Review: Lady of Fortune

Lady of Fortune by Mary Jo Putney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars 

Christa is on the run from France's Terror and as our inherited countess is escaping, she thinks her brother and her mother are murdered. She arrives in England to her uncle by marriage where he decides to be a creep and try to pressure her into marrying him. Thinking she has no money but as a twenty year old, can't imagine marrying a forty year old, she runs off. She finagles her way into being a lady's maid but the Lord of the home is also a creep and she ends up getting thrown into the arms of another Lord (can't kick a rock and all that) and he is taken with her and brings her back to be a lady's maid for his sister. 

They start to develop the hots for each other but are aware of how inappropriate the relationship would be so try to keep their hands to themselves. Christa doesn't feel the need to tell him that she's actually nobility, because then, well, I didn't totally follow it but I'm sure FEELINGS. A lot of tangent going off with secondary characters, as this time period's romances liked to do and it made the pace slow down for me as I didn't care a lot about some of them. 

I did like how they developed their friendship first, I wasn't a fan of how the first time they have sex the MMC was delirious from almost dying from an old war wound (these MMC's can get it UP), and was a little head tilt that the villains of the piece got their own HEA.

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Review: Never Say Die

Never Say Die by Tess Gerritsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars 

"My mother's never accepted it. She needs a body to bury." 

General Kistner sighed. "Of course. The wives. It's always the wives. There were so many widows, one tends to forget." 

"She hasn't forgotten." 

Set in the shadow of Vietnam, FMC travels to Vietnam to discover what happened to, claimed KIA, father, for her mother who is dying from cancer. She's bitter against her father, feeling he put his love of flying and daredevilry ahead of his family. She meets the MMC, who works as a sort of bounty hunter for the government for remains of soldiers or find out if they decided to change identities and stay in Vietnam. When he hears her last name, he realizes one of his files is about her father, who might have been a traitor to USA and has a big bounty, so he decides to convince her that they should work together. 

They didn't exchange a word; just that look, that sad and knowing smile between women, was enough. 

I think this didn't age the best, there's a bunch of trying to work through and weigh the cost of the Vietnam War and CIA workings in Laos but there were sure were some cringe ways of speaking about the people of Vietnam and Laos here too. This leaned a little more towards the thriller mystery with the romance having that push/pull of I hate you/I want you. Grappling with the cost of war and how it's viewed/spoke of is always the most interesting part of the books for me.

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2026 BookTempter’s TBR Challenge

 

2026 BookTempter’s 

TBR Challenge

January

1 - It's a classic task for a reason

Read the very last book to enter your TBR pile. TBRs come from the habit we have of not reading books because we put them off. You have my permission to indulge yourself.

Never Say Die by Tess Gerritsen

Stretch goal – Read a book that you’ve had in your TBR pile for more than 5 years

Lady of Fortune by Mary Jo Putney

February

2 - Partners in Crime?

For the month of Valentines you can choose a book about a partnership be it friends, lovers or whatever combination comes to mind

Stretch Goal – ever read a book, get the sequel and then park the sequel for a rainy day? This month prepare for that day!

March

3 - First Bloom

As Spring arrives for this change I’d like to read a book that is the debut of an author. Who

knows this may become someone you’ll follow forever!

Strech Goal – Our TBR piles often have books by our favourite authors lingering because we think we aren’t yet deserving. Congratulations I say you are worthy!

April

4 - Side trips

For this month I’d like you look for a book that has been published by either an independent press or self published

Strech Goal – Read four short stories from an anthology or collection. Hey if you like it finish the whole thing!

May

5 - Freedom!

 You have my permission to finally pick the most tempting book in your TBR pile – no questions asked

Stretch Goal – You may pick a book purely at random - use whatever system you choose to pick this

June

6 - Equinoxes

Regardless of hemispheres you live in read book over 500 pages and

Stretch goal - read a book less than 150 pages

July

7 - A Ceasar Word Salad

Read a book with an empire – starting, ending or changing

Stretch Goal – we all have a series we have accidentally collected all the books for and not got round to it. You have until the end of the year to end this

August

8 - Schools Out!

Choose a book by an author who is not from the UK or USA

Strech Goal – Choose a book with a long journey in it

September

9 - Back to School

Treat yourself to a book that is not from your usual genre. Expand your minds!

Stretch Goal – Read a non-fiction book

October

10 - Fancy a Fright?

Read a spooky tale – you can choose cosy or downright chilling

Stretch Goal – As the harvest comes in find a book with a countryside setting in some way

November

11 - Short trips

Read four novellas in a month

Stretch Goal – Read something with a wintry setting

December

12 - It's for You!

Read a book you’ve been gifted – they wanted you to read this!

Stretch Goal – By now you’ve got the hang of this so just pick up a book from the pile and read it. You’ve got this