The Secret Wife: A captivating story of romance, passion and mystery Paperback – Illustrated, November 8, 2016

Really enjoyed this book. I love Historical Fiction and this just had some wonderful twists and interesting theories as to what could have "possibly" happened to the Romanov family.

SYNOPSIS:Kitty’s modern story of broken love, denial, and resolution takes place as she cleans out and fixes up an isolated lakeside cabin inherited from an unknown grandfather. Running from a cheating husband, she turns her back on both him and her emotions by digging into the project of making the cabin inhabitable after 30 years of neglect.Who was he? Why did her family tell her that her grandparents were dead before she was born when that wasn’t the case? And how did a Faberge pendant with real jewels get under the rotting outdoor staircase?Those are the questions that open the door to the different time and place of her grandfather Dmitri’s life. Love, war, passion, regret, and resignation are the themes of his story that intertwines with one of the Russian Romanov sisters during World War I, the subsequent Bolshevik revolution, and picking up the pieces of his shattered soul to create a new life from the ashes of total loss.REVIEW:Kitty’s story in modern times is superficial and banal in comparison to her grandfather’s. It’s standard boiler plate and not much more. As a stand-alone, I give it 2 stars at best.It took a big leap of faith to accept that the glint of a small gold pendant laying in the dirt under a rotting outdoor staircase after THIRTY YEARS of snow and rain would catch her eye. Please.In addition, the resolution of her broken love story came way too easy. A long string of unread emails from her husband Tom, one letter read by Kitty, and no real conversation brings resolution? I’m sorry, but it goes against Kitty’s character profile as set up by the author.Then there was the “sex scene” at the end of Kitty’s and Tom’s first meeting after their break up. It literally made me groan out loud. Not because it was poorly written, but because it was (again) so superficial and boilerplate. After their dinner conversation of reconnection, a vulnerable exchange that ignites a spark of deep recognition on both sides would have more than sufficed as a reunion that opens the door to rebuilding a future together. The reader’s imagination could take it from there. As written, however, it only made me want to brush away Kitty’s story like you would a pesky fly buzzing around your ear.Dmitri’s story, however, is in a whole other league.The multi-textured backdrop for a complex protagonist with clear motivations makes it rich and rewarding on many levels. His story will stay with me for a long time.Without giving spoilers, the intimate look it gives you into the Russian side of World War I and the social ramifications of their revolution in the individual lives of the common man—as well as those of Tsar Nicholas’ Romanov family—will break your heart. There were moments when I gasped out loud and my hand flew to my face to cover my mouth as events unfolded.Insights to Dmitri’s motivations are honest and deep. The author perfectly captures the pure love—as well as raw angst—running rampant in Dmitri’s psyche as he struggles with his choices and their ramifications in a world that’s falling to pieces around him.How the author wove in the clues of the past to Kitty in the future was elegant and satisfying. All in all, I give Dmitri’s story a solid 5 stars.Put the stories together, the book earns 4 stars. But only because Dmitri, Tatiana, and Rosa carry the day.RECOMMENDED FOR:Lovers of historical fiction, Romance, and Russian history.

This book is a treat to historical fiction fans and I found it difficult to put it down!Kitty, has just learned of the infidelity of her husband and the shock of it causes her to leave for a remote cabin in Lake Akanabee, which she inherited from a great-grandfather she barely heard of. This escape leads Kitty to unravel a mystery that has long remained so in history.The story alternates between the era of the Russian revolution, which led to the execution of the last royal family in Russia, the Romanov, and 2016, the year Kitty is in. During the Russian war one of the daughters of Tsar Nicholas, Grand Duchess Tatiana who served as a nurse falls in love with one of the injured soldiers, Dimitri. The story goes on to show how the deteriorating situation in Russia threatened the sovereignty and the security of the Romanov family and the inevitable impact on the relationship between Tatiana and Dimitri.When the royal family were kept in captivity, it became evident that their survival was threatened. Dimitri carried out several attempts to rescue the royal family until the news that they were all brutally executed by the Bolsheviks dropped.While Dimitri managed to re-build a life in America afterwards, the certainty of the death of all the Romanovs was never proved and Dimitri always wondered about Tatiana's fate.Did Dimitri finally get his answers about what really happed to the family and especially Tatiana?How is the fate of the Grand Duchess Tatiana, Dimitri and Kitty linked?The account of the suffering that the war brought on her characters is both vivid and haunting. Gill Paul also beautifully portrays a love that survived the trials of war and separation.

This is by far one of the best novels I have ever read. The story line is captivating from the first word to the last. Am amazing love story between two people against all odds.

Love the romance with all the imperfections and details in settings, culture, time and yet all so universally true. Loved the two timelines and historical context.

This book was excellent! The transition from past to present was seamless. The story was very well told. I would recommend to anyone looking for a good romance

From the time I've received this book I've been unable to put it down and I finished it in a day's time. It's one of those books that keep you hooked till the end... Definitely a best seller and a must buy!

Was wonderful.

Excellent, wonderful, a marvelous romance between history and today life.The Romanov history is just a tragedy of people' craziness.

Although this is fiction, the author did an excellent job of blending known facts from the tragic Romanov past with a beautiful love story. A modern day novelist who has inherited a cabin in the Adirondacks from a grandfather that she did not know, begins to search for her own history after her husband has betrayed her. As she gathers facts from what she finds at the cabin and seeks out sources who can help her fill in the gaps, a mesmerizing love story, that dates back to her grandparents during the time of the Russian revolution, emerges. It was a captivating read and spurred me to read more about the tragic demise of the Romanov family. It was fascinating as well after reading this story to find a actual picture of the "lovers" when I searched the web.

So many historical details, romantic without being sappy. Great novel, another version of Russian history...who knows how did it really go.