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Book Reviews​

9/24/2017

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Lady Jayne Disappears

 
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Author: Joanna Davidson Politano
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Mystery/Suspense


Lynhurst Manor is a house built on secrets . . . and the arrival of Aurelie Harcourt might reveal them all.

When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies suddenly, he leaves her just two things: his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll, and his wealthy family--who want very little to do with her.
As Aurelie struggles to find a home with her father's family and learn the rules of society, she relishes in his parting gift--the beginning of his last story. The story she always wanted to hear, about her mother's mysterious disappearance from the home where she now lives. To complete the novel, she'll have to extract clues from relatives--and one enigmatic houseguest--who often seem reluctant to give them up.
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Reviewer: Susan Poll.

What a beautifully flowing and wonderfully engaging story! The mystery that weaves through every page sucks you in and won’t let you go.  Aurelie has no clue what kind of life and family she has been thrust into.  They have no clue who she really is – all except for two people who aren’t going to give those secrets away.  And sweet, dear Silas, who has his own threads to untangle while discovering his attraction to Aurelie.

This author knows how to keep you reading. The dialogue, action, mystery, intrigue, and ever engaging characters made me want to know more. It was a story in a story and deeply moving as you feel the emotions with them all. The twists and turns are fabulous and I didn’t see them coming! I loved this book and cannot wait for this author to write more!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing


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Reviewer: Crystal P.

Lady Jayne Disappears is a wonderfully written debut novel by the author, but had some issues.

When I started the book, I was instantly interested. It was a little hard to understand what was going on at first, but I understood about two chapters after beginning the story.

The main character is Aurelie. She was a very likeable character and I suppose I connected with her since I like to write as well. I certainly felt for her during most of the book. Her love interest, Silas, just wasn't my favorite. I'm not sure why I feel this way exactly, but he just seemed a bit unrealistic for a male figure.

I loved the mystery throughout the whole book. I'm very impressed with the way the author has written it. It kept me on the edge of my seat!


What I really disliked:
  • The romance. I was bothered by Juliette when she was obsessed with guys in general, always mentioning them, specifically Silas and Aurelie. Way too much. It mentioned desire and passion between them. I skipped over kissing parts. Certainly affected my rating.
  • The twists towards the end of the book. I wish things had been different. Certain things revealed certainly disappointed me, affecting my rating as well.

​I loved over half of the book, and it might have been a new favorite of mine, but the twists towards the end just ruined it for me.

Content warnings: Some deep mentions of romance: desires and passions, kisses, stroking hair, a female character is a bit obsessed with guys; mentions of death, spoiler that might bug people: Aurelie’s mother was already married when she and Woolf (Aurelie's father) met. They later had an affair that resulted in Aurelie being born and Lady Jayne abandoning her right after birth.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing


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Reviewer: Rebecca Maney

​"They are my family, and I have nowhere else to go. And my heart . . . . my heart needs to belong somewhere. It is not a loner."

Aurelie Harcourt has been set free. Her life, lived entirely within the walls of Shepton Mallet Debtor's Prison, has been a menagerie of truth and falsehoods, while presumably the only person who could sort through those details on her behalf is dead; a most beloved father. Her inheritance is a pen name; Nathaniel Droll, and "Lady Jayne Disappears" is hers to complete. 

Invited to live with little known relatives; quite wealthy, yet poor in spirit, Aurelie fights to survive unwanted expectations while stealthily continuing to write the story that could lead her to the answer lurking behind every question of her heart; who was her mother and what happened to her at Lynhurst? Fortunately, Aurelie discovers an unexpected ally in the form of a houseguest, Mr. Silas Rotherham, who like Aurelie finds solace in conversation and believes that "books are essential nourishment to the mind". But while his intentions remain unclear, Aurelie's time is running out. 

Mysteries abound, secrets remain locked tightly in the past, and the flame of attraction struggles to ignite, within " a hundred thousand stories' worth of time". What a stunning debut!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.


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Reviewer: Kelly Potts

I have to admit that I found the first few pages a bit pretentious. Figures of speech, adverbs and adjectives galore. I don’t know if the writing changed, if the so-called pretentious writing blended in with the plot or if I just became so magically immersed in the world of Lady Jayne. I opened the book to simply read the first chapter before bed – to get a feel for what the book might hold. Two hours and many chapters later I forced myself to put it down so I could get some sleep. It wasn’t long into the next day that I picked it back up and finished in at my second sitting. The twists and turns. I loved every minute of it. At moments I thought I was reading something akin to “Pride and Prejudice”.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.


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