A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano

A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano ISBN-13: 9780800728731 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Revell Released: July 31, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
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.


My Review:
A Rumored Fortune is a Christian romance set in 1866 in England. It reads like a fantasy that happens to be set in a Victorian rather than medieval type setting. Despite the common belief that her father was a commoner that stole his fortune, people call Tressa "the princess of the castle" and treat her family respectfully.

Tressa idolized her father at the beginning of the story and longed for his love. Only, she and her mother were called home because her father appears to have died at sea. Neither knows were his fortune was kept, plus he took out a loan. Is the fortune even real? Family and suitors descend on the castle to find the fortune for themselves. Tressa deals with finding food for them, money to pay the disgruntled servants and field hands, and money to pay the debt. She struggled with the realization that people desired her rumored fortune, not her.

Tressa and hero were both kind, thoughtful people. The hero has learned through adversity to love others and to think about the common people. Tressa endured heavy pruning and learned who is her true Vine. There were vineyard-related analogies throughout the book. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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