Customer Reviews

Fortune's Mistress (An Avon Romantic Treasure)

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Lacy Bennett and James Black are from opposite ends of the Restoration spectrum. She's the daughter of a smuggler and wrecker and he's the illegitimate son of Charles II. She has visions of the future which branded her a witch and condemned
her to hang at Tyburn. He turned privateer after Charles refused to acknowledge him and his family had no further use for him. After Morgan's raid on Panama turned bad, James was captured and brought to England to hang as a pirate.

But fate took a hand when they escaped together and now they're off to the Caribbean where James knows where a fortune in gold lies hidden on a seawreck. Along the way a one eared tomcat named Harry hitches a ride and together they meet people from Lacy's visions, fight pirates, fight each other, fight sharks and find a treasure. But will they fall in love?

French wrote this one in 1994 and it's just a little dated but still not a bad read. The cover is atrocious and the back blurb just about bursts out of its boddice. Ignore them. Lacy is a strong heroine who unwisely falls in love but who still has enough grit and determination that she won't let her
dreams be sidetracked because she has. She loves James but he's
repeatedly told her he intends to go back to England and earn the
respect of his peers. She accepts that and doesn't whine to him
about it. She's going to use his body for as long as she has him.

James starts as the slightly haughty well born wannabe lord but he's intelligent and wise enough to accept Lacy as a partner and he is totally honest with her about his plans. You might get frustrated with him but you know what he is and what he wants. He also helps Lacy accept who she is and realize she's not the witch everyone says she is. And she helps him realize what he really wants from life.

The history is more than wallpaper and is well done. There is a slight paranormal aspect to the story that might bother some and a secondary character who just has to be accepted. It all does come together though and I would give it a B. There are two other books in the trilogy which follow the family in future generations into the 18th century in America.