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A review by elementarymydear
The Romanov Brides: A Novel of the Last Tsarina and Her Sisters by Clare McHugh
3.0
In The Romanov Brides, Clare McHugh takes us back to the courts of 19th Century Europe, where romance and politics (and, let’s face it, family trees!) are all intertwined.
The book focuses on three sisters, all grandchildren of Queen Victoria, navigating the world as young women. We really got a sense of the pressure each one was under from various family members, and what it took to make their own decisions. Each of the three sisters had their own quiet strength, and across the course of the book found their own ways to live the life they wanted.
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It’s clear that a lot of research went into this book (I really enjoyed reading the information on the author’s website about the real people behind the characters), and it made the whole story feel much more grounded. Often real life is stranger than fiction, and McHugh takes this in her stride, presenting these people and events as they were, warts and all. I thought she did an especially job of depicting Queen Victoria, who could easily have overshadowed the other characters, but was well-placed as a well-respected but interfering grandmother.
I would have liked it to be slightly faster paced, especially as so much happened to the characters after the events of the book that I wanted to read more about. The book does take its time with the story and while sometimes this works really well, sometimes I wanted to have a little bit more of the wider events that these sisters were involved with, especially the Russian revolution.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
The book focuses on three sisters, all grandchildren of Queen Victoria, navigating the world as young women. We really got a sense of the pressure each one was under from various family members, and what it took to make their own decisions. Each of the three sisters had their own quiet strength, and across the course of the book found their own ways to live the life they wanted.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
It’s clear that a lot of research went into this book (I really enjoyed reading the information on the author’s website about the real people behind the characters), and it made the whole story feel much more grounded. Often real life is stranger than fiction, and McHugh takes this in her stride, presenting these people and events as they were, warts and all. I thought she did an especially job of depicting Queen Victoria, who could easily have overshadowed the other characters, but was well-placed as a well-respected but interfering grandmother.
I would have liked it to be slightly faster paced, especially as so much happened to the characters after the events of the book that I wanted to read more about. The book does take its time with the story and while sometimes this works really well, sometimes I wanted to have a little bit more of the wider events that these sisters were involved with, especially the Russian revolution.
I received a free copy for an honest review.