Fortune's Son by Emery Lee

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.


If I recall from The Highest Stakes, Philip Drake was a bit of a bastard, but I remember feeling sorry for him. Fortune's Son tells his story, which immediately intrigued me.

The book starts in 1751, but quickly segways back 12 years, where we stay for the first two parts of the book. At 20 years old, Drake is an experienced card player who catches the eye of Susannah, Lady Messinhman, eight years his senior and a widow. She expresses interest in learning to play cards, a reason she keeps to herself.

The chemistry between the two was immediate, and I greatly enjoyed the back and forth between them. Their romance, however, is littered with problems, and the two find themselves separated. We then find ourselves around the time The Highest Stakes left off.

I enjoyed the writing style immensely; I zipped through the book in two days. It was a fast-moving, gripping read that I had a hard time putting down. When you open the book, you are immediately immersed in Georgian England. The research put into the story was clear. My head was spinning with the descriptions of the card games. I would be a failure with the cards, I'm sure of it.

While this could be a stand alone book, I recommend reading The Highest Stakes first, so you get the background, especially with Drake's character. I look forward to the next book!