Miss Fortune
Grade : A-

What do tampons, witchcraft, and brownies have in common? They are all part of the wacky fun that is the newest novel by Julia London. In this third book about the Lear sisters, we focus on Rachel, the youngest in the family and the one her father worries about the most.

There is something comfortably familiar about Miss Fortune. Maybe it's the fact that every one of my friends is a humanities major, with money and employment problems similar to Rachel's. Or maybe it's the fact that Rachel deals with normal, everyday issues that face most women. Whatever the reason, London's latest is an extremely enjoyable and witty book that I did not want to put down.

Unlike her perfect older sisters, Rachel Lear has issues. She cannot seem to finish her doctorate, has no money and no job, and is constantly dealing with her weight and a father who harps on her about pretty much everything. But her biggest problem of all is that she is just too much of a doormat, often loaning money to needy friends - money that she rarely sees again. There is no doubt that she is stuck in life, so when her best friend shows up and offers to perform a love spell, Rachel figures why not? Of course Rachel wishes for what many women would wish for: A modern day knight in shining armor. Then again, why stop with a knight in shinning armor? Why not perform a spell to lose weight and finish her degree while she is at it?

Rachel has no idea that her wishes are about to come true, that is until she meets Flynn Oliver. Flynn is the kind of man a woman can only dream of - handsome, smart, wealthy, and with a British accent to boot. Though she could not have met him at a worse time (she's wearing sweaty workout clothes), surprisingly, Flynn actually flirts with Rachel, not seeming to notice her wretched and sticky state. Rachel is baffled by Flynn's flirty attention. It has to be a mistake, or could it possibly be the spell? Be it fate, divine intervention, or witchcraft, Rachel keeps running into Flynn and Flynn keeps on flirting. But people and situations are never as perfect as they seem and Rachel keeps waiting for the axe to fall.

As much as Rachel would like to, she cannot think of Flynn as just a fling. But what will happen when he finds out that she actually put a spell on him? What if his emotions are not real? And what in the world will she do when he goes back home?

Flynn Oliver comes from a life of privilege. He's a man who has always had to fight off attractive women and who has a fiancé and a job he dislikes waiting for him back at home. Flynn never meant to fall for Rachel, but how can he help it when she is just so intriguing? He certainly never meant to hurt her, but when Rachel finds out the truth about why Flynn is really in the States, will she ever speak to him again?

The one noticeable flaw with Miss Fortune is that the main characters were occasionally annoying. Rachel, for instance, seems somewhat immature and selfish. She doesn't pay her bills and avoids her gruff father even though he is dying. And Flynn's character seemed a bit over the top with his constant use of British slang that half the time made him sound like some debonair James Bond and the other half like a perpetually horny Benny Hill. Still, these personality faults do not happen often enough to detract from the book. And though there is also a bit of suspense to the plot, don't plan on reading it for this sub-plot; the action is second to Rachel's unpredictable life and, frankly, that was fine by me.

Even with the occasional annoyance, Miss Fortune is jolly good fun. Rachel may have problems and flaws, but they make her lovable, relatable, and empathetic. It's been a long time since I've read a book that is such a wonderful combination of entertainment and enjoyment. This contemporary perfectly blends quirky and lovable characters, wonderfully sappy romance, and amusing incidents that make you cringe and laugh out loud all at the same time.

Buy it at Amazon

Reviewed by Lori Sowell
Grade : A-

Sensuality: Hot

Review Date : October 26, 2004

Publication Date: 2004

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Lori Sowell

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