Title: The Girl In Times Square
Author: Paullina Simons
First published January 1, 2004
602 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780007118922 (ISBN10: 0007118929)
Rating: 3.88
Overview
Paullina Simons delivers a gripping contemporary love story that will leave you breathless. Meet Lily Quinn, a struggling college student barely making ends meet in the bustling city of New York.
Her uneventful life takes a turn for the worse when her best friend and roommate Amy goes missing. Enter Spencer Patrick O’Malley, a jaded NYPD detective who helps Lily navigate through the darkness to find her friend.
As Lily uncovers shocking revelations about her family and personal life, a sudden windfall becomes a sign of impending danger. With Spencer’s help, Lily fights for her life and discovers truths that will change her forever.
The Girl In Times Square is a heart-wrenching and unforgettable journey of two young women on the brink of their future.
About the Author
Born in Leningrad, USSR in 1963, Paullina Simons immigrated to the United States with her family when she was just ten years old. Despite dreaming of becoming a writer while living in Russia, her aspirations were put on hold as she adjusted to a new culture and learned English.
After graduating from university and working in various jobs, including as a financial journalist and translator, Paullina finally wrote her first novel. Word of mouth quickly spread and the book was well-received by readers worldwide.
Paullina went on to write more novels, several of which have become international bestsellers. These include (also known as ) and (also known as ).
In addition to her novels, Paullina has published a cookbook called . This collection of recipes, short stories, and recollections is based on her best-selling trilogy of novels, , (also known as ), and .
Editoral Review
“The Girl in Times Square” by Paullina Simons is a heart-wrenching tale of two young women from different parts of the world, whose lives intertwine in a series of unexpected events. Simons, known for her bestselling novel “The Bronze Horseman,” once again delivers an emotionally charged story that captivates readers from beginning to end.
Set in New York City and Japan, the novel follows the journey of Lily, a young woman who wakes up one day with no memory of her past or how she ended up in Times Square. Meanwhile, Akiko, a teenager living in Japan, struggles with her own personal demons as she navigates the complexities of growing up in a traditional Japanese society.
As the two women’s paths cross, they find themselves embroiled in a web of secrets, lies, and betrayals that threaten to unravel their lives. With vivid descriptions and powerful imagery, Simons skillfully immerses the reader in the characters’ worlds, evoking a range of emotions from empathy to heartbreak.
One of the novel’s strengths is its exploration of themes such as identity, family, love, and loss. Simons delves deep into the characters’ psyches, revealing their innermost thoughts and fears, and showing how their past experiences shape their present actions.
The author’s attention to detail and character development is impressive, making the reader feel as if they know the characters intimately.
However, one of the book’s weaknesses is its pacing. The story moves slowly at times, with some parts feeling repetitive or unnecessarily drawn out.
Additionally, some readers may find the numerous plot twists and turns to be predictable or contrived.
Overall, “The Girl in Times Square” is a well-written novel that will appeal to fans of literary fiction and women’s fiction. Simons’s prose is lyrical and insightful, and her exploration of complex themes is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.
Although the book has its flaws, it is still a compelling read that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.
Rating: 4/5 stars.