The Last Tiara Kindle Edition

Haven’t read a book in a long time that made me want to finish it and also made me sad that I was coming to the end. Enjoyed it so much.

This was a new type of story for me, taking place during an historical period of which I know very little. I was fascinated as it unfolded. A beautiful, yet tragic love story.

I love historical fiction and I felt my interest piqued by the tiara, all of the jewels and art work that were pilfered from the Russian aristocracy (and war time in general), and certainly the links to the Romanovs and the Bolsheviks and what I recall from history. Overall, that portion of the book was quite interesting. BUT - the love scenes were painful and written in such a way that it was disappointing. They felt like a teenaged girl wrote them, trying to figure out romance, and what she would THINK and a romantic relationship might feel like and quite frankly, what sex would be like. It was so forced, so silly, and so ridiculous that it really annoyed me. Here is the deal. For me - I do NOT need a stilted sex scene nor anything that feels forced or even pornographic in order to enjoy a book. I think once you are a grown woman, you really do understand what goes down in a sex / lovemaking scene, and you really don't need anyone to ruin it with their own thoughts and details. LOL. JMHO. This content literally lost the story two stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, losing much needed sleep to finish it. Got the characters confused at times but still kept my interest. I was not totally surprised about who the villain was. Would recommend for those who like a mystery with great descriptive scenes and a bit if romance.

Thoroughly enjoyed this light reading. Characters and storyline are well developed. Loved the historical angle. Will look for more from this author.

The novel is set in the Russian Revolution and the present day. The connections between the two are made in such a way that the reader will find this novel difficult to put down.

Author M.J. Rose takes the reader down two paths at once in this historical fiction, allowing two female protagonists to each tell us their story.“The Last Tiara” was my first M.J. Rose novel, and I found it to be a very polished tale told by the two women, each contributing their part in a story that takes decades to fully evolve.Sofiya’s tale begins in Russia in 1917. She is returning to the Winter Palace, once home to the Tsar and now a hospital for wounded Russian soldiers. Sofiya is joined by the Tsar’s daughters, childhood friends due to her mother being a private tutor for the princesses.Isobelle is Sofiya’s daughter and lives in America. Her story begins in the 1940s. Isobelle is an architect, a woman struggling to find her place in what is predominantly a man’s world. Her mother has passed, and Isobelle decides to renovate the home which is now hers. Behind the wallpaper she discovers a box with a tiara inside. Thus begins the mystery.Sofiya did not share much information with her daughter, not about the tiara and very little about Isobelle’s father. Isobelle has little choice but to pursue the few clues she has, which could easily lead to dead ends. Both women have a love interest, allowing the author to inject a romantic element into the story. There is enough romance to satisfy those who enjoy that as part of a story, but not enough to chase away someone like myself who usually steers clear of romance novels. The two stories had enough excitement to keep my interest through the entire book.Ms. Rose has based the premise of her book on fact, lending an air of reality to the story. The novel addresses some of the issues of the day and how they affect the characters. I found the tale to be woven with care, tightly knit and never allowing any of the dangling threads to go unanswered. Highly recommended. Five stars.

A fascinating story with so many twists and turns it will leave you dizzy. Loved jumping back and forth between the mother's story and the daughter's. Also A fascinating look into Russian history during the Bolshevik Revolution and Faberge'

Wonderful with a surprising end! Takes you back in time to revolutionary Russia. What an intriguing story… highly recommended read