is an emotionally rich story of a WWII disabled veteran.
The dead were mourned and cheered as heroes.
The wounded—without legs and arms, blind, burned, some having lost their mind—were left in the shadow of the great Victory.
Forgotten.
I dedicate this story to their memory.
Reader's Favorite Medal - 5 Stars
Literary Titan - Silver medal
A winner in Historical Fiction category in the 2021 Firebird Book Awards
Short-listed in the 2021 Hemingway Book Awards novel competition for 20th Century Wartime Fiction. A division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
“Excellent read. Move over Anna Karenina. A true Russian epic, thought-provoking and deep. Give yourself time to savor it. It’s not an easy read but it is a darn good one. Well written with great character development. Excellent job Ms. Osipova.”—reader2010
“A well-researched, highly detailed novel, The Cruel Romance will keep lovers of serious historical fiction spellbound throughout."—Thomas A. Peters for Readers' Favorite.
“The novel is a great read. I would suggest this book to everyone who likes historical love stories.“—Literary Titan
“There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly mesmerizing journey!”—Piaras, VINE VOICE
“…this is an author who can write about war and its horrors with passion and realism…this is an important read. A must read.”—Luv2read
“It’s beautifully told. It would make a great movie!! I cried, I smiled, I laughed, I loved and I hated a few characters too.”—pamarella
“What a wonderful story of a terrible time.”— Shirley McAllister
“I covered your book in one breath, and now I miss the characters I came to love.”—Anna Kunkes
“WOW, so good. This is one of those books that will make you feel every emotion … Such a gripping and poignant work, I can definitely see why this book won awards. A must-read for lovers of historical fiction.”—J. C.
“A tale of a dark time in human history replete with moments of brilliant beauty and time capsule historical details. A tale of loss and grief that teaches poignant lessons about the value of human life and the primacy of goodness and beauty if they are encouraged and allowed to bloom. A beautiful read.”—Brianna York
“The book was incredible! I couldn’t put the book down during the second half. I wasn’t expecting things to happen the way they unfolded; kudos to Osipova for this wonderful novel!”— Alyssa Strickland
“Like many of this author's novels, it is psychologically haunting, well researched, and takes you to places you never imagine to go. This is a novel that will stay with me for a long time and I cannot speak highly enough of it.”—Kathryn Gauci
“This is an unsettling, heartbreaking but compelling story … The four main characters are brilliantly drawn, and the writing is of extremely high quality.”—Tarian Green
