The Bronze Horseman (Tatiana and Alexander, #1) by Paullina Simons

Set in soviet Russia at the start of WWII, Tatiana is 16 going on 17, and the world as she knows it is about to come to an end. War has finally reached Russia. Love will be found, lives will be lost, and nothing will ever be the same.
It has just been broadcast that the Germans have declared war on Russia. While Tatiana is out attempting to buy supplies for her family before the stores run out she meets Alexander, a handsome soldier in the Russian Army. When she brings him home she finds he and her sister are acquainted and realizes their relationship can never be, but sometimes things are just meant to be no matter how much they seem not to be. A book that will touch your heart.

What a heart wrenching beautiful love story. Simmons captured the feel of war in this book. The hope, fear, despair, and how even the simplest things in life, such as a typical summer day, can be made extraordinary when accomplished during war. As I was reading some of the more tragic parts I thanked God I do not have to worry where my family's next meal will come from or if I will have enough heat to keep us warm in the winter. Makes a person realize how lucky they are not to have lived during such a tragic time in history.
I keep going back and forth between rating this 4 or 5 roses. The part that made me rate it a 4 instead of a 5, and the only thing I disliked in the book, is the love triangle. Wish Simmons could have avoided it.