A Desperate Fortune

The Kearsley stories that I particularly enjoyed were The Shadowy Horses, the Rose Garden, Mariana, and The Fire Bird. This story does not have the same depth of character to it. The main character is two-dimensional and, yes, prone to monologues. I just didn't feel emotionally invested in her or the character of Mary. The vivid environments and code-breaking methodology were a treat. Ms. Kearsley's obvious research into period, places, and locations make for some beautiful visuals. I just simply don't feel connected to the main characters. I am 2/3 of the way through and finding it very difficult to slog through the rest. A bit of a shame.

This was the first Susanna Kearsley book I've read, and it was just wonderful! I am now about to enter into a binge-reading fest of all her other books. I love to find new (to me) authors who are this enjoyable to read and well worth the $9 price tag.

My very unhelpful review is this: fantastic, as always. Susanna Kearsley's books always get an automatic "Pre-Order" from me, I don't even read the description since I know I'll love it. I would love a sequel to this story. And I can't wait to read it again.

Two women trapped by circumstance or by rank of birth over the course of two hundred years, their fates meet. Each confronted by puzzles and codes each confronted by love. One would think a story like this would be hard to pull off, not in the hands of a master of words Susanna Kearsley

True to Susanna Kearsley's style you never want to put this down. It's rare to find a novel that is so well written....
all her novels are equally well written......she and Lee Child are my favorites.

Once again, Ms. Kearsley wrote a great book. I love her style of writing. She does a great job devopling her charaters and making them feel real. My favorite character in this book is the handsome and helpful neighbor.I love him! I loved that he loved our Heroin from the first time they had a proper meeting.

Another enchanting double tale that takes the reader on a journey to discover that sometimes home is not where you left it. As a historical novel buff I could have asked for greater detail of the Jacobites in France and Italy, but taken along with the previous books that have followed this theme it has enough to feel like an extension to The Winter Sea and The Fire Bird.

A beautiful, beautiful story! Unforgettable & highly recommended. A favorite I will re-read as I have her other magical tales: Mariana, The Rose Garden, The Winter Sea & The Firebird. (She also has written some great mysteries!)

Excellent as always. I'm amazed at Kearsley's ability to tell stories. This was so beautiful and inspirational for live a strong self-fulfilled life! Kearsley's narratives always flow so smoothly and her chapter/character transitions are so clever the way they link together.

A beautiful, beautiful story! Unforgettable & highly recommended. A favorite I will re-read as I have her other magical tales: Mariana, The Rose Garden, The Winter Sea & The Firebird. (She also has written some great mysteries!)

Excellent as always. I'm amazed at Kearsley's ability to tell stories. This was so beautiful and inspirational for live a strong self-fulfilled life! Kearsley's narratives always flow so smoothly and her chapter/character transitions are so clever the way they link together.

Kearsley's best book, yet. Two stories running concurrently - one in the present - one in the past - both capturing your interest. Almost like two books in one - and two great endings. What more could you want?

The author's writing in this book was incredible! Her best writing yet. I must admit that I was much more intrigued by the story that was based in the past than the modern day one. However, I did appreciate how the heroine in the modern story was on the autism spectrum because not many books have main characters with the disorder. Overall, a great read!

This story is a delight. It's beginning is refreshing while at the same time it educates the reader. A Desperate Fortune is not what I thought it would be. I just Loved the incorporation of fairy tales throughout the story. What a wonderful ending.

I enjoy Susanna kearsley's writing, generally. This book is painfully slow...a journey that doesn't seem to resolve and characters that take too long to develope. The ending showcases the author's talent but I felt is was too late. Her last chapter "About the Characters" ended up being more interesting than the characters themselves. I longed for the depth that I enjoyed in "The Wintersea".

I really like this authors books. This one has a bit of a twist in that it deals with flashbacks rather than time travel per se. I enjoy gettin lost in the descriptions of the surroundings and can't wait to read the next one!

If you enjoy historical fiction, you may like this love story set in present-day France and Scotland's Jacobite Rebellion of the late 1700's/. It's a nice read about a young woman who is asked to break the code of a 300 year old diary. The diary is filled with interesting historical notes and lots of unusual characters, but the present day code breaker has her share of interesting people to deal with as well.

Intersecting two storylines separated by more than two centuries, Susanna Kearsley has as usual managed to create two individual worlds that echo and inform each other -- AND give us a satisfying read and a happy ending.

With history as its basis, a desperate fortune takes the perspective of a young Jacobite woman and spins it into a fascinating tale. Well worth your reading and don't neglect her afterward where she describes her research method.

This book has a rocky start. The author struggles with dramatic language without character development. It does get better as it goes on, and then she plugs in romance novel jargon and you're right back to where you started. Unfortunate since the premice of the book is actually not bad, just gets hard to read through all the syrup.

I adore this author and this book. It truly touched my heart. The eloquence of Miss Kearsley's words wove a story that captivated me from page one. This book will stay with me for a long, long time.

I recommend this book for those who relish fine and slowly drawn characters, combined with a story rich in history. I particularly enjoyed the the way the author drew compatible dual story lines from past to present - and in a most unexpected way. I am an avid reader of many genres, this kept me reading because I wanted to continue to live in this beautifully told story.

Susanna Kearsley has made me fall in love with two sets of characters and I can't decide which story I liked best. I can't wait for more. If you loved The Winter Sea, The Shadowy Horses, Marianna and The Rose Garden you will love this one too!

In looking for something to fill the Outlander gap, I've stumbled upon Susanna Kearsley and have been reading one after the other. Her stories are excellent as is her writing and I can't recommend them highly enough!

Susanna Kearsley captures history and twines it together with beautiful characters you'll be sad to part with. A Desperate Fortune is an exceptional example of her ability to link the details of lives across time. I'm going to read this book again, immediately. Thank you, Ms. Kearsley, for this perfect blend of escapist fiction and history.

Excellent story--one of my favorites by Susanna Kearsley. Both the modern protagonist's story and that of the heroine from the past. The stories are woven together so well that I would be sad when the chapter ended from one p.o.v., but then just as excited to turn the page and pick back up on the other heroine's journey.

One of my favorite authors, I've been looking forward to her new book for months. Did not disappoint--up there with Winter Sea, Firebird and Rose Garden. Like all Kearsley books, its a historical mystery/romance with some magic, bouncing between the present and the past. In this case, the past is told through a series of encrypted journals, and it works well. A great story.

This was my first experience with Susanna Kearsley's work and it will definitely not be my last.A Desperate Fortune tells two hauntingly romantic tales simultaneously while gracefully incorporating an impressive body of historical research. Ms. Kearsley's elegantly crafted characters will linger in your memory long after you have finished reading this marvelous story.

Not my favorite Susana Kearsley book. The story was interesting, I was especially intrigued that one of the main characters has Asperger's and I appreciated that the author showed her in romantic etc situations. The historical part of the story was interesting. However, I thought the ending was awful. The author just conveniently "tied things up" by suddenly having a scene with a wedding in it, when we were last left with the character just agreeing to try to have a relationship with someone! It felt sudden and didn't follow the flow of the book, and too convenient. It felt like she was pushing romance when it wasn't needed.