Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The historical aspect of this book appealed to me but although there was a lot of detail about the revolution and civil war much of it did not ring true: Nikolai and Sophia seemed to have no trouble getting hold of hospital supplies, such as bandages and drugs, there were references to food (the picnic) which are not credible, some of the language is contemporary, not of that time 'not a big deal' would not have been used then, and there is a reference to Lidocaine which was not available until 1946.
Sophia's character was unappealing, she seemed unable to decide if she wanted to commit to nursing or complaining about her new-found poverty. I sympathised with her love for Nikolai but although she professed to care for her husband I thought she was just using both men.
This book does not encourage me to read more by this author although I believe some readers will enjoy it as a light story with little depth.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I tried several times to get into this historical fiction set in Russia during the Revolution but could not find anything to keep pulling me back to the characters or plot. I think this was just mean as there are plenty of great reviews for this novel.

<b>Note:</b> I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

<i>There is no happiness without freedom.</i>

<i>When we love, we assume we are loved in return. We can’t imagine it any other way.</i>

Petrograd is on the eve of revolution. For Countess Sophia Orlova, the city of her childhood – the only home she has ever known – has become her deadly enemy. The mob are ready to get rid of anyone connected to the old regime, including Sophia. When rebels threaten to shoot Sophia and her husband, they are saved by Nikolai, a fervent supporter of the revolution. Determined to help Nikolai’s cause, Sophia sets up a hospital wing in the house, nursing injured victims by his side. Her kindness has captured Nikolai’s heart, but their burgeoning romance is forbidden. With battle lines drawn between the new and the old, both their lives are in danger…

This book, while long, kept me on the edge of my seat with the intense nature of the culmination of situations that Sophia found herself in. I really enjoyed the forbidden love aspect and the turmoil that Sophia faced between the love of her life with someone that really understood her and the duty that she felt to the life that she had.

This is one of the best books I have read this year! I couldn't put it down, I just had to know what happened - and if anyone is reading this review, the anniversary of the Russian Revolution is in November, so what a perfect time to find a comfortable spot and open this book! I believe this one book is Ms. Kortchik's best! This book is a excellently researched, and I loved the relationships between the characters. Wonderful, captivating writing and original plot gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader. I highly recommend this author and her other book was also nothing less than fantastic. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to own this novel in print.

Wow what a rollercoaster of a ride… jaw-dropping and edge-of-the-seat… Instantly hooked… I literally couldn't put it down… I can't recommend this book enough!!!! Packed with tension and suspense… Had me sat on the edge of my seat. Outstanding… Blew my mind!... Simply brilliant….. Terrific!… one heck of a rollercoaster ride…

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the advance reader copy.

It was obvious from the beginning how much went into giving us a well researched and written narrative. Each of the main characters provided a different side of the conflict and were interesting in their own right but beyond that there was just something that didn't click for me. That's not to say it wouldn't be a potential 5-star read for others, just not for me.

High praise for this novel!

I am really amazed by this book. Speaking as a total world war one genre lover, this book is very fresh. I say that because the publishing world is full of stories from the western perspective, very rarely do I find novels not based in "the western front".

The Countess of the Revolution takes you on a fascinating journey through the eyes of a well to do woman, yes she's a noble but not a high up royal like so many novels based in Russia as based with (always one of the grand duchess, am I right?)

At the start, you see how intense her husband feels for her, never really sure if its actual love or just creepy possession, and honestly it's suffocating as a reader to read parts where he is involved. You really begin to feel sorry for our Countess Sophia, and what a nice twist with Nikolai. The ending by the way is so satisfying!

I really recommend this book, its great page turner and I completed it within one sitting. A good read for the upcoming winter!

Thank to Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this really good novel!

First time reading this author and what a fantastic book.
The countess of the revolution was quite an amazing read in regards the premise, characters and content.
This is a book that has been extremely well reserched and plotted and planned I really loved it and can highly recommend.

I was given an ARC copy of this book by NetGalley and thought it sounded an interesting premise. It did not disappoint, I absolutely loved it. It is brilliantly researched and very well written. Sophie, Dimi and Nikolai were all fascinating characters, not good nor bad - all with shades of grey. The love triangle was very realistic and I really cared about all the characters. This is the best book I’ve read in ages.

This exciting novel is both a historical novel and a love story. Two brothers love the same woman married to one of them in the background of the Russian civil war.....
What I really enjoyed about this novel is the fact that both brothers have completely different political opinions, views of life while Sophia feels empathy for both sides, not condoning the violence though! Through their dialogues, their differences, I learned a lot about what led to the civil war, its disappointments, hopes and of course the scale of the horrors committed. This was extremely interesting and also thought provoking. Very well researched, this novel has captivating me all way through. Highly recommended!

"The Countess of the Revolution" is the story of Sophia, who leads a privileged existence in St Petersburg. She has never had to work at anything other than the skills deemed fitting for a woman of noble birth. As the revolution turns her life upside down she starts to question the values she lives by and whether they can be considered morally acceptable.

This book provides a different view of the Russian Revolution which is moving and insightful. You may find yourself questioning some of your own values by the end of it.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

I have always had a morbid kind of fascination with dark periods in history and the Russian Revolution - for obvious reasons, is one of them. This book was well written with a captivating stroyline and well developed characters. It was everything I love about historical fiction and more.

I absolutely loved this book. It was interesting in that it gave so much insight into an historical event that I knew very little about, that is the Russian Revolution that began in 1917 towards the end of the Great War.

The reader is thrown into the story right from the very first page and with little knowledge of the Russian Revolution – who was involved, why and what the politics of it were, I googled it very early on in the book so that I had some background. It is fiction, but is written around the real events of the time and places, and is both insightful but quite disturbing too. You can see how quickly mob rule becomes completely out of control and how a divided society becomes so volatile. I found it such a fascinating story which gave much food for thought, especially in relation to the economic and political situation the UK is in right now.

They are all interesting characters. Sophia Orlova, a strong character, born into Russian aristocracy under Tsarist rule, she has lived a privileged life up to the beginning of the revolution only to lose most of what she had. But they could never take away her strength of character and she was incredibly loyal to both her husband and Nikolai after Nikolai saved both herself and her husband from certain death. Unlike her husband though, she could understand the unfairness of the oppression and cruelty the workers and lower classes had suffered under Tsarist rule for such a long time.

The plot, the characters, the writing are so compelling. I really did find this such a page turner and enjoyed it very much. Right up there with the best books I’ve read this year, it is so much more than a love story. Fantastic.

**To be posted to my blog as part of the blog tour**

This is an excellent read. Above all, a love story set in the throes of the Russian revolution. It pictures what it is like living as a civilian during war so mirrors the conflicts and choices for thousands caught up in a disastrous strife. In a more subtle way it is about class, choices, loyalty and compassion which are woven int9 the story well. Thoroughly recommended