Lady of a Thousand Treasures

Lady of a Thousand Treasures
Sandra Byrd
Tyndale House Publishers

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.

The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.

Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.

With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.

     A twisty-turn read in a Dickensian setting, Lady of a Thousand Treasures has a heavy dosage of mystery and an appreciation for antiquities. The historical threads weaved throughout the story were definitely unique and the writing style is lovely, though it starts out a little slow. Perhaps I would have been a little more keen on it had I felt the romance between Eleanor and Harry more; it wasn't that I disliked Ellie's hero, I just didn't particularly care about their relationship one way or the other. I also felt that maybe the mystery was a bit too drawn out? I tended to feel frustrated more than intrigued with it. However, there were a few turns in the story that genuinely surprised me, which isn't an easy thing to do! So, if you're looking for a Christian historical novel more Dickens than Austen, this may be just your ticket.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.