"The Love Note" by Joanna Davidson Politano

Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1859 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor. Laced with mysteries large and small, this romantic Victorian-era tale of love lost, love deferred, and love found is sure to delight.

I was delightfully surprised by the story. While it deals with occasional heavy themes, it's still a light-hearted, almost whimsical tale. The way the love note accidentally gets passed around--some believing it's written to them, some believing it was written to someone else in particular--sets the whole household astir, while Willa is trying to track down both it and its rightful owner before the chaos gets out of hand (too late!).

Sometimes it's a little annoying how stubborn Willa is about seeing what's right in front of her, but at the same time, I've been known to do that too--dig in my heels and reject something out of hand simply because too many people have been pushing me toward it. And the more they push, the more I want nothing to do with it, no matter how much I may actually like it. It's not my most sterling quality, nor is it Willa's. 

Gabe was solid and perfect, and I actually really liked Golda, even if she is cantankerous and not terribly kind to begin with. I did guess some of the mystery before it was revealed (the author sprinkled little hints and clues from the beginning), but it pleased me that I was right. The ending surprised me--it wasn't standard for a romance, yet it was wholly satisfying romantically anyway.

Thank you Revell and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.