Book Review: Rasputin and his Russian Queen The True Story of Grigory and Alexandra by Mickey Mayhew

Rasputin and His Russian  Queen is written by Mickey Mayhew is a non fiction novel, telling the story of Grigory Rasputin and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovona Empress of Russia,  the last of the Romanovs and the downfall of the Tsarist regime in Russia. I have always been fascinated by the Romanovs, why the Tsarist regime collapsed so violently and what happened to Anastasia. 

On the plus side the book is well written and Rasputin isn’t portrayed as this one dimensional evil person but as someone who is very complex with a multifaceted personality who is capable good and is very spiritual.  He also presents the relationship between the Tsarina and Rasputin quite concisely. This relationship is the main theme  of the book looking at the inner workings of their relationship, how Rasputin benefitted from it and controlled the Tsarina and how ultimately he caused the downfall of Romanov Russia. 

Sadly I don’t think this book adds much to the debate and the history narrative of the downfall into the collapse of Russia into Communism. Mayhew merely rehashed existing stories. There is a lack of citations and fact seemed to merge with opinion to create a piece of work which combines fact, fiction and opinion.  

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley UK  in exchange a honest review.

Book Review: Their Newborn Baby Gift by Alison Roberts (M&B Medical).

Their Newborn Baby Gift is written by Alison Roberts, published by Mills & Boon Medical and is the first book in the Hope Children’s Hospital series.  Evie Cooper is Hope Hospital’s Neo Natal receptionist and resident baby whisperer/cuddler.  She gave up the chance to train as a nurse to care for her diabetic father and act as a surrogate mother to her siblings after her mother died. Australian paediatric surgeon, Ryan Walker is a former playboy who has relocated to the UK. They pair have an inauspicious beginning when they first meet - his date for the hospital fundraiser sends Evie flying in the car park.  They find an abandoned baby -Grace - and as they care for her in the baby unit they reevaluate their lives.  

A beautifully written story but I didn’t really get into it.  I find abandoned baby storylines far fetched as in real life baby finders do not get to adopt them. The rest of the story is realistic, showing the sadness of not always being able to save patients no matter how desperate the parents are. I wouldn’t rush to read the rest of the series but it was readable. 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley

Available from:

Amazon UK

Mills & Boon