Review: Finding Lady Enderly

Finding Lady Enderly

by Joanna Davidson Politano

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.

My Thoughts

I loved this book. With a rags to riches to rags story told in a first person narrative, Finding Lady Enderly is a treat to my Brontë-loving heart. The setting was a total win. Victorian England, on a country estate with a crumbling old abbey…it’s one of my favorite literary settings. Yet what made this story was the characters. While far from perfect, I loved Raina. Though she was a bit naïve and made her fair share of mistakes, I thought she was sweet and underneath the mask she wore, she had a good heart. Her flaws made her relatable and she’s someone I would love to befriend. And Sully! Definitely one of my favorite heroes in recent memory. His devotion to Raina and his courage made him the definition of a hero.

Yet while their romance is very much a part of the novel, I think this is also a story of Raina’s self-discovery. As a person in the world, yet also a being in Christ, her identity is questioned throughout and luminously answered.

I can’t write a review of this book without mentioning the secret correspondence between Raina and Sully. Reading about the messages passed between them through favorite passages in beloved books was a true delight and made me love this book that much more.

Finding Lady Enderly is a marvelous new tale from a very talented author. I can’t wait to read more from Joanna Davidson Politano!

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