Linda M

Thank you to BookBrowse and NetGalley for sending me an arc copy of The Last Tiara in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of historical fiction and was looking forward with great anticipation to reading The Last Tiara. Since I am not well versed in Russian history or the Romanov family, I expected it to be somewhat eduational as well. Unfortunately, it was not.

Written in two time lines and locations, Isobelle in late 1940's America and her mother, Sofyia in 1920's Russia, adds some interest to the plot but also contributes to confusion. There was a great deal of background information to be shared which seemed very random. I almost thought I should be taking notes so I wouldn't forget where and when things were happening. While it was interesting to read about Sofyia's early life in the palace with the Romanov daughters and her work in the hospital, it did not add intrigue to the story. Everything seemed very predictable, there was no intrigue. Isobelle's work at Oak Ridge, how she became an architect and landed in New York City, while interesting to a point, did not seems to move the plot along either. The characters seems "shallow" and not very well developed. All in all, the story was very "cut and dried" and did not live up to my expectations.