Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull.

I haven't read anything by this author before and both the cover and description hooked me. I knew little factual information on the Romanov family aside from movie versions, mostly focused on Anastasia or Alexei.

So the eldest sister Olga was an enigma and I was eager to learn more. Turnbull painted a picture of a caring and compassionate woman despite growing up with wealth and decadence. The novel was told from Olga's point of view and experiences. There were many things I didn't know about the family. The siblings had very sheltered lives, and were seldom allowed outside the palace. During World War I Olga helped the war effort by becoming a nurse. It was during nursing that she fell in love and began to see some flaws in her parents for the first real time.

The novel didn't delve into the atrocities committed by Nicholas II, instead using the historical author's note to expand in greater detail. Instead Turnbull wove a story about a regular girl, sure rich and sheltered, but still relatable. A girl wanting to help people and love who she wanted. A girl who was lost too soon.

This book seemed well researched and was very well written. I read it in one sitting and cried often. I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Olga and not have the book overshadowed by her more famous siblings.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it.

If you know me, you know I love historical fiction. This novel was the story of the Romanovs. I’ve read a lot of books about this family’s tragic circumstances and each time I read, it’s always so sad because I know what is coming.

Book Summary:


This sweeping new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Woman Before Wallis takes readers behind palace walls to see the end of Imperial Russia through the eyes of Olga Romanov, the first daughter of the last Tsar.

Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother’s ill health, their brother Alexei’s secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the Tsarina has come to rely. Olga’s only escape from the seclusion of Alexander Palace comes from her aunt, who takes pity on her and her sister Tatiana, inviting them to grand tea parties amid the shadow court of Saint Petersburg. Finally, she glimpses a world beyond her mother’s Victorian sensibilities—a world of opulent ballrooms, scandalous flirtation, and whispered conversation.


But as war approaches, the palaces of Russia are transformed. Olga and her sisters trade their gowns for nursing habits, assisting in surgeries and tending to the wounded bodies and minds of Russia’s military officers. As troubling rumors about her parents trickle in from the Front, Olga dares to hope that a budding romance might survive whatever the future may hold. But when tensions run high and supplies run low, the controversy over Rasputin grows into fiery protest, and calls for revolution threaten to end 300 years of Romanov rule.

This was the first time I read this story from the viewpoint of Olga, and this makes it stand out from other novels and non-fiction reads. I think that those who know this story will appreciate Turnbull’s attention to historical detail and creation of Olga’s “voice”. Thank you for my opportunity to read and be part of the tour!

“Theirs was a tragedy centuries in the making, their fate bound up in the lives and deaths of the millions who’d lived in their shadow…”

I was interested in reading this book because I love historical fiction and have always been fascinated by the fall of the Romanov royal family during the Russian Revolution.

Bryn Turnbull does a good job of bringing the Romanov family to life and it’s evident that her book is well-researched, but I struggled to form an emotional connection to the protagonist, Olga, the oldest child of the Tsar. I don’t want to blame this on the writing because I think it’s really hard to get readers to emotionally invest in characters when we know what happened to them in real life. I also think it’s unfortunate that I read this book during the time that Russia has invaded Ukraine – I just don’t feel sympathy for the rulers of Russia – now or then. I appreciated that in the author’s note, she acknowledges the “appalling treatment of Russian Jews” by Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian ruling class. In fact, the author’s note was my favourite part of the book – especially the part that explains that the Tsar’s sister managed to escape Russia and eventually lived and died in Toronto, Canada. She went from living in a palace to living on a farm – that’s a story I would love to read.

Thank you to @harpercollins.ca and @netgalley for the e-ARC (published February 8, 2022).

I love reading any story about the Romanovs and I was so excited to read this book about Olga Romanov! This book is told in dual timelines which kind of threw me off the plot sometimes and took some time to get used to. I loved how Turnbull really humanizes Olga's family in this book and that was probably the biggest thing I liked about it. You learn a bit about Olga's life which was great, but I found her character to be too passive. I thought the ending was beautifully written though! I also like how there's a bibliography so you have more books to check out on the topic and Bryn also includes an author's note about fact changes she made to better suit her story. Overall, this is an interesting take on the Romanov story and it was nice to read about someone other than Anastasia for once.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Halequin Trade Publishing for my copy of The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull in exchange for my honest review. It published February 8, 2022.
In all the Romanov sister books I've read, this one truly stands out! I've never read one from Olga's point of view, (it's always Anastasia, isn't it?), and I really appreciated this different take. I found the alternating time lines to be very interesting, and I never preferred one story line to the other.
I found that it portrayed the humanity of the tsar, along with giving both sides of the story to understand what led up the the revolution, and to understand where the Romanov family was coming from. Especially regarding Rasputin.

I love stories about the Romanov Dynasty. Ever since I saw a collection of Faberge eggs when I was a child, the story of the last members of the Russian Imperial family has always fascinated me.

This historical fiction story revolves around the eldest daughter, Olga. Its dual timeline switches between the family’s life after the revolution and Olga’s childhood and the events that lead to the revolution in the first place.

We all know how this tragic story ends, so this book is all about the journey. I love that Turnbull focused on a sister other than Anastasia. It was quite well done and a great one for historical fiction fans!

What a fabulous book! I have read several books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the demise of the Romanov dynasty and I have watched multiple documentaries and movies of the same. This book is so refreshing. It tells the same history but from Olga's point of view, and brings the events of 1913 and 1917 to life in a very personal way. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Russian imperial history or history in general.

As someone who is absolutely obsessed with the Romanovs, this is a book that I’ve been craving. I love the lore and legend surrounding Anastasia, and it’s hard not to—it’s such a compelling concept to have a potential lost Princess in the world! But it’s refreshing to have an author put the focus on other sisters, specifically Olga in this case.

A well done fictional account of her life, compelling and captivating from start to finish.

I have always been fascinated with the Romanov family, and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book told from the perspective of daughter Olga. Despite the fact that the story is extremely well known, I still found myself hoping for a secret ending, for some twist that we haven't heard about. Bryn Turnbull did an amazing job telling the story of this family, and helping the reader understand their feelings and emotions during the last few years of their lives. Such a horrible tragedy, but the story is beautifully told.

There's a risk in writing historical fiction about actual historical figures, because you know how their stories have ended. And so the challenge is in trying to find a new and interesting way to tell their stories, knowing that your audience may have an idea of where its going.

We all know what happened to the last Romanov emperor and his family. It's a tragic story of how his young family were all murdered by revolutionaries. So of course, that knowledge colored my reading of this novel. It focuses on Olga, the oldest daughter, and to a lesser extent the rest of the family. It goes back and forth between their final year and earlier years, when they were not aware, and always thought their lives would turn out a certain way.

I wanted to connect to the characters more than I did. I don't think there's anything in particular wrong with the writing, although it did drag a little for me, and the details are fine. I just had a hard time feeling for these characters, even knowing what their ultimate fate was going to be.

I read so much historical fiction that for me I think it has to be really extraordinary to stand out. I want something more than the usual kinds of stories. For example, during WWI, Olga and her sister worked as nurses - now that by itself would have made an interesting story, because it's different than the usual sort of courtly parties and such. I thought this was good (and to be fair I think many people will like it). But it wasn't extraordinary.

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with an ARC of The Last Grand Duchess in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
I have to confess I started The Last Grand Duchess with apprehension. After having read Turnbull’s other novel, The Woman Before Wallis, I also had a certain amount of bias. I struggled through the first and worried that I would do so through The Last Grand Duchess.

Well, my hunch proved correct. It’s unfortunate, because the prospect of reading a story about a rather lesser known Romanov daughter excited me.

I am fascinated by the Romanov legend and periodically I read whatever I can find about their lives and tragic deaths, mostly focusing on Anastasia.

The Details
The story begins with a seven-page long dramatis personae, including rather lengthy explantations of who is who. I understand that it can get confusing when characters have the same name, but starting a story with seven pages of information dump on a reader is rather discouraging.

When I think of the Romanovs, two main facts always pop first into my mind. One: The mystery (now solved) about Anastasia’s possible survival. Two: Alexei’s hemophilia.

So, why would a story that is supposed to centre around the oldest Romanov daughter begin with a scene clearly focusing on Alexei’s condition?

This draws the attention in the wrong direction. Now I’m thinking more of Alexei than poor Olga.

It’s very frustrating, since we are already dealing with a very patriarchal subject matter. Throughout history the man has always been more important when it comes to inheriting power, money and freedom.

The Last Grand Duchess is suppose to give the first born daughter a chance to shine; a voice so to speak. She is clearly overseen and not considered important enough except for helping raise her sibling. Yet, even in this story she plays the second fiddle right from the start.

I saw someone else describe the story as disjointed and I have to agree. I felt the same about Turnbull’s other novel and the same is true for The Last Grant Duchess.

The dialogue does not match the age of the character, whose perspective the reader is supposed to see. The syntax is a lot more mature than the 12-year-old Olga, who is meant to be the protagonist. This makes it very difficult to establish a connection between the story and the reader.

The Verdict
Overall, The Last Grand Duchess is a bit of a disappointment for me. I must confess that Turnbull’s writing style is not my cup of tea.

I would suggest it to readers who loved her other novel.

Ok so before I start this review I need to say that I am fascinated by Russian history and I loved Robert K Massie's history of Catherine the Great so of course, I was attracted to this book. I've read other novels on the Romanov family but most of them focus on Anastasia as the youngest and who inspired the animated feature film.

This novel focused instead on Olga's story as she came of age during a shifting political climate. The book jumps back and forward in time going from Olga's pampered life as a grand duchess to a girl in exile with her family. I enjoyed the depiction of imperial Russia's last days and Olga's flirtations with handsome young men at her aunt's parties. However, as the book progresses Olga's life begins to get less magical and soon she's working as a Red Cross nurse tending to injured soldiers. The author skillfully weaves in her parent's relationship with Rasputin, her younger brother's illness, and her fear and excitement for her future. The book ends before the family is executed but readers will know it's coming. An author's note at the end of the book adds some more detail and historical context to the novel. Overall this was an interesting and enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.

The Last Grand Duchess
Bryn Turnbull
Historical Fiction
MIRA @_mira_books_
Release Date: February 8, 2022

Thank you to @htpbooks for sending me an ARC of The Last Grand Duchess by @brynturnbullwrites @harpercollins @harpercollinsca @marsallyonlit

This stunning, an all consuming historical fiction starts on the very night Tsar Nicholas II abdicated from the Russian throne. This brought to an end the Romanov dynasty that had ruled Russia for over three hundred years. As the peasants thought to remove the family dynasty that suppressed them. They had know idea what came later might have b even worse.
The storyline moves forward and back in time. An intense coming of age story of Olga Romanov, her steadfast loyalty to family duty and her often conflicted heart.As the rise of peasants unrest paves the way of Lenin and his bolshevik revolution.
Olga is the eldest of the Tsar Nicholas II and and of Empress Alexandra of Russia. Based on multiple non-fiction sources, including the diaries of Olga, the author does a superb job giving the reader an insightful view on the later life, of Olga and her family leading up to their tragic end. The characters are brought to life through Bryn Turnbull meticulously research is truly mesmerizing!

❀⊱Gwendalyn’s Books⊰❀

#TheLastGrandDuchess #TLGD #thelastgrandduchess #historicalfiction #russianhistory #histfic #newrelease #brynturnbull #harpercollins #harpercollinsca #marsallyonlit

From my blog: Always With a Book

Historical fiction has definitely become my go-to lately and when I saw that Bryn Turnbull’s latest book was set in Russia, I knew I had to read it. I loved her debut novel, The Woman Before Wallis, so I was quite eager to get my hands on her newest one and let me just say…I enjoyed it just as much.

I have not read a lot of books about the Romanov family, so this immediately appealed to me. This one is focused on Olga, the older daughter of Tsar Nicholas, and is told solely from her perspective, alternating between two timelines – leading up to the Revolution and the years following the Revolution leading up to the family’s execution. It is very character-driven, and while at times it is a little slow, I found it to be incredibly fascinating, mainly because I didn’t know much about Olga’s life prior to reading this.

The author does a great job in making Olga, and the other characters, come to life. I particularly loved how this book focused on the family relationship here. When we first meet Olga, she is quite young, and she and her siblings lead quite a sheltered life. Yet, as she gets older and becomes more aware of her surroundings, she realizes her parents made some horrible decisions. While she remains loyal to her parents and does forgive them, she sees the danger all around and tries to get them to change their ways, to no avail.

It is quite evident the amount of research that went into the book. I loved that not only do we have a list of characters at the beginning, which might I add I referred to quite often, but there is quite an extensive authors note at the end which helps distinguish what is fact and what is fiction. If you are a fan of Romanov history, I highly recommend picking this one up!

The Last Grand Duchess tells the story of Olga Romanov, the oldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas. I devoured this book but found myself getting anxious towards the end because I know how Olga's story ended. Brynn Turnbull did a fantastic job of bringing Olga and the Romanov family to life!

For the second time, Bryn Turnbull impresses me with her nod to history amid a fictional tale. The Last Grand Duchess is so well written. The characters and time period are wonderfully done, and it was so easy to just let the story transport me to the time. The book has a melancholy about it, or maybe that's just the impression I got considering we know how Olga's story ends. Given the stress of everyday life, I tend to avoid books I know can't lead anywhere good - as I mentioned, we all know what came of this family - but I think this is the first time I've seen Olga as the main character, and that intrigued me. The author includes a lot of historical accuracy here while still penning an engaging story that held my interest.

When I began reading this novel I knew the basics about the Romanovs. I knew they were a dynasty that had ruled in Russia for hundreds of years, and that in the early start of the 20th century they were overthrown, ending that way of life forever. I knew the name Rasputin, and had always heard it spoken in a negative manner, but I never really knew sho and what he really was, or the part he played in the end of the Romanov dynasty, the influence and power he had over the Romanovs, be it intentional or unintentional.
This story written from the perspective of Olga Romanov, Grand Duchess and oldest daughter of Nicholas the last Tsar of Russia, brings a personal, intimate feeling to the cold hard facts that are usually resented in history books. It was a special treat seeing and meeting the Romanovs through Olga's eyes. They were human, they made mistakes, aside from being of royal lineage they were a family, with the same feelings, desires, wants and needs as all of the people they ruled. It was refreshing viewing such legendary figures from such a real personal level. I felt connected with Olga and lived her story along with her. This is exactly what a great well written book is supposed to do!
I highly recommend this one, don't miss out on this tragic heart-breaking piece of history. Since this was such an interesting story I am now reading a non-fiction account by Helen Rappaport, "After The Romanovs". Thank you to the publishers at Harlequin Trade Publishing/Mira and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

publishers! we! need! more! russian! historical! fiction! this was awesome! i was faintly familiar with Olga as a historical figure so this was a great way to get to know her story more. i thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The Review

As a major fan of history and learning about different time periods and cultures, I absolutely loved getting to learn more about the last of the Romanov Family. Olga was the perfect protagonist to feature in this story, as she would have been the most in the know about her parent’s dealings and lives. Reading about the influence that Gregori Rasputin had on the family born out of their fears and desperation to save their only son was both captivating and heartbreaking, but in truth getting a written perspective from Olga that showed this prominent and iconic family in history from a more personal angle was what really captivated me as a reader, showing their flaws and yet showing the strength of their bond as a family in the face of every adversity they faced.

The imagery and tone of the narrative were breathtaking, showcasing both the regal and powerful image that the royal family held and the parties that the wealthy in St. Petersburg held as well as the cold and harsh realities of war and the rage that the people held for the royal family and the elites during this time of revolution and power changes. The even pacing allowed the reader to fully understand this infamous yet not as understood point of history, and the emotional moments between Olga and her family, as well as her intimate moments with characters like Mitya, really held audiences and enthralled them with how personal the narrative felt.

The Verdict

Engaging, heartfelt, and historically driven, author Bryn Turnbull’s “The Last Grand Duchess” is a must-read novel of 2022 for all fans of historical fiction. The personal and emotional journey Olga goes on with her family and the attention to detail will have historical fiction fans on the edge of their seats with anticipation, and readers will not be able to put this book down until the final heartbreaking page.

It was interesting to read about Olga Romonov as I dod not know anything about her. I knew how the story would end, and yet I could not stop reading. Also the author brought tears to my eyes. The novel is written with sensitivity and brings an historic figure to life. An excellent read! My interest never waned.