Author: Joanna Davidson Politano
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Christian Romance, Fiction
Publisher: Revell
Source: Library
My review:
I was looking forward to reading A Rumored Fortune. I had not read anything by Joanna Davidson Politano before, and I was excited to read her books.
A Rumored Fortune started slow. In the beginning, it is more description driven than character driven. While this is okay in some stories, I was a fourth way through, and felt like nothing had happened. I waffled between quitting or carrying on. I decided to keep going, and I am glad I did. The book did pick up, and while it was still heavy on the descriptions, it had a better balance and a quicker pace.
Tressa shows strength and determination amid overwhelming circumstances. To lose your father yet not be able to get closure is difficult enough. But, to have fortune seekers and debt collectors come calling it's enough to make anyone crack.
As the story progresses, the nature of each person's character is revealed. It is hard to know who to trust and what to do. Tressa finally leans toward the One who will give her the best guidance and finds peace in the midst of the chaos.
I enjoyed the setting of the story, a castle in England. However, I struggled with how detailed it was. Tressa's POV is first person, whereas Donegan's is third person. I think it would have been a more cohesive story if they were both told in the same POV.
Overall, there is enough mystery, intrigue, and treasure hunting to keep the story moving. I will read other novels from Politano as I have heard nothing but good things about her work. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
★★★/5
Tressa Harlowe's father
did not trust banks, but neither did he trust his greedy extended
family. He 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. 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.
Award-winning author
Joanna Davidson Politano welcomes readers to Trevelyan Castle, home of
the poorest heiress in Victorian England, for a treasure hunt they'll
not soon forget.
Victorian England and a treasure hunt? Ha, can work for me. Glad you pushed through. I am not so good with that, I have to be honest. I DNF rather easily.....
ReplyDeleteMareli, I DNF more often than I used to. Used to once I started a book I made myself finish it!
DeleteI have trouble when the POV switches like that.
ReplyDeleteWendy, it was a little odd.
DeleteI'm glad the book picked up as you went along. Slow starts and too many slow, descriptive passages can make me DNF a book these days.
ReplyDeleteLark, so true!
DeleteI often find myself skipping through those long descriptions.
ReplyDeleteHena, me too, especially if the subject of it doesn't interest me.
DeleteThe premise of this one sure sounds good! I would have been on the fence like you I think. Glad to hear it picked up.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gretchen.
Delete