Wonderfully written.

There is a lot of details about Russian history before the 1917 Russian revolution that topped the reign of the last Tsar /Czar of all the Russias,

This novel is also about the relationship between mother and daughter. The mother was a Russian refugee who arrived in America with sights on the future.

There is a mystery that the daughter needs to solve. And the mystery involved the last tiara.

I loved how The Last Tiara was written. The story contained so many elements that kept me reading and unable to put down. It was easy to follow and was an enjoyable read. Ever since I watched the movie Anastasia as a kid, I enjoyed the Russian history involving the Romanovs. The 2 time lines was, at times, frustrating because you would have wanted to stick with one and then it would switch.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have never read anything by M.J. Rose and this was a great introduction. I love historical fiction and this one came with a twist of mystery. Isobelle is on the hunt for information about her mother's background after she finds a silver tiara hidden in the walls of her mother's bedroom. There are many twists and turns and descriptions of gorgeous jewelry. It was a fun read and I found myself reading it fast. I will be back!

This story was beautifully written and told in two timelines. It was rich in historical detail and I felt transported in time. This will be a memorable book for me.
Many thanks to Blue Box Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed The Last Tiara. I'm instantly intrigued when it comes to anything involving the Romanovs and this book did not disappoint. This book is set up so that every other chapter you learn about Isobelle, who is slowing uncovering things about her recently deceased mother, and the other chapters are filled with her mother's story. This book had tragedy, historical significance, love, and mystery, so a little bit of something for everyone. I enjoyed the little surprises that Rose weaved into her writing and would highly recommend this book!

The chapters alternate between Sofiya's time in revolutionary Russia in 1917 and her daughter Isobelle's life in 1948 New York City. Isobelle is an architect, and she knows her mother emigrated from Russia and her father is dead, but little else. When her mother dies, she finds a tiara hidden in their apartment, and takes it to the jeweler who has worked on it years before to try and find out more. We learn the history of the tiara, how it came to Sofiya through the Romanov family, and its relation to Isobelle's parents. If you enjoy historical fiction, especially about revolutionary Russia or the Romanovs, this novel would be a good choice. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

"The Last Tiara" is a historical mystery filled with romance and intrigue! Through dual timelines, it tells the story of Sofiya's work as a nurse during the Russian Revolution, her love affair with a wounded soldier, and her escape to the United States with only a treasured tiara and a pregnancy. The other timeline follows Sofiya's daughter Isobelle as she teams up with a handsome jeweler to discover the secrets of her mother's past and of the tiara, finding more than she could have possibly imagined.

The plot moves quickly and there were so many interesting developments which made me want to turn the pages as fast as I could in order to find out what happened next. The story seems to be very well researched and Rose's writing transported me to both Russia during the Revolution and post-war New York City. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I will be looking for more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this entertaining book in exchange for my honest review.

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

The Last Tiara tells the story of Sofiya and her daughter Isobelle through alternating timelines. Sofiya's story covering Russia during World War 1, and Isobelle's in 1940's New York.

In 1915 Russia, Sofiya and her best friend Olga, the Grand Duchess, volunteer as nurses to wounded soldiers at St. Petersburg's Winter Palace, which has been turned in to a makeshift hospital, It is there that Sofiya meets a soldier who has lost his memory and they begin to fall in love, but the turmoil of life and the country ultimately separates them. In 1922, a pregnant Sofiya leaves Russia for the U.S. and decides to bury her past by changing her name to Sofia Moon.

After Sophia's death, Isobelle finds a tiara hidden in the wall of the apartment that she shares with her mother, which prompts her to try and discover how her mother came to have it, and why she kept it hidden. Knowing almost nothing about Sofia's life in Russia, Isobelle finds herself questioning what little she does know about her, but the search may lead her to ultimately find herself.

The story is beautifully written, but the first half really lagged for me with most of the story narrative and character development taking place in the second half of the book. I almost gave up on it a few times, but every time I picked it back up I found myself really enjoying it. If historical fiction is your thing, you will love this book.

I'm an MJ Rose fan and this book doesn't disappoint. With lush descriptions, a rich historical context and a story that interweaves different timeframes, this book delivers on its promises and exceeds them for a satisfying read. Readers will love the mix of historical details of Russian royalty with the beauty of Fabergé jewels and eggs.

This story is about Isobelle and her mother Sofiya in alternating stories. Isobelle’s mother came from Russia with Isobelle when she was a very young girl. Sofiya never talked about Russia, about her parents, and knowing the the Romanov girls. Sofiya being of close age to the girls was allowed to attend art classes and to be friends with the Romanov girls. When the Romanovs knew they were going to have to leave Russia, Isobelle’s friend the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna gave her her tiara full of jewels. And most of all Sofiya never talked about Isobelle's father, only that he was the love of her life and meet him while he was convalescing in the hospital during the war. . After Isobelle’s mother dies in an accident, she decides to renovate the apartment they lived in and finds a non jeweled tiara inside one of the walls. That is where the story really gets on Isobelle decides she has to find out about the tiara,and who her father was. This is basically a good story and with some twist's and turns and a good plot. The only part of this book I did not like, and I put it down a couple of times because of it, were the sex scenes. I don’t think the elaboration was necessary. You can get the drift without it being stated so explicitly. For that I would give the book a 3 but for the story itself I would give it a 4.

2.5 stars rounded up

I felt like this book was missing a lot of things. It is a historical fiction told from the perspective of a mother and daughter. I should have loved this book as the last days of Czar Nicholas II and the pre WW1 time line are some of my favorite times and I absolutely did love this story line, it was exciting and followed Sofiya as she went through life in those troubling times. The other side is from Isobel who is Sofiya's daughter and it takes place in 1940's NYC. I found that there was a lot of plot in this book and not so much character focus. So we find out what happens to the characters but not how they feel about it or grow from it.

I ran into some issues with Isobel she was the type of main character that I don't particularly care for in books where she needs constant reassurance, and is forever doubting herself. Some of the description was a bit much in places it felt like it was used as filler.

I found myself wishing that there was even more of the actual mystery within the story. It just kind of fell flat for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for providing an arc for my honest review.

What a great story! The Last Tiara tells the story of how the Romanov tiara came into the hands of Isobelle Moon. The author switches back and forth between Sophia/Sofiya (Isobelle's mom) story and Isobelle's story. Sofiya's story begins in 1917 Russia. The tiara came into Sofiya's possession after her friend, the Grand Duchess of Russia gives the tiara to Sofiya before the Duchess goes into exile. Sofiya hides the tiara in her walls in her New York apartment that she emigrated to during the war. While renovating the apartment, Isobelle finds the tiara and goes to a local jeweler for help about its origins, as Sophia has now passed as it is 1948 New York in her story. Jules, the jeweler, has an agenda of his own - trying to get into the elusive Midas Society. Jules and Isobelle get into a personal relationship but Isobelle questions his motives as to why he is with her.

A great look into a mother - daughter relationship, as well as a great romance for history and jewel buffs.

The Last Tiara promised history, mystery and a little romance – all the ingredients of a great historical fiction book. Thankfully, it delivered yet it took me a bit to get in to it. This has happened with several books, which may be due to the worsening of the pandemic (again) and my inability to stay focused. Either way, once the mystery was revealed, I was able to hit my stride.

The story alternates between Isobelle’s life in America during and after World War II and her mother Sofiya’s life in Russia during the Russian Revolution. I liked the intertwined plots as I felt as if I was finding things out alongside the characters. I love books with mother/daughter stories as that relationship can be taut with so many emotions. It made me sad that Sofiya’s past was hidden from her daughter, although it made for the basis of the book and the mystery at its heart.

The well-researched history kept me engaged throughout the novel. And of course, the romantic plotlines that developed were a bonus. A few historical events that were mentioned had me doing some extra research as I read such as the first Faberge Egg and Ghost Army of WWII. Learning something new from historical fiction is one of the reasons I love it. Rose’s brand of historical fiction has garnered her a large fan base. She’s got a plethora of books under her belt to check out.

I have read some work by this author in the past and sorry to say, this one isn't one of my favorites. The plot and characters felt rushed, and to be honest I just didn't connect with any of it. I hate to give a bad review, it could just be me.

I am a huge fan of anything Romanov related, so when I saw that this book was available for review on NetGalley, I absolutely jumped at the prospect. The story revolves around two time periods - Sophia's life during the Russian Revolution, and her daughter Isobelle's life following World War II. The story is linked by the tiara referenced in the title of the book. This book explores how different objects can create a new view of our memories and who our lost family members truly were. The book was beautifully thought out and researched, and was complete with mystery and intrigue. I greatly enjoyed the previous release from this author and had been meaning to read more of her work for quite some time now.

I would highly recommend this read. It is cozy, warm, and very touching. It was also a very quick read despite the fact that it was almost 300 pages. If you, like me, enjoy Romanov history and love great historical fiction that is well-researched, this is definitely the book for you.

I loved this story of Sofiya and Isobelle, told via alternating points of view. It was very interesting and suspenseful right until the end! The information about the time periods and the role Jules plays in the story are very informative.

This novel wonderfully evokes two time periods: Russia in the late teens and early twenties and post WW2 America. The timelines follow Sophia and her daughter Isobelle at approximately the same ages in their respective lives. War affects both of them, as do family, romance, and intrigue. Sophia excised all things Russian from her life when she came to America. As a result Isobelle knows very little of her mother's previous life and is unsure how to proceed when she finds a tiara hidden in her mother's bedroom wall a year after her death. The author spins out this multigenerational tale of mystery and tragedy beautifully to a satisfying resolution.

And MJ Rose is back with an intriguing historical fiction novel, The Last Tiara. I have been looking for just the right book to lift my reading spirits this winter and am so happy to have received this ARC. I found the writing to be fantastic and the characters truly absorbing. I have always had an interest in the Russian Czar Nicholas and his family, and felt this book was very well done in that aspect. I found the discovery of the jewels and their story captivating. I highly recommend this book! All opinions are my own.

This was an excellent read - I was gripped from early on in the book and almost couldn't put it down.

Told as two parallel stories that come together at the end: one set in the early 1910's when Sofiya Petrovich was a young nurse in Russia, best friend to the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, training to be a restorer of art at the famous Hermitage, and looking after soldiers wounded in the war at the Winter Palace; the other as Isobelle Moon is making her way in 1948 in Manhattan as one of the few female architects, and trying to sort her feelings out after her mother Sophia died, never having told her about her father or Sophia's life in Russia before she arrived in New York pregnant with Isobelle.

When Isobelle starts renovating her mother's apartment, and finds a hidden silver tiara that has been stripped of its gemstones, she begins a quest to find out who her mother really was, who her father was and how her mother ended up with a tiara that reported was part of the Imperial Jewels of the Romanov family.

I enjoyed the way each story was revealed in small snippets, with the history of the time exposed as we go. Both women are struggling with their respective countries at war, and the effects that has on their citizens.

Several romances, love stories and family dynamics are uncovered along the path, as Isobelle struggles to decide who to trust with her treasure and her information. Some surprising twists are encountered. One 'reveal' towards the end was pretty obvious to me, but didn't spoil the conclusion of the book.

The fact that the book was based on something real, that a Romanov tiara is still missing today, added to my enjoyment of this tale.

I look forward to reading more of M.J. Rose's works.

Following the trend of so many recent historical novels, The Last Tiara has a split timeline--one set in the late 1910's during fall of the Romanovs, the other in the late 1940's after World War II. In the latter timeline, we are introduced to Isobelle, who has recently discovered, in her mother's belongings, a tiara missing all its jewels. The mystery of the tiara leads Isobelle on a journey through her mother's past as she tries to unlock the tiara's secrets. Every alternate chapter provides us with insight into her mother, Sophia's, life story during the last stage of Imperial Russia.

I was more interested in Sophia's story than I was in Isobelle's. I found myself rushing through the 1940's storyline so I could get back to the more interesting chapters about her mother. There's a lot of information about jewels in this book, which will appeal to anyone interested in that subject. The story is decent but not particularly memorable. I enjoy historical fiction, but I'm starting to grow weary of the split narrative device. It's becoming too formulaic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my opinions.