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emmasbookdiary's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
If I could give this beautiful novel more than 5 stars, I would. I don’t know how she manages it but I am left speechless after finishing one of Joanna’s books. She is one of my very favorite authors and for good reason.
Everything about this book was captivating. The story, the characters, the writing… all of it! I knew from the first few pages that I was going to love this book.
Vivienne Mourdant is one of those characters that is so vibrant, she feels real. She leaps off the page and in that moment, her story feels real. Dr. Mitchell Turner was a wonderful hero. His kindness, gentleness, even his brokenness or perhaps especially his brokenness, made him a hero worth remembering. I loved both of these characters, both individually and together.
There was the perfect amount of suspense and plot twists that kept me intrigued the entire time. Not once was I bored. How could I be with such characters, both the main characters and the side characters? I never quite knew who to trust and I loved the suspense that added to the story. I never knew what was going to happen next and that made it a wonderful experience to read.
Also, I must mention that I absolutely loved the connection to A Midnight Dance! It’s one of my top favorite books and I had no idea that a connection to it would be in this story. When I first read the names of characters from A Midnight Dance, I was so excited and happy! I was quite the fangirl when some certain characters made an appearance.🥰 That was so much fun!
I loved all of the historical details in this story as well. It was fascinating learning about what asylums were like in that time period and how music therapy could help a person. I deeply love music and love playing instruments so this story meant that much more to me because of my love for the topic.
Joanna brought such light and hope into a story about such a dark and seemingly hopeless place, and I applaud her for that. I’m not one for dark stories. But never did the darkness of the story feel too much to me. It was just enough to show the darkness that can exist in such a place and made the entrance of light that much brighter.
There were a few times I was close to tears because the faith in this book was woven into this story so beautifully. The faith did not feel like an afterthought in this story. The faith felt essential to the story, woven in so seamlessly. This story of broken people in a dark place finding light and hope in God, and shining that light on those around them inspired me so much. I won’t be forgetting this story anytime soon.
In conclusion, I loved this book! I love Joanna Davidson Politano’s writing style so much. She writes her stories in such a way that they come alive for me. Her stories are filled with such feeling and purpose. If you love a good historical mystery set during the Victorian Era that will not only entertain you but touch and inspire you as well, I highly recommend The Lost Melody!
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a complimentary copy! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement
Moderate: Physical abuse
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