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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
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
I love Jennifer Robson’s books and this one did not disappoint. Great characters, a twist, and an historical event that everyone knows makes a great combination. I love Edie. Strong, compassionate, and eternally hopeful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent
Loved this story, and her earlier book, The Gown. Jennifer Robson creates endearing and relatable characters. Her books transport you to the time and place. I would love to have tea and ginger cake at the Blue Lion.
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
informative
lighthearted
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:
Yes
The year is 1953, and Queen Elizabeth II is being crowned. The story takes place in the quaint Blue Lion Hotel. On coronation day, the hotel will be on the procession route so there is a lot of excitement leading up to that day. The story is told from the points of view of three different individuals: Edie Howard who owns the hotel, James Geddes, a Scottish artist with Indian ancestry who is temporarily living at the hotel as he has been hired to create a painting of the coronation day. The third character is Stella Donati, who is a Holocaust survivor and travels from Rome to London for a job opportunity as a photographer. Everything looks promising up until the point when threats emerge and attempt to derail everyone's plans. An easy read, with some interesting historical perspective. 3.75 stars
lighthearted
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
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've loved every Jennifer Robson book that I've read, but this one just didn't impress me as much. The characters were nice, but I didn’t feel like I got to know them as well as the main characters in some of her other books. The mystery was fun, but was pretty easy to solve. The romances were sweet, but felt rushed compared to those in her other novels. The romances lacked the tension and anticipation I'm used to in a Robson love story. All that being said, I did love the history of the Blue Lion and the personality of Edie as its owner.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated