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Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Nov 24, 2019 02:47 pm Title: Chapter 23 - The Sleepover

Michael and Natalya are so lovely together! I love that there is no sex involved yet, Michael is right when he says that now it is not the right time for that.
And he is incredibly smart figuring out how the diplomatic pouch can be related to Natalya and Katia. I am very curious to see how that will play out in the story!

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Nov 24, 2019 02:38 pm Title: Chapter 26 - Night Watch

This chapter shows me how different Michael and Natalya's lives are: she is used to live in fear, and watched by communist spies, but Michael cannot simply function in this way (maybe because he has never lived like that). Natalya, like many other people who lived during the communist regime, is a survivor.
I enjoyed very much all their scenes in this chapter; their conversation in the last part of the chapter, when they try to get some rest, is very meaningful.

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Nov 24, 2019 12:04 pm Title: Chapter 22 - A Change In Tactics

Michael is doing a great job at staying calm, especially with Igor present all the time in the studio:) Igor is indeed a sinister person.
Natalya and Michael are so lovely together!

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Nov 24, 2019 11:42 am Title: Chapter 20 - First Pangs of Fear

I have definitely felt the pangs of fear by reading this chapter. It is even more terrifying to think that that kind of things have happened in reality.
Poor Natalya lives in a permanent state of fear!

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Nov 24, 2019 11:30 am Title: Chapter 19 - The Promise

The first part was so heartwarming, with Michael dreaming of being a family with Natalya and Katia; the scene at Natalya's home almost felt like a family for Michael. Then, at the end, reality hit Michael hard, when he asked himself what he would do to get both Natalya and her daughter out of Russia. I wonder that too:)

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed [Report This]
Date: Oct 25, 2019 02:11 pm Title: Chapter 18 - In The Studio

It was so funny to see Natalya and Michael playing lovers in the previous chapter:) I am not sure that Michael will be able to keep his promises to Natalya though, I cannot see any way for him to get Natalya and Katya out of the country.

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Oct 25, 2019 01:48 pm Title: Chapter 16 - Playing the Game

"There was no room on their agenda for a young Russian woman and her little daughter," that was a good observation from Michael.
Everything is becoming more and more tense, and this story keeps me on the edge of my seat:)
Michael and Natalya are adorable and brave as they are trying to fool Igor. I admit that I am a little nervous about them trying to pull off this whole scenario. The stakes are very high, and one wrong move can lead to a total disaster.

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Oct 25, 2019 01:15 pm Title: Chapter 14 - The Signs of Fear

The "badly lit hallway," I remember that, everything was actually badly lit during the communist years. I love how you use realistic and historically accurate details in your story.
I also love that Michael is very determined. And Natalya, she doesn't have anyone to trust, but I hope she will trust Michael.

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Oct 20, 2019 11:44 am Title: Chapter 13 - Divided Loyalties?

It was nice to see Michael get to enjoy an evening with Natalya and her daughter. I have heard that indeed the Russian people feed their guests a lot of food, I think it is part of their hospitality:)
Poor Natalya! I wonder what she has been asked to do that would betray Michael. And yes, Michael in those days was not only the greatest pop star, but also represented the world of freedom that people in the communist countries were only dreaming of.
I absolutely love how you write Michael in this story! He behaves and speaks just like I have seen and imagined him to.

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Oct 20, 2019 10:15 am Title: Chapter 10 - The Shopping Trip

Beautiful chapter! Michael was so funny in the beginning (and in the previous chapter too), but Natalya's answer was on point. I have a feeling this and the next chapters are important milestones in their relationship.
I don't know what Igor will say about Natalya and Michael behaving like kids skipping classes:) I guess he will not be happy at all, and the consequences will be on Natalya...

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed [Report This]
Date: Oct 20, 2019 09:53 am Title: Chapter 8 - A Budding Feeling

This chapter, and the previous one, were so nice. Michael and Natalya are adorable, not to mention Katya as well. And finally tonight Michael realized he had met a woman from the second category, a category he never believed it existed.

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Oct 18, 2019 03:35 pm Title: Chapter 5 - First Dinner

In both this and the previous chapter you have done such a great job at showing the tension in the air. Michael is received with all the possible honors, but Igor's cold presence reminds me that this is Russia, and no one is safe here, not even Michael Jackson.
Poor Natalya, she is scared to death at the thought of Michael asking her to go to his room. She doesn't know that he is not that kind of guy.
And Michael is slowly falling for Natalya, which is nice.
I don't think Michael is eager to visit Lenin's Mausoleum, but I guess he doesn't have a choice...
Very curious about what will happen next, and how Michael and Natalya's relationship will develop.

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Oct 18, 2019 02:40 pm Title: Chapter 3 - Wondering Why

As someone who grew up in an communist country, I can say that I relate so much to Natalya's joy at having hot water...after three days! Natalya's thoughts at the end about having to do whatever she would be ordered to do also shows very well the oppressive atmosphere of those days.
I particularly enjoyed the fact that both Michael and Natalya are able to look beyond the glamour of the other's photos, and see a glimpse of the other's true self. As Michael notices, Natalya is a girl that is trying too hard to impress (and we find out a little later that she was forced to impress), and Natalya notices the warmth and kindness in Michael's eyes and concludes that he doesn't look like he would hurt her. That was lovely:)

Reviewer: Honor Bright Signed [Report This]
Date: Oct 18, 2019 02:15 pm Title: Chapter 2 - A Strange Proposal

Hi, I am both an old and a new reader of this lovely story. Old - because I discovered it some years ago as an non-registered reader, and new, because now that I have an account I have come back to it, and intend to stick to it until the latest chapter.
This chapter is lovely, and it gives some insight into Michael's side of personality that is explored here. He is such a star! But he also has a genius and child-like touch that you are showing very well. And I loved how, after seeing her pictures, Michael completely changes his attitude towards Natalya:)

Reviewer: Lexara Signed starstarstarstarhalf-star [Report This]
Date: May 25, 2016 01:26 pm Title: Chapter 13 - Divided Loyalties?

Holy Jehova! What a plot! *goes on reading*

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