Lady of Fortune by Mary Jo PutneyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Originally published in 1998, this has been given a new cover and (I assume) brought more up-to-date, if one can say that about an historical romance.
Marie-Christine ('Christa'), Comtesse D'Estelle, flees France in the wake of the French Revolution believing her beloved mother Marie-Claire and English step-brother Charles. have been killed by revolutionaries as they tried to escape. She spends the first year in England with Charles' uncle Lewis who has inherited Charles' estate, but when Lewis reveals that she in penniless and offers his hand in marriage, Christa feels compelled to run away and seek employment as a governess. Unfortunately, at the height of the French Revolution London is awash with french emigres seeking employment and Christa is reduced to seeking employment as a lady's maid.
Captain Lord Alexander ('Alex') Kingsley receives word from England that his vicious, narcissistic mother has died, unable to command a naval ship after receiving shrapnel wounds in battle, Alex realises it is time to return to England and face his responsibilities as head of the house and older brother to his sister Annabelle and brother Jonathan. To his surprise, he is greeted with joy by his siblings, but he is horrified at the damage that his mother's spite has wreaked on them, both Annabelle and Jonathan are hesitant and prone to self-doubt, no doubt Annabelle's shyness and insecurity has been fanned by her mother's lady's maid who she has inherited, and who loved no-one but her mistress. His first job must be to find Annabelle a new maid to help her make the most of her features.
When Alex quite literally catches Christa as she is being forcibly ejected from her previous employment for spurning the advances of the master of the house, he is immediately struck by Christa's beauty, but also her quick wit and charm. He has rescued a lady's maid and his sister has need of one - how serendipitous!
Being a sophisticated and resourceful woman, despite being only twenty-four, Christa is soon able to dress Annabelle in clothes more becoming and fashionable than those chosen by her mother, with her knowledge of beauty treatments and the like she soon has the shy heiress looking exquisite. Christa also weaves her magic over Alex and Jonathan, helping the two of them learn to dance in anticipation of Annabelle's coming-out ball.
While Alex and Christa fight their growing attraction, little do they realise that a wealthy titled young aristocrat and his innocent heiress sister will be the target of fortune-hunters.
Well this has everything, missing heirs, wounded sea captains, fortune-hunters, elopements, compromising positions, daring rescues, and all's well that ends well. If I were being picky, Christa is a bit of a Mary Sue character, able to act as a lady's maid perfectly able to teach young men to dance, able to sew her own gowns beautifully, able to make herbal remedies and beauty potions, able to perform first aid, etc, etc. Also, there is a frankly ridiculous thing that happens on Stornaway, not once but twice, which stretches incredulity to breaking point. Nevertheless, this was a hugely enjoyable historical romance, which avoided some of the biggest cliches of the genre and tied everything up very neatly - maybe I need to read more historical fiction written in the late 1990s?
Recommended if you like a resourceful FMC and an honourable MMC, beset by trials and tribulations.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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