A well done debut novel with a complex plot and colorful characters set in Victorian England. One part mystery, one part romance, this story had the feel of Dickens, Bronte, and Austen all rolled into one, with plenty of plot twists, and a Gothic feel with an old eerie country manor home backdrop.

The main character, Aurelie reminded me of Little Dorrit, with a bit of Jane Eyre, as she feels out of place and yet, longs to belong. Having the heart of an artist, she captures the people around her and makes sense of her situation through her writing. Seeing things through her perspective was interesting as she tried to work out her dilemma, and solve the mystery. I loved her conversations with Silas, as he challenges her, and they banter back and forth. Silas is a great character, intentionally seeing the good in people, as he believes God would want him to. He is a noble, kind gentleman. Nelle was also a sweet natured young woman, and a lovely friend. With the many twists to the story, I wondered how it would all end. I was a little confused at the start, but it all became clearer, and the satisfying conclusion made it worth all the angst in between.

Prayers for help and Scripture verses are adeptly woven in as Aurelie finds herself more dependent on God than ever. I like how the 23rd Psalm was used throughout the book, and how she clung to verses to bolster her faith and courage. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. I'd never had to depend so fully on the Lord before this, and it seemed now he was all I had."

Recommend this book to readers who enjoy a mystery and clean romance, with some faith. (There are some mature subjects in the story, but no graphic details. ) 4.5 stars

(An ebook was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)

Lady Jayne Disappears was an okay one-timer. I thought the story was just average. Once I started, I did want to find out the ending.

The story is about Aurelie Harcourt, who has just lost her dear papa. She grew up in debtor's prison and has a caring heart for the inmates there. She is sent to her extended family to stay. They treat her with disdain and keep her at arms length. A friend of the family is also staying at the house. Silas is a kind man who is interested in Aurelie.

Aurelie used to help her father write novels under the name Nathaniel Droll. She decides to finish the last novel the wrote together. But she puts a little too much fact in her writings and situations spiral out of her control.

I wasn't very impressed with Lady Jayne Disappears.

"Lady Jayne Disappears" is Christian romance set in 1861 in England. The book was mostly about Aurelie learning to write stories. She did little investigation into her mother's disappearance, generally content with her own explanations. The moment she met a person, she'd write a fictional story for them, not bothering to learn the truth until reality forced her to change her opinion.

I liked Silas, who was kind and thoughtful. Aurelie seemed an unintentional contradiction, though. She grew up among prisoners, which allows her to write realistic characters. Yet she usually acted like she grew up completely sheltered from the real world. She's very trusting, idealistic, and sweet. She easily overlooked sin in practically everyone but was very judgmental of her own relatives.

Unfortunately, the story wasn't very realistic or historically accurate. Some errors were little details, like the description of the whist game didn't sound like how whist was actually played. Or inconsistencies, like how Silas was surprised that the jail-keeper didn't fed the prisoners free meat each day. Silas was poor once and should have known that the poor could rarely afford meat. He also wouldn't have expected the jail-keeper to spend his own money to provide it. Many details about debtor's prison were portrayed in a misleading or inaccurate way. For example, Aurelie stated that the debtors weren't allowed to work (except her father). In real life, debtors could work within the prison to earn money, some debtor's were allowed to leave during the day to work, and family members could work. The author also gave the heroine and hero modern views and sometimes characters used modern phrases.

Aurelie was a strong Christian who meditated on verses and frequently prayed for people. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I enjoyed the characters, but many holes in the story were never explained and errors and inconsistencies kept jerking me out of the story.

The story within a story premise of Lady Jayne Disappears is intriguing. Politano works hard to create a lush, unique world for her heroine. I found the first person point of view a little difficult at times. The pace was also a little disconcerting, sometimes moving very slowly, and at other times moving too quickly to introduce the characters clearly. For a first novel, I think the author has written well, and has potential to write even more captivating stories in the future.

Synopsis: 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 hidden while searching for the truth about her mother's disappearance--and perhaps even her father's death.


My Review: Lady Jayne disappears, is a captivating, mystery, romance story that truly was hard to put down. The author immediately pulls you into the story with her writing., twisting plots and really keeping the audience entertained.
I couldn't wait to see what happened to Lady Jayne, and what would happen to Miss Harcourt. The storyline focuses on Miss Harcourt as she struggles to survive in the upper society of London while trying to keep her identity secret and solving the mystery of what happened to Lady Jayne.
I was fascinated by Aurelie’s character. She had the loving, helping, a selfless attitude which was entirely contradictory of her family at Lynhurst Manor. It was interesting to follow her growth as she familiarized to the family, how she tried not to fall into the ways of society; that is pleasing others and pride is more important that Godly morals and thinking of others. We watch as Aurelie struggles to hold on to her values; How tough must it have been to go from penniless to having anything you wanted?

Lady Jayne Disappears is a well-done debut, I certainly look forward to reading more from this author.


I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Wow. What a great debut novel. I was a fan of Jessica Dotta, another author, and this book really reminded me of her work.
From the beginning we are thrust into the world of Aurelie and her imagination. I found it very interesting to see things as she did, as a writer.
Things can be a bit confusing at time, but the author does a great job of feeding you little bites and making you want more and slowly things are revealed.
The whole book just had this mysterious feel to it that I adored. A great cast of characters and wonderful plot.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

I requested this book: well, because it was plugged as a Victorian Gothic Romance cum mystery whose protagonist is a young female writer working incognito. What’s not to love? What indeed. There were so many things about this book that were good; insights into the life and struggles of an author, vivid characters, a solid storyline as well as realistic and sympathetic faith elements.

Yet, I have to say I did not like this as much as my favourite Victorian authors: there was plenty of suspense and drama to keep the reader interested, yes, but there were a few things that were really frustrating for me. Mostly, it was the Americanisms: the book was absolutely riddled with them, and this was exacerbated because it was written in the first person so that the Victorian English characters talked about eating ‘candy’ and ‘dessert’. Indeed, all the characters ate in the American way with only forks, instead of according to the British custom, with a knife and fork held in the right and left hands respectively. In another passage, the heroine sees a character emerging, drunk, from the ‘saloon’ of a pub. Establishments that sell alcohol have never been known as saloons in Britain.

The reference to Aurelie and her Aunt traveling to ‘the London station’ was annoyingly vague. Which London station? There are several major railway stations in London which have existed since Victorian times, King’s Cross, Euston, Victoria to name but a few. It sounds as though the author doesn’t know the names of any railway stations in London, and has just given the general location. Sorry, but I find that lack of detail jarring, and that such oversights damage the credibility of the characters and setting.

I suppose these are only minor details, but they do prevent me from giving the book the higher rating which it otherwise deserves. Mrs. Politano is certainly a talented writer, to be able to write what was essentially a story within a story, with so many twists and turns, suspense and intrigue. I look forward to her next one and recommend this one despite some of the reservations detailed above.

I requested this title from Netgalley and listened to the audiobook of my own volition. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

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.

Lady Jayne Disappears

by Joanna Davidson Politano

Revell

Christian , Historical Fiction

Pub Date 03 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of Lady Jayne Disappears through Revell and Metgalley:

Aurelie Harcourt’s Father dies in debtors prison, he leaves her two things, his wealthy family who she has never met and his unfinished serial novel called Lady Jayne Dissapears. Aurelie decides to finish the novel.

After her Father’s death her new family is unwelcoming and resents her, it is only the Quiet houseguest Silas Rotherham who is welcoming.

The novel brings secrets to light, like the dissapearance and murder of Lady Jayne in the very house Aurelie is now staying at.

Is Lady Jayne, Aurelie’s Mom really dead or was Nathaniel Droll believe she’d been killed.

Find out in Lady Jayne Dissapears!

Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

An intriguing book by a new author that is fascinating and whimsical that I thoroughly enjoyed. Filled with plenty of intrigue and mystery this book keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Loved the characters and how it kept you guessing.

Aurelie has lost her father, and is the only one who knows that the beloved serial author, Nathaniel Droll, is gone as well. As she seeks to find the truth behind the last story her father was writing, she learns about her past, drawing ever closer to danger.

The premise for this story caught my attention, but it didn't always hold my attention. Aurelie was a relatable character and I was fascinated by her attempt to continue the story her father began. The romance side of things I found to be forced and uninteresting. The plot didn't flow at a consistent pace. There was also a hint of the supernatural which I wasn't sure whether was explained at the end or not.

The edge of Dickensian was the main thing that kept me reading. Overall, it was an alright read but not one I'm sure I'd open up again.

I love any book that takes place in Victorian England.

The beginning of the book was very slow. It took half of the book before the story caught my undivided attention. And once it did - I was not able to put it down. As soon as events started to speed up, buried secrets came to lite and boy - those were some good secrets. I'll be honest, that's not the ending I expected. Bravo Joanna Davidson Politano, I like the authors that can surprise me with an interesting plot twist. And you just got a huge fan.

The book contains mystery, suspense, and romance. Perfect evening read.

Loved the story and the characters. The ending did feel a little abrupt. The romance was sweet. Loved the side characters.

Lady Jayne Disappears is one of the best debut novels I've read this year. Politano's style reminds me of Julie Klassen but puts more emphasis on the mystery than the romance. Aurelie Harcourt leaves debtor's prison after the death of her father and faces a new life with long-lost relatives. However, she has a secret life as an author, Nathaniel Droll, who just happens to be writing about her new housemates and a mystery that happened long ago. This book is meant to be savored as Politano slowly reveals the layers of the intricate plot life a chef peeling an onion. Simply put: Read it, and you won't be disappointed! I'm started my second re-reading.

Open the cover and step through time, right onto the doorsteps of debtors prison where you meet Aurelie Harcourt. Embark on a journey as Ms. Politano spins the tale weaving together faith, mystery, and a beautiful love story. Fall into step with Aurelie as she searches for the truth in the lies and legend surrounding the story of lady Jayne and her family. Received this book for our honest review from the publisher.

From the first chapter, I was intrigued. Who was the man who came to collect Aurelie Rose from outside the debtors prison? Why was he so broody? What was Aurelie’s story?
Lady Jayne Disappears is a mystery within a mystery, a story within a story. The twists and turns Joanna Davidson Polatino takes readers on left me craving more as the story continued. Who—exactly—was Lady Jayne? Would Aurelie’s family discover her secret?
In some ways, Aurelie is naïve, but it’s that innocence and her soft heart that endeared her to me. She is smart about some areas of life—after all, she has to be to hide her secret identity.
This book has whispers of the gothic Bronte novels, touches of social class commentary similar to Dickens, with the hope of Austen. Polatino’s debut novel is one to devour.

***I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The full review will be in Library Journal's 11/1/2017 issue. This is a strong debut from Politano who clearly has talents that will reach far beyond her first book.

This book surprised me many times over. When I started reading I really wasn't sure what to expect. And not just because it is a debut novel but also because the type of story it is isn't my typical read.

When I first started reading I expected there to be a layer of mystery just from reading the title. Little did I know that there was more than just a "layer" of mystery and that there were actually multiple mysteries in the book. I very much did enjoy the different mysterious moments in the plot and was surprised my almost all of them!

I found myself very intrigued with Aurelie and her father's lives. It saddened me the way people lived in debtor's prisons. But it made for such an interesting back story for her. I loved the concept of the pen name and I loved the intrigue throughout.

I will admit I struggled to keep up with all of the characters but perhaps that alone is part of the mystery?

I know the dates don't align perfectly but this book had some moments when it reminded me of a Spanish television show called Gran Hotel that was similar to Downton Abbey. It had a lot of similar elements minus the pen name and the serial novel. Oh and speaking of the serial novel... thank goodness we get whole novels now. I could not have handled reading this book one chapter at a time!

I received a copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

After Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison where she has spent her whole life, she goes to stay with her father's wealthy family. But he has left her with an unfinished novel written under his famous pen name of Nathaniel Droll. While finishing his novel she also searches for the truth about her mother.
Gothic in places, but with the overuse of asking for God's help. At times I wished the pace was quicker but there were some redeeming characters, but not many.

I think a YA reader would enjoy this book of they like a tale of mystery set in a the Victorian era. I personally could not conect with the characters and skimmed through much. First person POV usually does not hold my interest.