Wonderful book that captures a lively heroine and a well known legend. Amazing book, as are all of M.J. Rose's stories. Thank your for the review copy.

Creating a woman reporter who takes her covering of women's interests and activities out of the ordinary, Rose has done an excellent job in Vera, who is determined to show that Cartier is not always truthful in order to increase the price of the Hope diamond.

Rose's book is captivating, with a heroine that you find yourself rooting for immediately. Family secrets, undercover identities, and mysterious gems -- what more could you want from a great historical novel?

I had a difficult time getting in to this book and in the end could not finish it. Perhaps later, I will try to start it again.

The period details in this book are what really make it a worthwhile read. From real details about female journalists to the working conditions faced by NYC’s desperately poorly underclass, Rose leans in to the atmosphere of the city in 1910 and crafts a story that is inextricably informed by her choice of setting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Cartier's Hope had many different subplots in the book. It's 1910 and the eldest daughter of a wealthy department store owner, Vera wants to be a journalist, much to her mother's dismay. She often wears two hats being herself socially and acting as a reporter in disguise and using a fake name.

Cartier brings the Hope diamond to New York and puts it up for sale. The stories of bad luck surrounding the stone and the social elite are dazzled by the diamond.

Vera is recovering from an injury she received while reporting and her father's death. She wants to expose an unscrupulous magazine publisher who blackmails various businessmen into "buying advertisements" in order to "kill" stories in his magazine.

This book had many twists and turns I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the many facets of Vera's character and enjoyed learning more about 1910 New York!

Women's rights, cursed jewels, and revenge. These combined to make an attention grabbing book. The Hope Diamond has intrigued people for years. But was it cursed? Vera Garland sets out to discover the truth. But she has another reason to explore it: revenge. She needs to punish someone who destroyed a family member's happiness.

As her secret identity journalist Vee Swann, she sets in motion not only revenge , but he'll for women journalists treated unfairly.

The twist at the end was unexpected. The book was a great window into the very rich and the very poor of that time. I look forward to reading more of this author.

Thank you, Netgalley.

This book wasn't quite what I expected it to be. I went in expecting it to be mainly focused on the Hope Diamond and the mystery surrounding it, when really it was more heavily focused on the romance between the main character and her love interest. While I did find the pacing to be lacking at some points, it was still an overall enjoyable read.

One thing that took me by surprise that I really enjoyed though was the focus on womens rights and the suffragette movement that took the main stage for a large chunk of the novel.

Overall, I am definitely interested in picking up another of M.J. Rose's works.

A fascinating and engaging book that is well worth reading. The plot has twists and turns, the protoagonist is well defined and believable. I was attracted to Cartier's Hope because I had enjoyed the author's previous one, Tiffany Blues so much.

I usually love M.J. Rose's novels but I could not really get into this one. Maybe it was the setting but I expected a lot more about a book that was talking about the Hope Diamond. I really struggled to get into this one.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 50%
(Sadly, at the 50% mark, I've chosen to DNF this book. I very rarely DNF books.)

Unfortunately, while this book had all the promises of an early 20th century delight, it failed to deliver. I was initially drawn to the prospect of a historical fiction that explored a bold female lead living in the Gilded Age. The Hope Diamond angle is an intriguing storyline all on its own. Add to that the premise of a female reporter going undercover and this sounds like the perfect historical fiction novel.

However, the story was difficult to connect with. Vera, the main character, is unlikable; despite the use of first person POV, it took a few chapters to even get a sense of her character. The style of the writing is very 21st century and didn't evoke the feeling that this is a novel set in 1910/11. The process of the storyline was slow, with a great deal of time given to descriptions of persons, places, and things that felt unimportant and distracting. The main character would constantly strike off on mental tangents, giving details that were completely irrelevant. There were plotlines added to the story that served no purpose.

In addition, while I understand a book attempting to tackle modern social issues/agendas, the amount of them peppered through this book made it less about history and more about how many social issues could fit into one book. One or two would have enhanced the book, adding depth to the storyline. A new social issue every page is exhausting.

Reading is an escape from everyday life and when historical fiction feels like picking up the most modern, progressive drama of the day, the impact is lost. I'm sad that what had all the makings of an excellent book simply fell short for me.

However, I am so grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

NYC 1910 - Vera Garland leads a double life. As the daughter of wealth she is a member of proper society but as Vera Swann she is a determined journalist seeking to report on the dangers of life for those less fortunate and find her true place in society. After discovering a letter written to her father she is on a mission to expose a blackmailer by using the legends of the Hope Diamond and its curse to her advantage.
The story plays well but didn't draw me in as others I've read by M.J. Rose.

A really enjoyable and absorbing read! Following the history of the Hope Diamond, our heroine Vera Garland, heiress, moonlights as a journalist to bring her views to the multitudes. Great descriptions of New York City of the early 1900s, this is a fine historical fiction book well worth reading. Recommended.

Cartier's Hope is set in the early 1900's NYC. The Hope Diamond has recently arrived in NYC courtesy of Pierre Cartier. Vera Garland, the 30-something daughter of the city's department store king - as well as an "undercover" journalist - is as enthralled by the jewel for her own reasons.

After her father's passing, Vera uncovers he has a long-kept secret and goes undercover in an attempt to expose the man she believes contributed to his death. To do so, she must unravel the mystery of the cursed Hope Diamond along with Cartier's role in perpetuating it.

M.J. Rose paints a vivid picture of New York City during the Gilded Age as well as the role of women then - from the high-society matrons to the less fortunate - which Vera has covered as an undercover reporter. The book also provides a peek into female reporters themselves, who faced prejudice and unfair treatment by the men they worked with and for. I really enjoyed learning more women's struggles for equality, as well as the Hope Diamond. It was an interesting view to both the history of women in this country and the Hope Diamond, with a little Cartier sprinkled in too. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The setting is early 1900's NYC and Pierre Cartier has brought the Hope Diamond to the city. Vera Garland, the 30-something daughter of the city's department store king as well as a journalist, is as enthralled by the jewel as everyone else but for reasons all her own.

After her father's passing, Vera uncovers he has a long-kept secret and goes undercover in an attempt to expose the man she believes contributed to his death. To do so, she must unravel the mystery of the cursed Hope Diamond along with Cartier's role in perpetuating it.

M.J. Rose paints a vivid picture of New York City during the Gilded Age as well as the role of women then - from the high-society matrons like Vera's sister and mother to the less fortunate whose lives Vera covered as an undercover reporter as well as other female reporters themselves who faced prejudice and unfair treatment by the men they worked with and for. I really enjoyed learning more about women during this time as well as the legend of the Hope Diamond and while the book doesn't focus quite as much on Cartier as the title may suggest, it's still a wonderful read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

1910 New York City, Vera is a well to do socialite who disguises herself to fulfill her desire to have a career. Her work as a reporter intersects with her socialite family when she is drawn to a story about the Hope Diamond. Mystery, intrigue, romance and lots of family drama. I love historical fiction and this story swept me up into the time and the trials that women faced if they chose a life other than marriage and children. I couldn't put it down.

This is the second book of M.J. Rose that I have read. The cover of the book is stunning and was what first drew me to the book. As with Tiffany Blues, Cartier's Hope is full of colorful characters and descriptive settings. The Story is set in the 1910's in New York City. I knew little about Cartier so I did find the history fascinating. This is a fictional story of a female journalist's attempt to uncover the curse of the Hope diamond.

In my opinion, this story wasn't exceptional and wasn't terrible. It just fell flat for me. The characters seemed shallow.

First line: Diamonds, scientists say, are the world’s hardest material.

Summary: Vera Garland is the daughter of a wealthy New York family. However, she wants nothing more than to be a journalist. Living under her alter ego, Vee Swann, she writes for the city’s newspapers. When her father dies she learns some secrets surrounding him which lead her to plot revenge on the man who may have caused his death.

My Thoughts: Such a stunning cover. I remember seeing the Hope diamond at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. years ago. It is a beautiful necklace. I have heard and read a little bit about the supposed curse attached to the stone. I was looking forward to hearing more about it in this but the necklace is only a tiny piece of the story.

This is my first M.J. Rose book. I had looked and been interested in her books for years but never picked one up until now. I cannot say that I was too impressed. The story was fine but it took a lot to get going. I was a little bored so I only made it about 50% of the way through before giving up.

FYI: The cover is a little misleading.

Cartier's Hope by MJ Rose was so interesting. I really enjoyed the portrayal of early suffragettes and fighters for women's rights. I so appreciate the bravery and sacrifices of those who came before.

1910 in New York City is the setting for extravagant balls in Fifth Avenue mansions and poor immigrants crammed into crumbling Lower East Side tenements. A city where the suffrage movement is growing stronger every day, Vera Garland is set on making her mark in a man’s world of serious journalism. When the world-famous Hope Diamond is acquired for a record sum, Vera begins investigating rumors circulating about its new owner, jeweler Pierre Cartier, trying to manipulate its value. Vera is determined to know the truth behind the diamond and its legendary curses. The stakes become even higher when the investigation lands her in the same orbit as a magazine publisher whose blackmailing schemes led to the death of her father.
Rose is one of THE talented voices of historical fiction. The characters in her novels are so alive and the historical settings so detailed, the reader will truly think they are in 1910 New York City.
This is truly an extraordinary novel.