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Dolly Blanchard's Fortune
"Droll, willful, 18-year-old Dolly Blanchard secretly adores childhood-playmate Richard Daventry, nephew of her stepfather. But Richard has fallen hard for Regency beauty Melisande--whom he has barely a chance of wedding, however, now that the Daventry estate is going bankrupt. So selfless Dolly, who has a personal fortune, determines to put Richard back on his financial feet, even after Richard vehemently declines a direct cash donation..." -from: Kirkus Reviews
- GenresRomance
189 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1983
About the author
Marnie Ellingson
5 books1 followerGalesburg-born author Marnie Ellingson has hit the jackpot and has her first fiction piece in a national magazine today. The piece, "The Right Kiss From the Wrong Kind of Man," appears in the October issue of the Ladies' Home Journal. turo feels fine and I hope I'm there to stay." i The writer is married to Dr. Robert James Ellingson, psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. Their home is in Omaha.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 30, 2015
4.30 stars - very mild pg13
[From book cover: Dolly Blanchard does not lack for suitors--how can she? She is young, beautiful, witty and endowed with a very large inheritance. But none of these attributes serve her when it comes to her tendre for Richard Daventry, her childhood chum, for Richard loves Melisande deLacey. He, however, is no luckier in love than Dolly, for Melisande must make a marriage that will recoup her family's fortune and Richard's well-meaning but improvident father has brought the Daventry estates to the edge of ruin. ........ Generous Dolly, as good as she is wealthy, attempts to provide Richard with the cash he needs to make the Daventry farms profitable again. She offers him a loan, but he angrily refuses. Undaunted, Dolly determines to get the money to him somehow. With the help of an unlikely friend, an admitted fortune hunter of great charm, and to the dismay of the banker, Dolly fashions an intricate scheme to provide the funds anonymously. The plan seems to be succeeding, but complications--delightful ones--ensue. They are finally sorted out to the satisfaction of all, thanks to the clever Dolly and her frankly mercenary friend.]
Notes made while reading:
~~ Delightful first pages with young sisters sitting around the drawing room gossiping about the latest neighborhood "on dits". I like our heroine, Dolly, she has a droll wit, is very forthright, intelligent and likable.
~~ Halfway through and I'm not entirely sure who the eventual Hero will be. Richard, the one Dolly has a tendre for, is head-over-heels infatuated with Melisande. Melisande seems to have lost interest and is now trying to "land" an mature, wealthy Earl. Does said Earl favor Melisande or Dolly??? And then there's Damon, a handsome, bit-of-a-rake, fortune hunter, who is the most fun & witty -- I like him best so far. Richard is very nice, but in a comfortable, brotherly way. Author has not inspired me to think he's a swoon-worthy Hero (he appears blinded by his infatuation and somewhat incompetent about his estate's dire financial situation); he's a war hero but I'm not even feeling the glory in that. Will Richard have a change of feeling and reciprocate the tendre toward his childhood chum, Dolly? Will Dolly end up with the mature, handsome, wealthy Earl? Or the charming, impoverished rake??
~~ Why do regency romance heroine's always escape the heat/crush of a ball through an open french door and go out onto a terrace unchaperoned?? Everyone knows what damage to their reputation is lurking in this maneuver. Even the "sensible" ones do stupid stuff like this because they must get a breath of fresh air!
~~ Quite lovely ending! - (Enjoy this author's writing style. My favorite book is The Wicked Marquis.)
[From book cover: Dolly Blanchard does not lack for suitors--how can she? She is young, beautiful, witty and endowed with a very large inheritance. But none of these attributes serve her when it comes to her tendre for Richard Daventry, her childhood chum, for Richard loves Melisande deLacey. He, however, is no luckier in love than Dolly, for Melisande must make a marriage that will recoup her family's fortune and Richard's well-meaning but improvident father has brought the Daventry estates to the edge of ruin. ........ Generous Dolly, as good as she is wealthy, attempts to provide Richard with the cash he needs to make the Daventry farms profitable again. She offers him a loan, but he angrily refuses. Undaunted, Dolly determines to get the money to him somehow. With the help of an unlikely friend, an admitted fortune hunter of great charm, and to the dismay of the banker, Dolly fashions an intricate scheme to provide the funds anonymously. The plan seems to be succeeding, but complications--delightful ones--ensue. They are finally sorted out to the satisfaction of all, thanks to the clever Dolly and her frankly mercenary friend.]
Notes made while reading:
~~ Delightful first pages with young sisters sitting around the drawing room gossiping about the latest neighborhood "on dits". I like our heroine, Dolly, she has a droll wit, is very forthright, intelligent and likable.
~~ Halfway through and I'm not entirely sure who the eventual Hero will be. Richard, the one Dolly has a tendre for, is head-over-heels infatuated with Melisande. Melisande seems to have lost interest and is now trying to "land" an mature, wealthy Earl. Does said Earl favor Melisande or Dolly??? And then there's Damon, a handsome, bit-of-a-rake, fortune hunter, who is the most fun & witty -- I like him best so far. Richard is very nice, but in a comfortable, brotherly way. Author has not inspired me to think he's a swoon-worthy Hero (he appears blinded by his infatuation and somewhat incompetent about his estate's dire financial situation); he's a war hero but I'm not even feeling the glory in that. Will Richard have a change of feeling and reciprocate the tendre toward his childhood chum, Dolly? Will Dolly end up with the mature, handsome, wealthy Earl? Or the charming, impoverished rake??
~~ Why do regency romance heroine's always escape the heat/crush of a ball through an open french door and go out onto a terrace unchaperoned?? Everyone knows what damage to their reputation is lurking in this maneuver. Even the "sensible" ones do stupid stuff like this because they must get a breath of fresh air!
~~ Quite lovely ending! - (Enjoy this author's writing style. My favorite book is The Wicked Marquis.)
August 11, 2019
Possessed of a handsome fortune, a blithe spirit, and a certain elegance of appearance, Dolly Blanchard might have had any number of suitors, had her heart not already belonged to her long-time neighbor and childhood friend, Richard Daventry. Unfortunately, Richard - newly returned to England after his military service abroad - was desperately and unhappily in love with the incomparable beauty, Melisande deLacey, whom - owing to the near-ruin of his estates - he could never hope to marry. Determined to see him happy, and not a bit dissuaded by his rejection of her offer of a loan, the warm-hearted Dolly immediately began to scheme, hoping to use her considerable fortune to improve Richard's financial situation.
If the premise of Dolly Blanchard's Fortune was wildly improbable, it was also quite entertaining. There were certainly times when I felt that Marnie Ellingson might have done more with her dialogue - if this had been a Georgette Heyer title, I think I would have been giggling hysterically the whole way through - or involved me more fully with her characters, but although it was something of a "surface" read, it was still an enjoyable book. Probably more of a 2.5-star title, rather than a 3, it will have the most appeal for readers with a strong preference for Regency romance.
If the premise of Dolly Blanchard's Fortune was wildly improbable, it was also quite entertaining. There were certainly times when I felt that Marnie Ellingson might have done more with her dialogue - if this had been a Georgette Heyer title, I think I would have been giggling hysterically the whole way through - or involved me more fully with her characters, but although it was something of a "surface" read, it was still an enjoyable book. Probably more of a 2.5-star title, rather than a 3, it will have the most appeal for readers with a strong preference for Regency romance.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews