A woman flees Russia with a treasured package in her possession and builds a new life under a new name in America. Her secrets stay hidden, even from her own daughter, Isobelle Moon, and when she dies in an accident, Isobelle is at a loss about her mother’s past.

While remodeling the apartment they shared, Isobelle discovers the skeleton of a tiara hidden within the walls, the jewels no longer in their settings. This takes her on a journey to discover where her mother had acquired such an item and in doing so, learning the truth of her mother’s past.

The Last Tiara is a beautiful story told in alternating time periods as it unravels the secrets of the past. As Isobelle struggles in a man’s world in 1947 as an architect, she begins to learn of her mother’s struggles in Russia during the war and of all her mother lost before beginning again in America. Beautifully written and intriguing, I highly recommend this wonderful story of love, loss, and dedication to family.

2.5 stars.
It was a interesting story, that as other reviewers have pointed out was almost written as a diary but too much info dump and not enough character development.

This book is a good mystery surrounding a real object from the Russian Romanov family. If you know nothing about this family, just know they ruled Russia for many centuries and came to a tragic ending. Their legacy lives on through their jewelry and items they had commissioned. The tiara that went missing was the item most mysterious, and this story surround that missing tiara.
In the story, Sofiya Petrovitch is friends with the Romanov daughters'. During the war, many injured men have returned and are in desperate need of care. The hospitals are overrun, so they use the palace to house the sick and injured. The girls decide to take on a job to help these poor men as the nursing staff is few. Sofiya helps a man and becomes enamored with him. He becomes a companion of sorts to Sofiya.
Jump 30 years into the future, Isabelle Moon is mourning her mother in New York City. A tragic accident has taken her life before she ever got the chance to learn of her mothers Russian past. Her mother never wanted to speak of the past. She kept Isabelle in the dark, always saddened by the memories. All she has left is the necklace with the most beautiful Faberge' eggs attached, and the mystery of an object she finds hidden in the walls of her room. Isabelle is determined to find out more of her mother and the mysterious father she never knew.
I am so thankful I received this arc from #netgalley. The start of this story took me a bit to get into. The background of the characters and how they ended up where they were in the current timeline. Once the tiara was discovered, the story took an incredible direction of mystery and intrigue. The story jumps between past and future and it was a great way to unveal this mystery. I cant say how much I enjoyed this book. The author has such an incredible imagination of what happened to the tiara from the 1900s. The discovery of how Isabelle came into possession of it and the way the story was told was a page turner. Its contents flew by, and I was sad when the story ended. Incredible read, highly recommend.

The Last Tiara follows a mother and daughter as they go through their lives. The mother's life is in Russia during the revolution that brought down the Romanovs, while the daughter's is during post-WW2 New York. The only thing that connects the daughter to her heritage after her mother's death is the skeleton on a tiara.

Honestly, this was so much better than I thought it would be. It felt overly descriptive in the very beginning. The daughter, Isobelle, is an architect, so one chapter was spent describing the exact architecture of a building. It felt insanely over the top. But then we finally get to the heart of the story-the tiara.

We see life and death, profound loss and intense love, and more through Isobelle's and her mother Sofiya's stories. This was a beautiful tale of mystery, built around real history. The reader never quite knows what is going to happen, and the mystery draws you in.

The entire novel was beautiful and heartbreaking. I would reread it in a heartbeat.

It was refreshing to get a new perspective of the Russian Revolution– an account of the Revolution through the eyes of a person associated with the royal family but not necessarily part of it. In alternating voices, we follow a mother, Sophia, and her time in 1900s Russia and her daughter, Isobelle, in 1950s New York City. Still coping with the grief of her mother’s sudden death, Isobelle finds a tiara hidden in the walls of her mother’s bedroom, and a mystery ensues. After living her entire life with no stories of her mother’s youth in Russia, Isobelle finally finds a clue. Slowly, the reader learns bits and pieces of Sophia’s life, as Isobelle, though no longer necessarily kept in the dark, follows a different and more shadowy thread of discovery.
The mystery of the tiara is anchored in a real-life story – a tiara is missing from the Russian crown jewel collection, last seen and photographed back in the 1920s. Got to love a spin off around an answered historical question! And after reading so much about Russia in the 1800s through Tolstoy, it was fascinating to read about a more recent era.
I have to admire the romances in the story, as well. They’re heartwarming and sweet, but not overly gushy or sappy. Which you think would happen with soapy romantic roots such as Sophia’s– meeting a soldier with amnesia while nursing the wounded. Swoon-worthy, but not purple prose.
I have no constructive criticism for The Last Tiara. It was a joy to read, and I was absorbed in the mystery. As soon as one further clue was revealed in one time period, I wanted to rush back to the other to see what next clue would be unearthed. A wonderful winter read!

This book was really a fine, interesting, well written story. I had spent the last few months reading the Outlander and Bridgestone series and was really looking for something new and really different. The two main characters are depicted in different eras, a young woman from Czarist Russia, Sofia, and her architect daughter, Isobelle, in post war NYC, are well defined and quite believable. It is always an interesting way to tell a story and backstory this way and was really quite effective.

The story had a central mystery regarding a tiara that had been brought from Russia in the 1920’s by Sofia only to be accidentally rediscovered by Isobelle after her mother’s death. She knows nothing about this tiara, just as she really knows nothing about her mother’s life in Russia and it is a story of her search for truth and a history of her family along with finding the real story of this tiara.

I think this book would make a wonderful first volume of a series based on finding stolen objects from wartime and returning to their rightful owners. I loved the main characters and would love to learn more about them. This was a fun, pleasant, informative book and I can highly recommend it.

When I sit down to read a book there are a few things I look for, and one of them is, does the story flow. The premise of this story is great. Daughter is away working for the government on a too secret assignment. She is an architect and after the war goes to work for a firm where she is unhappy and one male co-worker consistently takes credit for her work. This part really has no bearing on the story and there are things like this throughout this book. For me it takes away from the story and adds a bunch of information that distracts from the true plot. Sofiya( the mom) was given a gift of the tiara by the Russian tsar's daughter. Later Sofyia volunteers at the hospital during World War 2. She meets a soldier who will later become an important part of her life.

Isobelle Moon, Sofyia's daughter is renovating her mothers.a when she finds hidden in the wall the remnants of the tiara, but the jewels are gone. From there Isobelle goes on a journey that will help her know her.mother a little.better and to finally meet her father!!

This book was a challenge to read, but overall a sweet story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Tiara by M. J. Rose is a historical fiction novel and a moving story of a young female architect in post-World War II Manhattan, who stumbles upon a hidden treasure and begins a journey to discovering her mother’s life during the fall of the Romanovs, set in World War II.

Sophia Moon, mother of Isobelle dies in New York and Isobelle is in despair that her mother's life secrets have died with her and her life in Russia. Over the course of finding the truth about her mother's past he also discovers some truths about her father, whom she never knew.

The story is told between two different time frames, but handled so well. I liked the 1915, Winter Palace in St. Petersburg as well as the later 1948 New York. I was in awe and wanted to visit both the places and dive right into this era and timeline. The Romanov artifact - Tiara in this story is actually based on the real missing artifact till date.

The book at many places does have information loaded for readers and they is turning the extremely mysterious plot very boring and slow. I wanted more romance elements in the book instead of unwanted information. No doubt the writing style of the author and the climax of the book does hold some promising aspects of the book for me.
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Thank You NetGalley & Publisher for the eARC in exchange of a honest opinion.

I knew nothing about this one going into it and that was a great way to go. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The back and forth between Sofiya's and Isobelle's lives was enough to keep me on my toes wanting more. The adventure plus the mystery are enough, but the twist at the end topped it all off. I will for sure look for more by this author. Thank you, NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the eARC. 5 Stars for this one.

Rose weaves historical fiction with mystery and romance. Isobelle finds a tiara belonging to her mother hidden in a wall in a bedroom and sets her off to find anything about her mother's past, which she never shared with her daughter. I always feel I can pick up a book by M.J. Rose and be transported, this is no different.

I received an ARC of this book. It's a great story, switching between a mother's hidden story and her daughter's search for to know about her past. It kept me enthralled and anxious to find the answers too. Mystery, romance and history in an unforgettable tale.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy of this E-book. Unfortunately, I just could not get into it and get it read before the deadline of February 2.

The Last Tiara by MJ Rose had a dual-linear timeline. . For those readers who enjoy Russian history this book is for you. The time period is 1917 and after the revolution. Sofia receives a tiara from tsarina Olga as a present to remember her by. Volunteering to work at the Winter Palace which has been turned into a hospital for all the wounded soldiers. While reading to a soldier she becomes acquainted with another patient who has amnesia. She takes it upon her mission to solve the mystery of his previous life. The book has many twist and turns and even has the story of Isabelle who lives in 1950's in New York city. The reader is in suspense how the two stories will connect. I wish to thank #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was an enjoyable read. There are two timelines, one the mother’s in revolutionary Russia and the other the daughter’s in post WW2 New York. Both told stories of independent women trying to live the lives they want to live. I particularly enjoyed the more modern time line. It is an interesting period of history and has not been written about so extensively as others in my opinion. The characters were engaging and there is a nice twist.

👑 Thank you Blue Box Press and NetGalley for this free review copy. Here’s another must read for all you historical fiction lovers! A majority of my HF reading is WWII era. The Last Tiara is centered around the Russian Revolution with a side of WWI & WWII and it had me diving down the Google rabbit hole for all things Romanov!👑

We have Isobelle Moon in the late 1940’s, working to restore her late mother’s brownstone in Manhattan, when she stumbles across a tiara, devoid of its precious stones. Her mother, Sofiya, was a Russian immigrant and Isobelle is swept up in the mystery surrounding her mother’s ownership of the tiara. The fictional tiara is based on a true Romanov artifact that is still missing to this day. Just like the layered technique of the lacquered pieces her mother restored, Isobel in turn peels back the layers of the mystery of the tiara her late mother owned.

In the alternate chapters, Sofiya’s story of living in Russia during the Revolution is told with intriguing detail. The details of revolutionary Russia and details of the tsar and his family were utterly fascinating! I paired my reading with the watching of the Netflix docu-series of The Last Czars. I highly recommend watching The Last Czars along with or prior to this read as it will give an understanding of the time and place of the story. Reading The Last Tiara has made me want to do a re-read of Kristin Hannah’s Winter Garden. I’ll also be bumping The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul up in my TBR.

The only shortcoming for me is that the story was too long in the middle for my taste. That part of the story seemed to be stretched out and I would have liked more of the end story. Otherwise this makes for a fascinating read!

M.J Rose delves into historical fiction once more in her latest, The Last Tiara. I am never sure what I will find in opening one of Rose’s books - some hit the mark and some miss. I am happy to say that on this occasion, it was a definite ‘hit’ for me. She has undertaken and written a fabulous historical tale which invokes a real sense of place combined with romance and intrigue.

‘She was fascinated with how lives can change after one tiny moment that didn’t even seem consequential at the time, but in retrospect altered the trajectory of life.’

Always a sucker for anything concerning Russia and the loss of its monarchy, this is a story told in alternating chapters between Sofiya's life in Russia from 1915 through 1922, and her daughter, Isobelle in 1948. When Isobelle discovers a hidden tiara after her mother’s death, she embarks on a journey of discovery as her mother failed to disclose so much of her Russian youth to her. So much credible detail is provided on a range of themes from Russia and the time of revolution to Isobelle trying to cement her female self into the working life of New York just after the Second World War.

‘My mother’s life before she came to America - well, she kept that from me. She was secretive about almost every part of it. When I found the tiara, I suppose I thought it would lead me to … answers about her past. And about mine.’

There is some romance for Isobelle as she takes steps to uncover the secrets her mother seemingly hid so well. Yet it is the story of the tiara that captivated me; I love a good historical mystery and believe Rose has done a fabulous job on this occasion as I was so easily transported to the various locations and time periods. The ending is intense and that just topped off a winning read.

M.J. Rose has done her research and brought to life a possible scenario surrounding the last tiara from the House of Fabergé made for the Russian Imperial family. Anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and intrigue, especially surrounding fine art and jewellery ydou won’t be disappointed.

‘I move my head, and the tiara seems to wink at me. I don’t like the sight. It’s not a beautiful object, not anymore. Now, it’s just a remnant of another era, another life.’








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

This was an interesting story told on two timelines. I was different from the usual historical romances that I usually read. This book was full of mystery, action and romance as the daughter tried to work out her mother's mysteries. I found it a little slow and hard to get into in the beginning but if you want to read something different, this is the book for you. I received this book as an ARC and freely give my review.

I so enjoy M. J. Rosen's historical novels. She writes so beautifully and the hints of mystery keep you guessing while you learn something of history, my favorite part. You can read what the book is about yourself. But I think you will find the characters well liked and very well describe. Also, the story about the tiara and the lives it brings together and their story, truly wonderful. Enjoy. Another amazing story by M.J. Rose. Well done.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ebook copy!

Historical fiction has and always will be one of my favorite genres. I've read a couple books by M.J. Rose in the past, so I was excited to start THE LAST TIARA as I've come to enjoy her writing! She does an incredible job setting the scene and transporting us to that point in time. Something I will always appreciate because it helps you get into the mindset with the characters - when you can feel their surroundings it adds another layer of authenticity (in my opinion).

While this was a very engrossing read, I found it hard to connect to the characters this time. This story I found myself being almost overwhelmed with all of the information being thrown at us. Things that never really came into play later in the story, so I feel like this could have been a little shorter and still have the same overall effect. Don't get me wrong, I love details and intricately set up stories, but when they end up leading nowhere or have no real tie in to the overall plot, then it loses me.

Despite that, I still would highly recommend picking up Rose's work! I'm definitely in the minority on this one, so I think it's more of a me thing rather than the book. If you want a solid historical fiction/romance read, then make sure to check out THE LAST TIARA, or any of M.J. Rose's other books.

Expansive story. I loved the characters and the story across time. It was not a common historical novel. I recommend.