The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano

I am so excited to have received another box from one of my favorite bookish subscription services, Once Upon a Book Club! This time I received the Adult box for the month of December, with the clue “Melody of Madness!”

Take a look below for information on the book and gifts that I received in this box and more – but keep in mind that there will be spoilers on the gifts!

Thanks so much to the folks over at Once Upon a Book Club for gifting me with this box! Check them out for yourself, and use my code TACKLINGTBR at check out for a discount!

About the Box

The Melody of Madness box was Once Upon a Book Club’s adult box for December 2022! Each box contained a custom edition of the book designed specifically by Once Upon a Book Club, as well as three wrapped gifts to tie into the book – bringing the book and reading experience to life!

Page 62

“I said, don’t drink the tea.”

A set of two 10oz. Glass Mugs

Page 205

“The blanket edged down, and I felt her racing heart against my shoulder, a wild tempo of fear, and closed my eyes.”

A 51″ X 71″ Polyester & Flannel Moonlight Sonata Blanket

Page 302

“‘So you never have to face the darkness.’ He took my right hand and wrapped my fingers around what felt like matches.”

A set of two Taper Candles

About the Book

Published By: Fleming H. Revell Company

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Mystery

Page Count: 378 pages

Description from Goodreads:

“Darkly premised and brilliantly presented. The Lost Melody serves a pitch-perfect blend of history, romance, mystery, and faith.”– Booklist starred review

***

When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant’s father dies, he leaves to her the care of an adult ward she knew nothing about. The woman is supposedly a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. The woman’s portrait is shockingly familiar to Vivienne, so when the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.

The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know. But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?

Fan-favorite Joanna Davidson Politano casts a delightful spell with this lyrical look into the nature of women’s independence and artistic expression during the Victorian era–and now.

Review:

Unfortunately, I ended up DNF-ing this book at about the halfway point. I was having a really hard time feeling invested in the story or the characters, and I wasn’t feeling like I was looking forward to getting home from work and picking this book up to learn more.

I have no specific complaints about this book, besides to say that at this time it wasn’t the right read for me.

I am definitely keeping an open mind to the possibility of picking it back up in the future, either with this gorgeous physical copy or jumping into it in an audio format!

About the Author

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 random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.

Link to Purchase the Book

Learn more about Once Upon A Book Club, or order your next read, here!