The Rebel Romanov: Julie of Saxe-Coburg, The Empress Russia Never Had by Helen Rappaport is Rappaport's newest nonfiction about Romanov history. This follows Julie of Saxe-Coburg who marries Constantine, the grandson of Catherine the Great and who Julie ends up leaving everything for her own freedom. Julie is not a historical figure that I've ever heard of but Rappaport makes Romanov history very interesting and readable.

Unfortunately this one was too dry for me. There were a lot of little tangents the story took, that made it hard to get into. I love history, but this one read a bit too much like a scattered textbook for me.

Presented as a historical biography, reads like a novel.
The organization and setup of this book was excellent – filled with facts and information that could be a supplemental textbook, but also with the intrigue and drama that makes it a book to dive into and not come up until finished. Thankfully, the author thoughtfully included charts, maps, and family trees to help keep the players and the settings straight. As anyone who has dabbled in 19th century European history knows – there was a LOT going on and many overlapping events taking place. This book helps keep many things clear. I also appreciated the location and use of footnotes throughout the book to clarify particular statements, without slowing down the storytelling aspect of the read.

A tragedy where the ending is set, but our heroine is not a sad throwaway character.
This is a historical story. We know the ending. We know many of the milestones along the way.
THIS book brings our heroine into a brighter light and shares how she was a leading character the whole time. While women of this age did not often have much autonomy or even say in what their futures would look like, Julie did her best with what she had available to her. She was strong enough to get herself (with great help from her friends and supporters) out of a bad situation. She lived to be over sixty-years-old, which says a LOT about her strength and courage.

The Final Verdict: Immersive read illustrating the strength and courage of a woman who makes some powerful choices for herself.
Stars 4
Would I Recommend? Yes

I came into this not knowing anything about the subject, so i definitely learned a lot. I just feel like it tended to drag a little in certain points. Kudos to this author though for very well done research.

In this fascinating biography of Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the aunt of Queen Victoria of England, Helen Rappaport brings this bold and complicated woman to life in fascinating detail. Selected by Catherine the Great of Russia to marry her grandson Constantine (third in line to the throne), Julie’s married life is incredibly difficult and her German family will not let her leave Russia for her own safety and happiness. Finally allowed to leave Russia in 1801, Julie travels across Europe and seeks out relationships -- which result in illegitimate children she must give up for adoption -- that make her happy even when Constantine becomes tsar. Long ignored by history, Rappaport has done a fantastic job capturing Julie’s complexities and desire to live her life as she wanted in a time when women, especially married and royal women, could not do so. The incredible historical details are not overwhelming, and the language is incredibly straightforward, making it easy for readers to understand. The people, particularly Julie, are the stars of the book, and their dynamics are really interesting with the historical context provided by Rappaport. Entertaining, totally fascinating, and well-written, Rappaport’s latest book offers great insight into 18th and 19th century womanhood and Julie of Saxe-Coburg’s rebellion against these norms.

Fantastic work. I’m always intrigued by books by Helen Rappaport. She has a unique style and is capable of bringing the past to life. I enjoyed reading this book

I'm an Anastasia girly through and through so ANYTHING Romanov grabs my attention. Rappaport knows how to dig through history and find the woman worth watching. This book paints a fascinating portrait of a Romanov I was unfamiliar with, but she's for sure one who refused to fade quietly into the background. The book is meticulously researched but still readable, which is a balance I always appreciate. Great for history buffs who love their heroines to be complicated and defiant.

This book required an incredible amount of research. However, the book was far too detailed in the drudgery of day to day living. There was a lot of repetition (God help the Russian royalty with their boredom) and not a lot of movement. I got to point where I felt I should be close to finished, but it wasn't even to the halfway point yet. I stuck it out, though, and finished the book. I set it down a few times to read something else but always picked it back up again. Such an interesting time in history and this book gives you a very intimate view of life in St. Petersburg and Eastern Europe. So many names and so many places that I am not familiar with. Sometimes the story got lost with the sheer volume of detail. I admire Ms. Rappaport for her research capabilities and knowledge of the subject. Four stars for one heck of a research paper.

I was sent a free copy of this book, as I had read previous books on NetGalley by Helen Rappaport. I'm definitely interested in royal families, and this book about Julie, a woman who had married into the Russian royal family. While this book seemed to be very well researched, a lot of it felt like speculation, because there just isn't information out there about Julie, so it was hard to take it seriously. It also felt very dry and it was hard to keep interested. Had it been written in another style, and had it not seemed so hesitant in saying anything really, I would have been much more engaged. This was a bit of a disappointment to me.

In 1795, Catherine the Great of Russia was in search of a bride for her grandson Constantine, who stood third in line to her throne. In an eerie echo of her own story, Catherine selected an innocent young German princess, Julie of Saxe-Coburg, aunt of the future Queen Victoria. Though Julie had everything a young bride could wish for, she was alone in a court dominated by an aging empress and riven with rivalries, plotting, and gossip—not to mention her brute of a husband, who was tender one moment and violent the next. She longed to leave Russia and her disastrous marriage, but her family in Germany refused to allow her to do so. Finally, Tsar Alexander granted her permission to leave in 1801, even though her husband was now heir to the throne. Rootless in Europe, Julie gave birth to two—possibly three—illegitimate children, all of whom she was forced to give up for adoption. Despite entreaties from Constantine to return and provide an heir, she refused, eventually finding love with her own married physician.

At a time when many royal brides meekly submitted to disastrous marriages, Julie proved to be a woman ahead of her time, sacrificing her reputation and a life of luxury in exchange for the freedom to live as she wished. The Rebel Romanov is the inspiring tale of a bold woman who, until now, has been ignored by history. I am not very familiar with Russian history so this was very informative for me. However, for me, it was a difficult read at times trying to get all the names straight and who belonged where. Once the story settled into the life of Julie, it was much easier for me to read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for introducing me to an era in Russian and German history and especially to a bold Grand Duchess the was determined to life the life she wanted, safely and away from Russia.

The Rebel Romanov (This review is from an ARC sent to me by Netgalley)
by Helen Rappaport
Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (23 September 1781 – 12 August 1860),
Helen Rappaport is a prolific writer of Russian history and the British Empire. Her detailed research is evident in this book.
This is the story of a courageous young Imperial Grand Duchess, an innocent young German princess, Julie of Saxe-Coburg who scandalized Europe in search of freedom.
In 1795, Catherine the Great of Russia was in search of a bride for her grandson Constantine, who stood third in line to her throne. Julie had a disastrous marriage; her husband Constantine was a brute and a womanizer.
Tsar Alexander granted Julie permission to leave Russia in 1801, and she eventually settled in Switzerland.
Julie eager to have a family, found solace in clandestine affairs. She had two illegitimate children.
Finally, on 20 March 1820, after 19 years of separation, Anna's marriage was officially annulled by a manifesto of Emperor Alexander I of Russia.
Julie never lost her “exquisite grace in the smallest of her actions and she showed the greatest care and concern for all those who depended on her.”
There is an extensive bibliography at the end of the book.

*The Rebel Romanov* is a beautifully researched and long-overdue biography of Anna Feodorovna—born Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld—who was married at just 14 into the powerful Romanov dynasty. As the granddaughter-in-law of Catherine the Great and the first wife of Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich, Anna’s story is one of both geopolitical significance and deeply personal struggle.

Helen Rappaport masterfully traces how Juliane’s marriage to the Russian imperial family dramatically elevated the status of the tiny duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, laying the groundwork for her family’s future influence across Europe. But behind the royal pomp was a young girl trapped in a brutally abusive marriage. After years of mistreatment by her husband, Anna fled the Russian court with the tacit support of Emperor Alexander I, following the assassination of his father, Emperor Paul.

Her defiance made her a scandal in the eyes of many—but a heroine to others. She later reinvented herself in Switzerland as a fiercely independent figure and intellectual, admired by her niece, Queen Victoria, who remained fascinated by her unconventional and strong-willed Aunt Julia.

While the narrative occasionally detours into broader historical exposition, Rappaport’s work is a triumph in reclaiming Anna’s voice from the margins of history. This is not just a story of personal resilience, but a fascinating lens into imperial politics, family dynamics, and the high cost of self-determination for women in royal circles.

An evocative and rewarding read for lovers of European history and those drawn to the untold stories of royal women who refused to conform.

Rappaport has presented readers with a well-researched, well-written story of political intrigue, convoluted marriages, and insight into the time period surrounding the life of Julie of Saxe-Coburg.
I think I expected something different based on the title, but I did find the book highly informative and entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

The Rebel Romanov is a well written, layman accessible monograph biography/history of Julie of Saxe-Coburg written by historian Dr. Helen Rappaport. Released 15th April 2025 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out from the same publisher first quarter, 2026. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Napoleonic (and post-Napoleonic) European royals were a dizzyingly interconnected lot, and the author does a pretty good job of untangling the interweaving threads. In the case of Julie of Saxe-Coburg, having been alllied into the Russian royal household, she was given a host of alternative monikers including Grand Duchess Anna Fyodorovna, Grand Duchess Konstantin, and diminutively as Jülchen to family.

The author is an academic and this is a layman accessible history. As an academic work, it is *full* of annotations, references, and minutiae (in a good way). The author definitely "shows her work" in full. Especially considering that the bio subject is relatively obscure (even among royal records of the time period), this has clearly been a task requiring more than the usual level of dedication and reference chasing. That said, for readers who aren't dedicated to the history genre, the facts and family crossovers can be overwhelming (and necessarily a bit dry). Dr. Rappaport has included family trees and exhaustive chapter notes to help keep the players straight in the retelling.

Five stars. It's an exhaustive, very well annotated history of post-Napoleonic European noble houses, and interesting (if not quite riveting) biography of an interesting, willful, strong minded, strategic, and intelligent woman who made an effort to live her (relatively) long life on her own terms.

It would be an excellent choice for public or university library acquisition, home use, or possibly gift giving for recipients who are particularly interested in the subject matter and time period.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I like historical novels, but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. The writing resembled more a textbook than a novel. As such, I was not able to finish it.

I dnf'd at 47%. With the title Rebel Romanov, I was expecting a different book This is reading more like a dissertation than a biography of any sort.

When I first picked up The Rebel Romanov: Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the Empress Russia Never Had, I assumed it was a historical novel. A few pages in, my eyes started to glaze over—and that’s when I realized it was actually a biography. Still, I was curious about Julie’s life, so I pressed on.

Helen Rappaport, known for her royal deep dives, tells the little-known story of Princess Julie, aunt of Queen Victoria and one-time bride-to-be of Grand Duke Constantine. Handpicked by Catherine the Great, Julie entered a dangerous court full of rivalries, gossip, and a husband who alternated between cruel and charming. Her courage to walk away from an abusive marriage and royal duty in the early 1800s is the most powerful part of her story.

But despite the fascinating premise, the book doesn’t quite deliver on its potential. The pacing is uneven, and at times it veers more into speculation than solid history. There’s a fair bit of repetition, and some chapters feel padded with tangents about court life that distract from Julie’s personal journey. The writing is also dry—bordering on textbook—and the flood of noble names makes it hard to follow. The author’s research, however, is impressive.

If you are into Russian history, by all means give this a try. It just wasn’t my jam.

** Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a comp. All opinions are my own.

This tome shows exhaustive research. It reads like a college textbook. I found the life of the main character Julie very interesting , although there was so much extraneous unnecessary information that made the reading that much more difficult. It is a sad tale of a life that could’ve been so productive and happy.

A very young German princess married off to a Russian Tsar’s son., isolated from her family, and not nurtured by her mother-in-law. Julie was mistreated by her husband who was a maniac. She left Russia and was estranged from him for many years before a divorce was ultimately granted. She was unhappy her entire life. Unfortunately, there remains little of her letters and even her grave can no longer be found.

There is truly very little I love to read more than a non-fiction book about a historical female figure I hadn’t previously read about. (Or that I had previously read about, honestly!) When I saw the title of this one, I was instantly intrigued. I was one of those preteens who was absolutely obsessed with the Romanovs, and I’ve spent a lot of my years reading about them. Unfortunately, I hadn’t read much of anything about this particular “Rebel Romanov”.

Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was so fascinating, and Helen Rappaport once again crafted a compulsively readable book that I genuinely could not put down. She brought the characters back to life, and I learned so much! My sweet husband did too, since he got about 17 texts over my lunch hour as I read. I won’t talk much about Julie, because I think you should read this to discover more about her for yourself, but she was such an interesting figure!

There was a lot of information packed into this book, but it never felt dry or too long. If you have any kind of interest in this subject, I highly recommend picking it up!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Helen Rappaport for this free ARC in exchange for my review. The Rebel Romanov is out now!

I picked this book up because I love royal drama and interesting lively women. Well, Julie is actually pretty boring. There are some interesting characters, but Miss Julie is a snore. I do find it interesting how she was so interconnected to royalty.

Some parts of this book were very dry. Like, almost give up dry. It took a little for me to pay attention at parts.

That being said, the book itself is well researched and well written. If you’re a history nerd, this is for you!