Review: Coronation Year

I don’t know if any of us could have predicted that the year Jennifer Robson published Coronation Year would be an actual coronation year. While her novel’s focus was on June 2, 1953, a day that was all about Queen Elizabeth II, this story is about far, far more than Her Majesty and the royal family. And the novel is amazing because of that. I was completely riveted and loved every moment I spent reading this book.

Here’s the book’s description:

It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. The people of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.
Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.
Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.
James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.
When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.

I’ve been reading (and loving) Robson’s books for a number of years now and have known about her for even longer (you know how it is…so many books, so little time). My favourite is her 2017 release, Goodnight from London, but every book I’ve read (and I’ve read all but one), is so, so very good. Coronation Year, though? This, I felt, is Robson at her best. She took a moment in time many of us know about - Queen Elizabeth’s coronation - and used it as a starting point to talk about the people who would have been impacted by it. The real people, the ones we can really identify with. (Since I don’t think I have any readers who are members of the British royal family?) Robson gave those characters a story that I adored and was so well put together.

I mention characters, plural. I was a wee bit worried when I realized the story was going to jump around between three different characters who were all connected by the Blue Lion hotel. That seemed like a lot of people to keep track of but I don’t know why I was concerned - Robson handled the multiple perspectives so very well and I never felt like I was missing out on someone’s story or was rushing through pages to get back to another character. Stella’s point of view might be the one that I would have liked to see more of but she was by no means neglected. I liked that her story pulled in characters that readers would remember from Goodnight from London, The Gown, and Our Darkest Night. (I don’t think I missed any other character Easter eggs…please do let me know if I did!) Each character had a unique point of view and they worked together seamlessly.

As the book’s description mentions, there was a bit of a mystery Edie needed to figure out - why was her hotel floundering and who would want to hurt her business - or her? I knew who the culprit was (and yes, found myself wanting to shake all the characters at numerous points saying, Why can’t you see that they’re the ones who are evil and ruining everything?!?) but the motive behind it and the climax was more than I could have imagined and was done really well. I was on the edge of my seat!

I love a Happily Ever After and really appreciate that Robson gives hints of romantic storylines in her books. But her stories are more about romantic entanglements and her knowledge of history, particularly British history, is where she excels. I never feel like she’s lecturing me and she provides just enough details that I can picture the scene perfectly and yet don’t feel like there’s been the dreaded info dump. It takes real skill to do that and I know that, when it comes to historical fiction, I am always in good hands with Robson.

I could go on and on about Coronation Year but all you really need to know about Jennifer Robson’s latest novel is that I loved it. Completely and whole-heartedly. If you’re a historical fiction fan, you must read this one.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by HarperCollins Canada via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*