Yarde Book Promotions Book of the Year Awards 2025 | Overall Winner

 

And now, we’re delighted to reveal the overall winner of the 
Yarde Book Promotions Book of the Year…

Escape of the Grand Duchess
By Susan Appleyard

A massive congratulations to Susan. We chose this book as our Book of the Year for its outstanding storytelling, meticulous historical research, and remarkable emotional depth. Escape of the Grand Duchess vividly brings a pivotal moment in history to life while offering an intimate, deeply human portrayal of resilience, courage, and hope during the collapse of an empire.

Publication Date: 27th July 2025

Publisher: Ingenium Books Publishing Inc.

Page Length: 412

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction 

Escape of the Grand Duchess by Susan Appleyard is a gripping historical novel that shatters the notion that royalty is synonymous with privilege and ease. At its heart is Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, the youngest sister of Tsar Nicholas II—a Romanov who defied a doomed destiny and survived.

Unlike her ill-fated brother and his family, Olga’s story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and daring escape. Trapped in a loveless marriage to a reckless gambler—who harbours secrets of his own—she finds hope in the arms of a dashing army lieutenant. But before she can claim her own happiness, she must first endure the brutal realities of World War I, where she serves as a nurse on the frontlines.

As the Russian Empire teeters on the brink of collapse, the infamous Siberian mystic Rasputin tightens his grip on the imperial court, setting the stage for revolution. With the Bolsheviks seizing power and the Romanovs marked for death, Olga faces an impossible choice: risk everything to stay or flee into the unknown with her true love and their children.

Rich in historical detail and driven by an unforgettable heroine, Escape of the Grand Duchess is a sweeping riches-to-rags tale of survival, love, and the strength it takes to forge a new life in the face of unimaginable upheaval.

Pick up your copy of

Escape of the Grand Duchess

HERE

Susan Appleyard

Susan was born in England, which is where she learned to love English history, and now lives in Canada in the summer. In winter she and her husband flee the cold for their second home in Mexico. Susan divides her time between writing and her hobby, oil painting, although writing will always be her first love. She was fortunate in having had two books published traditionally. Since joining the ebook crowd, she has published nine books, some of which have won various awards.

Connect with Susan: 

Blog

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page