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Lady Jayne Disappears
by
When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.
When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing ...more
When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing ...more
Paperback, 411 pages
Published
October 3rd 2017
by Fleming H. Revell Company
(first published October 2017)
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Start your review of Lady Jayne Disappears
"Fiction was not always a lie, but a truth told in parallel to real life. A pill of advice disguised in an easy-to-swallow tale."
And there's a tale to be told here. A tale of fathers and daughters and the written word.
Death knocks softly on the wooden door of Debtor's Prison. Aurelie Harcourt's father has suddenly been released from the ties that bind him here. Penniless, he leaves his daughter but two things after his untimely death: his famous pen name of Nathaniel Droll and a shocking connec ...more
And there's a tale to be told here. A tale of fathers and daughters and the written word.
Death knocks softly on the wooden door of Debtor's Prison. Aurelie Harcourt's father has suddenly been released from the ties that bind him here. Penniless, he leaves his daughter but two things after his untimely death: his famous pen name of Nathaniel Droll and a shocking connec ...more
I received this book for free from JustRead tours as part of their Blind Date with a Book tour.
First off, I just want to say that JustRead tours did an amazing job matching me with this book. It was right up my alley.
This book was like Jane Eyre meets a Charles Dickens novel and I loved it. It’s like Jane Eyre in the sense that the main character is living in a mysterious house with people above her station. Similar to a Dickens novel, this book deals with and shed light on some unsavory thing ...more
First off, I just want to say that JustRead tours did an amazing job matching me with this book. It was right up my alley.
This book was like Jane Eyre meets a Charles Dickens novel and I loved it. It’s like Jane Eyre in the sense that the main character is living in a mysterious house with people above her station. Similar to a Dickens novel, this book deals with and shed light on some unsavory thing ...more
Did you see that? Do you see what I did here? I'm giving this book 5 stars. That, my friends, is a rarity. I admit it. I'm a jaded reader, so I don't pass out the ol' fiver very easily.
But sweet, precious heavens . . . this book was so worth it.
The story is captivating. The setting made me feel as if I were there. And let's talk just for a moment about the writing, shall we? Author Joanna Politano is an expert wordsmith -- the kind that makes me want to hang up my writerly hat because how on ear ...more
But sweet, precious heavens . . . this book was so worth it.
The story is captivating. The setting made me feel as if I were there. And let's talk just for a moment about the writing, shall we? Author Joanna Politano is an expert wordsmith -- the kind that makes me want to hang up my writerly hat because how on ear ...more
Lady Jayne Disappears is both a surprise and a delight of a debut novel. Joanna Politano’s writing reminded me of a delicious mix of Siri Mitchell and Sandra Byrd, two authors whose novels I love. In tone, it is mysterious, a touch Gothic, and unique – something that can only be claimed as Politano’s own personal style. I was thrilled to see that the story is told from Aureile Harcourt’s first person perspective. Her voice is distinct and strong. Her character is endearing and had me wishing the
...more
3.5 stars
I have to admit, I took a chance on this book because the cover is so delightfully interesting! I found the mystery engaging and interesting, though Aunt Eudora's continued keeping of secrets was annoying to me as well as to the heroine. The descriptions of the prison and the country house are very well done and make the scenes easy to imagine. I really loved how the color purple was identified as Lady Jayne's color, and how that thread was carried through to the end.
It's a good story f ...more
I have to admit, I took a chance on this book because the cover is so delightfully interesting! I found the mystery engaging and interesting, though Aunt Eudora's continued keeping of secrets was annoying to me as well as to the heroine. The descriptions of the prison and the country house are very well done and make the scenes easy to imagine. I really loved how the color purple was identified as Lady Jayne's color, and how that thread was carried through to the end.
It's a good story f ...more
I enjoyed this English historical romance with mystery and lots of unexpected twists and turns. I listened to the audio version, and it had an excellent English narrator, but I think I would've enjoyed it even more if I'd read the paperback version so I could slow down a bit and keep all the characters straight. It is a complex story with a Gothic feeling and reflections of Dickens' Little Dorrit. The mystery kept me guessing until the last chapter, and the romance was sweet and satisfying. High
...more
4.5 stars TOP PICK
I want to gush. May I gush? I shall gush. Woooooooooooooooooooooow. Definitely one of my top reads of the year. It’s everything I want in a historical romantic mystery. Complete with compliments to Great Expectations which may be my most loved of the classics. “Lady Jayne” has thoroughly bewitched me. I am in its spell and am quite content to remain there.
About this book:
“When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.
When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidde ...more
“When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.
When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidde ...more
This debut pulled me in and swept me away from beginning to end.
Aurelie Harcourt grows up in debtor's prison with her father and then goes to live with her well off family. Woven in seamlessly and in beautiful accompaniment is the finishing of the novel Lady Jayne Disappears.
The mystery and romance were equally compelling. The feel of the novel is Gothic yet hopeful.
I adored this novel and am delighted to have found such a lovely debut.
My gratitude to the publisher Revell for a complimentary Net ...more
Aurelie Harcourt grows up in debtor's prison with her father and then goes to live with her well off family. Woven in seamlessly and in beautiful accompaniment is the finishing of the novel Lady Jayne Disappears.
The mystery and romance were equally compelling. The feel of the novel is Gothic yet hopeful.
I adored this novel and am delighted to have found such a lovely debut.
My gratitude to the publisher Revell for a complimentary Net ...more
When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies he leaves her 2 things: his pen name, Nathaniel Droll, and his wealthy family - who really don't want anything to do with her. Raised in a debtor's prison by her father, Aurelie grows up with a love of writing, but can she continue her father's weekly series without anyone knowing?
I loved Aurelie's never give up nature and her love of books and writing. The snippets from Lady Jane's story at the beginning of each chapter were a wonderful introduction. Aurelie ...more
I loved Aurelie's never give up nature and her love of books and writing. The snippets from Lady Jane's story at the beginning of each chapter were a wonderful introduction. Aurelie ...more
Nov 22, 2019
Shantelle
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
christian-fiction,
reviewed,
read-in-2019,
edwardian-ww1,
romance,
historical,
adult,
young-adult,
five-star,
suspense-mystery
This book! Captivated me from beginning to end! Joanna Davidson Politano is my newest favorite author ... I feel like a little girl reading her work, thinking: I want to be like her when I grow up! Truly, her writing style coupled with her vivid, meaningful tale inspired me SO much. The ending went straight to my heart. Now I want to sit down and write a book perhaps halfway as mysterious and soul-deep as Lady Jane Disappears. Cannot wait to read more from this author. Fresh, original, and authe
...more
Full review on Faithfully Bookish
"A well-written book always revealed the complex truth about its characters, but more than anything, the basic truth about its author" p. 326
Lady Jayne Disappears is masterfully written and completely captivating. Each page is an indulgence of beautiful words, every chapter hints at hidden meanings and elusive truths.
Aurelie Harcourt is a heroine worthy of readerly adoration. She is genuine, compassionate, and (despite her insecurities) an enormously talented st ...more
"A well-written book always revealed the complex truth about its characters, but more than anything, the basic truth about its author" p. 326
Lady Jayne Disappears is masterfully written and completely captivating. Each page is an indulgence of beautiful words, every chapter hints at hidden meanings and elusive truths.
Aurelie Harcourt is a heroine worthy of readerly adoration. She is genuine, compassionate, and (despite her insecurities) an enormously talented st ...more
Must read book of the year! I can't not write a review to do this book justice. It was remarkable, fantastic, un-put downable it was out of this world GREAT, I HIGHLY recommend this 5 star book you will not be sorry. It is the one book everyone who reads must read this year.
The plot, the characters, everything about this book was spot on.
I can't wait to read more by Politano. If you are on my Christmas list you WILL be getting a copy of this book this year!
The Mary Reader received this book fro ...more
The plot, the characters, everything about this book was spot on.
I can't wait to read more by Politano. If you are on my Christmas list you WILL be getting a copy of this book this year!
The Mary Reader received this book fro ...more
I absolutely loved this gem of a book! The characters, mystery and romance were so well written. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.
I really love the cover of this book and feel it sets the tone for the story inside. I enjoyed the uniqueness of this books and the skill it took for the author to weave in all the elements through the book.
This was an absolutely lovely debut novel. I loved the story within a story approach, so cool and so perfect for this book! As a writer myself I always love books where the main character is a writer and this one was no exception, I found myself relating to Aurelie in so many ways! I loved both Silas and Aurelie, they were perfect for each other and I immensely enjoyed watching their romance develop. I also especially loved side character Nelle, I am so hoping that perhaps she will get a story o
...more
♥
Whew!
Review coming soon.
//R E V I E W//
This book was an exhibition of craftsmanship that I have not seen in a long time. The beautiful descriptions, glorious word pictures and the even more amazing, twisting plot make this a masterpiece.
The overall story was incredible with a plot that twists in ways that are unpredictable, heartbreakingly beautiful, and simply genius. I never once knew what to expect. It was complicated and multi-faceted which kept me interested as I turned page after page. The ...more
Review coming soon.
//R E V I E W//
This book was an exhibition of craftsmanship that I have not seen in a long time. The beautiful descriptions, glorious word pictures and the even more amazing, twisting plot make this a masterpiece.
The overall story was incredible with a plot that twists in ways that are unpredictable, heartbreakingly beautiful, and simply genius. I never once knew what to expect. It was complicated and multi-faceted which kept me interested as I turned page after page. The ...more
Charming. A delightful listening experience.
3.5 stars! A nice debut that evokes both the gothic mysteries of the Brontë sisters and the social criticisms of Dickens. The premise held my interest enough to finish the book, but I was still able to put it down for hours, even days, at a time without missing it (it usually takes me five hours to read a book this length, not five days). The writing did suffer a bit from poor, inconsistent editing and unfortunate anachronisms, but the characters were charming and the end satisfying, if a bit ab
...more
Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano is an exciting and complex debut. I've been anticipating this book for a LONG time! In fact, I added it to my TBR "shelf" way early in the year. The premise of a young lady in Victorian England secretly writing under a pen name while trying to solve a mystery connected to her own family just sounded so intriguing! And, it was.
The one word that sums up the feeling of this story: ALLURING. From start to finish, I was impressed by the character gro ...more
The one word that sums up the feeling of this story: ALLURING. From start to finish, I was impressed by the character gro ...more
This mysterious, gothic tale was full of strange characters and secrets that always felt just beneath the surface. The author did a great job of creating an atmosphere that left me wondering who to trust and what had really happened to the elusive Lady Jayne.
Aurelie Harcourt was a strange mix of two worlds in this novel. On the one hand, she was fairly accurate at reading the nature of a person. I say fairly accurate, because all was not as it seemed in her strange and moody extended family. On ...more
Aurelie Harcourt was a strange mix of two worlds in this novel. On the one hand, she was fairly accurate at reading the nature of a person. I say fairly accurate, because all was not as it seemed in her strange and moody extended family. On ...more
The ending was superb, so many twists!
Oct 26, 2017
Ruthie Jones
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle-book,
lone-star-book-blog-tours
Lady Jayne Disappears is a masterful metafictional tale that blurs the line between telling a story and living the truth. Aurelie Harcourt picks up the telling of Lady Jayne Disappears upon the death of her father, inheriting the mysterious nom de plume: Nathaniel Droll. And I must say that this secret authorial identity passed from father to daughter is, indeed, quite droll. Prepare to be amazed and amused.
Joanna Davidson Politano’s writing is so wonderfully melodic and lyrical that my heart so ...more
Joanna Davidson Politano’s writing is so wonderfully melodic and lyrical that my heart so ...more
Aug 02, 2019
Sarita
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
christion-historic,
audiobooks
I can understand now why people raves about Joanna Davidson Politano's work. She has an unique way with her words and describing her scenes and characters that transports you back to that era.
Aurelie's story of growing up in debtor's prison, then having to blend in to her extended family's pretentious lifestyle was interesting and I enjoyed seeing her growth. What was more intriguing was the story of Lady Jayne's disappearance and following the serials to uncover what happened. As the story deve ...more
Aurelie's story of growing up in debtor's prison, then having to blend in to her extended family's pretentious lifestyle was interesting and I enjoyed seeing her growth. What was more intriguing was the story of Lady Jayne's disappearance and following the serials to uncover what happened. As the story deve ...more
When you get an email saying you made it onto the launch team!
...more
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Wow. Just...beautiful. Review:
This is one of the most beautifully crafted novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a very long time. It was such a masterpiece of writing.
A story within a story, with twists and turns, and curiosities that leave you wondering but keep you oh-so absorbed in its pages.
Upon closing the final page, I had to sit back in a bit of awe. The author has a way with words, just as the main character Aurelie has. May I also say how much I love that name – Aurelie. So beautif ...more
This is one of the most beautifully crafted novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a very long time. It was such a masterpiece of writing.
A story within a story, with twists and turns, and curiosities that leave you wondering but keep you oh-so absorbed in its pages.
Upon closing the final page, I had to sit back in a bit of awe. The author has a way with words, just as the main character Aurelie has. May I also say how much I love that name – Aurelie. So beautif ...more
What a debut! It’s been awhile since I’ve been incredibly impressed with a debut! Mystery, intrigue, more mystery, romance and a totally captivating story.
This was one of those reads I had to finish in one sitting. It was haunting, unique and not all characters turned out as you thought. There were a couple pieces I wanted to know more about at the end, but even with that, I so enjoyed this journey.
I also loved that many characters were not exactly as they first appeared. With each new layer pee ...more
This was one of those reads I had to finish in one sitting. It was haunting, unique and not all characters turned out as you thought. There were a couple pieces I wanted to know more about at the end, but even with that, I so enjoyed this journey.
I also loved that many characters were not exactly as they first appeared. With each new layer pee ...more
Lady Jayne is one of those rare books that I will absolutely force everyone I know to read. There is so much more this story than an intriguing and surprising plot line. This is a book so decadent and rich that if it were a food, your waist line would suffer from this irresistible treat.
The plot itself is intriguing and full of wonderful surprises, and my little writer's heart just eats up all the emotions and struggles of Aurelie Harcourt as she takes up her father's pen name. Plot twists aboun ...more
The plot itself is intriguing and full of wonderful surprises, and my little writer's heart just eats up all the emotions and struggles of Aurelie Harcourt as she takes up her father's pen name. Plot twists aboun ...more
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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 manuscript for Lady Jayne Disappears was a finalist for several contests, including the 2016 Genesis Award from ACFW, and won the OCW Cascade Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is always on the hunt for rando
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