The Fortune Seller is a hard one for me to classify it has some mystery elements but wouldn't call it a thriller or suspense more of a drama about women's relationships. I really did like this book and found it easy to read and found myself genuinely interested in what would happen to the characters involved. I liked the tarot card elements and found the equestrian themes interesting but not usually something I would be into. The ending I was a little disappointed in and felt like somethings were not totally resolved and somethings were a little to easily wrapped up. All in all I liked this novel and would rate it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars and would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Kapelke-Dale's latest offering immerses us in a world she is familiar with, of horse riding competitions, set amidst trials and tribulations of a Yale University student equestrian team, giving us a glimpse into the rarified and exclusive picture that the rich and powerful inhabit. Rosie Macalister is not from that milieur, she is a scholarship girl from a significantly more ordinary background, endeavouring to befriend and fit in with the others on the team. She returns from abroad to an altered scenario, there is a new girl, Anneliese, who she is sharing a room with. Anneliese is different, she is a very able and skilful member of their equestrian team.

Additionally, Anneliese is uniquely gifted in the art of Tarot, interpreting the cards for those drawn to seek answers within them. She is also less than forthcoming about her opaque background, often leaving for New York, leaving room for others to wonder about her secretiveness. Initially, all is well, with Rosie becoming close to Anneliese, but this does not last long as events conspire to raise the level suspicions and tensions. The team and their friendships and trust in each other begins to fragment as they fall apart leading to deadly and tragic consequences. Upon graduation, Rosie goes on to be employed at a hedge fund, unable to forget the past, feeling the need for answers

This is compelling storytelling from the author, of class inequalities, an insight into the insidious temptations, power and glamour of wealthy circles, the dysfunctions, the ambitions, the secrets the team hold, of change and justice. What engaged me were the complicated nature of the relationships between the different Yale equestrian team members, their actions and behaviour, and not all the characters are relatable or likeable. This will likely appeal to those who are drawn to dark academia and coming of age novels. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

The Fortune Seller is the story of Rosie, a middle class equestrian who finds herself at Yale trying to keep up with her group of (more well off) friends after a year abroad.
Well written and fast paced, the story quickly takes off and by the mid way point my jaw was on the ground.
The story follows these friends through their final year at yale into their life after school.
Mixing academia, athletics and mysticism - this story will be a favorite of many readers in the new year.
Please check out my more in depth, spoiler free review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN-VKWieiRM

Title: The Fortune Seller
Author: Rachel Kapilke-Dale
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: February 13, 2024
My Rating: 3.2 Stars
Pages: 320

I was drawn to this story because of the author ~ I read and enjoyed "The Ballerinas".]
When I was young I took dance lessons which included tap, jazz and ballet.
In fact, I still love to dance but never reached the status of ballerina – but so wanted to be one! Especially after watching Margaret O’Brien in the movie “Unfinished Dance”!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y1MTfU9H2Y&list=PLuznTzCTalYrAAfrlB48crDsT_Pzjw47U
(Hmmm hoping there is someone who likes vintage “Old” movies and I am not the only one!)

In this story we follow the Yale University female student Equestrian team.

Rosie is a scholarship student and not the typical equestrian. She rooms with three other undergraduate coeds
Rosie is fortunate to go aboard to Argentina the end of her Junior year and when she return to Yale in the fall for her fourth year she finds a fifth teammate, Annelise, Rosie soon discovers that Annelise has a talent of reading Tarot cards.

I wasn’t into this story as much as the other but did love that it was at Yale. In fact, would have enjoyed more of the college scene.

I love the Epilogue. Enjoyed the author’s Acknowledgements and it was no surprise that she was on the Equestrian team but at another Ivy League school ~ Brown. She tells us that her EQ experience was nothing like the team described in her story. Stated her team was hard-working supportive riders.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 13 , 2024.

This is one of those rare books where I sensed the plot twist coming, but was entirely unbothered by having figured things out before the ending because the writing was just so damn good that I wanted to see how the author was going to pull it off. And the way Rachel Kapelke-Dale pulled it off was by constructing an engrossing story populated by characters I loved, and characters I loved to hate. I fell headlong into this intoxicating world and was sorry to reach the last page, and now I'm adding her back catalog to my reading list and pushing this new book on everyone I know who craves a dark and twisty story in the dead of winter.

Rosie Macalister does her best to fit in with the elite at Yale. She is part of the equestrian team and lives with her best, incredibly wealthy friends. When she returns from a year abroad however, a newcomer has joined the group and she is unsure what to think.

Heavy on the horse language and conversation. Wasn't expecting that (but who really is). I guess I should have read closer that this had a big competitive equestrian team storyline.

That aside, Rachel Kapelke-Dale knows how to write complicated female relationships. Furthermore, she really takes an old trope (regular kid among the rich) and gives it a fresh paranormal and 21st-century facelift.

There are books that are story-heavy and books that are character-driven. The characters run the show in The Fortune Seller and since Rachel does so well with it, the book is hard to put down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rosie is a fourth year student at Yale, comes from a middle class background and is by far, the poorest of her friend group. When she arrives at her fall apartment she shares with her friends, she discovers that she is room sharing with a newcomer, Annelise, who she does not know. Annelise has an exceptional talent reading tarot cards. Rosie and her friends are all on the Yale equestrian team which is how they met and what they all have in common.

Then an accident occurs and slowly begins to change Rosie’s view of her goals and life choices, all of which is accelerated by working for Cressida’s father. When Rosie gets a real look at the world the rich inhabit, she must decide whether its the world she wants to be in. Revelations force Rosie to confront who these people are that she's put on a pedestal and her own ethics. She ignores the red flags for as long as possible, until she realizes there's a line she can't cross or ignore any more.

I really enjoyed the writing and the story as a whole. There are so many different themes underlying the story but the gap between the middle class and the 1% upper class was spot on. Fast paced womens lit that I highly recommend!!

Rosie is used to a small town world, where there’s just enough money to get by but not enough to get any further. So she makes a plan to get herself to an Ivy League school and major in economics so she can have the opportunity to improve her circumstances and help support her parents, a pair of veterinarians. Her equestrian skills lead to her forming friendships with other women that are out of her league financially, including Cressida Tate, the richest of them all, and the daughter of the man Rosie idolized growing up. But when another young woman named Annelise joins their group, Rosie connects with her and is reminded of just how different she is from the other women. The other women do too, and the household gets increasingly tense until an accident occurs and slowly begins to change Rosie’s view of her goals and life choices, something accelerated by working for Cressida’s father. When Rosie gets a real look at the world the rich inhabit, is it really the world she wants to be in? There were points in this book that felt like they got drawn out a little too much, and other pieces that I felt were underdeveloped, like Rosie learning tarot readings from Annelise. It’s a solid book on the haves versus the have-nots that explores ethics and the desire to belong to something that feels unattainable. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars: The Fortune Seller begins with the return of Rosie and her friends for their senior year at Yale. The four of them are on the Equestrian team and plan to share a house this year. Rosie is at Yale on financial aid, but her friends are all from wealthy families. Rosie spent her junior year abroad, in Argentina working on a horse farm, and has realized that she can be her own person with her own opinions, and not just a mirror of her friends.

Upon arriving back at Yale she learns that there is a 5th girl, Annelise, that has not only become part of the group, but her roommate. At first Rosie is resentful, but as she and Annelise get to know one another, they become very close. Annelise is a very talented equestrienne as well as a tarot card reader, which increases her popularity. As the year goes on, they all start seeing that none of them are quite as they seem, and this is when the doubts and betrayals begin to surface.

The complicated relationships between the girls, is a huge part of what makes this book so good. They are rich, complex characters, that you can't help but sympathize with even when they are being harsh and unlikeable. I liked that this book did not try to wrap up every story line in a neat little bow, but let them feel more like real life. I enjoyed the author's writing so much that i immediately grabbed another of her books to read! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

“In My Dreams I Hold a Knife” meets the horsey version of “If We Were Villains”, minus the plot twists.

I'm aware of how that sounds - unnecessary mean -, but I consider Dark Academia a very serious genre that sometimes includes stories far from being worthy of this label.
So yes, if you have some comprehensive skills you'll probably figure out the whats and the whos and the whys, but I also tell you this: you'll keep going and won't stop until the very last page, probably all of that in about a couple of days, and it’d become your new obsession.

For the horse talks - if that's your thing - or for the tarot world, Rachel Kapelke-Dale is gonna drag you into this story with the illusion, when it'll be over, that you'll know the answers you're looking about what do to, what to expect, what's your purpose.
But before, as gently as she can, knowing you’re already hooked, like if you have a choice, she's gonna ask: “Do you really want to know?”.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Kapelke-Dale is becoming one of my favorite new-ish women's fiction authors. After books focused on women's gymnastics and ballet, we get an equestrian book. It's important to note that this book isn't a mystery / thriller and is marked as a women's fiction genre. There's definitely edgy stuff going on and unanswered questions.

As others have mentioned, the book is a little horsey, in the first part for sure. Rosie is a senior at Yale and on the EQ team. While I did some horseback riding in high school, nothing competitive. Rosie has become best friends with Cressida Tate, the daughter of billionaire Grayson Tate, a hedge fund guy. Rosie spent her junior year abroad, and when she gets back to Yale, she's told she will have a roommate, Cress' new friend Annaliese. At first, she's furious to have to share with a stranger, but they become friends. Anneliese is a talented equestrian and also reads tarot. Rosie is so focused on her future and making money as she grew up in the middle class and that being around wealthy people has affected her.


The tragedy that happens leads the reader into the 2nd part of the book. Rosie graduates and takes an offer to be a 2nd assistant to her best friend's father. She's so enmeshed with this group and desperate that she takes it, and while she's an excellent assistant, she's told There's no career path that will take her to the finance industry. Revelations force Rosie to confront who these people she's put on a pedestal and her own ethics. She ignores red flags. Until she realizes there's a line she can't cross or ignore any further. Along the way, she meets someone, but the romance isn't the focus in this book. The twist toward the end wasn't unexpected or surprising to me. I would have rated this book higher if it had given me something unexpected, but in the mid aughts, nothing would have surprised me.

4/5☆ out February 13, 2024.

I liked this book and it was very enjoyable and entertaining. I loved the storyline. It was a good book.
I just reviewed The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to review this novel.

This truly young adult tale amid a background of competitive equestrian life at Yale and life-after-Yale told from the perspective of a young woman who doesn't really fit in, but has tried really hard to do so, has some twists and turns. Most of them I was able to figure out fairly early and then had to wait for confirmation of my suspicions.

I'm not really sure about my feelings about this book, even though it's now been a few weeks since I finished it. But that's not to say that I didn't enjoy aspects of the book.

I liked the us vs. them features of the story, the vicarious glimpses into high-society, the rich and powerful elite, a world I'll never get a real glimpse into.

But I would have loved a more climactic climax to the book. I felt Anna's demise was predictable and that Rosie should have been more aware of the potential for danger for her friend. I likewise felt Tate's demise was predictable, though earned. And I longed for a more satisfying consequence for Cress.

Though I'm sure many appreciate the inclusion of the tarot as the background framework for the book, the descriptions of the cards and their implications were interesting, but only from a curiosity perspective for me. Indeed, the idea proffered by Annaliese about fate not being an actual thing seems to contradict the practice altogether, which was an odd paradox.

I would have loved more glimpses of life at Yale, which felt like it could have been anywhere--but maybe that was the intent.

I would have loved more glimpses into the competitive equestrian world, which I am completely unfamiliar with. I have students who are competitive equestrians who might have found this book more interesting had that been more of a feature.

Dysfunctionality in families, found and biological, is at the core of this story. Dissatisfaction with social class distinctions and pursuit of prosperity are also at the core of this story. Those are themes I am usually quite taken by, but for some reason this book didn't hit home with me.

I didn't dislike it; I'm hesitant to recommend it, but I do discuss it with friends, family, and students. Perhaps someone with more appreciation for the tarot would find it more satisfying.

There is a lot going on with this novel. Part college novel, part mystery, part class manifesto. It has horses, and tarot cards, and lots and lots of talk about money. The pace slowed significantly in the middle and I did not finish this one.

Rosie, the book's narrator, studies at Yale and shares a house with her friends and teammates on the riding team Cressida Tate, Lila and Andra. Cressida, or Cress, as she is called by her friends, is the daughter of Grayson Tate, a billionaire financier, making her the wealthiest of the group and their leader.
Cress introduces a new girl to the group, Annelise, a talented tarot reader and a brilliant rider, whom Cress and the group admire. But not everything is going so well in their lives. In the midst of this group of friends for whom life is apparently perfect, there is a whole range of emotions that range from friendship and admiration to envy and betrayal.
The Fortune Seller is a novel that exposes the reality of student life, dreams, successes and failures. It shows us how far envy and resentment can go, and that not all of us are immune to these feelings, regardless of our social or financial status.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

It was just okay. The constant money talk was grating. We get it, Rosie came from middle class and was out of place with all the rich people at Yale. Move on.
I loved the chapter headings— the little blurbs about each tarot card. But the tarot cards and readings were irrelevant past a certain point so they didn’t make a ton of sense in the end.

This was a great read even though I'm one that's not much for Tarot cards. I feel like that's something not to be messed with.
I do love the horses and the female friendships through thick and thin
I know about standing out and trying to fit in. I gave that up years ago.
In my opinion I felt that the author has done well with the middle class vs mean girls. To me, this was like watching the movie Mean Girls only with Tarot cards and horses added to the mix.
I've always loved horses since I was a girl and still do. So that's why I was delighted to discover this book had horses in it. Something I wasn't expecting at all.
From the title of the book I was expecting something else altogether.
This author has done well in bringing her characters to life.
I was upset about the deaths and how it came about. I felt that it shouldn't have happened.
The mystery in this book kept me glued to find out what really happened and why. I wasn't disappointed.
I enjoyed this new to me author. I'm hoping to read more by her in the future.
I would still read this book over and over again because you may have missed something from before while reading the first time!
This book does start out slow but keep reading because eventually it does pick up! You won't be disappointed. I wasn't at all!
5 stars for a well written story about horses, friendships and finding out who you truly are. Horses can be great therapy.
I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

"Fortune is nothing more and nothing less than the idea that there are some things in our lives - so much more than we'd like to believe - that are out of our control, no matter how hard we try."

I loved this book, as I found it to be eerily similar (and therefore quite relatable), to my own experience as a college equestrian (EQ) at an elite Northeast university in the early to mid aughts. That being said, I realize this is a very niche group, but the book itself is accessible to a wider audience.

The novel centers around a middle-class Midwestern protagonist (Rosie) who feels the outsider as a young college student at Yale. She is taken under the wing of a fellow equestrian (Cressida), who hails from much more substantial means, following the trope of the have-not getting a glimpse into the daily lives of the one percent.

When Rosie returns to Yale for her senior year following study abroad, she rents a house off campus with her EQ friends. She is paired to room with a mysterious transfer student (Annelise), who joined the clique and the equestrian team in Rosie's absence abroad, and is a hobbyist Tarot card reader. Tensions between the women begin to arise as they are competing for success and spots on the EQ team, and it turns out that all of them are keeping secrets from one another.

Without giving away any spoilers, things come to a head one fateful day toward the end of the academic year, and the remainder of the novel focuses on how each character moves forward from the tragedy. I took off a star because many of the plot twists/secrets were predictable to me from early on in the novel.

What distinguished this book from similar ones, however, was the tenuous and nuanced bond in these female friendships that follows the characters across decades. I really enjoyed the exploration of the idea of fortune vs. fate and how this played into the themes of ambition, classism, and sexism.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of this book!

Oh man I feel so indifferent about this book.
It was very very very horse related which I was not expecting. It was a topic I really don’t care much about, so it was hard to read those parts. If you’re not in that world, it can be confusing. The death and how it happened didn’t fully make sense to me. I didn’t feel like the description was really what the book was?
I feel like there was a lot going on and the middle of the book was incredibly slow. Rosie’s obsession with Grayson was really weird to me and felt not genuine. Rosie’s relationship with Cress was really surface level and did not feel like they were best friends at all.
The storyline was unique and I didn’t see the biggest twist.

This was the second book I’ve read by the author, and I’m heading off to acquire The Ingenue next! I really appreciate the way the author writes about female friend relationships, especially when it reveals how ugly and unhealthy these relationships can be.
It started off a bit slow for me, and I admittedly skimmed the chapter beginnings that included a tarot explanation. I’m sure they probably rounded out the story as it went along, but it simply wasn’t as interesting to me as the action.
Thanks to Rachel Kapelke-Dale, St Martins Press and NetGalley for providing a free advance copy!