A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to read The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn. This book had such a unique and intriguing premise, and I was hooked from the start.

Elinor is deeply unhappy with her life in England and sees the Titanic tragedy as an opportunity to reinvent herself. What follows is a fascinating and emotional journey of self-discovery and found family. The historical details are incredibly well done, making the story feel immersive and authentic.

I loved how the novel blended history with strong character development. Elinor’s story is both heartbreaking and hopeful, and the supporting characters add so much warmth and depth. The writing kept me turning the pages, and I didn’t want to put it down.

Overall, The Lost Passenger is a beautifully written, compelling read that I’d highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a strong emotional core. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished it.

This was not the normal subject of historical fiction I typically choose, so I was unsure about this book. However something about the title and description drew me in. I am so glad I tried it! Frances Quinn has a great way of reeling the reader in and making the them care deeply for Elinor. I felt myself constantly rooting for her throughout the book. Overall, a great pick and I will definitely be adding it to my personal library.

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love everything Titanic and I was thrilled to be able to read an ARC of THE LOST PASSENGER. Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for the #gifted ebook and this is my honest review.

Elinor Coombes dreamed of a marriage like the ones in the books she read. When she married an English Lord she soon learns he only married her for her father's wealth. Her aristocrat inlaws had many rules and Elinor felt lonely and unloved. When she gave birth to their son Teddy, she learned she was only to see him for an hour a day and he would be sent to boarding school when he was seven.

Elinor 's father sent her tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic. It was the perfect trip to get away from her inlaws and spend more time with her father and son. When the Titanic goes down, her husband and father perish. She sees this as the perfect opportunity to start a new life in America. Using the name of a maid who perished, Elinor and Teddy live with the maids family in New York. Elinor is always afraid her secret will be revealed. Elinor goes from riches to rags as she starts her new life.

I was so engrossed in Elinor's story. Very little of the story takes place on the Titanic. We see how immigrants came from Europe to make a better life in America and the big differences between the classes. Elinor hates deceiving her new family. They teach her to sew and in return she uses her skills she used working for her father's company to show them how to earn more money. This is a story of strength, resiliance, courage, and second chances. This is my first book I have read by Frances Quinn and I am looking forward to reading her next book.

The Lost Passenger follows Elinor Coombes, a young mother trapped in a loveless marriage, where her only role is to provide an heir. But even after giving birth to a healthy son, Teddy, she's barely allowed to see him - just 20 minutes a day while the nanny raises him. When her father gifts them tickets for the Titanic, she sees a rare chance to escape - a few weeks of freedom to finally spend time with her son without her in-laws and the nanny watching her every move.

But then tragedy strikes. The unsinkable ship meets its fate, and in the chaos of that disastrous night, Elinor and Teddy are the only survivors in her family. Rather than returning to a life of control and expectations, she fakes their deaths and starts fresh in NYC under a stolen identity.

A new name, a new life, a second chance - but secrets don't stay buried forever. When someone threatens to expose her, Elinor must decide; can she outrun her past, or will it catch up with her?

I really wanted to love this one - the premise had so much potential! While I enjoyed Elinor's growth in NYC, the drama surrounding her secret felt short-lived, and the pacing dragged, especially towards the end. It started off strong, but the more I read, the more I was ready to pick up something else. If you're looking for a quick historical fiction read, this might be for you, but for me, it was a 3-star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

A truly appealing story of young Elinor Coombes, who quickly realizes marrying above your station does not always end happily. Trapped in a marriage to an English aristocrat soon becomes a suffocating and constrained life that is nothing like Elinor imagines. After the birth of her son, she realizes that not only does she not have any control over her own life she also has no say in her son's life as well. Elinor's love for her son causes her to make a daring escape from their lives, as she fakes their death aboard the Titanic and steals another woman's identity in an attempt to regain control of her life.

Elinor's choice seems brave, but it is also tragic and selfish as she realizes she has to live with the knowledge of the impact her choices have on lives other that her own and that of her son.

I highly recommend this original, well-written book.

One of my historical moments to read about is the Titanic. I’m embarrassed to admit (but not so embarrassed that I won’t) that my reason is because of the hit late 90’s movie. In everything I read I can’t help but insert Jack and Rose into the story. That’s what drew me to this book and it’s why I found the book lacking.
Elinor Coombes is living a life most would trade their lives to live. Married to Frederick, the next Lord Stanton, she doesn’t have to worry about anything but planning the next party with her overbearing mother in law, but this is not the life Elinor wants. Having come from a family that valued her mind, living this “life of luxury” is anything but luxurious. After two years of marriage and discovering that her husband married her solely for her money and signed papers making his parents their toddler son’s, Teddy, guardians should anything happen to him, Elinor wishes she had a way out. She gets that chance when the ocean liner she, Frederick, Teddy, and her father was on hits an iceberg. Forced on to a lifeboat with Teddy, Elinor watches the ship sink and realizes she’s the sole survivor of her traveling party. On the Carpathia, she makes a snap decision to give the name of a third class passenger she befriended on the ship and when she gets to New York, she makes a new life for herself and Teddy as a new person. All is well until over a year later when someone from her old life spots her and threatens to put everything Elinor has worked so hard to accomplish into jeopardy.
I found the first 45% of this book to be dreadfully boring. So much of what is narrated about Elinor’s life is repeated ad nauseam and I found myself wanting to scream, “I know! I know! Enough already!” I considered putting it down but I really wanted to read about the Titanic.
Once we got to the main point of this, the book picked up and took it off. The last 25% of the book dragged a little bit, but nothing compared to the first part. I spent the majority of this wavering about whether I thought this deserved 2.5, 2.75, or 3 stars. In the end, I went with 3 because I really liked the ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for an advanced copy of this. The Lost Passenger hit the shelves on February 25th.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn is a historical fiction novel with a unique twist—it’s set against the backdrop of the Titanic. I’ve always been fascinated by the Titanic, even visiting a traveling exhibit about it, but I hadn’t read a book that centered around it.

The story begins in England, where Elinor, an avid reader, is swept off her feet when she meets the son of British aristocrats. He proposes, and she believes she’s finally living her dream. However, her happiness is short-lived as she discovers that her marriage is arranged solely for her father’s wealth, and there’s no love involved.

Elinor and her husband have a son, but she’s only allowed 20 minutes a day with him. When her father sends tickets for her and her husband to join him on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, she’s overjoyed. She sees this as an opportunity to escape her in-laws and spend quality time with her father and son.

Unfortunately, we all know how that voyage ended for the Titanic and its passengers. Elinor sees this as a chance to start fresh in America.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the characters in America and couldn’t help but root for Elinor from the beginning. It’s a true story of resilience and self-improvement. I read it quickly because I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my own reading experience.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn follows a young English woman who finds that her marriage is not what she expected. When she and her family sail on the Titanic, she finds her opportunity to take her young son and start over in New York City.

I enjoy historical fiction novels and while I enjoyed this novel, wished there had been more to the plot. I felt like parts moved slow and the end felt rushed.
Definitely worth a read as it has an interesting premise.

This is the story of a woman stuck in a loveless marriage, living with her in-laws who completely loathe her. When she and her son survive the sinking of the Titanic, she decides to take the opportunity to start a new life in New York under a different name rather than return to the miserable life waiting for her back in England. What will she do with this new lease on life? What if someone finds out? It’s a risk, but one she feels she must take.

I thought it was a good read. Unfortunately, during the first half of the book I had a hard time not picturing the movie Titanic and making comparisons to the storylines. It didn’t help that one of the side characters was named Rose. But putting that aside, I thought it flowed well and had good character development. I did prefer the New York half of the book better than the 1st half in England though. It just seemed a little slower at the beginning. I do recommend it though – I enjoyed it, and it definitely kept my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy of this book. As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.

Elinor is young and naive when she marries the dashing Mr. Coombes only to later realize he married her for her dowry and it is not the love story of her books. She is plunged into the English life and even when she has her son, Teddy, she is not allowed to see him but 20 minutes per day, he will be sent to boarding school at age 7 and if something happened to her husband, her dreadful parent in laws would be awarded custody of him. Her father offers to take them on the maiden voyage of the Titanic and she jumps at the chance to spend time with Teddy without the Nanny. When the fateful ship goes down in the ocean, she and Teddy survive but her husband and her father do not along with the new nanny they had hired on ship. She seizes the opportunity to escape the aristocracy, keep her son and take on the nanny's identity. She convinces the nanny's family in NY that she is their long lost cousin so that she can save money for a new life even if it means constantly looking over her shoulder and deceiving those that have become family. Loved this gripping novel of immense inner strength, resilience, and the boundless love of a mother.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

A intriguing historical drama about a young mother and her son starting a new life in New York.
It takes faking their deaths on the Titanic to achieve what the mother needs to go forward with their life.
A beautiful story about overcoming adversity and finding hope again.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was really good historical fiction. Elinor was so naive but a very strong woman. She gets tricked into marrying Frederick because his estate needed her father's money. She thought he loved her. His family talked down to her. Her father was a great business man and he taught Elinor about running a good business. Her in-laws wanted nothing to do with her suggestions. She was a lower class than her. She was just needed to provide a male heir to pass their estate to. She had to change the way she talked and change the way she lived to please her husband and in-laws and she did not like it. When her father said he had tickets to the maiden voyage of the Titanic she was so excited. Her maid Rose was afraid to go on the boat. She was superstitious and said she had a dream something bad was going to happen. A young woman named Molly heard the exchange between Elinor and Rose and offered to help Elinor with her young son Teddy. That is when the story takes off. We all know what happened on the Titanic. Elinor and Teddy survive but who else does and what happens after that. Find out how Elinor goes from "riches" to "rags" and how she survives. This well written historical novel went on sale 2/25/25. Pick up a copy. You will not be disappointed.
Thanks to #netgalley, #ballentinebooks and @franquinn21 for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was drawn to The Lost Passenger by its premise. The Titanic has fascinated me since I was young, so I am always looking for tales with a unique angle. The first half of the book tells of Elinor’s unhappy marriage. I got tired of Elinor’s ruminations of how she was duped into marriage, her misery, being unable to spend time with her child, and her domineering in-laws. I wanted to shake Elinor and give her a cold dose of reality. I can understand Elinor wanting to spend more time with child even though it was not appropriate for a woman of her station (you get to see your child for twenty to thirty minutes at teatime each day). The sinking of the Titanic was lackluster. I expected more considering it was such a tragic event. The author did not skimp on the descriptions of the Titanic, the house where Elinor lived with her in-laws, clothing, and so on. The second half of the book was slightly better than the first half. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. I did not feel that the author’s writing style/language matched the time period. The writing was modern with phrases from the time period thrown in. The pacing was slow (snails were zipping by me), which made the story feel long. I wanted to like The Lost Passenger, but I found it to be a predictable story with a dissatisfactory ending. I was happy when I finally turned the last page of The Lost Passenger.

💬The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn, published on February 25th, 2025, offers a vivid glimpse into early 1900s society, where class divides were stark, and wealth was shifting. As the working class rose to financial power, aristocratic families clung to their titles, often relying on advantageous marriages to maintain their status.

Elinor, the daughter of a self-made cotton magnate, has always been deeply involved in her father’s business. When she is swept into what seems like a fairytale marriage, she soon realizes it was all a façade. Her husband’s love is a mere transaction for her father’s fortune. Trapped in a world where she is neither respected nor truly accepted, she is expected to conform to upper-class ideals without question. But when life offers her a second chance, she refuses to let it slip away. For the sake of her son, Teddy, Elinor reclaims her own strength and identity by whatever means she can.💬

🛳 Reading this novel felt like experiencing Titanic from a different perspective, almost like Rose’s story in reverse. Elinor The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn offers a vivid glimpse into early 1900s society, where class divides were stark, and wealth was shifting. As the working class rose to financial power, aristocratic families clung to their titles, often relying on advantageous marriages to maintain their status.🛳

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine,for the opportunity to read this book.

I read a lot of historical fiction but nothing that surrounds the tragic sinking of the Titanic. What a ride, literally and figuratively. Elinor is married to a lordship's family where title and nobility are paramount but need money to maintain the lifestyle. Early on, Elinor learns that this marriage was not one of love but money and duty to be compliant and produce a male heir.
Elinor has a "head on her shoulders" as my grandmother would say. Given the custom of the day, women were not to show their intelligence or wile and relinquish their children to nannies and boarding schools. This does not sit well with Elinor.
Her father gifts a trip on the maiden voyage on the Titanic to her, her husband and their son. Through the ship's unfortunate event, Elinor reinvents herself in hopes of a life with her some and away from her husband and his family.
The book and the writing style kept me engaged. I look forward to another book by this author.

THIS BOOK! I have never read a historical fiction about the Titanic and now I only want to read about this topic. It hit SO many notes, there is SO much that happens but it never feels like too much. I put down another ARC that I wasted way too much time on to pick this up and have never been happier to move to a different pace book. This was such an absolute delight. It just came out so run to go get it!

'The Lost Passenger' by Frances Quinn is at it's heart a book about motherhood and womanhood. Quinn utilizes the British peerage system, the Titanic, and the immigrant experience to explore these experiences from the point of view of Elinor Combes. Elinor is challenged in each of these settings to adapt and fight the limitations placed on her by her station and sex.

Though this book had a slower start for me, I was completely invested in Elinor's story by the time Elinor boarded the Titanic. I had a visceral reaction to her relationship with her son, and rooted for her success with every turn of the page. I would recommend this to any of my friends who enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you to Frances Quinn and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I do usually appreciate historical fiction, I’ve never had one suck me in this quickly! The Titanic storyline sold me on the read, but it definitely builds up to that point. If you’re reading for a Titanic experience, you will have to wait a bit for it to happen. That subject is only a small part of Elinor’s story, and the book is better for it.

I enjoyed the “riches to rags” aspect- a woman with money but not much else (aside from a close relationship with a father who adores her), surviving a disaster to start fresh with a new name and working hard to build a new life in New York. An immigrant story that feels like a good reminder at this point in history.
I think it is a fresh take with a woman taking a risk and building a future for herself and her son, without having a fairy tale romance rounding out the ending.

Thanks to Frances Quinn, Ballantine and Random House Publishing for the advance readers copy!

THE LOST PASSENGER by Frances Quinn

I haven’t read many novels that center around the Titanic tragedy, but I was immediately hooked and stayed up late to finish.

With steady pacing, descriptive prose, and a variety of despicable and endearing characters this was an engaging read. Elinor’s resilience and courage was evident throughout the story. While I didn’t agree with what she did and how long it went on, the sweet ending made up for it.

In short, this is about perseverance and courage, found family and community, sacrifice and love. Recommend if you love historical fiction and are looking for an immersive read.


Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Pub Date: 02.25.25

**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & RandomHouse/Ballentine Books

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn was an outstanding twist on the story of the Titanic. I quickly found myself caught up in the tale of Elinor, a woman who desperately desires to be a mother to her young son amid societal pressures that chafe at her very being. And when she is given the unexpected chance to trade places with another woman, she seizes the opportunity to become the mother she longs to be even though she faces the risk of a lifetime in doing so.
My mother heart devoured this story. Full of emotion and suspense, my entire being was caught up this novel. Perfectly timed tension and charged prose ensured this book embedded itself in my mind. I could not have asked for more!
I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.