𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘬 who has done it again! Her new book 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 cements her as an author I will always read. The story centers on Sofie Morse, a one-time White House journalist, who is recruited by the First Lady to write her biography, but Lara Caine isn’t your typical First Lady. She’ll remind you of Melania, but there’s a whole lot more to her than that. Lara is also Russian and the daughter of a long time KGB agent stationed in Paris. She grew up on the periphery of the spy-game, learning its rules and eventually how to play.⁣
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The real question becomes why? Why does Lara want her biography written now and why Sofie? This is the essence of 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 and out first clue is that as the book opens Sofie and her husband are living in exile in Croatia. Why? From start to finish, I was captivated by both women’s stories, flying through those pages looking for answers. In the end, I was very satisfied. This is a fast, fun read that I definitely recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨⁣
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Thanks to @simonandschuster for an ARC of #ouramericanfriend.⁣
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I LOVED Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak. The writing was sharp and intriguing and I found myself very invested in where this story was going. I loved the thriller aspects combined with the historical fiction aspect.

Lara Cain is the mysterious First Lady of the United States. Her husband, Henry Cain is harsh, blunt President of The United States and while Henry has a big personality, Lara is a big question mark to the United States. There is not a lot known about Lara, other than who she is married to. When Lara invites a journalist into her life to write her memoir, decades old secrets from The Cold War Russia begin to surface. Lara has a much more complex background than anyone could ever imagine. When past and present collide, how far is Lara willing to go to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself?

4.5 stars

One part thriller, one part historical fiction, Our American Friend is an absolutely enticing read that throws two women on seemingly opposite sides of the political divide into the maelstrom of American-Russian diplomatic relations.

As our story begins, Sofie Morse has quit her job as a journalist in the wake of a pseudo-Trump president being elected to a second term. When she is asked by First Lady Lara Caine to write her official biography, her desire to learn more about the mysterious and icy woman propels her to say yes. As Lara begins to tell the story of her life as the daughter of a KGB operative living in Paris, she begins to lure Sofie into a scheme that has the potential to change the course of history.

Despite getting off to a bit of a slow start for me, I found myself getting more and more enthralled by the story as it shifted between nations and timelines. I felt like I was walking alongside this characters, whether they were on the streets of New York or near the Seine in Paris. I never felt the need to try and get ahead of the story like I do with other thrillers because I was just enraptured by what was happening in the moment. All in all, I would highly recommend this book if you are a fan of spy novels or Cold War historical fiction.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

3.5 stars

Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak is a clever novel that interweaves Cold War noir with contemporary US politics.
The story is told in three timelines—past, recent past, and present—from the first person POV of Sofie, a journalist hired to write the biography of first lady Lara Caine (modeled on Melania Trump).
As is appropriate in a biographical context, the majority of this novel is Lara’s story, from her childhood in Russia and Paris to a modeling career in New York City, where she meets her future husband, to her current role as First Lady of the United States. In this respect, the story covers, in an interesting and imaginative way, the intricacies of how the Cold War affected the lives of Russian families, both patriots and spies.
The multiple timelines did not bother me, but there were abrupt shifts within long chapters, which complicated the storytelling. The characters were OK, Lara being central, but Sofie and her husband Ben were much less interesting. I did really enjoy this author’s writing style—it felt fresh, uncomplicated, and very much in sync with contemporary journalism. This novel has good political intrigue and a bit of suspense, with strong writing and an interesting take on espionage, both past and present.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

An unconventional, norm-smashing president who may be too cozy with Russia. An enigmatic First Lady born in the former Soviet Union. A journalist pulled into a web of intrigue that dates to the Cold War. From these elements, Anna Pitoniak spins a fast, fun read.

Former White House correspondent Sofie Morse is tapped — much to her surprise — to write a biography of First Lady Lara Caine. Why was she chosen? Why is Lara Caine, the daughter of a disgraced KGB officer, so candid? What game is she playing?

Pitoniak deftly juggles shifting timelines and multiple points of view in this novel of love and political machinations. Highly recommended for fans of the TV series The Americans.

I received an early review copy from NetGalley.

This book was excellent, I really enjoyed it, definitely recommend! Wonderful writing.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is quite different from what I normally read - which I think is one of the reasons I couldn’t put it down. Sophie is journalist who gets an opportunity to write the First Lady’s (Lara Caine - who shares a lot of similarities with Melania Trump) bibliography. I’d classify this as a political thriller - the timeline jumps around a lot, but that captivated me. We learn early on that Lara’s father is a KGB agent - so a lot of the backstory is about her upbringing when he’s stationed in Paris. If you’re a fan of The American’s TV show, you’ll love this one! I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
I'm sad it took me so long to get to this book. It was unputdownable. Half love story, half spy novel - something for everyone. I'll be adding Pitoniak to my authors to follow list. Can't wait to see what she does next.

3.5 Stars

Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak is the story of Russian-born, Lara, who lives a secret life in her teens and later becomes the American president’s wife. Lara seeks out a journalist, Sofie, to write her biography and to finally tell her personal story. The story line goes back and forth between the points-of-views of Lara and Sofie and is a loosely-based depiction of a former U.S. administration.

Although this book centers on political espionage and I expected it to be fast-paced and exciting, it fell short for me. I felt it progressed too slowly for me to truly enjoy it. It took me forever to get through this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

I am totally ambivalent about choices made in this well written cold war Russia versus the United States novel, that then looks at the question of present day Russia cozying up to a Billionaire U.S. President with no morals, married to a (Russian) emigre. Sophie Morse is a young journalist, married to Ben, a lawyer. She's so fed up with covering President Caine's first term that she's leaving her job to figure out her life in the face of his likely rOeelection. She previously published a biography of Raisa Gorbachev (Mikhail Gorbachev's wife), so it is not totally odd that Lara Caine, the First Lady, engages Sophie to write her biography. It is a common belief that Lara's father held a KGB post during the time Lara's family of four lived in Paris. But why doesn't the First Lady demand a nondisclosure agreement? Why is she interested in talking about her childhood/teenage years in Paris, when she has been solidly silent for years? And why is she treating her new biographer like a best friend? This is a really well told story told on separate timelines but all told through Sophie. The characters are relatable. The plot imagines what might happen when a person with a front row seat to the presidency decides to share potentially problematic secrets of her past as the daughter of a Russian spy. There's lots of cloak and dagger to the storyline, but it is sufficiently believable to make a very entertaining read. I recommend this novel regardless of your political views, personal experience of or interest in the cold war and its thawing as the Russian government evolved in the 1980s. It certainly poses this personal question: How far would you go to do what you passionately believe is right when the impact on others is potentially serious?

Intriguing, mysterious… this book kept me turning the pages and staying up late! This is a cat and mouse game that spans decades.

Our American Friend is an engrossing political thriller involving FLOTUS and a journalist she has puzzlingly asked to write her biography. The action involves thinking than escaping situations. (It seems much more natural and believable than crazy car chases.) Locations are in Croatia, New York, DC, and Moscow. The plot jumps around in time and place naturally with lots of foreshadowing, building tension. I highly recommend this title and will reread it!

This is the third book I have read from this author. While the first two were less than stellar for me, this one hit the spot. Lara Caine is the First Lady of the United States born in Russia. Her husband, an oil tycoon, has just been reelected as President, which divides the country.

Enter Sofie, a White House reporter who resigns right after the election. Lara Caine contacts her and asks her to write her biography. There is only one gotcha, everything she says must be part of the biography, no separate reporting on anything she says.

They enter a close relationship, where Lara talks of her time in Russia, and Paris leading to the reveal of her biggest secret, leaving Sofie reeling, and having to make choices that affect this book and her life with her husband.

I could not put this book down. So many secrets and intricacies go into this story. It is a fun ride to be on. The author did a wonderful job putting all the pieces together of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Sofie Morse is tired of being a White House correspondent after four years of the insane antics current president, Henry Caine. She decides to take a break before deciding on her next stage. A call comes from the First Lady, Lara Caine. Would Sofie like to consider writing Mrs. Caine's autobiography? Sofie agrees and begins spending hours with Lara and her family. One day Lara reveals an explosive secret to Sofie and then cuts off all contact. What should Sofie do with this information? What does this secret mean for the current president? What will happen?"

You know from the beginning that something has happened to Sofie and her husband. Pitoniak uses the dual timelines to gradually tell Lara's story. Her father was a KGB officer and her history happens during the Cold War so you have some expectation of what's coming. But even after Pitoniak reveals Lara's secret there's still some maneuvering of the characters.

To me this book is about manipulation and choices - Lara's choices, her father's choices, Sofie's choices. And how well someone can play the long game for revenge. Pitoniak gives us a compelling narrative with a lot of tension. Cold War family secrets are the best kind.

Our American Friend is an engaging novel that defies easy categorization. It's a spy novel, but not a spy thriller. The pace is slower than I associate with thrillers, the chapters are longer, and there is a lot more back story. To me, it read more like a hybrid of a spy thriller and modern romance/historical fiction. There is the alternating timeline, for one. Then there is are the relationships - romance, friendship, familial.

I liked the book quite a bit. I was drawn in and read it pretty much straight through. Occasional sections had me scanning paragraphs; the editing could have been tighter. But it's a solid read if you are looking for family and political intrigue.

Who will enjoy this novel? People who like political spy novels and also enjoy family and relationship dramas. Our American Friend is not The Bourne Identity or a John Le Carre-style novel. It's closer to Next Year in Havana.

Who will not like Our American Friend? Trump fans, for sure, as the president and FLOTUS in this book, are unapologetically based on the former first couple (and not favorably).

Bottom line? If you're the right audience for this book, you'll enjoy it.

I received a free eBook version of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! I really miss the tv series The Americans and the blurb on this one struck w nerve. A spy thriller and the First Lady - yes please! Great writing, strong characters and an intelligent intriguing plot adds up to a five star read.

Former White House columnist Sofie Morse is hired by very private First Lady Lara Caine to write her official biography. Lara is a Soviet born former model. She is the much younger third wife of Henry Caine, a wealthy New York businessman elected to his second term as President of the US. Sound familiar? As the story unfolds, the parallels to the former administration diverge. While telling her life experiences to Sofie, Lara explains that her father was a Soviet KGB Agent sent to Paris with his young family to recruit agents. At the age of 14, Lara meets and falls in love with Sasha, an 18 year old young man that is working with the CIA. When he dies unexpectedly from “suicide” Lara enters into the spy world providing secret documents stolen from her father. The chapters alternate between current day and Lara’s early days. The book wasn’t the espionage thriller I was hoping for but it had a good bit of Cold War historical references and enough intrigue to make it interesting.

Thank you!! I loved this book!! Part spy mystery in the Cold War era and part recounting in an interview setting, it was so good! I couldn’t put it down and loved the mystery! I thought it was an interesting premise to have the First Lady be based off Melania… 4.5✨

What if a CIA operative was operating within the walls of the White House?

That’s the basic premise of OUR AMERICAN FRIEND, a political thriller that glides seamlessly between its dual timelines, as political journalist Sofie writes the biography of First Lady Lara Caine and finds herself caught in a sea of international intrigue.

There were many things that I loved about OUR AMERICAN FRIEND. First, it’s been very difficult (in my experience) to find female-driven political thrillers, so I was happy to see that this novel was centered on two strong women. I’m always a fan of stories with dual timelines, so I loved that this novel bounced between the present day U.S. and 1970s France and Russia. Sometimes it can be confusing to follow different timelines, but I thought Pitoniak did a good job of clearly distinguishing the two. The pacing was great and each chapter ended with a cliffhanger, which made it hard to put the book down. I also loved that the action partly took place in DC – it’s always nice to read about the city you live in!

I was a little nervous about reading something that seemed so close to the recent political climate but I thought Pitoniak balanced the allusions to real life with enough fictional elements so I didn’t feel like I was reading the news. My one complaint was that it was a little hard to understand some of the character’s motivations towards the end of the book. I kept feeling like there was something I missed and had to flip back to re-read some sections. But that didn’t dim my enjoyment of the book overall.

The Bottom Line: A smart, political thriller that’s full of adventure. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The public is clamoring to learn more about how the First Lady came to America and wed one of the wealthiest men in the world in this riveting political thriller. Lara Caine is an incredibly private women who married Harry Caine, billionaire and current President of the United States of America. Caine is a piece of work and highly controversial in politics and foreign affairs especially with Russia.

Lara ultimately decides its time the world learn the truth about her life. She befriends a young reporter to author her biography. Slowly we learn about her upbringing in Russia, her families move to France and father's KGB affliations. It’s the stories from her past that are continually shaping her future and her devotion to the ones she loves as First Lady. But is she just as devious as her husband?

This cold war spy novel spans the 1970's through present day. Our American Friend was a fascinating read that mirrors our current political climate with foreign powers and presidents.

Thank you @simonandschuster for the advance reader copy.

General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers