By Joanna Davidson Politano

Tressa Harlowe returns from abroad to her beloved Trevelyan Castle grieving the unexpected loss of her father. The estate needs tending, the workers need payment, and the vineyard requires work. The last thing she wants to do is go on a treasure hunt. But search she must. Her father’s fortune, rumored to be ill-gotten, has been hidden away and without it, Tressa and her ailing mother are penniless. With creditors to fend off and “grieving” relatives to host, Tressa doesn’t know where to turn: Andrew Carrington, the social climber who professes his love despite breaking her heart years ago? Or Donegan Vance, the man her father had hired to tend his vineyard – and who seems to know more about her father and the fortune than he should?

As Tressa fights to keep the castle and protect the vineyard, she uncovers lies, love, and legends. But when loyalty is tested, all the hidden treasure might not be enough to save Trevelyan’s vineyards – and Tressa’s heart.

Pros: I love reading layered stories and Joanna Davidson Politano does such a good job of telling two stories at once. In this case, Tressa’s story is also the parable of the Master and the vineyard. While some authors could turn this into a dry sermon, A Rumored Fortune is a lovely polished work of art set in Victorian England and filled with romance, intrigue, and deep characters. It was beautifully written and played in my head like a movie.

Cons: I’ve been spoiled. While the book was good, it didn’t completely hook me and reel me in like some of her others (Lady Jayne Disappears, A Midnight Dance). 

Bottom Line: A Victorian Era treasure hunt and romance that really should be a TV mini-series.