The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

Let’s begin with the summary:

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.

And now, my review:

I love that the novel is based around a love letter. Willa, a woman in the late 1860s, works in medicine, which makes her a unique character. I liked that aspect. She's strong and competent and we sympathize with her right away. This book’s premise reminded me of the Hallmark movie The Love Letter from 1998, a movie that also inspired me as a writer. The author dedicates her novel to the “POstables,” a fun connection with fans of Hallmark’s Signed, Sealed, and Delivered series.

There are several mysteries and a bit of an eerie feeling to the novel, especially once we arrive at the estate where our heroine will serve as a live-in nurse. She’s stuck there, though, due to her father’s ultimatum. So, she must overcome. But she will not compromise her desire to be loved for who she is in her entirety—not just her body but her mind, talents, and abilities. Brava! In her era, this is a strong stand to take and I loved her for taking it. Modern readers will connect with her and root for her.

I set this book aside early because of the eerie aspect, but there's a lot of potential here. I don't prefer eerie stories, and was unaware that was the tone when I agreed to read it for review. I wish the author and publisher all the best.