The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull

Disclaimer: I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

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Never judging a book by its cover never meant more to me than with this book. Please read on to find out why. 

Book Description

This sweeping novel takes readers behind palace walls to see the end of Imperial Russia through the eyes of Olga Nikolaevna Romanov, the first daughter of the last tsar

Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for her and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother’s ill health, their brother Alexei’s secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the tsarina has come to rely. Olga’s only escape from the seclusion of Alexander Palace comes from the grand tea parties her aunt hosts amid the shadow court of Saint Petersburg--a world of opulent ballrooms, scandalous flirtation, and whispered conversation.

But as war approaches, the palaces of Russia are transformed. Olga and her sisters trade their gowns for nursing habits, assisting in surgeries and tending to the wounded bodies and minds of Russia’s military officers. As troubling rumors about her parents trickle in from the front, Olga dares to hope that a budding romance might survive whatever the future may hold. But when tensions run high and supplies run low, the controversy over Rasputin grows into fiery protest, and calls for revolution threaten to end three hundred years of Romanov rule.

At turns glittering and harrowing, The Last Grand Duchess is a story about dynasty, duty, and love, but above all, it’s the story of a family who would choose devotion to each other over everything--including their lives.

About Bryn Turnbull

Bryn Turnbull is a writer of historical fiction. Equipped with a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of St. Andrews, a Master of Professional Communication from Ryerson University and a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from McGill University, Bryn focuses on finding stories of women lost within the cracks of the historical record. She lives in Toronto. The Woman Before Wallis is her first novel.

My Thoughts

I must admit when I first read the cover of this book I was excited to read it. I love anything historical. I immediately realize upon starting this book that the author did an exquisite job of doing her research. 

That said I found myself going in waves of being really into the book but then having moments of complete boredom. I am not sure if it was all the detail put into the book or what but I found myself lost at moments.

Overall I totally appreciated the amount of work and research the author did to bring this book to life and found it fit the genre well. Though I had moments I wasn't completely into it I did enjoy the book overall.

It was a beautiful story of coming of age in a time when things were scary. Along with being part of such a tragic family that we have all learned about at some point in our studies of history. 

Maybe not quite a 5 star read for me but close and definitely one I could revisit at some point.