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The Fortune-Hunters
The Fortune-Hunters by Carola Dunn released on Oct 25, 1991 is available now for purchase.
218 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1991
About the author
Carola Dunn
91 books899 followersCarola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 18, 2019
What a great read! This has the glories of Regency Bath as a backdrop, two delightful main characters, an array of interesting side characters and some lovely humour.
Here’s the premise: brother and sister Jessica and Sir Nathan Franklin are in financial difficulties. The lease is up on their home and farm, their new landlord wants more money to renew than they can afford and it looks like they’ll have to move out. But there’s one last throw of the dice: if they sell some hideous family jewels, they can afford a few weeks in Bath, putting on a bit of a show, and perhaps one of them will be able to make a wealthy marriage. Matthew Walsingham has a similar problem. Having just been disinherited, he finds his way to Bath to look for a rich heiress. And when Jessica and Matthew meet and feel an instant attraction, it seems as if they’ve both found just what they were hoping for.
Their romance plays out with a background of traditional Bath activities - the Assembly Room, the Pump Room, walks in Sydney Gardens, picnics, outings and a dunking in the canal. Well, OK, that last part is a bit different, but it was a delightful scene, so no complaints on that score. There are a number of side stories going on as well as our main couple, plus Nathan’s own romantic difficulties, and to be honest, I felt as if there was too much extraneous business and too many characters, not to mention that some of them felt rather cliched.
However, our hero and heroine are delightful, with some splendid banter and it’s obvious that they’re made for each other. Some Regencies feature characters who are so much at odds that one fears for their future happiness, but not these two. I liked that the author didn’t hesitate to address the difficulties of the premise head on. In the Regency, honour was everything, and it really isn’t honourable to pretend to be wealthy to entice a rich marriage partner. Matthew and Jessica both have the problem of deciding just when and how to confess that they’re not what they seem, and Nathan has a different problem - having fallen for an actual heiress, he looks like the sneaky fortune hunter he is, but no longer wants to be. How they extract themselves from these tangled issues is the heart of the story, and it’s rather nicely done.
The two main romances are wrapped up beautifully, the writing and historical accuracy are faultless and an honourable mention for the eccentric Miss Tibbett, the former governess now promoted to aunt status for the Bath visit, and constantly disappearing to examine Roman remains. She was a plot device, of course, but an enjoyable one. A lovely book. Five stars.
Here’s the premise: brother and sister Jessica and Sir Nathan Franklin are in financial difficulties. The lease is up on their home and farm, their new landlord wants more money to renew than they can afford and it looks like they’ll have to move out. But there’s one last throw of the dice: if they sell some hideous family jewels, they can afford a few weeks in Bath, putting on a bit of a show, and perhaps one of them will be able to make a wealthy marriage. Matthew Walsingham has a similar problem. Having just been disinherited, he finds his way to Bath to look for a rich heiress. And when Jessica and Matthew meet and feel an instant attraction, it seems as if they’ve both found just what they were hoping for.
Their romance plays out with a background of traditional Bath activities - the Assembly Room, the Pump Room, walks in Sydney Gardens, picnics, outings and a dunking in the canal. Well, OK, that last part is a bit different, but it was a delightful scene, so no complaints on that score. There are a number of side stories going on as well as our main couple, plus Nathan’s own romantic difficulties, and to be honest, I felt as if there was too much extraneous business and too many characters, not to mention that some of them felt rather cliched.
However, our hero and heroine are delightful, with some splendid banter and it’s obvious that they’re made for each other. Some Regencies feature characters who are so much at odds that one fears for their future happiness, but not these two. I liked that the author didn’t hesitate to address the difficulties of the premise head on. In the Regency, honour was everything, and it really isn’t honourable to pretend to be wealthy to entice a rich marriage partner. Matthew and Jessica both have the problem of deciding just when and how to confess that they’re not what they seem, and Nathan has a different problem - having fallen for an actual heiress, he looks like the sneaky fortune hunter he is, but no longer wants to be. How they extract themselves from these tangled issues is the heart of the story, and it’s rather nicely done.
The two main romances are wrapped up beautifully, the writing and historical accuracy are faultless and an honourable mention for the eccentric Miss Tibbett, the former governess now promoted to aunt status for the Bath visit, and constantly disappearing to examine Roman remains. She was a plot device, of course, but an enjoyable one. A lovely book. Five stars.
March 28, 2021
Enjoyed. A Trad Regency (as if you couldn't tell from that awful 90's Harlequin cover), well-written and the Period captured faithfully. I liked the characters very much and rooted for their HEA. Will read more by this author.
June 10, 2026
Cute. 3.5 stars
September 8, 2022
I picked up this book at an open bookshelf. I found the synopsis given quiet amusing and gave it a try. It was a fun quick read. I'm not the biggest Fan of romance itself but I liked the setting. I read the german translation of it and it was amusing to me that the book several times stated that 'Matthew is a of honor', because 'ehrenmann = A man of honor' has gotten a slang term within teenagers and young adults recently. Also I loved the fact that there was someone called Mrs. Woodcock. If you are looking for an easy to read yet not phenomenal read as a palette cleanser I recommend you this. Please remember that this is written in a certain setting were there were different norms between men and women, so sometimes it's a bit iffy but it's okay :) Ps. The german cover is way prettier.
March 30, 2022
I liked the hero and the heroine here--they banter good-naturedly, there's no Big Misunderstandings, the biggest obstacle to their happiness is that neither of them (truthfully) has any money, and they bond over their mutual love of architecture.
(Honorable mention to Miss Tibby, who makes a terrible chaperone as she keeps disappearing to look at Roman ruins.)
(Honorable mention to Miss Tibby, who makes a terrible chaperone as she keeps disappearing to look at Roman ruins.)
August 6, 2018
Quick, fun read.
June 23, 2023
4.25 stars
February 8, 2014
Miss Jessica Franklin has been minding her family's estate since her father's death and her brother left to fight in America. Now Sir Nathan has returned and Jessica has bad news for her brother - their beloved estate that has been leased by their family for centuries is up for a new lease and the amount is much more than they can afford. Nathan considers giving up their home but Jessica has a better idea - they will both go to Bath and seek out rich spouses. Mr. Matthew Walsingham, nephew and former heir to Lord Stone has just been disinherited due to youthful folly. Matthew also heads to Bath to seek out a rich wife to support him while he begins a career as an architect and/or convince his uncle to see that Matthew has reformed. Nathan, Jessica and Matthew quickly become friends and part of a close group of friends, but each of them has a secret they haven't revealed to the others. As the young people become closer, they must confront their own prejudices and learn the meaning of true love. The plot is pretty light and predictable and the writing is decent but not fabulous. The architectural details are wonderful and clearly well researched. The good characters are likable and Jessica and Matthew are perfect for each other. I liked this book well enough, but not enough to reread or keep.
April 25, 2019
I can't believe I used to eat up stories like this. Like, it's really cute, but it's cheesy!
I have to say, this is one of my (if not my fav so far) favorite Dunn books! In a few of her others, there were some ennuendos, which made me wary of her (no better than Heyer really, but most of Heyer was good), but this was very pleasant (except one reference to Matthew pushing one of his "loves" in a wheelbarrow, but that was only a reference) and really cute! I like how they didn't end up filthy rich at the end, even to the point that Matthew still plans on working hard etc, etc, so its not that unrealistic.
I have to say, this is one of my (if not my fav so far) favorite Dunn books! In a few of her others, there were some ennuendos, which made me wary of her (no better than Heyer really, but most of Heyer was good), but this was very pleasant (except one reference to Matthew pushing one of his "loves" in a wheelbarrow, but that was only a reference) and really cute! I like how they didn't end up filthy rich at the end, even to the point that Matthew still plans on working hard etc, etc, so its not that unrealistic.
October 20, 2013
I enjoyed this one more than I expected, although it did feel very Northanger Abbey-ish. The storyline was more believable than previous books I've read and as usual Carola Dunn's writing is smooth and flowing.
July 28, 2014
I have enjoyed all of Carola Dunn’s regency books I have read so far. They are a nice, quick, easy read and they have a Jane Austen feel to them. Each book is different enough from the others to feel fresh and her enjoyable writing style is consistent.
June 13, 2016
A masquerading match create some funny scenes in this trad. Reg Rom set in Bath
for my full review: http://www.regrom.com/2016/06/12/caro...
for my full review: http://www.regrom.com/2016/06/12/caro...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews