When you read a book about the Titanic you expect to see the hits, kind of like listening to the oldies station. You expect to hear Stairway to Heaven, Hotel California, etc. In a novel about the Titanic you expect to see Margaret Brown, J. J. and Madeline Astor, Bruce Ismay, and Thomas Anderson. Sisters of Fortune has all those names as well as three sisters, their parents and younger brother, sailing back to Winnipeg after a grand tour. The Fortunes, a real life wealthy Canadian family met their fate aboard the doomed vessel.

The Sisters of Fortune are : Alice, Flora, and Mabel. Mabel wants to go to college, a shocking act of rebellion for the time. On board she meets two educated women - a doctor and a lawyer, who inspire Mabel to take charge of her life. Alice mentions her Worth wedding dress packed in a trunk in the ship's hold - so she is serious about marrying her fiance, or is she? Alice meets with Molly Brown and confesses she may not want the everyday tedium her life will take on after marriage. Flora, also engaged, meets a handsome playboy tennis champ who turns her head and heart away from her future plans. What does Fortune have in store for these sisters?

The novel is paced slowly at first, but that makes sense, given that sailing aboard the Titanic was meant to be a luxurious, languid experience. Huber mentions real people who sailed, and survived (and didn't,) the sinking. Writing about Titanic must be a daunting task. Yes, a plethora of information exists, but no one who was actually a board remains alive. Huber's use of a real family hits home more than a fictionalized account - these people actually lived this unique and terrifying experience. Huber says in her author notes the sisters rarely spoke of their experience in later life. The heart of the story are the sisters themselves, and their responses to being women in a restrictive age. Life can change your trajectory suddenly and sometimes the only response is to survive, which is what the Fortune Sisters did.

I found myself instantly swept away to another time,(smack dab front and center on the RMS Titanic!) Sisters of Fortune, by Anna Lee Huber pulled me into the story of the very real people on their doomed voyage in April 1912. This is a beautifully written book that had me googling some of the survivors to find out what became of them after Titanic. I look forward to reading more books by Anna Lee Huber.

Book Review: Sisters of Fortune
Stars: 4 X 5
Author: Anna Lee Huber @annaleehuber
Publisher: Kensington Books @kensingtonbooks
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC

This is a historical fiction book about three sisters who with their parents and brother board the ill fated Titanic on its doomed voyage.

The three Fortune sisters Alice, Flora and Mabel are heading home to Canada after a grand family european vacation. Flora and Alice are engaged. Mabel the youngest wants to go to university, Flora ends up flirting with Chess Kinsley an amateur tennis player. Slowly, they start to fall in love. As disaster happens the ladies come to find out what they are really made of.

The author did a wonderful job with the historical descriptions of what happened before and after the Titanic hit the iceberg. This story is based on real people . The sisters were very strong and survived. I was curious and ended up looking the Fortune Sisters up on the internet. I read a few old articles I was able to find and these three women were heroines. Thank you Ann Lee Huber for this book.

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Okay, when I started reading this book. I didn't realize that it was based on a true story. I didn't know that the Fortune sisters were real until I read elsewhere - it was right after reading the night Titanic sunk. So, of course, I Googled the sisters to see how their lives continued. I was so disappointed to read Flora's real life didn't follow the path I thought this book was taking. Until I finished the book and then understood so much more when I read the author notes. It's an incredibly well researched and written story! The descriptions are exquisite - so rich and lush, you can hear the whispers of satin in the dining room, feel the ermine, and picture the amazing starlight the night the ship sank. The Fortune sisters are all different but strong women. And the side characters were so well crafted and entertaining. While a tragedy, it was enjoyable getting to know their stories. I will be recommending this book to my reader friends and family.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

4.75 stars
Of course, pretty much everyone knows something about the fateful tragedy of the Titanic but not so much about many of the passengers. Author Anna Lee Huber, who is one of my favorite writers, takes on the task of telling the story of the real-life Fortune family from Canada, specifically the three younger sisters. Full of meticulously researched details, the novel is as lush as the ship’s first-class accommodations, and I find these details help readers feel part of the story. I enjoy all of these minutiae and do not feel they slow the pace of the tale. Huber does take some liberties creating a fictional love interest for one of the sisters, but he is based on aspects and experiences of real-life people.

I really enjoyed SISTERS OF FORTUNE. I highly recommend it to any historical fiction reader and fans of Huber’s other works.

I received an ARC of this title from the Kensington through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Sisters of Fortune" and all opinions expressed are my own. I was looking forward to reading this story. I loved this cover but... there was so much going on. The story was really slow and there were so many characters that I was getting lost. Unfortunately, a DNF.

There are so many books written about the Titanic, but I love them all. I love the idea of sailing in luxury. So many with hopes and dreams, so many looking forward to this voyage. Of course, everyone knows what happens to the ship, but what happens to each occupant is a story of its own. For these three sisters, each has a different life ahead of them, and a different experience when the iceberg is hit.

I loved the imagery and the detailed characters of this novel.

After a grand tour of Europe, the Fortune family is heading back to Canada on the Titanic. I love reading about the Titanic and every time I’m still shocked and devastated that it sinks. The family is loosely based on an actual family from Winnipeg and the sisters are interesting characters and the ship is a good backdrop for their stories.

I have been fascinated by the Titanic all my life and I've read lots of books about it and novels based on it. I was drawn to this book by the story of the three Fortune sisters. They and their brother Charlie are travelling with their parents on a world trip. As a surprise, their father has booked them passage home on the Titanic on her maiden voyage.
The sisters each have secrets and are using this trip to try to solve some of them. Each has their own agenda. Their father is a self made man and he and their mother think they know what's best for the girls and expect them to fall into line with their wishes as did most parents of this era.
The description of the Titanic itself is very well done and there's quite a lot about the food they eat and the clothes the people are wearing. The names of the real, wealthy people of the time who were travelling on the ship were included many times.
I couldn't empathise with any of the girls. I didn't take to any of them and they blew hot and cold with each other too often. One page they were getting on alright and the next they were hissing and spitting at each other like cats.
The secrets thing got dragged out and the middle chapters of the book could have been done without. Nothing happened in a lot of them.
A good read for information about the ship itself but the story felt flat.

Most everyone knows the outcome of the Titanic disaster and the well known people who died or were saved.. Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber, tells the tale of the Fortune Family. Husband, wife, 3 daughters, and one son, who were really on the doomed ship, but only were a blip on the consciousness of the people of the time. I would venture to guess unless you were a descendant of this family, you wouldn't have known them, or their story.

After a Grand Tour of Europe, Egypt, and other parts very far away from their home in Winnipeg Canada, the Fortune family sets sail on the 'unsinkable' Titanic. The book is very well researched and Ms. Huber takes fact and weaves it will fiction for a great story. The book was a bit slow to start for me, and there are so many descriptions and people for about the first half of the book I was going back and forth while reading. Expect the pace to pick up about the 50% mark and then zoom to the finish.

A well crafted tale with some facts Ms. Huber puts at the end, so you don't have to Google what happened after they were back in Winnipeg! I say a book is an excellent read if it makes me want to learn more about the characters. 4 stars for me since the beginning was slow and disjointed a bit. Worthwhile read.

1912 aboard the RMS Titanic

The tragedy of the Titanic is still fascinating after all of these years and will never grow old. Anna Lee Huber, on of my favorite historical mystery writers, excels at combining historical facts with fiction.

Three sisters, wanting 3 different outcomes in their lives, are aboard the ship with their parents and come alive with the descriptions and facts that make this story fascinating.

Not to be missed.

4.5 Stars
April,1912: It’s the perfect finale to a Grand Tour of Europe—sailing home on the largest, most luxurious ocean liner ever built. For the three Fortune sisters, the voyage offers a chance to reflect on the treasures of the past they’ve seen and contemplate the futures that await them. For Alice, there’s foreboding mixed with her excitement. A fortune teller in Egypt gave her a dire warning about traveling at sea. Flora is also returning to a fiancé, a well-to-do banker of whom her parents heartily approve, as befits their most dutiful daughter. Yet the closer the wedding looms, the less sure Flora feels. Youngest sister Mabel knows her parents arranged this Grand Tour to separate her from a jazz musician. But the secret truth is that Mabel has little interest in marrying at all. Each sister grapples with the choices before her as the grand vessel glides through the Atlantic waters. Until, on an infamous night, fate intervenes, forever altering their lives
An emotional & beautifully written book, I felt that I was there on the Titanic & felt the emotions of the passengers on that tragic voyage. The research was brilliant as was the detail. I really liked the Fortune sisters, their brother & parents & was on tenterhooks as to what would happen to them. The pace didn’t lag but it was more of a stroll than a run. A thought provoking read & if you’re fascinated by the maiden voyage then give this book a try
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber is a beautiful, beautiful Historical Fiction novel based on the affluent Fortune family from Winnipeg as they traveled aboard the RMS Titanic. April 15, 1912 is a very familiar date to many, the fateful night the unsinkable Titanic sank.

Bewildering premonitions and superstitious sentiments about the Titanic swirled like mist. Unease grew for some but ignored by others. The three Fortune sisters, their parents and brother all had different personalities and outlooks. Alice, Flora and Mabel craved escape and adventure for their personal reasons and were curious about the world. Flora especially grabbed me. It was breathtaking to experience the Titanic through their eyes. What an intriguing family from the frigid prairies so familiar to me!

Every time I read about the subject I am amazed at the heroism of some and cowardice of a few as they were faced with almost certain nightmarish death. Fame and fortune are meaningless in those moments.

While the story itself is fascinating and moving, what strikes me in particular are the sumptuously rich details of the liner such as the wood paneling I practically felt to the furnishings to the very best craftsmanship to gym equipment. All lost along with 1,517 precious lives.

Be sure to read Huber's inspiring notes. She is an automatic read author for me, always a win-win. Her writing is always packed with passion and thoughtful care.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this harrowing and emotive novel.

This book is a love story to the Titanic and those who sailed on her. The details are infused with love and care, and though they were overwhelming in the first few chapters, there's no doubt that the scene is set with excellently researched precision. The Fortune sisters are compelling characters, each bringing a different dynamic and motivation to the voyage. Flora, in particular, pulled at my heart, and her perspective was my favorite.

There's so many characters and so many details that it was difficult to sink into the story at first, but Huber quickly settles us into the wave of excitement felt by those setting off and the glamour that was Titanic. She skillfully added some foreboding to the mix from the very first chapter, and kept that thread until the fateful moment.

I did end up enjoying the large cast, but the balance felt precarious at times so many points of view and storylines are hard to manage for a reader. Overall, one that will keep historical fiction fans engaged if they can make it past the first chapters of information and character introduction.

Amazon and B&N reviews live on release date.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and find that I am still thinking about it several days after finishing. It's the story of a well-to-do Canadian family, The Fortunes. It mainly focusses on the three 20-something daughters and their trip from Europe back to North America on the Titanic.

It was a novel twist on the Titanic's storyline and somewhat based on real people. The author's notes at the end were particularly intriguing and well worth reading, too.

Sisters of Fortune, by Anna Huber, is a well-written fictional account of the experience of the Fortune family on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the titanic. As the author notes, the members of the Winnipeg family were real, while this tale itself is an imagined account of their experiences on their journey from England to New York.
The early chapters are beautifully descriptive of the sights enjoyed by this family on their Grand Tour of Europe. There is great detail provided about the furnishing and amenities enjoyed by these first class passengers after they boarded the Titanic. Of course, there is also a liberal sprinkling of names of the celebrities of industry, retail and society that were also on the ship.
As the tale went on, I found myself more engaged and interested in the camaraderie among the sisters. I liked the imagined conversations and inner thoughts expressed by Flora, Alice and Mabel as they contemplated their futures, unaware of the disaster only days ahead.
Once invested in these central characters, I was gripped by the disruption of the ship’s sinking and the rescues as well as personal sacrifices. There were details unknown to me, so it became another interesting perspective of this well-known tragedy. At the conclusion I was inspired to look up the Fortune sisters and find out more about their lives.
This is a very good tale, with more detail than I usually like, but the unique characters and their stories made this novel worth the read. I recommend it to readers of all things “Titanic” and to those interested in gender and class roles in the early 1900s.

Thank you to Kensington Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I am fascinated by stories about the Titanic and I love to read historical fiction. However, this book did not click with me. A lot of names and facts are mentioned in the beginning of the story and I had a hard time remembering and understanding the storyline. This made me lose interest quite quickly. Loved the history, the romance however was not that spectacular. Probably a good read for people who do not read the genre that often.

As a history buff and Titanic enthusiast, I have read a lot of fiction and non-fiction accounts of the doomed ocean liner. Unfortunately, I had difficulty engaging with this fictional account of the Winnipeg-based Fortune sisters' experiences on the Titanic. The author's writing is beautiful, and she provides excellent detail that puts you first person on the boat, but there were too many characters and storylines to keep track of.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for the ARC.

This book was one of the most poignant, evocative, and beautifully written books I have ever read. It made the Titanic’s voyage real to me – in every way. The author tells the story through the Fortune family who were actually on the voyage in real life, but little is known of them. Their story is fictional but, goodness, you feel it – as if you are right there with them. You feel the bubbling, electric excitement of the passengers as they board the unsinkable Titanic. You feel the glamour of the jewels and the people, the sumptuousness of the surroundings. You also feel the panic, heroism, and bravery of the passengers and crew. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that gave me so many feels.

The Fortune family – father, mother, brother, and three sisters – were taking their version of the Grand Tour. They traveled from their home in Canada to Europe where they spent time in all the great places and even went to the Middle East to ride camels and see the sights in the desert before finally deciding to travel home on the marvel of the times – the Titanic.

The story's main focus is on the three sisters, Flora, Alice, and Mabel, and their lives, expectations, frustrations, loves, and insecurities. Each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses – hopes and dreams. They also find they are stronger than they ever thought they could be – especially in a time when women were to be coddled and looked after like fine porcelain figurines. However, we also get to know, like, and respect their father as well as their mother and young brother who had so much ahead of him in life.

Flora is the older sister – dutiful, caring, obedient, and engaged to a man of her parents' choosing. As she grapples with that expectation, she meets a man who captures her attention totally and finally wins her heart. Will her parents agree to her ending her current engagement?

Alice is also engaged, but to a man she adores – but she has trepidations of returning home. She wants adventure, travel, and excitement, not the protected life her fiancé has described to her. Can she find a way to have both adventure and her fiancé?

Mabel is the rebel of the family – she chafes at being coddled and protected – she believes women have intelligence and should receive an education, the right to vote, etc. Her father adamantly denies her when she begs to go to college. Can she convince him while they are on this voyage?

If you love historical fiction, or even if you don’t, you will surely enjoy this book. Anna Lee Huber’s research and attention to detail is second to none. When you finish the book, you will feel as if you walked the corridors of the Titanic, smelled the delicious aromas of the rich foods, felt the sea breeze on your face, met all of the people on board – the glamorous and the not so glamorous, and felt the fear and panic as the passengers tried to find and board lifeboats.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF at 15% for me. The story is too slow to develop and there are already so many different characters that I am confused. I was really excited about the titanic setting, but this just didn’t land with me.