An endearing and captivating historical fiction that followed the lives of three very different residents of London's historic Blue Lion Hotel during the lead-up to Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1953. Robson expertly blended their personal stories with the anticipation and excitement of the nation during this pivotal moment in history. The timing of reading this book felt especially poignant as it coincided with the lead-up to King Charles’ Coronation in the UK, making it a perfect read for any Anglophile. Robson’s attention to detail and atmospheric setting brought the period to life, making it both enjoyable and immersive.

Thank You to NetGalley for the free e-arc.

This is my first time Jennifer Robson and I was so excited when reading the book summary. I find the Royal Family interesting. The book covers the months and preparations prior to the Queen's coronation. From organizing the parade, to checking the buildings, employees, and guests for safety reasons. It also includes one hotel that has been existence for years and was full before someone canceled all the reservations and started sending mysterious notes. The police and the hotel are discreetly trying to solve the problem to ensure a safe coronation. It was a lovely read told from different points of view. It sounded like such a lovely hotel to stay at and a wonderful town to visit. At times, the book felt a little slow and boring. It is worth the read if you like anything about the Royal Family, The Queen, coronations, quaint towns, and historical fiction.

I absolutely love this historic fiction novel set at a hotel during Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Magical!! I will read anything author Jennifer Robson writes. Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

This was a fun different take on the Coronation of the Queen. I enjoyed the story of the old hotel and how different characters came together to celebrate and document the important event of the Coronation. This book is for people who enjoy a twist on history and add characters to help tell a social aspect of an event well documented.

I really enjoyed The Gown by Jennifer Robson so I was looking forward to reading Coronation Year. It did not disappoint. In the lead-up to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, the procession will be passing by the Blue Lion Hotel where the stories of Edie, Stella, and James intersect. The war has left it’s mark on them all, and they are all hoping to turn their lives around and the Coronation might just be the ticket. Not just historical fiction, this book explores the roles of race, class, and found family. Edie is the owner of the hotel, Stella, her photographer pen pal from Italy who has lost everything and everyone dear to her, and James, a War Veteran artist from Scotland with Indian roots struggling to be taken seriously when the world judges him on how he looks. I really enjoyed getting to know all of these characters, and especially loved catching up with old friends from The Gown who make a brief but powerful appearance.

When someone sabotages the hotel, many seem to be suspects, and the hotel is at the centre of a devious plot threatening to ruin the Coronation. Can the friends figure out what is going on before the hotel is lost, or perhaps something even worse? This book delves into how the war impacted so many lives and how resilient people can be when they have others to lean on. This book would be perfect for those who enjoy The Crown or who love historical fiction. I look forward to reading more from Robson.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting fictional characters woven into a historical event. I went expecting a mystery in this novel but I enjoyed it.

I was excited to read this one after loving the author’s Our Darkest Night. Unfortunately, this was a dnf for me, but may try again.

I loved Jennifer Robson’s The Gown. Thus, I was expecting this to be very similar. However, I really could not connect with the story at all. The characters are very unlikable, and the story moved at a slow pace. Still, I recommend this for those who are interested in British royalty.

Jennifer Robson, to me, is an author that manages to write history in a way that captures the essence and emotion of the time with beauty and grace.

Such is the case in the Coronation Year, a character focused novel set on the backdrop of the year of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

The story is so deeply focused on the lives of Stella, Edie, Jamie and their intersecting lives at the Blue Lion, a hotel along the parade route, that it probably could have been set in nearly any time except that Robson captured the anticipation of the Queen’s coronation and the time so well. This wasn’t a story about the Queen but about real people living life…with a touch of romance, history and cozy mystery.

As usual, I enjoyed Robson’s writing style; she knows how to write a readable book with endearing characters. If you like the royals or historical fiction with a touch of mystery (that isn’t WW2), this one is for you.

I will always recommend Genevieve Graham. I’m my eyes she is the Queen of Historical Fiction. Even if you are not a Royal follower, I would recommend this book. It’s so good!

Coronation Year follows 3 POVs for the months leading up to the Queens coronation in May. Edie runs the Blue Lion hotel, a struggling Inn lucky enough to be on the route, Stella is an Italian woman who is staying in one of the rooms while she is a photographer for a magazine and Jamie is a former bomb specialist turned artist who is commissioned to paint the route and who is also living there.

I wish I could say this one thrilled me but it was a pretty slow moving plot. Not much happening but waiting for the big day, there is a side mystery which added to it a little but not enough for me. I read another review call it a cozy historical fiction and it’s definitely that. Very picturesque and lots of characters but not much else. Which is definitely not bad but not necessarily what is my first choice to read.

Overall, a cute story with interesting characters for when you want a slower paced escape into the past.

Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson. Pub Date: April 4, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. If you know me, you know I have a fasciation with the British royal family. So, when I saw this book up for request, I had to go for it! Set against the backdrop of the year of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, this novel takes the reader on a journey of a hotel that is located on the coronation route. The hotel has seen better days, but the novel depicts the life of three individuals during this time period. Part mystery, part character study during this time, this novel is a great historical fiction read. I felt swept up in the celebrations and could only wish I was alive during this time period to see this part of history myself. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #coronationyear #netgalley

Robson is a talented author, and I love how she was able to build three independent stories and weave them together around the Coronation. Edie, Jamie, and Stella are all at different points in their lives and careers, and the upcoming Coronation affects all three in very real ways. With limited space, Robson still gives each protagonist their deserved time- I appreciated that I felt like I was getting to know all three characters and following their Coronation journey.

I adored the Blue Lion and would LOVE to stay there. It was essentially a separate character and the novel would not have been the same without it. Because I know several people going to the 2023 Coronation, and follow many others who will also be there, I’ve seen a lot of chatter about where to stay, where to go, where to eat, etc. The Coronation Year perfectly encapsulates the idea that even though the last Coronation was 70 years ago, we can very much connect with it in the same way.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

Coronation Year follows Edie, the owner of the Blue Lion Hotel which lies along the coronation route in 1953. Joined by other hotel guests such as Jamie and Stella as well as long-term residents and staff, Edie must find a way to save her hotel, banking on the historicity and the ideal location for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. However, strange messages and missing reservations threaten the survival of the Blue Lion. Robson’s characters are fantastically lively, and she creates characters with a variety of stories, backgrounds, and opportunities -- Edie the realist, Stella the photographer and survivor, and Jamie the artist with nightmares. Robson’s settings are also equally well done, as she brings the hotel and its long-term residents to life in addition to exploring some other settings across London. Robson’s prose and multiple perspectives are engaging, descriptive, and immersive, but the characters are really the star of the show. Her characters live and breathe in the pages, bringing the book to life. Placing such lively characters into a famous year like 1953 allows Robson to explore the preparations for magnificent, once-in-a-lifetime events like coronations and wonder about the people like Edie, Jamie, and Stella who waited and relied on such an event for their success.

What a fantastic book from one of my favourite Historical fiction authors. I loved the setting of London during the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth and the inhabitants of a hotel situated on the coronation route. What a creative way to paint a picture of the activities surrounding the day. While this is not a story of Queen Elizabeth herself but rather a cast of fictional characters impacted by it. Robson’s ability to craft realistic and beloved characters is incredible. I really loved this story.

This book was just way too slow and not as interesting as I was hoping. A unique historical focus but it didn't live up to expectations

Jennifer Robson does it again with another book based on an extraordinary moment from the Royal Family's history told through the stories of the ordinary people it affects. This time, it's Queen Elizabeth II's coronation and three people with backstories tied to the great war find their lives and futures intertwined with this momentous occasion and each other. It's an engrossing look at post-war Britain and I loved the bit of mystery woven into the story. The historical details are so interesting and Robson does a beautiful job of bringing history to life through the regular people who witnessed and experienced it.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the copy to review.

A good read and well written but I went jn too blind. I was expecting something from the Queen’s point of view. I did enjoy the characters and the story was well written!

If you are going to consume any coronation content this year, let it be this book.
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The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is the backdrop for this book and it was so fun. We follow three characters-Edie owns the Blue Lion, a hotel that is struggling and so she is hoping that the coronation will bring business to the hotel. Stella is an Italian photographer hoping to start new after surviving the Holocaust. And then there's Jamie who is hired to paint a picture of the coronation, and so he stays at the Blue Lion to get the right spot. He is also a war veteran struggling with PTSD and the racism he experiences for being half-Indian.
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I really loved how these three stories were interconnected and I was fully engaged. A fun book!
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Thank you William Morrow for the copy of this book.