Hello and welcome back, friends, to another fantastic tour from Lone Star Literary Life. Full disclosure before we begin. I love to read, and one of the reasons I love to read is because I was introduced to the classics from a very young age.
Daughter of a voracious reader, I was guilty of slipping books far beyond my scope and struggling through all the big words and big ideas. I read and didn’t understand Longfellow. I attempted to piece meaning between Austen and Brontë, usually with a dictionary close by.
Reading historical books was like opening a window to the past. Even while reading fiction, you could find so much of the author’s times between the lines. I suppose that’s why so many of us love reading and writing historical fiction today.
Today, I’d like to invite you to step back into the past for a bit, with author Joanna Davidson Politano’s masterwork, The Love Note.
THE LOVE NOTE
by Joanna Davidson Politano
Genre: Christian / Historical Fiction / Romance
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: October 20, 2020
Number of Pages: 400
Scroll down for the giveaway!
Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1859 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor.
Everyone at Crestwicke has feelings—mostly negative ones—about the man who wrote the letter, but he seems to have disappeared. With plenty of enticing clues but few answers, Willa’s search becomes even more complicated when she misplaces the letter and it passes from person to person in the house, each finding a thrilling or disheartening message in its words.
Laced with mysteries large and small, this romantic Victorian-era tale of love lost, love deferred, and love found is sure to delight.
CLICK TO PURCHASE
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5 of 5 Stars
2020 has truly been a year of great fiction for me, with stories that have truly moved me. Perhaps because of the tumultuous times, I’ve found refuge and solace in fiction. Filled with richly crafted characters and constant affirmations of faith, Joanna Davidson Politano’s The Love Note is a gift for both inspirational and historical fiction lovers.
I pounced on The Love Note the moment I saw the cover art and title. As a lover of classical artwork, I was instantly drawn in by the woman reading the letter. The portrait invites the viewer to take a peek over the woman’s shoulder and read those mysterious lines. The title also reminded me of stories and movies I’d adored as a child, all centered around love letters and the past. No doubt about it folks, I was hooked, and upon reading, happily fell headlong in love with this story.
The premise sounds like any historical romance you might have heard of. An independent, plucky heroine on her path to challenge gender roles and become a doctor is forced by her father into marriage. Only, luckily for Willa Duvall, her father is of the decent sort, and genuinely wants happiness for his little girl. Because of this, Doctor Duvall gives his daughter one final chance, work as a nurse at a posting of her choosing while waiting for possible acceptance into medical school. When Willa happens upon a mysterious love letter within her desk, mentioning the Crestwicke she knew from childhood, fate intervenes.
Keep in mind, this is 1850’s England, in a time when the country was ruled by a formidable woman, and the battle for women’s suffrage was in full swing. I confess, at the very beginning, while intrigued, I scoffed a bit at the obvious tropes. You’ll forgive me for this reader, as you may be inclined to feel similarly, as Willa arrives at a gloomy manor ruled over by a formidable gentleman, featuring his ailing mother and family secrets fit to burst around every corner. That isn’t to say I don’t love the tropes. There’s a reason we are drawn to these stories, and there is some safety to knowing what to expect.
What transcended The Love Note for me was the way Politano turned every trope on its head and made her characters question themselves, the establishment, and force them to face what truly matters. I fell a little in love with all of them, from quite Gabe, loquacious Aunt Maisie, to Golda, the dragon matriarch of Crestwicke Manor. There is even an appearance of an aged Longfellow, with poetry and words practically spilling between the passages. Not to mention all the twists and turns. Apologies for sounding vague, but I’ll not ruin the mystery for you, simply implore you to pick up a copy as quickly as possible and fall in love yourself.
Written by an author with a clear passion and gift for the written word, The Love Note exceeded my expectations while keeping me eagerly awaiting and dreading the inevitable end.
**I was provided with a copy of The Love Note by the publisher and this is my voluntary and honest review.**
MEET JOANNE DAVIDSON POLITANO
Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears and A Rumored Fortune. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone’s story.
She lives with her husband and their two kids in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. You can find her at www.jdpstories.com.
Website ║ Bookbub ║ Facebook
Twitter ║ Pinterest ║ Amazon ║ Goodreads
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
ONE WINNER
Copy of The Love Note
+ $25 B&N Gift Card
+ Pack of 50 Love Notes Cards
OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 6, 2020
(US ONLY)
A RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE
FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY.
Or, visit the blogs directly:
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10/27/20 |
Book Trailer |
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10/27/20 |
Review |
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10/28/20 |
Character Interview |
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10/29/20 |
Review |
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10/30/20 |
Top Five |
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10/30/20 |
Review |
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10/31/20 |
Excerpt 1 |
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11/1/20 |
Excerpt 2 |
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11/2/20 |
Author Interview |
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11/2/20 |
Review |
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11/3/20 |
Guest Post |
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11/4/20 |
Top Eight List |
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11/4/20 |
Review |
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11/5/20 |
Review |
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11/5/20 |
Review |
blog tour services provided by
Jennifer Silverwood 
Fabulous and beautifully written review. Really makes me want to grab a copy. Thanks for the post.
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Thanks so much, Kristine, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I passed this onto my mom almost immediately after finishing. This is a wonderful “feel good” story everyone should read. 🙂
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