My Review: Lady of a Thousand Treasures (Victorian Ladies, Book 1) by Sandra Byrd

The Story (from Tyndale's website):
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.

My Review:
Lady of a Thousand Treasures is a rare delight. From the very first chapter, Sandra Byrd pulls you into Miss Sheffield’s world, one dimmed by loss but sparkling with a hope of love returned. Victorian England was not an easy place for a woman virtually alone to succeed. The struggles that Ellie faces in a man’s world aren’t unlike what women in the workplace deal with today, but the story remains authentic to the time in sensibilities, setting, and characters.

Speaking of characters—the dashing Harry Lydney. *sigh* He has broken Eleanor’s heart in the past and it seems as though he may have returned to do it again. This hero has got to be one of the best of ALL TIME! He is always a gentleman but has a slight aura of mystery surrounding him that is quite intriguing! He’s wonderfully complex and compelling, and while Eleanor is the heroine and the focal point of this book, and amazing in her own right, I couldn’t help but favor Harry—prince of my heart. Insert heart eyes here.

Lady of a Thousand Treasures is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I am eagerly awaiting the second book in this series. It promises to be yet another delight from Ms. Byrd’s pen. Bring on the swoony heroes!

~ My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, A Favorite! ~

*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. 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.*

Happy Reading!