Review: Hotel Moscow by Talia Carner

Hotel Moscow

by Talia Carner

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 448

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Brooke Fielding, a thirty-eight year old New York investment manager and daughter of Jewish Holocaust survivors, finds her life suddenly upended in late September 1993 when her job is unexpectedly put in jeopardy. Brooke accepts an invitation to join a friend on a mission to Moscow to teach entrepreneurial skills to Russian business women, which will also give her a chance to gain expertise in the new, vast emerging Russian market. Though excited by the opportunity to save her job and be one of the first Americans to visit Russia after the fall of communism, she also wonders what awaits her in the country that persecuted her mother just a generation ago.

Inspired by the women she meets, Brooke becomes committed to helping them investigate the crime that threatens their businesses. But as the uprising of the Russian parliament against President Boris Yeltsin turns Moscow into a volatile war zone, Brooke will find that her involvement comes at a high cost. For in a city where "capitalism" is still a dirty word, where neighbors spy on neighbors and the new economy is in the hands of a few dangerous men, nothing Brooke does goes unnoticed--and a mistake in her past may now compromise her future.


Kritters Thoughts:  I am not sure if I would classify this as historical fiction as it takes place in 1993, but at times I had to remind myself that this was taking place just 22 years ago.  Brooke Fielding, is on a forced vacation due to her job, so instead of going to relax on a beach she goes to Russia to help women gain some business knowledge as Russia is opening the market and leaving communism behind.

Brooke has entered Russia and is only there for 7 days, but from day 1 to day 7 it was a huge journey for the country.  I enjoyed seeing Brooke rebuild herself and "come of age" while Russia falls apart - I don't usually talk about themes, but this one really worked for me.  There were still many moments that I had to look up 1993 in Russia and kept reminding myself that this was fiction but could really be non-fiction.

I can't pinpoint what I didn't love about this book, it just seemed ok.  I am usually a fan of books that take place in Russia, but maybe I am more of a much older Russia instead of the more current one.  


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.