The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose is striking from the very beginning with so much detail. The descriptions are so overwhelming with a lack of character development. I struggled from the beginning to connect with both the characters and the plot.

Happy publication day to this beauty! It was my first MJ Rose book and it did not disappoint. A beautifully spun story filled with mystery and romance taking place in Russia and NYC. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a historical fiction novel to get lost in. Thank you to Netgalley and Blue Box Press for the free advanced copy in return for my honest review.

The Last Tiara was a very enjoyable historical fiction novel set in the years after World War II. The story introduces two main characters Sofiya and her daughter Isobelle. The layout is interesting because each chapter is by either Sofiya, which is a flashback, or Isobelle, which is modern day. The author's use of this story structure kept me interested because each chapter gave a cause and effect type feeling throughout the entirety of the novel that kept the story interesting without any lulls.

I felt the author's research into art being used as a currency during World War II was spot on, and really gives the reader a feel into how families lost everything they had. Families not only lost family members but precious family heirlooms that to this day still have not been returned to their rightful owners. We all know how horrible World War II was but the emotional aspect of it was just as bad or worse than the physical. M.J. Rose's story gave an example of how families lost touch and how some individuals wanted to erase their whole history during the war and start a completely new life.

I was very touched by the love that Sofiya had for Isobelle to the point of trying to protect her from the harsh realities of why she had to leave Russia and completely cut off all family ties. Isobelle did not understand her mother's behavior in the beginning but by the end of the story she sees how much her mom endured and how much she tried to protect her from the horror of it all, which gave Isobelle a new respect for the strong woman her mother was.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Blue Box Press for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Long Maine winters are the perfect time to curl up with great historical fiction, but the Last Tiara is so more than that. It’s a little bit mystery, a little bit romance, and it all adds up to a novel that I had a hard time putting down! There’s something so intriguing about the Romanov family, and M.J. Rose expertly weaves fact with fiction to draw the reader into the story. Add in references to Faberge and a real-life, still missing tiara, and I was completely hooked.

AMAZING! If I had to sum up the book in one word AMAZING would be that word. I am a fan of MJ Rose and have always looked forward to her books. With each story she shares I get to visit new places, meet new characters, and experience a life that happen long ago. Both timelines are set in the past and tell the story of two amazing women, a mother and daughter, and the lives that they are living.

I love that they characters are mother and daughter. Even thought Sofiya has died, she still manages to share her story with Isobelle. The story comes to life as Isobelle finds a tiara while remodeling the apartment she shared with her mother. The tiara tells the story of the life Sofiya lived in Russia, the reason she came to New York, and the life of Isobelle’s father. Both timelines were wonderful. I could picture life in Russia during the war and the hardships that Sofiya and her family were facing. Isobelle in New York brought to life the hard work she does while not getting the respect she deserved and the hope that she will find out the secrets of her family history.

MJ Rose is one of the best authors at historical fiction. I will always read her books and recommend them to any historical fiction fans.

My second love in book genres is historical fiction. I have seen books by M.J. Rose but had not read any. When I saw that this story is about Russian history, I had to read it. One of my favorite time periods to read about is WWII, also. So, this book was right up my alley.

The author tells this mother/daughter story in alternating POVs. It is done very well and is one of my favorite ways that historical fiction is written. I always like hearing the MC’s points of view.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will be reading more of M.J. Rose’s books from here out.

I gave this book 4 stars and recommend it to fans of historical fiction, especially those interested in WWII and Russian history.

I have seen novels by M. J. Rose before, but have not read any as of yet. The premise of this novel intrigued me. I have been fascinated about the Russian Revolution since I was a teenager so was happy to read a novel that has part of the setting during that time.

The novel is set in two time periods, the Russian Revolution and post WWII New York. The story follows Isobelle Moon an architect in 1948 New York, not an occupation that is easy for a woman at that time period. She decides to renovate the apartment that she shared with her mother Sofiya, a survivor of the Russian Revolution who has always been tightlipped about the horrors that she saw an survived. While renovating her mother’s bedroom she finds the frame of a tiara that is missing the jewels. Also found with the tiara is a receipt for the sale of the jewels. Isobelle decides to investigate. At the jewelers, she meets Jules Reed, the grandson of the jeweler that purchased the diamonds. The two of them decide to trace the tiara and the story behind it and how it came to be in Sofiya’s posession.

I enjoyed this book. I loved the dual time period and the chapters on the Russian Revolution really interested me. I recommend this book for lovers of Historical Fiction and Mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley, M. J. Rose and the publisher Blue Box Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose is a mystery using two timelines to tell a complicated story of love in the time of the Russian revolution. Isobelle Moon still missed her mother who had been dead for a year, run over crossing the street. Her mother had been her world, despite the fact that she had kept secrets, secrets that only know was Isobelle starting to unravel as she began the remodel on her mother's apartment, now hers. It's 1948 and Isobelle is an architect, one of the few women in the profession. Her career is not moving as quickly as some of the men's; two reason: she is female and she is honest. After she finds the metal tiara and a receipt for the sale of diamonds, she goes to the jewelry store, right near her work, to see if she can get further information. There she meets Jules Reed, the grandson of the man who had purchased the diamonds. From there, the two of them make a very odd journey wherein Isobelle finally discovers her mother's story.

M.J. Rose is really good at this kind of story. At it's core, a mystery, but also historical fiction and a romance. Russia at the revolution was a misery. There was no way of protecting oneself from the horrors. The descriptions of the hospital, of the streets, of the Hermitage, are worth the read in and of themselves. The journey is mostly not about bombs and car wrecks, as we think of thriller, but despite the fact there is action, it is really more cerebral than anything. It's about clues and puzzles. It's also about people working together; making discoveries and putting the pieces together. It is an altogether charming story, weaving the story tighter and tighter as they get closer to the solution. I love t his kind of book. I recommend you read it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Last Tiara by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thelastiara

The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose is the tale of mother and daughter written in two time periods in alternating chapters. Sofiya is the mother who in 1917 worked as a nurse in Petrograd along with her dear friend, the Grand Duchess Olga, daughter of the Tsar. Sofiya meets an injured soldier who becomes the love of her life. But Sofiya is also dealing with how the revolution is effecting her friend Olga.
In 1947, Isobelle, her daughter, is working as an architect in the United States and struggling to be taken seriously when her mother is hit by a car and killed. When Isobelle finally decides to renovate the apartment she had shared with her mother, she discovers secrets, and the skeleton of a tiara, her mother had kept from her. Isobelle goes on a quest trying to unlock the secrets of her mother's life.
The alternating chapters slowly reveal Sofiya's life to her daughter and the reader. Some of the early chapters were slow moving but once the mystery of the tiara picks up, I didn't want to put the book down.

This book combines two of my favorite things - expensive jewelry and history, plus an engaging mystery.

Isobelle is renovating her mother’s apartment after her death and finds a tiara frame hidden in the wall along with a receipt for the sale of the diamonds. Her mother, who fled Russia while six months pregnant, right around the time that the tsar was executed, had always refused to talk about her life before she immigrated to U.S. or Isobelle’s father. Isobelle goes on a quest for answers as to how a tiara from the Imperial jewels might have come into her mother’s possession.

Isobelle is a tough-as-nails architect determined to make it in a man’s world. When her quest leads her to a handsome jeweler, she wonders if she can risk being vulnerable with him. I liked Isobelle and how involved she got in her quest.

The story has two narrators: Isobelle in 1948, just after WWII, and her mom, Sofiya, in Russia in 1915. This book included lots of details about the grand palaces and historical jewelry, and I was here for it! I liked the Romanov tie-in without it being explicitly about the Romanovs.

This was an enjoyable historical mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author M.J. Rose takes the reader down two paths at once in this historical fiction, allowing two female protagonists to each tell us their story.

“The Last Tiara” was my first M.J. Rose novel, and I found it to be a very polished tale told by the two women, each contributing their part in a story that takes decades to fully evolve.

Sofiya’s tale begins in Russia in 1917. She is returning to the Winter Palace, once home to the Tsar and now a hospital for wounded Russian soldiers. Sofiya is joined by the Tsar’s daughters, childhood friends due to her mother being a private tutor for the princesses.

Isobelle is Sofiya’s daughter and lives in America. Her story begins in the 1940s. Isobelle is an architect, a woman struggling to find her place in what is predominantly a man’s world. Her mother has passed, and Isobelle decides to renovate the home which is now hers. Behind the wallpaper she discovers a box with a tiara inside. Thus begins the mystery.

Sofiya did not share much information with her daughter, not about the tiara and very little about Isobelle’s father. Isobelle has little choice but to pursue the few clues she has, which could easily lead to dead ends. Both women have a love interest, allowing the author to inject a romantic element into the story. There is enough romance to satisfy those who enjoy that as part of a story, but not enough to chase away someone like myself who usually steers clear of romance novels. The two stories had enough excitement to keep my interest through the entire book.

Ms. Rose has based the premise of her book on fact, lending an air of reality to the story. The novel addresses some of the issues of the day and how they affect the characters. I found the tale to be woven with care, tightly knit and never allowing any of the dangling threads to go unanswered. Highly recommended. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this novel.

This novel alternates between two timelines: the last days of the tsar of Russia and the the forties after World War II. The chapters alternate between mother and daughter. In the mother's chapters, we find out how the mother receives the tiara and loses the love of her life. In the daughter's, we go along as she learns about her family's history that her mother kept from her and the date of her father. While this isn't my normal genre (cozy mysteries), I enjoyed this novel enough that I want to read more books by this author.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s 1948 and Isobelle Moon has been called back to New York after her mother’s sudden death. Preparing their apartment for renovation, she discovers a tiara, jewels removed, hidden behind a wall. She takes the tiara to the jewelry shop that bought the missing jewels decades earlier, and finds herself caught up in thirty year old mystery that may lead her to her father, who she believed died before her birth.

Sofiya Petrovitch is an art restorer by training but during World War I, works in a St. Petersburg hospital. There she meets and falls in love with a soldier recovering from a head wound that has stolen his memory. As he pieces together his past, the two continue their love affair as Russia collapses into revolution around them. Pregnant, Sofiya flees Russia at her father’s insistence, never telling her daughter the truth about her past.

Rich with historical details and well-researched settings, THE LAST TIARA is an evocative voyage into post-WW II Manhattan and 1910s-1920s Russia. I wanted to crawl into this book—at least the 1940s part. The details of the privations of revolution-era Russia were a bit too vivid. #TheLastTiara #NetGalley

M.J. Rose crafts this exquisite story just as wonderfully as a priceless Faberge egg ... or a certain sapphire-studded tiara...

The dual timelines were composed extremely well, and the writing is simply beautiful. M.J. Rose's most recent works are just stellar, and this book is no exception. This story pulled me in and I fell in love with all the descriptions of the jewelry. I loved the love stories too!

Thank you, Netgalley, for my arc!

The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose has a beautiful cover and a beautiful story underneath the cover. I have been a fan of Rose since I read Tiffany Blues a couple of years ago. Historical fiction, mystery, romance make The Last Tiara a beautiful story. Set in two time periods Sofiya Petrovitch is a friend of Grand Dutchess Olga and they both are volunteering in the Winter Palace which has been made into a hospital for soldiers who are hurt in the war in 1915. The second time period is set in New York where Sofiya’s daughter, Isobelle, is working in an architectural firm in 1948.

Isobelle is recovering from her mother’s death and is remodeling their apartment. She finds a tiara ( minus the jewels) inside a wall in her mother’s bedroom. The quest is set to find out something about the Tiara. She has two receipts from a jeweler that she also found. She makes an appointment with the grandson of the jeweler, Jules, to see if he has any information for her.

I loved reading about the two time periods. Both mother and daughter suffered and both made lives for themselves. I loved the twists and turns that follow. I was completely surprised with the ending. I do wonder if Rose has plans for a sequel to delve into the Midas Society and the world of Jules and Isobelle. Thank you Blue Box Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

The Last Tiara by MJ Rose is a story of mystery and discovery. In 1948, Isobelle Moon lost her mother, Sophia, when she was hit by a car as she stepped off the curb into the street. As she begins to renovate their apartment, she discovers her mother’s hidden treasures, a silver tiara without any jewels. Her mother refused to talk about her life in Russia before she immigrated to American after World War I. Isobelle begins to ask questions about the tiara and its ties to her mother, trying to unravel the mystery around it and her mother. Soon she meets Jules Reed, a jeweler who runs his grandfather’s jewelry shop. Together they begin to trace the tiara’s origins. Will Isobelle find the answers she’s looking for? Will she discover why her mother didn’t want to talk about her life before America? The story switches between Isobelle in 1948 and her mother in 1915 Russia as the two timelines reveal the horrors of World War I and the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution that drove Sophia to leave everything she had to come to America.
The Last Tiara is an interesting look at the stories of World War I in Russia. As most books featuring World War I focus on the stories of the English, Americans and even the French, they don’t really look at the other countries who fought in the war too. The tiara at the center of the story really did exist. It was a part of the Imperial Jewels of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, who were brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918. The tiara was photographed and cataloged in the 1920s but it has not been seen since. Where did it go? That’s the question Ms. Rose sets out to answer, creating a story of a mother escaping Russia and making a life with her daughter in America. Overall, I enjoyed The Last Tiara. It is a story of a mother and daughter and the mysteries behind. I enjoyed learning more about the Bolshevik Revolution and its impact on Russia and her people. I enjoyed as Isobelle discovered who her mother was before she was born and the pain she kept hidden. I recommend The Last Tiara.

The Last Tiara is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

First and foremost, I would like to thank NetGalley and Blue Box Press for providing me with an e-arc of The Last Tiara.

I would highly recommend this book to historical fiction lovers, specifically those who enjoy books based off of mysteries. In The Last Tiara, we bounce between the perspective of Isobelle in 1948 New York City, and her mother Sophia in 1922 Petrograd.

After her mother's death, Isobelle begins renovating their apartment and finds a tiara frame hidden in the wall. With this as her only clue, she embarks on a journey to discover what happened to the jewels that once adorned the tiara and how exactly her mother came to be in possession of such a priceless artifact.

Perfectly crafted with intrigue and suspense, M.J. Rose pulls you into the world of the last tsars of Russia as well as life post WWII.

M.J. Rose is a master at capturing the time period she writes about as if she lived during those time periods. I wonder how well she is at writing a contemporary novel and if she has I must explore that book. The Last Tiara is such a bittersweet read that it grabs your attention with all the well know history we know and yet takes you off guard by the realness of it all. Rose research of The Russian Revolution really shows in her work especially by capturing how everyday people are always the casualty of power struggle.

At the heart of this tale is a mother/daughter story set during a time woman are trying to emerge into their own power while trying to hang on to hope of a better future. Sofiya and Isobelle Moon tell the story through alternative storyline as they navigate heartbreaks while trying to survive devastation after devastation. Their last link to each other is a tiara that holds answer to a mystery many have been searching for but, for them its a crown of love and hope. M.J. Rose really knows how to find the ugly things and restore it to beauty.

Rated 4.25 stars.

In 1948, Isobelle Moon has returned to New York City after the loss of her mother Sophia, formerly Sofiya, a woman who kept her former life in Russia a secret. Isobelle is a talented architect trying to work her way up the ladder in a male-dominated profession. In 1915, Sofiya Petrovich and her best friend, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaeyna help wounded soldiers in a hospital set up in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Sofiya finds herself drawn to a young, wounded soldier who has no memory. She decides to call him Carpathian and they soon fall deeply in love.

This lovely book alternates between Isobelle and Sofiya’s stories. As Isobelle starts to renovate her mother’s home, she find a silver tiara and receipts for the sale of its gems, which helped her mother and Isobelle start their life in America. Hoping this discovery will help her learn more about her mother and the father she never met, Isobelle searches for answers. As the chapters alternate in time periods, we learn that the tiara was a gift to Sofiya from the Grand Dutchess as the Romanovs prepared to go into hiding to escape the Bolsheviks.

I enjoyed author M.J. Rose’s last book Cartier’s Hope and I was very excited to read The Last Tiara. It was a very satisfying read and swept me away into the lives of these characters. Both the period of the Russian Revolution as well as life in New York City, when women started to seek some level of equality, held my interest as did the mystery of the tiara. Author Rose has done a great amount of research to bring this story to life and anyone who loves Historical Fiction, as well as fine jewelry and art, should check this book out.

*3-3.5 stars. A lovely new work of romantic historical fiction from M. J. Rose and what a gorgeous cover design to go with it!

The last tiara was given to the youngest daughter of the Russian tsar for her birthday and, in this story, she makes a gift of it to her best friend, Sofiya Petrovich. In 1915, Sofiya and the Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana volunteer to work as nurses with the Sisters of Mercy in the former staterooms of the Winter Palace in Petrograd, which have been turned into hospital suites. There, Sofiya meets the man who will change her life--a soldier whose wounds have caused amnesia.

The story actually has two alternating timelines and two main characters--the second set in Manhattan in 1948 and is the story of Sofiya's daughter, Isobelle Moon. Isobelle, a young architect, has recently lost her mother in a tragic accident and laments that she knows so little about her mother's past. When Isobelle would ask questions as a child, her mother would tell her 'if she didn't keep the past buried, the memories would bury her alive.' All Isobelle knows is that Sofiya brought her baby to NYC from Russia in the 20s and that Isobelle's father died in a Siberian prison camp.

As Isobelle begins some renovations on her mother's apartment, she finds a hidden niche which contains a tiara sworn of its jewels and the receipts for the sale of said jewels. This launches her on a quest to learn more.

The historical elements in the story are fascinating but I found it hard to get to know these two female characters. There seemed little character development. The mysteries the story contains are only thinly veiled. All in all, for me this was a pleasant read but not one of Rose's best.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.