Loved where the story takes place, Yale, and the horses. Most of the characters are horrible and hard to like. Andra turned out to be interesting. Like how the epilogue ties up everyone's story.

Wow, Rachel Kapelke-Dale. I enjoyed The Ballerinas and The Ingenue, but I loved The Fortune Seller. I'm not a believer in tarot or a lover of horses, but I didn't need to be to thoroughly enjoy Rachel's latest. I did suspect the twist fairly early in the book, but I think that was the idea, to be the behind-the-scenes observer as it all unfolds. There are going to be some readers that say The Fortune Seller is a slow burn, but that's why it works. It's just a really good story told in the perfect way.

This book would be the perfect buddy read/book club choice, because there's so much to think about and to discuss with other readers. Do you believe in fate and destiny? Revenge? An eye-for-an-eye?

After devouring The Ballerinas and The Ingenue I had to get my hands on her newest title.
Rachel is one of my most favorite writers! The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is an incredible dark academia story. With amazing complex characters.
The phenomenal writing made it incredibly difficult to put down.
The plot is so smooth, the character development is enticing and you connect and visualize the situations as if the images are right in your face.
Kapelke-Dale has delivered a wonderfully enthralling contemporary story that I couldn't get enough of.
The Fortune Seller was beautiful, well written and very interesting.
Another great mystery and suspenseful story that kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

After reading and loving The Ballerinas and The Ingenue, I was thrilled to receive a copy of The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, and I had high expectations for the book as I began to read. As I have come to expect, Ms. Kapelke-Dale's novel is not a light, easy read, and it delves into the darker side of friendships and the competitive nature such relationships often hide.

The Fortune Seller is a coming-of-age tale, set at Yale among members of the equestrian team during the first part of the book, and New York City during the second, with an overriding theme of the power of privilege. The characters are believable and the relationships are realistic, with situations to which anyone who has lived in a house with several roommates can relate. The disparity in finances between the girls adds a layer and bond between them that was interesting and added to the suspense about what might be going on behind the scenes. The tension in the fist part built exquisitely to a crisis that I didn't anticipate, and the second part of the novel slowly revealed secrets and truths in the most satisfying conclusion.

I found the interweaving of the tarot into the story both as Annelise taught Rosie to do readings, and as a lead-in to each chapter fascinating. It almost made me want to have my cards read!

Rachel Kapelke-Dale is fast becoming a must-read author for me. I look forward to her next! Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale. The opinions in this review are my own.

THE FORTUNER SELLER is another winner from Rachel Kapelke-Dale. Following Rosie Macalister through her senior year of college and her first year after college, the story quickly immerses the reader into the world of an Ivy League equestrian team. Rose is relatable, if a bit passive, in how she strives to retain her place in their friend group. .The late addition of Annelise really throws the group off kilter in a delicious way that keeps the plot moving.

Privilege and wealth lead to resentment and bitterness, especially as Rosie is trying to hide her scholarship.

But she's not the only one lying.

I mentioned this is a delicious story, right?

Suspenseful (though a slow burn), I recommend this one to fans of thoughtful thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy; all opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A coming of age, outsider, college and first job thriller. Set primarily at Yale, it's the story of Rosie and Annalise, a mysterious newcomer to the tight group led by Cressida, the incredibly wealthy of the hedge fund founder who funded Rosie's horseback riding dreams in her small mid-west town. Whew. The arrival of Annelise has thrown off the friend dynamic between the four women - now five - who share a house and ride together but she's very much a cipher. She does, however read Tarot, which figures in and looms large over the story. Things get going when Cress (a classic mean girl) turns on her leading to a traumatic and tragic event. Rosie finds herself post graduation working for Cress's dad as an assistant, a dream job- or is it? This throws a lot (a lot) of plot points at the wall; some of them work better than others. It's surprisingly superficial on the horse front and deeper on the tarot. Rosie yearns to make money and then for home. She seems to have no life outside the group (no one seems to go to class) until she's living in NY. You, like me, might guess Annelise's secret but that's well handled. The end, well, over to others because you won't get spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a page turner.

I've enjoyed all of Rachel Kapelke-Dale's books and I think this is her strongest one yet. I think it was structured really well and I enjoyed how much our main character evolved throughout the novel.

Set in the early 2000s, The Fortune Seller takes us to Yale, where middle-class Rosie Macalister lives with her much wealthier friends. As members of the Yale equestrian team, Rosie and her friends are a tight-knit group, so Rosie is surprised to return from a year abroad to find a new girl sharing her room. Annelise, with her talent for reading tarot cards and phenomenal riding skills, is unlike anyone Rosie has ever met. It isn't long before Rosie and Annelise become close. But amongst their larger group of friends, shifting alliances, secrets, and betrayals are creating unbearable tension -- with devastating, irreversible consequences.

In The Fortune Seller, Rachel Kapelke-Dale delves into issues surrounding class, wealth and privilege, ambition, and the complexities of female friendships. Kapelke-Dale's writing is nuanced and sinuous as she explores the co-dependent and sometimes destructive nature of early adult relationships, and I think she perfectly captured the feelings of her characters, with all their presumed invincibility and desperation. There's lots of interesting commentary about fate and destiny and the role that luck plays in one's good fortune or circumstances. Each chapter begins with the description of a tarot card that serves as foreshadowing for events to come, and I thought that was such a brilliant way to add texture to the narrative.

I do think, however, that some of Kapelke-Dale's observations, specifically surrounding the power that comes with wealth in the later half of the book, were a bit too on the nose. Her characters are for the most part well-developed, but they all fall solidly into either a "good person" or "bad person" category, which makes them less interesting then they could have been. Rosie herself is frustrating because she is the type of character that just lets things happen to her, rather than going out and making things happen. Who gets into Yale and, hoping to eventually work for an investment firm, fails to secure a single internship before her senior year? That, to me, seems like a form of the entitlement that Rosie herself rails against in her friends. Rosie grew up quite privileged herself, which is something she barely acknowledges as she strives for more and better, which only added to my frustration with her character.

I would have liked more atmosphere outside of the characters' immediate world -- a stronger sense of place with the equestrian competitions, some context about life on Yale's campus. The book is also oddly-plotted, with a major event happening at the 50% mark before the narrative slows way, way down. And I appreciate the twists that the narrative took, but I definitely predicted them well before and spent most of the second half of the book just waiting for Rosie to catch up.

I always look forward to new release by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, whose plots and prose have reminded me for three books now of Megan Abbott (and I can't really pay a higher compliment than that). The Fortune Seller wasn't my favorite of her novels, but I still can't wait for the next one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both an audio and digital ARC of the new book by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, perfectly narrated by Stephanie Cannon - 4.5 stars!

Rose Macalister has tried hard to fit in with her wealthy equestrian club peers at Yale. Coming from a much different world than them, she's desperate to earn enough money to help out her parents, both small town veterinarians. When she returns to Yale from a year abroad, things at the house where she lives with her EQ best friends have changed. There's a newcomer in the group who is to room with Rosie, Annelise. Annelise is a talented rider but also reads tarot cards and disappears to NYC periodically. When a prank ends with deadly consequences, Rosie has to take stock of her values and loyalties.

I was a fan of the author's previous works and really enjoyed this one as well. While I know nothing about horses, this was an interesting glimpse into that world. More so, it was a look at classism, trying to fit in, and figuring out what's really important. I liked the look into Rosie's world after graduation, as she tries to achieve her dreams and ends up seeing them in a totally different light. Each chapter begins with a tarot card explanation - just enough to guide readers through the book.

The Fortune Seller follows Rosie Macalister through her senior year of college and her first year after college. Each chapter starts with a reading of a specific tarot card. It’s quickly revealed that the person doing each reading is Annelise, Rosie’s newest roommate. Rosie was set to live with her three best friends–Cressida, Lila, and Andra–and Anenlise was a late addition.
The story focuses on Rosie and her roommates' experiences as they attend Yale and are part of the equestrian team. There’s a lot of privilege within the group, which leads to a lot of tension and resentment. Rosie is at school with a scholarship, but feels the need to hide that from the other girls. And as senior year goes on, she discovers she’s not the only one lying about family wealth.
Each girl’s personality shines through in the book, and helps make the story feel even more realistic. Each girl is flawed, prejudiced, and slightly self-absorbed, which makes them come across as believable 20-somethings. Their decisions and thought processes match with their individual personalities, and with the general mindset of college students.
I really enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure exactly what to classify it as. It’s got thriller aspects, but the slower pacing pushes it towards a mystery instead. It also takes place in an academic setting, but isn’t truly an academia-based book. Even though it’s hard to categorize, I think this book will appeal to a large market. It has a unique plot between the tarot readings and equestrian training, a tantalizing mystery, and great characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Rosie has been working for years to fit in with her wealthy friends at Yale on the equestrian team, but following her return from her junior year abroad, she finds her friend group has been infiltrated by a mysterious woman, Annelise. Annelise is a talented tarot reader and an excellent rider, but when one of their friends notices money disappearing from their bank account, Annelise ends up in the hot seat. As the women turn against one another, the rising tensions amongst the women lead to devastating consequences. Following graduation, Rosie starts a job at a Manhattan hedge fund and slowly begins to uncover Annelise’s true identity, learning things about her that reveal far more than Rosie ever anticipated.

THE FORTUNE SELLER was such an interesting read that had me gripped from the first few pages. First, I absolutely loved how the tarot cards were so neatly interwoven into Rosie’s storytelling, with each chapter starting with a new card and its meaning. This was a really neat feature and I really enjoyed seeing how the author seamlessly intertwined each card and its meaning into Rosie’s story.

Secondly, I loved Rosie as the main character. Her straddle of two different social classes over the course of the book allowed the reader to grasp the true differences between the wealthy and middle class. It was interesting to me to note the societal privileges that the wealthy take for granted, as well as how these privileges became more noticeable to Rosie as she navigated her university education and her commencement in the world as a working woman. I thought her character growth to be intriguing and well done.

Thirdly, I really enjoyed the character portrayal of all the more central characters, particularly Cressida and Annelise. Each character is very well written and developed, all hiding their own secrets and imperfections. I enjoyed Annelise’s discourse on the concepts of broke versus poor - an interesting attention to word choice and their true meaning. Additionally, I found the plot of this story to be very interesting as the reader journeys through meeting and befriending Annelise. I thought the plot twists in this story were well done, albeit one that I wholly coming (and was appalled at the realization that I was right). The second major plot twist threw me for a loop and was so well placed.

Lastly, there are some aspects of the plot that are kept intentionally vague and left me with questions as the story reached its completion. I had hoped for answers to one question in particular, but do have a hunch as to what the answer may be. Regardless, an excellent read!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St Martin’s Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

Arc Review!

The Fortune Seller
By Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Publishes: 02/13/24
Genre: mystery-thriller

I loved the tarot card theme throughout this book. Each chapter begins with a different card. I found that part so interesting and fascinating. I also enjoyed the horse and equestrian aspect that was central to the story along with the college life of the first half. The book is organized in two sections- 2005 and 2006. I found this era very relatable since I graduated college in 2006, but I definitely didn’t go to an Ivy League school or know any millionaires/billionaires. It had some good mystery and secrets vibes. The first half for me was better, but I still really liked the complete story. It was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 book for me.

All this and more…
💁‍♀️ it girl and her clique
🏙️ NYC
🏫 college campus (Yale)
🐎 equestrian
💵 rich people
🔮 fortune telling (tarot)
🤫 secrets
☝️single pov
⏳2005 & 2006 timeline

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this arc St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley!

Posted on Instagram @the_brimming_bookshelf

The Fortune Seller is more of a women's fiction than an actual thriller. It was a good read but nothing really stood out to me. The characters were just ok, I didn't feel connected to any of them. I'm more into real thrillers so this just didn't hit me like I expected. I know others who would enjoy this tho. 3 stars for me.

Rosie Macallister returns to Yale from a year abroad to find that her friends/teammates have invited a new girl into their group. Rosie is to room w/ Annalise, the mysterious new girl who seems to be just as well off as Rosie's friends, is a champion equestrian and reads tarot. Rosie and Annalise become fast friends to the consternation of the other girls. When a "harmless" prank results in tragedy, secrets and lies come to light. Amongst the New York elite, Rosie must decide where her loyalties lie and how she actually wants to live her life.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

I typically do not choose books that are labeled as thrillers, but really ended up enjoying this one! The Fortune Seller gives us a glimpse into the dark, deceptive world Rosie experiences as she mingles with her upper-class peers on the Yale equestrian team. However, it does so without the overly ostentation storylines that often make up stories of the rich.

Throughout the story, there is a vibe that something is off with a few of Rosie’s roommates, but there are not a lot of clues about what it is. Little strange things they did made me ask questions, without making the story predictable. Towards the end of the book, pieces started falling into place and family secrets that explained earlier events were uncovered. As a conflict-averse person, I enjoyed the fact that the main character had a front row seat to the drama that was happening to other people!

Women’s fiction is one of those genres I’m picky about reading. Most of the time it doesn’t appeal to me; However, when Rachel Kapelke-Dale writes it I’m guaranteed to read it. I’ve been a fan since The Ballerinas. In my opinion, The Fortune Seller is her best book yet.

In The Fortune Seller we go back to the familiar ground of important female friendships, like in The Ballerinas. Those important friendships had been formed in youth, while these were formed at Yale. As in The Ballerinas, these ties of friendship are also based on an expensive and focused talent: EQ, or equitation. They are all equitation riders for Yale University and everyone knows horse girls are a special breed of girl.

But there are horse girls and there are girls who have horses. Our protagonist, Rosie, is a horse girl. Born in Illinois to veterinarian parents and brought up on 4-H and helping hands from charities who help kids get into horse riding, Rosie is talented enough to get onto Yale’s team but not rich enough to ever go pro. Her three friends are all girls with horses. And then there’s Annelise. Annelise rides like a horse girl, swans about like a girl with horses, but what is she really?

This book is predictable, yes, but I have gotten used to putting that out of the way because I’d never enjoy a book again if I let that get to me at this point. So, putting that aside, this book is fabulous. As always, Kapelke-Dale writes female friendships so well. The complexity, vulnerability, wickedness, beauty, tragedy, and the seeming obliviousness of it all. How it seems like we think we know our friends so well when we don’t know them at all. How female friendships, especially at college-age, can turn on a dime. How vicious we can be.

The story is great because it’s about self-fulling prophecies and the little lies we need to tell ourselves to get through the day that end up leading to larger lies that have the potential to rule us. It’s about complacency in our lives and our silence. It’s a terrific read for sure.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Kapelke-Dale for the ARC of The Fortune Seller in exchange for honest feedback.
It's no secret that class wars exist in this world and that societal hierarchy is in existence and how we operate. The Fortune Seller largely revolves around this theme and how "the elite" play by a different set of rules than those who are "without". And there's horses!
I did not grow up "a horse girl" like many others so I was not as "in" on the equestrian portions of the book as I know many others might be (and a good portion of the book has horse/animal talk that is very well written, don't misunderstand me). What I enjoyed about this book is that it is such an honest examination of the "haves" versus the "have nots" and how those who inherit wealth start out their lives so much further ahead of the game than those who do not simply by virtue of having a built-in safety net. Kapelke-Dale did an excellent job of pointing out how, for some, the rules don't apply, and for others, stepping a toe out of line can result in ridiculous consequences.
Overall I enjoyed the book for it's themes and how they were woven into the story. While the content wasn't my cup of tea, the lessons behind them were a fascinating examination of how the world works.

Rosie never felt like she fits in completely with her wealthy friends at Yale. Then Annelise joins the equestrian team. She’s never met anyone like her.

I really enjoyed this book. The first and second halves were different and I was pretty shocked by an event that happened halfway through. I used to read tarot, so I loved the trip down memory lane with the cards, descriptions, and readings. I loved the college-aged characters and how they interacted; as athletes it was completely different than my experience (not to mention the Ivy school). The ending got pretty wild, but in a believable way.

“But though you think you’ll leave the past in the past, you never do. It drags along behind you, tin cans tied to rope around your ankles, clanking and clattering at the most inopportune moments.”

The Fortune Seller comes out 2/13.

I never really thought of horse girls and dark academia fitting into the same orbit of existence by The Fortune Seller tries its darnedest to find the center of the Venn diagram. The story follows a middle-class Yale equestrian struggling to stay afloat in the world of wealth and privilege surrounding the riding circuit. When she meets a tarot-card reading riding phenom who has transferred to the university under mysterious circumstances, she finds both a friend and an increasingly complex puzzle to unravel.

There is....a LOT of horse/animal talk in this book. The main character is a certified horse girl volunteering at an animal shelter with vets for parents. In many ways, she feels like a Hallmark protagonist who has stumbled sideways into the wrong genre, complete with a boy-next-door fixture who happens to...get this...volunteer at the same animal shelter as her! These cornier elements felt at odds with what is otherwise a stark examination of classism and wealth hoarding among the financial elites, as the protagonist struggles to make ends meet and compete with the inherited head-starts of her classmates. In particular, I was stuck by the point Rosie makes about how only the rich can afford to make a career out of sports with a high financial barrier to entry. Rosie's internal struggle between wanting to make a life that is finically comfortable while also following her passions is one I've felt myself and seen in almost every twenty-something I know.

Perhaps an unusual take, but despite the book being framed and heavily incorporating the practice of Tarot, I honesty felt like it wasn't a hugely important part of the story and sometimes (like the romance subplot) distracted from the more interesting, heavy hitting discussions of morality and criminality. There's certainly some thematic handwaving about the interplay between luck and fate but ultimately I felt like the story could have held up perfectly fine without it included as a plot point/framing device.

I loved the fact that THE FORTUNE SELLER was set mostly in the equestrian world. There aren't many mysteries/thrillers that give insight into the horse world, especially college equestrian teams. The original reason why I wanted to read this book was for the fortune telling plot.

The characters of Rosie, Annaliese and Cress all show the reader how family class and status rule everything - even the horses.

The plot was a bit slow moving for the first half, yet there were a few parts that moved too fast later in the story, such as the "romance."

I enjoyed reading this one and would certainly read more from Rachel.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of THE FORTUNE SELLER to review.

I rate THE FORTUNE SELLER four out of five stars.