About The Book

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.

About Joanna Davidson Politano

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 debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, releases October 3 from Revell. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods and shares stories that move her at http://www.jdpstories.com.

My Take:

Raina is a rag woman on the streets in London in 1871 when a mysterious and well dressed stranger tells her he can take her away from this to a life of luxury at Rothburne Abbey. Dare she believe him? And with her dear Sully perished on a sunken ship, what has she here to keep her in London. So she heads out with the man. The Abbey is indeed large and beautiful, with servants to wait on her. But all is not as it seems. There is something very wrong at Rothburne Abbey. She must find a way out of this madness. If only she can trust one person, there might be hope.

Intrigue, danger, darkness mysterious happenings, a haunting Gothic tale reminiscent of the Bronte sisters. All these inhabit this interesting tale of a life that was ordinary and has turned into something quite odd and scary. Fans of the Brontes will love this, and also those who enjoy intrigue in this setting.

*My thanks to the Revell Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.