A Rumored Fortune
BY
Joanna Davidson Politano
Genre: Historical Romance / Christian
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: July 31, 2018
Number of Pages: 416
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Welcome to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England
Tressa Harlowe’s father kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Now Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it.
It doesn’t take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they’re really up to. She’ll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father’s fortune—before someone else finds it first.
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Praise
“Everyone loves a treasure hunt—pair it with a heroine you can’t help but love, a hero you can’t help but swoon over, and a family mystery that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, and you end up with A Rumored Fortune. This book is a treasure in itself and one you won’t be able to put down!” — Roseanna M. White, bestselling author of the Ladies of the Manor series and Shadows Over England series
“Politano combines romance and mystery with great skill to create plot twists that will keep readers captivated until the very end.”— Publishers Weekly
“The author has done a great job, offering up a plot filled with wit, charm, action, and a lot of female strength.”— Suspense Magazine
A treasure hunt, faith, and a historical setting round out why you should read this book.
This was my first book to read by this author and I enjoyed the setting, the characters, the storyline, and the romance. Tressa is the protagonist and she has a lot to deal with in this story. Her father is presumed dead, her mother is self absorbed, she has to figure out how to pay everyone without any money, has to search for her father’s fortune which no one knows where it is, and she has to figure out what she wants in her life and in love. Despite all that is on her shoulders, she is very down to earth, has a friendship with her lady’s maid, and befriends many of the workers and their families. She has compassion for all. I also loved the descriptions of her artwork on the walls and ceilings of the estate, I can only imagine her designs and the feelings it evoked.
Donegan Vance has several secrets he is keeping from Tressa and at the same time wonders if she is capable of taking care of business. He is like most men of this time period and thinks that women can’t lead or be in charge. I appreciated the fact that despite his faults (and who doesn’t have faults) that he recognizes the good in others and is able to fall back on his faith in God to get him through the tough times. He too has a strong sense of family which I think is one thing that he clings to in Tressa.
There is a little bit of a mystery, where is the family fortune? And as with many families, the vultures come out to try and find and claim the fortune before Tressa. It is sad when the motives of family members are not in the best interest of everyone. Despite Neville and Ellen’s behavior (these are some of the family vultures), they have reasons of their own for wanting the fortune which is revealed near the end. I would like to have seen more focus on the treasure hunt because that was somewhat light in the story.
The ending does leave me hanging a bit wondering what might have happened next for Tressa, Donegan, and the rest of the family/estate. Still an enjoyable story.
We give it 4 paws up.
Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears. She freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her.
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GRAND PRIZE:
Copy of A Rumored Fortune + Novel Teas (box of 25 tea bags) + $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
2ND PRIZE: Copy of A Rumored Fortune
+ $10 Starbucks Gift Card
3RD PRIZE: Copy of A Rumored Fortune
+ $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
(US ONLY)
September 11-20, 2018
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| 9/11/18 | Notable Quotable | Story Schmoozing Book Reviews |
| 9/12/18 | Review | Momma on the Rocks |
| 9/13/18 | Author Interview | The Clueless Gent |
| 9/14/18 | Excerpt | That’s What She’s Reading |
| 9/15/18 | Review | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 9/16/18 | Notable Quotable | All the Ups and Downs |
| 9/17/18 | Character Interview | Missus Gonzo |
| 9/18/18 | Review | Tangled in Text |
| 9/19/18 | Author Top Five | Kelly Well Read |
| 9/20/18 | Review | Carpe Diem Chronicles |
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Endings that leave you hanging can be a blessing or a curse, huh? Great review!
Treasure hunt stories are usually predictable. Did you find this one to be such a case?