A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano

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. 

Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano welcomes readers to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England, for a treasure hunt they'll not soon forget.
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Meet the Author:
Joanna Davidson Politano freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her manuscript for Lady Jayne Disappears was a finalist for several contests, including the 2016 Genesis Award from ACFW, and won the OCW Cascade Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is always on the hunt for random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets.

My Take:
This was an interesting read with a different twist than your usual treasure hunt. Some parts I found a little slow going, but the author kept me interested in the story and added plenty of surprises along the way to make the story appealing. 

I enjoyed how Tessa's character matured and grew throughout the story, and I also liked the hero and the sense of mystery that surrounded him. He seemed to have good depth of character. Tessa's mother, on the other hand, is quite the character, and had me in a bit of an uproar at times, with her antics and attitudes. All in all, there were lessons to be learned. 

I loved how the author incorporated the story of the vineyard and the vine-dresser into the tale, using the Scripture from John 15, as Tessa's father had been a vine-dresser himself and taken pride in his own vineyard. I also liked how she used her appreciation for random acts of kindness as part of the plot too. 

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I was impressed enough to read another one in the future. 
A big thanks to Revell for providing me with a free copy of this book. I was not required to review it positively and all opinions are my own.