I’m so glad I got a chance to read this book! The premise of the story was quite fascinating. Makes you wonder if anyone actually faked their own death on the titanic! There were parts of the story that went on too long and some that weren’t long enough. Same with the background of the characters. The ending also felt kind of rushed and a little anticlimactic. I still give it 4 stars though.

I received this ARC and I'm so glad I did.

The Lost Passenger was a gripping historical fiction about one of my favorite subjects the Titantic. Elinor is a main character that's written so well, you're happy when she is, your sad with her in that room, and you're so proud of her when she makes a choice during the passenger check in after the sinking that changes her life. Elinor's story starts with her life in England, she's from a privileged family and think she's fallen in love. With marriage she learns there's much more happening behind the scenes of her new husband. Truly this section of the book was written with such strong characters, that I really hated Fredricks' family as much as Elinor grew too. I think this is what Frances Quinn hoped to leave the reader with. Because of this I was cheering for Elinor in the second half of her story.

I felt like the cover didn't do this book justice, it looks like it's going to be your standard historical fiction romance novel and it's so so much more.

I wanted to spend more time in Elinor / Molly's world and I was actually very sad for this book to end. I don't usually find historical fiction books are gripping, but I really found with this novel, I just couldn't put it down.

I'd recommend this to any fiction lover, and my book clubs. I still am in shock that this is a debut novel and I can't wait to see what's next from Frances!

I see you, Frances Quinn. I see what incredible writing you do. This was my first book from you and it won't be the last. I don't usually read books from this time period but I was intrigued by the Titanic aspect and the storyline. And it delivered. Thank you for letting me immerse myself in the life of Elinor and Teddy. I loved them just as much as I loved her new "family". I look forward to reading your other two books. And any other books you write in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Frances Quinn for an advanced e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found this to be a fascinating account of the side of many stories we don't normally see or think about - as people make difficult choices and deal with those decisions for the rest of their lives, while also yearning and wondering what would have been.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Lost Passenger" and all opinions expressed are my own. I do enjoy reading historical fiction. Sometimes the book gives too many facts and it becomes less of a story. This book did not do that at all. It was really interesting. It was well written and I did like it. Of course, you always learn something when reading these types of books. A survivor story set in both New York and England. Overall very good!

I really enjoyed The Lost Passenger. Like many Americans, I am fascinated with the story of the Titannic and its doomed voyage and I found Quinn's re-telling to be true to fact.
Elinor is the only child of a widowed, well-to-do English factory owner. Father and daughter are very close, and he has raised Elinor to know enough about his business so that she is a very astute and capable businesswoman. Unfortunately for Elinor, that's not what wealthy, titled Englishmen are looking for in a marriage partner. She and her Father attend their first big society ball, and she almost immediately meets, and is swept off her feet by Frederick, a titled first son of an Earl. Both Elinor and her father are too naive to know that this is not a love match, but a means to an end, so Frederick can replenish the empty family coffers.
By the time Elinor realizes what she has done, she is married and almost cut off from her father by her imperious in-laws who are intent are re-making her to be a leader of society, not a loving and doting wife and mother. Plus, Frederick, unlike the plots of the many romance novels Elinor is so fond of, is not even in love with her.
Elinor's father gives the couple (and their toddler son, Teddy) the gift of round-trip tickets to New York on the maiden voyage of the Titannic, on which he will accompany them. At the very last minute, Elinor's long-time maid is too terrified of the large ship to board and Elinor is forced to hire a capable and enterprising young woman who was planning to travel steerage to America. Molly will double as both a ladies maid and a nanny for Teddy, on the trip.
Of course, you know what happens next... but how does Elinor use this disaster as a means to escape her unhappy marriage and raise her son the way she wants?
The Lost Passenger is well written and the story, particularly once they embark in New York, is very inventive. My only criticism of the was what seemed to me to be an abrupt ending., but maybe I was enjoying the book so much I was hoping for more story before it was over. If you like historical fiction, you will surely find a good read in The Lost Passenger.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn is set in the early 20th century,first in England and then in New York City. Elinor is the only daughter of a self-made millionaire father who has cotton mills in England. She marries into the Coombes family, a family of royalty of sorts who have had their estate passed downs through many generations, ie old money. Though Elinor married for love she soon realizes that her husband Frederick did not and alas life is not as rosey as she thought it would be and dreams of a way out. Her father buys them tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic and she, her husband and son, father and maid all make the journey. After the ship goes down, Elinor realizes she has a choice to restart life in New York with her son Teddy. This second half of the book shows her making her own way in the city starting from nothing and learning how to survive and thrive.
Though I do not believe this is marketed as a YA book, this would be a great book for a young adult to learn more about the early 20th century life. The Titanic section is rather short,most likely because it is so well known and this was not a historical fiction novel about the Titanic really, but a young reader could learn some history from it. Rather, this was a historical fiction with themes of self-reliance,being brave and believing in yourself, all good messages, but I felt it was too simply written for me to get fully invested in it. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballentine Books for my ARC.

I love anything and everything that involves Titanic in any capacity... and this did not disappoint.
This is more of a survivor kind of story and written in such a way that I felt like I could have been a fly on the wall right there watching it. Elinor, who had to endure so much, was forced to be something and then saw a chance to become someone else to protect her and her child. Lies and truths, found family, titanic... strong FMC. I highly recommend this for everyone!

When Elinor survives the Titanic, she takes advantage of the opportunity to create a new life for herself and her son. The author does a good job of showing what life is like for women during this time period -- whether in England or America -- and how traumatic the sinking was for survivors.

Overall it was a good story. I felt the ending was rushed and could have answered a few more questions that were left.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars, rounding up)

The Lost Passenger dives into an immersive historical world where fate, resilience, and reinvention collide in the wake of disaster. Frances Quinn brings Elinor Coombes' story to life with a unique twist: faking her death on the Titanic to escape an oppressive aristocratic marriage, she seizes the chance to start over in New York with her son. What follows is a dramatic journey from the ruins of wealth to survival in a brand-new world as Elinor adapts to life as someone completely new.

While the pacing at times felt slow in the second half, Quinn offers a richly developed New York setting that resonates with hope and hardship alike. I would’ve loved a token Jack/Rose romance, but Quinn makes up for it with a thoughtful exploration of personal freedom and maternal devotion. Elinor’s struggle to balance survival with her love for her son is both heartbreaking and inspiring, and while this isn’t a fairytale, it does offer a satisfying conclusion on its own terms.

For fans of historical fiction that blends high stakes with introspection, The Lost Passenger is a compelling read that captures the courage it takes to forge a new life from ashes.

I had never read
a book by this author. I was gifted this ebook by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I have always been fascinated by the Titanic. This book was very interesting in that a passenger took the identity of her maid in order not to have to return to her husband's family. It is a fast and entertaining novel if you like historical fiction.

The Lost Passenger is set in the early 1900's and involves the only child of a wealthy widowed cotton manufacturer. Elinor is the apple of her father's eye, but despite his wealth, they have been shunned by upperclass society until one day they receive an invitation in the mail from a neighbor inviting them to her ball. Elinor and her father excitedly accept and just when Elinor thinks she's going to have to hide in the shadows all evening, another guest named Frederick Coombes introduces himself and the two seem to hit it right off. Even Elinor's father is enamored of Frederick.

Frederick soon starts courting Elinor who, at 19, although intelligent, is very naive. Before long, the two are engaged and it is only upon overhearing a conversation at her wedding reception, that Elinor discovers she and her father have been completely manipulated and that Frederick only married her for her father's money which is needed to keep the Coombes family estate from crumbling. Elinor is too devastated to confide in her father and endures horrible criticism and coldness from her in-laws with whom she and Frederick live. Producing an heir does not improve matters as Elinor is not allowed to raise her own son and can only see him for an hour a day.

When a long-promised trip on the Titanic comes, courtesy of Elinor's father, Elinor eagerly looks forward to being apart from her in-laws and to spending time with her father and her son, Teddy.

Of course, we all know the fate of the Titanic, so you'll have to read the book to see what happens next.

I very much enjoyed this novel because I liked Elinor. She was kind of a Princess Diana-type character: very naive, initially, to the manipulations of others, but not unintelligent. And she was willing to do anything for the sake of her son.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC ebook edition of this book.

Overall I enjoyed The Lost Passenger. I didn't learn anything about the Titanic or NY in the 19-teens, but it was a good story. My main negative was the anxiety of the main character. I'm sure if I'd been in her position, I'd have felt the same way, but reading it was annoying. I'd also have cut out some of the time in England prior to the Titanic. I didn't feel it was necessary to the story. I appreciated the main character's willingness to put her child first, learn new tasks, work hard, and sacrifice for his happiness. It was well written, grammatically correct, and I didn't find any plot holes. I recommend The Lost Passenger to anyone who enjoys Titanic fiction, American/British early 20th century historical fiction, fiction about class differences, and readers who just appreciate good fiction.

Another Titanic novel set in that time period. Rich socialite, spoiled daughter of the "Cotton King' and neglected but tortured wife of Frederick Coombs--who married her for her wealth and to father a son to carry on tradition of Lord of the Manor. Two years into a loveless marriage Elinor's father has booked passage to America with Elinor, Frederick & Teddy & Elinors maid Rose. Rose, at the last minute has a dreadful premonition and refuses to board thus leaving way for a 3rd class passenger Molly to take Rose's place. Well, history tells the rest of the story and with Elinor & Teddy surviving, she takes the deceased maid Mollys name to excape her dreadful marriage and begin anew in New York. A nicely written story with a lot of trusting people and a few "hard to believe" run-ins cause Molly (Elinor) to question her truth.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

“The Lost Passenger” by Frances Quinn was a pleasant surprise. Elinor is the daughter of a wealthy cotton manufacturer and gets married into a pedigreed, yet poor and unfeeling family. Elinor believes the marriage is for love but soon comes to realize it was only for her father’s money to maintain the lifestyle.

Trapped in a loveless marriage they soon have a son Teddy who will become the eventual heir and the Earl of Winterton.

Elinor’s father then gifts her tickets on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Only Elinor and her son survive and she takes this as an opportunity to keep her son and raise him without the grandparents interfering by faking their deaths too.

Overall, it was an interesting and thought-provoking novel that captivates from start to finish.

This is a book that follows Elinor as she marries Fredrick and realizes that her life she thought she would have is much different. The "arranged" marriage was more for Fredrick's benefit and Elinor soon discovers that she has no say or control over anything in her life. When her father buys them tickets for the Titanic, she is excited to get away from her husband's controlling family. When the Titanic sinks and she and her young son are the only survivors of her family, she makes the decision to start a new life in New York away from her husband's controlling family.

I liked this book. It had a lot of promise and I thought it would be a 5 star book, but here are my reasons that kept it from being a 5 star:
1. Time jumps seemed unnecessary. I would have liked to see what happened in the jumps instead of being briefly told.
2. More time on the Titanic would have been nice. It seemed they boarded and then suddenly it sank.
3. The ending was very rushed with the discovery of her true identity.
4. I would have liked to see more relationship with Elinor and another character (would be a spoiler if I said who)

But this is still a very good book that I would recommend for those that like historical fiction.
4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy of The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn

The surprising thing about this story is the resilience of its lead character Elinor Coomes. Even after she’s thrust into a world where duty trumps emotion. The duty her titled husband undertakes to seduce, and marry just to maintain the title that has survived seven generations through the male line only. Learning her fathered money made everything possible for this family to endure never kept her from trying to fit in and do as she was expected. The birth of her son was the true reveal for Elinor. Learning of the expectations of one so young was like a seed that rubs up against the tree refusing to die. A fateful trip on the Titanic gives Elinor the push to do the boldest most exquisite thing a character has done in a lot of reads. The last few pages are with the price of purchase.Happy reading

I just love reading books about The Titanic. I was given the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy from Random House
It was a joy to read, a real page turner. This is the story of Elinor Coombes who had everything except a happy marriage. Elinor’s father always planned to embark on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. He presented Elinor with tickets for her family and her maid. She was thrilled on the idea of traveling on this ship with her husband and young son. As they approached the pier, Elinor’s maid had second thoughts about going on the voyage and cancelled. A young girl named Molly overheard the conversation and inquired to Elinor about taking the place of her maid. Elinor accepted. Molly was going to New York to stay with family that she never met. She hoped for a better life in New York.
As the Titanic goes down, Molly never makes it to the lifeboat that Elinor and her son Teddy are on. Elinor never sees her husband or father again. Elinor realizes that she has an opportunity to be become some else and stay in New York, never to return to England. She finds Molly’s family and claims that she is Molly.
This is a compelling story about a young woman who tries to turn her life around for a better life for her son, but she must live a lie.
A very well written engaging story. Will not disappoint.
Thank you to Megan Whalen and Random House and NetGalley for the invitation to read this advanced readers copy.

England - Elinor, the daughter of a rich working class father, married into a landed family. Then, a dream voyage on the Titanic. So why does Elinor choose to make a new life in New York City as a penniless immigrant? Read this wonderful book to learn all.