This book is definitely a 5 star book! It captured my interest from the beginning and kept it until the end. Profound characters and the historical setting of the Trans-Siberian Railway. I found myself eager to see the main characters overcome their obstacles and triumph.
Dimitri and Natalia have corresponded via telegrams for years. Natalia works for her father in a bank and she's currently overseeing the Railway project.
Dimitri has seen unspeakable horrors in Russia and in trying to bring justice to light is stripped of his title and wealth. He escapes prison and starts to make his way to America and Natalia. So begins Dimitri's quest to hold the Czar responsible for the atrocity that occurred while the railroad was being built. As Natalia and Dimitri spend more time together they realize that maybe being friends isn't enough. Can they have a future and still find justice for the innocent lives that were taken? ( )

Natalia Blackstone may not be the long-desired son her father always wanted, but she makes up for this minor flaw in every way she can. She is intelligent, loves working in her family's Blackstone Bank, has a head for business & finance, and prides herself on being very detail-oriented. When she is given control of the Trans-Siberian Railway project with Blackstone Bank she is ecstatic. This will combine her love of financial business with her love of Russia - her mother's homeland. Her partnership with the Russian construction manager is a bit unique - Count Dimitri Sokolov is competent, but he can be a little overly dramatic, yet eccentrically charming. When her communications with Count Sokolov are abruptly interrupted and his whereabouts become unknown, Natalia begins to worry about the success of her project - and strangely, about the man she has come to consider a friend. Can she locate her friend in the Siberian wilderness and also complete the Trans-Siberian Railway project? Will she ever be accepted as a woman working in the male-dominated field of business finance?

This book was just a good as the first one in the series! I can't wait to dive into the final book - the one I actually received as a LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway! At long last...!!!! ( )

As someone who loves Russian history, this book caught my attention. I had not read the first volume in the series, but that made no difference in my ability to understand and enjoy this one. The story takes place as the Trans-Siberian Railway is nearing completion. Main character Natalia Blackstone has secretly directed the project from within the walls of her father's New York City bank. While doing so, she enjoyed corresponding via telegraph with her Russian counterpart, Dmitri Sokolov. (Natalia learned to speak fluent Russian from her late mother, a Russian-born American.) When word comes that someone else has replaced Dmitria as the director on the Russian end of the project, her worries know no bounds as his silence lengthens.
A masacre along the Chinese-Russian border and Sokolov's refusal to take part in it led to his dismissal from the project as well as the stripping his title of "Count", the seizure of his property, and sentencing to a labor camp in Siberia. Sokolov managed to jump off the train on its way to Siberia and spent the next several months working his way back to civilization. Eventually, he made his way to San Francisco, where Natlia came to meet him.
The rest of the book chronicles Dmitri's quest to have the Russian Czar apologize for the massacre. Dmitri longs to return his Russian home. The increased attraction between him and Natalia complicates his plans. The couple travels from New York to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Russian ambassador as well as various Americans in high places.
As usual with these sorts of books, the reader can assume that the two main characters will overcome the obstacles in their paths so that they can spend the rest of their lives together. The story plays out nicely without becoming syrupy sweet. All in all it is a good read that will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction dating from the Gilded Age in America and/or the history of Russia immediately prior to the revolution. ( )

Absolutely loved this second book in the Blackstone Legacy series! Elizabeth Camden has a way of writing such endearing, authentic characters. I adored Dimitri and Natalia. This story takes the reader on an exciting journey through the wilds of Siberia to the glamour and political intrigue of Gilded Age New York City and Washington, D.C. I was immediately pulled in and enjoyed the romance, faith, and history the author deftly weaves into the story.

Count Dimitri Sokolov has been overseeing the building of the Trans-Siberian railway for several years. He’s developed an enjoyable friendship through telegrams with Natalia Blackstone, the American banker’s daughter who manages the investment in the railway. Sokolov witnesses a terrible massacre the truth of which threatens the Russian monarchy. To keep him quiet, he’s stripped of his title and sent to Siberia. His only hope is to escape and try to reach Natalia in New York.

Natalia Blackstone enjoys her position as the lead analyst for her father’s banking empire. The wealthy heiress is anything but typical. She loves her work and looks forward to the flirty, descriptive telegrams from Dimitri. After not hearing from him for months, she becomes worried. When they finally reconnect, the two work together to expose the truth and try to restore Dimitri’s lands and title. There are significant forces working against them to prevent the truth from coming out. Both their reputations and futures are at risk in this delicate political dance.

I loved this story! Pieces of the Russian culture are beautifully portrayed through Dimitri and other characters. The romance between Natalia and Dimitri is explosive. They’re both passionate people and that underlying chemistry heats up especially when their wills collide. There are so many facets to this story and I loved the messages of perseverance, faith, and doing what’s right when faced with insurmountable odds. There were times when I didn’t know if this story would have a happily ever after American ending or a tragic Russian ending. I also enjoyed the various cameos of real people who appeared in the story including Mark Twain.

I not only have the ebook version, but also the audiobook version. The audiobook is fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. My only criticism was that the narrator didn’t employ a noticeable Russian accent. While I liked the way she voiced Dimitri, it would have been fun to have a touch more of his accent.

If you haven’t read an Elizabeth Camden novel before, I highly recommend this book and series! I can’t wait for Liam’s story! While it is part of a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone. Those familiar with Carved in Stone will enjoy seeing Gwen and Patrick again as well as Liam. I received a complimentary copy of this book from LibraryThing through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. ( )

I wanted to try this book because I am interested in Russian history. I liked that this story included a lesser known aspect of Russian history.

I liked Natalia. She was hardworking, determined, and goal oriented in a world that did not encourage woman to have dreams outside of family life. I liked how no matter what life threw at her, she looked for a way to move on rather than wallowing in self pity.

I liked how Dimitri stood up for what was right, no matter the personal cost, but for a long time, his attitude infuriated me. He came across as arrogant, demanding things immediately, no matter the inconvenience to others. He didn’t seem to even try to understand any hesitation to assist him in his way and on his time-line. Then when someone suffered the consequences they'd feared, he was surprised, as if he'd thought they'd been exaggerating when they'd told him what would happen. Worst of all was that although he said he loved Natalia, for the longest time he was asking her to give up absolutely everything for him, though he himself did not seem willing to make any sacrifices for her.

I liked that the stakes in this book were high, and I found the ending very satisfying. Though this is the second book in a series and I had not read the first, I had no trouble following the story and feel it works as a stand alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and LibraryThing. ( )