The Bronze Horseman is one of my all time favourite books. Unfortunately this didn’t hold my attention.

I usually love everything Simons pens but unfortunately this one just didn't hold my attention. The characters weren't all that appealing to me and the story wasn't as strong as I would've liked.

The Bronze Horseman series is one of my all-time favourite series, but sadly this one just didn't gel with me. I still love Simons' writing style, but found the characters hard to relate to and the story just not my cup of tea. After trying several times I concede that this book just isn't a good fit at this time.

Was it a saga? Was it something I did not recognise? Was it? What was this The Tiger Catcher by Paulina Simons?
It was a love story. The love all-defining and all-defying. The choice everlasting. The pain unbearable.
It was a fantasy mixed on esoteric wisdom.
I believe there is a market for books like this, given that Simons is very popular author. However, I realised, once more (I've tried to read Bronze Horseman), that Simons is not my author. Not at all.
This book felt (like Bronze Horseman) that author is really trying. She is trying to write something she read about, knows about from books rather than something she felt, lived through and can share and understand with her soul.
Too bad. I really enjoyed the first half of the book. It could have ended there and then...

Paullina Simons fame from ‘The Bronze Horseman’ trilogy saw her loved by many far and wide. So news of a new trilogy had fans in eager anticipation. Billed as an ‘epic romance’ was encouraging. Sadly, however, Paullina has some known misses for her equally huge hits and I found this latest instalment fell into the former category. Whilst the concept (following along similar lines to Time Traveller’s Wife) was understandable, this book regrettably fails, in my opinion, due to some really poor and unlikeable characters.

It would be hard to describe the relationship between the two main characters as epic, as the type of love portrayed was anything but. Both leads were difficult to connect with and the first part of the book is rather drawn out with little gained. Josephine I just did not like (at all!) and Julian lacked a backbone. For me, it wasn’t love, rather convenience and infatuation. There was just no depth to their relationship and I could not be sold on it.

The concept is credible as stated and quite unique. I cannot really elaborate as it would give away some incredible twists and turns. Yet, I feel it is important for someone venturing into this read to understand that this is no regular romance as there are unusual plot twists. I could be more accepting of this if I was invested in the two main leads, however, that was never going to happen.

I am so disappointed that I did not like this book as I was hoping for a romance on the scale of Tatiana and Alexander (Bronze Horseman) but it was not to be. Instead I was given shallow characters where one was manipulative and the other, gullible. Two stars for Paullina’s writing and research, with credit for creative imagination.





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

On paper, The Tiger Catcher sounds like a story right down my alley, touting an epic romance and time travel and I was eagerly anticipating it’s release. Unfortunately, after several attempts I have been unable to get very far let alone finish this novel. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters who come across as quite unlikeable nor could I find a believable romance to become invested in. The problem for me all started with Julian, whose infatuation for Josephine came across quite immature and quite irritating and the story overall was just underwhelming, at least up until the point I reached. From what I hear from others who enjoyed The Tiger Catcher, they were won over in the last quarter of the book but sadly I’m no where near there. I’m still willing to give The Tiger Catcher another chance in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for the opportunity to provide a review.

This is the first book of a trilogy. I have read some of Paulinas earlier books Tully being my favourite. This book has actually got a fantasy element to it so if this is your genre (not mine) im sure you will love it. It was really hard
to keep my interest going and I didn't feel emotionally connected to the characters. Im not a real fan of time travelling so it really wasn't the book for me.

I think I have read most of Paullina Simons books and was excited to read this one. Unfortunately I cannot finish it. It is all over the place and the characters just don't talk to me which is really disappointing.

I would have loved to continue but I just cannot get into it.

Very different from Simons. The Bronze Horseman is still my favourite book of all time. This didn't quite hit that high but I did enjoy it. I liked that it was different. I liked the time travel element. I am interested to see where she goes next with the series.

‘“I’m dead, then. Good.” Those were the first words she said to him.’

Meet Julian. He is handsome, young and runs a successful business. And then he meets Josephine. Julian falls head over heels in love with Josephine. His world revolves around her, everything else in his life becomes secondary. But Josephine is a complex and mysterious woman and she has secrets.

Events and secrets separate Julian and Josephine, but he is unable to accept that he is separated from Josephine for ever. He sees Josephine everywhere; he wants to be reunited with her. In his search, Julian moves from the USA to the UK. His friends, whom he’s pushed away, worry about him. Julian has hit rock-bottom, when he meets a mysterious stranger who tells him he may be able to find Josephine again. He will need to give up everything. Sometimes, love requires taking risks.

‘There’s an essential conflict built into time’s very nature—that each and every event was once future, is now present and has since passed.’

Julian’s quest to find Josephine involves time travel and while time travel doesn’t always work for me, it does (mostly) in this story.

‘While Julian ate, Devi talked to him about the art of catching tigers.
“You must be quiet and motionless. A tiger is a fearsome, awe-inspiring, lethal force of nature. To catch him will require everything you have. You must become fearsome and awe-inspiring yourself.”’

I don’t want to write more about the story, to spoil it for intending readers. If you are prepared to jump feet first into a work of fiction, to assume that anything may be possible and that (perhaps) true love will triumph, then you may also enjoy this novel. Just imagine. I found this novel very different from Ms Simon’s other novels, enjoyable in a different way. This is the first novel in a trilogy, and I’m very keen to read the next instalment.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Paullina Simons is an author whose novels I always enjoy. Each new story from her is unique; she doesn't seem to write to a formula, which is really rare nowadays, particularly with those big named authors who are backed by big publishers. There's a certain type of safety in sticking to what works, I suppose, but I crave unique books, stories that are edgy, funny as well as heartbreaking, and in this, Paullina Simons never fails to deliver. In her latest release, The Tiger Catcher, she brings to us the first in a new trilogy, and this is as different as it comes. Of course, I loved every bit of it. I thought I'd include her author’s note at the beginning of this review, to set the scene, so to speak.


‘I have taken a few liberties with mathematics, longitude, geography, various disciplines of science, the calendar, and the English language. There will also undoubtedly be some unintended tiny errors of fact. For all this, I beg your indulgence. As for the tale’s more fantastical assertions, I stand behind them. First, tiger catching is a real thing. Second, shame toast is crazy delicious. And, when properly applied, love can accomplish remarkable feats.’ – Author’s Note.


I am totally on board with all of that! Some people may find this novel a bit too different, particularly those who are dedicated The Bronze Horseman fans. The Tiger Catcher is nothing like that one. It's fiction in its purest form, not based on a real event, not set against the backdrop of something that actually happened, nor is it inspired by the life of a remarkable person. I enjoy all of those things, but there's something to be said for a novel that is pure fiction – a totally out there adventure with a speculative edge that challenges the reader to just let go and suspend belief for the sake of a good read. And that's exactly what this is. Now, before I go any further, I need to tell you something very important, because I know that for many of you, this can be make or break: this novel has time travel in it. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you this, but I will be if I tell you more, so my lips are now sealed on that topic. Except to say that I LOVE time travel. It's my favourite sort of science fiction, and while I wouldn't go so far as to label The Tiger Catcher as science fiction, it certainly has elements of it.


“Listen to me very carefully,” Devi said. “Take your assumptions about what you know and throw them all out the window. All of them. You need to learn a new language. The language of the meridian, of universal time, of hope, and of faith. That’s your missing first principle right there.” Devi drew his finger in a straight line along the counter. “One of the many fallacies in your thinking comes from drawing time with a ruler on a flat surface. That’s not what time is. That’s not what the meridian is.” Devi formed his hands into a ball. “In the space-time beyond this earth, the meridian is not a line but a celestial sphere. What’s another name for celestial? Heavenly. Spiritual. Otherworldly. Godly.”
“Or planetary.” Trying to be scientific about it.
“Yes,” Devi said. “Pertaining to planets. By definition, outside our known world. To make sense of the physical contradiction that is time, certainly to alter it requires an observer and a mover, like an axle in a wheel. It requires a soul. It requires you.”


The heart of The Tiger Catcher beats with a love story, but it's by no means a romance. What often accompanies great love? Pain. Epic, splintering, grounding pain. And the pain takes just as much of a centre stage as the love in this novel. Which is another reason why I enjoyed it so much. No, I'm not addicted to pain and suffering; it's just that I'm a sucker for a grand love story. And all the great ones have pain, at some point, and in spades. If it's worth having, it's worth bleeding over. In Julian, Paullina Simons has created a man that every woman will want to hug and comfort. You'll all be secretly wishing for your own Julian, a man who crosses the dimensions of time on the off chance he'll breathe the same air as his beloved Josephine again. And he's perfectly imperfect. I don't know how she did it, but she nailed it with Julian. There's also a fantastic supporting cast propelling this story along. And it's so funny, more sharp wit than slapstick comedic, but it all works so well. This is vivid, sensory writing, an immersive experience for the reader and a bit of a masterclass for the writer.


‘Shock grinds down human beings. They can’t act, react, can’t speak, can’t feel. Sometimes they hear agony so unbearable that their minds block it out. You hear that sound, you know something terrible has happened. Someone has suffered an unsurvivable wound. Screaming like an uncontained blaze that obliterates everything. Sometimes you must close your ears and eyes to it, you must close your heart to it if you are to survive yourself.’


The best part about this novel? The end is temporary because book two, A Beggar's Kingdom, comes out towards the end of July, and the third book, Inexpressible Island, will be released some time in November. How exciting – and refreshing! – to not have to wait a year in between each instalment. I highly recommend The Tiger Catcher and have already begun my count down for book two.


Thanks is extended to HarperCollins Publishers Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Tiger Catcher for review.

Was extremely disappointed as The Bronze Horseman Series are in my top 5 books of all time. I found this to be boring without engaging. The character development was good but that was about it however.

Has a nice cover. As I didn’t love this book no big review will be posted to my blog

I have so many thoughts swimming around my head after reading this one. As most, I was drawn to this because "The Bronze Horseman" is a longstanding favourite and I was excited to read what Simons had created for us next. Love story I was expecting, yet all other expectations flew out the window once I began reading. I immediately understood the "Time Traveler's Wife" comparisons and was surprised with the mystical fantasy route Simons decided to explore. I was concerned that I would come to the ending disappointed, as it isn't a genre/subject I'm highly interested in or drawn to read. However, as Simons reminds me time and time again, her writing carries me with her and I cannot help but get sucked into her vortex. The eloquence she applies with her use of language and the structure of her writing style leaves me heavily invested in her characters and always wanting to know more.

I was concerned after the first half what the story had left to explore, but of course I needn't have worried as the story of Julian and Mary in the second half of the book captured me even more than their beginnings as Julian and Josephine. I cannot wait for "A Beggar's Kingdom" to discover what's in store for Julian and Mia... or whichever name she possesses next.

Any book by Paullina Simons is always a guaranteed good read, and The Tiger Catcher was no exception. I wont really go into the plot except to say Julian finds Josephine, loves Josephine, loses Josephine. Then, with the help of a shaman, Julian goes to find Josephine.

A lovely book, full of love, grief and angst, we follow Julian as he staggers through LA and London, and in the end he risks all to find his girl. Beautifully written, Paullina Simons captures Julian and all his emotions intimately. We feel we are on the journey with him as he withdraws from his friends and family. I found this book very hard to put down and I'll be looking out for the next installment to follow the continuing saga of Julian and Josephine. A compelling book, I recommend this one.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who could not love a book on time travel! With hints of ‘Outlander’ and ‘The Time traveller’s wife’, the first book in the trilogy by Paullina Simons, promises to be an interesting read. The first chapter sees Julian planning to return to find his love, which had me hooked. The novel then fleshes out Julian’s life in Los Angeles, where he finds himself transfixed by Josephine, an actress who he sees perform on stage. An intense romance begins but Josephine is not who Julian thinks her to be.
The character of Julian is beautifully depicted, his emotions so painfully set out. In being separated from Josephine, it is easy to understand his need to see her again and believe that he must do all that he can for them to be together. Josephine’s character is initially not as revealing but as always, Paullina Simons, has her reasons. Many of the concepts raised are interesting and I look forward to reading the next two books in the series.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Well.

I almost don't know where to start. Considering this author is the author of one of my favourite novels of ALL TIME, i had HIGH hopes. Especially considering this is a trilogy and it was sold as an epic romance. In turn, what i got was a heroine 'Josephine' who was immensely unlikable, vacuous and basically a complete liar? On the flipside, Julian, our 'hero' of the novel was like a lovesick puppy, who dumps all of his friends and commitments when he falls in lust with Josephine. I really really couldn't connect with their romance and barely saw love there, let alone an EPIC love.

Considering all that, i really didn't think it warranted <spoiler>Julian becoming a total shell of himself and then throwing his whole life away on prescription drugs and into a black hole like portal (?) to find the love of his life.. which was like a blip on my radar, none of the usual flutters and certainly NO comparison to our beloved 'Bronze Horseman' love affair. </spoiler>

That being said - i can see where Paullina was trying to go with this story and i really think it could have been something, if it wasn't for these spineless, awful characters at the helm. Don't even get me started on Gwen, Ashton and Riley.. lord they were.. total shits?

Anyway, it really pains me to write this review - i cannot stress that to you enough. I wanted to LOVE this and yell it from the rooftops. Sadly, not.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the character Julian’s all consuming love for his Josephine. I found him so colourful in the way Simons has described him with all his strengths and human fragilities. Even when he frustrated me in the depths of his despair I loved him as a character!

I struggled to make a connection with Josephine as Josephine but she packed a punch as Mary for some reason I am unable to describe. She seemed shallow in comparison to Julian and I wondered if I felt she was unworthy of Julian.

I found myself wanting to explore shamanism and rituals as a result of what I read.

In addition, the concept of time travel seemed wholly possible!

The ‘journey’ Julian took to find Josephine was written in a way that almost led me to feel claustrophobic when he found himself in that shaft. I had a near physical reaction when he was about to leap!

In all after my slow start I was invested in the outcome of this book and await the rigours Julian’s heart and body are to be put through in the remaining books in the series.

I gave this 4 stars but was teetered towards the 5 and just want to give myself room to move for the next instalment.

I will be reviewing this on my Instagram feed as per my link on Friday 12/4/19 and will feature the publishing date again prior to and on the 15/4/19.

Thank you to Paullina Simons and Netgalley for proving me with the opportunity to review this book.

So, this book is about a guy (Julian) who meets a woman (Josephine) and they fall in love. (see my full review, including spoilers here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2769520619)

The first two thirds of the book I quite enjoyed. Yes, the couple felt like infatuation, rather than love, but that works with the plot. Then the whole thing goes crazy. Now, the fact that this book is compared to The time Travellers Wife and Outlander probably gives a hint as to what happens next. The main problem for me is that I found the main female character vacuous, manipulative and irritating. The "hero" is so wrapped up in his idea of her that he cannot even consider the reality. So, the question the book is claiming to try and answer "Can true love ever die?" is the wrong question. This is insta-love, it's based on lies and it undermines what Paulina Simons is trying to do.

I do thank NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first read by this author, this is a beautifully written book that I didn’t want to end. Really looking forward to reading more!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are me own. Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book, it was definitely an experience. I have so many conflicting feelings about this novel, it’s hard to reflect in order.
It’s beautifully written; the information given, the language use and settings make it utterly believable. The story progression is perfect and I wonder what will happen in the next two novels, as the ending will be unpredictable. It could lift you up or tear you to pieces; the jury is still out on which will be better.
I guess the hard part is whether the two main characters should have their dreams fulfilled? Do they deserve to? They seem to put themselves above others for their own desires, dragging down people they care for with them. Maybe this kind of love is not really love at all? Or was this the author’s intent?
We can only read the next two instalments to find out.