This is a looooong, engrossing historical tale that ultimately just involved too many things for me. Told in two perspectives and time periods, we follow Sophia during the years of the Russian Revolution, her friendship with the royal family, the love affair with a soldier suffering from amnesia, the involvement of the Faberge jewelry makers, and a mystery of a tiara. Decades later, Isobelle, the daughter of Sophia, tells her story as she tries to understand how this tiara came into her mother's possession. Isobelle's life also involves her work as an female architect in the male-dominated world, her time at Oak Ridge building a city for atomic bomb scientists, a love interest whose own family issues are complex. Yeah, there was just a LOT going on for me. I was intrigued and fascinated by the Russian time period, less so with the post WWII life, and found the ending a bit implausible and too-neatly packaged.

I've long held an interest in the Romanovs, so this book was of insta-interest for me. But this book was so much more than simply the Romanovs. I am honestly astonished by all the author has packed into this very enjoyable book, from secret cities, to secret societies, to long-held secrets. The dual timeline works so well, along with each character's story arcs. I can only imagine the research that went into bringing this exceptional novel to life. So well done and time well spent as I kick off 2021.

I love reading about Tsarist Russia and this mystery of a lost tiara captures the history and intrigue of the time. Told in flashbacks between the daughter's present in the forties and the mother's past at the cusp of revolution. The history of lost jewels is intriguing and while.a bit predictable with the end the story as a whole entertainment delivers.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I loved this story from beginning to end! This is such a beautifully written tale of a woman discovering her past and her truth. The parallel chapters of mother and daughter were a wonderful touch, as the readers get to experience each woman as they face their challenges.

Dual timelines of a woman in 1948 New York who finds a tiara minus a few jewels in her dead mother's things and searches for the link between the tiara and her mother's hidden past. Isobelle finds out that her mother once worked for the Romanovs as a nurse and was befriended by Olga who gave the tiara to her mother, Sophia. As Isobelle digs deeper she will find out more about her mother and the father she never knew. I was drawn in by Sophia's story in Russia and a bit less involved with Isobelle and her struggles in New York. As is the case with all of Rose's books there is much history, a bit of romance, and an intriguing story with strong female characters. Fans of everything Romanov and the Russian Revolution will enjoy this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Just after I started reading this I remembered I read the last book by this author and absolutely loved it. I was then worried this book wouldn’t hold up to it and I’d be disappointed... I didn’t have to worry. This book was incredible. The characters grabbed me immediately, the story was breathtaking, the history was fabulous, and I couldn’t put it down. Thank you for writing such and epic book.

I loved this wonderfully written historical fiction with a bit of mystery. I immediately became engrossed with the story telling of Sophie and Isobelle Moon’s lives while reading of the many threads which tied together the mystery together.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This work of historical fiction alternates between 1917 Russia and 1948 New York. Isobelle is a young architect, fighting her way in a mostly male profession. Her mother Sofiya emigrated from Russia in the 1920’s, pregnant with Isobelle and seeking to escape the excesses of the Bolshevik Revolution which cost her friends and family, and her lover, Carpathian. The story incorporates history, a mother daughter relationship, and two romances between Sofiya and Carpathian, and Isobelle and Jules, the young jeweler she befriends to help her solve the mystery of a tiara she found hidden in her mother’s apartment after Sofiya’s death. I recommend this novel and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

“The Last Tiara” by best-selling novelist M.J Rose is a historical fiction novel, chock full of emotion, romance, history and intrigue.
(As posted on mysteryandsuspensemagazine.com)
When Isobelle Moon discovers the remnants of a tiara, hidden in the wall of her mother’s room, she is immediately enthralled. Her mother, Sophia, had always been very secretive about her past in Russia, refusing to talk about her life before coming to American when Isobel was an infant. Desperate to find answers, Isobelle enlists the help of Jules Reed, the grandson of the jeweler who was responsible for the design of the tiara. However, Isobelle realizes that Jules is a member of an underground, secret historical society whose primary goal is returning lost items to their owners. Can Isobelle trust Jules to help her uncover the tiara’s history, also revealing some of Sophia’s own secrets? Or will he betray her, and use the tiara for his own purposes?
“The Last Tiara” is narrated in two time periods, from the perspective of both Isobelle and her mother, Sophia, with each segment clearly marked and dated. I thoroughly enjoyed learning of the Moon women this way, understanding their individual struggles, and eventually bringing their struggles together to a satisfying conclusion. Both Isobelle and Sophia are brave and powerful women, determined to make it on their own- Sophia, desperate to raise her child in a free world, and Isobelle, trying to garner success as an architect in a strictly-male dominated field. Everything about these women is worth cheering for and I was eager to see how their stories would play out.
Ms. Rose has a magical way of retelling history, and using her descriptive language she is able to portray the desolation of Russia, as well as the beautiful up-and-coming New York City, in a way that completely immerses the reader in history. Not only is the romantic endeavours of Sophia and Isobelle at the forefront of this novel, but I also learned a little bit about the Boleshvik’s, the Russian crown jewels, and the disappearance of the Tsar and his family. “The Last Tiara” is a story that will provide a reader with page-turning entertainment, while at the same time providing a reader with knowledge and information. This is not an easy thing to do, and bonus points to Rose for managing this task impeccably.
The unexpected ending of “The Last Tiara” delighted me. Not only was it believable but it came out of nowhere, and provided the perfect ending (even though it wasn’t what I was expecting!). All of the characters got exactly what they deserved, and I was left feeling completely satisfied.
“The Last Tiara” is an absolute historical-fiction gem, and I cannot wait to enjoy MJ Rose’s past and future works!

What a great read! This is the perfect read for someone who loves historical fiction mixed with a little mystery. I found the story interesting and the characters lovable.

What is the mystery behind a tiara obtained in Russia?

This mystery is the main focus of the book.

We meet mother and daughter in different years.

Sofiya is a nurse in an infirmary for wounded soldiers during the war in Russia in 1915. She takes care of one of the soldiers and falls in love. She also has many secrets her daughter, Isobelle, wants to find the answers to.

Her daughter, Isobelle, finds a tiara hidden in the wall of her mother’s bedroom, and Isobelle's curiosity begins the search for answers of why and how it got there.

THE LAST TIARA goes back and forth with background information of Isobelle’s mother and Isobelle’s present-day search in 1948.

I wasn’t really thrilled with the mother’s story. It was difficult to get interested in even though it was this background information that was needed to solve the tiara’s mystery.

I did enjoy Isobelle’s search for the mystery of the tiara.

My only complaint is that even though THE LAST TIARA had a good story line, it was quite wordy.

I struggled through some of the chapters, but the ending brought my rating from a 3/5 to a 4/5.

The unraveling of the mystery is worth wading through the extra wordy chapters.

Fans of art and the history of Russia and its royal family and their jewels will enjoy this book.

And how about that gorgeous cover? 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading The Last Tiara. It was a little slow at first but it did pick up the pace quickly. I liked the way the author went back and forth in history telling a story connected thru its characters of a mother and daughter.. I found the historical information so interesting. It was a fascinating time in Russian history and the author didnt disappoint in conveying the feelings of hopelessness of some of the people.The author really let us know the mother and daughter characters and get into their minds. It was at times heartbreaking and then joyous. I recommend this book highly

This is a beautifully told historical fiction surrounding a tiara gifted by a Russian Princess to her friend. We follow two timelines, one in 1917 during the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and another in 1948 in New York City. We follow mother and daughter as they try to navigate their individual challenges in their respective worlds. At the center of the novel is a mysterious Tiara that the daughter, Isobelle, finds hidden between the studs in her Manhattan apartment. Discovering why her mother had the tiara, why it was hidden and what it all means becomes the focus of the story. Intertwined in this mystery are two very romantic stories, subtle social commentary, and lots of discussion about art and history.

This is my second novel from the author and I must say I definitely prefer this one. This is a lush and romantic story with the perfect amount of mystery. I have always found this period of Russian history to be fascinating, the mystery of the Romanovs and Rasputin, and Lenin and the Bolsheviks is so interesting and I was so excited to read a novel set during this time. I found myself swept up in the story almost immediately and I actually would have loved if this novel was even longer to give me more time in the story.

The other thing I really enjoyed in this novel is the author's subtle discussion on women's rights. She also included this theme in the other book I've read from her, Cartier's Hope, and I think it was again extremely successful. Isobelle is a female architect who has to deal with sexism and being exploited due to her gender. Without making the whole novel about women's rights, the author really gets the message to the reader and I really appreciate that aspect.

My only real complaint has to do with the structure of the novel. The chapters alternative between the two plot lines, which is normally something that I really love. The author chose to switch POV after each chapter, which I thought was a little too quick. I would have preferred the author to let us live in each story line a little bit longer before switching it up. Honestly not a huge issue, just a personal preference.

If you like history, art or romance I think you will really enjoy this novel. I was really impressed with The Last Tiara and I can't wait to read whatever she comes out with next.

The Last Tiara : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
Another great historical fiction ! This one has romance, mystery and jewelry! The story is told from the POV of two people, between the past and the present which I really enjoyed . This story peeked my interest about the Romanov history which I’m excited to learn more about .
.
In this story we meet mother and daughter Sophia and Isobelle. Sophia fled Russia and all that she knows and love in order to get a better life for her daughter . Years laters Sophia has passed on and Isobelle stumbled upon a crown that’s missing all its jewelry and a letter . Needing clarity she set out to get answers about her mothers past , desiring to know more about her history , but Isobelle soon discover that she’s not the only one seeking answers and the closer she get to making a discovery she realizes that she doesn’t know her mother at all.
.
I like this story and found it very interesting. I wish a know more about Sophia’s friend Olga and her family, but that’s OK, maybe book 2😊?

There seems to be a theme in the last couple of books my M.J. Rose - Cartier's Hope, Tiffany Blues and now The Last Tiara. It's an interesting theme and rather catchy.

As with her previous books this is a dual time period story, told by a mother and her daughter. Both era's aren't always friendly to women which played out here. Both independent, one strong as she lives during turbulent times and the other who is constantly obsessing about being good enough - which was repeated too many times. I get being insecure, especially in the 1940's for ambitious women and understand that is an issue but it just seemed over done.

This is very much a tell book, sometime it works just fine but other times not so much. It's obvious the author knows the era with the history being well researched, though a couple info drops disrupted the flow. I enjoyed learning about Faberge and the historical details both in Russia and the US. I would have loved author notes just to clarify what was fact vs fiction.

The mystery side of the story revolving around this tiara played out nicely. Lots of clues, twist and turns with a fitting conclusion.

My thanks to the publisher, Blue Box Press (via Netgalley) for an advanced e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

I love this gorgeous cover! This book is told in alternating timelines. I thought it was well written and found both timelines interesting.
I am curious if any of the story was based on fact or is it just purely fictional. I enjoyed the story very much
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

I enjoyed this book. The plot involves a young woman who finds a tiara that once belonged to the Romanovs. The action shifts between Revolution-era Russia and New York of the 1940's. I liked that this novel involved two period stories, instead of an historical saga paired with a modern day story. Both of the stories in this novel were interesting historical tales in their own right.

The backstory set in Russia was compelling and beautifully written. The story set in the 1940's was good but not quite as good as the companion story. There are references to a part of the heroine's life set during the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, but this part of the story didn't quite fly. I would have loved to have seen the author do more with that part of the novel and tie it in with the main plot.

This was good light reading, especially for historical fiction fans.

#thelasttiara #netgalley

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I just couldn't quite get into it. It really has promise.

I loved this book, the way it wove history, family, friends, enemies and love all together made it a great reading experience. The historical beauty of the actual tiara kept me enthralled. I had to research the information myself and pour over the photos and stories. The brush with a real historical mystery was very enticing to me. The characters were so real that I felt like this really solved the missing tiara mystery. Really great reading.

I wish I could rate this 3 1/2 stars. It was right between a book that I enjoyed and a book that I loved.

In this historical fiction novel, we follow Isobelle and Sophia Moon in alternating POV plot lines. Isobelle is in 1948 and has recently lost her mother. She is trying to understand the secrets that her mother kept from her about her time in Russia. While renovating their home, Isobelle discovers a tiara that is the key to unlocking her mother’s secrets.

Sophia’s story is told in Russia in 1915. Each time we join her story, a little more of the mystery is revealed. We see war torn Russia and meet the Tsar and his daughters. We fall in love with Isobelles father and experience Sophia’s heartache and struggles.

I loved the mystery and how wonderfully it was revealed and uncovered layer by layer. I wanted to keep reading to uncover the secrets and know what would happen. But i didn’t connect as well as I would have liked to either character. I can’t put my finger on why- maybe this was just the wrong time to read this book. I lost my mother just before starting this and it may have made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in Isobelle’s grief as I work through my own. This left me struggling to rate the book since the lack of character connection kept this a three star book for me

I received a free ARC of the book in exchange for my honest feedback about the book