A very good mystery revolving around a tiara belonging to the daughter of the Romanov Family. When Olga, one of the daughter’s of the Tzar gives her Faberge Tiara to her friend Sofya it starts a chain of events that reverberate through the revolution to 1948 when Sofiya’s daughter finds it after her mother’s death. Isabelle, Sofiya’s daughter knows nothing about her father and her mother’s history in Russia, since her mother has never talked about either. When Isabelle finds the tiara she sets out to learn about it’s history and hopefully learn about her mother and father. She meets a young jeweler who has ties to the Midas Society whose mission is returning objects of art to their rightful owners. Was the tiara really her mother’s or was it stolen? The story is told from Sofiya’s and Isabelle’s point of view with two accompanying love stories. The characters are all very well written and interesting. This can be considered a historical novel with the history surrounding Sofiya’s and the Russian revolution. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

The Last Tiara is a dual-timeline Historical Fiction novel set in WWI-era Russia and late-1940’s New York. There are Romanovs, Faberge eggs, and everything else you’d expect from a story set in those times. What really made me want to read this book, however, was the unusual protagonist: a female architect in the 1940’s. Surely such a strong woman, one with the courage and ambition to succeed in a male-dominated field at that time would make an amazing main character to serve as the center of a novel!

But it didn’t work out that way. Isobelle is not a strong woman with courage and ambition; she’s full of self-doubt, completely lacking in trust, and people must constantly reaffirm their loyalty to and affection for her. Once she finds the tiara and takes it to the jeweler, the book is mostly a series of things happening to her, usually set in motion by the men she comes into contact with. The ineffectual back-story of Isobelle’s insecurity is alluded to throughout the book, but isn’t fully explained until the story is nearly over, making her neediness grating rather than sympathetic. As a result, the story lacks a solid core to revolve around and an opportunity to hear a unique female voice in literature was wasted in favor of yet another woman who settled for being grateful to be in the room.

Sofiya’s story and the story as a whole are much more interesting, but get bogged down by being overly-detailed, lacking clarity, and being full of duplications, inconsistencies, and contradictions. In one section, the author wrote, “They said that the average citizen in St. Petersburg had lost fifteen percent of his or her body weight because of the food shortages”. Later the same statistic is used, but changed to ten percent. In another instance, Sofiya is crying and, a few weeks later, is said to be crying “for the first time” since an event that happened several months earlier. These are signs of poor editing.

I have to rate The Last Tiara 3 stars. It could’ve, should've been a higher rating. I wanted to give it a higher rating. But it needed to go through at least another draft by the author and a much heavier editing process to catch the mistakes, cut out some of the excess material, and streamline the too-busy plot. This book is highly readable, but also frustrating.

Heads up for a couple of open-door love scenes (easy to skip). I can’t think of any major trigger warnings, but keep in mind that Russia during the revolution is never an easy read.

Truly a page turner ..MJ Rose I think I have discovered a hidden Gem ... Russian royalty , faberge eggs , long lost tiara , mystery at its best .... Isobel a ground breaker for women , Sophia a loving mother .. so much mystery and intrigue .. read this book !!!

For those of us who are inveterate readers of historical fiction THE LAST TIERA has it all:
. . . An intriguing puzzle;
. . . An over-achieving heroine;
. . . A few mysterious men; and
. . . A peek into Fabrege’s workshop.

I was engaged in this book from beginning to end, and as a reader who likes happy endings, found this compelling story of Tsaritsyn Russia just plain wonderful.

NetGalley provided me a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for a candid review.

I have become a fan of historical fiction and this book confirmed my love of this genre. Set in New York City in 1948 (my birth year) and 1915 in St. Petersburg (a city we visited last year), this book held my interest for those reasons too. Add a young woman whose mother just died and who knows nothing of her mother's life prior to coming to the US, including very much about her father who she has been told is dead, and you have the makings of a good mystery. Isobelle begins to remodel the apartment she shared with her mother and comes across some items hidden in the walls that start her on a search for answers about her mother's past. I would definitely recommend this book.

667 kb

4 stars

This book is written with two times in mind: 1948 New York and during the Great War in Russia 1915 - at the home of the Tsar and his family.

This is a wonderful historical novel about a woman who makes a startling discovery when remodeling her apartment. Her recently deceased mother has left a mysterious tiara in a vault created in a bedroom wall. Her mother refused to talk about the past and daughter Isobelle Moon is determined to get to the bottom of the story about the tiara. She can't stand not knowing for her curiosity is boundless.

The fabulous house of Faberge plays a big part in the story, as does Isobelle's mother Sophia's friendship with the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra. Olga gifts the tiara to Sophia.

It is also the love story of Sophia and Carpathian and the hardships they had to endure during the Russian Revolution, including death, imprisonment and rampant fear. Sophia ia an art restorer and Carpathian is a fine craftsman at the Faberge facility.

Daughter Isobelle also finds love interestingly enough with another jeweler.

This is a wonderfully well written and plotted novel. The transitions are flawless and the characters are very engaging and real to life. The reader is transported to both Russia and New York to witness first hand the action in the story.

I want to thank NetGalley and Blue Box Press/AuthorBuzz for forwarding to me a copy of this most attractive book for me to read, enjoy and review.

The Last Tiara by M J Rose is an absolute treasure! The story revolves around the mystery of a tiara found by Isobelle in WW2. She finds it hidden within her mother Sophia’s bedroom shortly after Sophia’s death. The piece of jewelry and her mother’s whole life are a mystery to Isobelle. She knows that her mother fled Russia during WW1, but apart from that, she knows little else about her mother’s life. Sophia refused to speak of her past or Isobelle’s father. The story alternates time periods, each chapter, in one you a peeking into the life of Sophia during WW1, in the next you are in WW2 with Isobelle as she attempts to unravel the mystery of the tiara. From these two perspectives, the author weaves together the mystery and romance of both women. The characters come alive and demand your attention. The settings bloom in your mind’s eye. It’s a fabulous tale!

One of MJ Rose’s best!! I could not put this book down, such a fantastic story and so bittersweet as well.

A well written historical fiction/mystery novel that will lead the reader down many paths. The characters are well drawn and provide a basis for belief.

This was a first book for me from this author. I really enjoyed. You could tell the author did her research. It was extremely well written and very rich and descriptive in historical detail. It flips back and forth in time which I loved and keeps the reader interested until the very end. All in all an very good historical fiction novel, highly recommend!!!

The Last Tiara by M.J.Rose

Another winner by author M.J.Rose, this entertaining read takes you back and forth between Russia during WWI and NYC (mostly) after WWII.

Sofiya has left her life in Russia behind and has told no family history to her daughter, Isobelle. The very curious Isobelle finds a hidden tiara and hopes this keepsake has a history which will lead her to information about her father that her mother would never tell her. Who can help Isobelle? Where does she start?

The tale takes the reader on a chase to gather facts as the story is nicely pieced together. Tsars, princesses, wounded soldiers, gems, jewelers, would be thieves and hard sought answers all make up this enjoyable book. It’s a good one for readers who like some mystery in their reading choices.

** Don’t miss one of the book’s highlights for me; the many of Sofiya’s very pithy and valuable views on life. They are gems in and of themselves.

Thank you to Blue Box Press and Net Galley for an ARC for my review.

I am a long time fan of M.J. Rose’s work. The publisher generously allowed me to read an ARC of this soon-to-be-published book. The cost? An uncensored review.

True to form, M.J.Rose does not disappoint with “The Last Tiara”. I felt the beginning was just a wee bit slow for me, but once the characters and plot were set in motion it was a non-stop bit pleasure!

Told from the points of view of Isobel Moon and her, Russian emigre mother, Sofiya, the plot of this wonderful tale revolves a tiara that was gifted to Sofiya by the Grand Duchess Olga on the eve of the Russian Revolution. Sofiya was the daughter of the woman who taught the Duchesses to paint and Sofiya and Olga had become close confidantes....even working at a hospital together during the great war.

To say much more might possibly be to reveal too much of the story, and so I will keep it this vague other than to say, as always with M.J.Rose, the characters were beautifully drawn and the plot was meticulous. A bit of romance only adds to the depths. It is a book about enduring love, greed for precious, material things, and the ephemeral search for meaning and happiness in life despite deep, unrelenting hardships. Good over evil, love over hate.

I did truly enjoy every moment spent reading this book, but now I have to wait impatiently for another book from this, a favorite author, to be written!

Enjoy the journey that reading this book will take you on!

After her mother's unexpected and sudden death, Isobelle finds a hidden tiara that presents a mystery from her mother's life and escape during the Russian revolution. Because Sophia had refused to talk about anything that happened in Russia, including information about Isobelle's father, there are many questions but no answers. Through alternating viewpoints we learn about her mother's life during this turbulent and dangerous time, while Isobelle tries to unravel the secrets of her mother's past.

Books featuring alternating viewpoints can become confusing, but it was handled well in The Last Tiara. There was interesting information about the Russian revolution, the Imperial family and Fabrege jewelry, but the main focus was the love story between Sophia and Carpathian. The events of Sophia's past converge with mysteries in Isobelles life as she uncovers the truth of the past while developing a relationship with Jules, a high-end jeweler whose help is vital in the search.

There was a taste of the melancholy that seems to be prevalent in Russian novels, creating an atmosphere that added to the story but made it somewhat slow moving and introspective at times. The growth in the relationships of Sophia/Carpathian and Isobelle/Jules was well done. There was an interesting and unexpected twist at the end, which tied things together and was satisfying. There were a couple of sex scenes but I skipped over them. There was no profanity.

To summarize, at times I got a little impatient but I enjoyed this well written novel. It was provided by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

"The Last Tiara" by M. J. Rose was an interesting read. I have always been fascinated by Russian history, and though this is historical fiction it is interesting to read. The only thing that was difficult for me was that it was a bit of a slow start. I loved that it was based on a real piece of jewelry. Interesting story overall and I think that people will enjoy it.

**Received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.**

Initially, the premise of “The Last Tiara” seemed intriguing. Isobelle Moon, in 1949 Manhattan, discovers a tiara with missing gemstones hidden beneath the wallpaper of her recently deceased mother’s bedroom. The only clue to its identity is a receipt for diamonds and paste sapphires sold by Isobelle’s Russian émigré mother to a jeweler that is located across the street from the architectural firm where Isobelle works. The book alternates between Sophia, Isobelle’s mother, in 1915-1922 Russia, and Isobelle in 1949 Manhattan. Unfortunately, the book is slow and ponderous, filled with lengthy stretches of Isobelle’s internal monologue, which is primarily self-deprecating, until a hasty denouement which neatly concludes the mystery.

I had really hoped to like this novel, as historical fiction is my favorite genre. In it’s favor, the book does have vivid descriptions of revolutionary Russia, as well as 1949 Manhattan. However, the action is fairly non-existent and drags considerably. And as mentioned previously, the ending, unlike the rest of the book, came to a rapid and too convenient conclusion. Other readers with more patience than I have might find the book interesting enough to hold their attention.

l love historical fiction and this book was no exception. The transitions in time were handled well and I never became confused as to whose story I was following. Since I am especially interested in all things Russian, this book resonated perfectly for me. I'd recommend it to history buffs, lovers of dual stories and romantic fiction readers. I received this book in return for an honest review!

Russia and New York City - early to mid 20th Century

This mesmerizing tale begins with a mother talking to her daughter from the grave. Sophia died suddenly and tragically when she recognized someone from her past on the Manhattan street, and was hit by a car as she attempted to reach them. She regretted not telling her daughter about her past and hopes that somehow she can reach her daughter's mind.

1948 - New York City
Isobelle Moon, a hard-working junior architect, is struggling with the grief of losing her mother, as well as feeling frustrated with her job where she is one of very few women architects. She knows that her salary is lower than the men she works with, and she is angry that her immediate boss, whom she had a brief fling with at her previous placement, is dumping all of his work on her but taking credit for it himself. Isobelle returns to her and her mother's apartment in the building Sophia and her close friend Lana bought during the Depression. The two women opened an art and furniture restoration business on the first floor, then settled in their own apartments in the rest of the building. Wanting to modernize the place more to her style, Isobelle begins her redecorating by tearing the wallpaper off the walls in her mother's room. That's where she finds a secret area covered over. Inside is a case containing an elaborate tiara, minus its jewels, and receipts for the sale of the stones.

1915 - Petrograd, Russia
Sofiya Petrovitch is volunteering at the Tsarevich Alexey Nikolayevich Hospital at the behest of her childhood friends, the Tsar's daughters, Grand Duchess Olga and Grand Duchess Tatiana who are also volunteers. The wounded men from the front are in need of care, even if the three young women have no experience in medicine. Sofiya, whose mother tutored the duchesses in painting, is extremely uncomfortable and focuses on one young man who is comatose, talking to him, reading to him, until one day she arrived to find his bed empty. Another soldier in a nearby bed tells her that her patient had died during the night. Befriending this man, Sofiya is saddened when he reveals that his head wound has left him with no memory of who he is. He was found, wounded, in the Carpathian battle, so Sofiya calls him by that name. They become close and she helps Carpathian work on regaining his memory. He seems artistic, and soon they conclude that he worked for Faberge. In the meantime, Grand Duchess Olga has gifted Sofiya with a small tiara, bejeweled with diamonds and sapphires, swearing her to secrecy that she's not to tell anyone she has this. Then the Grand Duchess reveals that her father will be abdicating soon, and she doesn't know what the future holds.

1948 - New York City
Isobelle has taken the remains of the tiara to the jeweler whose name is on the receipts, hoping to find some answers. The grandson of the man who bought the jewels, Jules Reed, runs the business now, and he tells Isobelle that his grandfather is in prison. They visit the older man, but he's not much help, though Isobelle suspects he knows more than he's letting on. Later, Jules reveals that he, Jules, is a member of the Midas Society, a secret organization that is tracking down treasures stolen during the wars, and returning them to their rightful owners. He is intrigued by the tiara, and has offered to help Isobelle solve this mystery. Can Isobelle trust Jules? And who is the man with the Russian accent who has visited Jules' business, and seems to be following Isobelle?

THE LAST TIARA is a poignant mystery that was difficult to put down. Isobelle has difficulty trusting Jules at first. Is he just being attentive because he wants to move up the ladder in the Midas Society? Why couldn't her mother have been more open about her past, Isobelle's father, and, most of all, why hide the tiara as she did? What was she hiding, or whom was she hiding from?

Beautifully written, historically accurate, and excellent, realistic characters make THE LAST TIARA a brilliant start to the new year.

I have been given the opportunity to read this book prior to publication in return for my honest opinion by Netgalley.

Isobelle finds herself distraught by the loss of her mother. In efforts to get on with her life, she resides to start to make the apartment that she had lived in previously with her mother her own. As she is removing wallpaper from her mother’s bed wall, she finds a hidden cache. Her mother had never been forthcoming on her past, growing up along side the children of the Russian Tsar, so the cache becomes the driving force in finding out her mother’s history. As you can guess, the cache is a tiara that her mother had brought with her from Russia that had been gifted by the Tsar’s daughter.
While finding out about her mother’s past is high on the agenda, Isobelle is also in for some life changing developments.
I enjoyed this book so very much. I literally started reading it in the morning and did not bout it down. I loved the story and a peek of the historical content it had brought forward. Definitely worth reading!!!!

This is my first book by this author. At first, I wasn’t as intrigued. I enjoy historical fiction & it took awhile to grasp me. But once it did, I was hooked. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys Russian history.

I've not read anything by this author before, but what intrigued me was the description of it taking place both in revolutionary Russia AND in 1948 New York. Russia during the pre-revolutionary period through WWI is reader's catnip to me, and though this IS a novel, thus taking liberties with history, it was still very interesting. Each chapter swung back and forth between 1948 and 1917 to 1920's, with the 1948 chapters written in the first person, which is not my favorite, but ultimately everything made sense and came to a satisfactory conclusion. Two love stories, and as we all know, 1917/1918 Russia was NOT a place for HEA's. Since this was an ARC, there were several typos regarding names in particular. Fersman would be spelled correctly in one sentence, bu in the next it was written as Fresman! Little things like that do tend to irritate me and interrupt my reading. All in all, this was a more than satisfactory book to read.

I was given an ARC to read through NetGalley, and all opinions are my own.