Courting Fate
Book 1 of The Courtship Saga
by A.R. Kaufer
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Pub Date 2 Dec 2022 | Archive Date 11 Jun 2023
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Description
When she’s not working at the bank or playing video games with her best friend, Ana’s nose is in a book. She is comfortable with her simple life until one night, on her way home from work, she is mugged and left for dead. Fate or luck, army medic Rafe was passing by and saves her life.
Grateful as she is, she can't shake the feeling she knows him from somewhere. Their lives become intertwined as she learns more about him and more about herself.
Is she ready to face the truth? Will it answer her questions or break her in the process? Ana must find her strength and become who she was born to be, before it’s too late.
Warning: This book is fast-paced with traumatic themes that may be upsetting to some readers.
For fans of epic fantasy, Tolkien, and more, Courting Fate is part of a series that explores serious topics while using familiar tropes. Told in third person present tense, it will keep you immersed in the story up until the very end.
Advance Praise
"This was a book was a surprising twist. While it starts off rooted firmly in reality, at about a quarter of the way through, it launches into a fantastical twist. The characters are faced with real-world problems, and each has their own unique struggle."
Review From Publishers Weekly:
"Kaufer’s epic debut is a fantasy, the kickoff to a series, but readers might forget that in the first 150 or so pages as, Ana, a contemporary woman with a deep fear of intimacy after experiencing abuse, gets caught up in a slow-burn romance with Rafe, the out-of-nowhere protector who saves her from a mugger and then refuses to leave her side as she’s rushed to the hospital with a bullet wound. He’s still there for her when she’s discharged, tending to her, helping her handle the police detectives who insist her story doesn’t quite add up. He’s dashing but gentle, helping her heal, in every sense.
Readers will recognize plenty of warning signs about Rafe’s potential deeper motives, of course, as does Ana’s reporter roommate and only friend, Kara. Kara doesn’t trust Rafe but when called away on an assignment must ask him to watch over Ana, who has a history of self-harm. Kaufer drops hints about what might really be going on, but she immerses readers in uncertainty as Rafe and Ana explore a chaste but romantic intimacy. Perhaps to preserve the mystery, Kaufer writes from a brisk but distant third-person perspective, offering little interiority, so readers rarely are privy to what these characters are thinking.
That makes for fast reading, sometimes too fast, as confrontations with the cops, that mugger, and others pass too quickly to build tension. Eventually, Kaufer reveals the answers. It would be churlish to spell them out here, but readers should remember that, yes, this is a fantasy, with magic, questions of royal lineage, high stakes palace intrigue, a jeerable villain, and a dash of tragedy as the Maristellar Kingdom faces tumult and the story builds to a resonant cliffhanger. The choice to delay the introduction of these elements throws the book’s genre balance toward romance, but readers who love the blend will find much here that intrigues and engages. Overall Score: A-"
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9798986746951 |
| PRICE | US$4.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 447 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Britney N, Reviewer
In "Courting Fate," author A.R. Kaufer combines elements of fiction, romance, and fantasy to create a truly unique and fast-paced reading experience. Set in a time that is both familiar and foreign, the book follows Ana and Rafe, our two main characters, as they grapple with issues of love, loss, and identity in a world where magic is real. With Kaufer's combination of genres and her well-crafted prose, this book will surely delight readers who are fans of all three.
Ana, an ordinary bank teller (or so she believes herself to be), lives a simple life with her best friend Kara until one night, she's walking home from work when she is mugged and left for dead. Rafe, a former army medic who just so happens to be passing by at the time, saves her life. Even though she is grateful to him for his help, Ana can't help but feel as though she knows him from somewhere. As the two spend more time together, She's faced with the truth about who she is and left with making a life-altering decision. Entering into a world unknown and worried that she is bound to fail, Ana needs to search within for strength to become who she was born to be before it is too late.
While the book doesn't grab your attention from the start, just when you think you know the characters well enough is when you're caught off-guard by a fantastical plot twist. Kaufer has found just the right way of getting a reader to go from what one may call a "slow start" to reading page upon page to find out what comes next in this story. Although she leaves us with a cliffhanger, seeing that this is just the first book in its series, I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of her books to see how this story will unfold.
I would recommend this book to just about anyone. If you enjoy fiction, romance, and fantasy and especially love a good plot twist, then "Courting Fate" is the book for you! Follow the rest of its series and watch how the story unfolds.
Lori C, Reviewer
This was so good! I quickly read this and lost touch with everything going on around me until it was done. I enjoyed this so much!
I just reviewed Courting Fate by A.R. Kaufer. #CourtingFate #NetGalley
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Ling W, Reviewer
Intriguing story of a relatable female heroine called Ana who is saved by Rafe, a frustratingly sweet army medic. I was pleasantly surprised when around 25% into the book, it turned into pure fantasy!
The book is fast paced, Full of action and plot twists. I especially loved that the evil character is truly one you can hate!
Enjoyable and looking forward to book 2.
Jackie C, Reviewer
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for a positive review.
This book is a quick read because it is that good. The love story between Rafe and Ana that turns into a fantasy. It leaves you hanging wanting more.
Thankfully there is a second book to this saga to enjoy.
Anastasia P, Reviewer
It does start off slow but then again it is a story built up til it gets to the action. I enjoyed this story. At first I found Ana to be too sensitive and emotional, but it was great to see her develop into a strong lead female.
I absolutely loved the two side characters Kara and Evren.
This is a fast-paced novel and I enjoyed reading it. The title of the book is suitable. The writing style of the author is amazing. The storyline is interesting and it kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page.
THE ENDING😭
Reviewer 964069
This book has drama and action.
It is full of twists and turns.
Ana doesn't know who to trust and sometimes doesn't have the strength to trust her own judgement. She is full of self doubt.
Will she survive the battle and be the queen she needs to be
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