Another beautiful written book by JDP. Took me a while to get into the story but I persevered and it was worth it. Great cast of characters and super settings.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Who is really Lily Temple? Peter Driscoll is trying to find out & also retrieve the Briarwood Teardrop, a missing necklace. There is mystery, fairytale, & some romance. I found it drawn out & long. I also found myself confused at times & not sure what was going on. I did like how the author used fairytales & storytelling as a way to tell the story though.

This book was a little out of the ordinary for JDP. Her other novels are all Regencies: this one is set 90 years later in 1903. The references to King Edward and moving pictures (early movies) in the first chapter were a hint if you didn’t notice. As I didn’t initially when I started listening to the audiobook.
The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple was a great book with complex characters, and a plot full of twists and turns. Lily uses stories to explain the complexities of her life (and sometimes avoid confronting them), not always realizing that some stories don’t end happily. Or at least as happily as she’d hoped.

Her sentiment that stories are important resonated with me as Tolkien fan. Tolkien was of course famous for believing that Fairy Tales could convey universal truths and values. The only think the protagonist must learn is that we can shape our own stories through our choices, instead of passively allowing them to be shaped by others.

I really hope Joanna Davidson Politano writes more Edwardian Fiction. It is a fascinating period which culminated in upheavals of the First World War, a conflict which changed and shaped the modern world. This came over in this novel: the characters felt like they were Victorian but on the cusp of being “modern” and dealing with the changing political and social mores of the time.

Thanks to Revell for approving me for this title. This did not influence my opinions which are entirely my own.

I didn’t even know what to expect with this book, because Joanna Davidson Politano is an auto buy for me, but after reading, it only serves to prove why. Investigator Peter Driscoll begins investigating renowned actress Lily Temple to seek out a missing gemstone, but he soon becomes enraptured in her story, which is populated by every whimsical being you can think of. The closer they become, however, the more danger they are in, but every tale points the listeners to The Gardener. As the readers, we can see how her fanciful, charming story parallels the story of the One who created us, loves us, and cherishes our own stories. It’s unbelievably beautiful, and reflects facets of Lewis Caroll, Beatrix Potter, and PL Travers, and easily reminds us of the important of being like little children. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to write a positive review.

Truth is a lot more elusive than we'd like to think. People don't just disagree on what is true and what is false. We have different ideas about what "truth" even means. There is a certain irony about not being able to precisely define the very concept of truth.People might use the words truth, reality, knowledge, accurate information, certainties, and facts as if such concepts are completely interchangeable, yet they aren't necessarily.The truth, akin to a snare, eludes a conventional grasping. Understanding and acknowledging the unforeseen nature of truth is an essential step towards navigating the complexities of human perception and self-awareness. Only by embracing the dynamic and elusive nature of truth can individuals pave the way for greater self-understanding and authentic personal growth.
St. Ann's Well Gardens is a park in Hove, East Sussex.The park is renowned for its chalybeate (iron bearing) spring.Here, the name "St. Ann" does not refer to any saint.Instead, the name was apparently based on a myth of Annafrieda, a Saxon lady whose lover was murdered.Her tears miraculously became the Chalybeate Spring.St. Ann's Well Gardens was part of the Wick Estate in the Middle Ages.The Wick Estate was owned by the Stapley family from 1573 until 1701 when it was sold to a family of Brighton brewers, the Scutts.There was a Chalybeate Health Spa in Hove featuring the St. Ann's Well spring operating as early as the 18th century.Around 1800 an elaborate "pump room" was built over the spring,housing assorted facilities.In 1830 the remaining land in the Wick Estate was sold to financier and philanthropist Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid.George Albert Smith (1864–1959),a pioneer in the film industry,leased St Ann's Well Gardens from the Goldsmid family.He was devoted to commercially developing the gardens as a pleasure ground,which included novelties such as hot air ballooning and parachute jumps,a monkey house,a fortune teller and a hermit living in a cave.In addition, Smith used the pump house as a film laboratory, and produced short films there.Later, Smith had a glass house film studio built.

** “The truth may come in layers, but layers can be manipulated.” **

Joanna Davidson Politano delivers an intriguing story of identity, truth and the power of storytelling in “The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple.”

Lily Temple is on the rise as a silent film actress, but she is hiding a major secret. When a private investigator and solicitor Peter Driscoll seeks her out, as well as the mysterious Briarwood Teardrop gem she uses in her films, several mysteries begin to develop, drawing the two together.

Together can they help a woman find her fiance lost in the war? Can Peter discover Lily’s true identity and the truth behind her past? And can they figure out the truth behind the beautiful blue gem?

Politano does a great job of creating a story with a fairy tale essence, filled with romance and mystery. Even though “The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple” is intriguing and unique, at times the story is a little slow with slightly vague and confusing plot lines. But ultimately in the end it pulls together into a delightful story.

The author does also fill it with enigmatic characters and some great themes, like every story has layers and meaning; restoration; the need for identity; we should err on the side of honesty and kindness; revealing our true selves versus creating an illusion (“Everyone is creating an illusion. Acting. All of us project some conjured-up facade to the world, whether we mean to or not”); and “regret was a poison that never left the bloodstream.”

Four stars out of five.

Revell provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

The setting was amazing! I really enjoyed the time period descriptions and language. You come to like the main characters, which doesn't always happen in a story. I thought the story line itself was interesting but wasn't sure if I would be able to get into it based on the time period. I was so wrong, it flowed so well and the dialogue heled with the story. So much so that I recommended it to some family members who only read modern day, they loved it too! Great book!

I really enjoyed this story! It was fascinating and beautifully written. I didn't see the twist coming! I really loved the faith conversations, and I think more of that would have put this one at 5 stars for me. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was an absolutely wonderful read!

It's my third Politano book, and I enjoyed it so very much (not least because of a niche passing reference to Georges Méliès, a historical figure and French director who was also incorporated into the _Hugo_ book and movie).

The characters and plot were both very interesting; I don't think I could pick a favorite character, and there were plenty of twists and turns throughout that I didn't see coming. It's wonderful when plot tropes are incorporated--and then totally rewritten in new directions! And I learned so much about the early years of movie making--a wonderful foil or addendum to _Hugo_ (a movie, especially, I dearly love).

A welcome addition to Politano's works.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I couldn't get into this book at all. Ended up not finishing because I just couldn't get attached to the story.

5+ stars (6/10 hearts). This is my first time trying Joanna Davidson Politano, but I’ve been wanting to read her books for quite a while because they sounded right up my alley; and this book, anyhow, didn’t disappoint.

First off, I love the 1903 setting, especially with the filmmaking! I learned so much about the early movies. I loved the garden and all its cool parts, and the beautiful beach… and the writing style complemented everything so so well. It was so unobtrusive and so beautiful! I don’t usually enjoy modern books’ style quite this much.

I also loved the characters! Peter was such an adorable hero. He reminded me of Peter from Kellyn Roth’s Chronicles of Alice & Ivy SO much. He was just so sweet and upright and clever, and yet not flawless, because what he started out half despising he learned to appreciate by the end. He was just amazing with Lily and he loved people SO much. As for Lily—wow, she was amazing. She was so deep and layered! I hugely enjoyed slowly seeing her peel things back and admit and explain, and she kept me guessing while simultaneously letting me like her more and more. They were a wonderful couple, and their romance was so sweet and simple. Roddy was a great sidekick, despite his dislike of Lily, and I love the gardener, and the villain was SO unexpected… and I haven’t time to get into the other characters but they just FIT IN so well. <3

The plot was delightful! It was mysterious, even suspenseful, but not scary or creepy, just fascinating. It was quite twisty and so, so interwoven. I just couldn’t put the book down. And oh my STARS, I adored how much storytelling was slipped into the story. The whole constant theme of fairytales, and how it related to Lily and her past, and the allegory about God the Father, was gorgeous. I did feel like the spiritual aspect was missing a little—it was so very subtle it wasn’t quite defined, and I wasn’t satisfied—but it was certainly lovely… lovely enough to have me say this! I loved the humour, and the ending was THE BOMB.

Yes, I loved this book. <3 And I can’t wait to read more by this author!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

I’m not sure if this book was mislabeled or I missed seeing it, but I didn’t know that this was Christian historical fiction, I thought it was just historical fiction. I am very picky with what historical fiction I read and this almost ended up as a DNF—it was a very slow and confusing read. The last third of the book started to get a little preachy for me, but I kept reading it to find out how all the mysteries played out. I did like all the fairy tale references (mostly Alice in Wonderland) that were included. The plot was good, a few twists and turns, but the telling of it got a little confusing since it switched points of view with no reference. It was a mystery who’s POV I was reading half the time, which annoyed me. I wanted to like this book but it wasn’t for me.

*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

The greatest stories are the ones that live on in your heart and mind long after the words are no longer in front of you. This is one of those stories.

I’ve read most of Joanna Davidson Politano’s books and this one has become my ultimate favorite of her works to date. The number of layers and illusions and descriptions, caused me to read certain passages more than once just because they were that good. I had goosebumps, then tears in my eyes, and sometimes both at once.

Lily Temple is a character that was mesmerizing from the moment she stepped onto the page. There is a drive to pull back the layers that created Lily, to understand her and the mystery surrounding her that kept me reading, but it is the artistic weaving of God’s love through the position of a gardener that is going to keep me coming back to read this story over and over again.

While I absolutely loved The Lost Melody, I had a hard time getting into The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple. If you've read other books by her, you might enjoy it. It could just be me!

I read/listened to the audio version as well and thought the narrator did a great job.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 9 April 2024

I don’t even know where to begin. This story sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. I stayed up way too late reading it, and I squeezed in as much reading during my day as I could. Lily is a complex character you can’t help but root for. And Peter is, well, a dear you can’t help but love. When these two are together on the page, I couldn’t tear myself away.

The mystery element, as well as the intrigue involved in Peter’s case, had me eager for the next chapter so I could uncover another clue. But honestly, it was the slowly developing romance between Lily and Peter that really had me engrossed. Their personalities complemented each other in a way that’s obvious to the reader, even if it takes the characters a minute to realize it. And though Peter is sweet, he challenges Lily in a way that I loved.

Overall, The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple is perfect for historical fiction fans who love stories with intrigue, romance, and mystery.

An unusual yet delightful mix of fairytale and truth! The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple has a George MacDonald like feel. The analogy of the Garden and the Gardener was beautiful. So many layers of story woven together to tell another story, The Story.

The quotes from classic fairytales at the beginning of each chapter were a fun addition.

TITLE: THE ELUSIVE TRUTH OF LILY TEMPLE
AUTHOR: JOANNA DAVIDSON POLITANO
PUB DATE: 04.09.2024

Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has never met anyone like Lily Temple. The beautiful silent-film actress spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera, but beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit--and a murky past.

Peter has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which Lily wears beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and hopefully unravel the mystery of her story--and the sapphire--Peter employs Lily's help on a case, which leads to a useful partnership.

THOUGHTS:

I love the writing style and quickly I was immersed in 1903 Edwardian England - a cat and mouse thrilling story, historical mystery, with a bit of romance and adventure. I enjoyed the twist and how this slow burn romance developed. A love a witty story within a story and this was the perfect book to get lost in.

Fantastic read!

"The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple" by Joanna Davidson Politano is an Edwardian historical mystery/romance novel published by Revell.

The main character, Lily Temple, is a complex individual with a somewhat secretive past. She is a silent film star who became famous during the Golden Age of Cinema, and she presents a mystical and fairy-tale-like essence.

Peter Driscoll, a detective for the wealthy, becomes captured in Lily's mysterious environment when he discovers a link between her and a prized sapphire he's been hired to locate. As Peter investigates Lily's past and motives more, both of their lives become increasingly at risk as they go on the run.

There is also the theme of storytelling that is noticeable throughout the story. I found that this connected me to its simple yet deep language. I enjoyed how each chapter began with a quote from some well-known storytellers such as Lewis Carroll, Hans Christian Anderson, Jacob Grimm, and George MacDonald, that established the mood for the upcoming chapter. Literary inferences are integrated throughout the book, including those from the novel "A Tale of Two Cities." The writing in the novel is elegantly composed, flowing smoothly like a calm mountain stream.

Readers will be mesmerized by Lily Temple's words, and you too will realize her depth beyond her on-screen, and at times flighty personality.

Another thing I appreciated was the symbolic spiritual themes that are interwoven into the story, that will allow each reader to interpret the message based on their own beliefs. For me, it was ultimately pointing to a Creator and the Master Gardener, God.

"The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple" blends mystery, adventure, fairy tale, and romance to craft a dynamic story of love, sorrow, and renewal.

I heartily feel this is a book meant to be savored, as the touching words urge all readers to engage themselves in Lily's world.

I am one of the unfortunate few who did not enjoy this novel and as a matter of fact, I couldn't finish it. The writing is exquisite but the story just did not move, plotwise. I hung on until the mid point, hoping for an interesting reversal but there wasn't one, and I gave up. I don't like to put negative reviews on my blog, so this is the only place I'll be reviewing.

I enjoyed this book. Lily is quite mysterious. It's clear she has a lot of secrets and there are dark clouds on her horizon. Peter is a wonderful foil to her character. He's all light and genuine openness with a knack for finding people. He enlists Lily's help and becomes embroiled in her own story.

This book has a lot of adventure, mystery, danger at times. There are stories in stories in stories. It has a few big surprises or twists. It's a beautiful picture of the Master Gardener calling his own to come and enjoy intimacy with him.

There are a lot of beautiful and wise sentiments throughout as well. "Regret was a poison that never left the bloodstream" (location 654).
"It's easy to believe our stories need rewriting. That it's too risky, too important, not to take control, to ensure the right outcome. To cast yourself in the role you're meant to play. But here's the problem with that, Miss Lily Temple. The further we get from the story's author, the more we lose sight of our actual story. We long for our stories to come full circle, but that's the only one that will" (location 3294). Amen!

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.