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An ARC copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
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MY REVIEW:
A stunning tale that seamlessly blends fantasy with reality. Lily Temple isn’t who she says she is, but she has all her own reasons for hiding her past. A woman on her own attempting to find her own version of happiness and follow the clues right laid out in front of her. Peter Driscoll is a self-employed investigator and his current client is looking for something that Lily has in her possession. Peter isn’t so sure why Lily has this item, but he’s intrigued by her and wants nothing more than to learn more about who she is as he continues his investigation.
The characters are drawn to one another in a unique way of synergies that lead them down their own version of Alice’s rabbit hole. Nothing is as it appears and the continuance of these allegories permeate every page. Peter trying to figure out who Lily is, why everyone else seems to be hunting her, and what she’s really hiding from.
I was enthralled with Lily’s character from the very beginning and the bravery she shows as she’s facing all forms of peril. She always looks on the bright side of life, trying to fill her days with happiness and laughing. But her past is quickly catching up with her and I was enthralled in the journey from beginning to end. Her story is one that must be told in layers, peeled away one at a time to truly understand who she is and what her experiences have meant to her.
Politano’s writing transports you to a form of fairytale shrouded in the cities of reality where mysteries and surprises lurk around every corner. Peter and Lily are a force together that provide all the classical romance feels and energies. Every page felt like not enough and I struggled to stop thinking about their story when I put the book down for the day. Complex life experiences, stories untold, and a mystery woman that Peter is determined to know fully.
My Favorite Quotes:
- “Ah, the deception of it all. That was life, though – the stories you tell yourself, and the stories you present to onlookers. Rarely did the two match. We’re all of us a combination of romance novels, humorous tales, and tragedies, depending on what angle we show the world.”
- “My grownup view on that story is that everything that seems beautiful is actually an insect in the light of day. Everyone is creating an illusion. Acting. All of us project some conjured-up facade to the world, whether we mean to or not.”
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Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has never met anyone like Lily Temple. The beautiful silent-film actress spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera, but beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit–and a murky past.
Peter has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which Lily wears beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and hopefully unravel the mystery of her story–and the sapphire–Peter employs Lily’s help on a case, which leads to a useful partnership. But as they are investigating together, Peter is also investigating Lily. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger they face. And the closer he gets to Lily, the clearer it is that he needs her even more than she needs him.
Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano whisks you away to Edwardian England in 1903 for a whimsical and layered tale that treads the crooked line between real and make-believe.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
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Adventures in Literature 
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