Author: Jen Turano
Publisher: Bethany House
Format: paperback or ebook
ISBN: 978-0-7642-1018-1
Cover Price: $14.99 paperback
It's 1880, and Lady Eliza Sumner is following her red hair right into trouble as she single-handedly tries to catch the man who embezzled her father's fortune, leaving her alone and destitute. Having followed him to New York City from England, she is serving as a governess (Miss Sumner) while she tries to locate him. Just as Eliza finds him, she also stumbles (literally) into Mr. Hamilton Becket, a wealthy widower and one of New York's most eligible bachelors. They team up to try to restore her fortune, while Mr. Becket tries to keep her out of trouble. Sparks fly between them, in more than one way, as they disagree on how to handle the situation. But, Hamilton's mother and his two motherless children have plans of their own.
A Change of Fortune was a fun book to read. It has humor, adventure, mystery, and of course, romance. I enjoyed the personalities of the characters, their developing relationships, the many humorous predicaments they faced, and the witty dialogue. I'll be honest and admit that it's light reading, a fluff book ... but a very enjoyable fluff book!
As a Christian romance, it kept the physical side of the romance to a minimum. I appreciate that, as I've picked up a few Christian fiction books since I started reviewing books that shocked me by their content. The content of A Change of Fortune is perfectly clean; I'd even let my 13 year old daughter read the book. The characters in this story are all on different spiritual paths, and their relationships with God are occasionally discussed, but this isn't a very "preachy" book.
There were several plot twists that I hadn't expected, as well as some relationship developments that were somewhat predictable. But even if I saw the secondary romance building, I still enjoyed the story and the progress of the overlapping romances. Of course, Eliza and Hamilton get their happy ending along with their restored faith, and the other budding relationships leave the door wide open for a sequel, or two. I'm looking forward to more historical romance (with a comedic twist) from Jen Turano.
And I won't have to wait long. I just found a companion novella to A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano. Gentleman of Her Dreams is currently FREE for Kindle! It's only 81 pages long, but I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoyed A Change of Fortune.
If you enjoy historical romances, especially those that are clean, with lots of humor, you will definitely enjoy A Change of Fortune.
This book was provided free, by Bethany House publishers, for review purposes. No other compensation was received in exchange for this honest review.
April E.
