Monday, September 15, 2014

Book Review: Love's Fortune (2014)

Love's Fortune. Laura Frantz. 2014. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Love's Fortune is the third in the Ballantyne Legacy series by Laura Frantz. Love's Fortune introduces us to another generation of the family. Characters from the previous books are older--in some cases much older. I enjoyed revisiting with these characters. I was very pleased to see Ellie living her happily ever after. Readers also get to know Ellie's daughter, Izannah.

Can Love's Fortune stand alone? Probably. But I'd recommend at the very least reading Love's Awakening first. (Personally, I'd recommend reading ALL of Laura Frantz's books. I have loved them all.)

Rowena Ballantyne is the heroine of Love's Fortune. She is the granddaughter of Silas and Eden, and the daughter of Ansel Ballantyne. (Her mother is dead. She was English.) The novel opens with father and daughter traveling from Kentucky to Pennsylvania. He is coming home, and his return may be for good. Wren is anxious. Will she like living here? Will she fit in with the family? Will they like her? Will she like them? Will they accept her for who she is? Will they try to change her, to mold her? Will she be able to be herself here? Will she be happy? Will she have some independence, some say in her life? Wren has some reason to be anxious. There are plenty of bossy people in the family. In particular a bossy aunt and great-aunt. Certain members of the family think it is Wren's duty to do well for her family, to have a social season, to find a husband who has great connections (business, social) and is already wealthy. But does Wren want such a life? Does she want that sort of marriage? Does she want to be part of SOCIETY and have an extravagant lifestyle?

There are two heroes--of sorts--in Love's Fortune. I fell in love with them both. Honestly. I did. I loved, loved, loved James Sackett. But I also loved, loved, loved Malachi Cameron. I loved getting to know both men well. I loved all of their scenes. Good thing there are two heroines!

This one is set in the 1850s in Pennsylvania. It touches on abolition and slavery. In addition to history and romance, there's some action and mystery as well.

The first book, Love's Reckoning. The second book, Love's Awakening.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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