Historical Fiction set in 1912 about three wealthy Canadian sisters, each at a crossroads in her life, step on to the legendary ocean liner, Titanic, where their lives are forever altered.

5/5 stars: I've been a long-time fan of Huber's Lady Darby and Verity Kent Historical Mystery series. So I was excited to read this stand-alone Historical Fiction featuring three well-to-do sisters from Winnipeg who with their parent, brother and family friends find themselves returning home after their Grand Tour of Europe on the largest, most luxurious ocean liner ever built, the Titanic. Each sister is grappling with what lies in their futures when they return home. Alice, the eldest sister, a fiance and marriage she no longer wants, Flora, the dutiful middle sister, a charming man daring her to throw over her fiance to be with him and the youngest sister, Mabel, spurning marriage for dreams of university, suffrage and reform. Huber has deftly crafted incredibly complex but likable new fictional characters while weaving the true life stories and anecdotes of the Fortune Sisters, their friends and family and the more famous historical figures who made that ill-fated Atlantic crossing in 1912. Additionally, Huber's research shows in the details and glorious descriptions and writes with sensitivity about the big ships eventual heart wrenching end. Take care and check the CWs. Overall, this was a great read, I loved learning about the Fortune sisters and seeing the tragic event through the eyes of these Canadian ladies. A MUST read!


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Kensington in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Sisters of Fortune is the story of three Canadian sisters Flora, Alice and Mabel who board the Titanic for their return trip home with the rest of the family.

This will be their last major family trip before Flora and Alice return to marry their respective fiance.

Alice was warned by a fortune teller that every time she travels by sea she is facing danger. The warning is hard to shake.

We all know the fate of the Titanic but Anna Lee Huber brings the pages alive and you can feel the despair, the panic, the disbelief of all on board.

You can feel the cold, hear the screams.

Sisters of Fortune is well written and very well researched.

I hated the book to end as I felt I knew the sisters well and admired their strength and tenacity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Kensington for page turning read.

That of all humanity's failing, the worst is the fact that love and happiness, if left untended, can shrivel and die.

James Cameron's Titanic is a story that never grows old. But besides the fictional Rose and Jack, there were 2240 people that embarked RMS Titanic and around 1500 lost their life in April 12th. 1912. Imagine how many stories are there! Some never known for the large public. When I've first saw the cover to Sister of Fortune (never read anything by Anne Lee Huber before) I felt an attraction to the story and I was so happy that they decided to provide me with an ARC.
It was confusing at first, as I never was fully familiar with all the families and fortunes that were emerging in America at the time (even if I did major in history), but once Flora, Alice and Marbel were truly starting their road to self discovery while boarding the maiden voyage of Titanic, Sisters of Fortune had a metamorphosis right in front of me. Flora and Chess completely and utterly took a hold of my heart. I was dreading to turn the pages as I was aware about the tragedy that will happen and the unknown of where they will stand at the end: on the list of survivors or not, kept my tension up.
Remember the scene in Friends were Joey puts Little Women in the refrigerator to not get to the sad parts? That's how I felt as the story timeline got closer and closer to April 12th. As my ARC that NetGalley and publishing house was so nice to provide was digital, I did not hide anything in my own refrigerator BUT instead I did not let it down until it was over.
Now...while I am writing this review I am wondering if this was a good call as I feel as my emotions are still high and I want to know so much more about the Titanic survivors, the Gilded Age and Canadian wealth. Youtube, here I come!
Alice and Marbel had their own battles with the society, dreams, wishes and propriety but the hardships of a sinking ship, a floating boat on an icing sea and the will to survive were the culminant point in their story and I can only hope they lived a beautiful life, back home in Winnipeg.
I truly enjoyed this marvel of a story and I hope you will to! You may feel lost between french cuisine, sailing terminology or too many decks but Sisters of Fortune is a historical fiction that will transport you in the gilded and luxurious area of affluent people that are now part of world history.

If you are a reader who enjoys stories related to the Titanic disaster, than I would suggest you make a note to grab this book. This book follows the lives of three of the Fortune sisters who are on their way home after a Grand Tour of Europe with their mother, father, and brother (age 19). The book is written actually through FOUR perspectives: Flora, Alice, Mabel, and Chess Kinsey. Chess is an American professional tennis player they meet on the boat and love interest to Flora.

Each of the Fortune sisters learns about themselves over the course of the book and their experience with the disaster. You will get to spend time on the decks of the ship with them from the time they set sail to the moment the ship goes down. If you are like me, you will be hoping that the author doesn't do you dirty and allow one of the characters you enjoy to go down on the ship.

The bulk of the story takes place from the time they get on the boat until it sinks.

You will catch many of the famous names who were on the boat as well as references to different things we know about the disaster today.

While this isn't billed as a Christian fiction, it's honestly as much of a Christian fiction--even more so in some places--than many of the current CF out there these days. It's a clean read for those who enjoy knowing that.

The author definitely did a LOT of research because the attention to detail was very very well done.

Was it unique? I didn't really feel like it was, but that was okay.

4 Stars

*I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. i was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.

Written by one of my favorite authors, this is set on the Titanic. The Fortune sisters, Alice, Flora, and Mabel are set to return home on the Titanic and return to the lives that they have waiting, fiancés', parents, and high society. They are on the most luxurious ship ever built and are anxious to return home, when fate intervenes.....

1912

Although readers know the fate of the "unsinkable" Titanic, it makes a fascinating backdrop for a novel. In Sisters of Fortune, historical mystery author Anna Lee Huber has taken the few known details about three sisters aboard the Titanic and woven it into a fascinating novel. Each sister delivers a slightly different dynamic from the time period.

I was quickly turning pages to discover what would happen to the Fortune family. I learned several new details about the Titanic and the setting was so well described. The cover is perfect for the story.

Well written and engaging novel that is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

While the story of the Titanic has been told many times and in many ways, Sisters of Fortune is unique in that the main characters are inspired by actual people and fictionalized to tell an incredible story. Sisters Flora, Mabel and Alice are each searching for something in her life - though they don’t all realize this at the beginning. Each sister is well-developed throughout the story. Most of the story takes place on the ship prior to the collision with the iceberg and the descriptions of the ship and the interactions with various other characters was insightful and enjoyable. The nod to suffragettes was pointed but not preachy. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres…I truly enjoyed this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for my complimentary digital copy for review.

In Anna Lee Hubert's historical fiction, "The Sisters Fortune," readers are introduced to another set of unforgettable characters: Alice, Flora, and Mabel Fortune. These three sisters, all survivors of the Titanic tragedy, offer a fresh perspective on the often-told story.

The Fortune sisters' narrative is set against the backdrop of the early twentieth century, an era when the suffragist movement was gaining momentum, and societal expectations for women were predominantly domestic. Despite their affluent upbringing, Alice, Flora, and Mabel find themselves ensnared by societal constraints. Yet, they are imbued with a deep desire for autonomy and a clear vision of the lives they yearn for.

Hubert's novel explores the sisters' internal struggles and their quest for self-discovery, a journey that is cruelly interrupted by the catastrophic sinking of the Titanic. The author skillfully depicts the terror and chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to escape the doomed vessel. Hubert's vivid portrayal captures the heart-wrenching moments of separation as women and children were prioritized for the limited lifeboats, leaving the men to face uncertain fates with stoic resignation.

The narrative plunges the reader into the midst of the disaster, eliciting a profound sense of empathy and sorrow, particularly in the knowledge of the impending doom. Yet, while the Titanic's demise serves as a poignant backdrop, the novel's core is firmly centered on the resilience and emergence of the Fortune sisters.

The Sisters Fortune is a poignant tribute to the strength and determination of young women during a pivotal time in history. Hubert's novel is not merely a recounting of a historical calamity but a testament to the enduring spirit of its survivors. It is a story of personal growth, societal boundaries, and the relentless pursuit of one's aspirations in the face of adversity.

Sisters of Fortune is based on three young women who boarded the RMS Titanic on the 10th of April 1912, with their mother, father and younger brother and being passengers on the doomed first voyage. Their father Mark Fortune decided to treat his wife Mary, daughters Alice, Flora, and Mabel and youngest son Charlie to a grand tour, visiting Italy, France, Greece, the Middle East and Egypt.

Alice is both worried and excited about the journey home, she had her palm read by a fortune teller in Cairo and he told her she faced danger every time she travelled by sea and waiting for her in Winnipeg, Canada is her fiancé Holden Allen and she’s confused about her feelings for him.

Flora is engaged to a banker Crawford Campbell, he didn't mind delaying their wedding and she’s only had one letter from him the whole time they have been away. Flora meets tennis player Chester Kingey, he’s handsome and charming and she develops feelings for him and how can she break off her engagement and what will her parents think?

Mabel has fallen in love with a jazz musician, her parents are horrified and her father organised the Grand Tour to get her away from him. Mabel doesn’t really want to settle down, she would like to be a suffragette and go to college and her father's against further education for women.

As we know the Titanic hits an iceberg on the 15th of April 1912, you read about how luxurious the ship was and it was huge, the family has three rooms, a steward to take care of their needs and they ate in the dining room and took the elevator because Mrs. Fortune didn’t want to climb stairs. When you read a story about the Titanic it can be a little predictable, the unsinkable ship and most technological advanced vessel at the time, with it’s sixteen reinforced compartments, it breaks in half and sinks to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean.

I received a copy of Sisters of Fortune from Kensington Book in exchange for an honest review. Using real and fictional characters Anna Lee Huber writes a narrative that makes you think about the time after the Titanic hits the iceberg, the uncertainty and disbelief the passengers felt, the bravery of the crew and men who stayed aboard. Many of the women had to be dragged away from their male relatives, despite them wanting them to get on a lifeboat and what they witnessed afterwards. On the Carpathia survivors spent their time scanning the ocean hoping more lifeboats would be found, when the word came there was no more and they said the sorrow and sound of grief and loss was something they would never forget or want to experience ever again.

I found the story prior to the sinking of the Titanic a little slow and Ms. Huber ups the pace when she writes about the mighty ocean liner sinking, afterwards and the survivors arriving in New York, with so much empathy and I felt more of a connection to the characters and four stars from me.

Readers who like stories about the titanic who enjoy this book. Based on the Fortune sisters, this story begins with a dire warning from a fortune teller. Lots of characters throughout but the author did a wonderful job listing everyone with a short description to help readers sort out everyone. I would have liked more written about the sisters and their feelings. Too many descriptive passages for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Great book if you enjoy historical fiction. The first half of the story was a little slow for me; however I still appreciated all the details the author provided. All the characters were well developed, and you can't dislike the Fortune sisters. The writing style is beautiful and keeps you engaged the entire time. The novel is based on the true story of the Fortune sisters, and Anna Lee Huber did a great job at research. Very solid 4 stars!!!

I loved getting to know some of the passengers on the Titanic. Many I had already heard of. I became more and more anxious as we approached the night the ship sank. How many of my new acquaintances would survive? The details, the anecdotes, the back stories, the descriptions. the flirtations-all contribute to this first rate story of the Fortune sisters of Winnipeg.

I loved this book! It was very engaging and I loved the characters. It certainly was sad at times, being that it’s a novel that takes place on the ill-fated Titanic. A must-read for any historical fans!

Oh devastatingly beautiful!

Titanic has always been something that had my interest. The stories are just beautiful and also heart wrecking.

The author did such a beautiful job at portraying this story. Considering it’s based off a real story at Titanic, it’s slightly a heavy subject yet I believe the justice has been made. I could feel all of the characters’ feelings, I truly felt like I was reading about real people. It just made the story better and I could connect with both the story and characters better.

Man this book was a hard slog! For me it started off really slowly and I had to force myself to read it, but it did pick up eventually and redeemed itself in the end. I know the author was trying to express how impressive the Titanic was with the descriptions of the ship itself and the people on board, but there was just too much of that and I got confused with all of the characters.

The author obviously did a huge amount of research into actual passengers aboard the Titanic in order to infuse this book with them. However, the huge amount of characters and storylines were a bit confusing and the book seemed to drag a lot in places. I found it interesting overall as this was a family I was not familiar with as a Titanic buff.

The historical period is perfectly set, as you’d expect from one of Huber’s books. But I struggled with the pacing and with 4 POV characters. I wanted the beautiful but lengthy descriptions to end and the action and character development to begin.

With four main characters and written in the third person, it didn’t have the deep point of view I’m used to from Huber’s writing. We’re told that Flora feels she’s on the precipice of something great as her copper brown hair blows. Is she really thinking about her own hair color? Between things like that and all the details of setting the historic scene, I felt like I was being told what happened rather than feeling it along with them. The details of Chess’s survival in the water is told to us afterward. Flora’s breakup with Crawford is told to us even though it was built up. Some of the time spent on the historical details could have been spent on other character moments.

This was a book I kept putting down after a chapter or two and then coming back to. It wasn’t until after the ship struck the iceberg that I got into the feelings of the characters and the pace quickened. The survivor’s despair was especially heartbreaking.

Worth a read if you like Titanic fiction or historical, but not a reread for me.

What a good book! I haven't read a page-turner in ages, this is a read-in-one setting book. I have read many true stories about the Titanic, it is tragic, to this day, I want the ship to have had enough rescue boats, I want those poor souls to have survived, yet the horror of that night never changes. I remember when James Cameron's movie came out, how irritated I was with the whole Rose story, it was tragic enough, did he really need to have her fiance trying to shoot her and Jack? This story is based on real people, the private conversations are fictional, but so entertaining, and so believable. I loved the Fortune Sisters, they were strong young ladies, who survived this floating catastrophe, and they should be remembered. I highly recommend it. Thank you #Netgalley #Anna Lee Huber
carolintallahassee

I am a tiny bit unhappy with this novel. The main part of the story revolves around sister Flora, and when looking up the family for more references, I didn't find the name Flora to be on the passenger list. https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/features/t... It took some delving to find out that Flora's first name is really Ethel. I almost felt cheated until I did my extra research. Yes, yes, I am one of those PIA's who like to see if the facts are correct when a fictional story is based on truth.

The other things that I was unhappy about were 1- the huge amount of characters who did not always show up under the name with which you first met them. 2- the interminable descriptions of the clothing and food. 3-the quickness of the romance.

The writing was well done otherwise, and since we already knew how the story was going to play out, it was clever of the author to pick this family to write about. The sisters all had a lot of issues, and it compelled me to finish what might have been a bit of a lackluster novel.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Kensington Books, the author, and NetGalley.
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The writing was beautiful and rich - outlining the characters and their backgrounds in vivid detail. It is evident that the content was researched and presented in a way to draw the reader into the characters and their choices. Setting the story on the Titanic, where the reader knows the general outcome, propels the reader to turn pages in order to find out the fates of these characters. The cast of characters was long and intimidating, including them in the front of the book is helpful. Overall, I did find the book difficult to read due to the length and complexity.