Life is too uncertain... You must seize happiness where you find it.

Eva Stachniak has given readers a thrilling glimpse into the scandals and secrets at the heart of the Russian Imperial court. With deft prose and exquisite detail, Stachniak has resurrected one of the most compelling ages in history. Turn off the phones and lock the doors—you will not put it down.

Now I was more certain than ever of my decision. I could not love a man who did not love Jane Austen.

They have different accents in America " Brisbane smiled. "Just as we do here." I waved a hand. "They all sound alike to me.

But this is a thing that I know--to live with fear is not to live at all. A man will die every moment he is afraid.

She left me then, surrounded by my extravagantly simple finery and I sat for a long time, uncomfortable both with the person I had been and the person I was finally becoming. Caught between the two of them, I felt rather lonely, as one often does with a new acquaintance.

I hesitated for all the right reasons. And I accepted for all the wrong ones.