A Rumored Fortune by JoAnna Davidson Politano
Genre: Historical Romance / Christian Publisher: Revell Date of Publication: July 31, 2018 Number of Pages: 416
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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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.
A Rumored Fortune is the perfect balance of mystery and romance. I was getting emotionally pulled in so many directions trying to keep my mind focused on the mystery at hand while my heart was off rooting for a happily-ever-after. The story was well-rounded and beautifully executed.
I have a bad habit of trying to guess where a story is going to lead, and I was completely wrong with my predictions of A Rumored Fortune. I was blindsided in the beginning with the one event I was considering might be the huge reveal at the end; so, I just had to buckle down and prepare for a fun ride. My favorite part of this book was basically being told to sit down and shut-up so early on. I loved how the author handled that twist and the different perspective that reveal brought. It really added a deeper dive into things.
I'm not usually a fan of stories set in far gone time periods because of the lack of connection they seem to present for me. But A Rumored Fortune was the best of both worlds with a swoon-worthy script and a modern twist. The Victorian Era dialect topping off Joanna's already beautiful way with words added a hopelessly romantic vibe that kept my heart aflutter. The characters were enchanting with a mix of proper yet spunky personalities. I loved each the same even down to the comic relief of Tressa's lady's maid, Lucy, who reminded me of my own clumsy self.
The attention to detail was immaculate. The segue into each chapter, (a shared note from a viticulturist that could have easily held double meanings), had me going into each chapter fresh and on the edge of my seat. Those notes make up the majority of my notable quotables down below.
I would highly recommend this to all those historical romance lovers out there, and I'd even suggest A Rumored Fortune to mystery lovers because all the dark and twisted reveals, red herrings, and shady characters that had me fully invested. The feels were given throughout and the language was an intoxicating poetry. Don't miss this book.
“Why do you always wish to know my thoughts?" "You've built such an immense fortress around yourself, but I've often found the highest walls hold the deepest waters. Yours should never be concealed."
"I scare too easily. I even have a whole stack of books I'm waiting to read until I'm married so I'm no sleeping alone with my thoughts."
"No season in the vineyard is meant to merely be endured, for each is necessary for the grapes to grow."
“Pruning involves difficult decisions. It’s about removing growth, even what is good and beautiful, to attain something far better.”
“The best fruit arises from a hostile environment-harsh winters, dry soil, and unrelenting heat from the sun deepen a grape’s flavor and highten it sweetness. Bearable conditions bring only mediocre fruit.”
GRAND PRIZE: Copy of A Rumored Fortune + Novel Teas + $25 B&N Gift Card 2ND PRIZE: Copy of A Rumored Fortune + $10 Starbucks Gift Card 3RD PRIZE: Copy of A Rumored Fortune + $10 B&N Gift Card September 11-20, 2018
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