Fortune's Son [Mass Market Paperback]

Emery Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Love is the ultimate gamble...
Seasoned gambler Philip Drake knows every trick and uses most of them. After years of infamy, he's ready to accept the mantle of respectability with his earldom-- until a devastating racing loss and the threat of debtors' prison force Philip right back into his gaming ways...

Susannah, Lady Messingham, is a woman with a past who refuses to belong to any man again. But Philip's skill catches her eye and she persuades him to teach her how to win at the tables. Their new partnership turns into an exhilarating high-stakes game that entangles them in terrifying risk and unimaginable rewards...

Immerse yourself in the risky side of Georgian England with a pair of lovers who aren't afraid to risk it all on a toss of the dice...

Editorial Reviews

Review

5 star TOP PICK  "FORTUNE'S SON by Emery Lee is a brilliantly written story about a tumultuous love worth fighting for...Such carefully crafted characters and setting engage readers in a novel of breathtaking beauty. " - THE ROMANCE REVIEWS

*5 STARS and TOP PICK* from NIGHT OWL REVIEWS
"an excellent historical romance you won't want to put down! Ms. Lee will pique your interest immediately and keep it right to the very end.  I'll be anxiously awaiting more from Ms. Lee. She's my new favorite author and I highly recommend Fortune's Son!"

RT Rating = 4 STARS
"Lee brings the atmosphere of the Georgian era to life with lush descriptions that beg the reader to see, hear, feel and touch it all... with a lively cast of characters and surprising twists and turns that are reminiscent of Fielding's Tom Jones or Defoe's Moll"- RT BOOK REVIEWS

"a page-turning account of the lives of two people brought together by fate... This is a very enjoyable read with a multi-dimensional (and, surprisingly, male) protagonist." Michael DiSchiavi , Historical Novels Review

Lee brings the atmosphere of the Georgian era to life with lush descriptions that beg the reader to see, hear, feel and touch it all. She sweeps through a decade, bringing together an older heroine and younger hero in an atypical story. (RT Book Reviews 20111025)

this proves to be a very enjoyable read with a multi-dimensional (and, surprisingly, male) protagonist (Historical Novel Review 20111025)

I enjoyed the writing style immensely; I zipped through the book in two days. It was a fast-moving, gripping read that I had a hard time putting down. (Readin' and Dreamin' 20110903)

I truly enjoyed immersing myself in the lives of these two and had a hard time putting the book down. (Broken Teepee 20111104)

This was really a lot of fun, the story picks up from the get go and never lets up. (At Home with a Good Book and the Cat 20111119)

One of my favorite historicals this year! (Maggi Andersen Blog )

This novel will appeal to those readers who enjoy the damaged hero/nurturing heroine as well as the older woman/younger man tropes. If you like card games (like Blackjack) and gambling, this is definitely "the" book for you. I'm also recommending it to those who like to read romantic historical novels, more specifically, during the Georgian era. (Love Romance Passion )

FORTUNE'S SON by Emery Lee is a poignant and heart-wrenching journey of two characters as they struggle through life and love. While reading this tale, you can easily appreciate the effort extended to assemble such a fascinating and authentic novel. Such carefully crafted characters and setting engage readers in a novel of breathtaking beauty. This novel will have everything you want and then some. I strongly encourage you to become swept away into the wondrous world of FORTUNE'S SON.
(The Romance Reviews )

From the Author

AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY:

Passion, drama and excitement fill the pages of my follow-up to THE HIGHEST STAKES. Set deep in the world of 18th century gaming, FORTUNE'S SON immerses the reader in a time and place where nothing is sacred, and virtually anything might be wagered on the turn of a card or roll of the die.

Beginning with their first chance meeting over a Hazard table, and with motives known only to themselves, FORTUNE'S SON chronicles the tumultuous romantic journey between a young but seasoned gamester, and a widowed courtier who refuses to be the next Royal Mistress, regardless of what it might cost.

Experiencing the agonies and ecstasies of the gaming tables, Philip Drake and Lady Susannah Messingham precariously navigate their way in the high-stakes world of card sharps, courtesans, and the intriguers of Georgian England. As their tale of passion and drama plays out, they are led through hardship, heartbreak and loss, before final culmination in redemption and enduring love.

With romance, a bit of adventure, and the excitement of gaming, coupled with a supporting cast of the wits, gamesters, sporting men, and roués of Georgian England, I promise great fun and a riveting read!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402256442
• ISBN-13: 978-1402256448
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Combining meticulously researched historical settings and love of a great romantic tale, Emery Lee fictionally explores the Georgian era in her distinctly 18th century voice. Her debut novel THE HIGHEST STAKES, Sourcebooks Landmark, is an epic tale of star-cross lovers set in the high stakes world of 18th century horse racing.

Second in her Georgian era trilogy, Emery Lee spins a web of drama, passion, and deceit, deep in the world of high stakes gaming, when a chance meeting at the hazard table between a seasoned gamester and a courtier of a prince, changes their destinies as unpredictably as a roll of the dice.

She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America, RWA PAN and Georgia Romance Writers.

** She also writes scorching HOT historical romance as Victoria Vane**

Link to WHAS11 interview:
http://www.whas11.com/community/Interview-The-Highest-Stakes-120960834.html

http://authoremerylee.com
http://emerylee.wordpress.com
http://authoremerylee.com/blog
Facebook: Author Emery Lee
Twitter: authoremerylee

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Glimpse of the Grit and Glamour of Georgian England, November 17, 2011

By 

Linda Banche "Regency Romance Author" (New England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fortune's Son (Mass Market Paperback)

Emery Lee's Georgian romance, FORTUNE'S SON, is a fascinating, fast-paced tale of power used and abused, opulence and desperation set in the London world of high-stakes gaming.

Life among the rich, powerful and famous in Georgian London is not as wonderful as you might think. Ask young Philip, estranged second son of an earl, who lives hand-to-mouth by gaming. And ask Susannah, knight's widow, left a small jointure and quickly running out of money. When these two impulsive people, both determined never again to bow to another's command, meet, their chemistry is immediate and explosive. Philip, smitten by the older woman, agrees to teach her how to win at cards. Thus starts the tale of two flawed, wildly impetuous lovers and the disasters they suffer, both of their own making and those brought about by others who wish their downfall.

Highly researched, FORTUNE'S SON gives us a fascinating glimpse of both the grit and the glamour of Georgian society. I love lots of descriptions and Ms. Lee's descriptions of people, places, manners and customs are detailed, accurate and vivid. I also love the Georgian language. I'm not a fan of the current trend to expunge all trace of period speech. Language is part of the story and enhances the feel of the era.

Gaming plays a major role in this novel, and although I love detail, I don't much care for descriptions of card games. Most are too long and boring, and the author's explanation is usually insufficient to explain the action. Ms. Lee has succeeded where others failed. She weaves in enough of the mechanics of the era's card games to propel the story along without confusing us with the esoteric points.

While Ms. Lee's attention to accurate detail makes the era come alive, her main emphasis always remains, as it should, upon Philip's and Susannah's passion, zest for life, frequent mistakes, and their long and tortuous path to love.

Ms. Lee introduced Philip and Susannah in her previous novel, THE HIGHEST STAKES. If you haven't read that book, I suggest you read it first. While Fortune's Son stands alone, reading the previous book first will enhance the power of its sequel.

ARC provided by Sourcebooks

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Georgian gamble pays off!, November 9, 2011

By 

Kim Adams (Honolulu, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fortune's Son (Mass Market Paperback)

Publishers have oversaturated the historical market with Regency Romances and Scottish medievals. Emery Lee offers something different - a Georgian romance with a widowed heroine that modern readers can root for in FORTUNE'S SON. Determined to overcome her mounting debts, Susannah Messingham recruits Phillip Drake to teach her how to win at gambling. It's a risk both take with their merger assets and their own hearts. FORTUNE'S SON delivers an engrossing story of how a passionate love can evolve from the dangerous world of Georgian gambling.

Lee's strength lies in how she brings history alive and draws the reader into detailed situations that may ruffle modern sensibilities. Alas, this is a romance, yielding a satisfying HEA that will have the reader clamoring for more from Emery Lee.

I read FORTUNE'S SON as a standalone book. It is connected to the characters in her debut historical fiction romance, HIGHEST STAKES.

Sourcebooks provided an advance copy for this review.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fortune's Son--A Winner!, November 6, 2011

By 

Lindi Peterson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fortune's Son (Mass Market Paperback)

First I must say that I read Emery Lee's book The Highest Stakes when it came out. I consider it to be one of my favorite books ever. So of course I was anxious to read Fortune's Son.

And I wasn't disappointed. I love the time period, I love the gaming aspect and I loved the characters. I found this book hard to put down. The attraction between Phillip and Susannah was written with such passion.

I can't wait for the next Emery Lee book. I'm a fan!