Lady of a Thousand Treasures ~ Sandra Byrd ~ Reviewed

Lady of a Thousand Treasures (The Victorian Ladies Series) Paperback
by Sandra Byrd

• Series: The Victorian Ladies Series (Book 1)
• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (October 9, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781496426833

Description:
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.

Review: 

Sandra Byrd creates stories that are full of fascinating history and mysterious details. If a cover has her name on it I'm certain I'm going to find that I'm cancelling plans or leaving chores undone so I can spend free time reading. 

She doesn't disappoint in Lady of a Thousand Treasures. Characters who are or are not whom they seem to be. Situations are twisted and mysteries unravel as the heroine finds herself between cliffs and jagged valleys. Eleanor Sheffield is gifted with a skill set best suited for men, or rarely, a married woman, valuing and finding antiquities for clients. Unfortunately, her father has passed leaving her with an uncle who seems to be losing his skill and mind. The male clerk/assistant sends mixed and confusing signals, and his behavior feels anything but safe. Eleanor is tasked with evaluating a treasure trove and deciding the fate of the wealth and antiquities of the estate. Will her work shows the treasure belongs to the son of the deceased? Or in the museum? One minor complication is that the son of the deceased is her childhood best friend and the very man who recently crushed her heart. 

If the plot sounds intriguing you owe it to yourself to get a copy. And don't make any social plans around delivery because you won't want to do much more than curl up with a warm beverage and the Lady of a Thousand Treasures for the next couple of days.

*An advanced reader copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. The provided copy did not require a positive review. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer