Customer Reviews

The Fortune Quilt

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Fortune Quilt, when I first heard the title, didn't appeal to me because I thought there was a quilting theme, which really doesn't interest me. But, I had always heard great things about Lani's books, so I did a bit more investigation when it came closer to release date. I'm so glad I didn't just pass this one by based on a misconception of the story.

The Fortune Quilt had everthing I'm looking for in a chic lit/women's fiction book. It had great characters who, in spite of the length of the story, had depth and were well developed. It had humor, romance, angst, strong family connections, and a fantasy/paranormal element that didn't seem unrealistic. I laughed hysterically and cried all within a couple of pages of each other.

I did have only one real issue with the story, although not enough to rate it only 4 stars. It was not long enough, and I only say this because I loved the story and the characters and just wanted more. I gravitate towards series books because If I love the characters I don't like to let them go. I was also worried that Carly working in the art supply store was just going to be an obvious plot device to get her and Will together, but it turned out that it wasn't used in that way, which I was glad of.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading women's fiction books that invoke many different emotions. I can't wait to start reading Lani's other books!

Skeptical Carly McKay grew up far too quickly when her post-partum depressed mother fled the family 17 ears earlier and at 12, was left in the caretaker role of her younger siblings. Now a Tucson news magazine producer, Carly arrives in the artist commune of Bilby to do a human interest story on Brandy Seaver, a woman who creates elaborate quilts while also providing the owner with a glimpse of their future. Ever the cynic, she balks when Brandy offers her a quilt and vision of her own, mostly since it doesn't make sense. Then odd things start to happen - her best friends and cameraman professes his unrequited love; the station owner flees the country and takes all the assets with him, leaving her out of a job; and most shocking of all, her mother returns and her family seems to embrace this return much to Carly's shock. Giving her family an ultimatum, she packs up her possessions and roams around not sure what to do, then lands on Brandy's doorstep to have it out with the medium. Instead she stays awhile to recharge her batteries and re-imagine her future with the quirky and very inclusive residents of Bilby. A future that might include a certain artist she met at her sister's wedding...

One thing you can always count on with a book written by Lani Diane Rich is to be thoroughly entertained, whether it is chick lit or spicy romance. Carly's self-deprecating humor stands out - I just loved her "Godfather" comments during her reading. I was resistant to reading this since I don't care for books that are leveled in fantasy, magic, and all that jazz. But I'm sure glad I took the chance, because once again, I found myself mesmerized by Rich's witty storytelling.

Normally, I dislike chick lit. Actually, that's not true. I usually can't finish a chick lit novel to save myself so I don't really dislike the genre, I just don't "get" it enough to stay interested.

So "The Fortune Quilt" was, for me, a pleasant surprise. For one, I liked the heroine, Carly McKay and I could empathize with her problems. I really enjoyed that her problems had a sense of reality to them, but they were not overdone either. More importantly, her actions make sense. She also gets points from me because she's not full of charming quirkiness. She gets irritated and blows up and feels overwhelmed and confused and it is in a way that doesn't seem outside the pale given the circumstances.

And that's the plus of the novel. Carly (and her sisters) behave in ways that don't seem overly dramatic.

I really liked the relationship of Carly and her sisters. I wish there had been more scenes of them. I did like Brandywine very much and that was a surprise. I do wish there had been a little more with the mother but at the same time, maybe not. I did want just a little more of Carly and her father though, but that's a personal quibble.

If there was a weakness to the novel, it might have been the romance angle. I almost wished it hadn't been in the story because Carly had enough on her plate to deal with that the romance seemed unnecessary, but that's just me.

Still, even with the minor quibbles (and they are very minor), I was very pleased and satisfied with the novel when I turned that last page.

Some reviewers compared Rich to Jennifer Crusie, there are definite similarities, from the quirky characters in a Gilmore Girls-like small town, to the effervescent romance, to the subtle messages about life that were strewn throughout the book. I really liked the heroine, Carly, who's of course 29 (most popular age for chicklit protagonists) and about to endure one crisis after another. Carly's rude awakening was brought to her by a "fortune-telling quilt," think of it as a tarot card spread, but in fabric. After the mandatory denial and breakdown period, Carly goes off reimagining herself in an artists' retreat community where everyone is nice, or will turn out to be. She ends up being neighbors with her sister's ex and gets to know him a lot better. Of course, she still has her old life to haunt her and past conflicts to resolve. Super-enjoyable read.

Lani Diane Rich has a way of writing chick lit so that it isn't cheesy and fluffy but meaningful, romantic and fun. She has written all of the characters so well that they seem like real people with real problems. I absolutely loved this book and I wont hesitate to buy her next release.

Keep up the great writing!

I really enjoyed this book. Once started hard to put down. I enjoy reading Lani Diane Rich. the characters in her books are refreshing and just like friends I have in real life.

The Fortune Quilt is a quick, easy read that is a lot of fun. It deals with serious issues, but never takes its eyes off the fact that it is, at its core, a light-hearted and enjoyable novel. I liked this treatment; it never downplayed the gravity of Carly's situations but it kept the book from becoming heavy or overdramatic.

My favorite part of The Fortune Quilt was Carly's slow transformation as a character. At the beginning of the book, she is basically living in denial, refusing to acknowledge when she is hurt or upset. Gradually, Carly begins to express herself and opens up to Brandy, Will, and the other people she meets. They help to draw her out and transform her into a person who has room within herself to believe in the predictive power of Brandy's quilts.

Carly's mother was harder for me to swallow. I didn't like the way Carly's family turned on her, especially after she had raised her two younger sisters after their mother's departure. I would have hoped they could have been more understanding of her aversion to their mother's return. That being said, because Carly grew so much over the course of the book, she was able to make decisions that prove her transformation into a more understanding and open woman (MUCH more understanding than I think I could have been).

I enjoyed The Fortune Quilt very much; it was quick and easy, perfect for when you don't want to get too bogged down in a book. I'd recommend it to any chick lit fans.

Carly is a television producer that is put on a story about a psychic quilt maker. While visiting her during an interview, Brandy, the quilt maker, reveals that she gets inspired to make quilts for people, but that she has no idea who they are for or why she's so inspired to make them. Sometimes it takes years for the person the quilt is made for to show up and in Carly's case, that exactly what happened. Brandy gives her a quilt that she made a few years ago and gives her a psychic reading that neither fully understands and then suddenly, Carly's life begins to change and she thinks it's the quilts fault and sets out to confront the quilt maker.

We are treated to a little bit of magic in the development of the psychic aspect of the story, but it isn't overdone. We are introduced to a few romantic possibilities for Carly and we watch her make some poignant discoveries about herself and her family.

This was almost more "romance" than "chick lit" but it definitely had chick overtones. I enjoyed the psychic twist and I understood Carly's strong reaction to her mother's return to their lives. I think Rich is skilled at story development - I didn't even realize that it was the same author, as I have also purchased A Little Ray of Sunshine and The Comeback Kiss, based on the storyline and I'm glad to see that Rich is the author because I know the stories will be good and that I will enjoy them as I did The Fortune Quilt.

NOT EVEN SURE WHY I BOUGHT THIS BOOK, BUT IT WAS A VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE WHEN I PULLED IT FROM THE STACKS IN MY LIVING ROOM AND BEGAN READING IT LATE LAST NIGHT. FINISHED THE ENTIRE STORY IN ONE SITTING.

REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK ALOT! LIKED THE CHARACTERS AND FLOW OF THE STORY. JUST ENOUGH MYSTICAL INFLUENCE TO KEEP IT INTERESTING WITHOUT GOING OVERBOARD.

I have loved Lani Diane Rich's other books, so automatically snapped this one up. I was dismayed that it was in first person present tense (I really dislike present tense) but I soldiered on and was, of course, rewarded. It was one of those books I hated to put down. My only complaint about the story itself was that I was rooting for the other guy--but that's more a personal issue than an issue with the book. Definitely recommended!