This was an enjoyable read. Jane is staying with her brother and his family. While she is there, she is trying to discover if a warm staying with the brother’s adopted mother is a real princess. They are concerned that money and land that should come to her brother might be given to this ‘princess’. Jane is struggling without her sister, Cassandra and also finding her sister in law quite difficult. In a rather convoluting way, Janet tries to discover the truth. Of course, she faces the usual prejudice against women who can think for themselves. But nothing stops Jane when she is on a mission. This book did capture the ideas and practices of the time. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Took me a little while to get into the story, because of the considerable overlap between the names of this novel's characters and the names of the real Jane Austen's characters (in P&P and S&S ). Not the author's fault, just Jane Austin used a lot of family names. Once I got my head around the issue, I could and did enjoy the Jessica Bulls riff on Jane Austin, the pressure to wed and support one's family at all costs. The story line was good if rather gritty for actual regency tastes. The modern reader will of course realise that such horrors could and did occur throughout history..

This was a most anticipated follow up and I really enjoyed the mix of fact and fiction. The pressure on Jane to find a husband was obvious, as was her determination to simply write. A thoroughly enjoyable read

Jessica Bull has done it again. What a wonderful follow up to her debut novel. She gives voice to a young Jane Austen in a way that captivates and entertains while also dealing with heavier topics. I cannot recommend this book enough!

3.5
A slow start meant I struggled to get into this to start with but the pace picked up in second half and I really enjoyed Jane's antics. A Fortune Most Fatal dealt with some dark themes but combined with Jane's witticisms this was a solid read.

I was looking forward to this second instalment in young Jane's story but, after a promising start when Jane's writing box and manuscripts are almost lost, it didn't quite live up to expectations. The story seemed overlong and flat in places with Jane making wild assumptions about her brother's conduct and the future of his inheritance, and going round in circles before the mystery of the strange girl rescued from the sea is finally solved. Without spoilers, all I can say about the so-called foreign princess is that her story feels very confusing and her behaviour extremely far-fetched, despite the author's note of explanation at the end of the book.
As in most Regency stories, there is the inevitable family pressure for a young lady to find a suitable husband, and one or two rather awful prospects are dangled in front of her, but Jane simply wants to write. It was fun to see the progress of several of her future published novels dropped into the story and the tiny hint of romance that history tells us led nowhere.. This glimpse into her inner thoughts and desires, along with some witty lines from the spirited Jane, were for me the most entertaining aspect of the book.
An interesting read but the mystery at its heart was not quite engaging or gripping enough for me.