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Book Review: The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

"The Fortune Hunter" by Daisy Goodwin is such a fun read. I think this is a novel that many will enjoy. This is my first novel by Daisy Goodwin and I am already impressed. I think I will be looking into some of her other titles. Goodwin brings the reader a romantic historical novel. She writes about characters who live around the 19th century. There are a few inaccuracies where certain events occurred but I believe this can be overlooked because of the fun and interesting characters with the delightful tale that Goodwin brings to the table.

Charlotte Baird is a very unattractive insignificant comely girl who is judged to be a good catch because she is the heiress of a rather large fortune. This fortune made her attractive enough to the potential suitors. Charlotte is fairly independent woman and is a budding photographer that is caught up in the new craze of photography. Charlotte wants romance. She doesn't want to marry someone who just wants her fortune. She wants someone to love her too.

Bay Middleton is Charlotte Baird's brother's friend and he is also an officer. Bay is not a good guy. The novel starts with his married mistress retiring to the country to give birth to hers and Bay's child. Then Bay begins to fall for Charlotte. Charlotte and Bay become unofficially engaged against Charlotte's families wishes. Elizabeth or "Sisi" finds her marriage boring and weak and seeks something new. She decides to go after Middleton.

These characters are very comical and fun to get to know. I think each one was given a great  background and future story. I felt like I really got to know each character. They became real instead of words on a page. "The Fortune Hunter" does a great job of bringing the British society to life. The social lives of the people back then are so different then how they are now. I can see how their would be a lot of complaints about the historical part of the book doesn't match up exactly to history but the way I look at it, is that this is a work of fiction. This is based on what someone thinks happened not what actually happened. I loved the story line and I think that Goodwin did a great job with this novel. I look forward to seeing what she brings next.

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