About the Book

Book: The Ice Swan
Author: J’Nell Ciesielski
Genre: Historical Romance
Release date: July 6, 2021

Amid the violent last days of the glittering Russian court, a Russian princess on the run finds her heart where she least expects it.

1917, Petrograd. Fleeing the murderous flames of the Russian Revolution, princess Svetlana Dalsky hopes to find safety in Paris with her mother and sister. But the city is buckling under the weight of the Great War, and the Bolsheviks will not rest until they have erased every Russian aristocrat from memory.

Born the second son of a duke, the only title Wynn MacCallan cares for is that of surgeon. Putting his talents with a scalpel to good use in the hospitals in Paris, Wynn pushes the boundaries of medical science to give his patients the best care possible. While treating Svetlana for a minor injury, he is pulled into a world of decaying imperial glitter and underground Russian clubs where drink, culture, and questionable dealings collide on bubbles of vodka.

Out of money and options, Svetlana is forced into a marriage of convenience with Wynn, who will protect her and pay off her debts. It’s the right thing for a good man to do, but Wynn can’t help hoping the marriage will turn into one of true affection. As the Bolsheviks chase them to different corners of the earth, Wynn and Svetlana begin to see they will never be able to outrun the love they have for one another.

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About the Author

With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the Romance Through the Ages Award and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.

My Review

The Ice Swan
by J’nell Ciesielski
Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. This book was very good. The author weaves a fascinating story set during the Great War surrounding Russian royalty and a Scottish surgeon. I was pulled in from the beginning and didn’t want to stop reading. There’s some suspenseful elements within the narrative since the Bolsheviks are still after any remnants of the royal family but the swoony love story is beautiful. I loved the female lead, Svetlana, so much because she was trying to go against her snobby upbringing and Russian coldness but she still had her own trust issues like so many of us. As a medical student, I liked the male lead, Wynn, a lot because he was just trying to save his patients. He really cared about them but also had to acknowledge the “god-complex” that many surgeons have to deal with. The two of them really seem like a perfect match – obviously, they are not perfect individuals but they were perfect for each other. I wouldn’t have minded some more dancing in the book but the story didn’t necessarily need it (I just love ballet). As someone who has been to Russia, I also enjoyed all the Russian language and foods slipped into the story. I would have loved a Russian recipe at the end 😉

Although the book is published by Thomas Nelson, I would not classify this book as Christian fiction because the faith aspects are brief and almost non-existent. As intense as the situation was in Paris, I would have preferred more incorporation about how faith encourages during dark times, but the story is still very exciting and eye-opening.

Highly recommend if you enjoy clean, historical romance with action, suspense and a lot of heart.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

More from J’nell

When we think of the Great War we often only think about events happening right on the battlefield of France, Belgium, and Germany. It was a time of great upheaval for so many people and countries, none more so than Russia. It was during the Great War that the Bolsheviks rose up against the monarchy, assassinated the tsar and his family, and plunged Russia into civil war. The country was in such chaos that they pulled out of the war to deal with their own revolution. The Russian Revolution was the result of centuries of oppression and imperialism that finally boiled over. As the Bolsheviks seized power, nobles and anyone associated or favorable to the monarchy were stripped of their privileges and homes, many killed, and still thousands of others fled in fear of their lives where they became the great wave of White emigres.

The stories of the ill-fated Anastasia and the evil Rasputin are legendary, but it wasn’t until recently when I watched a Russian miniseries called Road to Calvary that I became fascinated with the nobles and their struggle and from all that an idea sparked that would become my upcoming release, The Ice Swan. It’s about a Russian princess fleeing the Revolution to Paris in 1917 where she meets a handsome surgeon who is breaking new grounds in cardiology. We see the plight of the White emigres who have taken refuge in Paris and founded their own little Russia in the heart of the city, the exhausted City of Light after four years of war, the overflowing hospitals, and highly controversial advancements in surgery. Plus, a romance to prove that true love can overcome any difference and who doesn’t need a little more love these days?