If you had the chance to change your fate by disappearing and impersonating a dead woman, would you take it? This was the choice Elinor had to make when she was saved from the Titanic disaster but her maid was among the missing.
Elinor Haywood Coombes, wife of the heir to the Storton title, was tricked into a very unhappy marriage. Like many British castles, the Coombs estate and grand house were way too expensive to maintain by those who didn't work, so marrying into money was often their solution. When Frederick hastily asked Elinor, daughter of a rich dealer in fabrics to marry him, she thought it was very romantic, like her Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte novels. But she had been tricked-the only things Lord and Lady Storton wanted were her dowry and a male heir. When she had her baby, the family signed a legal document that if anything happened to Frederick, they would assume legal guardianship, leaving Elinor to abandon her son-this was intolerable. Frederick had also admitted that he was in love with Elinor's best friend and had been since they were children but she could not inherit, so they were unable to marry.
Elinor's father, two years earlier, had bought tickets for himself, Elinor, Frederick and their servants, on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. When their son Teddy was two, they all went on the boat-it was the first time she had seen her father since the wedding and his first chance to meet his grandson. Her maid servant refused to board the boat and luckily, a woman moving to New York to live with her cousin, agreed to be her new maid and take care of Teddy-her name was Molly Mortimer. She was lost in the Titanic tragedy, as were Elinor's father and husband, but Elinor and Teddy were saved in a lifeboat- what would she do now?
This was a great set-up for "Molly's" new life as an immigrant to America, where staid rules no longer apply and with hard work and some luck you have a chance to thrive. Of course, she has many obstacles to overcome-she has to convince her new family that she was their relative and make sure no one connected her to her old life. The story had a few unlikely coincidences, but I chalked that up to "truth is stranger than fiction", and they were necessary to driving the plot. I see this novel as a good book discussion title, as there are many issues to talk about; migration to New York's Lower East Side and its hardships, complicated British inheritance laws, and the Titanic and its aftermath. A good historical novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. All opinions stated are my own.
One hundred twelve years on, and we are all still obsessed with the Titanic. Long after the last survivor has perished, we are watching ill-fated dive attempts, plans to recreate the ship, and attending exhibitions of scavenged items from the ocean floor.
Personally, I will always pick up a titanic themed novel and will likely visit any museum available, so that’s where we start.
This is a novel of what might have been for a survivor seeking a chance to start anew. So many on that ship were going to America to escape something, or someone, and going to find a new life. But what if that someone was a woman of substantial wealth and privilege? We meet Elinor who is in a bad marriage and unwelcoming home. When she has the opportunity to become someone else to ‘save’ her some from the same fate as her husband, she takes it. But does she fully escape?
This book is really well paced and kept my interest throughout. The time on the titanic is relatively short but that’s not the story. I never found any of it to be overburdened with language or bad pacing. Elinor was flawed but you still root for her. There’s a tension in the air that keeps you page turning right until the last page. I’ve read so many books that fell so flat but I thought this one was really well done and captured my imagination.
4 solid stars. Well done.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6939299923

Sorry can't finish this book. I am at the part where she has had a baby and is fighting to get to see it. They are telling her she is crazy and I just can't read any more. I'm sorry. The book wasn't that interesting to me before that but I'm not going to continue. Sorry.

This book started sad, continued sad and after some more sad had a sliver of happy? It was fairly predictable, minus the last character that shows up, I kept waiting for the person she impersonated to show up, but she didn’t so that’s a plus, I will say, the plot kept me engaged and that’s why I actually finished it, however, this was a depressing story, and I didn’t particularly enjoy reading it. I kept waiting for a certain character to come back, but it ended up being someone else. Idk, what to think, but I guess I was just hoping for more. Also, I think my biggest problem was the writing didn’t flow and the voice was disjointed? If that makes sense??

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

See my full review at https://michelleardillo.com/2024/12/01/book-review-the-lost-passenger-by-frances-quinn/.

This was a wonder read. Full of history (I learned some new things about my beloved hometown of NYC in the early 20th century)) featuring the doomed voyage of the Titanic, I was captivated from page one. Frances Quinn had me rooting for our heroine and filled with tension as to her future! If you love historical fiction. You’ll adore this! Highly recommended!

If given the chance to escape a life you don’t want, would you take it, even if it meant giving up wealth and comfort? Frances Quinn’s The Lost Passenger introduces us to Elinor, who has learned a thing or two about running a business from her widowed father who rose from poverty to become the cotton king in England. Sensing an opportunity at the fortune, Frederick finagles his way into Elinor’s life and soon a marriage occurs. Elinor finds that life being married to a future Lord is not what it seems and after giving birth to their son, she is limited to only a few minutes each day with him. Then tickets to the maiden voyage of the Titanic arrive from her father and Elinor packs up to go on the voyage along with her maid, son, and husband. When the inevitable happens, Elinor is presented with an opportunity to get away from returning to England and starting a new life in America, but it means starting with nothing.

This book was a quick read for me. There is a great flow in the storyline as we see Elinor start a new life (more than once) in the book. Characters are intertwined into Elinor’s story and you find yourself pulling for her to land a degree of the success her father worked hard for while Elinor was growing up. A great story that also shows the determination of a generation of immigrants to America who were willing to take a leap of faith to provide a better life for themselves and their family. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Publishing for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on February 24, 2025.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #TheLostPassenger #franquinn21 #PenguinRandomHouse

I really liked this immersive historical novel. Frances Quinn does a great job depicting 1910s New York City especially. I’d be interested in reading Quinn’s future books!

3.5/5
When Elinor realizes that her marriage and motherhood is not at all what she imagined, or had experienced with her own parents, she was eager for an escape. What was going to be a brief journey and break from the life she had grown to hate, turned into an opportunity for a fresh start. After that harrowing night aboard the Titanic, Elinor survives and decides to make a change for herself and starts over in New York as someone completely different. Faced with many challenges, Elinor struggles with her new identity as she tries to build a new life for herself.
I really enjoyed Elinor’s character and her reflections to her former life. Her determination stands out while she contends with all of the emotions and hardships she faces while starting her new life.

An immersive story that pulls at your heart strings.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this book was the author’s choice to not gloss over the emotional impact of surviving the Titanic. A tragic imagining of what it would have been like for a passenger on the ship the night it sunk, the weight of survival and the desperation that followed. Elinor is a young mother who needs to find a way to make it in NY after having lived comfortably her entire life in England. She makes the rash decision to no longer go by Elinor Coombes and chooses a potentially consequential alias that will afford her new opportunities. Leaving behind a lavish yet lonely lifestyle she sets forth on a new journey. For the entirety of the book I was fond of Elinor’s voice and following her was enjoyable. The plot was engaging and the characters come to grow on you (most of them).

I want to thank Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me access to this ARC.

Set against the tragic backdrop of the Titanic disaster this novel masterfully blends historical detail with a deeply personal story of one woman's quest to reclaim her life.

The story follows Elinor, a wealthy but lonely woman trapped in a loveless marriage and her life is dictated by her controlling husband and his cold disapproving family who value her only as a vessel to produce an heir.

Elinor is very wealthy in her own right and thinks that she is marrying a man who loves her when indeed he does not love her, and he and his family only want her for her money.
Elinor worries for her young son as in this family she is only allowed to see her child for a short time each day.

Setting sail on the elusive Titanic along with her husband, son and father whom she adores and never sees anymore; she and her son are lowered into a lifeboat as the ship begins to take on water. At this time Elinor decides to assume a new identity and are taken in by a loving family who believe she is a relative they never met.

This story is a powerful exploration of what it means to survive and the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child. This story is a reminder also that starting over is about courage as well as escape.

I really enjoyed this book and thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Frances Quinn for an advanced copy of this book.

Elinor married above her class, being swept away in a whirlwind romance. Marriage is not what Elinor expected. She was only chosen for her wealth, and her new family and husband place rigid rules. She needs voice lessons to sound more posh. Once she has a child, Elinor must let the nanny raise him, and the child will eventually be sent to boarding school.

Her father sends them TItanic tickets for the maiden voyage! Elinor is very excited to go with her father and Teddy.

Elinor takes on a new life once the Titanic sinks. She steals the nanny's identity, finding her family and living with them, earning her own income for her and her son. When she sees someone from her past, Elinor must figure out the best way to handle the situation to ensure her son is not taken back to their ancestral home.

What a historical drama set at the time of the Titanic sinking!

Thanks to Netgalley & Random House- Ballantine for the E-ARC! I don't read historical fiction very often, but so glad I picked this one up. Really interesting concept & characters. Will definitely read more from this author.

Elinor is the smart, spunky daughter of a successful cotton mill businessman in the U.K. She is invited to a ball and meets the son of an Earl. He shows interest in her and they marry. Right after the marriage, Elinor realizes he married her for her money and loves someone else. Stuck living with his snooty parents and subsidizing their estate she is miserable. Her father purchases tickets for Elinor, her husband, son, and himself to sail on the Titanic's maiden voyage. We all know what happens there. The men parish, but Elinor and Teddy, her son, are rescued and she takes on the identity of another woman to get away from the Lord and his wife. With her husband gone, they would take Teddy away from her. When she arrives in New York she moves in with the relatives of the girl's name who she took - they had never met. She finds what family truly is while facing hardships and having to make difficult decisions to keep herself and Teddy safe. I appreciate NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review The Lost Passenger.

The Lost Passenger is a historical novel set in the 1910's. Elinor Coombes is a passenger on the Titanic, traveling with her young son. She is tired of the restrictive nature of her upper class life. When the Titanic goes down she assumes another woman's identity, blending in with her son in New York.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction. I also am interested in the Titanic. This is a fresh look at the Titanic and I loved the storytelling around the story of Elinor's voyage -- and her life afterward in NYC.

The historical details are wonderful and the storytelling is so engrossing! I had a hard time putting this book down. I recommend The Lost Passenger for other fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in the Titanic.

Story of a woman slowly coming ii to herself and her strength. A good use of a historical background to share a coming to self power story. Left me feeling good and happy for the heroine at the end after she went through lots of adversity. The ending felt a bit rushed though. I would have liked to have had more time spent pulling the end together and seeing what was next for her. The overall pace of the story felt bumpy. There was too much time and detail spent on her life and hardships between her marriage and the Titanic. I wanted multiple times to put the book down as the reading became uncomfortable and repetitive. With the areas that would have been better with some editing and rewrites, it was a good story and an overall enjoyable read.

The Lost Passenger is a story about a young woman thrown into the strict traditions of early 20th century British aristocracy when she marries the heir to Winterton Hall. Unhappy in her marriage, Elinor is thrilled when her father gifts her tickets on the Titanic’s maiden voyage to New York. She looks forward to time with her son, Teddy and her father whom she hasn’t seen since she was married two years earlier. With the sinking of the Titanic and the death of her husband and father, Elinor takes the opportunity to start over with a new life in America. This is a story of grit and tenacity, internal strength and second chances, and finding a family to call her own with lots of love to give. The first half of the book is pretty slow but necessary in the development of the characters. The second half is excellent as we see the growth and strength Elinor exhibits as she makes a new life for herself and her son. I recommend this book for everyone who loves historical fiction and strong women.

Oh this book! It is one I wished I hadn't read because I will never have the experience of reading it for the first time again. It's a book I would definitely read again though.

I liked the riches to rags element of this book. My heart hurt for Elinor during the first part of the story. The things she had to endure and the way of life of the titled in England sucked in my opinion. I loved her life in America though. Elinor was a character I cared about from the beginning of this book.

The author has a wonderful writing style and told this story very well. It kept my interest and I couldn't put the book down. She also created characters that were realistic and I thought she did an amazing job telling of the sinking of the Titanic and what it was like for the survivors.

I could go on and on about this book but I won't. I will just say it is one of the best books I have read in a long time and one that will stay with me forever and one I can see myself reading again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Elinor thought she was getting her fairytale dream - marry the wealthy lord and live happily ever after. But it was not to be. In a fight to hold on to who she is and who her parents raised her to be, a family trip on the Titanic opens up an opportunity for a new life. Through the challenges and hardships, Elinor discovers a found family and true happiness that isn’t tied to money or prestige but love.

A well written and fast paced book. Elinor’s life back in England is about 1/2 the book and sets the stage well for her future decisions. I liked the 2nd half of the book the best when you really see Elinor’s growth and how she comes into her own. The entire cast of characters in NYC are wonderful in their own ways.

Some of the early writing was hard for me to get into but once I became more comfortable with the authors writing style the book flowed better and I was able to dive into it more. Great premise and execution.

Elinor, the daughter of a wealthy mill owner gets noticed by a son of the aristocracy at a local ball. At 19-years-old, Elinor has led a sheltered life with her father, learning the business and keeping his accounts in order. When her father receives a proposal for his daughter's hand in marriage, he sees it as a huge rise in status for the family. Little did he or Elinor know, she was scouted out by Lord and Lady Stornton not for her looks or brains but due to her father's wealth. The 600 year old dynasty is on shaky ground with debts piling up all around them. Having Frederick marry Elinor will shore up the family finances and hopefully, produce a male heir to the title and estate. But Elinor is not an aristocratic debutante willing to go along with decisions made for her by the family and when the chance comes to break free- she takes it. Surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Elinor and her young son arrive in New York under assumed names, not wishing to tip off the Storntons to their survival. Creating a new life isn't easy but when her past threatens to strip her son away from her, Elinor (now Molly) has to make some hard decisions.
Capturing the atmosphere of two very different cultures, author Quinn draws reader's into Elinor's story and gives us an insight into the not-so-perfect world of the British aristocracy and what immigrants were willing to sacrifice for a new beginning in America.
For readers who enjoy books by Marie Benedict, this one is for you.