Sisters of Fortune is based on three young women who boarded the RMS Titanic on the 10th of April 1912, with their mother, father and younger brother and being passengers on the doomed first voyage. Their father Mark Fortune decided to treat his wife Mary, daughters Alice, Flora, and Mabel and youngest son Charlie to a grand tour, visiting Italy, France, Greece, the Middle East and Egypt.

Alice is both worried and excited about the journey home, she had her palm read by a fortune teller in Cairo and he told her she faced danger every time she travelled by sea and waiting for her in Winnipeg, Canada is her fiancé Holden Allen and she’s confused about her feelings for him.

Flora is engaged to a banker Crawford Campbell, he didn't mind delaying their wedding and she’s only had one letter from him the whole time they have been away. Flora meets tennis player Chester Kingey, he’s handsome and charming and she develops feelings for him and how can she break off her engagement and what will her parents think?

Mabel has fallen in love with a jazz musician, her parents are horrified and her father organised the Grand Tour to get her away from him. Mabel doesn’t really want to settle down, she would to be a suffragette and go to college and her father's against further education for women.

As we know the Titanic hits an iceberg on the 15th of April 1912, you read about how luxurious the ship was and it was huge, the family has three rooms, a steward to take care of their needs and they ate in the opulent dining room and took the elevator because Mrs. Fortune didn’t want to climb stairs. When you read a story about the Titanic it can be a little predictable, the unsinkable ship and most technological advanced vessel at the time, with it’s sixteen reinforced compartments, it breaks in half and sinks to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean.

I received a copy of Sisters of Fortune from Kensington Book in exchange for an honest review. Using real and fictional characters Anna Lee Huber writes a narrative that makes you think about the time after the Titanic hits the iceberg, the uncertainty and disbelief the passengers felt, the bravery of the crew and men who stayed aboard. Many of the women had to be dragged away from their male relatives, despite them wanting them to get on a lifeboat and what they witnessed afterwards. On the Carpathia survivors spent their time scanning the ocean hoping more lifeboats would be found, when the word came there was no more and they said the sorrow and sound of grief and loss was something they would never forget or want to experience ever again.

I found the story prior to the sinking of the Titanic a little slow and Ms. Huber ups the pace when she writes about the mighty ocean liner sinking, afterwards and the survivors arriving in New York, with so much empathy and I felt more of a connection to the characters and four stars from me.edelweiss-above-the-tree-line edelweiss-callenge-2024 netgalley ...more42 s8 comments Tracey577 37

This is a well-written, entertaining, thoroughly researched, historical fiction novel which is inspired by actual persons, and is based on actual events. It has likable female protagonists, vividly described settings, romance, tragedy, resilience, and hope. The author's notes are interesting and informative, and are truly appreciated. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Emily Sutton-Smith, has a lovely voice and does an excellent job portraying the characters and their personalities. Many thanks to the Kensington Books Between the Chapters book club, of which I am a member, for the following link which lists the historical figures who are depicted in the novel. https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/betwe...borrowed hoopla29 s2 comments Teresa624 164

I have been fascinated by the Titanic all my life and I've read lots of books about it and novels based on it. I was drawn to this book by the story of the three Fortune sisters. They and their brother Charlie are travelling with their parents on a world trip. As a surprise, their father has booked them passage home on the Titanic on her maiden voyage.
The sisters each have secrets and are using this trip to try to solve some of them. Each has their own agenda. Their father is a self made man and he and their mother think they know what's best for the girls and expect them to fall into line with their wishes as did most parents of this era.
The description of the Titanic itself is very well done and there's quite a lot about the food they eat and the clothes the people are wearing. The names of the real, wealthy people of the time who were travelling on the ship were included many times.
I couldn't empathise with any of the girls. I didn't take to any of them and they blew hot and cold with each other too often. One page they were getting on alright and the next they were hissing and spitting at each other cats.
The secrets thing got dragged out and the middle chapters of the book could have been done without. Nothing happened in a lot of them.
A good read for information about the ship itself but the story felt flat.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.20 s4 comments Staci1,956 591

1912

Although readers know the fate of the "unsinkable" Titanic, it makes a fascinating backdrop for a novel. In Sisters of Fortune, historical mystery author Anna Lee Huber has taken the few known details about three sisters aboard the Titanic and woven it into a fascinating novel. Each sister delivers a slightly different dynamic from the time period.

I was quickly turning pages to discover what would happen to the Fortune family. I learned several new details about the Titanic and the setting was so well described. The cover is perfect for the story.

Well written and engaging novel that is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

My gratitude to publisher Kensington books and the author for a complimentary NetGalley copy of the novel. I was not required to post a review and all opinions expressed are my own.read-in-202416 s2 comments Jeannine733 67

What an epic story. The Fortune sisters were fascinating in their different experiences on board the Titanic and the decisions they were making about their lives even before the shipwreck. I worried that it might be hard to keep track of three main characters, plus all the people around them, but it became easy after a couple chapters.

It can be hard to read a story that has a known conclusion. I found myself getting sad as I became attached to each character. I didn’t know the Fortunes before reading this book, so I read in fear of a sad ending. I should have known that while there would be tragedy, Anna Lee Huber would deliver a soft landing. 2024-02-february9 s1 comment eyes.2c2,795 82

I generally love anything written by Anna Lee Huber. Many obviously found the story fascinating. Unfortunately I just didn’t click with it. Perhaps I’m just so over anything to do with the Titanic. This was a miss for me.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley.historical-fiction netgalley9 s Linden1,687 1 follower

Canadian sisters Flora, Alice, and Mabel Fortune are traveling on the Titanic with their parents and younger brother after completing their Grand Tour. Flora and Alice are engaged, but Flora's fiancé does not seem to be too interested in her. She meets someone on board who is very interested--Chess is a wealthy attorney and tennis player, although Flora initially tries to deny the attraction. Alice becomes somewhat adventurous on the voyage, and Mabel tries to convince her father to stop trying to marry her off and allow her to attend university. The descriptions of the disaster are exciting and nerve-wracking, and show that the author did a great deal of research. Recommended for not only Titanic aficionados, but also fans of historical fiction. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.advance-review-copy2 s Kristin18

I am an avid reader of historical fiction and also highly interested in Titanic. There aren’t many historical fiction books relating to Titanic so I was very excited to read this book. However, after reading 100 pages I found myself to not be particularly interested in the storyline nor was it holding my attention. I rarely stop a book but this was a did not finish for me. I didn’t find the characters to be very three dimensional which made them hard to relate to and made me unable to stay interested in the story.8 s Desiree624 25

THE GOOD:
A surprisingly lovely and lively tale. The sights and sounds and fashions and excitement aboard the Titanic are well-written. The author packs a lot in without the text becoming ungainly.
Refreshingly told from the point of view of four characters - our three Sisters of Fortune aboard the ship as well as Flora’s love interest Chess.
The story focuses on the characters rather than the tragedy. The sinking and its aftermath are there, of course, but it’s past the half-way mark when it begins. And it doesn’t get gruesome in detail.
Clean fiction with no bawdy scenes or vulgar language. Also free on the diversity checklist bingo.

THE BAD:
Modern day thinking does unfortunately creep in a bit, with women wanting “more” than “just” being a wife and mother (as if there is any more important job in life?). Also, a dash of “the man is keeping us down” does come out of the mouth of a couple of the female characters’ mouths, however the argument is shortly thereafter successfully countered.

ONCE UPON A BOOK CLUB EDITION:
A beautiful edition! A lovely fabric hardcover in a warm salmon pink with a gold floral design. The paper jacket is also lovely in pale blue with matte black scroll work and a “cameo” of the traditional cover showing the ship and (presumably) one of the Sisters; also a nice quote and floral scroll work on the back. The only part I’m not fond of is the printed paper edges, which are mostly purple and don’t really match the book or jacket, in my opinion. The end papers in the book are also unique, with a patchwork of Titanic documents and newspaper articles, which are super cool (but also don’t really match either the pink hardback or blue book jacket). While I think they’re trying to customize too many elements at once, it is still a lovely book.

CONCLUSION:
A pleasant read and a beautiful book for your home book shelf. Highly recommend.1910-s book-club-fiction borrow-read-repeat ...more7 s Lisa M.813 21

If you are a reader who enjoys stories related to the Titanic disaster, than I would suggest you make a note to grab this book. This book follows the lives of three of the Fortune sisters who are on their way home after a Grand Tour of Europe with their mother, father, and brother (age 19). The book is written actually through FOUR perspectives: Flora, Alice, Mabel, and Chess Kinsey. Chess is an American professional tennis player they meet on the boat and love interest to Flora.

Each of the Fortune sisters learns about themselves over the course of the book and their experience with the disaster. You will get to spend time on the decks of the ship with them from the time they set sail to the moment the ship goes down. If you are me, you will be hoping that the author doesn't do you dirty and allow one of the characters you enjoy to go down on the ship.

The bulk of the story takes place from the time they get on the boat until it sinks.

You will catch many of the famous names who were on the boat as well as references to different things we know about the disaster today.

While this isn't billed as a Christian fiction, it's honestly as much of a Christian fiction--even more so in some places--than many of the current CF out there these days. It's a clean read for those who enjoy knowing that.

The author definitely did a LOT of research because the attention to detail was very very well done.

Was it unique? I didn't really feel it was, but that was okay.

4 Stars

*I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. i was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.6 s4 comments Sandra "Jeanz"1,209 170

The cover has the Titanic right at the centre of it which is fitting as that is where the plot is based throughout the book. The cover also features a young woman dressed in the style of the era complete with hat, gloves and jewellery. The cover certainly fits the book well.

The book is set on the Titanic, so obviously there are certain facts that cannot be changed but are mentioned within the book. The book also has to stick to a certain timeline as to how the events occurred. It was a bit odd reading the book but kind of knowing what was coming up in the timeline, but I did really enjoy the book.

The interior of the great unsinkable Titanic is described really well and you definitely get a sense of the opulence and atmosphere those passengers were surrounded by. The author really represents the era well in her descriptions of surrounding, etiquette, expectations of women and even the slang and sayings of the era such as 'To the berries' = all so exciting. I had to look it up!

The book concentrates of three of the Fortune Sisters who have been travelling with their parents. The family consist of 64 year old father Mark Fortune, a very proud self-made millionaire, his 60 year old wife Mary Fortune, they had six children, the eldest of which 34 year old Robert is married and lives in Vancouver. Their eldest daughter Clara is 30 years old and married to Herbert Hutton. Robert and Clara are with their own families so didn’t go on the trip. The Fortune children on the trip which ends up with them travelling home on the Titanic, are 28year old Flora who is the dutiful daughter, who has postponed her wedding to banker Crawford Campbell to go on the trip as a chaperone to her younger siblings. Alice is 24 years old but in a lot of ways is treat younger, as she was an ill child and is still considered delicate and needs to be protected, she is engaged to, and madly in love to an insurance broker called Holden Allen. The youngest sister is 23 year old Mabel, the feisty, sassy one, who wants to do her own thing, in fact she wants to continue her education, she doesn’t want to just be married her sisters. She says inappropriate things and speaks before she thoroughly thinks things out. The youngest Fortune child is 19yr old Charlie who is super knowledgeable about the Titanic and it’s a dream come true for him when Titanic ship builder Mr Thomas Andrews takes him on a personal tour of the ship.

Whilst sightseeing and exploring Egypt Alice Fortune is sipping hibiscus tea with Mr Sloper a friend the family have made whilst travelling Europe when she spots a soothsayer. Mr Sloper asks if she has ever had a reading, and would she one. He waves the soothsayer across to where they are sitting and the man reads her palm and tells her she is in danger every time she travels on the sea. He sees her adrift on the ocean in an open boat. She will lose everything but her own life. That she will be saved but others will not. It certainly upsets Alice and William Sloper quickly tries to laugh it off telling the soothsayer he would be paid more if he gave people good predictions. Mark Fortune hadn’t planned on taking his family on Titanic the Ship of Dreams, but when they decided to travel home a little earlier their reservations were switched to the Titanic.

There is a kind of magic about the Titanic, I guess that’s another reason it was called the ship of dreams. The time on the ship gives each of the Fortune Sisters time to think about their individual futures and if that’s what they really want. Flora is the sister that her parents rely on, she is the sensible, dependable one. She is engaged to be married to a man her parents strongly approve of and think is a good match for her. As the trip goes on the dread she feels about her return, she has received only one letter from her future husband Alice is also engaged, to Holden, who is approved of and considered a good match, she is madly in love with him and they have missed each other whilst the Fortunes have been travelling. They have written many letters to each other, but Alice is also dreading the return home to being tied sown to one place and cossetted. Alice has had a taste of freedom and travel that she doesn’t want to let go of. The other sister on board the Titanic and kind of the reason for the trip is Mabel. Mabel is “involved” with a musician, someone her parents do not approve of, they feel he cannot provide financial stability for their daughter. Mr & Mrs Fortune planned the trip to separate Mabel and her musician, in the hopes she will forget about him, perhaps meet someone else, or change her mind. The irony is Mabel enjoys the fact her parents don’t approve and attempts to use him as leverage, to almost blackmail her father, into accepting her real dream, which is to continue her education. Mabel wants to be a more modern independent woman, not married off and expected to have children. At one point Mr & Mrs Fortune try to suggest a suitable suitor for Mabel who is also on the Titanic, the star tennis player Chess Kinsey. Unbeknownst to them Chess does have his eyes set on one of their daughters but it isn’t Mabel, it’s Flora! I really adored the Flora & Chess dis to friendship to falling in love. Then the Shock! Horror! Mortification! Embarrassment! when Mrs Fortune catches them kissing! And in public too! Where anyone could see! Chess blames himself for ruining Flora’s reputation in her parent’s eyes and arranges a meeting wither father to put himself forward as a suitable suitor with his own suitable finances & future plans.

So along with the Fortune family drama, there’s the scandal of one young man having his mistress on the Titanic whom he plans to marry but is yet to tell his mother! They finally meet in a lifeboat as the Titanic is sinking. There’s another young man travelling with his mother but setting up poker games, which Alice Fortune ends up being drawn into.
I loved the Fortune family dynamic, they are all always there for each other and even though the three sisters, Flora, Alice and Mabel are sharing a room they each have their secrets they are hiding from the others.

I enjoyed reading how the different characters reacted to the Titanic hitting the iceberg and needing to be prepared to get on a lifeboat. There were those that just blindly believed the Titanic was unsinkable and refused to believe the possibility of it sinking. Then there were those who wanted to retrieve jewellery, pets, luggage and take it in the lifeboats with them!
The saddest stories were of the couples and families being separated because of the women & children only policy although this wasn’t as strictly adhered to by some of the crew. The chaos of losing sight or being separated from family members.2024 netgalley5 s1 comment Dawn Michelle2,596

I need to preface this review with this: I L O V E this author. She is one of my favorites and she writes two of my top 10 favorite historical mysteries and I know what a good writer she is and the meticulous research that she does when she writes a book.

That said...

I need to stop requesting/picking fiction/historical fiction books that are based on true events that I am already fairly knowledgeable about [or in this case really, really, knowledgeable about] as I usually end up frustrated and wishing I had just found a good NF book about the subject OR [in this case], found a different subject to read about.

I have been enamored with Titanic for years. And then I married a rabid consumer of all things Titanic [as well as a host of other ships, war and pleasure a], who, when he found out I had an interest, proceeded to tell me ALL he knew, shoved the books he had about the subject on me and then would buy me books when he would see them etc etc. [and even now, after we have been divorced for nine years, I am drawn to anything Titanic {hence why we are here} and why I am still completely enamored with ships and shipwrecks and the , darn him]. While I don't always remember things until I am reminded of them, I do have a pretty solid knowledge of the ship, the main players and all that happened from sailing to sinking. So I truly should have known better when I decided to read this book. But my love for the author and her writing swayed me and here we are.

I think if you know just the basics about Titanic, you will enjoy this book [IF you can get past the length, the bazillion characters {there is a list at the beginning, which is two pages}, the endless descriptions of the clothes and food, all of the girls inappropriate running around, and not even getting to the iceberg by 55%]. All of the main characters are here, good and bad [looking at you Mr. Ismay] and it was interesting to see how the author used them in this story. I didn't love the Fortune sisters [and found some of their behavior suspect given the time frame] and found them at times to be whiny and ungrateful [ I mean, their father has just footed the bill to cart them all over Europe on a Grand World Tour and yet they are so whiny about having to "eat in the dining room" and NOT the restaurant which you have to pay for, to the point of being whiny about it and it just grated on my last nerve] but they are not story ruiners [good thing since the story is all about them], and I think most people will enjoy the story about them.

I will say the whole sinking part of the story is the absolute best; the author does an excellent job and really mirrors what I already knew about the time from hitting the iceberg to the sinking to the rescue by the Carpathia and the terror and horror all aboard experienced.
That said, it really wasn't enough for me to truly enjoy this book - I struggled with so many things and overall, it just fell flat for me, which was really disappointing and I think I would direct someone who was interested in Titanic to one of the many nonfiction books that are out there that tell the story much more straightforwardly, but I would never discourage someone from picking this up and giving it a go.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Lee Huber, and Kensington Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. already-own audiobook-hoopla books-i-will-never-read-again ...more5 s Lisa Gentry586 25

many people, I've had a life-long fascination with the Titanic. When Sisters of Fortune popped up, I couldn't wait to read it and wasn't disappointed. Titanic stories and accounts of the lost or the survivors always cause me to question the role of fate...those passengers who changed plans at the last minute to sail on the doomed maiden voyage. Such is the case of the Fortune family of Winnipeg, Canada, first class, of course.

This is a Titanic story with a focus on the prominent Canadians who were on the voyage. Generally, the emphasis is on the rich or famous Brits & Americans and they're included but I enjoyed learning about the other remarkable people not usually mentioned. There were some fascinating independent, accomplished women onboard as well. The turn of the 20th century was the beginning of women breaking away from traditional roles of marriage & motherhood which is a recurring thread in this book. Each of the Fortune sisters is questioning what her future holds. The author obviously did extensive research before writing this fast-paced, gripping account of the Titanic's maiden voyage from Southhampton to the North Atlantic. The ship has never been more magnificent than she is in this story, described in painstaking detail. This book is a treat for all fans of the Titanic.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are my own.historical-fiction netgalley titanic ...more4 s Grace1,284 42

3.5/5 stars, rounding up

My review should be prefaced with this: If you know me, you know that I am fascinated by the Titanic, have been since I was very young (pre-James Cameron film), and consider myself pretty knowledgeable about it. I knew going in that this was going to be a slightly weird book for me because the main characters were real people whose names and basic stories I already knew. (I had a good laugh at the author's note in the back of the book that when she asked friends she "counted as Titanic enthusiasts" if they had heard of the Fortune sisters, they said no. There were definitely moments as I read this where I had to gauge "am I weird for knowing this or do normal people know this??")

This was a distraction for me for two reasons: (1) I went in knowing the Fortune family's life and death count, and (2) despite knowing that this was only inspired by the family, the fact that their real names were used led me to believe the romance I was rooting for had a strong possibility of being doomed (again, Huber explains this in the author's note, but since I already knew the family's story, I knew what was "supposed" to happen by historical fact). I genuinely think Huber would have been better off fully changing their names and changing enough details to keep me guessing more. She did this with Chess - whose inspiration I guessed but wasn't sure about, so I was genuinely wondering what his outcome would be. That said, I could tell this was very well researched and contained a lot of great details for someone me, and really my only complaint was the distraction of using the Fortune family's real names.

Story wise, I mostly did this. I did not care about the chapters focused on Mabel, as she is not my favorite kind of character. (Youngest who thinks she knows everything and definitely thinks her older sisters are boring and have no opinions simply because they don't always voice them.) But I d Alice, Flora, and Chess (Flora was, obviously, my favorite) and I enjoyed reading all of their stories. I thought this did a good job of working in the chaos and confusion of the sinking itself, and I appreciated that the actual sinking happened at around the 80% mark so that we had time to spend on the Carpathia and the aftermath in New York. All in all, while not a perfect book, this had a lot of things I want from Titanic fiction so I'm happy I read it.2024 ebook historical-fiction ...more4 s Michael Clancy415 15

Pretty much a Titanic romance novel so many others before it. Inspired by the very real Fortune family and it of course includes so many other people that were on or involved with the Titanic. A few fictional characters were added, and some were a combination of real people with fictional names to fit the story. A very well-done novel with beautiful descriptions of the ship, as well and lots of details after the ship hit the iceberg. Romance is not typically something that I would read but anything regarding the Titanic has always held my interest. This should prove to be a good summer read for those that are looking for such a book. Thanks to Kensington Books for the Uncorrected Proof of the book to read and review.giveaways-kensington4 s mikaela (spinebreaker)1,223 39

I really d this! It was just the right blend of fact and fiction, based on true events and some real people, but with enough creativity to not just be a survivor's biography.A few too many characters and boat details (I do not care about boats) but Flora and Chess made it all okay. I definitely read the last two chapters when I started to get attached to characters to find out which of the main characters died, but the suspense and horror of the Titanic's tragedy still kept me on the edge of my seat. Huber does a great job getting you attached to people with just a few sentences, even more so when you realize most of these people were real and did lose their lives. An interesting read for any historical fiction lover, especially if you're willing to skim a few chapters at the beginning that introduce 50 people and a gigantic ship's inner workings.netgalley4 s Kim1,132 9

An interesting look at the Titanic through the eyes of a real life Canadian family. Loved all the detail about the ship, decor, meals, the other passengers but the sisters were not very memorable, I kept getting Flora and Alice mixed up. They acted much younger than they actually were. 3 s Kelli Gard89 2

It started out slow and I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick with it. I’m glad I did though because I sucked in! It was a very ominous feeling reading about these characters and thinking “oh my goodness- I think you’re going to die”. I cried in the end. It was good3 s Connie Donnelly226 2

The Fortune family is returning home after their grand tour. Mr Fortune has booked them on the maiden voyage of the Titanic.
Now we all know how that trip went. The great thing is that Anna has written a story that still manages to keep us on the edge of our seats. She writes about actual people as well as some who are fictional.
The three Fortune sisters each have their own anxieties about returning home, will it matter?3 s Patrice McDonoughAuthor 4 books55

Anna Lee Huber finds a new and utterly engaging angle on one of history’s most famous disasters. She retells the story of the Titanic’s sinking through the experience of the real-life Fortune family, passengers on the doomed ship. Dutiful Flora, questioning Alice, and rebellious Mabel—labels that merely tag three fully fleshed out characters—are the three Fortune sisters concluding their “grand tour” of Europe on the luxurious, unsinkable, “ship of dreams.” Each sister struggles with the lives mapped out for them. Each has a momentous personal decision to make. Readers know that a greater crisis awaits. We also know the ship’s fate but not the “fortunes” of the Fortune family and their friends. That kept me riveted to the end. Huber captures the drama and desperation of the passengers caught it one of history’s most famous disasters. SISTERS OF FORTUNE is an exceptional, page-turning historical novel. 3 s Robin1,059

4.5/5 stars

This is a favorite series author’s first foray into writing a stand-alone novel. It is based on the true story of the Fortune sisters, three young women, who along with their parents and younger brother, set sail on the maiden voyage of the Titanic as the finale of a Grand Tour of Europe.

We are treated to life viewpoints from each sister: Flora, the dutiful and oldest, who is somewhat ambivalently returning home to a fiancé of whom her parents heartily approve; Alice, also engaged but chafing at the bounds of society as she yearns to travel and break free of her cossetted world; and Mabel, the youngest sister, headstrong and spirited, who is determined to explore ideas of suffrage and reform and seeks education rather than conventional marriage and family.

I really loved this story. While based on a true story, I felt Huber did a wonderful job of filling in the gaps of who these women were and what they came to discover about themselves over the course of this ill-fated journey. Each woman felt fully fleshed out to me, and I felt their personalities as distinct and interesting individuals as well as a member of their family unit. While there were a lot of supporting characters to keep track of, through reading previous Huber books (from both her Verity Kent and Lady Darby series), a standout of her planning/writing process is a marked detail to research. I always feel submerged in the time period and the perspectives of the characters at that particular moment in history. Huber is so very good at doing her history homework.

I found this wonderfully engaging and highly recommend it.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the free early arc of Sisters of Fortune for review. The opinions are strictly my own.3 s Mande34 6

I love Anna Lee Huber’s writing. Her Lady Darby series is great.

This one was very slow going. Lots of secondary characters, and I struggled to get invested in the main characters.

The book picked up just over halfway in, which is when the Titanic hit the iceberg…and the rest is history. The last half of the book was edge of your seat reading, despite knowing the outcome of the ship. It was scary, and exciting, and truly, truly heart wrenching. I think if the book had been a bit shorter, the first half may have engaged me more. Still worth a read!

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy.3 s Stormi Ellis166 5

Sisters of Fortune
By: Anna Lee Huber

5 Stars

I want to brag on this book. It is an amazing and gorgeous depiction of the Titanic. It was written well, and the descriptions made me feel as if I was there. It follows the three Fortune sisters, Alice, Flora, and Mabel. Each sister has her own set of trials she faces on this epic journey and ship. They soon discover that their lives will never be the same, whether they choose it or not.

You can probably compare this story to any other that you get of the Titanic. The ship, the story, the aftermath, all the same, but in this one, you get so much more feeling combined with drama, romance, and family. It was a story all on its own. It was as much about the Fortunes as it was the ship. It was a very intriguing and heartwarming, as well as heartwrenching, story. I loved everything about it. I loved the sisters, each with their own quirky personality. Feisty Mabel and her big dreams. Alice with her nightly secret. And then Flora, the one who surprised and shocked. The rest of the family as well were fun to follow. I loved all the new characters as well as following some more well-known historical figures.

Overall, I completely loved this story. I loved the history and the writing. I loved it all.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews3 s H. Woodward260 2

2.5. Just meh. If you insipid romance, you’ll love this one. Flora Fortune? Really? Of course she’s going to fall madly in love and get caught kissing a man unknown prior to the ships departure, mere moments before the iceberg strikes. And of course he’ll survive, even though so many men didn’t. Also, he won’t need his frostbitten legs amputated, because love keeps us all from suffering hypothermia in the North Atlantic, my dear. Ugh. The responsible sister just wants to go to medical school, but her father says no. Of course that will be disposed of when dear father does die, conveniently removing that barrier. Ugh. It’s every Titanic based trope came abroad and then had a competition to see which could take over the story. Good history, ruined by lame fiction.3 s1 comment DeeAnn207 4

a lot of people, I've been fascinated by the Titanic my entire life. I was eager to read Sisters of Fortune and wasn't let down when it appeared. Stories of the Titanic and testimonies of the survivors and the lost always make me wonder about fate and those passengers who canceled last-minute plans to embark on the tragic maiden voyage. Naturally, this is the situation with the Fortune family of Winnipeg, Canada.

This is a Titanic narrative that centers on the notable Canadian passengers. Though they are covered, the wealthy and well-known Americans and Britons are typically the focus, and I found it interesting to hear about the other amazing individuals that aren't often highlighted. There were a few remarkable strong, independent women on board as well. Women started to rebel against traditional roles of marriage and motherhood at the turn of the 20th century, a theme that runs throughout this book. Every Fortune sister is uncertain about what is ahead for her. It is clear that the author performed a great deal of study before penning this exciting, fast-paced narrative of the Titanic's historic first trip from Southampton to the North Atlantic. The ship is portrayed in great detail in this account, and she has never looked better. Fans of the Titanic will enjoy this book. SistersofFortune #NetGalley2 s Charisa Flaherty357

I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Publishing. It was a book that will stay with me for awhile. While I know it was fiction and some liberties were taken, I feel the author did a good job of depicting what life as a first class traveler on board the Titanic (or really any luxury ship of the time) would be . She also did well at depicting the fear and sadness that would have happened during and after the sinking. The only thing I think I would have d done differently was to give Mabel and Alice more time. We learned a lot about Flora but, to me, Mabel was a much more interesting character. I would have d to see more of her. 2 s Karen566 7

Thank you @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for my complimentary copy. My thoughts are my own.

Historical romance readers will adore this Titanic love story by Anna Lee Huber. The story follows three real life young women who traveled across the ocean with their parents and friends aboard the Titanic. The Fortune family routinely traveled in upper class circles and knew many of their fellow passengers.

The Fortune women were sisters. I enjoyed each of their story lines, as well as the glimpses of other passengers and the details about the ship and the lavish decor. The tale was emotional; and even though a helpful cast list was provided at the beginning of the story, I did not allow myself to look up the fate of the family and friends in the Fortune circle, because I wanted to let the book unfold as it happened in life. The author’s note also provided interesting details, but don’t read it until the end! All in all, this was a fascinating story and I thoroughly enjoyed it!historical-fiction2 s Janet4,372 48

4.5 Stars
April,1912: It’s the perfect finale to a Grand Tour of Europe—sailing home on the largest, most luxurious ocean liner ever built. For the three Fortune sisters, the voyage offers a chance to reflect on the treasures of the past they’ve seen and contemplate the futures that await them. For Alice, there’s foreboding mixed with her excitement. A fortune teller in Egypt gave her a dire warning about traveling at sea. Flora is also returning to a fiancé, a well-to-do banker of whom her parents heartily approve, as befits their most dutiful daughter. Yet the closer the wedding looms, the less sure Flora feels. Youngest sister Mabel knows her parents arranged this Grand Tour to separate her from a jazz musician. But the secret truth is that Mabel has little interest in marrying at all. Each sister grapples with the choices before her as the grand vessel glides through the Atlantic waters. Until, on an infamous night, fate intervenes, forever altering their lives
An emotional & beautifully written book, I felt that I was there on the Titanic & felt the emotions of the passengers on that tragic voyage. The research was brilliant as was the detail. I really d the Fortune sisters, their brother & parents & was on tenterhooks as to what would happen to them. The pace didn’t lag but it was more of a stroll than a run. A thought provoking read & if you’re fascinated by the maiden voyage then give this book a try
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
2 s Amanda Bennett at passionforprose399 24

Everyone knows the “unsinkable” Titanic will eventually go down, but it doesn’t negate the fact that the stories of the people who were on her maiden voyage are intriguing. Anna Lee Huber tells the story of the three Fortune sisters from Winnipeg who were traveling with their parents and younger brother after a European tour. Not initially planning to travel on the Titanic, their father surprised them, and as they say the rest is history.

There is quite a large cast of characters surrounding the three Fortune sisters, which I initially struggled with keeping straight. When the chapters eventually homed in on the three women, we find that each is carrying a burdening secret to be dealt with. Each sister receives their turn in the novel, but for the most part it felt the author focused primarily on the eldest Flora. There was also a superfluous amount of description focused on the Titanic itself, some necessary and some not.

With a little more editing, I feel this could have been a five-star read. I did enjoy reading about the Fortune sisters, but would have preferred a juxtaposition of one of their experiences with that of a third class passenger just to show the disparities, particularly during the evacuation of the ship.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author Anna Lee Huber for the advanced copy of the book. Sisters of Fortune is out now. All opinions are my own.

Http://www.instagram.com/passionforprose2 s Missy Endres5

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