Finding Lady Enderly {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

Raina Bretton is a rag woman in London's east end when a handsome stranger appears in a dank alley and offers her a glittering smile and a chance for adventure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady. Things she could only dream of might be coming true. But some dreams turn out to be nightmares.

Though Raina has traded squalor for silk and satin, something about the abbey is deeply unsettling. As she wrestles with her true identity, the ruin, decay, and secrets she finds at the heart of the old mansion tear at her confidence and threaten to reveal her for who she really is. Only one man stands between her and the danger that lurks within--and only if he decides to keep her biggest secret hidden.

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears and A Rumored Fortune. She freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. 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. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.

What a book! As I read Finding Lady Enderly, I couldn't help but feel as though I was reading a classic novel--- not something just released. This is not just because of it's historical setting, but just the overall timeless feel of the story.

The mystery and suspense promised in this story is what first drew me to this book based upon the description, and it's certainly what kept me in it's grasp right through to the end. This isn't what I would call a fast paced suspense--- there were no major action packed scenes or anything of that sort, but rather a mystery that built throughout the story. Who was the REAL Lady Enderly? What had happened to her? What secrets were being kept? And how would Raina ever get herself out of this mess? I had to read on to get all the answers!

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book was the romance and the secret communication. Ah yes, perhaps that adds a bit to the mystery in the story as well. The communication between Raina and her love through secret book references was absolute romantic perfection. The lover of classic literature will certainly enjoy the many great references and how they weave so beautifully into the story.

Aside from the romance, this was also a really great story about identity, and how we are more than just a name or what people see and believe about us. It was really interesting to see Raina come to this throughout the story, and to see God's part in all of that too.

Overall, this was a really good story and one that I'm so glad to have read. Fans of historical romance will definitely want to add this to their to be read list!