The Fortune Hunter [Paperback]

Diane Farr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2002

Desperate and destitute, the devilish Lord Rival has drawn up a list of wealthy women who might be willing to wed-and Lady Olivia Fairfax is one of them. But when he finally meets the mysterious spinster, she is hardly the lonely naïf he expected.

"I enjoyed every word." (Julia Quinn)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lady Olivia Fairfax has it all. She's rich, she answers to no one, and she has a rewarding life running the orphanage she founded. She certainly has no desire for marriage, having no intention of destroying her immensely pleasing life. Meanwhile, George Carstairs is at the end of his rope. His estate became impoverished a generation or two ago, and he's spent most of his life gambling to finance his very existence. Now in his thirties, living in a small room with no valet or servants, hiding his acute penury from the ton, he decides to bite the bullet and find a rich wife. His heart's desire is to bring his estate back to life, so he makes a list, checks it twice, and sets out to pursue the heiress at the top and work his way down. Though their first meeting is a case of mistaken identity, there's no mistaking the charm of Farr's characters and their amusing and highly satisfying tale. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signet (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451205650
• ISBN-13: 978-0451205650
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #763,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diane Farr was first published at the age of eight when the local newspaper printed one of her poems. She has spent most of her life with her nose in a book -- sometimes reading, sometimes writing. Eventually she produced eight historical romances that were all published by Signet Books. Her latest adventure, WICKED COOL, is Book I in a teen paranormal series: The Spellspinners. All her books either are, or soon will be, available on Kindle!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fortune Hunter Strikes Gold, April 8, 2002

By 

Jane Given (Columbia, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fortune Hunter (Paperback)

Diane Farr has once again outdone herself in her latest novel, the touching and beautiful story of two seemingly mismatched lovers, an impoverished but charming rogue who must marry an heiress to save his destitute family estate and a wealthy spinster who has resolved never to marry in order to maintain her hard-won independence. George Carstairs, Baron Rival, is literally down to his last penny when he embarks on a campaign to meet and win the hand in marriage of the reclusive but fabulously rich Lady Olivia Fairfax. Lady Olivia, who has had a history of disastrous relationships with men, from her distant and domineering father, to her abusive step-brother, her faithless fiance, and her condescending solicitor, is happy in her independent life as a 26 year old spinster, running the charitable school for orphaned girls that she has founded. Despite the fact that George makes no secret of his need for Olivia's wealth, she finds her determination never to marry and never to put herself within a man's control crumbling in the face of Geroge's devastating charm, his obvious devotion to her and her family, and his intrinsic honesty and kindness. But can she trust him, or trust her heart? For George's part, what begins as a rather cold-blooded plot to marry money soon becomes transformed, in a very believable way, into a great and enduring love that transcends material wealth. The story begins with a case of mistaken identity and there are many plots and sublots along the way that keep the pace of this book moving quickly. The dialogue between the lovers, so real and so full of gentle wit and amusing double-entendres, is some of the best I have ever read. This is a beautifully-written story with lots of depth and a sure bet to be nominated for a RITA award for 2002. If you are a stickler for romantic fiction of the highest quality, do yourself a favor--run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore or on-line bookseller and pick up a copy of The Fortune Hunter for your keeper shelf. You will laugh, you will cry, and your heart will be touched, but you will not be disappointed.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Romance Novel, August 24, 2003

By 

Trisha A. Howell "Howell Canyon Press author" (Los Angeles, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fortune Hunter (Paperback)

I am delighted and amazed when I encounter a perfect novel. Diane Farr's The Fortune Hunter is happily such a novel.

The set-up is familiar: George Carstairs, Baron Rival, has managed to eek out an existence in London as a successful card shark. But he has struggled for years in vain to raise the capital to restore his beloved boyhood home, Rye Vale, which was impoverished by his deceased father's still outstanding gambling debts. Though George is infamous from his façade as a gambler and womanizer of the worst kind, he is actually a deeply honorable person and agonizes as desperate circumstances force him into his only remaining option: he must marry an heiress to save his estate.

At the top of his list is the elusive and mysterious spinster, Lady Olivia Fairfax, whose secret past has made the truth of one fact absolutely certain to her: she will never give up her hard won control over her own life and over her own fabulous wealth by marrying anyone, especially a fortune hunter like the one who broke her heart when she was a girl.

Yet George is not just anyone. When they meet, Olivia sees him immediately as the embodiment of her every fantasy. For his part, George is smitten by the saucy woman he takes to be a maid in his deceased friend's home. He helps her sort through the items left there to benefit the charity (school for poor but promising women) that Olivia founded. He ends up confessing to this alluring maid his plan to woo and marry Olivia for her money.

His surprise and mortification are complete when at the reading of his friend's will he again encounters this unforgettable maid who has haunted his dreams-and she turns out to be Olivia! To make matters worse, George receives an inheritance-a modest quarterly income-that the friend stipulates Olivia is to disburse based on whether George is making a useful contribution to Olivia's school.

Hence, seemingly against their wills, Olivia and George are thrown together in her school, and the fun begins: irresistible force (George) meets immovable object (Olivia) as George seeks to woo Olivia even as he is completely honest with her about being a fortune hunter. The development of their relationship is among the most clever and entertaining I've ever encountered.

Farr has a gift for snappy banter that is never gratuitous but grows believably from the characters of these two complex and lovable persons she so vividly brings to life. There is so much cleverness, humor, deep emotion and verisimilitude in The Fortune Hunter that every page is a fabulously entertaining and pleasurable emotional experience. Farr's great writing skill also produces a very fun plot and lively supporting characters.

Do not miss this wonderfully irreverent, wise and deeply emotional novel!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising and Delightful, April 9, 2002

By 

Tasha B. (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fortune Hunter (Paperback)

There have been dozens upon dozens of Regency romances that center around the plot of Handsome-and-Corrupted-Rake-with-Unrealized-Heart-of-Gold-Attempts-to-Seduce-Innocent-and-Virtuous-Young-Lady-in-Order-to-Win a Bet/Gain a Fortune/Get Back at Someone-Only-to-be-Seduced-Himself. The Fortune Hunter, of course, uses this very plot, but manages to be fresh and funny and endearing despite the familiarity of the story.

I believe this is mostly because of the characters. Lord Rival (with the improbable first name of George) is calculating, manipulative, and can't cross a street without plotting a way to reap some advantage from it; but this is balanced by an innate sense of fair play and an outrageous sense of humor. Olivia, as well, is a very well-drawn and likable character.

However, the best part of this book is the plot, which veers off from the normal tread of its predecessors very quickly. I don't want to give any of it away, but I will say that almost all of the plot twists in the book I didn't see coming at all, and they were all written wonderfully to create the most drama and emotional impact for every situation.

The only thing I didn't like about this book (there always has to be something!) was George's conversion from rakehell to "hero." I think if the author would have given us more insight into his character, it would have been a much smoother transition. For example, I know that suddenly George decided he needed to start rebuild his home, but WHY did he suddenly decide this? His character was a little too ambivilent to leave to question, I think.

Besides that minor detail, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were likable, believable, and intriguing; the story was fun and interesting; the writing was superb; and it had love and romance. In essence, my definition of a perfect book! I would recomment THE FORTUNE HUNTER to anyone who loves regencies.