This is more of a romance than a novel about life in Kiev under German Occupation. Natasha is crossing a park with her grandmother one night in 1941 when a drunken German soldier attacks her and she is rescued by Mark, a Hungarian soldier who kills the German. Unfortunately, her sister Lisa's fiancee is rounded up and hung as part of the retribution and her grandmother later dies of a wound. Natasha, though. falls in love with Mark, who helps the family. There are snippets of the horrors faced in Kiev but this, while not ignoring them, doesn't go that deep (beware that loved ones do die) but focuses equally on Natasha's love for Mark, and later their twins. There are some false notes such as when Natasha trades her earrings for silk to make Lisa a dress rather than for food. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the WWII genre.

Enjoyed the pretty unique plot and I don't think I've come across anything similar. I went through a range of emotions while reading. Hugely believable characters set against a fascinating historical context. I've not previously read anything from the author but will keep an eye out for more!

I thought that this was a good story. There was lots of interesting information around the setting that I don't know about. Not read any books written in this era are based in Ukraine, I was particularly interested in the author's notes at the end of the book.
Some of the story made me gasp, some made me sad, but overall a book that I enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lana Kortchik and the publisher HQ digital for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The story starts with the invasion of the Nazi's in Kiev where Natasha lives with her family. When Natasha is attacked by a German soldier the last thing she expected was to be rescued by another German soldier, but it turns out that Mark is Hungarian not German and he definitely does not want to be a Nazi. As they continue to meet Natasha is falling in love with Mark but can this romance survive the atrocities of this war?

A great book with a lot of historical fact but also a storyline that I couldn't put down, the characters were believable and you were rooting for Natasha from the first pages....a book that stays with you after you have finished reading it

Thankyou to NetGalley, HQ Digital and the author, Lana Kortchik, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Story Of Us in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I am the first to admit, I am not a fan of the romance genre. But there was something about the beautiful cover art and the premise of the storyline that drew me to wanting to read it.
I am glad I did. I thought the book was well written and the characters engaging. It wasn't just a romance novel but a story of survival during WW2.
Worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was brilliantly written with a great cast of characters and intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages. Perfect read to escape from day to day life. A great read.

An amazing book, one of the best I've ever read. Set in Kiev during WW2 The Story of Us is both a devastating account if the German invasion and a heart rending love story.

~Reviewed by Monique~~



September 19, 1941, was the day when the Nazis invaded Kiev and Natasha Smirnova’s world as she knew it came to an abrupt end. The following day was even worse as a tragic event had devastating consequences for the Smirnovs, but it was also the day nineteen-year-old Natasha found love.

The Second World War is an era I know very well, and I’m also quite familiar with the history of the Soviet Union, so it was with trepidation and a tad of apprehension that I picked up THE STORY OF US. From the very first pages, the atmosphere was so well-established, that I was all in. Lana Kortchik possesses a marvellous descriptive voice, eloquent yet crisp, and I was immediately transported to WWII Kiev and all the uncertainty and terror that it implies. THE STORY OF US is heavy on history, which pleased me immensely, and it’s also essential to the plot, as the romance would not have happened otherwise. Natasha meets Mark under dreadful circumstances, and I loved that Mark – although fighting for the Nazis – is Hungarian and had been drafted by the occupying Germans, as were most of his compatriots.

THE STORY OF US is one of those books where nothing quite happens the way you expect it. I was shocked on several occasions, and the first time Natasha and Mark meet has disastrous consequences that snowball into a veritable nightmare. The cast is rather large, and not at all confusing because of the author’s talent at creating vibrant and multifaceted characters, and I loved the Smirnovs’ family dynamics. Not everyone you encounter will see the end of the book, and in one case it broke my heart. THE STORY OF US is painfully realistic, scrupulously historically accurate, meticulously researched, and the author writes with confidence, flair and aplomb. I also very much appreciated that Ms. Kortchik didn’t fall prey to revisionism with regards to the era and the Soviet Regime, and I was also pleased with the proper use of patronymics. It had also been a very long time since I had been so emotionally invested in the fate of fictional characters.

THE STORY OF US is a fantastic WWII story, particularly since its setting is one we seldom hear about: Ukraine. It’s a real nailbiter, and so engrossing that I had to drag myself away once and I couldn’t wait to continue reading. I felt that Mark and Natasha declared themselves in love rather too quickly, but then again, in a situation such as this, can we predict how we will act? I thought it was a bit bizarre though that Mark never had a last name. Unfortunately, in the last third of the book, the story lost some steam because of the romance, and not due to the usual reasons. There were some inconsistencies – but never from the historical side – and one detail nagged at me: how could one in their twenties forget the face of the love of their life within one year? Also, a very questionable decision on the part of one character felt like a hastily manufactured plot device; I thought it made one person seem rather callous, and made me respect the victimised character even more. The author also put a lot of efforts into making me dislike another character, and in my case, it failed, because the person was entirely justified in feeling wronged. It was a huge issue, a pivotal one for most of the developments in the storyline, but it was miraculously resolved outside the narrative in the epilogue, and it didn’t feel quite right. However, if I was somewhat disappointed in how the romance progressed in some areas, THE STORY OF US is an extraordinary historical fiction novel, and I hope Lana Kortchik continues in that vein, because her grasp of the era is such that I was convinced that real people were at the source of the story; it feels that genuine. For her debut novel, to say that Ms. Kortchik shows promise would be a major understatement.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for sending me a copy =]
A powerful and hard-hitting novel' – Deborah Swift
Love can’t be defined by war…
Watching the Red Army withdraw from Ukraine in the face of Hitler’s relentless advance, Natasha Smirnova realises her life is about to change forever.
As Kiev is cast under the dark cloud of occupation, Natasha falls in love with Mark, a Hungarian soldier, enlisted against all his principles on the side of the Nazis.
But as Natasha fights to protect the friends and family she holds dear she must face up to the dark horrors of war and the pain of betrayal. Will the love she and Mark share be strong enough to overcome the forces which threaten to tear them apart?
The Story of Us is a powerful tale of love, loss, and the power of hope set in Kiev during the Second World War, perfect for fans of Kate Furnivall, Pam Jenoff and V. S. Alexander.
What readers are saying about The Story of Us:
‘A really brilliant read’
‘Excellent research and a fascinating story’
‘Great story, definitely worth reading’
‘I was really drawn into the story and finished it in a few sittings, and would recommend it heartily’
‘Brilliant story, from the start to finish just couldn't put it down. Such a good author’


The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
This is my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
4.5 star rating!

I have a confession to make- yes I know yet another one. Prior to being invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘The Story Of Us’, I haven’t come across Lana Kortchik before. Oops. Safe to say that I certainly have come across her now and I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Story Of Us’ but more about that in a bit.
I couldn’t help but take to the character of Natasha Smirnova from the very first time I met her. She and her family are currently living with Natasha’s grandparents in an apartment in Kiev. The situation is made all the more tense and dangerous by the fact that the Second World War is going on around them. The Nazis invade Kiev and that’s when things get even worse for the Smirnova family. Natasha falls in love with a Hungarian man, who just so happens to be fighting with the German Army. Natasha is sweet, she is kind, she is clever, she is compassionate, she is hard working, she is determined, she is feisty, she can be stubborn and she loves all members of her family but she has a special bond with her Grandmother. I couldn’t help but hope that things worked out for her in the end as she deserves to be happy. Will things work out for her? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out because I am not going to tell you.
‘The Story Of Us’ is very well and beautifully written. The author has an easy writing style that grabs your attention from the moment you begin to read and she doesn’t let you go until you finish the book. The characters are described so well that they seemed to jump off the page and were very realistic. I found that I started to care about certain characters as if they were real people. I know this is a work of fiction but if I am totally engrossed in a book, I tend to ‘live’ the story as if it was real. I also have a vivid imagination which helps.
I soon became addicted to reading ‘The Story Of Us’ and I found it nigh on impossible to put the book down. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I was so wrapped up in the story that I just had to keep reading. The more I read, the more I wanted to read and the more attached to the book I became. I found that the pages started turning quicker the further I got into the book. It seemed to take me next to no time at all to get through the book and I had mixed feelings about finishing the book. Don’t get me wrong I was pleased to finish because it meant that I knew how the story ended but I was sad to finish because I was enjoying the book, the story, the characters and the author’s writing style so much that I just wanted the book to continue.
This Ginger Book Geek is a history nerd with particular interests in 20th Century history, the First Wold War and the Second World War so you can understand why the synopsis of this book appealed so much to me. I had read lots of books set in Europe during the Second World War but I have never read a book set in the USSR during the same time period. Well I certainly have now and I found it really interesting to read about the war from the Russian side.
In short I absolutely loved reading ‘The Story Of Us’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait to read what Lana Kortchik comes up with next and I will definitely be reading her first book too. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

A well-written, gripping historical novel - would definitely recommend. Will be looking out for Lana Kortchik’s next book.

The Story Of Us is one of those books that gets under your skin and will stay with you for a long time after you’ve finished reading. It’s a story of love, loss and hope that is an absolutely wonderful read.

The author does a fantastic job of setting the scene so that the reader really feels like they are in the Ukraine at the time of the nazi occupation. I felt all of the characters fear, laughter and loss as if I was one of them. It’s a part of the war that I hadn’t heard of before so I found it fascinating to learn more about it. Some of the events described in the book are real ones and I spent time looking up more about them afterwards. These were quite horrific and the author doesn’t hold back from describing them which made for very emotional reading.

The love affair between Natasha and Mark was lovely to read about. I really enjoyed seeing it develop especially as it bought some much needed relief from the horrors of war. It was great to see the hope it brought the characters, though I was always nervous that something would happen to destroy the relationship.

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction set in world war two and love learning about new parts of it. This book enthralled me from the start with the wonderful characters and the authors attention to detail helping to keep my interest. It’s incredibly gripping and I felt on the edge of my seat throughout much of it as I hoped that the characters would be ok. Like with any book involving the Nazis, there is an air of unpredictability and this also keeps you firmly on your toes as you wonder what will happen.

This unbelievably is the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her in the future. If you like enthralling historical fiction that makes you cry and laugh then you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Izzy from HQ stories for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

The Story of Us is a book about Nazi Germany's occupation of the Ukraine city of Kiev.  "The only thing Natasha Smirnova knew for a fact on the 19th of September 1941 when Hitler invaded Kiev was that life as she knew it was over."

Within a short period since the arrival of Hitler's troops, Natasha was assaulted by a German officer, and her grandmother was shot in an attempt to save Natasha.  The would-be rapist soldier was killed by another solider, Mark, who was conscripted into the army in his native country of Hungary.  He helped Natasha bring her wounded grandmother home, and although he was the enemy, Natasha could not help but to find him attractive.So, when she runs into him again on the street, she strikes up a conversation with him, only to find that he may not be the enemy after all.  His philosophy was that "the issue is that [the Hungarians] are unwilling participants in a capitalist war none of [them] can identify with.  That [they] are dying for a principle [they] do not believe in."  Hitler's war is not Mark's war.

Natasha and Mark start seeing each other on a regular basis, and she finds herself falling in love with him. Seeing each other in secret, they know the dangers of discovery, but are like moths to the flame.

When the Nazi's begin to execute the Jewish population of Kiev, and as the occupation continues (family homes and possessions are stolen, people are starving to death and/or sent to work camps), Natasha's romance takes on a bitter-sweet quality. "He was a Hungarian solider sent to Ukraine to support Hitler's troops. And she was a Soviet girl, who was completely and irrevocably under his spell.  What was she going to do?"

Will their love survive the war?

This book was very well written and researched, and will make you cry at times, and feel joy at times. I really like this book, which is why I guess I was so disappointed in the ending. The story seemed to wrap up too quickly in one chapter -- all the loose ends were just poof! tied up neatly in an instant in the last few pages.

Regardless of the ending, this book is definitely worth the read.

The Story Of Us by Lana Kortchik is a powerful and heart wrenching historical novel that will have the reader reaching for the tissues.
It is an epic read set in 1941 – 1943 surrounding the occupation of Kiev by the Nazis. It was a brutal time as lives were terrorized, starved, beaten and snuffed out. The population fell drastically during that time. The characters are fictional but with Lana Kortchik’s attention to detail, they feel very real. The reader empathises with their loses and hardship but really, in our twenty first century world, we have no idea of what they went through. It was far worst than our imaginings.
Living in the west and as a historian, I have studied Russia from 1900 and into the Cold War era. It was far from an easy place to live but the people always saw Stalin and the Red Army as their saviors. For an oppressed people where religion was frowned upon, some still turned to God. “Faced with a crisis, people turned their eyes to God, as if He was their only hope.”
War devastates lives on all sides. “What a waste this war is… for our people as well as the Germans.” There are only losers in war, no one really wins. “They were the eyes of an old man on a young man’s face.” You can never ‘unsee’ what you witnessed. It will haunt you forever. War ages people.
The Nazis were cruel and oppressive. “There are Nazis and there are Germans. Big difference.” Not all Germans were Nazis. There were pockets of kindness in war.
The novel is a beautiful love story. Some loves are forbidden but love blooms where it will, it does not ask a nationality. As love blossoms, the reader wonders where it will end up.
We all face choices. “There’s always a choice.” In war time, our choices may bring life or death. We must choose as our conscience dictates but “hunger is a powerful motivator.” In times of war our moral compass may be set off course, especially when it concerns our children. “You can’t settle for a safe option just because you’re afraid of getting hurt.” Sometimes we have to take a risk.
The Story Of Us is so powerful. The reader gets a glimpse into the world of terror that occupation brings. The people of Kiev were brave and resilient. They did not crumble. They lived on the hope of tomorrow. Many perished. Few survived. Thank you Lana Kortchik for highlighting the plight of the brave people of Kiev and producing an excellent story of this little known event.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
As an aside… this novel is particularly close to my heart as my uncle came from the Ukraine. He suffered at the hands of the Nazis and spent time in a concentration camp. At the end of the war, he was given the choice of going to Britain or America. He chose England. He never spoke of the war years. As I read, I saw this book as a tribute to him (and millions like him). Thank you Lana Kortchik.

Excellent book.
Captivating from the first page of life in Kiev during the German occupation of Russian
A historical novel with a good bit of romance
Rather predictable but non the less a good read
Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

2.75 stars
Kiev, 1941. Natasha Smirnov and her family witness the arrival of German soldiers in their city and it isn't too long until the citizens see the consequences of war. Most of the story is a love story as Natasha falls in love with a Hungarian soldier named Mark. When Natasha and her brother, Nikolai find an unconscious Red Army soldier named Yuri, the family finds themselves working against the Nazis and Natasha finds herself torn between two men fighting on opposite sides.

I read this book in a matter of hours but I felt more interested by the author's note than the whole love triangle.

This is a very good book about a Russian family during the Nazi occupation of Russia. The story focuses on Natasha, the third child in this family. She is a teenager in the first of the story and becomes a young adult as the story concluded. The Russians were treated horribly by the Germans. Their homes were confiscated and they were shot just for being in the wrong place. Natasha endures some really difficult times, she suffers the loss of some of the people closest to her. She meets a young dark-haired soldier from Hungary, who says he’s fighting against his beliefs. As an avid reader, I know that the people that survived this horrific time in history did go through many heart aches and physical atrocities but the story of Natasha almost is too much. But it is a good story, well written and the characters are well developed. I will recommend this book to family and friends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

I had high expectations for this book because I love this genre but I have to say The Story of Us just didn’t live up to. At first I almost finished reading it which is something I never do but I really wanted to know how the book wrapped up. The whole context of this book is superbly done with the historical part of it but i feel this story was your typical romance that you already know how it is going to end. Not a bad book just not one I will remember. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Somehow, as soon as I started reading it, I had a pretty good idea of how it was going to end. I'm not saying I predicted what would happen along the way, but the tone of the book just gave me hints as to how it would eventually end. That does not however mean I dislike it. I liked the characters, and the relationships between them were well written, and seemed to change and evolve in a realistic and interesting way. As everyone copes with loss in different ways, the reactions that people have to different events seems genuine, and I think Kortchik did a good job showing what happens when people are put in life threatening situations, and are forced to choose between family members and other loved ones. The plot line was very straightforward and easy to follow, which made the book read easily, and I was never bored by any of the scenes.
What I found myself disliking was in part the predictability, and the descriptions. I always knew what the temperature seemed to be, but I had a hard time placing any of this. I wouldn't know how to describe most settings in this book, except for a few that were important to Natasha, the main character. I also had a problem with the motivations of the unofficial villain of the book. It wasn't that she couldn't have motivations, it was there, but it was presented in such a way, that I didn't believe that she knew the secret that would actually make her mad, and therefore, I didn't see her as a misunderstood person, just someone who was trying to ruin the life of someone else.
I liked the ending, and while it could feel sort of Deus Ex Machina like, I think with the time jump from the last chapter to the epilogue, there was a enough of a gap that it felt like significant things would have happened in that time, and where we see everyone two years later is better because of that time. Overall it was an enjoyable read, and the flaws can be overlooked for an easy romance that you can read in a day.