Did not love this book. I was expecting a lot more from it and it just fell flat for me. I was bored with it and the lack of development of the characters made it hard to be able to connect with them.

I really enjoyed this book. I always like dual timelines, especially when there is some sort of mystery that is being explored. This book also capitalizes on the questions that still persist about the Romanov family and the end of the dynasty. As a historical fiction novel, it was refreshing to have a story that was not set during World War II. This book takes place from the ending of WWI (1917) until 1922 and then picks up in 1948 or 49, when the second World War has ended but has clearly impacted those in the book. I appreciate when authors weave actual historical events into the story; it always leaves me wondering what other elements are true or based in history.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.

DNF. I don't care for book with sex or vulgar things. Even so, the descirptions were very tedious and it made the story flow slow. Kinda predictable too

Oh what a phenomenal historical fiction read! This books was very powerful and moving and I really enjoyed my time with it. I loved the strong historical detail here and how that mixed with the mystery element with some romance mixed in kept me turning page after page as quickly as I could. I truly couldn't put this book down and that is a testament to the strong writing of this author.

I loved the different timelines and locations that the story encompassed and the characters we meet in each. For the sake of not spoiling anything as I strongly recommending just diving into this one head first, I'll simply say that the plot here was paced perfectly and will indeed keep you interested right up to the unexpected ending. The settings are phenomenal as well!

If you're a love of art as I am, and this genre, then this is absolutely a must-read for you. I think it will blow you away just as it did me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the gifted e-copy.

If you've enjoyed other works by M.J. Rose like The Reincarnationist or Daughter of La Lune series then I think you'll find this an enjoyable read. Like many of her others, the story is told in two time periods and features mystery and a bit of romance.

I was unable to download this audiobook in time as I didn't realize it was on my shelf. It was archived too quickly from the time I requested it.

I have always loved royalty and stories of the past grandeur, and Anastasia has always been a favorite tragic princess, so when I read the description for The Last Tiara, I was intrigued. I’ll pick up anything about Czar Nicholas and his family.

The story is told from two alternating perspectives. One, from Sofiya Petrovitch, who grew up in the Grand Duchess’ household and navigated the fall of the Roman empire as a war nurse. The other is from Isobelle Moon, growing up in NYC with a mother who refuses to discuss the past or her flight from Russia. When Isobelle’s mother dies unexpectedly, Isobelle uncovers clues from her mother’s past, embarking on a journey to discover her own family history.

Overall, it was a very good plot and storyline when I look at the big picture. Reading it though, the story was extremely slow, especially the beginning and majority of the book. Only once I had gotten about 75-80% into the novel did it pick up speed with the thrill of finding the answers to all of the mysterious questions that linked the two perspectives. I enjoyed the way it was all wrapped up, but I must admit that it was also completely predictable.

I was particularly surprised by the role of Fabergé throughout the book and thought it was a nice touch! It made me really think and wonder about Fabergé’s potential real-life presence in 1915 Russia.

While romantic entanglements played a part in moving the plot forward, I also really appreciated that the story as a whole centered around two strong, intelligent, and determined young women who fought to not only succeed but also thrive in a man’s world.

This is an excellent historical fiction story that had me wrapped up from the first page. From the setting to the dual timelines the character development this book has it all. A definite five star read for me.

It’s no surprise to everyone here that I hit a reading slump for physical books for a while. I’m finally starting to get back into the swing of things and so on my flight home for Christmas I finished reading The Last Tiara which I devoured the first 2/3s of when I started it.

This was a delightful tale which swung back and forth between the mothers story in post-tzar russia and her daughters story after World War II. They are both haunted by ghosts and following their paths to love as Isobelle–the daughter–tries to uncover the mystery of a Tiara that she found in the walls of her mother’s home as she is in the middle of renovations. We follow the path of the Tiara through both of their lives, learning the challenges both women face.

Personally I love finding stories like this were family and love is at the center with a mystery and different time periods. It’s a beautiful way to tell a tale and much like The Ladies of the Secret Circus this was well done.

I will say it did take a while for me to be comfortable with the time period that it was set it, with the social norms and the secondary plotline of misogyny that ran throughout the story. However for anyone who enjoys historical fiction this is well worth the read. The ending was wild and I wish that I’d never set it down for long periods of time before I finally finished it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This book had everything I love in a story, mystery, romance, and history. I can’t wait to read more by this author. This is the first book I’ve read by M.J. Rose.

This M. J. Rose novel tells the story of Isobell and Sophia Moon. After Sophia dies unexpectedly, Isobell tries to learn more about her mother's secretive past and the mysterious tiara Isobell finds. The story goes back and forth in time to World War I Russia and right after World War II. The story line started out interestingly but did not hold my attention through the whole book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. The book remains on my Goodreads "want to read" list, and I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion when I finish it at a later date..

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Last Tiara is a historical fiction that has alternating chapters between mother, Sofiya, and her daughter m Isobelle. It follows Sofiya's life in Russia from 1915 through 1922, and Isobelle describes her journey of discovery linking a tiara to her mother's past in 1947.

In 1947 Isobelle was abruptly called home to New York from Tennessee because her mother had died in a car accident. After completing her assignment in Tennessee, Isobelle returned to New York and moved back in to her childhood apartment. Her mother had immigrated to New York from Russia in 1922 after the revolution. Sofiya wouldn't tell her daughter much about her or her father's life in Russia and wanted to leave it in the past.

After a year she began to remodel her mother’s apartment and made the discovery of the tiara that would help her piece her mother's life together.

.This book was well written and you can tell that the author had done a lot of research on the historical context before writing this. Historical fiction isn't my favorite genre and I felt like this story did drag a bit. It become really tedious at points and while a lot of it was interesting, it didn't fully click with me. I did like the addition of romance and mystery into this story and that's mostly what saved it for me.

Thank you to Blue Box Press, M.J. Rose, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Isobelle Moon is struck with the recent death of her mother Sofia. While dealing with the sudden death, she decides to renovate her home, being an architect by trade, it is how she feels most comfortable. While renovating she uncovers a hidden Tiara in her mothers things, and some additional clues as to her family before Sofia came to the US from Russia.
Told through a dual storyline, Sofia's life in Russia as a young girl, and Isabobelle's life in the US trying to uncover the mystery of the tiara and its jewels, and her mothers past.
This is a rare instance when both storylines are equally compelling. The characters are strong, and the historical references are vast.

Not a favorite but it was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the dual storylines and how they added to the mystery of the story.

I am very interested in Russian history and specifically Romanov history and had requested this for that reason.

I think I would recommend to those who have an interest in that historical time period and I would definitely read another from this author.

3 stars. I appreciate the opportunity to get to read and review this title.

I really wanted to love this one as I'm a sucker for Russian history and royalty and Russia set historical fiction. Unforutnely for me something fell flat. Though I didn't like the storyline or the characters the writing and setting were beautiful, And some other reader is going to find this is the perfect read for them.

Sophia Moon used to live in Russia, but has always been reluctant to talk about that time in her life. Her daughter, Isobelle, fears that her mother's secrets have dies with her. That is until, she discovers a tiara stripped of its jewels. As she tries to find out what happened to the tiara and her mother's previous life, she meets a jeweler who might be able to help. He however, has his own motives. Can they uncover her mother's secrets?

i never ended up downloading this but i picked it up recently.

Perfect blend of mystery, history and romance. I've definitely have recommended to my friends who love historical fiction!

this was an interesting dual timeline historical mystery. i appreciated the timeline and found that it was done very very well. that being said this book dragged at times and could easily have been 2oo pages shorter.

The Last Tiara refers to a tiara that Isobelle Moon finds among her mother’s things when she dies. The story revolves from that time in Manhattan around 1950 to 1915 in Russia where the story of the tiara begins. I love stories with double timelines like this. The characters in this book are fully fleshed out and wonderful. The plot is delicious. I highly recommend this book.