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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Adored these characters and their story! Review to come.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
All of London is busy preparing for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Edie Howard owns the Blue Lion, a historic hotel in the city, that has fallen into financial difficulties lately, but in a miraculous turn of events, it is announced that the Queen procession, on her coronation day, will pass right in front of the hotel’s front doors. Edie hopes that with the excitement of the event, she can charge premium rates for those who wish for a view of the procession and bolster revenue, saving the hotel from ruin. Two long term boarders take up residence around this time, Stella, an Italian photographer come to work in London, and James, a war veteran and gifted artist who has just been commissioned to paint a portrait of the Queen on the big day. When strange events begin to take place at the Blue Lion and anonymous threats are made hinting at something terrible that will happen on Coronation Day, Edie, James and Stella find themselves in a race against time to uncover the truth and save not only the coronation, but also the hotel which they all consider home.
This book wasn’t even on my radar for 2023 initially, and I added it to my TBR only around 2 months ago when I kept coming across great reviews for it.
While I typically tend to avoid any historical fiction set post WWII, the setting and premise of this story, combined with an intriguing mystery made it impossible to pass up. The backdrop of the Blue Lion, its history and the odd collection of guests housed within made this an interesting read right from the beginning. It was so well described as was the time period that I could imagine being there alongside these characters, observing the historic day.
The central plot of this book is perfectly paced and it made it very easy to read and follow. The mystery element, though it took a little time to actually get started, held my attention throughout and it was only in the last 15% of the book that I began to suspect who was behind it all – and that was basically through process of elimination. The tension was built perfectly throughout with the real setting of the coronation only enhancing it more and making this a hard book to put down.
Coronation Year had quite the varied cast of characters. The first part of the book was largely character focused, delving into Edie, Stella and James’ pasts and their post-war experiences, all brought together in one way or another by the upcoming coronation. They were all likeable characters and I liked how they formed such an encouraging and supportive friendship over the course of the book, it made the multiple POV narration really enjoyable.
The big reveal of the culprit behind the threats and odd occurrences was a great twist, but the reason for it all was even more unexpected – and a little out of the blue. The whole scene did feel a bit over dramatic, but it was a fitting climax for this mystery and I liked how everything was wrapped up. The last chapter set a couple of months after the coronation was a particularly nice touch and a lovely way to end the book.
Overall, this was an entertaining read and I’m looking forward to checking out other books by this author. I would definitely recommend it for both historical fiction and mystery fans.
All of London is busy preparing for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Edie Howard owns the Blue Lion, a historic hotel in the city, that has fallen into financial difficulties lately, but in a miraculous turn of events, it is announced that the Queen procession, on her coronation day, will pass right in front of the hotel’s front doors. Edie hopes that with the excitement of the event, she can charge premium rates for those who wish for a view of the procession and bolster revenue, saving the hotel from ruin. Two long term boarders take up residence around this time, Stella, an Italian photographer come to work in London, and James, a war veteran and gifted artist who has just been commissioned to paint a portrait of the Queen on the big day. When strange events begin to take place at the Blue Lion and anonymous threats are made hinting at something terrible that will happen on Coronation Day, Edie, James and Stella find themselves in a race against time to uncover the truth and save not only the coronation, but also the hotel which they all consider home.
This book wasn’t even on my radar for 2023 initially, and I added it to my TBR only around 2 months ago when I kept coming across great reviews for it.
While I typically tend to avoid any historical fiction set post WWII, the setting and premise of this story, combined with an intriguing mystery made it impossible to pass up. The backdrop of the Blue Lion, its history and the odd collection of guests housed within made this an interesting read right from the beginning. It was so well described as was the time period that I could imagine being there alongside these characters, observing the historic day.
The central plot of this book is perfectly paced and it made it very easy to read and follow. The mystery element, though it took a little time to actually get started, held my attention throughout and it was only in the last 15% of the book that I began to suspect who was behind it all – and that was basically through process of elimination. The tension was built perfectly throughout with the real setting of the coronation only enhancing it more and making this a hard book to put down.
Coronation Year had quite the varied cast of characters. The first part of the book was largely character focused, delving into Edie, Stella and James’ pasts and their post-war experiences, all brought together in one way or another by the upcoming coronation. They were all likeable characters and I liked how they formed such an encouraging and supportive friendship over the course of the book, it made the multiple POV narration really enjoyable.
The big reveal of the culprit behind the threats and odd occurrences was a great twist, but the reason for it all was even more unexpected – and a little out of the blue. The whole scene did feel a bit over dramatic, but it was a fitting climax for this mystery and I liked how everything was wrapped up. The last chapter set a couple of months after the coronation was a particularly nice touch and a lovely way to end the book.
Overall, this was an entertaining read and I’m looking forward to checking out other books by this author. I would definitely recommend it for both historical fiction and mystery fans.
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No