I DEVOURED this book!! I wasn't really sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this! I love a good historical fiction and this is one of the best ones I've read in a while! Just sooooooo good! Make sure to read this when it's published February 25th!! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!!

I've read quite a few fiction books that were themed around The Titanic, so I was naturally drawn to this book. I hadn't read anything by Frances Quinn before, but I will be searching the back catalog after thoroughly enjoying this read.

Elinor was a likeable main character, and although I worked out what she was planning to do after Titanic sunk, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the storyline. Lots of strong characters alongside the historical details make this an engaging read. 5 stars ! I received an advance copy via NetGalley but this didn't influence my rating.

I love novels about the Titanic, I read them all! I especially enjoyed this one with a very different perspective. It’s the story of Elinore, a daughter of wealth who had been duped into a loveless marriage by a family seeking her father’s fortune. Her life was one of daily torture by her husband and his cruel family. Their threats, both implicit and explicit had separated her from her own child.

Her father takes the family on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. During the chaos of the Titanic sinking, Elinore seizes the tragedy to escape her life. She leaves her status behind and becomes a new person, using the identity of her own drowned maid. She is sheltered by Molly’s unknowing family.

This new life is in Manhattan’s teeming Lower Eastside. Elinore, for all her past privilege, adapts to this life as Molly Mortimer. She manages to pull herself and her son into a totally different world. As a reader, I enjoyed the way the author pulled the reader into life in the pre-WWI world.

So, within this novel is the story of the sinking of the Titanic coupled with the social history of the immigrant filled Lower Eastside. I can recommend this book to those of us who enjoy historical fiction, especially about this iconic journey.


Thank you Netgalley for this charming little novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced e-copy of The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn. This historical fiction is based during the time of the Titanic, before, during and after. Elinor Coombes finds herself in a situation that encourages her to take on another identity after surviving the sinking of the Titanic. I never really thought how that faithful night had changed the lives of the survivors. This book really helps a person to understand this aspect of the sinking of this great ship. Elinor learned a lot about her life with wealth and without. Family is not always who is related to you. A very enjoyable read.

Great read! Nicely paced and packed with plot. Quinn is great at world building, knowing when greater detail was needed, but not over loading details just to fill the page. Loved when the story moved to New York; I could see the crowded apartments, busy market street, Coney Island, etc. All the characters were well built, easily evoking my emotions for them all. I respect that the author didn’t shy away from the survivors long term trauma of the sinking Titanic, but also encouraging their second chance at life.
Just overall, a very enjoyable book! I was new to Francis Quinn, but I will definitely be reading her other books.
Thanks for the book and the new author!

I am a sucker for anything Titanic related, and this did not disappoint. I loved the beginning of the book, it really set the stage for Elinor's actions. I felt i got to know the characters well and was rooting for her the entire book

Anything Titanic-themed? Count me in, and this novel exceeded my expectations! This beautifully crafted historical fiction brought to life the resilience and courage of its main character, whose journey to independence was both inspiring and heart-wrenching. Set against the backdrop of the Titanic disaster, it vividly portrays the challenges faced by women of the era, reminding readers that wealth doesn’t equate to happiness or freedom. The tension, survival, and unwavering will to persevere kept me gripped to the very end. A must-read for any historical fiction fan looking for a fresh perspective on this iconic tragedy.

I have read several books based on the sinking of the Titanic but this is definitely one of the best. The main character starts out as a young naive girl but grows into a strong self sufficient woman. Due to a confining situation after marriage to an Earl's son she decided to take on a different identity after the sinking of the Titanic and stay in NewYork and make a life for herself and her son instead of returning to England. Her husband went down with the ship so had she went back to England her son would've been brought up by her in-laws in a way she didn't approve of. Her life in New York was difficult but turned out for the best.
Thanks to the author and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this really good book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Elinor grew up sheltered and trapped in a fictional fairytale world. She had no mother to guide her and teach her the ways of the world. Her father, the "Cotton King," taught her about the business world, but this didn't do her much good, as a woman in her time and culture wasn't taken seriously in business anyway. She ended up married to a cash-poor earl's son who needed her daddy's millions to keep his money pit of a crumbling castle standing. Her husband didn't really love her, wasn't faithful, her in-laws were dreadful, she was kept away from her beloved father (who financed the whole thing), and she barely got any time to spend with her son. So, when the Titanic sank and she was presumed dead, I really couldn't blame her for taking the opportunity to start a new life in New York.

Elinor assumes the identity of lady's maid Molly, and tells a series of whoppers in order to live and work with Molly's relatives in New York. For a while, she gets away with it, but she's always looking over her shoulder and wondering if she will eventually be trapped by her web of lies.

I loved the character development in this book, the creation of atmosphere in the time and place, the relationships, and the tension. I recommend this book to fans of Downton Abbey, and fans of other period and class dramas.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Last Passenger involves a young woman – Elinor, who grew up in England. Her father owned a successful business that she would love to take over someday but because she’s not a male, that’s not possible. She begins to attend balls in hopes of attracting a beau and when she finally does and marries him, she finds out that the family just wanted her for her father’s money to shore up their estate that’s been in the family for years and for her to produce an heir. The husband doesn’t love her and makes no qualms about it.

Her father had promised her that when the Titanic was completed, the family would take the first voyage on it. Of course, we all know the story of the Titanic sinking. Elinor and her son survive. She decides to take on her maid’s name – Molly and go live with Molly’s family so that she can raise her son in peace and not go back to England and live with her horrible in-laws. Because Molly’s family had never met Molly, she was able to assume her identify.

I felt like I had read the story in another book or maybe I read too many books with the same plot line. In any case, it’s a lovely story and worth reading.

3.5 stars 🌟 This historical fiction novel set in the era of the Titanic gives Downton Abbey and Jane Austen vibes. Elinor comes from a wealthy family and marries into English nobility. She realizes on her wedding day that this was strictly for the financial gain of her husband's family. Trapped in a loveless marriage with a controlling family, Elinor's family gets invited by her father to travel first class on the Titanic. We know what happens to the Titanic. She uses the tragedy to claim a new life for herself in America. This is a story that not only gives insight into what it means to be a survivor but of resilience and the courage to create your own life story. It sheds light on class and that wealth doesn't always equate to happiness. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the pacing is slow at times and somewhat repetitive in the middle.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Frances Quinn for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked the writing and the story. I think there is more depth with the characters than I was expecting but I loved how I could connect to them.

Elinor is true example of what it means to survive. How to survive in a marriage of convenience, how to survive the Titanic sinking and losing it all, How to come out of the wreckage and make a new life for her and her son. I think Elinor's story really shows how life has seasons and surviving those lows, make the best parts come to fruition.

It's a poignant story about different levels of tragedy and how to live through it. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC.

This book was really engaging. I loved the backstory of the relationship between the couple. I also loved the fierceness of the main character and watching her grow from an impressionable naive girl to a very resourceful and indecent woman.

I also loved the theme of caring for others even if the are not family. It was aiso quite fitting that the huge department store was the end result of the main character’s journey.

Elinor sees an opportunity to start a new life when the Titanic sinks and she survives. Leaving a controlling aristocratic family behind, she creates a new life for herself and her son in New York. Secrets abound. A good story. I’m always drawn to books about the Titanic.

Frances Quinn skillfully creates a micro world in lower New York that exists in the shadow of the Titanic disaster of 1912, yet is not fully defined by it. It is difficult to achieve a successful novel that contains the sinking of the Titanic without making it a cliche, but Quinn has done so. The historic details of New York in this period are meticulously presented and immerse the reader fully into the new world of the woman at irs center, the lost passenger.

I thought this was a truly amazing book. There were so many strong characters. The author gave me an actual dislike for ‘the bad guys’ and pride for ‘the good guys’. There are so many Titanic themed books but I think this one will stand out to me for quite a while. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this and provide my honest opinion

It’s a great story of survival and learning to cope with some of life’s most difficult circumstances. It’s also a story of how a woman reclaims her power and sense of self.

Thank you to Netgalley and Frances Quinn for the chance to review this ARC copy. This historical novel, set before, during, and after the sinking of the Titanic was a gripping read. A tale of a mother who has to make impossible choices, this book had me on the edge of my seat. The characters and plot were well-written, historical facts were well provided, and it was an interesting point of view on a different take on this story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I very much enjoyed this book, even though it felt like the storylines from before and after the sinking made it feel like two entirely different books. I thought the characters were well fleshed out and found myself really rooting for Elinor. It painted a vivid picture of life on the Lower East Side in the early 1900's. My main criticism is that the ending was far too neat. While I wanted a happy ending for Elinor, it just didn't seem plausible that everything fell into place the way it did and that all obstacles she faced were so quickly resolved.

I loved everything about this book. The beginning was all English society. Women treated like pawns in the marriage game. It’s really sad to think how women were looked at back then. They could not have a say in anything. If they wanted something “unusual” they were deemed ill. Based off some other reviews I read, some people thought the beginning of Elinor’s backstory was too long and drawn out but I disagree. I liked all of the background story before they got onto the Titanic. Without it, Elinor’s choices further into the book wouldn’t make as much sense.
I loved the part of the book when they were on the ship. I wish that part was explained more and a bit longer because I love Titanic stories. Even so, it was written very well. Such a timeless tragedy. The author really made me imagine what it would have been like to be in Elinor’s position the night the ship went down.
When she got off the ship it was a great story about a woman seeing an opportunity to change her life for her and her son. A beautiful story about a woman seeking independence after a tragedy and life in a bubble.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this advanced copy.