Katya – young, beautiful and impoverished – arrives in Paris, hoping to begin a new life. She leaves behind a terrible secret, and her survival in this strange and beautiful new city depends on nobody ever discovering who – and what – she is.
Immediately, Katya is swept up in the city’s glamour – particularly the boutiques on the main boulevard, where glittering gowns are hand-sewn for an exclusive clientele. Dare Katya dream that she may someday wear – or even design – one of these dazzling creations? It feels like an impossible wish, until she meets businessman Harry Morten.
Tall, handsome and well-connected, Harry could give Katya everything she wants and more… but at what price? And should she break the vow she’s made and trust him with her secret when her very survival could be at stake?
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Many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of The Secret Vow to review via NetGalley and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Wow, wow, wow is all I can say, what an epic return to form for Natalie Meg Evans. Little did I think I would find a book so late in the year that would be a strong contender for my book of 2018, The Secret Vow is that book. I say return to form because for me I adored Natalie's first two books but then her last book The Wardrobe Mistress just didn't have the same affect or appeal for me. But this brilliant new wartime love story was historical fiction at its very best with a family story of survival, guts, resilience and love at its centre.
Focusing on an elite Russian family fleeing to Paris, this story reeled me in from the very first line and didn't relinquish its grip until I reluctantly read the last few words. From the writing, the wide range of characters, the setting and the incredible detail of events at the time it was clear a lot of research went into this book. It just read like the author thoroughly enjoyed every minute she spent writing Katya's story and when this comes across in the story it always makes for an incredible and engrossing read that I can't get enough off.
Winter 1918 and Harry Morten is on board a train travelling through the Swedish countryside. There is an air of mystery combined with subtle authority surrounding Harry and instantly the reader's interest is piqued and I definitely wanted to know more about him and what he was up to. As the train makes its way to Gothenbourg he observes a Russian family clearly fleeing from the persecutions and executions being carried out by the Cheka, the secret police who work on behalf of the Russian government. A young girl, a member of the family Harry is observing places herself in danger but Harry steps in and so sets in motion a chain of events that will see innumerable twists and turns, danger, suspicion, quests and love. Their's was a meeting that may very well change the fate of this upper class family whose lives have been torn apart.
We then flash back to a little earlier to Moscow to where Katya Vytenis and her family are preparing to flee the country they have called home for so long. They have titles as in Prince Ulian Vytenis but what use is that to them as life has become unbearable in Russia, fraught with dangers on a daily basis. People are arrested for no obvious reason which then leads to executions or interment in prisons that once you enter you are more than likely never to come out of. Or else another alternative is to be sent away to labour camps to work as slaves and never see ones family again. The family is aiming to go to Paris where they have relatives but what follows is a harrowing scene full of drama, tension, anguish and despair as the family are ripped apart and life will never be the same again. Katya by far the most sensible has to step up and take charge. She promised her father in his last moments that she would protect her mother, sisters and young niece and she will get them to Paris no matter what the costs. With the absence of a male figure and a fellow sister lost to the damp dark cells of the notorious city prison- Lubyanka- there is little else but for Katya to step forward and embark upon a journey to bring her mother, sister and niece to safety.
From the outset Katya was a stand out character. She could have quite easily have followed the route of her mother Irina and sister Tatiana and sunk into misery and become dependent on others but once Katya makes a promise she firmly sticks to it and she became a pillar of strength and maturity. I felt Irina and Tatiana became so reliant on Katya, that they left things to her to sort out and given an awful incident regarding a maid and therefore the family are left without money or jewels it shouldn't have been left to Katya to keep going whilst dragging the other two behind her. But something else apart from the promise she made to her father drove her on and as flashbacks are interspersed here and there throughout the entire story things became a little more clearer. I understood what powered and motivated her to make a new life in Paris despite all the obstacles thrown in her path. That said those flashbacks did give hints but they didn't give too much away so as to detract from the overall story or to allow the reader to guess things far too early on. I had my suspicions but as to the eventual outcome I was left shocked and my mind was blown.
As Harry helps Katya that day on the train in more ways than one she feels a loyalty to him, a connection that cannot be broken but also a duty that she needs to repay him for what he has done both in terms of money and how he helped set them up in Paris. Their's is a friendship that could possibly develop into something more but both are stubborn and obstinate in their various ways. It's like they circle around each other and come to each other when they need help but do so perhaps reluctantly. As more is revealed about Harry one is reminded not take everything and form opinions on first sight of that person. People have many layers and guises and should not be underestimated.
The same could be said for Katya. Her family go from a life of plenty with riches and maids and a sumptuous house to a life of poverty and living in a cramped room. Katya knows her father has looked after them but as access to their safety net is repeatedly denied she questions what is the point of it all? Why should I strive for a family who don't seem to care? But it's her loyalty that keeps her long term goal in sight and she feels deep down that it is achievable. Ensconced with the Russian community in Paris who have also fled, Katya places her faith in people who seemed to me just that little bit too good to be true. I felt I shouldn't doubt their intentions in wanting to help but there was a bit too much of a cloak and dagger feeling pervading throughout the story for me to completely trust everyone. In that sense Katya was gullible and I thought she should have listened and respected Harry more rather than venturing down paths that could prove to be very dangerous.
As Katya is plunged into a new and unknown world, I felt she did become stronger although naturally enough she wavered at times. She wanted to prove to everyone and in particular Harry that she was a fortress of strength and one that would never weaken. But when even bigger games are at a play and you are not aware of this but become the pawn how can this be achievable? Still I admired Katya and as she ventures into the world of dress design and clothing, a similar strand used in the first two books written by this author and one which works very well, I felt she began to find herself more and to follow her passion. In one sense she was playing a waiting game regarding financial security and in another she was pushing that to one side to embark upon a journey that would fulfil a long held desire. The scenes in the fashion house in which she does come to work at were at times difficult to read. That's simply because I loved Katya as a character so much that what she was subjected to was distressing and hard to accept but this is where she steps up to the mark and where Harry comes in handy too.
Over the course of the story Katya becomes a leader, a survivor but at what cost? She is always pushing forward and maintains an optimistic viewpoint whenever possible but how can one sustain this when there are people surrounding you who would love nothing more than to see you fail? Should she put her complete trust in Harry? Should she tell him her secret which if exposed could destroy what she is trying to achieve? I for one would have told Harry anything and that's because of the way his character was written. I felt I could put my absolute trust in him and that he would stand by me and do whatever he could to be helpful and supportive. He had a warm and embracing aura surrounding him when it felt like showing it but when he felt things were not going his way or if he could see Katya being foolish he did shut down and this is where his stubborn side began to show through. Saying all that I did want a positive outcome for the pair and given the nature of the last quarter or so of the book I did question would this even be possible?
Natalie Meg Evans certainly ramped up the tension as we raced towards the conclusion of The Secret Vow, it was tense and the surprises just kept on coming. The author had very successfully pulled the wool over my eyes and some of the characters too and as everything began to be revealed I was kicking myself that I hadn't spotted subtle hints and clues that had been dropped in from the beginning. But on the other hand this made me very excited to see what had actually been going on and how could things be resolved?
Betrayal, drama, passion and suffering all feature strongly in the later chapters and this book turned out to be so brilliantly plotted that it made it a stand out read for me. This is Natalie Meg Evans writing at her very best and The Secret Vow will thrill both old and new readers. That ending though, that very last line god it tore at my heart and a few simple words threw everything on its head. Does it mean we will return to these characters in either a full length book or a shorter novella? I do so hope that will be the case as really it can't be left like that. The words mind blowing twist come to mind, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending The Secret Vow. It's one of those books that once you finish you will want to go back to the very beginning and start it all over again immediately.
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