Pink Heart Reviews
Dame Fortune
Meredith Bond
ISBN 0-8217-7822-6
Zebra Books, 2005, 213 pages
Historical Romance circa 1817
London, England
$4.99 U.S. $6.99 CAN.
Reviewed by Erin
July 2005
Rose Grace has had a very unconventional upbringing. The daughter of an archaeologist, she has lived abroad while her father explored and searched for rare antiquities. Exciting as her life has been she has not been schooled in the arts of becoming a lady of quality so when she is thrust into society she is more than a little uncomfortable. She is of an age to marry and knows she needs to find a husband but she is certain that she will only marry for love. Her dreams are shattered when her father informs her that they are nearly bankrupt and it is up to her to find a wealthy husband and save her family from ruin. If that isn’t enough of a burden she is also in charge of keeping her troublesome sister out of mischief. Their mother passed a year ago and it is up to Rose to teach her sisters how to behave themselves in society. So, now with the weight of the world on her young shoulders she must do what she can to rescue her family from both financial and societal ruin.
On her first night out in English society she is excited but nervous. She is uncertain how to behave and attempts her hand at flirting with an aged Duke who doesn’t see the humor in the situation. Rose is fortunate to have a young man come to her rescue. He is called Fungy, short for St. John Fotheringay-Phipps and he is a dandy if there ever was one. He is always dressed to the height of fashion and often times sets trends of his own. He is known for creating new and exciting ways to tie a cravat. In Rose’s eyes he is a nice man but frivolous to the extreme.
Fungy is not actually what he seems. In his years in school he was a brilliant scholar and well rounded in his knowledge of the classics and philosophy but a woman changed all that. Sinjin, as he is also called in lieu of St. John once fell in love with a woman who did not admire his intellectual traits. She married another man because of his position in London society and his life of ennui. Sinjin promised himself that he would one day become the type of man Georgiana wanted, forsaking his intellectual skills and becoming a member of the haute ton.
Rose is determined to marry and in spite of her need to marry quickly she does have some qualities she must have in a mate. He must e handsome and intelligent and if possible she would like to marry and archaeologist like her father. It is to her extreme fortune that she meets Lord Kirkland. He is handsome in a dark sort of way, wealthy and an archaeologist. He has everything she wants in a husband but then why is it she can’t seem to get the quirky Fungy out of her head?
Meredith Bond is a relatively new author and this is the first novel I have read. This particular novel is fourth in The Merry Men Quartet. I found Bond’s style of writing unique and fresh. Her style flows well and she creates engaging characters. Rose Grace is an adorable character with innocent tendencies that endear her to the reader. She is lively and fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously. Fungy is not the typical hero. He is a dandy and in some instances comes off a little effeminate but Bond makes up for it by making him take on an intriguing occupation later in the book. The secondary characters, namely Rose’s sisters, were humorous with their antics and made me chuckle at their audacity. Overall Dame Fortune was a decent read and I look forward to reading more by Meredith Bond.
