I was thrilled to get an ARC (advance reader’s copy) of The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by award-winning Polish author Eva Stachniak, and I’m even more thrilled to be able to offer it to one lucky reader in a giveaway! There are certain periods that I love reading about. I’m fascinated by the Russian Tsars and Tsarinas, and I’ve always been interested in the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace. Catherine the Great has always been a historical figure I wanted to learn more about. The Winter Palace tells of how she rose to power. If you like well-researched historical fiction, court and political intrigue, strong women protagonists, and/or spy novels then you’re going to love this one because it includes all this and much more!

“People think they can hide behind their faces, mold them like masks for a costume ball. They hope that their eager smiles or haughty looks do not betray thoughts they prefer to keep hidden. A courtier’s corrosive envy. A lady’s contempt. A child’s piercing longing.”

Read the rest of my review and enter our giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=2536.