Dashing adventurer Penn Bowen is dedicated to preserving Britain’s history and his carefree, bachelor lifestyle. He’s happiest when he’s in pursuit of knowledge and the occasional liaison with the right woman. So he’s more than a little perturbed when the wrong woman inserts herself into his latest quest—proving that a valuable artifact in Oxford’s museum is a fake. Amelia Gardiner is smart and … and capable…and determined to prove that Penn is wrong about the treasure her grandfather found.
Amelia won’t allow Penn to denigrate her family’s legacy, and she certainly won’t join the ranks of women who throw themselves at his feet. As secretive and dangerous factions infiltrate their hunt, Amelia and Penn must work together to stay one step ahead. But passion ignites between them and suddenly their alliance is more than a simple convenience. When peril strikes too close, they’ll risk everything they hold dear: family, honor, and a chance for the greatest treasure of all—love.
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‘Dashing adventurer Penn Bowen is dedicated to preserving Britain’s history and his carefree, bachelor lifestyle. He’s happiest when he’s in pursuit of knowledge and the occasional liaison with the right woman. So he’s more than a little perturbed when the wrong woman inserts herself into his latest quest—proving that a valuable artifact in Oxford’s museum is a fake. Amelia Gardiner is smart and capable…and determined to prove that Penn is wrong about the treasure her grandfather found.
Amelia won’t allow Penn to denigrate her family’s legacy, and she certainly won’t join the ranks of women who throw themselves at his feet. As secretive and dangerous factions infiltrate their hunt, Amelia and Penn must work together to stay one step ahead. But passion ignites between them and suddenly their alliance is more than a simple convenience. When peril strikes too close, they’ll risk everything they hold dear: family, honor, and a chance for the greatest treasure of all—love.’
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Lord of Fortune is the third book in Darcy Burke’s Legendary Rogues series.
I loved that Penn, as an antiquarian, was not merely an academic but that he also actively sought out pieces, even if the journey was less than comfortable along the way. In fact the book starts with him dangling percariously in an attempt to recover an artifact. This instantly endeared me to him. And the same can be said of Amelia with the no-nonsense way she ambushed them to try to recover it for herself.
I liked the sense of danger and adventure, especially the drama near as they journey to the falls. I also liked finally getting to learn more about Penn, after meeting him as a boy dropped at at Rhys’ doorstep in the first book and seeing merely a glimpse of him in the last book, I had been wanting to learn more about his character and his story. I wasn’t as invested in Penn and Amelia as I was with Elijah and Cate in the last book, and this was largely due to Amelia holding onto the secret regarding the state of her marriage for longer than I would have liked and her tendency to see his motives as villainous in regard to the Heart and sword, despite his actions to the contrary.
Overall though I really enjoyed the book and found the adventure compelling. I’m really enjoying the Legendary Rogues series and am looking forward to reading the final book in the series and the prequel novella, The Legend of a Rogue. It is not necessary to have read all the books in the series or to even read them in order to enjoy Lord of Fortune, but I do think your enjoyment would be the better for it.
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I would like to thank the author, Darcy Burke for sharing an electronic copy of Lord of Fortune with me. This is my honest review.
Many times as I was reading this book, I thought I was in a Regency episode of Destination Unknown (one of my favorite shows). Artifact searching, danger, intrigue, romance, throw in some villains and it makes for a very nice read. Then again I don’t think I have ever read a Darcy Burke book that I didn’t like. Lord of Fortune is the third in her Legendary Rogues series and a wonderful section to the series. Penn Bowen and Amelia Gardiner meet after he retrieves a dagger that belonged to her late grandfather. Unfortunately, it is stolen from both of them. Penn challenges the authenticity of the dagger and it’s mate, the Heart of Llanllwch. Amelia argues his standpoint, since her grandfather found it and donated it to an museum. This is the start of a partnership that will develop into more. As stated before this is a delightful read, full of all the things I love in a good read. It does not matter if you have read the first two books in the series, but they do provide helpful background. There is at least one more in the series and it sounds like a doozy of a read.
I received this eBook from NetGalley for an honest review.
This book was 1001% worth the wait! The artifacts and The Order continue to lead you on a fun adventure with unexpected twists that will surprise you. Their first meeting is one of my favorites because I knew it was going to be fun. I loved how there was an instant spark between them. I never saw the twists with both of their lives coming and had no idea what was going to happen. I loved that there was some real history included and Gideon was great! The ending was perfect and I can’t wait for the next one.
Amelia will not hesitate to do what she has to keep her family legacy preserved and find the dagger and heart. I loved her right away because she wasn’t going to let anything stop her. She was a fast thinker that knew how to trick someone quickly.
Penn put everything into his work only to have a shocking twist thrown at him. I loved that he always was honest and encouraged women like her. He knew what he was going to do and what he wanted and just needed a plan. He is one of my top book boyfriends.
Darcy Burke is a favorite of mine, her stories are intriguing, adventurous and romantic. Beautifully written tale of lost treasure, a bit of danger, flawed characters, adventure and romance. It has elements of predictability, with some twists and turns, I was not surprised with the villain, however, I was surprised with the outcome. The main characters are definitely flawed but I enjoyed watching them come to terms with their romance. An interesting story! Not my favorite for this intriguing series. As part of a series, I would recommend reading the other two books in this series, so as not to feel as though you’re missing something important. If you enjoy tales the round table, Treasures of Camelot, Indiana Jones type of stories, treasure hunting, then you will enjoy LORD OF FORTUNE.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, however, all opinions are mine alone.
Lord of Fortune is the third book in the Legendary Rogues series by Darcy Burke and it is just as great as the first two books in the series.
Penn and Amelia meet under the strangest circumstances ever, while they are both looking for a lost artifact. Penn is trying to prove that the artifact in the museum is fake and Amelia is trying to prove her family’s legacy. Tension soon ignites as they are being targeted by a secret group and they both find themselves more than just a little interested in one another as their alliance not only puts their lives in physical peril, but their hearts to love as well.
I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.
Penn Bowen is an adventurer who finds antiques. He loves the excitement and sometimes danger of his work. This particular item he is after in this story will give him all the excitement he can handle.
Mrs, Amelia Forrest is the granddaughter of a famous antiquities expert. Just before he died, he asked her to find and protect a certain item.
There are dangerous people that are also looking for the same thing.
Our intrepid adventurers will travel the country searching for clues and finding more than their share of trouble.
Really witty, good fun, and an unusual romance. It does tease us with the possibilities for the next book involving one of the secondary characters. I can’t wait to read that.
One of my favorite Darcy Burke stories! Penn is Indiana Jones. Such an awesome series. I haven’t managed to read the first two yet but I’m going back and do it.
Penn Bowen, adopted son of Rhys and Margery Bowen (from book one) works for the museum and finds antiquities as well as track downs historic mysteries. He’s got a lead on the dagger that’s one of the 13 Treasures of Camelot. These treasures are fiercely guarded and kept hidden by The Order, the descendants of the Knights of the Round Table. Within that group there is The Camelot Group faction that will do anything to gain and these items to use the power for themselves. Penn’s sister Cate found The Flaming Sword in book 2 and he knows The Heart is in the Museum, although it’s fake. He bumps into Amelia Gardiner, granddaughter of the finder of this heart. She’s also trying to locate the dagger to add it to the museum with her grandfather’s heart.
I found this adventurous tale riveting and the plot surprised me several times. I love when that happens. There was much puzzle solving, action scenes that I found believable and delicious romance. I can’t wait to read the conclusion in Gideon’s story. Thank you Darcy for this story and the opportunity to read the freely given ARC for my honest review. Just LOVED it!
Penn Bowen loves his carefree life of hunting antiquities. The intrigue and adventure thrill him. His latest find is just what he needs to prove the authenticity of another piece and to test the spell it’s said to contain. While a woman and a dangerous group prove to be a distraction it’s the upending of everything Penn has believed in that throws him for a loop.
Amelia Gardiner counts the days until she’s free from the worst mistake of her life. As a dying wish from her Grandfather she spends those days hunting for a treasure he’s hidden. That vow to keep the treasure safe is what keeps her going. When an antiquarian and a dangerous group threaten her promise to keep it safe it’s the past mistake that threatens her the most.
I loved how easy-going Penn is even when his future is threatened and despite all Amelia’s been through she continues to have a spine of steel.
Darcy Burke brings old characters and groups and mixes them with current (and future – Gideon, please) without missing a beat. Which confirms why she’s one of my must-read authors.
Penn Bowen searches for museum relics in England and surrounding areas. Amelia Forrest, well, she’s just looking for one relic, as a promise she made to her dying grandfather. Unfortunately Penn and Amelia want the same relic but for different reasons. They could work together, but can they keep their hands off of each other?
The story is a delight, complete with the charming and handsome hero, a reticent heroine, adventure and intrigue that leads to a pretty exciting hea. This wasn’t just as book, it was an entertaining ride!
I read this as an arc which affected my review in no way at all.
I loved this book. It had me gripped from page 1, with our hero hanging from a rope in a cave and it never let me go till the end. It was full of adventure, suspense, mystery and romance with lots of twists and turns that you just didn’t see coming. The characters where well developed and you really felt as if you knew them. Having not read the two books before, I still found it easy to follow what was going on but would have liked to have read them first. This reviewer, as usual skipped over the sex scenes, 3 of them, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story and will be eagerly waiting for the next installment, as this book left many questions unanswered. Well written and well worth the read. I received this as an ARC and reviewed it with great pleasure.
Treasure hunt.
The meeting between Penn Bowen and Amelia Gardiner happened because they both wanted to find a famous artifact, for totally different reasons.
Heart of Llanlluch, the dagger Amelia’s grandfather had found years ago, was again missing. And though her plan of approaching Penn had gone completely wrong, she ended up showing them both that there were other people behind the same treasure. However, these people were indeed more dangerous.
With this, Amelia and Penn decide to join forces, with the help of his assistant, Egg (Egbert Howell).
Throughout the adventure, the couple spend more time together and get to know each other, initiating new and contradictory feelings.
Penn ends up with a surprise, about his family, that could give a new direction to his life.
A very different story. Instead of passing through the noble balls in the high season, it happens amid excavations, where danger lurks at every corner.
For lovers of adventure and suspense, it’s the right book.
4 stars
At first it felt a bit like a déjà vu, but then it became clear to me Penn Bowen is the adopted son of Rhys Bowen from Book 1. It’s not too often a series will run over generations and the reader can re-visit the “old” characters. Penn is just as relationship-resistant as his father had been, totalling immersed his career. Amelia is of course his perfect match, being very head strong. The story is fast paced and in parts suspenseful with unexpected twists.
I received a free advance copy and voluntarily read and reviewed it.
Mystery and Romance make for a great combo in Lord Of Fortune by Darcy Burke! A dynamite high 5 stars for this amazing tale! We first meet Penn Bowen and his friend “Egg” who are in a cave searching for a very important artifact when all of a sudden they are met with shots from a very determined fellow who wants his hands on the artifact; however, to Penn’s surprise the stranger is no man, but a delightfully lovely and very beautiful woman, still determined to find and possess the artifact for herself. The artifact they both seek is a gold dagger; however, they are not the only ones in pursuit of this precious dagger.
Amelia Gardiner is in pursuit of the dagger because it was her Grandfather’s work and she wants him credited. However, Penn informs her that the dagger is a fake and they are both then in pursuit of the real dagger. During their journey to seek out the dagger and also a very precious “heart” artifact feelings begin to evolve and Penn pushes them away every chance he can; however, the delectable Amelia seems to be pulling at his heart as hard as he pulls away. Will Amelia and Penn find the precious artifacts and will they open up to the love boiling within their own hearts?
I absolutely love this tale, Burke is such an impeccable writer. Her stories are rife with passion and love, but also intrigue and a lot of good tension! If you love a deep, passionate romance with a bit of mystery, then this is the book for you!
Dashing adventurer Penn Bowen is dedicated to preserving Britain’s history, he’s happiest when he’s in pursuit of knowledge and the occasional liaison with the right woman. Amelia Gardiner married Thaddeus Forrest several years ago but after less than one year of marriage he disappeared & left her destitute. She’s smart and capable also determined to prove that Penn is wrong about the treasure, the heart, her grandfather found.
Amelia won’t allow Penn to denigrate her family’s legacy, and she certainly won’t join the ranks of women who throw themselves at his feet. As secretive and dangerous factions infiltrate their hunt, Amelia and Penn must work together to stay one step ahead.
I was hooked from the first page when Penn was dangling from a rope to find an artefact. The pace of the book was so good & left me breathless at times, it was a roller coaster of an adventure that I didn’t want to end. The characters were well fleshed & had plenty of depth, Penn & Amelia were very likeable & their attraction sizzled, also their verbal spats were very entertaining. The secondary characters were also well portrayed. The climax of the book was breath taking. This is the third in the series but could be read by itself but seriously why would you when the series is very very good & I’m so glad the author wrote this after so long a break from the series, I eagerly await Gideon’s story.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This story was a fast paced adventure that has the hero, Penn Bowen, searching for an original artifact, the Heart of Llanllwch, when he finds the one in Oxford’s museum is a fake. Amelia Gardiner is the granddaughter of the man who found the treasure and she is determined to prove Penn wrong and defend her family. On the dying wish from her grandfather, he tells Amelia where to find a dagger that will give direction in finding the real Heart. As the search begins, Amelia tracks clues to a cave but find finds men already there who end up making away with the dagger she is seeking! This is were the chase begins as Amelia and Penn end up working together to try to stay ahead of all the dangerous people who have gotten involved. In true Darcy Burke style, the characters were well written and there were a lot of surprises, twists and turns with humor thrown into the mix. With a great cast of secondary characters, some from other books in this series, I can only look forward to the next story. This book can be read as a standalone, but trust me, you will want to read them all!!
LORD OF FORTUNE by Darcy Burke is book Three in the Legendary Rogues. This is the story of Penn Bowen and Amelia Gardiner. This is easily a standalone book I thought.
Amelia is the granddaughter of Jonathan Gardiner. Mr. Gardiner is the antiquarian who found the Heart of Llanllwch which is a stone that is said to be one of the Thirteen Treasures gathered by King Arthur and his knights…its her grandfather’s legacy. Pen is the son of Rhys Bowen who was a scholar and treasure hunter and he believes the stone to be a fake. To really prove either way about the stone lies a dagger that both Amelia and Penn are looking for. But they are not the only ones looking for the dagger…let the adventure begin.
Really enjoyed this story and ‘watching’ how they came together.
Loved it!
4.5 stars
I love this series and have been waiting for Penn’s story for three long years! I am happy to say, this book was totally worth the wait!
Pennard “Penn” Bowen is the adopted son of Rhys Bowen, a scholar and treasure hunter. The book opens with Penn and his assistant Egg, finding a dagger and being confronted by a masked person with a gun, claiming the dagger is rightfully theirs. Penn easily overpowers the would be thief, only to lose the dagger to another band of villains and left tied up along with Egg and the first thief!
Working together they free themselves and introductions are made, the thief is Mrs. Amelia Forrest, granddaughter of Jonathan Gardiner – the antiquarian who found the Heart of Llanllwch – a stone that is said to be one of the Thirteen Treasures gathered by King Arthur and his knights. The Dagger is said to counteract the effect of the Heart. Amelia is upset that the dagger was lost and wants to go after it – but Penn tells her the dagger is a fake and that he believes the Heart is as well. Amelia is enraged, the Heart was her grandfather’s greatest find and his legacy will be ruined if the Heart is fake. She will to work with him to retrieve the Dagger to prove that he is wrong!
This is the start of an amazing adventure and along the way they will encounter danger, secrets, heartache, betrayal and Amelia and Penn will both have to deal with shocking surprises that could change everything they have believed.
The book is a well written, fast paced action/adventure romance that will keep you turning pages as fast as you can. There are heart stopping moments, steamy love scenes, long kept secrets revealed, cameos with Cassie, Andy, Cate, Elijah, Rhys, Margery & Gideon, really nasty villains, a bit of magic, treasure and finally a hard earned HEA.
This is the third book in the series and it can be read as a stand alone title, but I would recommend reading the series in order – they are all fantastic, so no hardship there 🙂 – so you have a better understanding of “The Order” and the history behind the Thirteen Treasures. I highly recommend this book, but I will state that I dropped off 1/2 a star because the book does have adultery – This is a completely personal reason and in no way reflects on the author’s writing ability.
Ms. Burke takes you on a wild ride, searching for an ancient dagger and heart-shaped rock, which supposedly have special powers. There are villains, danger, surprise twists, and – of course – romance. Great read.