An over the top luxury in a post war world. This book is just lavish, sinister, and so fun. It has to be a movie. A historical action movie is a thing, right? Mr& Mrs Smith vibes with an art heist. The Italian Job meets The Crown.

Such a great story that I couldn't put down!
This author really knows how to make her characters come alive and make you feel like that you're a part of their lives.

The Winged Tiara began in a manner that startled, yet intrigued me. The journey of two people who had lived through so much uncertainty and self-doubting to a place of understanding themselves and their unique gifts and abilities was well-developed and thought-provoking. While it took me a bit to arrange the many characters in my head as the story progressed, Ciesielski developed them beautifully and brought the reader to an unexpected, yet satisfying conclusion. Well done!

This book was an incredibly fun romp. It was well-written and exciting thanks to an engaging plot and enjoyable banter. It was so different from what I usually read, yet I couldn't put it down.

I'm really tempted to give this book five stars. I could easily forgive that the book is predictable in some places and requires major suspension of disbelief in others, because the plot was just so fun. Ultimately, however, I felt the book was lacking the redemption arc I might have hoped for; these characters are not heroes, but survivors focused primarily on self-preservation (with some exceptions). I just wasn't quite convinced that Jasper and Esme could have a healthy relationship. The focus was mostly on physical chemistry, even though everything stayed pretty closed-door.

It was still an incredibly fun book - just know that if you're expecting an overtly Christian book from Thomas Nelson, this one isn't it. It's moreso an exciting escape and adventure novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the free eARC. I will post this review on Goodreads, and also on Amazon upon publication.

The Winged Tiara by J'nell Ciesielski is a glorious post-WW1 heist that is opulent, dynamic and utterly electrifying

The first impression was the pace of the dialogue and the worldbuilding, perfect for the era, rebuilding after the first great war, art deco, style and a whole new world of excess - which brings us to the day that Esme Fox wakes up, realises she's married and does a bunk to get out quick smart!

Four years later and Esme's husband, Jasper Truitt, is a renowned jewel thief and on the prowl for a bejewelled Valkyrie tiara. However, he locates it in the most unlikely place; on the head of his estranged wife who he has not seen since she disappeared. Esme is after the tiara for an Opera singer and as such, she is not going to let it go

A rollicking great adventure that rampages across Europe. A fantastic read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson and the author J'nell Ciesielski for this scintillating ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Wow! More than 5 stars for this book! I honestly feel like this could be the next Jason Bourne movie! A marriage doomed from the start, notorious thieves, a winged tiara, and a crazy chicken! The imagery is amazing! I felt like I was traveling along with Jasper and Esme on their quest.

The characters are written brilliantly! Jasper is swoon worthy! Although he is suffering from a shameful family secret and a wife who disappeared on him years ago. He is loyal, romantic, and a gentleman. Esme is a strong and determined woman. She presents as a porcupine, but her heart is tender. Lamb cracked me up! He's full of mischief!

The theme of second chances is apparent in the story. Jasper and Esme get second chances with estranged family. Their marriage also gets a second chance. The epilogue of the book is a fantastic happy ending!

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was everything I was looking for - a wonderful romance, excellent plot and dialogue between the characters, and a story that kept me turning the pages late into the night! J'nell Ciesielski is writing that classic kind of story that is not very common nowadays - attention to historical detail, characters you like and root for, and an ending that is satisfactory in every way. I highly, highly recommend this book!

The story begins with two people whom barely know one another, end up married, they had quite a celebration of the War finally being over. She sneaks out, and leaves Jasper asleep, but Esme and Jasper's path cross again!

These two are professional thieves, and each wanting the same coveted winged tiara, and we are there for the banter and danger that surrounds the lifting of this elaborate piece.

As we search for the tiara, we are privileged to delve deeper into their personal lives.

You wonder, even with the attraction between them if these two can ever end up together? I did love the epilogue that the author gifts us with!

Enjoy!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

An amazing and entertaining adventure romance set in the Roaring Twenties that will leave you wanting more adventure, more romance, and more jewel heists!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC! This the first book I've read by the author and while I enjoyed the story, I found myself bored at times.

I was instantly intrigued by the concept of Esme and Jasper's relationship and the adventure and mystery of their quest, but I didn't find myself rooting for Esme. Jasper fit the "he falls first" trope to a T, but Esme held out for so long, I honestly wanted Jasper to find someone else.

Jasper's reasons for wanting to claim the tiara were valid and emotional, and I felt a connection to his desire. Their competition was fun, but I never felt particularly engaged by the adventure of it all. EVery time I began to get into a scene, it felt like it ended abruptly and we were thrust into another setting. Due to this, I wasn't able to focus my attention on the plot.

The first few chapters were great, and I enjoyed the end, but the middle did seem to drag a bit; again, all the different beats seemed disjointed in a way I couldn't seem to get past.

Overall, it was a great plot, but character development and writing were lacking in some areas. I did love the historical aspect too, and I think I will try another of the author's books just to see if was just the uncorrected ARC that made be space out.

Such a fun book with tons of adventure, mystery and fantastic characters. Jasper and Esme were brilliant as they competed as high-end thieves with snarky and flirty dialogue and interaction, and plenty of history between themselves to work thru.

I enjoyed their waffling between competing and when absolutely necessary, teaming up for a hot second at different times, as well as the quirky situations they got themselves into. I thought the ending was perfect and equally entertaining yet endearing.

Overall it was a lighter story - the characters dealt with their own issues and struggles but the focus was more on the action and adventure as well as the tension between them more than anything. All in all it was an enjoyable and highly entertaining book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Generally, I have enjoyed J'nell Ciesielski's books. I find them engaging and easy to read. For some reason this book fell flat. I have been pondering what the problem was, and I think that the character building was lacking--especially the relationship building between the two main characters. To me it fell flat from the very beginning. The story did get more interesting around the last third of the book, but the first part of the story just dragged on.

I still look forward to reading other novels by Ciesielski, this one just missed the mark.

Thank you publishers and netgalley for the free e-arc. The opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to @netgalley and @ThomasNelsonFiction for this ARC. Esme Fox is on the hunt for the famed Valkyrie Tiara. Little does she know that Japser, her current husband from a one night lapse of judgement, is hunting for the same thing for different reasons. When they cross each other in the same hunt, they realize the competition has just begun. Similar to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I really enjoyed this book and the hunt for the prize! #TheWingedTiara #JNellCiesielski #ThomasNelsonFiction #Aug2024

Fun and entertaining read about two different thieves who want the same prize. Jasper and Esme married on a whim and haven’t seen each other in years but a chance encounter during a job leaves both of them wanting to rekindle a relationship while they search Europe for a treasure. Great story with action and adventure.

First, thank you NetGalley, J’nell Ciesielski, and Thomas Nelson Publishing for this book!

This was such a fun book!! Historical fiction can sometimes be boring or struggle to keep the book interesting while still keep the historical details. However, this was not the case with this book! J’nell painted such a great picture of this time period. Her details on the post WW1 time period were on point. I was so impressed with how she captured this era!

The story was wonderful! I love both Jasper and Esme and I appreciated the dual POV. I love that we got to see Jasper through Esme’s eyes and you see her struggle to want to be with Jasper but also how scared she is to fully give herself to him. The story is so fun and I love all the twists and turns along the way. To was such an interesting puzzle, one I was trying to put together the whole book.

Thank you again, to NetGalley and the publishers for this book, and thank you to J’nell Ciesielski for writing this story and sharing it with us. It was wonderful and I truly loved it.

DNF
My deepest thanks to the Author, Publisher, and NetGalley for an early ARC of this book. I was in no way forced to give a positive review.

I’m beginning to think this author just isn’t for me. I really prefer my books to be clean/cleaner. And I’ve found this author to push my line as far as what I am comfortable reading. (Keep in mind the author in no way markets her books as clean just historical fiction, however they are sold in Christian retail stores) I DNF’d after the first chapter. In which I had already come across multiple mentions of a wedding night, (mild detail) two uses of the B word. And more noticing then what I am comfortable with. The prologue also opens with a woman and man n*ked in bed together the morning after their marriage. Which had more detail then I needed to know. This author I think is extremely talented, and she has an excellent writing style, I just don’t think her books are for me. Not saying I won’t ever try again, but at least for the time being, I need to be done.

The Winged Tiara takes readers on a game of thievery across post-world war one Europe.

Main characters Esme and Jasper meet following the end of the war in France, where champagne flows freely and people are caught up in the exuberance of celebration. A night of romance, leads to regrets and a chase that won’t end until four years later.

The narrative is so well done, I couldn’t put the story down. Both Esme’s and Jasper’s stories are compelling. Their reasons for chasing after the missing winged tiara put readers in a fix because both of them need to find that tiara (which makes for some great conflict in the reader!!!).

The cast of characters are mostly unlikeable, which puts professional thieves Esme and Jasper in a better light. Readers can’t help but to root for them to succeed in the end.

Readers who enjoy action and puzzles will enjoy this read.

The Winged Tiara reads more as a general market clean read, without a faith thread, but with plenty of sizzle between married people (no open door scenes). The tension between Esme and Jasper is intense, both resisting the other for almost the entire book. There’s mention of drinking, drunkenness, smoking, carousing, physical abuse, and extra-marital affairs resulting in babies (and use of the period’s colorful language to describe them).

I received an ecopy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A fantastical caper that has a jewel heist set during the era after WWI. An enjoyable read. These latest books have reminded me more of a Marvel movie with the stretch the imagination edge to the stories. But this one had poingnant elements in the personal dilemmas of the main characters, too.

J’nell Ciesielski is one author that I read without even knowing what the books are about. And I am never disappointed. And The Winged Tiara proves that yet again. Dashing and fun and full of life and light, it will keep you guessing and laughing and hoping for a beautiful and happy ending! Better get it soon so you can see for yourself!

This book is so highly rated and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, The Winged Tiara just wasn't for me. Coming from Tyndale, I had different expectations for the book content-wise and was disappointed to see no evidence of being published by a Christian publisher. The characters are "morally grey," which can be really fun, but I didn't enjoy how these characters were written. I was a bit turned off by how this couple initially came to be and they sadly didn't grow up on me throughout the story. I did find the setting to be beautiful and loved different aspects of history shown in the story! I think that this is a case of a great book that just didn't find its reader in me.