This book is billed as a prequel to Lilac Girls, which I read when it first came out, but that almost feels misleading, as this is a totally separate book bearing no real relationship to Lilac Girls other than one common character. I had a hard time getting into this one. It was partly the time period in Russian history, which I had little knowledge about, but I am sure it was very accurately portrayed. The other problem was that I just couldn’t relate to these incredibly rich and indulged women. Their life style was so strange to me. I persevered, however, and came to enjoy it more as I came to understand the three narrative views. Eliza, the link between the two books, was the easiest as she was the American. Sophya, Eliza’s friend from boarding school, was part of the Russian aristocracy (cousin to the Tsar), and got caught up in the revolution and the danger that ensued. Varinka, the Russian peasant girl, provides the reality check of the horrible price of the social breakdown. It is a rather epic book, but gives a very interesting picture of the time. Kelly does a great job of taking us into the mindset of each of the three narrators, and of creating suspense about the outcome for Sophya and Varinka.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest revie

The prequel to Lilac Girls was an interesting read. It was a little slow start for me, but I finally was sucked into the story and could not put it down. I love Martha Hall Kelly’s historical fiction and am looking forward to her next book. I’m already anxiously waiting for the opportunity to devour the next Woolsey tale.

What a captivating story of life during the Bolshevik revolution. You will travel from the US to Russia to Paris…entrenched in the horrors of the Great War and the lives affected by war, atrocities, and many dangers. There are moments of holding your breath as you wait to discover what will happen next. There are many threads woven throughout the pages…love, loss, loyalty, faith, hope, altruism, danger, selfishness.

I am not as familiar with the First World War but the author does a great job of making you experience the emotions from the various corners of the world. The chapters of this book are presented from the viewpoint of three main characters. And the stories flow smoothly as you discover the richly drawn aspects of their lives and how they end up colliding in an astonishing way. You will be cheering on some of the characters while wishing others would meet with an unfortunate ending. Either way, you will be deeply invested in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Martha Hall Kelly, and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Lost Roses, but it took me awhile to finally feel captured by the storyline. My Russian history knowledge isn’t great, which was something that attracted me to this book in the first place, knowing I would probably learn more about Russia in the process of reading it.

I did learn more about Russia, but it also felt as though the first half of the book moved quite slowly. With the changing of narrator, I also felt more connected to Sofya and Luba than some of the other narrators.

I enjoyed the friendship between Eliza and Sofya., as well as the descriptions of life in New York society and their travel to Paris and Russia.

While Sofya suffers through the citizens revolting against the tsars and their relatives. She and her family are now prisoners to the villagers. Eliza is desperate for news of her friend and is trying to help Russian immigrants women and children.

I don’t want to spoil the ending so will stop here but am thankful to netgalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication. I enjoyed reading this prequel to lilac girls! And can’t wait to the next one!

[Advanced ready copy kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley. The opinions expressed in this review are wholly my own.]


[About] A prequel to "Lilac Girls," "Lost Roses" follows the lives of the American Ferriday family, Russian Streshnayva family (mainly the women), and a few others associated with both during World War I. Eliza Ferriday is the great-granddaughter of a former U.S. president and daughter of a famous abolitionist and philanthropist, Sofya Streshnayva the daughter of the Russian Minister of Finance and cousin to the imperial Russian family. Both, you could say, are from aristocratic families. Both women are best friends, happily married, and with a child each. In comes Varinka, the daughter of a local fortuneteller who is hired by the Streshnayva's to help care for Sofya's young son Max. Varinka has lost her father and has an insidious "agreement" with her deceased father's apprentice, Taras. Taras is violent and frequently terrorizes Varinka and her mother after his being released from prison for the murder of Varinka's own father. Through Varinka, Taras now has access to the Streshnayva estate, a danger to the family who decided to take in the peasant girl. Everything is perfect, with both friends frequently visiting each other until Eliza stops receiving letters from Sofya as the Bolshevik revolution in Russia becomes terrifyingly violent. While being a strong advocate for the Russian émigré cause in America, Eliza continuously does what she can to search for her best friend Sofya. Sofya, in turn, must survive just long enough for Eliza to find her as aristocrats are hunted down and murdered in cold blood by the Russian Reds. Aid is on its way, but will Sofya and her family survive the onslaught long enough to be saved?

[PROS] I really enjoyed this book, and became more and more invested the more I read on. I will admit that I had a hard time following at first because I could not connect to the characters, but I will go into that later on. What I liked the most about the book was that the author did her homework- you can tell in the writing. Even the dialogue between characters makes you feel like you're in 1914-1918 with all the "dears" and "darlings" thrown in there. Second, the characters you follow are all interesting in their own right AND show you a variety of points of view. You have Eliza Ferriday, an American from a well-to-do family, Sofya from a Russian aristocratic family, and Varinka, a Russian peasant. The combination of all of their insights and struggles makes for an explosive ride, especially as these characters begin to make dangerous, and often deadly, mistakes.
[SPOILER ALERT, BEWARE] Thirdly, boy did the author play games with my feelings towards Varinka! I was rooting for her at first, but as the book went on, I really started disliking her! The hate was real, guys!!! Finally, the author hit me with some twists and turns I wasn't expecting, both in character development AND plot, which was a real treat (ish- you'll see why).

[THE CONS]
I'll make it easy for us here: (1) I couldn't connect with the main characters at first, both being mega rich married women with kids, and I felt like the author went on about their mega luxe lives for too long. I know you have to build up characters, but there were some things that could have been blown aside. I was waiting for quite a while for the real action to start! (2) Some scenes were kind of, well, cheesy. [SPOILER] While both women lose their husbands, they both (somehow) have some gorgeous men who have been pining away for them for the time being and then come sweep them off their feet at exactly the right time. This, sadly, doesn't happen in real life and I feel like this is the MOST fictional aspect of the entire book. (3) I wish the author would have focused more on Sofya's journey and her struggles as the escaped Russia. Rather than being an elaborate part of the book, it felt like more of a summary, and only to tie loose ends about her husband. Some real character development could have happened here, but the opportunity was not taken, sadly.

[LAST WORDS] Over all, I enjoyed the book. The characters and the story were captivating enough to elicit some hardcore emotions. While I seem to be having a problem with historical fiction authors using the historical as a merely a setting for dramatic relationships, this book balances both the action from the wars and relationships pretty well. While what glues the book together would be relationships, you do get to enjoy the struggle and personal development frequently found through the traumatizing events during the World Wars. Was this book life-changing for me? Not really, but it was an entertaining read :)


As always, if you guys want to check out my other social media pages, look for me:
Twitter: @luxeylibrarian
Instagram: luxeylibrarian
Wix site: coming soon!
YouTube: TBA

I had a hard time getting into this book at first with the multitude of characters and Russian names. It was hard at times figuring out time frame as the story leaped ahead years then back then forward again. In spite of this, though, once I got into the story, I resented every moment that took me away from reading. The descriptions are very well done and it's obvious there has been much research on Russia, the war, and the Tzar and his family. Some horrific events took place that were hard to read but realistic. And some events seemed almost too coincidental as they fell into place.

The writing is very well done and the characters are memorable. It is a mesmerizing book and I recommend it.
Now I HAVE to read "Lilac Girls"!

1914: Tensions are rising; war is in the air. It is during this uncertain time in history that Lost Roses, written by Martha Hall Kelly, begins. Despite the simmering unrest swirling through Europe, Eliza Ferriday, a New York socialite, travels to St. Petersburg, Russia to visit with her friends, Sofya and Luna Streshnayva, cousins of Tsar Nicholas II. All seems to be going well until, more than 1,500 miles away, something horrible happens, sending shock waves throughout Europe.

On 28 June 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Archduke Franz Ferdinand—heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire—and his wife Sophie are assassinated by a Serbian nationalist desperate to end Austro-Hungarian rule of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Austria-Hungary is incensed and wants to strike back. However, because Russia is an ally of Serbia, Austria-Hungary appeals to Kaiser Wilhelm II, who on 5 July 1914, pledges Germany’s support. After securing this agreement, Austria-Hungary issues an ultimatum to Serbia. In response, Serbia mobilizes its army and asks Russia for assistance. Then, on 28 July 1914, exactly one month after the Archduke’s murder, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s countries collapses. Within a week, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Russia, and Serbia are pitted against Austria-Hungary and Germany. World War I has begun.

With this declaration of war, chaos erupts in St. Petersburg. As a result, Eliza is forced to return to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. Once the Streshnayva family reaches their estate, they hire several servants, including a teenager named Varinka.

On 8 March 1917, demonstrators, desperate for food, take to the streets of St. Petersburg. Striking industrial workers join them. For three days, they protest. Then, on 11 March 1917, the Tsar’s troops are sent to quell the uprising. Although the regiments kill several protesters, the resistance continues, and the troops begin to waver.

Consequently, on 15 March 1917, Tsar Nicholas is forced to abdicate his throne, and he and his family are placed under house arrest. Then, on 6-7 November 1917, revolutionaries, led by Vladimir Lenin, launch a coup d’état, overthrowing Russia’s provisional government. The Bolsheviks are now in control and begin attacking the wealthy and those who had held power.

Meanwhile, back in America, Eliza has begun assisting Russian émigrés who have escaped the ravages of revolution. However, despite the depressing circumstances around her, Eliza remains positive because she knows that Sofya and Luna are safe. But when Sofya’s letters suddenly cease, Eliza fears the worst.

Spanning from St. Petersburg to Paris to New York, Lost Roses follows the lives of Eliza, Sofya, Luna, and Varinka as they deal with the horrors and aftermath of war. Although very different people from very different backgrounds, their lives become entwined. The love between Eliza and Sofya and Sofya and Luna tugs at the heart, while the tragedy these women must endure and the contempt Varinka has for Sofya breaks the heart. A well-researched and well-written novel, Lost Roses is a must-read for both history lovers and lovers of a great story alike.

***
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books, Penguin Random House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I give Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly 4 stars. I admit, I didn’t like Lilac Girls. I thought the hype was too much and raised my expectations. Also, I only remember negative things about it. I requested this book because I enjoy historical fiction about Russia and WWI, and I love prequels. I found the characters well-developed and the book itself to move quickly, due to the chapters ending in cliffhangers! I always wanted to keep going to find out what was going to happen next.
Trigger warning: Sexual assault, war-violence. I felt like the sexual assault was overdone. I understand that she was making a point that women, especially in certain situations, can be very susceptible to unwanted sexual advances and assaults. However, I felt like the author went way too far in detail for shock value. I think she could’ve used more generic and less descriptive language and would’ve made the same point.

As World War I is about to start, friends Aliza and Sofya are faced with a decision. Eliza makes her way back to America but Sofya decides to stay in Russia. She moves to her family's country estate where she and her family feel safe from impending war. As the war escalates groups of bandits spread out and terrorize the countryside. We as readers are once again reminded of the destruction that war brings about.

While this book didn't have the emotional impact on me that Lilac Girls did, I enjoyed this story about Caroline Ferriday's mother, Eliza, and the plight of the White Russians during WW1. It introduced me to a piece of history I was not really aware of, and both Eliza and Sofya had moving stories of triumph over tragedy. I'm excited that Martha Hall Kelly is writing another prequel, as I love these Woolsey women and the deep sense of service they exhibit.

Without hesitation, this title is one of my most anticipated reads of 2019! I had been late to the Lilac Girls party, only reading it last year, so when I heard that this prequel of sorts was coming out, I had been thrilled to have been late so that I didn't have as long to wait as everyone else! Unfortunately, I think maybe I had set my hopes too high, because I have to admit... I struggled to finish this one.

Set mainly during WWI, Caroline's mother, Eliza, is one of the central characters, along with her friend, Sofya, a relation to the tsar, and then Varinka, a young woman from the other end of the social spectrum who ends up working as a nanny for Sofya's young son, Max. The plot relies more on its characters than action - which wouldn't have been as much of a hardship were any of these young woman sympathetic or even likable. I couldn't connect with any of them. And the slow pacing, with each character more often than not one step away from the more interesting action made this a book that was frankly easy to put down. I felt totally disconnected from them, and thus incredible disappointed with this one. None of the characters ever feel developed enough for their motivations to even feel reasonable, let alone understandable. Not to mention more than a few things happen that are frankly implausible...

Without that emotional connection, it's hard to really ever feel absorbed in this story. Though it is obvious that Kelly did her research here, too, and there are many horrific and doubtless true stories relayed, they are all kept at arm's length for the most part, and though I finished the book, I have to admit that there were several moments when.I seriously considered making this my second book of 2019 to completely bail on unfinished... My thanks to NetGalley who fulfilled my sincere desire to read this one - I only wish that I had enjoyed it more!

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly is the prequel to Kelly's bestseller Lilac girls. This story tells the tale of longtime friends Sofya and Eliza. Eliza is American and Sofya is Russian. The book takes place in the early 1900s during WWI. The Romanov family is related to Sofya and her family and they all feel the wrath of the Russian citizens who are not happy with how the Czar has been leading the country. So many challenges and losses await Sofya and her family but through it all Eliza is there to help, even if it's from a distance. This novel is rich with historic details that leave you feeling as though you are living through it all. Read and enjoy!

Loved it! Lost Roses is a wonderful work of historical fiction set around the years of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and WWI. Billed as a prequel to the Lilac girls, this is very much a stand alone story of it's own. Sofya, cousin of the Romanovs, and Eliza, wealthy American, become best of friends as young girls at boarding school. Years later, as the Tsar falls to the Bolsheviks, and Russia is in turmoil, Eliza does everything in her power to find and save her friend - and along the way, helps many other Russian emigrees. Some of the characters are composites of actual people, while Eliza and her family are actual, real people. The descriptions of what it was like for the more well-to-do and for Romanov family members is fascinating, terrifying and heartbreaking all at once. And the story showcases Eliza and her family as the remarkable, strong women that they are. I actually liked this one better than Lilac Girls, and cannot wait to see what comes next. Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House / Ballantine Books for the e-arc. Wonderful and moving! 4.5 stars!

I have had a copy of Lilac Girls by Martha Kelly Hall sitting on my bookshelf for the longest, but have not yet had the opportunity to pick up the book. When I discovered Lost Roses, I knew I wanted to read both books as soon as possible. I had hoped to read Lilac Girls first, but then I discovered that Lost Roses was a prequel, so I decided to start with it. (I’m not sure if everyone should read the books this way, that is just the way that I decided to read them.) I am just thrilled to have finally read something by Martha, and I can’t wait to read more!

As I mentioned above, Lost Roses is the prequel to Lilac Girls, even though the story was written after Lilac Girls was published. I have to be completely honest and tell you that I have not read very many books set during World War I, and I actually have very little knowledge on anything other than the US parts of it. Lost Roses was set during that time period, and focuses mainly on the Russian aspects of the war. That made the storyline for this book very interesting for me, as I love learning something new, even when it is super hard to read about, (and some parts of this book were definitely hard to read). I had no idea that any of the stuff in this story had actually happened, and about it was definitely an eye-opening experience for me.

The story is told from three different viewpoints, by Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka. I’m not going to go into too many details about these women, but I will say that each one is fascinating in their own way, and each of them has an interesting story to tell. Sofya’s story is definitely the most heartbreaking to read, while Varinka’s story often frustrated me to no end. Eliza’s story felt completely different, yet still so relatable, and I do love her and her mother and daughter as well. (Her daughter, Caroline, is one of the main characters in Lilac Girls!)

Overall; I am so thrilled to have read Lost Roses, as I have wanted to read something by Martha Hall Kelly for the longest! I am now even more excited to read Lilac Girls, which I am hoping to get to as soon as I possibly can. I will also be on the lookout for more books by Martha in the future!

Happy Reading!

This is the companion book to "Lilac Girls" by the same author. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

It tells the story of three women during WWI. Eliza Ferriday is a rich girl from NYC who is concerned for her friends in Russia. Sofya is her close friend in Russia and also a relative of the tsar. Varinka is a servant hired by Sofya's family. Caroline Ferriday from Lilac Girls is Eliza's mother and she appears also. Their lives take different paths during the war due to their family's wealth and proximity to power, and the women in Russia ultimately they have to fend for themselves.

The book is well-written and I look forward to the next one. Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for a free eARC. I also bought a signed copy, and I am so glad I did.

As a huge historical fiction fan, this was such a heartwarming, intense read. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down.

I read Lilac Girls earlier this month, and absolutely loved it. Lost Roses is set a generation earlier, and it is World War I.

I loved getting to know more of Eliza, Caroline's mother. I also enjoyed reading about Varinka and Sofya.

What I love about both of these books, is all the author's research, that goes into a single book. I was so invested in this book, and was sad to be done.

I truly can't wait for the next book that Martha writes, as I know it will be phenomenal!

On sale now!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, almost as much as Lilac Girls - which I absolutely loved. I really enjoyed seeing Caroline as a young girl, and reading about her mother and grandmother. If you read Lilac Girls, you'll enjoy this one too. Reading about world War 1 was a welcome change compared with all the WWII fiction on the shelves already.

I loved Lilac Girls and loved Lost Roses even more. The character development had the right build-up as did the intertwining of three women during the time of the Bolshevik revolution. Each woman rose to self-preserve strength. Eliza, the American aristocrat, who was close friend and cousin of Sofya, who flees the uprise and had to entrust her son Max to the care of Varinka, a peasant girl. I love that Martha Hall Kelly's "series" is going backwards. Caroline's story in Lilac Girls. Her mother Eliza in Lost Roses. My understanding that the 3rd book will take place during the Civil War. Thank you NetGalley and the author for an advance copy. I will highly recommend this good to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. For those who might ask, these are stand alone books and do not need to be read in order.

Eliza is visiting Sophya’s family in Russia. Then the imperial dyansty starts to crumble. Eliza makes it home but Sophya and her family are trapped. They make it to their country estate. This does not offer the safety they expect.

Sofya’s life during the revolution was almost too dreadful to take. I don’t want to give anything away…so you must read this to find out. Then there is Varinka. She has her own calamity. And you don’t realize how deep her trauma is until the end of the book. She is a tragedy walking. And Eliza. She is the savior in this story. She and Sofya are friends and Eliza is determined to find her.

Give me a book about the Russian revolution and I am riveted. This one did not disappoint. However, I did feel it is a little too long. It also has a good many characters to keep up with. However, each character has their own story. I just couldn’t help my heart breaking over what these people went through. No author can take you to the depths of your feelings like Martha Hall Kelly.

Lost Roses is a prequel to the author's earlier novel, Lilac Girls. However, you do not need to read Lilac Girls first to appreciate this book. Lost Roses weaves together the stories of 3 girls/women throughout the time of the Russian Revolution and World War 1. Eliza is an American aristocrat, who befriends Sofya, a distant member of the Russian monarchy. Varinka is a Russian peasant who comes into the world of Sofya. The story of survival in Russia and the home-front in America are central to the plot. This is a interesting read for a period of time that is often overlooked.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley.