The Last Tiara by M. J. Rose is the story that spans through decades from Russia to America, spinning tales of love, war, loss and family.

Isobelle Moon is the architect living in New York and after her mother's death she finds a hidden box with a tiara in it. Apart from knowing that her mother came from Russia she knows almost nothing about her mother's life, who was always adamant about not talking of past but only looking toward future.
Search about the origin of silver tiara will help her find out about her family's past and the father she has never known.

This story is told from two points, Isobelle's and her mother's, who is a friend of Romanov girls in war torn Russia. It is interesting to read how they both decades apart try to find their path in life, deal with love, loss and hope.
However, it is very slow paced and the story at times drags on and on, with all the little details which are not necessary to the story.
I liked historical aspect of it, as I learned a lot about the time period I knew little of.
It was interesting to follow the mystery of the tiara.

I loved the differing point of view between Isobelle and Sofiya in telling their story. Both had been hurt but on different ways and have the scars on their heart to prove it. Isobelle is left with a mystery when her mother dies suddenly and she finds a tiara hidden in the wall. This leads Isobelle down a rabbit hole to find out where it came from and exactly why her mother had it.

Taking us back when Romanov empire crumbled and to NYC in the late 1940s , the details Transport you back to those time periods.

Thank you to GetRed PR for the chance to read and review this book. This is the second book by M.J. Rose that I have read. The Last Tiara is told from alternating perspectives. One perspective is that of Sofiya Petrovitch, is who works in the royal household of the Romanovs. The other perspective is that of Isobelle Moon, who is working in a male-dominated profession while trying to uncover secrets of her mother's past. The part of the story that I found the most interesting is when Sofiya was working in a makeshift hospital for wounded soldiers. I thought this was interesting as Sofiya navigated her life during the war, from living in a grand palace to seeing the ugliness of way up close. As is common in these historical stories, Sofiya meets and falls in love with a wounded solider. I also really like when books explore the dynamic of mother-daughter relationships, and this one was no exception. I always think it is interesting when daughters find out secrets about the people their mothers were before they have children. It just goes to show you that we often don't understand our parents until we are older. I also enjoyed learning the story of The Last Tiara. When the story of the tiara is finally revealed and uncovered, it provided a great deal of satisfaction for all of the loss and hardships the characters endured over the course of the novel. There were a handful of parts that I found to be a little tedious; I thought some of the lengthy descriptions were unnecessary, as they did little to advance the plot. I thought a few parts of this story felt like they dragged out, and I found myself skimming some passages. This novel is definitely heavy in historical knowledge, and if you are a fan of the Romanovs/Russia, you would definitely find this book to be very interesting. There were definitely plenty of profound quotes, and I was surprised at some of the steam in this book. I haven't read too many historical fiction books that contained the level of romance that this one did.

The combination of history, romance, and jewelry was fascinating. Mystery of the missing jewls kept me on the edge of my seat reading! I loved it!

The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose was a wonderful read and new take on the Romanov family. The story centers around the mystery of a gifted tiara and relationships made more complicated by the turmoil in Russia during that time. I love the way that Rose writes and this book is no exception. The characters are well defined, the plot carries along at a perfect pace, and the last fourth of the book has a great amount of twists and turns. I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I read “The Last Tiara” as an ARC from NetGalley, MJ Rose and the publisher, BlueBoxPress. Thank you for sharing this. The story was a perspective of the times of the Romanov’ Russia and the turmoil that surrounded the shift in Russia and the tragedy of their lives that I have not encountered previously. I very much enjoyed the story which was of a mother and daughter, and their lives which were so affected by the tiara and its secrets. Sophia came to the United States as a Russian immigrant fleeing the horrors of the aftermath of the overthrow of the Romanovs. She brought very little with her, and shared even less about her past as she became totally immersed in becoming an American citizen and tried to hide her past from everyone, including herself. Her daughter Isabelle, finds the tiara after her mother’s sudden death, and begins to unravel her mother’s love story and the history of the tiara, which leaves the reader encompassing many emotions: anger, love, frustration, hope, and so much more. It was my second novel by MJ Rose, and I look forward to reading more. Highly recommend this book.

I have read War & Peace, THe Winter Palace, and The Winter Garden. I thought I had enough reading on early 20th Century Russia, I was wrong. I needed to read "The Last Tiara" also. Told in two sweeping voices, "The Last Tiara", not only dives into Russia's elite but also is a family tale of secrets we keep and secrets we uncover.
When you finish reading you will want to call your family members, especially your mother, and ask questions before it is too late. And then recommend Author Rose's epic novel to all your history buff bookclub friends.

Enjoyable and well-researched dual-perspective historical novel. I love period novels, so I especially like it when, as is the case with this one, both perspectives are from the past.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

A gem of a read, M. J. Rose's 'The Last Tiara' provides a stunning account of the Romanov's Russia and 1950's NYC. Working in a male-dominated industry, architect Isobelle Moon is at the crossroads of her life. Coming to terms with her mother's death and routinely demeaned at work, she decides to construct a new future.

Remodeling her mother's apartment, she discovers a skeleton of a tiara missing its jeweled ornament. Mustering a rare display of courage, Isobelle unleashes a mystery that will reawaken the past and piece together the puzzling gaps, her mother left behind.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for an honest review. It was my first time reading an M. J. Rose novel but it won't be the last. Penning the perfect blend of history and mystery, readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats until the final chapter.

Wonderful book really well written and kept me entertained and also kept me guessing what the outcome would be.

It tells you about Sofiya who is friends with Grand Duchess Olga and Grand Duchess Tatiana. They decide to volunteer at the hospital and this is where Sofiya meets Carpanthian who is a soldier and has lost his memory.

It is a dual aspect to this book first of all it tells you the story of Sofiya in Russia then we are in New York where Isobelle is the daughter of Sofiya and she discovers a tiara in her Mother’s bedroom hidden away where did she get it.

I really enjoyed the twists in this book and certainly would read more of this author.

The blurb for The Last Tiara is what initially led me to request this book. After Isobelle's mother unexpectedly passes away, she's shocked to find a silver tiara hidden in her mother's room, and she's left to try and piece together the story of the tiara and discover the secrets that her mother had kept from her in post-World War II New York. Isobelle's story is complimented by her mother's, as the reader gets to follow a young Sofiya Petrovitch living in 1915 Russia.

I loved the premise of the story, and it was interesting seeing Isobelle's life in 1940s New York contrasted with her mother's time in Russia as a young woman. This was initially what drew me into the book, and it didn't disappoint. The mystery of the tiara was predictable, but I enjoyed Isobelle's journey to discovering the truth of the tiara and her mother's past. Unfortunately, the author's writing style took away from the story for me. There was a lot of noticeable "telling" in the way the story was written, and that took away from the narrative and plot for me. While I liked the characters, I didn't feel like there was a great deal of character growth over the course of the story.

This was a pleasant read, but I didn't connect to the characters as much as I had hoped, despite such an interesting premise and story.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist: After her mother's death, Isobelle Moon finds a hidden tiara in her room. With the help of a handsome jeweler, she slowly uncovers the mystery of what happened to her mother during the fall of the Romanov Empire.

My Thoughts: If you're looking for a good, well-researched historical romance, check this one out. It delves into several historical periods I've always found fascinating, including the fall of the Romanov Empire, the Manhattan Project, and what it was like for working women post-WWII. I really enjoyed the romance in both timelines, and found Isobelle in particular to be extremely relatable.

My main quibble with this book is that it had a lot of telling as opposed to showing, and the shift from first person to third person with the POV change was a bit jarring. I also have a lot of questions in regards to that twist at the end, which I won't spoil here but if anyone else has read it I'd love to discuss.

But overall I loved the mystery, the history, and the romance.

Recommended for fans of: Russian history, WWII history, historical romance

This book is rich in details, full of intrigue and mystery. It is a story about a mother and her daughter. A mother unwilling to reveal her secrets. A daughter determined to discover the secrets. The author tells this story from alternating viewpoints of the mother Sofiya and her daughter, Isobelle. I enjoyed the back and forth between the characters.

I've read other books by M.J. Rose and enjoyed this much more than her other books. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a good story.

Thank you Netgalley and M.J. Rose for allowing me to read and enjoy this novel.

Two young women who never really had a chance to know one another. The mother escaped Russia for America after the Revolution, and the daughter an architect just after the second World War and working in NYC. That which ties them together after all these years is a Romanov tiara which disappeared and was sold for its component jewels. The imagery is both breathtaking and heartbreaking, the characters are engaging as is their story. As a history geek with ancestors from the general area, I was fascinated and drawn in from beginning to end. Excellent read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Blue Box Press/AuthorBuzz via NetGalley.

Wow! I loved this book! Intriguing historical fiction at its best... amazing characters! Highly highly recommend

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

1.5 stars

I found it very confusing and difficult to get into the story because the author started talking about something and she kept quoting names and dates over and over.
I do not know if these names and dates are true or if they are invented.
This book is told from two different points of view, one in Russia by Isobelle's mother and the other in New York by Isobelle and being very sincere I only liked the part of Russia, in fact, I loved to accompany Sofia, if the book were only Sofia's part in Russia I would have liked this book much more.
The author tries in the story to bring a little bit of how women are devalued in jobs that are predominantly done by men but I think she was not able to work it very well and ended up falling into some eye-rolling clichés like the fact that Isobelle is not attractive like other women and not even feminine but how it makes her more successful at work, I understand that this book is set in 1948 but even so it was written in the present times the author didn’t need to bring this topic this way.
In terms of plot is not bad, the story of the mystery of Tiara and the life of Isobelle’s mother is very interesting, but the story has many things that happen conveniently to help the plot move forward, the author even tries to justify in the story that is destiny and coincidence.
I discovered the great plot twist at the end of the story, which was nothing incredible.
In the end, I'm happy that I finished this book and a little disappointed because I didn't stop reading before because I really didn't like this book very much.
Ps: I think the author wanted to show so much that she studied and researched to write this book that she put too much information on it.

I have always been fascinated with the Russian royalty and the early part of the 20th century. The story flips back and forth between the early 1900s to then the 1940s. Great story and great description and very detailed.

For readers of romance as well a lovers of Russian history. Told from two separate points of view, which makes for an interesting style, but it did add to the depth of the characters by describing the same events, but from the perspectives of different characters.

From New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller M.J. Rose comes a provocative and moving story of a young female architect in post-World War II Manhattan, who stumbles upon a hidden treasure and begins a journey to discovering her mother’s life during the fall of the Romanovs. The Last Tiara alternatives narratives between Isobelle Moon, and Sofiya Petrovitch (later Sophia Moon). Isobelle's story takes place mostly in New York City in 1948-1949 with stops in Paris and London. Sofiya's story takes place in Russia from 1917-1922.

As the story opens, it has been one year since Isobelle's mother Sophia Moon lost her life tragically. Isobelle is a graduate of architecture school, was part of the secretive Oak Ridge experiments, and now makes her home in New York City where she grew up. Isobelle is a woman struggling to find her place in what is predominantly a man’s world. One night while sifting through her mother's things, she discovers a cubby hole. Inside the cubby hole she finds what looks to be a tiara with Russian writing. Isobelle knew her mother grew up in Russia, but her mother kept her past a secret.

Why would Sophia have a tiara? Where did it come from? Isobelle takes the receipt to a man named Jules Reed who begins Isobelle's journey to discovery the secrets of the woman she called mother. It's sad that Sophia never told her daughter about her past or about her father. It's sad that Sophia couldn't spent 10 minutes telling her daughter about the horrors of Lenin's revolution, and how she ended up surviving. Jules works for an organization called the Midas Society that claims it's goal is to return stolen or lost goods to their owners if they are still alive. But the mystery of the tiara, becomes even more strange when a man shows up claiming to be Isobelle's supposedly dead father.

April 1915, we find Sofiya Petrovitch living in *Petrograd where she is childhood friends with **Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna and her sister Tatiana due to her mother being a private tutor for the princesses. The three young women decide to work as Sister of Mercy Volunteers since Russia is at war. It is here where Sofiya's story really gets interesting. Here she meets a mysterious man who seems to have lost most of his memories as well as parts of his foot. Here is where Sofiya's life changes in many, many ways. It is a turbulent time in Russia. Lenin is leading a massive revolution that will lead to the Tsar resigning, and things changing for the worst.

If you think Communism is so great, I dare you to ask someone who spent their lives living in Russia from 1917-1991 or China that matter. Socialists and Communists claim they are for the people, but they are just as bad or worse than anyone else. They stole things that didn't belong to them. They hoarded other people's property. They forced people into bread lines, and meat allotments. They forced people into living in small dwellings not meant for more than 2-4 people. They sent people to Siberia where many were never seen again. Sofiya and her family lived through this era.

They were afraid they were going to be reported by their neighbors for having more than they needed. While Sofiya is falling deeper for Carpathian, she also begins a new job working as a restorer which she ends up picking up in America. Once in America, Sofiya changes her name to Sofia Moon, only speaks English never Russian, does not date or marry. She refuses to respond to her daughter's questions concerning her life in Russia or answer the constant curiosities she has about the father she never knew.

Thanks to Sophia's secrecy, Isobelle has little choice but to pursue the few clues she has, which could easily lead to dead ends. With the help of Jules, Isobelle slowly peels back the layers of Sofiya’s life. Jules and his grandfather reveal that the tiara was part of the Romanov collection. Of course, the reader knows the provenance of the tiara from reading Sofiya’s story, which makes the journey so interesting. Both women have a love interest, allowing the author to inject a romantic element into the story. Sophia's romance ends up with her leaving Russia and finding a way to New York City. Isobelle's romance comes after a rollercoaster ride of emotions as she and Jules search for answers and try to find out where the tiara came from.

For me, Sofiya's story is much more interesting. Nothing against Isobelle, but she hasn't lived the life her mother was forced into. She struggles to fit into a man's world yes, she worked on a secretive program yes, but her mother literally faced being sent to Siberia for not being a good enough Citizen under Lenin's brutal reign of terror. Especially when she started working with Filatov Roman Sokolov a master restorer who really helps her when she struggles to get by without Carpathian. So, no I don't blame Sophia for not wanting to discuss the past especially when she thought she would never find happiness again, not after Carpathian.

*(Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991)
**Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the eldest child of the last Tsar of the Russian Empire, Emperor Nicholas II, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia before they were captured and executed together during the Bolshevik Revolution.

#thelasttiara #mjrose #netgalley a story of a mother, 1915 St. Petersburg. And a daughter, 1948 New York. After her mother passes Isobelle is left with nothing but mysteries. Her mother came to the United States from Russia. She didn’t like to tell her daughter of the past. Her child now a woman still curious follows the trail of the tiara. Where did it come from? How did her mother get it? You will fall in love with this historical work. Putting together the pieces. Well written and had me hook line and sinker. #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #bookstagram #booknerd #readersofinstagram #readersofig #historicalfiction #romanov #worldwarii #romanovfamily