Title: Moonlight in Odessa
Author: Janet Skeslien Charles
Pages: 339
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Copyright: 2009
Format: Hardback
Rating: 
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My book blogger secret santa sent me this lovely book for Christmas this year.
Daria is a tough, smart, and sexy twenty-something living in Odessa, Ukraine. She managed to get a college degree in engineering but, in the economic aftermath of perestroika, finally has to take a job as a secretary at a foreign firm. She earns fairly good money, but her boss, Mr. Harmon, is a bit lecherous. To ward off his advances, she finds him another mistress, who promptly goes after Daria’s job. Worried about her job, she moonlights as an interpreter for “Soviet Unions,” a company that finds wives for rich Americans. When she begins corresponding with one of those Americans, she must choose between her home and the promise of America. And things don’t quite go according to plan.
I liked this book. Well, more particularly, I liked Daria, and I liked Odessa. I wanted to spend more time with Daria, who was kind and warm. I did occasionally get annoyed with her perceptions and decisions, but she definitely developed as a character. And I loved learning about Odessa and post-Soviet Asia. I did find things lagging a bit in the middle third of the book, but overall the plot was interesting and moved along. The writing was good, though there were quite a few distracting typos. In all, this is an imperfect but enjoyable book.
Moonlight in Odessa, by Janet Skeslien Charles
Other Reviews:
Book Magic
Book Nook Club
Buy Moonlight in Odessa at Powell’s Books or Amazon.com
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{ 3 comments }
Now you’ve got me wondering how things did go for Daria! Nice review.
I have a copy of this book on my shelf, although I can’t remember where I got it. It looks intriguing, but I’ve never picked it up to read it, and I think your review is the first one I’ve read. I love characters you wish you could spend more time with, and the setting definitely intrigues me. I’m looking forward to reading this one, but I’m glad to know not to expect the perfect novel.
Also, I noticed you’re reading Sloppy Firsts! I read all five Jessica Darling novels last summer and enjoyed them. Happy reading!
.-= nomadreader´s last blog ..young adult book review: The Heart Is Not a Size =-.
Yay!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I agree with you about the middle third; luckily, I thought the end of the story redeemed it, making it one of my favorite reads of last year. (Admittedly, I had several others that ranked ahead of it, but you’d read them all, so we had to go down the list a couple notches.)
.-= sprite´s last blog ..keep the coffee coming =-.
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