**4 Stars – A Riveting Tale of Power, Secrets, and Family Intrigue!**

*The Rules of Fortune* by Danielle Prescod is an absolute page-turner that had me hooked from start to finish! Imagine delving into the opulent world of the Carter family, only to uncover layers of secrets that could shatter their legacy. Intrigued? You should be!

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard, the story kicks off with the sudden death of the billionaire patriarch just before his seventieth birthday. The media is buzzing, the conglomerate's future is in question, and amidst all this chaos, his daughter, Kennedy, an aspiring filmmaker, embarks on a quest to unravel her father's enigmatic past. The documentary she intended as a tribute morphs into an investigation, revealing twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Kennedy is a compelling protagonist—thoughtful, determined, and refreshingly different from her impeccably poised mother and ambitious brother. Her journey to understand the true origins of her family's empire is both heartfelt and thrilling, forcing her to grapple with moral dilemmas that had me questioning what I would do in her shoes.

Prescod's writing is sharp and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a family teetering on the brink of revelation and ruin. The narrative masterfully balances themes of wealth, power, and identity, all while delivering jaw-dropping secrets that left me reeling.

If you're a fan of gripping family dramas filled with suspense and moral complexity, *The Rules of Fortune* is a must-read. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down!

I’m still mentally on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, so when I saw The Rules of Fortune was set there, I was immediately interested. Give me the old-money estates, the family drama simmering beneath picture-perfect facades, and I’m hooked.

The Carters are ***that*** family—billionaire empire, media frenzy, and secrets galore. Kennedy, the daughter, sets out to make a documentary, but as she digs into her father’s past, she realizes that wealth like theirs didn't come without a cost. The tension between maintaining the family’s power and exposing its dark history is what drives this story.

I loved the setting and the unraveling of power dynamics, but some parts dragged a little in the middle. Still, it’s a sharp, compelling read that had me thinking about the real-life families who live like this daily (not just on the rare vacation).

Thanks to NetGalley and Mindy's Book Studio for the ARC!

Rules of Fortune
William Carter, Jr was a rare Black man- a billionaire. He came from humble beginnings and eventually built an international corporation. The Carter Corporation was known for the housing and manufacturing plants they built in Ghana. The corporation was also known charitable endeavors. Willian seemed to have the perfect life: a beautiful wife and 2 adult children. He owned an estate on Martha’s Vineyard and a penthouse in Manhattan.
So he decided to hold a star studded celebration at the Vineyard home for his 70th birthday. In anticipation of that event, his daughter Kennedy, a film student, started to create a video of her father’s life. She discovered that there was little factual information about his early life and family. She eventually learned that the official story about her father’s beginnings were very different from the truth.
This all came to a head when Carter died on the eve of his birthday and the family had to deal with the new revelations.
This book is a look into the lifestyles of the very wealthy. It also reinforces the theory that behind every great fortune is a crime.
I found the book entertaining but wished there were more likable characters.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review,

Danielle Prescod pulls you in with the promise of glitz, power, and dark family secrets, and she delivers on that front. The Carter family is as messy as they come, and Kennedy? She’s the kind of protagonist you root for even when she’s making questionable decisions. For me, the book leans into that rich-people-problems territory, but with an underlying tension that keeps me hooked. I mean, a billionaire patriarch suddenly dies, and his daughter starts digging into his past? You know the skeletons in this family’s closet are about to come crashing down.

That being said, the pacing threw me off at times. Some parts of the book fly by especially when Kennedy starts unraveling the empire’s history but others drag under layers of introspection. It’s as if the novel can’t quite decide whether it wants to be a fast-paced thriller or a deep character study, and that imbalance left me frustrated. Prescod’s writing is sharp and biting, especially when she writes about wealth and privilege, but there were moments where I wanted more. More depth in some relationships, more confrontation in key moments. And the ending? Without giving too much away, I’ll just say it left me torn. It’s bold, but it also feels like it pulls back just when it should hit the hardest.

Overall, The Rules of Fortune is an absorbing, layered read that kept me turning the pages, even when it frustrated me. If you love messy family drama with a side of corporate intrigue, it’s worth picking up. I'll rate this a solid 3 stars.

The Rules of Fortune was an interesting read with some twists and turns. It was not exactly what I expected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!


Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I have to say, my experience with "The Rules of Fortune" was pretty disappointing. The pacing was painfully slow, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the story. It felt like it dragged on forever, and I eventually lost interest to the point where I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. It’s a shame because I was hoping for something more exciting, but it just didn’t hold my attention at all.

Books and stories about family secrets are on my list of interests. What's better than the deep dark family secret that "changes everything"?

The Rules of Fortune strives to do just that, but is a victim of its own predictability.

Told over seventy years and via multiple characters, The Carter's family is one that pulled me in, but just didn't stick the landing. Everyone was interesting and I wanted more from each person, but the 'shock value' was not shocking, at least to me.

I want more books like this, but with a real, deep twist. No need to be Flowers in the Attic, but a good hidden sister or uncle is always interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Rules of Fortune by Danielle Prescod was a god quick read. Riveting and engaging, with lots of twists and turns that kept me turning page after page!

Family secrets trope at its finest! Well done story that is interesting and fast-paced. I was entertained throughout the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

"A daughter's investigation into her family history threatens to destroy their legacy in a gripping novel about power, money, and secrets by the author of Token Black Girl.

On their Martha's Vineyard estate, the Carter family prepares to celebrate. But when the billionaire patriarch dies right before his seventieth birthday, the media is quick to question the future of the multi-industry conglomerate that makes the Carters living legends. Amid the succession crisis, his daughter, Kennedy, is questioning her father's past.

Kennedy is an aspiring filmmaker, and the documentary she'd planned to present at her father's party begins an inquest into the life of a man she never really knew. A thoughtful outlier in an elite and fiercely guarded dynasty, she's not interested in keeping up the appearances that define her impeccably poised mother or in the capitalist games her ruthless brother plays. Kennedy wants only to understand the origins of their empire, and the lethally ambitious man behind it. That understanding comes at a cost.

As a twisted history emerges, the fault lines in the family grow. Torn between morality and the promise of maintaining wealth, Kennedy must decide what's most important - the Carter legacy or exposing the shocking truth of how it was built."

I mean, a character named Kennedy unearthing family secrets? It's totally about THE Kennedys, and I'm all for taking down that corrupt family, even if only fictionally.