Elinor is the daughter of "the cotton king," and a smart, capable young woman who has dreams of love and a happy future. Her father has praised her abilities, instilled confidence, and loved her well. So when she is swept into a marriage with a handsome aristocrat, Elinor couldn't be happier. Until she realizes it's a marriage of convenience, and she's expected to be a compliant wife who has no voice. She is undone. So when her father sends tickets for a vacation to New York on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, Elinor couldn't be more thrilled for a brief escape and visit with her father. After the ship goes down, Elinor takes the opportunity to take her future into her own hands.

Characters: The characters are well-rounded and well-developed. The author allows the reader to see into the actions of not only Elinor, but her husband, friends, and in-laws (however abhorrent some of those actions may be), which serves to evoke both compassion and anger in the reader.

Pacing: While there were points where I felt the story start to lag, the author generally kept the story moving along nicely. She was descriptive, without being exhausting, and gave the reader beautiful pictures of the setting, surroundings, and lives of the characters.

Plot: This was the weak link for me, as it was totally predictable. If I thought it was going to happen, it did. There weren't many surprises in the plot, but I still enjoyed the story that was told.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine
Publication Date: February 2025

Elinor expects the happily-ever-after fairytale ending when she marries her “prince.” She soon discovers, however, that she is a pawn in a loveless drama to keep the old world aristocracy she’s married into alive. When Elinor’s father secures passage for himself, Elinor, her husband and son, on the maiden voyage of the Titanic she is thrilled. As the Titanic sinks, however, Elinor and her son are saved while her father, husband, and nanny perish. Afraid to return to England where she faces the loss of custody of her son, Elinor assumes another woman’s identity and starts her life over in America where she must keep her true identity secret at all costs. A story of deception, tragedy, love, and perseverance, this is a must read for historical fiction fans. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise, to me, because based on the cover I expected yet another churned out historical romance. It was much more than that. It's a story about survival, both emotionally and physically.

Elinor comes from a family made wealthy by her father, a self-made man. Their wealth was not one steeped in old money, long-held traditions, social standing and estates. She is also young and naive enough to be persuaded into marriage to a man from just such an old-money background. After her child is born, she realizes what the future holds for her and her offspring, and it's far from what she envisioned in her starry-eyed optimism.

I'll be honest and admit I really wanted the story to move along to the Titanic voyage, and there was quite a lot of build up. When it finally got there, that portion of the book brought tears to my eyes, and I find myself still shocked at an event we know all too well by now. Elinor's life afterwards is fascinating and I was rooting for her all the way.

Recommended for an enjoyable read and a bit of history on how people lived, both rich and poor, in the early 20th century. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary e-book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Passenger is a great historical fiction novel. It's engaging and interesting. The story is different than any Titanic novel I've read. The beginning had me enraged, the middle had me on the edge of my seat, and the ending was very satisfying. If you like historical fiction, The Lost Passenger is a book you should read.

Elinor, deceived into a bleak marriage, finds a way out. Elinor survives the tragic fate of the Titanic, assumes a new identity, and starts a new life for herself and for her child. An interesting story of survival. Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn was an excellent book. I enjoyed the writing style and the well developed characters. A variety of emotions were definitely present while reading the book. I loved the strong will of the main character! I will look for other books from Ms Quinn. Thank you for this book! I rated it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

I received this e-book for free in exchange for an honest review. The Lost Passenger is the story of an English heiress who takes on the identity of another passenger in the wake of the sinking of the Titanic. Her motive was to escape the constraints of her life - and her son's life - in an aristocratic family in England. I found the premise of "identity theft" at a time before all of our modern documentation and technology interesting, although - without getting into spoilers - some aspects of the story in terms of her life in America just didn't seem believable to me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book, found it a fast read, and was able to root for the heroine as she reinvented herself.

I liked this story of a different take on the Titanic story and the reinvention of the main character after . It was a good read but I hate this cover it makes me not want to read the book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

Trapped in a loveless marriage to an English aristocrat, Elinor uses the sinking of the Titanic to totally change her life but then lives with the consequences. This story is well written with characters that you come to care for. It was an enjoyable read that I struggled to put down. I would highly recommend this book.

The Lost Passenger by Francis Quinn is one of those books that you know, from page one, will be a gift of reading pleasure. The story of Elinor Coombes, a smart and strong young woman trapped in a loveless marriage in aristocratic England, provides a vivid picture of of how stifling a marriage could be when one weds “above” their class. The details of this period in English history are sometimes hard to envision; the author describes repressed women in a society that expects them to look good, speak properly, have perfect table manners and always dress beautifully. Brains are not required but manipulative skills are a bonus. Ugh!

Elinor was smart and well-read/ She and her father had a wonderful relationship but she knew she would not inherit her father’s successful cotton mills. Never mind that she could manage the mills better than most men. She was a woman and, as her father told her, men would not work there with a woman in charge in the early 1900’s.

The back-story thickened when Elinor her father were invited to a society ball out of the blue and attended with the expectation of sharing a new experience together. Little did either of them realize at the time that the invite was a set up for her to meet and marry Frederick Coombes, the title and land rich aristocrat whose family needed the financial support Elinor’s father could provide. And, they needed the male heir that Elinor was able to give them to carry on the centuries old traditions of the Coombes clan.

I was stunned to read how children were “seen” but not “heard” in upper-class homes. How mothers like Elinor were allowed 20 minutes or so a day with their child, who was raised by a governess. How Elinor was forced to comply with her mother-in-laws demands and change who she was to fit in with society at their level. Oh my…this part of the book provides both devastating and riveting reading. The atrocities forced on her and Frederick’s duplicitous behavior led to their boarding the Titanic, as Elinor’s father purchased first class tickets for Elinor, Frederick, their son Teddy and staff for the sailing

I’ve read other stories of the Titanic but, thanks to Quinn’s superb writing skills, I felt I was on that ship as it started to sink. I felt Elinor’s terror and marveled at her determination to live. How she survived and made a life for herself and Teddy is what makes The Lost Passenger the incredible novel that it is. Telling Elinor’s story in the first person brings reality, raw emotion and joy to the forefront of an memorable historical novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an digital copy of The Lost Passenger.

This was a compelling historical novel, contrasting the “old world” and the “ new world.”
The narrative about theTitanic voyage was particularly interesting to me…… it personalized the drama and tragedy by personalizing it through the narrator’s experience.

Although there were predictable plot twists in the book, itvwas well-written, fast-paced and interesting from start to finish.

Just finished reading The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn and was sorry when it ended. I hope the author writes a sequel! The sinking of the Titanic is the catalyst of the book, however the events leading up to tragedy and our heroine's decision after the the sinking is what makes the story so enjoyable. The author makes you really care about all of the characters. and has enough drama to keep you reading to find out what happens next. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballentine books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In "The Lost Passenger," Frances Quinn weaves the story of a woman who, falling into a loveless marriage, takes a new path in life with the sinking of the Titanic. I admire the storyline Quinn unfurled throughout this book, and I enjoyed the characters, especially Anna (I wish we'd had more of her).

At the beginning of the book, I was mildly concerned that this story rang a little too familiar with the blockbuster movie, and while it did overlap in significant parts, it was the "after landing in New York" where I thought this story started to come into its own. I wish that the part in New York had been better developed and encompassed more of the book. I was really hoping to see Elinor use all that experience working for her dad, and for that to come through strongly in the second half.

Overall, a nice read, though I was left wanting a bit more from the characters and the story.

I love reading books by authors that I have not read before and being pleasantly surprised. This was definitely one of those books. The story kept me interested throughout the whole book. The characters were mostly believable. It was about the sailing of the Titanic- two survivors. It was about their journey to a new country and how they survived without any identification, without clothes, without money. It was a good book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy for my honest review.

This was an engaging read with distinct characters trying to make sense of the world they were born into, and to do what they could with it to have better lives. The first half of the book sets things up well, giving great understanding of society in those times and the severe restrictions on women as heirs, leaders, and mothers. About half way in, we get to the turning point in the story - when Elinor decides to take another woman's name in order to break free of the chains and carve out a new life for herself and her son in America.
It is in the second half of the book where things started to lose my interest. One subplot could have been left out entirely, and it seems like it was added to make the novel longer. Elinor's fear of being caught is played out over and over with no real life-changing consequences occurring, and Elinor's choice at the end doesn't really make sense when she seemed fairly wise up till then. If the buildup before the Titanic's trip had been shorter, Elinor's business-building story would have held my interest much more than a "she's afraid, oh it all worked out" subplot that was then repeated.
All in all, the writing and descriptions are good, and it is a book worth reading to get an accurate feel for the times.

“The Lost Passenger” by Frances Quinn is a gripping historical novel that intertwines themes of love, loss, and the search for identity. Set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, the story follows a young woman’s journey aboard a transatlantic ship, where secrets unravel and relationships are tested. Quinn’s vivid prose brings the era to life, immersing readers in the atmosphere and struggles of the time. The characters are well-developed, each grappling with their own dilemmas, which adds depth to the narrative. The book effectively explores the impact of societal norms on personal choices, making it both an engaging and thought-provoking read. Overall, it’s a beautifully crafted tale that will resonate with fans of historical fiction.

This is an interesting historical novel. The author tells a vivid story rich with detail. The authors writing keeps you on the edge of your seat, with twists and turns that make it impossible to put the book down. This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction. I wasn’t able to stop turning the pages until I reached the end

I am drawn to historical fiction and novels written around an event in history, this fit that category.
At first I thought that the beginning was slow going and a bit more background than was needed but continued on. I was so drawn into the story of Elinor becoming Molly.
Her life that she is trying to build was so uch fun following her and her courage and bravery to take risks. I was scared for her when Tommy was blackmailing her. Cheering when she confronted Lissy. I enjoyed the book very much

I absolutely loved this story. It was hard to put this book down. I am always intrigued by stories about the Titanic and that era. I would give this book 5 stars for the unique story it told.

This is riches to rags story. A woman goes from a life of luxury to a poor life to escape a family she married into and to protect her son. It is also about British class structure. Well written and entertaining.