Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Sofiya's mother was a tutor to Olga and Tatiana Romanov. Sofiya was lucky enough to be included in their lessons and became immediate friends to the girls. When Olga and Tatiana wanted to become nurse's aides to help treat those injured in the war, Sofiya wanted to also. She meets a handsome, young solider who is a talented jewelry designer for Faberge. When Olga's family abdicated the throne and ran for safety, she gave Sofiya a tiara as a parting gift. Sofiya in turn gave it to her solider friend for safe keeping in the Faberge's safe. Fast forward several years, the only thing Isobelle knows of her mother's past in Russia is that she fled her country for safety in the US when Isobelle was just 5 months old. Now that her mother has passed away, she is trying to redecorate her mom's apartment. In doing so, she finds this tiara but it was only a shell. All the jewels are gone. This tiara and Sofiya had quite a fascinating story. What happened from the time the tiara was gifted to her to present day. Loved this book and read it so fast! MJ Rose has written so many amazing books! #thelasttiara #mjrose

I have enjoyed M.J. Rose's books and The Last Tiara did not disappoint. This is a great mystery pulled from historical tales that keeps you guessing. In addition to the early drama of an earlier time the present challenges are represented well. Thank you Netgalley for this taste of time.

I would like to thank Blue Box Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I am, like so many, obsessed with Russia during the Imperial Family and read the summary and was like I need to read this book. Well OMG. The book begins with Isobelle Moon. Her mother Sophia had escaped Russia in the early 1920s and never liked to talk about her experiences. Her mother Sophia recently died and Isobelle started to remodel her mom's old bedroom. She peels away a piece of wallpaper and finds a hollowed out crown which had receipts from the 1920s when she sells the stones. The book then begins to flash between to her mom's life in Russia and Isobelle's quest to figure out the tiara. Isobelle goes to the jeweler that her mom sold the stones to and meets Jules. Jules immediately is drawn to Isobelle and he begins to help her solve the mystery of the tiara. I can't state how much I loved this book. I was almost sad at the ending because that meant I had to say goodbye to these amazingly well written characters! I would recommend this book whole heartedly!

This book had a lot of good things going for it. I was immediately sucked into the story of the lost tiara. I liked the dual POV's of mother and daughter and I enjoyed the way the book was written with a diary sort of feel to it. Overall though the story had way to much information dumping going on. There was a lot of telling and not nearly enough showing in the writing. It also seemed that were many points were the information being given wasn't relevant to the story at all. Overall it was an okay read for me but hard to get through.

This is a dual timeline told in alternating viewpoints of Sophia Moon and her daughter, Isobelle Moon, about thirty years apart. Sophia was good friends with two of the Romanov Grand Duchesses during Russia’s revolution. It tells Sophia’s story as a young woman starting when she and the Grand Duchesses start to work at a hospital for the wounded. It continues through meeting a soldier that she falls in love with and her story of escape to the U.S. along with the business she built with a friend, Lana.
Isobelle wants to know her history but her mother refuses to speak of it and takes her secrets to her grave. Isobelle’s story backs up a bit to tell of her time in Oak Ridge, Tennessee around WWII before returning to New York to the apartment she grew up in and starts renovating after her mother’s death, which leads to the discovery of a tiara along with receipts.
Hoping the tiara will lead to answers about her history, she visits the jeweler that purchased the gems out of the frame. As clues are slowly found, the past is unwoven masterfully as you turn the pages. The dual timeline reveals the clues as if you are experiencing the story along with the characters. I highly recommend this book.

We follow along the story of Sophia Moon and her daughter, Isobelle. Many years prior, Sophia emigrated to the United States to start a new life with her daughter. Sophia never spoke of her life in Russia because the pain of the memories was too great. So, when Sophia dies, Isobelle is left knowing nothing about her mother’s prior life. While renovating their apartment, Isobelle finds a tiara hidden in the wall with no jewels. This begins her quest to uncover answers from her mother’s past.

This novel alternates between Sophia’s story in 1915 Russia and Isobelle’s in 1948 New York. Throughout the chapters, we learn about both women’s history, along with the history of the tiara.

I really did enjoy this book. The writing was easy to follow and easy to read. The storyline and history was intriguing and the fact that this is based off an actual tiara makes it even more exciting. Star deductions were made due to sex (not a big fan of it just thrown into novels) and the fact that I was able to call pretty much every single plot twist early on in the book. All in all, however, it was a good, easy, fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose is a deliciously wonderful historical fiction novel that spans two lifetimes of women in the same family. The chapters alternate between a mother and daughter. The story begins with the daughter of the teacher to the Romanov family. Because the daughter went with her mother everyday to teach, it was natural that the Grand Duchesses became best friends with the teacher’s daughter.

To help during the war effort the daughter – Sofiya Petrovich and the Grand Duchess Olga volunteer at a makeshift hospital in St. Petersburg. It is here that Sofiya falls in love with one of the wounded soldiers. As in all love stories, their attraction was immediate and magnetic. The only issue was that the war always separates true love.

Sofiya’s father feared for his daughter and her future in Russia. He arranges for passage to America. Sofiya leaves with practically nothing. Her most prized possession is the sapphire and diamond tiara given to her by her best friend, The Grand Duchess Olga. Upon her arrival in America Sofiya changes her name to Sophia Moon. She gives birth to a daughter, Isobelle, not long after she arrives in America. Sophia gives up on everything that reminded her of Russia. She only speaks English, she never dates or marries. She refuses to respond to her daughter's questions concerning her life in Russia or answer her constant questions she has about her father.

In 1948, Isobelle Moon is an architect living in New York City in the apartment she shared with her mother. After her mother's death, Isobelle starts renovating the apartment beginning with her mother's bedroom when she discovers a blue leather box hidden in the wall. Inside the box is a silver tiara with all the stones missing. Why did her mother have this tiara and where did it come from? Isobelle’s emotions rise because this treasure explains how little she knew about her mother. Isobelle was always told by her mother that "America is our present and our future. The past needs to stay there."

The rest of the story describes Isobelle's journey of discovery linking the tiara to her mother's past. This story was a wonderful read. The historical aspects of the book were very well researched and M.J. Rose’s writing transports the reader to all the various locations in the story. The loves story is written with tenderness and care. The mystery of the Sophia’s life in Russia and the tiara keep me reading much longer into the night than I anticipated. I loved this book. I can’t wait to see what M.J. Rose has in store for us next!

I would like to thank the author, Blue Box Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

The Last Tiara by M. J. Rose is the story that spans through decades from Russia to America, spinning tales of love, war, loss and family.

Isobelle Moon is the architect living in New York and after her mother's death she finds a hidden box with a tiara in it. Apart from knowing that her mother came from Russia she knows almost nothing about her mother's life, who was always adamant about not talking of past but only looking toward future.
Search about the origin of silver tiara will help her find out about her family's past and the father she has never known.

This story is told from two points, Isobelle's and her mother's, who is a friend of Romanov girls in war torn Russia. It is interesting to read how they both decades apart try to find their path in life, deal with love, loss and hope.
However, it is very slow paced and the story at times drags on and on, with all the little details which are not necessary to the story.
I liked historical aspect of it, as I learned a lot about the time period I knew little of.
It was interesting to follow the mystery of the tiara.

I loved the differing point of view between Isobelle and Sofiya in telling their story. Both had been hurt but on different ways and have the scars on their heart to prove it. Isobelle is left with a mystery when her mother dies suddenly and she finds a tiara hidden in the wall. This leads Isobelle down a rabbit hole to find out where it came from and exactly why her mother had it.

Taking us back when Romanov empire crumbled and to NYC in the late 1940s , the details Transport you back to those time periods.

Thank you to GetRed PR for the chance to read and review this book. This is the second book by M.J. Rose that I have read. The Last Tiara is told from alternating perspectives. One perspective is that of Sofiya Petrovitch, is who works in the royal household of the Romanovs. The other perspective is that of Isobelle Moon, who is working in a male-dominated profession while trying to uncover secrets of her mother's past. The part of the story that I found the most interesting is when Sofiya was working in a makeshift hospital for wounded soldiers. I thought this was interesting as Sofiya navigated her life during the war, from living in a grand palace to seeing the ugliness of way up close. As is common in these historical stories, Sofiya meets and falls in love with a wounded solider. I also really like when books explore the dynamic of mother-daughter relationships, and this one was no exception. I always think it is interesting when daughters find out secrets about the people their mothers were before they have children. It just goes to show you that we often don't understand our parents until we are older. I also enjoyed learning the story of The Last Tiara. When the story of the tiara is finally revealed and uncovered, it provided a great deal of satisfaction for all of the loss and hardships the characters endured over the course of the novel. There were a handful of parts that I found to be a little tedious; I thought some of the lengthy descriptions were unnecessary, as they did little to advance the plot. I thought a few parts of this story felt like they dragged out, and I found myself skimming some passages. This novel is definitely heavy in historical knowledge, and if you are a fan of the Romanovs/Russia, you would definitely find this book to be very interesting. There were definitely plenty of profound quotes, and I was surprised at some of the steam in this book. I haven't read too many historical fiction books that contained the level of romance that this one did.

The combination of history, romance, and jewelry was fascinating. Mystery of the missing jewls kept me on the edge of my seat reading! I loved it!

The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose was a wonderful read and new take on the Romanov family. The story centers around the mystery of a gifted tiara and relationships made more complicated by the turmoil in Russia during that time. I love the way that Rose writes and this book is no exception. The characters are well defined, the plot carries along at a perfect pace, and the last fourth of the book has a great amount of twists and turns. I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I read “The Last Tiara” as an ARC from NetGalley, MJ Rose and the publisher, BlueBoxPress. Thank you for sharing this. The story was a perspective of the times of the Romanov’ Russia and the turmoil that surrounded the shift in Russia and the tragedy of their lives that I have not encountered previously. I very much enjoyed the story which was of a mother and daughter, and their lives which were so affected by the tiara and its secrets. Sophia came to the United States as a Russian immigrant fleeing the horrors of the aftermath of the overthrow of the Romanovs. She brought very little with her, and shared even less about her past as she became totally immersed in becoming an American citizen and tried to hide her past from everyone, including herself. Her daughter Isabelle, finds the tiara after her mother’s sudden death, and begins to unravel her mother’s love story and the history of the tiara, which leaves the reader encompassing many emotions: anger, love, frustration, hope, and so much more. It was my second novel by MJ Rose, and I look forward to reading more. Highly recommend this book.

I have read War & Peace, THe Winter Palace, and The Winter Garden. I thought I had enough reading on early 20th Century Russia, I was wrong. I needed to read "The Last Tiara" also. Told in two sweeping voices, "The Last Tiara", not only dives into Russia's elite but also is a family tale of secrets we keep and secrets we uncover.
When you finish reading you will want to call your family members, especially your mother, and ask questions before it is too late. And then recommend Author Rose's epic novel to all your history buff bookclub friends.

Enjoyable and well-researched dual-perspective historical novel. I love period novels, so I especially like it when, as is the case with this one, both perspectives are from the past.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

A gem of a read, M. J. Rose's 'The Last Tiara' provides a stunning account of the Romanov's Russia and 1950's NYC. Working in a male-dominated industry, architect Isobelle Moon is at the crossroads of her life. Coming to terms with her mother's death and routinely demeaned at work, she decides to construct a new future.

Remodeling her mother's apartment, she discovers a skeleton of a tiara missing its jeweled ornament. Mustering a rare display of courage, Isobelle unleashes a mystery that will reawaken the past and piece together the puzzling gaps, her mother left behind.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for an honest review. It was my first time reading an M. J. Rose novel but it won't be the last. Penning the perfect blend of history and mystery, readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats until the final chapter.

Wonderful book really well written and kept me entertained and also kept me guessing what the outcome would be.

It tells you about Sofiya who is friends with Grand Duchess Olga and Grand Duchess Tatiana. They decide to volunteer at the hospital and this is where Sofiya meets Carpanthian who is a soldier and has lost his memory.

It is a dual aspect to this book first of all it tells you the story of Sofiya in Russia then we are in New York where Isobelle is the daughter of Sofiya and she discovers a tiara in her Mother’s bedroom hidden away where did she get it.

I really enjoyed the twists in this book and certainly would read more of this author.

The blurb for The Last Tiara is what initially led me to request this book. After Isobelle's mother unexpectedly passes away, she's shocked to find a silver tiara hidden in her mother's room, and she's left to try and piece together the story of the tiara and discover the secrets that her mother had kept from her in post-World War II New York. Isobelle's story is complimented by her mother's, as the reader gets to follow a young Sofiya Petrovitch living in 1915 Russia.

I loved the premise of the story, and it was interesting seeing Isobelle's life in 1940s New York contrasted with her mother's time in Russia as a young woman. This was initially what drew me into the book, and it didn't disappoint. The mystery of the tiara was predictable, but I enjoyed Isobelle's journey to discovering the truth of the tiara and her mother's past. Unfortunately, the author's writing style took away from the story for me. There was a lot of noticeable "telling" in the way the story was written, and that took away from the narrative and plot for me. While I liked the characters, I didn't feel like there was a great deal of character growth over the course of the story.

This was a pleasant read, but I didn't connect to the characters as much as I had hoped, despite such an interesting premise and story.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish this one. My attention span seems to be that of a gnat. This book starts out very slow but finishes up with a quick 1-2 punch. There were several twists and turns in the story I didn’t see coming, but I’m not a Russian revolution expert. With that said, MJ Rose is definitely educated on the subject of the Russian revolution and Russian emigres and their plight in the ’20s and ’30s.

As the book blurb says, the lives of the Mother and Daughter are revealed incrementally and in some places drag on. Happily, as the book progresses, the storylines pick up the pace, and it ends in a crescendo of discovered secrets, disclosed falsehoods, and a little bit of action. If you like true-life unsolved mysteries, this will be right up your alley. It’s based on the Last Tiara, which to this day is still missing. It’s a lovely proposed ending to the mystery.

The characters are full of life. The Sofiya is suffering from the loss of her family, homeland, friends, and lover so bad she refuses to open up her heart to anyone and thus pushes that off onto her daughter. She never teaches her daughter how to read people and how to understand their intentions from their actions because of shutting herself off. Isobelle makes bad decisions with regards to her love life and ends up shutting herself off just the same and mistrusts pretty much everyone in her life except her Aunt and Uncle. Both women end up with men that make them open up their hearts and love just a little. For Isobelle though, her life looks much rosier at the end for having known her Mom’s secret and the secret of the Last Tiara.

I highly recommend this if you are a fan of historical fiction, historical romance, gritty characters, well-done imaging, and lots of angst. I’m giving this a 3.5 of 5 because, for me, the pacing was too slow, and right now, if it isn’t quickly moving, it’s hard to keep my attention.

The Gist: After her mother's death, Isobelle Moon finds a hidden tiara in her room. With the help of a handsome jeweler, she slowly uncovers the mystery of what happened to her mother during the fall of the Romanov Empire.

My Thoughts: If you're looking for a good, well-researched historical romance, check this one out. It delves into several historical periods I've always found fascinating, including the fall of the Romanov Empire, the Manhattan Project, and what it was like for working women post-WWII. I really enjoyed the romance in both timelines, and found Isobelle in particular to be extremely relatable.

My main quibble with this book is that it had a lot of telling as opposed to showing, and the shift from first person to third person with the POV change was a bit jarring. I also have a lot of questions in regards to that twist at the end, which I won't spoil here but if anyone else has read it I'd love to discuss.

But overall I loved the mystery, the history, and the romance.

Recommended for fans of: Russian history, WWII history, historical romance