ARC REVIEW: Skandal by Lindsay Smith

Skandal by Lindsay Smith Published by: Roaring Brook Press on April 7th, 2015 Series: Sekret #2 Pages: 336 Format: ARC Paperback Genre: Historical Fiction Source: For Review (THANKS MACMILLAN!) Rating: 3/5 BUY THE BOOK or ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
From Goodreads: The dramatic sequel to Sekret, this psychic Cold War espionage thriller follows Yulia to Washington, DC, where she fights to discover the truth about her family without losing control of her mind.
My mind is mine alone.

Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international Skandal. 
My Thoughts:
Dear Skandal,
I'll just come right out and say that I binge read your first book, Sekret, and you back to back. I liked your first book. It wasn't a favorite or anything, but it was unique and interesting enough to force me to continue with your series, which I'm incredibly glad that I did, because I liked you even more than I did Sekret.
You continue the story of Yulia, who is a psychic spy in the Cold War. She used to work for the KGB in Russia, but was rescued by her father in Sekret, who brought her to Washington D.C., where she know works for the CIA. Yulia struggles throughout your pages to learn all the new ways of living that are offered here in America. One thing is for sure, she's no longer in Kansas, Toto. Yulia continues to fight to discover the hidden truths and secrets about her family, all the while trying to save her mom, vanquish Rostov, figure out the new personality of her father, and help relieve Valentin of his horrid dreams of his past. Ultimately, Yulia has to learn to control her own mind before she can save the people she loves and the world.
You left off pretty much right where Sekret ended. Yulia and Valentin are finally in America after fleeing communist Russia. Yulia is determined to learn English and become a spy with the US. I loved her tenacity and determination. She wasn't willing to give up, no matter how difficult thing got. She may be a little stubborn, but you can't blame her for that. Things are confusing as all get out for her, with a new way of living and new secrets being unveiled daily. I'll admit I never really swooned for the relationship between Yulia and Valentin, but I still respected their relationship. I understood it completely, but they just weren't ship material in Becca's Ship Book. But I did flip out when this one thing happens that completely complicates everything near the end of you that I can't talk about because spoilers, but seriously, after that I wanted them together forever no matter what. And I mean, it totes helped that he played a song about Yulia in front of a huge crowd. That definitely made my heart melt. 
I think the reason I liked you more than your first book is because all of the espionage, psychic background, secrets, and history was expanded exponentially. Plus, I absolutely LOVED reading about America during that time period. It was interesting to read about from an outsider's perspective. Although, you weren't exactly thrilling or un-put-down-able, I still found myself wanting to know what happened next, but once I got near the end, I sped read to find out all the deets. I was very, very satisfied with how Lindsay wrapped the series up and tied things together, but I'd definitely recommend reading your series back to back to my friends, because I think that maybe if I wouldn't have done that, I could've been a little lost on the specifics of everything, because with historical fiction, there's just so much to remember. I'm looking forward to more books from your author, Lindsay Smith. She knows how to write historical fiction, espionage, and the works, and if her writing keeps getting better with each book, then I'm definitely in for the next one. (cough, cough, Dreamstrider, cough)
Glad not to be psychic,
Becca

Have you read Sekret or Skandal? What did you think? Did you ship Yulia and Valentin? Were you satisfied with how the series ended? Let's discuss!