Susan May Warren's Sands of Time ~ Reviewed

Sands of Time
by Susan May Warren
Published by Steeple Hill
ISBN: 13:978-0-373-78568-1

An inexplicable ailment was striking down the children of Russia; in less than forty-eight hours, American medical missionary Sarai Curtiss had watched two young patients slip away, and she feared she might have an epidemic on her hands. Yet how could she help anyone in the middle of a violent coup? The new leadership had demanded all foreigners leave the state--on pain of death.

Unwilling to leave her clinic, but unable to combat her enemies alone, Sarai had to join forces with an unlikely ally--Roman Novik, the rebel Cobra Captain who broke her heart. Faced with a corrupt government, a brutal military and the truth of their own deepest feelings, it would be a race against time to save the lives on the line--and an entire country at risk.

Written with the layering and preciseness I've come to expect from this author, I did struggle with the setting. The first chapter seemed out of place and unnecessary and set a tone of confusion that stayed with me until Roman and Sarai finally met. From there the story took on a brighter shine and I enjoyed the conflict between the two and their race against time. Susan has a knack for penning romantic characters who are fascinating to watch as they unpeel the many layers of each others weaknesses. I found Yanna more of a hindrance to Roman than a help, but the overall quality of the writing made up for that small irritation.

Reviewed by Imogene Foltz