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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Thank you, BiblioLifestyle and William Morrow for the gifted copy of Coronation Year! All opinions in this review are my own!
Edie inherited the Blue Lion hotel after the death of parents and she is struggling to make ends meet. Fortunately, the Blue Lion is on the coronation route and she is finally starting to get reservations again! However, when anonymous threats are sent to Scotland Yard and are linked to the Blue Lion, this exciting day for Edie may now end in disaster! Along with the painter James and the photographer Stella, Edie must discover the truth before the big day.
Despite being called Coronation Year, this novel has very little to do with royalty and I loved it! While Coronation Day is important, the majority of this novel takes place before it. I preferred reading about Edie, James, and Stella leading up to this historic day. The anonymous threats added an additional level of mysteriousness to the plot!
Edie inherited the Blue Lion hotel after the death of parents and she is struggling to make ends meet. Fortunately, the Blue Lion is on the coronation route and she is finally starting to get reservations again! However, when anonymous threats are sent to Scotland Yard and are linked to the Blue Lion, this exciting day for Edie may now end in disaster! Along with the painter James and the photographer Stella, Edie must discover the truth before the big day.
Despite being called Coronation Year, this novel has very little to do with royalty and I loved it! While Coronation Day is important, the majority of this novel takes place before it. I preferred reading about Edie, James, and Stella leading up to this historic day. The anonymous threats added an additional level of mysteriousness to the plot!
I requested this on first sight, after really enjoying “The Gown” by Ms. Robson, and the opportunity to read an early copy of this terrific follow up novel (thank you so much, WMP!) was greatly appreciated and enjoyed.
The story here is a full in jump back to 1953, told in three concurrent parts, and I loved the intimate peek at everyday people who are living through history (living right now (February 2023) in a newly post-pandemic time, mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II while still being excited about Charles's coronation, this novel is particularly timely).
Historical events amidst the lives of the people secondarily involved is something that the author writes well and this new novel, with its mystery and romance mixed in with the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II was engaging and kept me reading. I completely enjoyed this one.
If you're reading this after reading The Gown, you'll be pleased to see some familiar characters.
Recommended.
Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC!
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When this novel was conceived there was no notion that 2023 would, in fact be, a coronation year. It therefore seems fitting that a book with such a title to be published now.
Robson does a masterful job of weaving characters from her other novels, the Gown and Our Darkest Night (a la Taylor Jenkins Reid) into this story about a London hotel and the people who inhabit it.
The story has something for everyone: Intrigue, mystery, royalty, relationships, love. Some of the characters must also deal with hate and racism and the aftermath of the War, which was still being felt at that time.
A solid story that I enjoyed very much.
I’m having trouble finding words to express how much I enjoyed this one !
I absolutely adored The Coronation Year.
Jennifer did a wonderful job of weaving historical facts and fiction together with a touch of romance and mystery! All those combine to give us a story that is both insightful and informative.
Edie, James and Stella's lives all intersect at The Blue Lion. Each chapter focuses on a different POV;
Edie, desperately trying to save her birth rite; The Blue Lion, which lies on the coronation path
Jame, a WWII bomb specialist trying to get his life back together via his paintings
Stella, a photographer who has lost everyone she loves in the Concentration Camps
Jennifer weaves their lives together, along with many minor characters, to give us a truly wonderful look into the everyday lives of "the common people" and how their lives change over the course of the year.
I absolutely adored The Coronation Year.
Jennifer did a wonderful job of weaving historical facts and fiction together with a touch of romance and mystery! All those combine to give us a story that is both insightful and informative.
Edie, James and Stella's lives all intersect at The Blue Lion. Each chapter focuses on a different POV;
Edie, desperately trying to save her birth rite; The Blue Lion, which lies on the coronation path
Jame, a WWII bomb specialist trying to get his life back together via his paintings
Stella, a photographer who has lost everyone she loves in the Concentration Camps
Jennifer weaves their lives together, along with many minor characters, to give us a truly wonderful look into the everyday lives of "the common people" and how their lives change over the course of the year.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Robson is a talented author, and I love how she was able to build three independent stories and weave them together around the Coronation. I adored the Blue Lion and would LOVE to stay there, it was a separate character and the novel would not have been the same without it.
The pacing was excellent, and because I was able to read your in Jan/Feb/Mar 2023, it is even more perfect timing with KCIII's coronation!
Robson is a talented author, and I love how she was able to build three independent stories and weave them together around the Coronation. I adored the Blue Lion and would LOVE to stay there, it was a separate character and the novel would not have been the same without it.
The pacing was excellent, and because I was able to read your in Jan/Feb/Mar 2023, it is even more perfect timing with KCIII's coronation!
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set within the backdrop of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in June 1953, Coronation Year is a quiet, character-focused story that incorporates history, vivid descriptions of post-WWII London and a bit of mystery. The ceremony plays a (surprisingly) minor role and instead, Robson focuses on the lives, loves, and struggles of a handful of people and their preparation for the Queen's coronation which is expected to bolster citizens after the atrocities they experienced in WWII.
The story is told using three diverse perspectives:
- Edie is the owner of The Blue Lion, a floundering historic hotel that is on the procession route and has been in her family for generations. Edie is compassionate (almost to a fault) and her entire life is focused around the hotel.
- Stella has just moved to London from Italy and bears the scars of war and loss. She is staying at The Blue Lion and works as a newspaper photographer who is tasked with documenting the procession.
- Jamie is a Scots war hero and artist who has been commissioned to paint the Queen on her royal route. He faces his own troubles with PTSD and racism and was truly the gem of this book.
In the first part of the book readers get to know Edie, Stella, and Jamie, as well as a gaggle of eclectic hotel boarders, hotel staff and two characters from The Gown who make a cameo. Through her characters Robson introduces themes of racism, the on-going effects of the war and the weight of familial responsibility. A mystery is later added into the mix, but I found it to be the weak point of the story. It felt contrived with its obvious culprit and a resolution that wasn't quite satisfying.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, quiet read and Robson beautifully captures the historic period and eager mood of the world for the impending royal coronation. I enjoyed its focus on a cast of ordinary characters whose lives collide in the lead up to an extraordinary event and is a great pick for fans of a HEA (happily ever after).
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to William Morrow for my advanced digital copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.
A historical fiction novel with a little bit of extra 'oomph' is basically The Coronation Year! While I did expect most of this book to be based on the actual Coronation, I shouldn't have as it followed a similar pattern to The Gown, also by Jennifer Robson. Ultimately, it was more enjoyable as the story it was, rather than fully surrounding the coronation of the Queen.
The first half of this book reads very slow and very descriptive, both of London, the characters and their stories. I did struggle a bit through it, finding it hard to focus and get fully involved, but the second half really takes off and captures the reader through the unfolding mystery and character developments. While it won't be my favourite of Robson's books, it's definitely a great historical fiction read!
The first half of this book reads very slow and very descriptive, both of London, the characters and their stories. I did struggle a bit through it, finding it hard to focus and get fully involved, but the second half really takes off and captures the reader through the unfolding mystery and character developments. While it won't be my favourite of Robson's books, it's definitely a great historical fiction read!