What a beautiful, atmospheric story of intrigue! From the authentic characters, to the genuine storylines, to the differing POVs - it was all wonderfully done. The writing style is almost artistic, like a craft that has been refined over the years.

I have never read anything from this author before, but this book will not be my last. And oh that cover. It's pure gorgeousness.

All in all, a solid story of hidden desires and a mysterious love note that turns everyone's life into turmoil. I am definitely going to reread this book again this year!

Well, gee. How could I not love a book with such poetic lines as this?

“It was so different with Gabe than with any other man of my acquaintance, for we knew each other as two books whose pages were worn from heavy reading, their lines memorized and recalled in a moment.”

Or this:

“Matched souls always find their way back to one another, for they seek refuge in the same place.”

Le sigh. Taken strictly as a romance, this book is everything. There are many different characters in this book and we see different stages of each of their relationships. Gabe is the absolute dreamiest hero ever. The strong, silent types get me Every. Single. Time. And he supports his woman’s career. He’s my new favorite person. Hawt. And that’s all I can say about him right now. Honestly, this is the most Renee book ever. So much romance. Oh, I cried too. I never cry, but this book has several poignant moments. I’m actually still crying. Why’d you do me this way, Golda? Oof.

Anyway...this is a Christian romance so there are definitely overt religious themes throughout, but even if you’re not into it, it’s not “pushy”, but flows naturally with the rest of the story. I’m making a point to go back and read this author’s previous releases and am adding her next book to my tbr list as well. 5 huge stars!

*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*

Beautiful book!

This is a book that touches the heart of the reader and changes it for good. I loved every page, and I find myself with a full heart now that I’ve finished the book. I will eagerly wait for future books by this author!

About this book:

“A forgotten letter. A secret love. A vast estate. Can one determined woman put the pieces together?
Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1865 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.”


Series: As of now, no. It is currently a stand-alone.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, read, & discussed; Many Prayers; Many talks about God & His paths; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; Many mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, services, sermons, & vicars; Mentions of blessings, being blessed, & curses; Mentions of miracles; A few mentions of sins & sinners; A couple mentions of a tunnel that priests used to escape persecution; A couple mentions of nuns; A mention of reading Scriptures;
*Note: Mentions of ghosts & haunted place; A couple mentions of superstitions; A mention of exorcising a sin.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘drat’; Falling & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of blood/bleeding, injuries, pain, fighting, & deaths (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a fire & death (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of thieves, thefts, & stealing; Mentions of threats & being threatened; Mentions of jealousy, betrayal, & hatred; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of an injured horse; A couple mentions of deaths & wars; A couple mentions of prison; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of pirates; A mention of embezzlement.


Sexual Content- a hair kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, two detailed kisses (because of the length, not overly emotional/physical), and seeing a married couple kiss (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Noticing, Touches, Dancing, & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Thinking a spouse is having an affair & dealing with betrayal/doubt; Mentions of an illegitimate duke & an out-of-wedlock pregnancy; Mentions of kisses, kissing, & wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a married couple sharing a bed, their forms, being vulnerable, & a wife noticing her husband undressing (nothing sexual happens or alludes to happening); Mentions of scandals; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of infatuation; Mentions of romance novels; A few mentions of hand kisses; A few mentions of touches; A few mentions of a player; A couple hints of a girl possibly working as a prostitute; A couple mentions of a young girl saying that girls can’t protect themselves from men who see something they want & a couple hints to men behaving inappropriately; A couple mentions of noticing; A couple mentions of flirting & blushes; A couple mentions of chaperones; A mention of noticing a man’s muscles; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Mentions of a couple losing many babies; A mention of circumcision.

-Willa Duvall, age 24
1st P.O.V. of Willa & 3rd P.O.V. of a handful of others
Set in 1865 {Though, I believe there to be a typo about the last chapter’s year}
376 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars

My goodness.

This was something so poetic and beautiful in a somewhat bittersweet way in this book.

The concept of a sealed, hidden letter intrigued me, but how this book did its own full circle was striking and memorizing.

Willa and her parts remind me of something out of Pride & Prejudice or Little Women in the style of the poetic writing and thoughts from Willa. (It should be noted that I have never read those books, but I’ve seen the movies many, many, many times thanks to my mom and sister.) There was a hopefulness from her to go on the path she felt like the Lord wanted her to be on. There was a society telling her that her dream was not possible for her gender. There was a goodness about Willa that I immensely enjoyed. There were so many lines or conversations that I wanted to share. Especially in the faith content of this book. I loved how two of the characters dear to Willa were so vocal about their faiths & how talking about God was a completely normal part of their lives.

When I read a book, 95% of the time my brain is trying to figure out how the plot will twist and what will happen next. I don’t know why it does this, but there are very few books where my brain turns off this lovely (sarcasm) feature. Reading a book where I just read and follow the story along as we go through each curve as they are written on each page is a rarity for me. But it’s also one of the highest compliments I can give a book and one I give this to this book. I was truly impressed with so many parts of this story and it’s definitely being marked as a favorite 2020 book.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-love-note-by-joanna-davidson.html


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.

If this book had a soundtrack, I feel like it would be the prologue music from Beauty and the Beast… its gothic and mysterious and so fun to get lost in.

I mentioned previously that her writing has a lyrical quality to it. This is the 3rd book I’ve read of hers, and the way she writes makes the story feel like its jumping off the pages. Her writing style fits so well with the time period she writes… I can’t imagine it working quite as well in an era other than Victorian. I also don't read many books written in first person, and I really liked it because it feels like reading a journal.

While there definitely is romance in the plot, I don't think it could be considered the main plot. I rather liked it, because it allowed you to really see the heart of the characters (and the story) without the distraction of "in your face" romance and swooning.

It was a little bit hard to follow at times, which is why it took me so long to read it, because I really had to slow down and focus on the story. Sometimes books with winding plots like this one had get confusing and if I had sped through I would have no idea what was going on. Additionally I think a few characters were unnecessary to the plot, but on the other hand it was nice to have a little bit of diversity of thought within the story (that doesn't really make sense but hopefully if you've read the book you know what I mean!

One of the things I've come to love about Joanna Politano's books is that there are always unexpected layers to the story. This one was quite simply exquisite. One lost love note had the ability to transform more than just the recipient's life and proved the power of our words. And the ending? Well, let's just say it's not what you'll expect but I think you'll find, like me, that you loved it anyway.

Joanna Davidson Politano is one of my favorite authors when it comes to historical romance with a side of mystery. Throughout this entire story, I thought I knew exactly what was going on and then I was so wrong. This story had me all over emotionally. I felt the determination of Willa, the sadness of Gabe, the hurt and offense from Golda.

Golda was the most surprising character for me. I started out not liking her at all. In reality, it was just that no one understood her, and that showed in the story. As a reader, I didn't understand her and when I finally did, I wanted so badly to make her family understand her.

Gabe was my favorite character. I loved that he was exactly who and what Willa needed, even though she didn't seem to take notice. He was/is the best book boyfriend. I absolutely adored him. I wanted to make everything right in their lives. He handled everything with such grace. More people should be like that in the world today. It'd make the world a much more beautiful place.

I absolutely adore this story and cannot wait to read more from this amazing author.

The Love Note is a bit of an odd book, but in a good way. I did not know what to expect, really, when I picked this up, except that I had enjoyed one of Politano’s prior books, and the blurb sounded intriguing. So I was excited to have this book take me for a ride.

I love that the focus is so much on the note and finding out both about the writer and its intended recipient. While the story focuses largely on Willa’s perspective and her journey to love, it also dips into others’ heads and you see the impact the letter has on them. POV switching can be jarring, especially if not done with great care, so I like that Politano did take the time to flesh out all her characters and make it so the story flowed well in spite of these shifts. While I did still find it a bit odd at times, I wasn’t ever lost.

And I really liked Willa and Gabe‘s own journey toward finding happiness with one another. Both are very compelling characters. I liked Willa’s ambition for a career over marriage, and Gabe has a sort of quiet, understated affection that I really appreciate, given the tendency toward big, bold, and brooding.

This was a delightfully original sweet historical romance, and one I think will delight many fans of the genre.

I’ll go ahead a say it - I adored this story! I haven’t read anything from Joanna Davidson Politano since her debut novel, something I shall have to rectify very soon. I was drawn in from the very first page and couldn’t wait to see where the story was going to go! The complexity kept me wondering and the beauty in so many of the lines had me wishing I had a pen and paper nearby to write them down. I definitely have a “book hangover” from this one and I don’t regret one moment of it.
As it’s been a while since I’ve read anything from this author, I had no recollection to create expectations. That being said, I had also forgotten what a great storyteller she is! From the mystery surrounding the letter, to the many characters whose hearts were revealed through an anonymous letter, I was captivated by this story of love lost, love found, and so many questions of what true love looks like. Much of this story comes from the perspective of Willa Duvall as she searches for the writer of the letter, as well as answers to the many questions she has regarding her life and purpose. I loved watching her grow in compassion and wisdom, as well as finding answers that surprise and challenge her. The story also comes from a few other characters, as the letter makes its rounds through a household of broken and hurting people.
There’s so much of this novel that pulled on my heart, but I think my favorite part was the hope that is woven through a telling that is at times difficult and broken, while also somehow being beautiful and healing.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction full of twists, turns and so much hope.

*My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book! I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise, and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano beautifully overwhelmed me. Twenty-four hours after finishing this novel I still have no idea how to adequately put into words how stupendous and marvelous this story is. The storyline is superb. I devoured this book in two days. I truly did not want to put this book down ever. In fact, I want to re-read it just to stay in that glorious book fog that comes when a reader has experienced a truly great piece of fiction. The characters are endearing and unique and very relatable. The heartache each character hides — some deeply, some not so much — ripped my heart into pieces. I actually ached for them because I know what it feels like to feel the way they do. The letter, the central object of The Love Note, is exquisite, but it’s more than that. The letter is a microcosm of the depth and complexity illustrated throughout the narrative. At first glance, the love note is just that, a note from one party to another, but by the end of the story it becomes so much more. It becomes a beacon of hope and illustrates a love greater than anything mere humans can experience. The Love Note is a breathtaking novel that, simply put, must be read immediately.

Let me just say that EVERYTHING about this novel is my favorite, but if I had to pare down to a single thematic idea, it would have to be moving out of God’s way. Willa is a force to be reckoned with. She is feisty, highly intelligent, and a woman of action. Her heart is always in the right place, but things often don’t work according to her plans and she gets frustrated and disheartened. I had to laugh at Willa’s antics because I definitely saw myself in her character a few times. There are two moments in the story that really stood out to me. First, a conversation between Willa and wise, old Aunt Maisie. In frustration Willa states, “Why can’t I ever seem to say the right thing? My words … they’re still wrong, Aunt Maisie.” Aunt Maisie tells Willa that the problem lies with Willa. Willa is using her words, not God’s. Willa rushes in to save the day instead of pausing, praying, and saturating herself in God’s Words. I may have blushed a little at Maisie’s brilliance while scenes of my past flitted across my mind’s eye. We humans would do well to pause a bit before we speak and act.

The second moment that stood out to me is when Willa contemplates her love story. She states, “My love story took longer than most to fully show itself.” This one phrase from the novel made me contemplate my own love story. Mine took a LONG time to show itself. Like Willa, I believed I was slated to be a spinster and that devastated me. I remember all the disastrous relationships I desperately entered into hoping with all my heart that this one would be the one. But they never worked out. It was when I gave up, when I stopped trying to do things my way, that I finally met the man who would be my husband. As Willa realizes in this novel, I had to come to the understanding that I was getting in the way of the story God had planned for me and along the way I made some pretty terrible mistakes. Don’t worry, Willa is much better than I am and her story is nothing like mine, but the idea of getting in God’s way is the same. Willa’s words and actions do get her and others into a little bit of trouble. My words and actions have done the same. The lesson is clear: to experience the best God has for us, we must stop, pause, saturate ourselves in His Word, and let God be God.

I could go on and on with this review. The Love Note is excellently written, highly engaging, and utterly breathtaking. This is a novel I will not ever forget. The Love Note is a must-read story, and I implore you to purchase a copy for yourself today. You will not regret your purchase.

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Fleming H. Revell Company, via NetGalley, in order to review. I also received a paperback copy of this novel from the author, Joanna Politano, as well. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.