Ingrid Weaver From Russia, With Love

From Russia, With Love

Ingrid Weaver

Harlequin Mediterranean Nights, Jun 2007, $5.50

ISBN: 0373389604

In spite of the break up of his engagement, American schoolteacher David Anderson completes the adoption of Russian orphan Stefan. He knows the reticent child is despondent, but likes ships so to help them get better acquainted, David has booked passage on the Liberty line cruise ship Alexander's Dream for a ten day voyage.

Stefan's Aunt Marina Artamova is outraged that her orphaned nephew fell into the abyss of the inefficient and ineffective except for corruption Russian welfare system. The successful fashion designer wants to raise her blood relation as families should, but her lawyer says she is too late as David is legally Stefan's father. Marina books passage on the Alexander's Dream with the objective to take Stefan home with her. The Cold War is renewed but instead of a third world nation as the objective, it is a little frightened child. As the two enemy combatants fall in love, the monster responsible for the deaths of Stefan's parents also seeks to silent the sole witness to their atrocity as the pathetic Russian welfare system kept the lad safe, but now they know he is on the Alexandra's Dream.

This is a fabulous contemporary tale with the emphasis on a current event issue, American adoptions of Russian children. The lead couple is a conflicted pairing as they fall in love but the rules of engagement make that forbidden although they share in common their need to nurture Stefan. The monster brings late intrigue that is exciting but subtracts from an otherwise superb headline news modern day drama.

Harriet Klausner