War. Annette placed her characters amidst the worst of war, giving them real trials, some distasteful. On a historical aspect the novel is truly beautiful.

[Nari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has so much depth. It is well researched. It is a great story. I loved the history in the book. I like learning something knew while I read.

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Story & Listen🎧 Riveting & Heartfelt!

The Girl in Gray
By: Annette Lyon
Narrated by: Krista Nicely

This is an amazing historical fiction, it is beautifully written and told. I am new to Annette Lyon’s work and I will definitely be checking out more of her work. She is a gifted author, I enjoyed her writing style, her descriptive details brings you into the story along side the characters allowing you to see and feel what the characters see and feel. I found the story completely engrossing and could not pull myself away. The storylines and characters that are realistic and easy to relate to which makes the story even more meaningful and moving. You can tell how much heart the author but into this book. The story takes place in Finland, winter of 1939, the Russians are invading Finland which turns in to an 105 battle. The lead character is Sini Toivola, she lives in Helsinki and has been in love with Marko Linna, who finished med school. She learns her feeling are not reciprocated, Marko has feelings for someone else, someone she can not have. Needing a change she volunteers to help with war efforts, becoming a “Lotta Svärd” which will bring her to the front lines. With no special training she becomes support services helping out in a Medical unit. She becomes friends with Leila, small world her husband was Marco’s best friend. Marko was also sent to the front lines, first working with a combat unit, then sent to a medical unit before returning to combat before the war’s end. Sinni learns what real love is like and realizes her infatuation with Marko was just that, an infatuation. Life during wartime is not a pretty one, we witness some of the atrocities that go on and what they went thru, gut-wrenching and heart-rending at times. The author does a great job presenting some of the challenges those serving faced. The book is well plotted and the story flows naturally. There is plenty of drama and emotions in this story and you can tell how much heart the author put into her work. I highly recommend it, it is a great historical fiction, there is plenty of drama, action, heartfelt moments, heartbreaking ones and a bit of romance. Annette Lyon, thank you for this stunning, heart-pounding story and emotional journey.

I listened to the Audible edition, Krista Nicely is a fabulous narrator and voice artist. She does an amazing job portraying the characters, bringing them to life, giving each their own voice and personality. You could hear how much heart she puts into her work as she captures the characters emotions and projects them into her performance. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen🎧

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books tells the story of three lovestruck people who are called to duty when a heavily-armed Russia invades Finland in the winter of 1939 (The Winter War lasted 105 days from November 30, 1939 to March 13, 1940). The Finns were outnumbered and out-machined, but the Finns knew how to survive by using their country's frigid white winter to their advantage.

Sini Tolvola didn't prepare herself for a career because she never put in the work to graduate from university. Working in a yarn shop, she has had a loveless life, with both her parents dead. As a child she was shuttled from one relative to another. At the start of the novel, she is hopelessly in love with Dr. Marko Linna, but he hardly knows she exists. Even as a friend, he barely pays her any mind. He is deeply in love with Leila, the wife of his deceased friend Jaakob. He, Jaakob and Leila were a childhood threesome, but Leila chose and married Jaakob. Leila has a son Taneli who she has sent to Sweden to keep him safe after a train explosion nearly killed them both. She feels an abiding sense of failure for having to send him away.

When Marko doesn't show up at Sini's for a welcome home dinner she has spend hours preparing, she feels devastated to finally realize that he will never care for her. To escape her heartbreak, she joins the female volunteer corps - the Lotta Svärd - and is sent to serve near the front lines. Trying to forget Marko, she throws herself into her work until one day she finds a Russian soldier who has accidentally parachuted into their camp. She decides to save the soldier (who is part Finnish) and hide him in the dugout where food is stored. It's no surprise that a relationship develops between Sini and Nikolai.

The story is told mostly from Sini's point of view, but alternating chapters tell Marko's point of view and even Leila's point of view. Sini is suffering from her unrequited love of Marko, while Marko suffers from his unrequited love of Leila. Marko is a doctor and wants to save lives and is torn when he is placed on the front lines and has to kill people. Even when his superiors discover his abilities and he is placed on duty in a field hospital, he can hardly stand to work in conditions where he is unable to save many soldiers with grave and horrifying injuries.

Most interesting is the historical aspect of the story which tells of a war I had never heard of. Many of the incidents in the book are directly from the actual war, and some of the commanders are real-life characters. It was amazing that Finnish ingenuity and sisu (which means something like pluck and determination) enabled Finland to fend off Russia's heavy weaponry and huge numbers of soldiers.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is well written and gives a good picture of the war but it wasn't my cup of tea. I'd probably give 4 stars for writing but I just didn't like it that much. I listened to the audio-book and was muddling along just fine until Sini harbors an enemy soldier in camp and almost immediately falls in love and has sex. And that was when I began to dislike listening to it. I kept thinking how Sini is so love starved and insecure that the first moment someone actually pays attention to her she gives him not just food, supplies and shelter but also her heart and body. I ended up not really liking Sini as a character. She seemed too pathetic. Marko is dense about Sini's feelings for him and takes advantage of Sini's desperate hope for his love as she constantly feeds him free meals etc... Leila is too angelic. Nikolai might have been my favorite of them except that he also takes advantage of Sini though his feelings are probably more real. I just didn't really love any of them. And because of that the book felt long. A lot of the romance aspects of the story I predicted would happen but there was some stuff in the book that totally came out of the blue and my response was kind of an "ewww". I didn't like it. I think if you love war stories where romances don't end up tied into a nice pretty bow you might like this story better than I did.

Part of what I didn't like is that I expected this author to always write "clean" romance and in this book there was sex, language and violence. I wasn't expecting it. The sex was fade to black I think. When the foreplay got descriptive I skipped ahead because I just didn't care so there could have been more written about it than I thought.

The narrator did a good job with the characters and the Finnish names etc.

Sex: yes
Language: some, including Deity
Violence: it is a war story
*I received a complimentary copy of this audio-book from the author and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

⚠️TW’s ⚠️

- Mild language

-Violence

- Ch 21: Fade to black scene

✨The war had made some people reject the idea of God, but the opposite had happened for her. She didn’t yet know what she believed, only that she found comfort and strength and prayer✨

✨If ever there were a man with whom a future relationship was doomed from the start, a Russian solider in the middle of war was it ✨

✨Don’t worry I’ll find you ✨

✨Love didn’t heal old wounds so much as it increased the size of your heart ✨

📖

Sini discovers a Russian solider lost behind their camp. Duty requires her to turn him in, but her heart begs to keep him safe and help him escape.

My thoughts:

✨ Deep Breaths Because… WOW ✨

I’m not even kidding when I say I cried myself to sleep after finishing this novel — Annette Lyon, you’ve officially wrecked me (in the best way possible). The character work in this story? Chef’s kiss.

Let’s start with Nikolai. I am OBSESSED. Like… HELLO?! Every single one of his scenes had me squealing, giggling, and clutching the book like a lovestruck teen. He’s charming, layered, and utterly unforgettable — I was DEVOURING his every word.

And don’t get me started on Sinii. The growth?? The transformation?? She went from unsure to absolute queen energy and I ATE. IT. UP. Watching her come into her power was one of the most satisfying arcs I’ve read in a while.

The dynamics between the characters — especially Nikolai and Sinii — had me crying literal happy tears. If you know, you know. It’s raw, emotional, and so beautifully done.

Now… Marko & Leila. I can’t. I actually can’t. Every time I think about them, my heart gets all tangled up in knots. There are no words — just feelings. So many feelings. 😭

If you’re on the fence about reading this book, take this as your sign. Read it. Let it break you. Let it rebuild you.

God Bless everyone 🙏

[J. Else · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finland, December 1939. She cooked all day, he never came that night. Stood up for the last time, Sini’s had enough of waiting around for a man, Marco, who’s in love with someone else, and decides to get as far from him as possible. She enlists in the Lotta Svärd, a volunteer women’s corps. While on duty, she learns one of the nurses in her camp is the woman Marco’s in love with. To complicate her life further, she discovers a lost Russian spy in the woods. Sini knows he’ll freeze to death and decides to hide him for the night. As they get to know each other, feelings grow. However, each passing night becomes more and more difficult for them. Should she turn him in or let herself continue to be swept away by a love she’s never felt before?

As a Minnesota native, I can somewhat relate to the bitter cold the characters experience during the deathly frigid Winter War while at the same time knowing it was even colder at that time. Annette Lyon deftly explores Finnish ingenuity against the mighty Russian army in extreme environmental conditions. Sini is a woman who’s taking control of her life and finding her way amid this conflict. Her struggles while being pushed to her limits are heartfelt and relatable. The narrative switches among her, Marco, and Leila (the woman Marco loves) at significant character moments.

There are a few typographical errors in the book. I also didn’t like the majority of the ending. There are too many unresolved feelings left between the characters. Despite this, the meat of this book is quite captivating. It is a well-researched story of the hardships of war and its toll intermingled with empowering threads of friendship and love.

Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book follows the journeys of 4 people during the Soviet-Finnish War that took place just before WWII. Throughout the book, we witness how the attitudes and perspectives of the main characters are changed by the death and despair around them.

While the author may have intended to write a coming of age story, this book ended up being a soap opera of a historical fiction story. For example, Sini was introduced as an insecure girl with an unrequited love for her neighbor, Marko. Wanting to become more like Leila, the girl who Marko is in love with, she joins the war effort as a volunteer in the Lotta Svärd. There, she ends up meeting and falling in love with Nikolai, a Russian soldier on the opposing side who happened to secretly be against the Soviet regime. It was all too coincidental to be believable.

Overall, too dramatic for my liking.

[Cindy Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling reading

To my shame, I knew nothing about this time. This wonderfully written book filled in a lot of history for me. I have a natural affinity for the Scandinavian pennisula, having visited there a few years back. Imagining this lovely country torn apart by a war, albeit a short one, is distressing, but seeing the p!uck of her people as they fought back against unimaginable odds reminded me of the courage she has instilled in them. Many of the Finnish words strewn throughout the writing were unfamiliar; their meanings soon became clear.
I got this book through my Amazon Prime account. It was nothing like what I was expecting. Thank you, Ms Lyon, for an excellent read.

[Renae Mackley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking and well-written book. The beginning felt slow to me because I didn't feel a connection to the characters in knowing their goals or a story goal until later. We are introduced to several characters, which is necessary to see the starting point of their arcs, but I felt sorry for Sini without understanding where the author was going. It does work eventually, so hang in there if you feel the same. Their intersections are worth waiting for. The atrocities of war are depicted well without becoming gruesome. Expect both hope and sadness--not a beach read but definitely recommendable.

[Dion Ra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic and well-researched glimpse into the Winter War, that made me love and respect Finland even more than I already did. <3

One star deducted for breaching the implied contract between author and readers - in a romance book, even one with a backdrop of war where many secondary characters are killed, point of view characters that we have come to love shouldn't be killed off. And especially not for the sake of tying a neat bow around the actual protagonist's story. It came off as very contrived, as well as upsetting.

Still, overall, an enjoyable and informative read. :)

[Caryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Lyon gives us a fascinating look into the Winter War. Sini joins the Lotta Svärd, the female volunteer corps, looking for a fresh start. Her sisu, resilience, is tested in the fire of war. I admired the sisterhood of the Lottas. This story is a captivating adventure.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction.

I borrowed a copy through Kindle Unlimited. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Heather Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprising- and not in a good way

It was so well written and showed so many aspects and horrors of war and post war in a country other than the US that I wanted to give it a 4 or 5, but I couldn't. I did not expect a sex scene from this author. Disappointing. I wanted my teen to read the book until that part, now I can't recommend it. I'll be cautious about this author's books in the future.

[Alysia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm somewhat divided in my opinions of this book. The author did a great job with detailing the 100 day war. The was a lot of sadness in this book, which I know is a result of war, however, I wish that there would have been more happiness and resolution for more of the characters in the end. Seriously, the end of the book...after making it through the war....not my favorite.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ww2 book

I loved this book, learned a ton about Finland and the winter war. I wouldn't recommend it to teens because it does have some passionate kissing and one of the character ends up pregnant and unwed. It doesn't go into a lot of details. It also has many harsh details about war.

[Montana Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerous love.

I couldn't imagine how the story would end! I did figure out that she would become pregnant and I could feel her anxiety during and after she found him. AND her dismay with everything when she turned him in. I felt fairly sure that he was acting when taken away, but wasn't sure. Happily ever rafters are my favorite stories.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in Finland, Russia, and their Winter War, this is a great read. I like that this novel contains many cultural references that are spot on about the country of Finland, and many interesting and accurate accounts from the actual war itself. So it's a good story but also provides insights into real events that actually happened. Informative and entertaining.

[Kimberly Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memorable look at the lesser-known Finnish-Russian battle lines of WWII. Fans of historical romance will enjoy this love triangle set in the frozen northern forest.