A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano – Book Blog Tour & Review

I reviewed Joanna Davidson Politano’s debut novel  Lady Jayne Disappears and adored it, so I was quite excited to get my hands on her second work, A Rumored Fortune.  Also a historical Christian romance with a strong female character, this one did not disappoint – and it too features a good mystery and more than a few twists to keep you on your toes.

Tressa is kind, thoughtful – and as Donegan reveals to her, naive about and sheltered from the world outside the castle in which she lives. While she lived a life of wealth and one free of material concerns – at least up until shortly after we meet her character on the page – the luster of her privileged life is dulled as we read of her childhood, and what saves her from the “poor little rich girl” stereotype is that her character is genuine, clever, and caring to those she engages with.

A Rumored Fortune is a layered tale. The alleged death of Tressa’s father draws out greedy fortune hunters, and it quickly becomes obvious that some people can’t be trusted…or can they? With plenty of red herrings to make us second guess who is there for Tressa and who will try to take advantage of her, Politano also shows that people are more complicated than they appear on the surface.

And there are twists! Caught up in the search for the missing fortune her father is said to have hidden, I found myself wondering if the fortune was more philosophical (was it actually Tressa, or the vineyard itself); why had her father pushed her away, and what was the mystery behind the source of his wealth; what had happened to her father; and who could she trust?  The author beautifully weaves all these questions together, and as one seems on the verge of revealing itself, the story takes another turn.

The author also weaves in an excellent reflection on women and marriage, and love versus necessity as a driver in this period. From Tressa’s mother and her cousin Neville’s former actress wife Ellen Langford, to her hapless ladies maid Lucy and the very cheery,  generous but poor Mrs. Sullivan, her treatment of the necessity of marriage for stability versus for love is human and perceptive, and her treatment of both her mother and Ellen’s situations are insightful and much more layered than  I expected – a thoughtful treat.

The Christian element is much more prevalent in this novel than her last, but Tressa’s faith is as well woven into the essence of her character as it is into Donegan Vance’s, so it doesn’t feel gratuitous or preachy.  A Christian myself, I’m ever leery of books where the main character prays for rescue and God responds with a billboard and fanfare and flashing lights; I like to think God sends us what we need, but it’s up to us to see it the solution in front of us, and this is one of Tressa’s strengths. She reveals that as a lonely child she had easy conversations with God, and as an adult she questions the prompts and pushes she receives in response to prayer as wishful thinking – again, something relatable as a rational, overthinking adult. If you are not overtly religious, this may make you uncomfortable, but I would encourage you to view it as part of her innate characteristics (she’s kind, she’s creative, and she’s of deep faith) as it explains much about her character and it’s development.

All in all, A Rumored Fortune was a lovely stand alone mystery AND romance.  For me, though, its true strength was in the character development. We watched some of the main characters grow and change and even heal; through secondary characters like Tressa’s mother and Ellen, the author made me push past the stereotypes of those who married for wealth and status by revealing the weaknesses and fears that drove them, humanizing them to where even if I couldn’t like them, I could understand them. If a book can grant you a change in perspective, even if it was unintended, that is a gift.