"A Rumored Fortune" by Joanna Davidson Politano
Upon receiving a summons recalling the mistress of the manor and her socialite daughter from their social season abroad, young Tressa Harlowe arrives home to Trevelyan Castle only to discover her reclusive father has been lost at sea and presumed dead, the estate's vineyard is struggling, and treasure hunters and creditors are circling like vultures. Her father's fortune has been the source of speculation and rumor since he wrested the estate from the original owners. Tressa recalls a vague childhood memory of once seeing the legendary treasure, but the location of the family fortune is a secret her father kept closely guarded, even distancing himself from his wife and daughter as she blossomed into womanhood. With a horde of guests descending upon the estate and the debts piling up daily, Tressa is desperate to find her inheritance and save her home. As she searches for the treasure, however, whom can she trust? The mysterious stranger whom her father hired to supervise the vineyard? The kind doctor whose attentions to the family are turning her newly widowed mother's head? Her former suitor who has suddenly reappeared?
Joanna Davidson Politano crafts an inspirational historical romance with Gothic flair sure to please. Trevelyan Castle, a moldering, classic English estate, materializes through the mists of the reader's imagination. The plot twists and turns delightfully as various characters' mysterious motivations are brought to light. Readers trail a step behind Tressa as she rambles through the estate's cellars and vineyards, the village, and the harbor, searching high and low for clues and seeking answers about her family history. Readers who enjoy both Christian historical fiction and literary classics such as Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights will find this novel deliciously intriguing.
I received a I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions contained in this review are my own.