Cover Image: The Last Tiara

The Last Tiara

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Member Reviews

This is a story of a young woman discovering who she is by discovering secrets her mother kept hidden. Nice story, nice mystery, satisfying ending.

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What a great book! I love historical fiction and I found myself going to my computer to do additional research on the facts in this book. This book has a dual timeline which I generally enjoy and this time was no different. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters! I couldn’t put this book down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

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Shortly after her mother, Sophia’s death, Isobelle decides to remodel her mother’s bedroom and begins to remove the wallpaper. Curiously, she finds a stunning silver Tiara missing its jewels. As she dives into the research to find out how this item came into Sophia’s possession, Isobelle learns secrets and facts that her mother had been keeping from her over her lifetime.

Brilliantly crafted between mother in 1915 and daughter in 1948, The Last Tiara is a beautiful historical fiction novel with intrigue, romance, and sadness. I feel like I traveled to Russia and New York City without leaving my house because the writing is so vivid and descriptive. And the mystery of the Tiara added suspense which kept my interest throughout the story. Highly recommend!!

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The Last Tiara is an interesting historical fiction mystery which starts out with some history of the Russian Romanov family. The story is told in alternating chapters by a mother who was friends with the Romanovs, and her daughter.
I would have loved to have more history with the Romanovs, but enjoyed what I read.

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Some things I enjoyed about this book- the character work, the historical details, and the mystery aspect. The historical aspect was clearly carefully researched.
I found myself especially invested in the chapters about Sophia.
I sympathized with Isobelle, but some of her chapters felt a little slow. I appreciated that she loved architecture and pointed out details of buildings, but sometimes it took me out of the story.
Some of the dialogue felt a little forced or not natural.
That being said, I ended up being captivated by the mystery and the romance, and I read the book quite quickly.
I look forward to seeing what this author does next.

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History, mystery, and a little bit of romance combine to make this historical novel engrossing! Well told historical fiction narrative with dual perspectives of a mother and daughter brings the world of the Romanovs and post-WWII New York to life.

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I'm a sucker for any books about the Russian monarchy and this one sucked me in especially once I learned the Romanov tiara in the book is based on a real one that's still missing! The dual timelines worked well together and I was as interested in Isobelle's story as I was in her mother, Sofiya's. The Last Tiara is a love story and a mystery combined with historical fiction, all of my favorite genres rolled into one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for a copy to review.

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This was such a beautifully written historical novel. I loved the dual timelines, usually when reading a dual timeline there's one that you're more invested in but I honestly loved both POVs. It was sad reading Sofiya's story knowing that she would never share it with Isobelle

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Although this is my first M. J. Rose book, I will be looking up her backlist. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction exploration of a daughter in late 1940's New York City investigating her mother's past from 1915 through 1922 in St. Petersburg/Petrograd, Russia. Of course, any connection to the Romanovs is an interesting story element, and Sofiya does indeed have a personal link. When Isobelle finds a tiara missing its gems in the wall when stripping wallpaper after her mother's death, she is motivated to learn more, especially since her mother had never been forthcoming about her early years. Each chapter is told either in Isobelle's voice or that of her mother in her younger days, and I could not put the book down. Recommended.

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This was such an amazing historical fiction book. I absolutely loved it! This book is going to transport you back in time. You will be hooked right from the beginning. There’s also a mystery in this book, which I loved. I recommend checking this one out!

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I thought this dual timeline story was an enjoyable read. I liked the historical fiction focused on Russian history. It's something that I enjoy reading about. I thought that the story had great high points where I was really interested, but also had points where I felt it dragged a lot. Overall, it was an interesting historical fiction mystery, and I would recommend it for readers that are interested in Russian royal history.

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This was obviously a well researched novel but some of the details early on distracted from the story and I felt were unnecessary. I also had a hard time initially connecting with the characters. That being said, I enjoyed learning about the Russian Revolution and the history and mystery surrounding the Romanov Jewels and Sofiya's mother's hidden sapphire and diamond tiara given to her by her dear friend Grand Duchess Olga right before the Tsar's fall from power.
The story is told from a dual POV and timeline, daughter and mother narrating alternate chapters, which works well in this narrative.
Isobelle is an architect living in the NY city apartment she shared with her mother. After her death, she discovers a Tiara with missing jewels. This opens the door to her research concerning her mother's life in Russia and eventual answers to questions her mother never would discuss about a father she never knew.
Her mother said, "America is our present and our future. The past needs to stay there."
I love historical fiction that educates me, so I did eventually end up finding this a satisfying read.

Thank you for the opportunity NetGalley

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I loved this book but it definitely had an unexpected ending! Ms. Rose has an amazing way with words. She is able to weave a story into such an amazing visual depiction. I was so drawn into this story.

Isobelle discovers a tiara hidden in the walls of her home after her mother dies. She is desperate to learn the history of the tiara and why her mother has it. While she was alive, Isobelle's mother was never forthcoming with her life before she came to America so Isobelle has very little information to use to solve the mystery. Can she solve the mystery and learn why her mother chose to keep her past so secretive?

I highly recommend this book for those who love mysteries and a very well-written story!

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This was a fun, dual timeline historical fiction mystery. While I enjoyed it overall, I did find myself getting annoyed with Isabella at points - she had so much going for her and so little confidence. I also thought the middle dragged just a bit.

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Thank you to Netgalley for an advance read copy of this book. Another great story by M.J. Rose. I really love this author. The Last Tiara is about a mother and daughter and their journey to the past (yes I did mean to reference the Anastasia cartoon movie line since this book does involve the Romanov's). Isobelle finds a tiara hidden in her mother's room and its the catalyst to learn about Sofia's story. We go back and forth between 1917-1922 Russia and 1948 New York.

I love the connection the characters had with each other and with me. This story is more about Isobelle's journey then it is the historical journey. The Tiara is a beautiful tool to help Isobelle.

I also enjoyed the cameo appearance of the perfume from her Reincarnation series.

I look forward to more books by M.J. Rose.

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The two timelines in this book, post WWII US and post-revolution Russia are cleverly interwoven to tell the story of a mother who survived the Romanov purge and her daughter who finds the treasure her mother hid.

This is a complicated story line with shifting perspectives, lots of characters, and plenty of rich historical detail. I enjoyed it, despite failing to fully engage with the two lead characters.

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The Last Tiara is another awesome read by M.J. Rose. It is now my new favorite by this author. I loved it. Five stars.

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I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Love the whole premise of this and really enjoyed the book

Loved the detail in the book - it really did paint a wonderful picture with words

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I have not read a novel by M.J. Rose before but will be adding her to a growing list of authors.

Isobelle Moon, a young female architect in post Word War 2 New York, has discovered a secret niche following the death of her mother, Sophia. Isobelle has always known that her mother had secrets, but this mysterious piece of her past makes Isobelle despair for what those secrets might have been. With the help of jeweler Jules Reed, Isobelle begins a journey into the past of her unknown mother

I enjoy novels that have multiple points of view but I especially like how one set follows the journey of another. It makes the novel more personable to the reader. As if they are in multiple worlds within one universe. However, I have to admit that at the beginning of the novel it was hard to relate to Isobelle. As a woman I am aware of how a work society treats us, and how far we have come. I am also very aware of how far we need to go. But Isobelle seemed more like she wanted someone else to fight for her, instead of fighting for herself. There were a few scenes where it seemed she was weighed down in self-pity or self fulfilling defeat, and I would have to stop reading. Sophia's chapters showed a similar woman but the New York version was different. There wasn't a progression between the Russia Sophia and the New York Sophia, so it felt disconnected.

I enjoyed the chapters with Sophia's POV on Russia and the war. So many lives were lost or ruined during that time. It is difficult for other nationalities to truly grasp the trials that some endure. I believe historical fiction should be entertaining as well as educational, and this provided both.

The romance and mystery were perfectly balanced throughout the novel, and supplied some reprieve to the information overload.

Overall I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

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The mystery and history of the tiara interested me and I found the jewelry and art worlds fascinating. The characters and their stories were just ok. There was too much repetition and not enough depth.
Reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

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