Nice bit of historical fluff. Competent writing and storytelling, but the ending is a little too pat for me. ( )

Jennifer Robson has a wonderful way of creating authentic characters like Edie, Jamie, and the staff and guests of The Blue Lion. She blends them into real historic events ( theCoronation in 1953 of Queen Elizabeth ) and creates a great tale.
I enjoyed this novel very much and had to laugh at the epilogue where she tells us that The Blue Lion is not a real place so don’t go looking for it. ( )

Coronation Year - 1953, the year Elizabeth II was officially crowned - serves as the setting for this piece of historical fiction, but the queen and the events of that day (June 2) are peripheral to this story.  It centers on three main fictional characters, who tell the story from their viewpoints in alternating chapters:
- Edie Howard, who owns and operates the fictional 400-year-old Blue Lion, a struggling hotel she inherited from her parents - that has the great luck to be on the coronation parade route;
- Jamie (James) Geddes, a bomb expert during World War II, now an artist of Scottish and Indian descent, who suffers prejudice due to the latter; and
- Stella Donati, an Italian Jewish photographer now working for the fictional Picture Weekly magazine.

All three are living at the hotel, which also has three other (eccentric) boarders as well as a staff.  The book begins in January, bringing the main characters together and also documenting Edie's efforts to prepare the hotel for the upcoming coronation (and Jamie's and Stella's work related to it).  Unfortunately, there's also someone trying to sabotage the hotel - figuring out who is a major plot line.

The story was rather predictable - the villian and the romances were signaled early on - but it was a fun, quick read nonetheless.  I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of characters from some of Robson's other books that I've read - reporter Ruby Sutton and her love Bennett from Goodnight from London, and Walter "Kaz" Kaczmarek and his wife Miriam Dassin from The Gown. ( )

It's London in 1953: Coronation Year. The book begins on 1st January with Edie Howard, the owner of the Blue Lion hotel, looking forward to the year ahead but knowing it's going to be hard work. She needs to turn around the Blue Lion's fortunes and as it has a coveted position right on the Coronation procession route she knows she has something unique to offer potential guests.

The Blue Lion is a brilliantly drawn establishment (the illustration at the beginning is also quite literally brilliantly drawn). It has residents who live there all the time, along with people who come to stay for shorter lengths of time for holidays. I found it really easy to imagine the look, the feel, the smell of the hotel, the wonderful breakfasts that Cook manages to make, even though so much is still on the ration, and the quite eccentric residents in situ about the place.

Edie Howard is only one of the three main characters. The others are Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer taking her first job as such at Picture Weekly, and James Geddes, a talented artist of Scottish/Indian heritage which doesn't always get him the best reception in 1950s England. The stories of the three characters are woven together perfectly and I found them such engaging creations.

At the heart of the book is a plot to spoil everything that Edie has worked for and it adds a touch of intrigue and excitement to the storyline that mostly revolves around planning for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. I was transported completely to 1953 London, the difficult after-war years mingling with the growing excitement of a new Elizabethan age.

Coronation Year was everything I hoped it would be and more besides. It's absolutely my favourite kind of historical fiction, based around some real events, with a royal theme and several different strands coming together. This is my first book by this author but I do also have The Gown and looking at her other books I think I'd like them all. I do hope for more royal stories in the future too. I absolutely adored this book which utterly captivated and delighted me. ( )

Since we are in a coronation year, this title will attract the attention of readers. This book, however, focuses on 1953, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

It is not the queen but three residents of the 400-year-old Blue Lion Hotel that are central to the narrative. Edie Howard, the owner of the hotel, is struggling to keep it financially viable. The announcement that the coronation parade will pass directly in front of the hotel is a godsend. Stella Donati gets a job as a photographer for a London magazine, and one of her tasks is taking photos at the coronation. James Geddes is an artist who has been commissioned to do a painting of the procession.
The lives of these three become entwined, especially when it seems someone is striving to tarnish the hotel’s reputation and even threatens to disrupt Coronation Day.

I found the plot very predictable. That certain characters will become romantically involved is obvious from their first meetings. The villain is also easily identifiable. The only surprise is the villain’s motivation and that, unfortunately, is far-fetched. In fact, the action-packed resolution seems rather ridiculous and not in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book.

I also take issue with the main characters. All of them are so improbably perfect. Edie, for instance, is totally selfless, exceedingly kind and thoughtful with everyone, even troublesome guests. She is non-judgmental and empathetic towards everyone. Stella and James also have only positive traits. In the end, all emerge as heroes. I understand that the author wanted to create likeable characters, but they are too good to be authentic.

There are elements that are described so as to seem important and then are never mentioned again. Why, for example, is Dolly’s illness such a big deal? Is it only to emphasize Edie’s care and compassion for her employees? Edie notices that the cellar has been cleaned up by someone, but then that mystery is ignored? What really happened with the reservation book? The reader can only speculate.

Then there are the unrealistic events. The only explanation given for the professor’s presence in the cellar is that “he must have returned [to the hotel] in the wee hours”? A man who has been “in and out of prison half a dozen times for all manner of offenses” can so successfully operate under his assumed identity? How does Stella manage to get through a locked door?

The book touches on some serious subjects. Stella and James’ experiences during the war have left both with scars. James because of his mixed heritage must also contend with racism. But there are also touches of humour. The portrayal of the eccentric Hons cannot but bring a smile. I also liked the description of Canadian guests at the hotel: “The Canadians were slightly more reserved [than the Americans], though still very nice, and keen that she not confuse them with the Americans.”

Knowing that Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, it is impossible not to consider the significance of Edie’s thoughts about the young queen: “Edie would wager [Elizabeth] was already sick to death of at least some of the duties she’d inherited. Or maybe she wasn’t? Perhaps she enjoyed it all? Perhaps it truly gladdened the young queen’s heart to know the rest of her life would unfold in an endless succession of plaques to be unveiled, cornerstones to be revealed, ships to be named, trees to be planted, ribbons to be snipped . . . The queen was wealthy and admired and treated with deference, awe, and real affection wherever she went, but was it enough to outweigh her lack of freedom?”

Royalists and lovers of historical fiction looking for a charming, quiet, escapist read will enjoy this book. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but my pleasure was certainly lessened by the too-perfect characters and predictable plot.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

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