From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jewel E. Ann comes a beautiful, passionate, and powerful story about unexpected love, sacrifice, and daring to dream again. Forty-something Gracelyn Glock is living the dream. No husband.No retirement plan.And since her self-imposed man-ban—no need to shave above her knees.
After a tragic accident, Gracelyn inherits her ten-year-old … Gracelyn inherits her ten-year-old nephew. She signs a lease on a San Diego beach house and learns their neighbors for the summer are a sexy anatomy professor and his young daughter.
Professor Nathaniel Hunt has spent the last decade being a single dad … and not having sex.
So when he discovers Gracelyn has a peculiar outdoor stripping ritual, a million inappropriate thoughts fill his responsible mind.
When kisses are stolen, man-bans are broken, and summer comes to an end, will hearts stay in one piece and hope stay alive? Or will saying goodbye destroy everything?
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Feel good story brimming with passion and humor.
This is book 3 in the Transcend Series but it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone but why not read the first 2 books since they were so so good.
This is Gracelyn and Nathaniel’s story. Both are in their forties and content with life as they knew it, until it wasn’t.
This installment is a lighthearted and heartfelt story with the perfect blend of hilarious inappropriate circumstances as well as hidden messages that gave the story more depth.
4.5 stars!
It has been more than a pleasure to read Jewel E Ann’s work and and benefit from the stories that develop in her awesome mind and onto paper for us.
While it is not necessary to read the Transcend Duet to read Fortuity, Jonesies like myself would highly recommend it. My last image of Nate and Morgan was at Swayze and Griffin’s wedding with Morgan walking down the isle as the flower girl and Nate walking Swayze to meet Griffin. While it was one of the best moments of the book, my heart broke for Nate and Morgan and I cannot deny I wanted an HEA soooo bad for Nate, I immediately messaged JEA, begging for a future Nate Story.
The day for Nate’s HEA has come and I could not be more excited!! Satiated and fullfilled, you know that feeling after a delicious holiday dinner of which you cannot eat any more…that is how I feel after reading Fortuity. Jewel is always so thorough with her character development as we read Nate and Gracelyn’s POV. We feel every emotion: every high, every low of their beings and heck, many times can relate. Morgan is such a refreshing ball of energy, so mature for her age and ready to tackle the real world that Nate is set on protecting her from. Gabe, on the other hand is your quiet, technology obsessed preteen. Put all these characters together and you have the craziest laughs and new one-liners; Debbie downer angst; ugly cry moments; and victorious, fist pump moments…with a sprinkle of paranormal.
Given the state of the current pandemic, reading has been such an uplifting escape from the news, from homeschooling, and for me, the hospital on my days off. Thank you Jewel for giving me the opportunity to read an early copy of Fortuity and for providing that worthwhile temporary detour. #mustread #JEArocks #freeinkindleunlimited
This is only my second book by this clearly talented wordsmith, so I’m still testing the waters, but she managed to obliterate every one of my expectations and I’m completely, unequivocally a fan for life.
Those of you who like a seasoned romance will absolutely love Nate and Gracelyn’s story. However, prepare to be tortured just as much as the two of them with the challenges and roadblocks they face.
It’s possible I went into this story differently than most readers. Since I just recently found this indie publisher, I hadn’t read either Transcend or Epoch and didn’t have all the details of all that Nate has been through. Of course, I’m eager to catch up, but rest assured that this book can be read as a stand alone.
I fell utterly and completely for both Nate and Gracelyn and every complex layer of them. Their road to forever has more dips and roadblocks and turns than I’ve ever seen, and every angsty, hard challenge was vital to their valiantly fought for future. Their story is deep and rich and will touch every part of your heart, and the delightful, one-of-a-kind secondary characters will keep a smile on your face. This exceptional story is resonant, powerful and unforgettable, so be sure to put it the top of your TBR.
This book was like a much needed breath of fresh air…it was light-hearted, fresh and funny. I loved that it was so different. I really don’t remember the last time I read a book that had me laughing so hard that I was crying but the tears were rolling down my face so many times during this one. It was sweet, funny and endearing. There was also a ton of angst and a whole lot of swooning. Lots of feels in this book! The banter between the characters was fantastic as were the characters themselves. I loved this story and really needed something light, sweet and funny to read and Fortuity delivered.
Once again we are taken on a wonderful journey, thanks to the mind and words of Jewel E Ann, one of the best authors.
Fortuity is the 3rd book in the Transcend series but is a complete stand-alone. I would recommend reading the first 2 books but it is not necessary to read, understand, and enjoy this book.
Jewel has such a talent with words and expressing feelings through them. She wraps the story around you, your heart, your mind, your soul, and makes you feel what her characters are feeling. She is an automatic one click for me.
Ok, so I LOVED Nate in the last duet that he was in and my heart broke for him so many times. I was so excited to see him get a book and prayed that his story wouldn’t be to hard on him because he really deserved a HEA. This was a cute, funny, full of heart novel about two characters dealing with not only change, but also feelings that they aren’t sure about. I giggled a lot, my heart ached a few times and I had tears.
This author knows how to draw you in with the characters, I loved the kids. Gabe and Morgan were awesome. Typical 10 year olds but they brought some brightness to the story. A plot that pulled at my heart. And a beautiful ending that was hard earned for these characters. I was scared we wouldn’t get a good ending for these two but this author never lets me down. There were some times it felt a little slow moving and fade to black sex scenes (this is just a personal preference), but other then those two, this book was perfect. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author. 4 stars #2OCCJD
You are always guaranteed a good book from Jewel E Ann. I just love how she uses real life issues and tweaks them with her Jewelisms to make them her own. This one is such a tornado of emotions. And we get to find out what happened to some past characters. Love, Loss and Life.
This can be read as a standalone, but I feel to really take in all that is Nate Hunt, you should read Transcend & Epoch. The duet is fabulous and should not be missed, but again not necessary to read this story.
I did have a tough time getting into this story. Then at about 49%, my heart fell to the ground and washed away in a rain storm. Gracelyn out of nowhere grabbed me right in the feels. Christ, the emotions. The secondary characters are also a great addition, especially Gabe and Morgan.
I love a twist of fate and when paths cross.
“It’s as simple as fortuity.”
ALL THE STARS!!!! A Top 2020 read!
This is the third full-length book in the Transcend series. You do not have to read the first 2 books in order to understand what is going on in this book (I didn’t). It is a complete standalone. I, for one, am going to back and read the first 2 books because this was such a wonderful book. I am going to keep this a spoiler-free review because I loved this book so hard! I don’t want to spoil the experience for anyone. It is a MUST-READ! It is beautiful, heartbreaking, real, raw, & emotional. I laughed out loud a lot. I cried more than once. I swooned, melted, and celebrated. It is so beautifully written. Words cannot express how this book touched my heart.
These characters are so wonderful, inspirational, relatable, real, funny, and endearing. I loved each and every one of them. They all have their own uniqueness and bring such value to the story. Each character vies for a space in your heart. It is impossible to love only one or have a favorite because they crawl into your heart and set up a home there. The main characters have crazy, hot chemistry with some push and pull. Their journey to love was complicated and not easy but wow, it was truly everything!
Words cannot express how much I loved this book. The plot was truly phenomenal, unique, and refreshing. It captured me from beginning to end. I cannot say enough good things about this book. My heart was so full after reading it and I am so glad that I did. It is truly magnificent and I highly recommend reading it!
****ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.****
Widowed single dad who hasn’t had sex in a very long time and a self-imposed man ban single woman who is now mother to her nephew.
This is a sexy, romantic, humorous feel-good story. They are neighbors and the kids are friends which means they have to sorta kinda have to be friends too.
They’re great together. I love their flirty teasing banters. There’s sex to be had and man ban to be broken.
Reviewer: Phyl
Nate and Graces story was everything! It was so endearing, funny and emotional. I loved that the hero and heroine were in there 40’s and were mature having lived through tragic events that have changed them but molded them into who they are now in there lives. They had no idea that when they met there lives would change and the pieces they’ve been missing would fit so perfectly. The love and devotion they shared was incredible.
I literally loved this book!!! If I could live in this book world, I would!
for·tu·i·ty
/fôrˈto͞oədē/
Learn to pronounce
noun
a chance occurrence.
the state of being controlled by chance rather than design.
We can’t turn off the sun, run from the wind, or push back the tides. Some forces are just too strong. Love isn’t an emotion. It’s a force.
Occasionally, a book comes along that takes me by surprise. It uproots ALL my feelings and emotions. It leaves me beyond speechless, giddy, and happy. It takes my breath away. FORTUITY was that book for me. FORTUITY had me laughing one chapter, crying in the next scene, and swooning in the next sentence…it a had me FEELING and LIVING every moment in this story. Nate and Gracelyn’s story was tragic, in what they had to go through to get to each other, but it was utterly beautiful once they found each other.
“Do you ever think about the people who had to die for us to meet? For us to be together? Do you ever wonder why? Like…is it a grand plan or is it just…”
“Or just what? Fortuity?”
“Yes.”
I’ve waited, what feels like forever, for Nate’s book, but that wait was SOOOOO WORTH IT. Jewel made it worth it. FORTUITY was E V E R Y T H I N G I had hoped for and then some. This book was SOOOOO good, it’s nearly indescribable. I just loved it SOOOOO much! Jewel never ceases to amaze me with her storytelling. Each and every book I read of hers, I fall deeper in love with her words and her ability to give me a story that I can F E E L and believe. A story I could truly read over and over. I don’t know how she does it, but I will be here waiting for her to do it again and again and again.
If you’ve read and loved Jewel’s TRANSCEND duet, you NEED this book. TRUST ME! And if you’ve not read the duet, you can either read that set before this one or you can read this book and then read that one. FORTUITY is a spinoff of that duet and does contain some spoilers that were required for character/story building. I personally would recommend you read the duet first because you get to meet Nate in that duet and you will build a love for him that is powerful. You will crave his HEA. And I think, this book will have more of an impact on your feelings. Again, this is my personally opinion, but this book is sold as a standalone, so it can be read that way.
5 stars
Jewel has once again wowed me with her words, captivated me with her characters and pulled me in to their world. This story was emotional, raw, heartbreaking, beautiful, romantic and utterly amazing. The characters had such depth, are beautifully flawed and oh so real. I could feel their range of emotions radiating from the pages. I honestly could not put it down. Such an emotional journey for each of these characters that eventually lead to the chance occurrence ….fortuity, that would change both of their direction and lives forever!
~~Michele McMullen ~~
Am I in love with Jewel’s writing?! ABSOLUTELY. I devoured the whole Transcend series within the past 3 days. I have lived and breathed Transcend, Epoch, and Fortuity. I’m in love with the entire series! With that said, Fortuity can be read as a standalone. There isn’t much mentioned from the past two books, however, it does contain some spoilers from those two books so if you want to read Transcend and Epoch without spoilers, I suggest reading them first. However, if you do not, you won’t be lost as Jewel catches you up.
I found this book so enticing. Even though I loved Griff SO much, to the point that I tell my husband that Griff would do this and Griff wouldn’t do that, I have a special place in my heart for Nate as well. Jewel pulled on those emotions and made me fall in love with him too.
The title of the book was so eloquently explained in the book that it was magical. I felt it and I loved how it was used. You also get to the point in the story where the cover makes sense but you have to read the book to find out. Jewel really just excels at piecing together parts of your soul and shining a light on it.Fortuity was a beautiful story filled with whimsical thoughts, witty banter, family-oriented love, and some sexiness thrown in. It was cute, sexy, whimsical, and full of angst. What more could you want?!
#avidreaderbookblog #readingislife #bookblogger #arc #review #bookreview #bookaddict #series #standalone #reading #newrelease #comingsoon #booklover
I am so happy I got to read this story.
There’s nothing like having a romance where you can actually connect with the characters and feel what they are feeling for each other. To be able to witness the connection between them because it may not be visible but is right there between the words, and if you’re close enough you’ll get a rush that comes from how amazing their chemistry is. This is the case for Gracelyn and Nate. Since the Transcend Duet where I completely fell in love with Nate I’ve been rooting for his happy ending. And I couldn’t be more happy about how the story turned out. I’m so deeply in love with Nate and Gracelyn’s relationship, the kids and all the characters that make this story extra special.
There is banter, there is chemistry, some hot stuff, so much laughter and a love so deep that will have you feeling like a teenager in love.
Heartwarming, funny and swoony.
Thank you Jewel E Ann for Nate’s story! This book was everything and more! I loved the characters and their experiences. Catching up with Nate and witty little Morgan was refreshing and enlightening. Morgan was such a truly lovable and endearing character. Nate and Gracelyn’s connection, friendship and undeniable chemistry was pure magic! I’m happy for these characters and will miss them but their story is forever one of my favorites!
Fortuity is an amazing story. Romantic, sweet, funny and 100% captivating.
Nate and Morgan are returning to the states after traveling the world for eight years.
Gracelyn is learning her way around her new life as guardian to her 10yr old nephew.
Nate and Gracelyn become summer neighbors by chance. They both fight their attraction to each other for different very valid reasons.
“And it shook me like a snow globe or maybe more like a martini because after he said it to me, I felt drunk …” Her voice lowers to barely even a whisper. “You’re so…” she shakes her head slightly, like she’s trying to figure it out as she goes “…intoxicating.”
This story was intoxicating and unputdownable!
Although it is book three in the Transcend series, it is very much a standalone.
‘Fortuity – being controlled by chance rather than design’
-5 Stars!-
Overall Grade: ++
Before I can tell you about Fortuity, I have to begin with some background. To date, Jewel E. Ann’s Transcend Duet (Transcend and Epoch) is my favorite work from her. In general, there isn’t any book from Ann that I don’t like, but there was something about this duet that burrowed into my soul. To this day, these two books sit heavy in my soul, so much so, that I don’t think I can do a re-read of that duet any time soon. Part of this relates to the character of Nate. His journey in these books sat heavy with me. While I knew on some level he couldn’t be with (spoiler alert…but seriously, if you haven’t read those books by now, you deserve to have this spoiler ruined for you) Swayze, it didn’t sit right with me. It bothered me on some level. With the epilogue of Epoch, the story didn’t feel over; it was the definition of “bittersweet” at best. As a whole, it all felt unfinished. I believe at the time I asked Jewel E. Ann for more of Nate’s story because Nate’s happy ending hadn’t been realized in a way that felt finished. Now, you could say that I was being too reductive in my definition of a happy ending, but I can’t help my feelings.
When she announced a third book, one centered on Nathaniel Hunt, a part of me wept with joy. There was more to know about him; there was more story for him. And this third book, Fortuity, offers that replete conclusion. Fortuity is a beautifully wrought story of second chances, and its message is the perfect endnote to the Transcend stories: letting go and moving forward is part of the human experience, therefore, making it a necessary step in life.
If you are looking for a summary of Fortuity, you won’t find it here. Bits and pieces of the story will find its way into this review as I expound upon the reasons for you to read this story, but you can read Jewel E. Ann’s blurb for the general sense of the book. Also, it’s important to note that you can read Fortuity as a standalone. If you’ve never read the Transcend duet, Ann offers you a story that is all-encompassing in its own right. However, the emotional depth of this book will feel greater IF you have read the duet. I cannot encourage you enough to read the Transcend duet. Now, why is Fortuity worth your time and money and a necessary read? Here goes…
*For this reader, I love that Nate and Gracelyn, the heroine of this story, are in their forties. This is a time when people are getting a “second wind” so to speak. They are generally established in a career or family. Yet, both Nate and Gracelyn aren’t. Jewel E. Ann created these characters to “start again.” Nate and his daughter, Morgan, have traveled the world, living a transitory life. They are preparing to finally settle down. Similarly, Gracelyn is transitioning from the role of aunt to the role of mother in the face of a family tragedy. To date, she has lived somewhat of a solitary life. In these changes, the first message of letting go resides. Ann deftly points us to our need to sometimes move away from the expectations we’ve made about our life, embracing a new set of expectations. Gracelyn encounters this lesson more distinctly from Nate, as he’s chosen the path before him. Yet, he’s having to let go of some of the parts of the relationship he’s developed with his daughter, Morgan, before realizing their plan. At the ages of our hero and heroine, this is never simple, and the veil of middle age complicates Nate and Gracelyn’s journey. Their experiences connect with me as a forty-something reader. I understand these difficulties and found bits of myself in their characterization. That’s what initially connected me to this story, I think.
*Jewel E. Ann continues to show her literary prowess in pointing to the idea of “letting go” through the complication of parenting. And if you think that I connected the most with Gracelyn and Nate as forty-somethings, it is here where the message felt most profound for me. As parents, we set parameters for our children. Ultimately, many of us want to raise intelligent, socially conscious, hardworking, civically aware humans. With intentionality, careful plotting, some prayers, and creativity, we work hard to “hopefully” raise up amazing human beings. One of the most profound moments of “letting go” resides in Nathaniel’s experience with Morgan. He has offered her a dream life, traveling the world and exposing her to other cultures, making her a global citizen. She returns to the U.S. on the cusp of a new change, meets her neighbor friend, Gabe, and falls quickly into pre-teenhood. Everything Nate presumes for his daughter becomes upended. And in true parental fashion, Nate mourns this loss. Instead of seeing it as a transition, a necessary part of Morgan’s journey towards autonomy, he struggles initially. However, with the guidance of an intelligent and emotionally mature “friend,” Nate allows himself to “let go” of his prescription for Morgan’s life. He embraces her need for autonomy and the want to “fit in” with her peers. From a reader’s standpoint, I felt this message profoundly. This is where Jewel E. Ann is her best: using the real world to encapsulate tiny truths about the human experience.
*Fortuity presents us wth compelling characterizations. There is seemingly “a type” for everyone. Nathaniel Hunt in this book is NOT the Nathaniel Hunt of the Transcend duet, and thank goodness for that. He was mournful and overwhelmed and unable to find himself fully yet in that duet. Eight years later, he is purposeful, insightful, self-assured, and resolved. He’s also $exually fierce in a way that we weren’t treated to in the Transcend duet. He exudes a compelling masculinity that peeked at us in the duet, but it’s a force of nature in Fortuity. Gracelyn has no chance against this “Jamie Frasier-like” Nathaniel Hunt, and it’s delightful.
In some ways, Gracelyn is the “Transcend-Nate” of this story. Through her, Jewel E. Ann crafts the most obvious idea of letting go. Gracelyn’s past is holding her back, and she’s constructed a life that protects her from moving forward. As she encounters Nate and undertakes a summer relationship with him, she becomes more intuitive about her role with her nephew, Gabriel, she begins to find a new normal for them, and she finds a hidden depth of character. Of all of the characters, Gracelyn’s is the most exciting journey, as her evolution is the most profound. Her elaboration becomes the emotional center for Fortuity.
To a certain extent, Gabriel, Gracelyn’s nephew, is a foil to Morgan. He represents the peer group that Morgan is vying for entry. He acts as a representation of what Morgan would be had Nate and Morgan lived a more traditional life without traveling the world. He is also a representation of a preteen boy and the difficulties of articulating grief for them. His growth comes later in Fortuity, and it’s one of the moments that touched my heart, as Nate becomes more important in his life.
*The final reason for reading Fortuity is Jewel E. Ann’s storytelling. Before writing this review, I pondered over my obsession with her books. Why am I so drawn to her storytelling? Why is she at the top of my favorite authors’ list? And I think it comes down to something as simple as her ability to present stories that feel heavy with story. That might seem confusing, so let me explain. When you open a book such as Fortuity, it is the story and its characters that drive you deep into Jewel E. Ann’s brand of romance. To be clear, that can sometimes be tortuous because she invests you in the emotions and world of her characters. She makes them believable enough that you can envision yourself in their shoes, pulling you in deep. It’s the story that isn’t always replete with heavy $ex or bedroom fun that engages you. It is Ann’s ability to craft a story that is full of life and love and pain and humanity. Her words whisper and shout and sing to you, forcing you through the highs and lows…because isn’t this life? You are entertained, titillated, engaged, challenged, exorcised, and avenged all in the space of a Jewel E. Ann romance. And Fortuity is no different. Every moment falls into place, creating a space to travel, a space to encounter the message of “letting go” and celebrating life. Right. Now. Every turn of Gracelyn to look over her shoulder is a step forward with a nod to the past. Those moments are intentionally crafted as images to remind us of her message. It’s that intentionality that provokes me time and time again to dive deep into the waters of a Jewel E. Ann romance even when I know I will probably hit my head and feel some pain. At the very least, her skill as a writer is worthy of a read of Fortuity.
*So, in the end, did Fortuity give me peace for the conclusion of Nathaniel Hunt’s story? Yes. Did it upend or complicate the Transcend duet for me? No. Will his spirit and Morgan’s spirit live on? Yes, but so will Gracelyn’s and Gabe’s and his daughter, Morgan’s, because Jewel E. Ann has proffered a story that is timeless. She took the loose ends of Nate’s story and she entwined them with Gracelyn’s story as an admonition that we can live here in the now and flourish. All we have to do is let go of our fear and live. And that message is devout and perfect.
OMG! I absolutely loved this book! I was so excited to get Nate’s story and I was not at all disappointed. Nate and Morgan have come back to the US after traveling for ten years. San Diego will be their last stop before heading home to settle down. Gracelyn has just inherited her nephew, Gabe, after her brother and his wife pass away unexpectedly. Gracelyn moves into the beach rental across from Nate and Morgan. Morgan is so happy to have a kid her age around that she makes sure that everyone becomes friends. Morgan is so grown up and mature for her age. She made me laugh a lot. Nate and Gracelyn are attracted to one another, but both are scared to take their relationship too far.
Frothing is a feel good story. I really enjoyed reading it. I laughed a lot and cried a little. I have lost a brother, so I could relate to a lot of stuff that Gracelyn and her family said. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good, realistic love story.
4+ “all the feelings” Stars
If, like me, you’ve read Transcend and Epoch you’ve been wanting this book to happen for quite some time now. If you haven’t read them, I suggest you stop reading this now, as this review will contain spoilers for that storyline.
So, Fortuity. I have to say this was not the story I was expecting after the angst-fest that was the T & E duet… If I had to describe this book, it would be a leisurely-stroll-through-the-park slow burn romance. It didn’t have the same sense of urgency as the other two books but it was still the most perfect story I could have hoped for Nathan and young Morgan.
Gracelyn was content in the transient, responsibility-free life she had chosen to lead. But when her brother and sister-in-law leave her the guardianship of her 10-year-old-nephew, Gabe, her whole world turns upside down.
Nathan has been single-dadding it, raising baby Morgan all over the world for the last decade, and is finally ready to bring her back home and start a new chapter in their lives. Fate would have them renting a beach house right across from Grace and Gabe.
I can’t really decide what my favorite part of this story was, so I’m just not going to say much or else I’d end up writing half a book with praise for Ms. Ann’s writing prowess. But how these two lost, lonely souls kept putting the wellbeing of their charges before their own feelings was… heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time.
Again, I could really feel the connection between Nathan and Grace, the feelings they had for each other, their relationship with the kids… everything was so perfect I just don’t have words.
I loved the evolution of their relationship, even if it felt like an eternity before they really got together. Their chemistry was electric and once they gave in to their connection, it was so much fun to witness.
I loved how we still get a bit of mystic whimsicality to the story, and this has been one of my absolute favorite things about Jewel E. Ann—how she manages to integrate unusual topics into the loveliest of romances.
With the perfect epilogue, lots of feelings and emotions, one seriously hot single dad, a quirky new-single-mom, the most chatty 10-yo girl and a monosyllabic 10-yo boy, Fortuity was an absolutely perfect slow-burn romance I completely adored.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*