Review: Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd

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About:

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 Thoughts:

Lady of a Thousand Treasures is written in author Byrd’s lyrical style with layers of depth that are uncovered throughout the story. Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a young woman in the 1800’s who still lives in a society run mostly by men who do not really look at a woman’s potential outside of the home. Eleanor has been thrust into the role of caretaker of her elderly uncle and the main sole provider of their home and business after her father’s untimely death. As her uncle is aging and losing his mental capacities, Eleanor needs to make their business not only prosper but stay in business. Unfortunately as she finds out, not everyone cares for her truthfulness or business integrity.

We are told this story through Eleanor’s eyes and at times I did want to break out of her shell and see what in the world was going on in other character’s heads, particularly Harry’s. Eleanor is a very strong woman who is carrying burdens much too large for her delicate shoulders. She has been thrust into a situation where she must decide what to do with an extensive collection. She longs to trust someone, but the one person she thought she could trust, Harry, had broken her heart.

With an intriguing cast of characters, this story kept me turning the pages as I went deeper into the story and into the character of Eleanor. Eleanor was someone whom I felt great sympathy and even comradeship with. Many times throughout the story she felt alone and somewhat worthless and wondered if she would ever be someone’s treasure.

I was also interested in the way the wealthy collected their treasures, whether legally or not as I enjoy such TV shows that give the worth of such items and I enjoy shopping at antique shops myself.

I was provided with a copy of this book. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.