Lost Roses was an unexpected delight. It is the first novel I've read by Kelly and I was not disappointed. I didn't know much about it going into the novel but the interwoven story of three women deeply affected by the Russian Revolution and World War I was enthralling and fascinating. The novel follows Eliza, a wealthy American; Sofya, the daughter of a Russian emigre; and Varinka, a girl who lives in squalor in the local Russian village where Sofya and her family are vacationing. The prologue is a bit confusing because the reader is dropped right in the middle of the story with little explanation but the rest of the novel is well paced. Each revelation is placed thoughtfully and helps drive the story forward. The ending and epilogue weren't as satisfying as I would have like but the true heart of the story and the part that I love the most is the bulk of the story and the way the author makes us fall in love with the characters. This is definitely a character driven story and has masterful development of characters. I was pleased to see that some of the characters were real people! Overall, the story was thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.**
I read The Lilac Girls a few years ago and was completely enthralled with these women who had lived through so much and survived. Knowing that the characters were based on real people made the story that much more moving.
When I learned that the author was writing a prequel about Caroline Ferriday’s mother, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.
This author’s research shows in every aspect of this story. I am not as familiar with WWI in Russia, but feel like I have a different understanding after finishing this book.
The Ferriday women are compelling women and seeing how Caroline experienced WWI through her mother’s friends explains how she is so passionate about helping the Jewish women in WW II.
The Women who escape Russia during the revolution are very well written. The stories are are heartbreaking and yet highlight a strong desire to survive. They all find themselves in horrific circumstances and yet they keep moving forward determined to live.
Although I didn’t find this book as compelling as her prior book, it is well written and researched and has given me the bug to look into WWI further.

Reading the Lilac Girls was such a delicious treat and this delightful book was as well. Once again, Martha Kelly makes her characters come to life. Loved the way the story was told through the eyes of three women from very different backgrounds. Living lives of near Russian royalty, wealthy American, and a servant in Russia really hit home with me how so much of your life can be determined by where and when you are born as well as your parents’ social standing. Loved Varinka, and the way her background was slowly revealed, like an onion, peel by peel. Although this book is actually a prequel to Lilac Girls, both can be read and thoroughly enjoyed independently. I am eagerly awaiting her next book, which is a prequel to this one.
If you love historical fiction, reading about Tsar Nicholas and his family, Russian history, World War 1 history, or strong women this is a perfect book for you. You will lose yourself in the story told within these amazing pages. Many many thanks to Martha Kelly, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this gem.

A wonderful story about three women at the beginning of World War 1.. A story of friendship during the dark days of war.. The author has once again has written about three strong women similar to her last book Lilac Girls.

I absolutely loved Lilac Girls, and I was excited to receive an advance copy of Lost Roses. This is being marketed as a prequel of sorts to Lilac Girls, but the thread between the two is minor and it's not necessary to read one in order to enjoy the other.

Admittedly, my expectations for this one were pretty high. I wish I could say I loved it as much as Lilac Girls, but I didn't.

The story is told via three women's viewpoints. We have Eliza, who is a wealthy American; Sophya, who is a wealthy Russian aristocrat; and Varinka, who is a young Russian peasant. While I immediately felt for Varinka and found her part compelling, I had trouble finding that same empathy with Sophya and Eliza. Both are pampered, wealthy ladies who whine about what the war might do to their social standing. In fact, Sophya and Eliza are largely interchangeable as far as their personalities. It took me some time to distinguish the two.

The pace of the story is quite slow. There are beautiful descriptions of the cities and clothing and such, but only small bursts of action within what amounts to a lot of drama. The last quarter of the book contains the bulk of the action and emotion.

Overall, Lost Roses is well written and well researched, but I just didn't connect with it.

A god read once I got into it. The story used multiple basta tuve perspectives (which I love) But threw a lot of characters into the mix early on. Once they were sorted out, the book ranged the world, from the US to France to Russia. A number of women from widely varied backgrounds find their lives converging over the course of a war that lies apart everything they’ve ever known. For them, the war becomes a crucible of sorts, placing them under great stress from which they will all emerge changed.

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Martha Hall Kelly, and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
Lost Roses is an exciting, intriguing, and heart wrenching tale of those involved in war. Set during WWI, beginning in 1912 and ending in 1921, Martha Hall Kelly tells the story of three women, Eliza the American, Sofya the Russian aristocrat, and Varinka the Russian peasant, and how their lives intertwine for good and for bad.
This book happens to be a prequel of Kelly's first book, Lilac Girls, in which American Caroline Ferriday is involved in helping women during WWII who have been imprisoned in German concentration camps. While in Lost Roses, Caroline's mother, Eliza, one of the main characters, helps women who have escaped from Russia during this terrible time.
Kelly is especially good at teaching history while telling a wonderful story of how the people living through horrific war times struggle through each day, hour, even minute, to try to stay alive. And the reader can tell that much research has been done to make the story as realistic and authentic as possible.
In this one there is happiness, sadness, loss, redemption, and new beginnings. The characters are genuine and become more real as you get to know each of these three women and their situations.
Martha Hall Kelly has done herself proud -- again -- with her storytelling prowess. I can't wait for her next book!

Slightly slow at the beginning, this book ramped up and did not disappoint. A captivating, enthralling story about several women in the Great War, fighting for their lives, I found this novel to be incredibly poignant and engrossing. A wonderful follow-up to Lilac Girls by Kelly, I would highly recommend it.

Every once in a while, I will happen upon a new author (new to me anyway) and I will fall in love with the characters, the writing and the storyline every single time. Martha Hall Kelly is one of those special authors who writes a delicious page turner from beginning to end. I couldn’t stop until I reached the last page. Her characters and their plight leave a lasting impression. I may have finished the book, but the novel resonates and isn’t easily forgotten. I highly recommend this novel, whether it’s for a book club or just reading for pleasure, you won’t be disappointed.

The dual storyline takes the reader to and from Russia & New York with glimpses of the character’s lives before, during and after World War I. Teenagers, Eliza Ferriday (a New Yorker) met Sofya Streshnaya (who is related to the Romanovs) one summer in Paris and a forever friendship was formed.

Years later, Eliza is thrilled with a once in a lifetime trip to Russia to visit her beloved friend. Upon reaching her destination, World War I is a heartbeat away and Eliza is barely escapes from Russia as the trouble begins. Unfortunately, Sofya and her family are not as fortunate. Eliza and Sofya continue their friendship through letters, sharing news concerning their beloved families, their circumstances and describing the tumult around them. Both endure heartbreak and endeavor to make the best of their extremely difficult circumstances.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have never read a historical fiction book about the Russian perspective of WWI. As many stories of that time period are, this was heartbreaking. The book follows Russian royalty, Russian peasants, Russian resistors and many others. I was fascinated by the different stories within the story. I have read Lilac Girls and I loved it as much as I loved this book. Lost Roses is not a light read but a very worthy read. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction. I especially loved the afterword, where the author explains who the characters are based on. Some characters are based on a single person and some are based on a mixture of people. It really helped bring the book to life even more reflecting on who the characters are based on. I highly recommend this book!

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly - a prequel to Lilac Girls - This is the story of three women, Sofya, Varinka, and Eliza, as they experience the changes that happen during World War I in Russia; This book has all you would expect a book about wartime to have and more - loved ones lost, husbands at war, children separated from their mothers, people of high society falling to poverty, and shocking betrayal.

This is historical fiction at it's best. I can tell the author did her research and the book has beautiful descriptions and just the right amount of suspense to keep you turning the pages. I have not read a book set in WWI Russia so I did appreciate reading about something new to me. There were times where the descriptions were a little long for me but that is just my personal taste. I enjoyed the deep friendships the women in this book shared and the fierce dedication to family and helping others. I think historical fiction fans will love this book, especially if they enjoyed lilac girls. I am looking forward to the next prequel in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. You can pick up a copy of this book on April 9., 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House Publisers for the opportunity to read Lost Roses, by Martha Hall Kelly. As World War I approaches, the lives of Eliza, Caroline’s mother, Sofya, a cousin of the Romanovs, and Varinka, a fortune tellers daughter, are separated and united through America, Russia, and Paris, by bonds of friendship and tragedies of war. This historical fiction is a prequel to the well-loved book, Lilac Girls. Caroline Ferriday is truly a real life heroine. What wonderful books.

As a fan of Lilac Girls, I was very excited to read Lost Roses, and Martha Hall Kelley did not disappoint with this read. Witty, engaging, and a truly interesting fantastic read in the authors signature style.

Another wonderfully crafted tale for her second novel (a prequel to Lilac Girls). I'm so glad the author didn't resort to giving her heroines modern sensibilities (only a teensy bit anyways). Some of the descriptions of design, fashion and plants grew a bit tiresome to me but the story was so compelling, I breezed thru them. Loved learning more history of WWI from the Russian perspective.

*2.5 stars*

I had high hopes for this one, since I read Kelly's Lilac Girls last year and absolutely adored it. For whatever reason, this one fell flat for me. I had a hard time getting into this book, and didn't feel a particular affinity for any of the characters. The book seemed to drag on for me, and even when things picked up at the end, I wasn't invested enough to care. Kelly is a good writer, but this one just didn't do it for me.

When I found out that a prequel to Lilac Girls is coming out, I was very excited and I could not wait to get my hands on it. And, oh boy, I am so glad I got a chance to read it early, before the publish date. Lost Roses was as good as the author’s first book. I enjoyed it so much that I read it in one day. I simply could not put it down. I love historical fiction, and any book about the Romanov family will make my heart skip, but this one made my hear skip and flutter all over the place.

Martha Hall Kelly’s writing is exquisite. It sucked me in from first pages, and I just could not get enough of the characters, the beautiful descriptions, and the feelings it made me feel while reading this book. Lost Roses is a story of three women from three different worlds. Eliza, an American, is best friends with Sofya, a Russian aristocracy, family to the last Romanov tsar. Verinka is a Russian peasant girl living in poverty during Russian Revolution. These three women so different from each other have more in common than we could ever imagine. The author masterfully intertwines their lives together and tells a story that will keep the reader on his/her toes until the end. There was not one dull moment in this beautiful story and I highly recommend this book to all the historical fiction genre lovers.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books, and the author, Martha Hall Kelly, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this wonderful book in exchange for my honest opinion.

4 stars for this historical fiction book.
It is a prequel to Lilac Girls and tells the story of Caroline Ferriday's mother, Eliza. The book takes place from 1914 to 1920, The book is divided into chapters titled with the 3 main characters, Eliza, Sofya and Varinka. Sofya is a cousin to the Tsarina and a member of the Russian aristocracy in 1914. Varinka is a peasant girl who goes to work as a nanny to Maxwell, Sofya's son. Eliza is a friend of Sofya's family and lives in New York and Connecticut. The Russian entrance into WWI and subsequent revolution change Sofya's and Varinka's life forever.
I enjoyed this book and found it to be an accurate portrayal of life in Russia, France and the US during this period. My wife read this book before me and was appalled at the way the Russian aristocracy treated the peasants. She did not like it as much as Lilac Girls. But I found it to be an honest portrait of the corruption and extravagant lifestyle that led to the revolution.
Some quotes:
"How is the tsar helping?"
I shrugged. "He believes if he supports the rich, prosperity will trickle down to the people."
Eliza meeting an actor: "Had he marinated himself in cologne?"
"When I went back to the house I found it in Agnessa's ruined townhouse. Kept it alive since I left Russia."
Luba stroked a petal. "Poor lost roses. Liked us, I suppose."
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley. #LostRoses #NetGalley

Martha Hall Kelly has delivered another gemstone of historical fiction with Lost Roses, a prequel to her outstanding first book, Lilac Girls.

The story delves into the complicated, heartbreaking, intersecting lives of three women during World War I, moving back and forth from New York to St. Petersburg and, finally, Paris. I enjoyed reading about this time period being that it is not as often explored by authors of this genre as the World War II era. I also found it interesting to realize how history really does repeat itself with Kelly’s depiction of the horrific treatment of the Russian immigrants in New York. Not a far cry from what is going on in our society today.

Kelly skillfully intertwines the lives of these three women with alternating viewpoints. Each chapter has a cliffhanger ending, which adds just the right amount of suspense and advances the plot along at a very nice pace. Historical tidbits are integrated flawlessly. The ending has an unexpected twist and I found the conclusion to be poignant and satisfying. 5 well-deserved stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books and Martha Hall Kelly for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Lilac Girls, but think I loved this book even more. The story revolves around American socialite Eliza and her girlhood friend Sofya, a Russian aristocrat. We learn about what is going on in their lives. Eliza in the U.S. and Sofya in Russian during World War 1 and the Russian Revolution. There's a third person in the story too. Varinka is a Russian peasant caught between wanting more for her life and wanting to do the right thing. Both Russian women find themselves in situations they never would imagine themselves in and are unprepared for. I enjoyed the entire book, but couldn't put down the last third of the novel - it made for a late night and a tired reader the next day. I truly enjoyed the story.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Eliza Ferriday of New York is friends with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanavs; the two have spent summers together in Paris. While visiting the Ferridays in 1914 New York, Sofya gives birth to her son, Max. Eliza then goes with the Streshnayvas when they return to St. Petersburg, Russia. While there, Eliza sees the unrest growing among the Russians and urges Sofya and her family to get out of the country until things get better. Rather than leaving the country, the Streshnayvas eventually decamp to their summer home in Malinov. There, Sofya enlists the help of the local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, in caring for Max. When Eliza stops receiving letters from Sofya, she fears the worst for her friend. While attempting to use any connections available to learn the fate of the Streshnayvas, Eliza learns of dozens of White Russians, upper class Russians who have immigrated to America and Paris to flee the Bolshevik revolution. Eliza does everything she can to help these women settle into their new lives and find acceptance in the community. The story alternates between the points of view of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka.

<i>Lilac Girls</i> was hands down my favorite book I have read in the last few years, so I had high expectations for <i>Lost Roses</i>. <i>Lost Roses</i> is superbly written, though I had trouble relating to the main characters as much as I did with <i>Lilac Girls</i>. Still, I couldn't help but admire how strong the women in the book all are. As with <i>Lilac Girls</i>, Martha Hall Kelly has done thorough research for this book, and it shows.

<spoiler>Varinka's ending is portrayed as happy, but I felt so conflicted knowing how horrible the conditions were in Russia and that she planned to go back. I choose to hope she had a happy ending despite that.</spoiler>

At the end of the book, Martha Hall Kelly mentioned that she is working on another prequel, set before/during the Civil War and featuring Caroline's great-grandmother/Eliza's grandmother. I am so stoked that another book is coming featuring this family, and I am in awe of how strong and unafraid to stand up for what they believe in the women in their family are!