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Book Review of The Fortune Hunter

The Fortune Hunter
jjares avatar reviewed on + 3280 more book reviews


This is an unusual story about spiritualists (people who have seances so family members can reconnect with deceased loved ones). I gave the story three stars just for the originality of the plot. However, there were lots of things that troubled me about the story.

Lavinia was an attractive, intelligent heroine. However, Edward Stuyvesant-French was much too negative. In the opening, Edward wanted to ruin Lavinia so that he could prove that his peer-father was insane. He wanted all of the old man's money to go to his handicapped sister, instead of to Lavinia.

By the time the couple had made it to Bermuda on a cruise ship, one could feel that Edward's feelings were starting to change towards Lavinia. However, he still called her a 'whore.' As a reader, I expected the hero to change his words toward someone he was developing strong feelings towards. But, Edward did not. In my opinion, he is one of the most unlikeable heroes in romance fiction.

There were too many happy endings that did not seem realistic. I wondered why Lavinia would settle for someone who was so cruel towards her. Edward's sister, who was in a wheelchair, fell in love with the first man who took note of her. He was an admitted bounder. The Duke of Kylemore selected a woman to be his duchess who had had a child out of wedlock. Really?

I've really been impressed with the quality of the plots from this author. This is the second novel I've read by Meagan McKinney. However, the execution of this story left me feeling somewhat empty. 3.5 stars