Another wonderful book from Gill Paul. Her research is impeccable and her characters fabulous.
She writes about a period of time I know very little about but am now enthralled by.
I almost believed the story of Maria as it moves through time and had to remind myself it was fiction.
Looking forward to reading more from Gill Paul.

I love a bit of historical romantic fiction. The Romanovs are covered here. I don't know much about this event but I've certainly heard of their deaths.

It is a well told story told from Val's and Maria's prospective. I enjoy books told this way, then just as you get to a jaw dropping moment, the story moves back to the other person's narrative.

Lots of discoveries going on with these 2 characters and you begin to wonder how they are in common with one another and this becomes obvious about 80% into the storyline and you start to feel as though at last these women are able to enjoy life now that some mysteries are solved.

Beautifully written. I like Gill Paul's style of writing with historical facts sewn in. Recommend.

Wow! I simply loved this book. I have read a number of books by Gill Paul and this is by far my favourite to date.
The historical aspect appeals to me and I devoured it. This book is set both in Russia and Australia with the stories telling 2 halves of the one narrative.
I know very little about the history of Russia but the way the story unfolds it is very easy to follow. I loved learning about the Russian royalty and enjoyed finding out more.
This book is based around the life of Maria and her family upon being rescued from execution. Whether there is any truth to the story nonetheless it still remains an excellent read.

Thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish as I have all of Gill Paul’s books. Thi s is not the best one but still worth reading.

I have always been fascinated by the Romanovs and Russia in the early twentieth century so I was delighted to read this novel.
The story starts in 1918 with the imprisonment of the Romanovs in Ekaterinburg and what could have happened if one of the daughters had escaped. We are also introduced to Val in 1970s Australia who is unhappy in a violent marriage.
I found Maria's story more interesting and was impressed by Gill Paul's research and description of the siege of Leningrad. She managed to convey the horror of the situation and Maria's desperation to save her family.
I guessed Val's connection to Maria's family early on in the story which was a bit disappointing but overall, I enjoyed this book.

Another great piece of writing by Gill Paul; that had me researching the Romanovs.
This part of history is still fascinating to so many and to build a story around a lesser known Princess captivated me more.
I would recommend this book to people who are interested in Russian history: from the uprising to 1976. The descriptions of the life during WW2 was horrible to read as well as the impact the Communist lifestyle had on the normal family live.
I'm looking forward to read more from Gill Paul in the future.

Having loved two of Gill Paul's previous novels, Another Woman's Husband and The Secret Wife, I was delighted to be able read her latest novel ahead of its UK publication.

Like The Secret Wife , this novel is about the Russian Imperial Family. I have always loved history (and later did my degree in the subject) and a teenager was fascinated with the story of The Romanovs and what had actually happened to them. I read everything I could lay my hands on. Also a fan of romance mystery, I often wondered if perhaps some of them had escaped their fate and tried to imagine their stories. Gill Paul has written the books I would have loved to read back then!

The Secret Wife looked at the fate of Tatiana, this book looks at what might have happened to her sister, Maria. With an interesting plot, moving between am Australian woman trying to solve the mystery surrounding the Russian origins of her father and a tale of bravery and suffering starting in Russia in 1918.

Gill Paul researches well, writes well and knows how to hook her reader. Another good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for a review copy .

Very talented storyteller.
This latest historical novel by Gill Paul is a dual time frame novel, with a very clever interpretation of what could have happened in the days of Russia's last Royal family.

Set in 1918 and then in 1973 - the book opens with the Russian Imperial family imprisoned in what is to be their final stop before being murdered.

In the 1973 section we met a character called Val who unfortunately, is struggling in an abusive marriage with a cruel man after leaving her controlling Russian father. Val has a daughter and tries to make the best of her situation. Val gets a phone call one day saying that her father is very ill and asking her to come to the nursing home where he is being looked after. He dies shortly afterwards and while Val is clearing out his house finds things that directly relate to 1918.

This book kept me hooked, was not cliched or twee in the slightest and obviously is a product of lots of love and research.

I would recommend this to anyone who is even slightly interested in the Russian Tsar's or Russian Revolution.

Having read and loved a couple of Gill Paul's books previously, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review The Lost Daughter. My favourite genre is historical fiction and Gill's books never disappoint. The Lost Daughter is no different. I also find the Romanov Dynasty a fascinating subject so a win-win for me!

The Lost Daughter tells the story of the life that might have been, had the Grand Duchess Maria Romanov survived the horrific events in 1918 when her family were brutally executed. Ms Paul expertly blends historical fact with fictional re-imaginings beginning with the house arrest of Tsar Nicholas, his wife and Maria. Maria is a friendly young lady and fashions friendships of sorts with a couple of the guards that are overseeing her and her family's captivity in the Ipatiev House. On the night of the execution, Maria escapes with the help of one of the guards and so a story of survival begins.

Fast forward to Australia in the 1970's. A young woman called Val is unhappily married to a physically abusive man. They have a small child. Her estranged father is Russian and while on his deathbed announces strange and unexplainable statements about "how he didn't mean to kill her". After he dies, Val finds some artifacts and documents from early 20th century Russia in his house and sets out to find out more about them.

This is a super read over the decades from 1918 through to 2007, it spans the continents of Russia, Australia and China. It is a fascinating story of love, loss, courage, family and secrets. Factual happenings, such as the execution of the Romanov family, hardships endured under the communist regime in the early to mid 20th century and Russian civilian life during the Second World War, make the story all the more interesting. I loved this book, the subject matter is extremely interesting and the detail rich and captivating. Maria's story certainly gives one food for thought of how things might have been and the two stories, past and present, were intertwined seamlessly and perfectly. All of the characters were very believable and very well drawn out and the story was both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. A definite 5* page turner. Would highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Headline and Ms Paul for an opportunity to read The Lost Daughter in exchange for an honest review.