Book Review: The Lost Melody

 

From The Back:

"Haunting. Riveting. Filled with hope."--Michelle Griep, author of Lost in Darkness

When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant's father dies, he leaves to her the care of a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. Vivienne had no idea the woman existed, and yet her portrait is shockingly familiar. When the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.

The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know.

But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?

Joanna Davidson Politano casts a delightful spell with this lyrical look into the nature of women's independence and artistic expression during the Victorian era--and now.

My Reflections:

Where do I start? I have never in my long history of reading come across a book quite like this. It touched my soul and moved me in ways that I can't even flesh out. I feel like it would do the book an injustice if I revealed the inner contents, for this reason I will keep my review subjective and let you enjoy the unfettered essence within.

England 1886 sits Hurstwell  Lunatic asylum a place filled with shadows, deep darkness and immense pain. We are able to take a glimpse into the Victorian era of the misunderstood. The fine line between sanity and madness. 

The characters were so well developed that the story came alive for me. I was moved from emotion to emotion harmoniously flowing with the melody of the story. Ah... I never wanted it to end, I was left crying at the injustices while rooting for the truth to be had. Politano weaves faith gently throughout the entirety of the book adding depth and humanity. We are reminded that in the darkness there is light and hope. We can touch others lives even mired in the darkness, we just have to reach out, even when all seems lost.

The romance is heart achingly beautiful, tender and moving. It almost seemed out of place at the start, but as the story progressed it really added an element of humanity. 

I am completely amazed at the Politano's exceptional ability to take a story and craft it into a work of art. This book just took writing to a whole new level.

 Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Joanna Davidson Politano

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, The Love Note, and A Midnight Dance. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in...

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Book Review: Targeted

 

From the Back:

Three women. Three men. Three unsuspecting targets.

Get ready for triple the thrills with three heart-stopping stories from your favorite romantic suspense authors!

In On the Run, IT Specialist Daria Nevsky is a highly skilled FBI agent with the ability to hack any computer. She must go on the run to find out who wants her dead--and Dr. Ryker Donahue refuses to let her do it alone.

In Deadly Objective, physical therapist Emily Dixon and Secret Service Agent Liam Harper are committed to keeping their relationship professional. But when the vice president's son enters the crosshairs of a killer, some lines will have to be crossed in order to keep him safe.

In Caught in the Crosshairs, there is no love lost between former Army PSYOPS officer Ari Blackman and CIA officer Claudia Gallegos after Claudia is implicated in the murder of a Saudi prince. But to prevent a coup that would put America at risk, they'll have to learn to trust each other--before it's too late.

My Reflections:

Though I love to sink my teeth into a gool full length novel, once and awhile it is nice to dip your feet in a melody of short stories. What is better than a novella with three of my favorite authors. Lynette Easton, Lynn H. Blackburn and Natalie Walters all had well developed characters, a perfectly thought out plot with faith based threads. Some how they packed all of this into a short 120 ish page feast for the senses. If asked I couldn't pick a favorite, each were wildly different yet had the same thrilling elements that you would expect form these authors.

It was delightful how the authors weaved previous stories into their collections. In the depths of the pages you will find stories that are packed with heart warming romance and spine tingling suspense. The characters are well fleshed out and the story lines were full bodied and satisfying. I feel these short stories could be read as a stand alone. It actually would be a perfect introduction to each authors unique penmanship.

I highly recommend this novella, especially for those cold winter nights.

A perfect read for the holidays!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Lynette Eason

1. Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Life Flight, Crossfire, and Critical Threat, as well as the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite...

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2. Lynn H. Blackburn

   Lynn H. Blackburn is the award-winning author of Unknown Threat and Malicious Intent, as well as the Dive Team Investigations series. She believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift...

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3. Natalie Walters

   Natalie Walters is the author of Lights Out and Fatal Code, as well as the Harbored Secrets series. A military wife, she currently resides in Texas with her soldier husband and is the proud mom of three. She loves traveling, spending time with...

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