Customer Reviews

Fortune's Son

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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!

In Emery Lee's latest sweeping historical romance, FORTUNE'S SON, Susannah, Lady Messingham, is on the verge of financial ruin, but she is hardly one to give up easily. This bold and brazen lady with a troubled past recruits the younger Philip Drake to educate her on games of chance and guide her through the posh gaming dens of Georgian England, where fortunes can be made and lost with the turn of a card or the throw of the dice. The two embark on a working relationship, but what begins as a spark of sexual attraction grows into a deep, abiding love. But like the novel's description says, "Love is the Ultimate Gamble," and nothing in life is ever a sure thing. Lee fills the story with delightful twists and turns, even as she immerses the reader in this tantalizing world with her masterful knowledge of the era. I was enthralled by these captivating characters from the first page to the last.

Philip Drake is a man who lives by the skin of his teeth. A handsome devil he is a second son of an earl who cares not a whit for his family, the title or his father's money. Not if it means kowtowing to a man he despises. Young, brash and quick witted he makes his way in the world as a gamester. While out at the tables one night he meets the oh so beautiful Lady Messingham, a widow with many a secret she cares not to share. She sees a potential partner in young Drake; not a lover but rather a man she could bend to her will. A man she could use to help her learn how to gamble to help her maintain her lifestyle.

Philip, while young, is having nothing of this. He is indeed, enthralled with the Lady Messingham but he is his own man. Yet, he cannot get her out of his thoughts. She is like a drug...a very dangerous drug.

These two are, of course, just meant to be together, but as they dance their way towards, away from and back to each other the reader is part of a very entertaining oh, let's say pasodoble. But fortunately in the end no one important dies. But there is drama, passion, revenge and redemption.

I truly enjoyed immersing myself in the lives of these two and had a hard time putting the book down. My only complaint was that towards the end it seemed to condense time too quickly and I wanted it to be longer. The period details are a delight and the descriptions made me feel as if I were there in a beautiful dress and sparkling diamonds.

Fortune's Son is a follow-up to Lee's first novel, The Highest Stakes. The prologue begins with the ramifications to Philip Drake after his high stakes wager with you-know-who at the end of the first book, and then back tracks to Philip at age twenty, a wastrel second son of the Earl of Hastings. His luck with the dice fail him one night and facing exposure for...umm...improving his odds he's saved in the nick of time by Susannah, Lady Messingham. Susannah (Sukey) is recently widowed and short of funds and needs a man like Philip to teach her the ins and outs of gambling - a match made in heaven especially since she can lead Philip by the nose.

Or can she?

Philip and Sukey partner up to spin the wheel of fortune and the sexual sparks are flying fast and furious. There are plenty of ups and downs, great gains along with devastating losses, a duel and more until the story switches back to 1751 where we find Philip's back to the wall and he's forced to pay the piper for the errant deeds of his youth.

This was really a lot of fun, the story picks up from the get go and never lets up. Those of you who have read The Highest Stakes probably hated Philip as much as I did, but hats off to Emery Lee for fleshing him out and letting us see the bounder behind the mask, as well as a huge thanks for giving us more than just another romance - a whole lot more. This story should suit lovers of romance, as well as those who need a healthy dose of history along with the romance - and attention Publishers there are a lot of readers who expect more than just another wall-paper historical. Kudos to Emery Lee for writing them. I want more!

**Review copy provided by publisher, thank you.

I'm a huge fan of Patrick O'Brian's addictive Royal Navy historicals. They don't seem like they are re-creating a distant time and place--they seem like they are of that time and place. Ms. Lee's Fortune's Son is that kind of book. You feel like you're right there in the gambling action.

I would have rated this book 5 stars if it had been longer. The last third felt rushed. I could have spent another 100 pages with the characters. More!

Emery Lee brings Georgian England to life in her recent release Fortune's Son. With its cast of colorful characters and a love story rife with twists and turns, this meticulously researched book is a captivating from start to finish. Not your typical beach read, it accompanied me everywhere I went on a recent cruise vacation: poolside, afternoon tea, even to the beach in Cozumel. I simply couldn't put it down. It's that good.

After you finish this one, you will want to go back and read Emery's debut novel, The Highest Stakes, for more background on some of the characters. I can hardly wait to find out where this gifted author will take us next!

FORTUNE'S SON by Emery Lee is a brilliantly written story about a tumultuous love worth fighting for. Prepare yourself to be swept away by this hauntingly tragic yet uplifting tale of how love conquers all.

Philip Drake knows an unfavorable gamble when he sees it, and Susannah, Lady Messingham, equals nothing less than trouble. When the dazzling widow seeks Philip's help to become an experienced gambler, his instincts tell him to walk away. He is on the cusp of reaching his majority and seeking a more respectable future than one spent at the gambling dens. Yet he takes the risk to assist Susannah despite his reservations because there is something about her that he cannot resist. What he does not know is that Susannah needs to make a fortune at the tables, and quickly, because her debts are pulling her under far too quickly. What begins as an easy alliance ends up consuming this pair in a long and treacherous journey that changes them both forever.

It is not everyday fortune shines down on you and you have the opportunity to read a novel such as FORTUNE'S SON. This engrossing and thoroughly developed tale tosses you into a classic era where you have no choice but to quickly absorb everything and every detail. One charming detail would have to be the dialogue. It was rich, eloquent and added so many dimensions to the characters. It also helped another factor which Emery Lee excels at, and that is historical detail. The novel is just overflowing with different aspects of 18th century England and you become immersed in all of it. Whether it be gambling, duels or every day life in historical England...Ms Lee will bring it all to you.

FORTUNE'S SON has a unique dynamic between the characters. Philip is the young gambler, seeking his independence, but far too mature for his age. Susannah is the older, independent widow holding on to her independence by a thin thread. What is charming about these characters in the manner in which they perceive one another. It not only leads to misguided notions about their true character, but also makes their romance all the more complicated. As with all characters, they have flaws. Yet in this case, I could not help but love these characters more because of them. Their journey took on more ups and downs than my poor heart could handle, but the end result made their journey worthwhile.

My one disclaimer is this: As a reader, it is important to know FORTUNE'S SON veers towards that fine line between historical fiction and historical romance. For me, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing at all, but if you are looking for a straight forward romance, this may not live up to your expectations. It was so thorough and detailed, it can't just be considered a romance. This novel has more far more depth and character than the thrilling romance at the center. It was very interesting because while most romances seek to push two characters together, this hero and heroine had to work to change themselves first. It is a very emotional journey that a reader should not take lightly.

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.

Reviewed by Bridget
for The Romance Reviews

If more historical fiction were written like this, I'd be reading more of it!

Intelligent, elegant, and intimate in characterization, Emery Lee has delivered yet another exhilarating book in her historical fiction series, making a name for herself in the ranks of those who write the best historical novels in the business. Gambling, horse racing, poverty, prison and passion~ want more?

"Fortune's Son" is rich in authentic Georgian detail that brings the settings and circumstances alive for a reader. Emery's story focuses on the gambling life of ne'er-do-well and overreaching Philip, Earl of Hastings, and its secondary epic love story between Philip and Susannah, Lady Messingham is just as absorbing. Don't assume either of these storylines is told in the ordinary "fluffy" manner of some other historical fiction novels.

Ms Lee has a gift for writing, absolutely, and she is scholarly. This sets her a notch above. Her characters are complex. I wonder if they are skeletons drawn from actual figures of Georgian England. Significantly, one thing I loved about her writing is that I forgot to care so much about the gowns and surroundings because I was so swept up in the richness of her characters and the action of her novel; and I can tell you that's highly unusual for me! I'm nearly always engrossed in the interiors and fashions described in historical fiction; that's not to say Emery didn't salt her novel with them, just the same. It's just that she didn't need them to carry her book.

Main Characters

Philip Drake, Earl of Hastings ~ I loved his impetuous nature balanced by his passion for true friendship, love and humanity. A gorgeous man, earthy, but with a conscience. His gambling in all areas of his life was his downfall, but not always his ruin.

Susannah, Lady Messingham ~ my favorite character. A strong woman who was widowed, abandoned by lovers, husband and fate. She was independent, determined and strong, but not cold and emotionless.Generous in spirit, she opened her home and heart to others. Saw the best side of Philip against all odds.

Wicked Lords, Moneylenders, Bishops, Jailers, Whore-mongers, Tricksters and Card-thieves... these various characters were colorful in description and disguise! So interesting that I hope we see many of them in this series by Ms Lee.

Why I recommend this book?

Emery Lee is an emerging author/storyteller of intelligence and depth. She has character-building skills that engender a close relationship and emotional connection with her characters. That alone guarantees a fabulous read! She also has a strong plot to keep readers tied to those characters.

I live for a well-written, well-researched book that draws me into the characters' psychology and emotions. That's great reading to me. In a historical novel, that's all we can ask for, along with period detail, which this book has in abundance.

Recommended for those who love historical fiction with intelligence and a realistic love story.

5 race you to the moon stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame