Fortune

Fortune #2

by Annabel Joseph

Kat doesn’t know whether or how to end her six-night-a-week party habit, not to mention her unhealthy addiction to meaningless sex. Then an accident lands her in the hospital. She wakes to find a menagerie of origami figures—and a gorgeous neurosurgeon—beside her bed. The complexity of the paper creations is nothing compared to the complexity of dark-eyed, authoritative Ryan, who seems determined to give her life some direction. Trouble is, Kat’s just as determined to resist his efforts to tame her wild side.

With persistence, Ryan draws Kat into his world of dominance and submission, where quiet commands and lengths of rope awaken needs and desires she never knew she possessed. But Ryan’s intimate, erotic shibari sessions frighten Kat as much as they excite her, for each simple knot requires infinite trust and inspires complicated emotions.

Then a family crisis tests their love and threatens to snap the fragile ties that bind them. Will fortune ever smile on this unlikely couple, or will fate tear them apart?

Note: Sequel to Deep in the Woods.

Genres: BDSM, Erotica, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Menage, Erotic Romance, Contemporary

398 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2010

About the author

Annabel Joseph is a NYT and USA Today bestselling BDSM erotic romance author. She writes mainly contemporary romance, although she has been known to dabble in the medieval and Regency eras. She is recognized for writing emotionally intense BDSM storylines, and strives to create characters that seem real--even flawed--so readers are better able to relate to them.

Annabel also writes non-BDSM erotic romance under the name Molly Joseph. You can sign up to receive Annabel's newsletter here: http://wordpress.us7.list-manage.com/...

Some of Annabel's favorite authors are Laura Kinsale, Judith McNaught, Jo Beverley, Flannery O'Connor, Molly Weatherfield, and Anneke Jacob.

Annabel Joseph loves to hear from her readers at annabeljosephnovels(@)gmail.com.

Reviews

[ൠSinful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating characters in an intoxicating story, BDSM fans will devour this one.

Annabel Joseph has written another fabulous tale full of multifaceted characters. FORTUNE will grab a hold of you and never let you go. The pacing is smooth, the characters riveting, and their struggle rediscovering themselves as they explore a life together left me talking out loud to my Kindle. This is one of those special books that are worthy of a reread when I have a pile of books next to me I've never touched. I've said it before, Annabel Joseph is a master and every BDSM fan should have her on their auto buy list.

Readers first met Dr. Ryan in DEEP IN THE WOODS. A neurosurgeon Dom who practices bump-and-run sex, zero commitment and zero attachment, he meets his match in Katya. Busy training the security staff in martial arts, he becomes fascinated with the regular at the vanilla club. For weeks, he watches her play her game. Then, the Dom makes his move.

Katya plays the same one night stand game as Ryan in the vanilla world. Six nights a week, she trolls the club looking for a partner who can provide her with sexual release and no pillow talk. No one seems to satisfy, until a fateful fall down the stairs lands Katya in the hospital in Dr. Ryan's care.

Encouraged by Katya's family and her matriarch mother, Ryan pursues Katya as his sub. Katya is a disaster. She plays roles not knowing who she is or how to be happy. Confused would be the best word for her. Aimless. Floating. Ryan gives her direction and pushes her to claim what she wants and stop what doesn't satisfy her. Going through life, most of us have had moments when we felt adrift ourselves, making Katya relatable.

I loved how similar the two were underneath it all. He may have been the sophisticated upper class Dom and she the middle class thrift store girl from the vanilla world, but both have deep-seated issues that prevent them from truly opening up to another. That of course is the magic that had me crying and yelling and grinning from ear to ear.

Always reliable, Annabel Joseph has penned another treasure. Erotica fans, I know you are going to love this! Enjoy!

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kat is a skanky slut. There is no other description for her. Why do I call her a skanky slut? Because she specifically goes to clubs to search out for a guy to fuck. Meaningless sex. She's from a pretty stable family with loving parents and great siblings. She wants something else in life though. So what does she do? She goes for meaningless sex. WTH. Are there really women like this in real life? Um, wait, yeah, I knew a few of them when I worked for a large consulting firm.

Anyway, I have no respect for Kat. Why is Ryan even interested in her? She's shallow and stupid for a supposedly intelligent female. Ryan on the other hand is pretty much a dream guy. So once again, what have I learned from these stories? Screwed up females need a strong man to fix them out and keep them in line. Ugh. Just shoot me.

Now some of you may be wondering why I have this as 3 star. Well, it's because I like Ryan and his Dom ability. This is the only redeeming quality to this book. Seriously, why would a doctor - a neurosurgeon no less - want to have anything to do with a woman like Kat? Well, this is fiction.

[karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the concept for this book. It was well written, well executed...if you like BDSM romance and stories where hero saves heroine from her wicked,, wicked self then you'll probably love it. But right about the time the Dom started comparing himself to a modern day Pygmalion and telling the skinny, nicely proportioned, submissive heroine that she couldn't eat a bacon and cheese omelet because they were bad for her...that's when I had to put it down. It was a little over the top.

There are relationships like this, there are even healthy ones, but I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to read about intricacies and romanticizing of micromanagement(light)).

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
I wish there was some kind of explaining on why Kat behaved the way she did. Lots of people need a firm hand but there's no reason to make oneself unhappy for not finding something you don't even know you're looking for.

I liked how their relationship started, and how they went from there to a life together. Not a easy task, tho. It was a bit dark, though they weren't. I guess it's just Joseph's writting style. I needed my full attention on the book. I just wanted to know Kat a bit more and the reason of all of her insecurities. She was unhappy and choose to do that everyday before Ryan. There were no past traumas or anything like it. She was just... Idiot? Lol. Hell if I know.
Ryan... sigh... Even if he were vanilla I'd love him. He's this sexy doc that for some reason is drawn to Kat. Guess being a doctor, he wants to fix her. Go fig.

IMHO, Fortune's emotionally intense. It's not sunny, sparkly happy people knowing each other and getting kink-ly in love. Lol. They -Kat- had issues (a lot), and they -mostly Ryan the sexy doc- fought to overcome that.

[Michael Dunellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when I first read the synopsis for this one months ago. It sounded like weird psycho-drama. And I guess it was in some ways, but not the way I was thinking.

It was about Family. Ekaterina attracted Ryan because of her innate submissiveness but she sealed the deal once he sat at the dinner table with her family. You may remember Ryan from Deep in the Woods (Dave and Sophie make a return appearance here) where he first met him but we found out a lot more about him. He was successful and driven but also lonely and really looking for someone to spend his life with.

It was also about Crying. Kat cried when she was happy. She cried when she was sad. She cried when she was confused. About the only time she didn't cry was when she pick up random guys for one-night stands - because at those moments, she didn't feel anything.

I actually expected the Origami Swans to take a bigger role in the book but they were there when it mattered.

[Sibylla Matilde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mmmmmm.... There's some major hotness in here... Loved the story and the heroine. Kind of refreshing when the heroine isn't some innocent little flower! :)

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jae’s Dark Divas Review of this title:

What an amazing story! After discovering Annabel Joseph’s works rather recently, I have gobbled up as many of her stories as I can get. Fortune is by far her most thought-provoking, sensual masterpiece to date.

Fortune is a sequel to Deep in the Woods, although it can be read as a standalone title quite easily. Deep in the Woods is where we first met Ryan, the hero of Fortune, and I think Deep in the Woods does give the reader a bit of background personality for his story in Fortune.

The character development in Fortune is outstanding. Kat’s personality pops off the page from the very beginning. I can feel her despair over her life choices, or rather the life she feels she has no choice in whatsoever. I adored her unique family and how they added a wonderful dimension to the entire novel. I fell in love with Ryan in Deep in the Woods, so I already felt as if I knew a little about him when I started this story, but there was so much I didn’t know…so much more to experience.

Kat seems to start out from a weak female position, but as with most of Ms. Joseph’s heroines, this weakness is an illusion masking a true strength of self beneath. As lost as she was at the beginning of this tale, Kat’s underlying strength is amazing. I truly enjoyed watching her growth in this book. Ryan’s metamorphosis was marvelous to take part in as well. I think it’s great how Ms. Joseph puts the reader right in the room with the characters and shows us every nuance of development, so that we are really taking part in each event. These characters linger long after the book is finished.
I don’t want to give away any part of this tale, but I wanted to comment on a thought that kept popping up as I read Fortune. I think it’s amazing that Annabel Joseph can write such a balanced relationship between these characters. Dominant though he may be, Ryan offers Kat freedom by acting as her safe place to express her true self, rather than exerting a heavy handed control over her. Whether in D/s, BDSM or any mainstream relationship this is the type of partnership and balance we no doubt all strive to attain. Not that it came easy for these characters either. You’ll have to read the story to find out how they reach their happily-ever-after.

What I also truly appreciate is that the D/s and BDSM aspects are part of the characters lives, they aren’t the sum total of their experiences. The story is ultimately about Kat and Ryan as people who partake in a D/s lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong the D/s and BDSM scenes are extremely hot, sensual and intense. Have no fear about that. But the story alone is gripping and intriguing from beginning to end.

Fortune is an amazing story that I highly recommend.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by Jae!
http://www.darkdivasreviews.com/?p=3335

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave this one 4 starts but it's probably more like 4.5. The only reason I couldn't give it 5 was because sometimes Katya's flighty personality pissed me off. It irked the hell outta me that she couldn't appreciate that fact that sexy, successful, talented brain surgeon Ryan wants HER despite the fact that she doesn't do much more than club hop and slut it up. That being said, I still found her likable and really enjoyed the fact that she was inexperienced and new to the scene. Ryan was a refreshing character very much like his best friend Dave from the prequel "Deep in the Woods". His love of the rattan canes and rope play kept the scenes interesting and steamy as always. Can't say much more about this one other than that I absolutely fell in love with it. The loving but firm Doms are always the easiest to fall for. ;)

[Nay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Deep in the Woods (the hero, Ryan, is a secondary character in Deep in the Woods and the H/h of Deep in the Woods also make an appearance), and I enjoyed it just a bit more. It was still short and sweet (sweeter than other A. Joseph books that I've read) and had an interesting, sexy storyline. Again, the super sexy alpha Hero was a sadist, but the bdsm elements of the storyline weren't overly done. I'm really trying to keep an open mind, but I still just cannot enjoy the sharing aspect after the "commited, "in love" part of the relationship has been reached, but that didn't affect my rating because I understand that it can be a very real part of the D/s lifestyle. I highly recommend this for those who want to read a less angsty bdsm-light(er) story.

[TWIGGY17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great BDSM love story. Just the right amount of heat. The H/h work well together as they try to establish their relationship. Deals with the old question, "when do you know it is love?" Highly recommend. Joseph's work gets better and better. Recommend reading "Deep in the Woods" first as characters from that book reappear in this book. Looking forward to the next book.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a smut book where the girl is neither sweet nor innocent and she doesn't fall deeply head-over-heels in mere days. And that's not to say that the guy isn't a manwhore either, but at least we're not starting from zero in the bedroom with Kat and Ryan. He sees something in Kat that he has to own, and over the course of (thankfully not days or weeks) time, he trains her into submission.

[Nena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read like a how-to to be in a D/s relationship. It didn't keep me into the story. The characters needed more dialogue to show their emotion instead of us just being told what their emotion was.

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

IN LOVE WITH RYAN. Seriously I mean where do you find guys like him 😩. Something about an intelligent man is SOOO hot even though he made Kat seem a little stupider every time he spoke lol. I did find the food thing a bit weird, like I get that he is a doctor and more health conscious, being a dom and all that but controlling everything she eats?? Yea chill out lol I would leave so fast 🥱 but its not me so oh well. I did find him extremely charming though, like I love a cuddly dom MC it’s so cute.

[Dutch-ess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading about slutty main characters or docters doesn't excite me. I waited a bit for the story to get interesting. Unfortunately my portion of eyerolls reached their limit.

A neurosurgeon who isn't particularly in his twenties anymore also teaches martial arts to bouncers parttime?

He dominates the daughter of a former Russian spy....

Writing in general wasn't good.

DNF.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the whole family feeling throughout the story. Ryan and Kat are quite the learning couple. Wonder if Ryan was able to reach her self defense or if she got pregnant first. Gotta add more grandbabies for Elena. The night with Dave and Sophia was very hot and sweaty for sure.

[WBS-S]

I really like most of Annabel Joseph's work, including this one. It was a good story... lots of sex and some interesting push and pull. I'd recommend it for readers of BDSM.

[Danielle Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Emotional read. Bdsm.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fortune is my first daring exploration into the world of ménage. I thought it would debase the characters more, particularly Katya, since this is leaning into an almost hardcore BDSM type of novel. But Annabel Joseph proved me wrong. This book was full of surprising sensual aesthetics – artistic bondage (shibari), character profiling, wonders of origami crafting and the erotic formation of the relationships. I was amazed and from the first few pages of it, I was totally floored and sure I would finish it in one seating, which by the way, I did!

I worship the characters of this book: Ryan McCarthy, an amazing neurosurgeon and a mean Dom (whom I just love so much! *squeal*); Ekaterina Argounov, Kat or Katya, a tall, green-eyed and beautiful English-Russian translator; let me also acknowledge Sophie and Dave, for being there to take part in their group sex (which I absolutely enjoy! *drool*); and the ever-knowing Elena, Katya’s mom. Everyone was so amazing. The roles were beautifully played into writing. I was hesitant at first, when I read the summary, but when I re-read it, I knew I would undoubtedly adore this book – I am now, really.

Okay, so aside from the characters, I love the storytelling – straight to the point and no beating around the bush. Even during Katya’s dad’s hospitalization, it didn’t happen too slowly, like dragging the story for God knows how many chapters it would have been, but you know, just the right touch – everything was perfect.

The intervention of BDSM act was so intense and inarguably beyond erotic. I especially like the “shibari,” which I just recently learned is a type of Japanese bondage, but they often refer to it as an art of rope tying. From the images I saw, it was utterly hot! And I project “Dr. Ryan” doing that to Katya. HMMMMMM! Undeniably lustful and I want some spanking! Hihi!

I found an example of shibari, but I think this is just a light example:



Alright, enough with this. I wish I could see more of Kat and Ryan’s relationship. This has been a great development for me and I aim to go deeper or rather know the facets of romance, may it be an interesting storyline, bizarre novel theme or something sexier than this.

PERFECT FIVE STARS.
Catch this book, who wants to go deep into the BDSM/Erotic Romance world.
CHEERS.

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oops… I read this one when I should've read Deep in the Woods first. Oh well, such is life. No matter it was still wicked hot. My first Annabel Joseph & Holy God does she know how to write some kink that sizzles off the page! What a treat & I'm sorry I've deprived myself of her writing thus far.

Likes:
■ Duh… the kinky sex & did someone say shibari? Done & done. I will say there's some things that I personally wouldn't be all that jazzed about but it worked for them & it was well written.
■ The Russian mom, Elena, is a fantastic character. She is thoughtfully written & she comes alive on the page. You could just feel how irrepressible & bubbly she is-larger than life. One of those women who commands a room without actually even trying to.
■ To continue the Russian theme… I liked that addition. That the father was a spy; that there's a kajillion grandkids running around, how loud you know the Argounov house is & how welcoming they are. You know they are a tightly knit family that looks after their own, but once in the inner sanctum you know you'll be accepted & afforded the same protection & devotion.
■ Obviously, I'm a fan of the details so the cranes & fortune telling I thought were quaint touches-the touchstone or foundation of the story, how they kept being referenced in some fashion.

Dislikes:
■ I hesitate to say I disliked Kat but… as one GR friend put it she's a skank, at the beginning at least. It's not really that I dislike her so much as I feel sorry for her; she's so lost & alone going to clubs all the time to find some anonymous sex; just sluts it up to feel something rather than constant nothingness & it's not even good sex! What's the point of that? She literally has no clue who she is but her propensity towards saying the exact opposite of what she feels for whatever reason did get old. That plus she has an annoying habit of running from… well, pretty much everything.
■ Ryan is slightly more self-actualized than Kat but he too seems rather lost. His domination of her is exquisite but he himself didn't do a whole lot for me. I mean, I like the sexy doctor bit but the droning on about preservatives, high fructose corn syrup & intestines… not so much.


Guess I should get to reading Deep in the Woods now. A little backwards never hurt anybody, right?

[Dar · Rating 3 out of 5]

My oh my, Ryan found our interest in his previous appearance, and he hasn't disappointed in his own book. Kat continues to go to clubs 6 nights a week, not to drink, but to pick up random men. Ryan has been watching her well before he approaches and they set each other off - not in a good way! After a rocky start, rocky middle and rocky later, these two are anything but boring together. They enjoy a very active sex life, but are at a loss on how to conduct themselves outside of the bedroom. This is an emotional up and down and will they make it book, and Kat isn't really all that likelable, and even by the end I wasn't sure on her motivations. Ryan is amazing, and sweet, and kind and so good for Kat. A good read, just tempered by Kat's character

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.

Intense.

This did remind me of Mercy in a few ways but I still loved it.

Everything was so Real...Portrayed logically in a sense i mean.

I'm not even really a fan of half of the sexual themes that were involved but i still found them quite--stimulating?---anyway BDSM is just a genre i can't get away from because of a few little things although i realy dislike most of it.
This laid the genre all out..the scenes had perfect detail and the characters were rounded well...it wasn't until the second half of the book i felt a more emotional tug toward the story in general and what would result of Kat and Ryans relationship.

[Sarah Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite of Annabel Joseph's but I will be honest, I'd like to give all of her books five stars purely on the accuracy of her BDSM relationships.

I enjoyed both Ryan and Kat as characters. I would have loved to know more of each character and see their story unfold over more than one novel. The story felt a little cut short for my tastes.

However, while this story and its characters weren't fleshed out as much as I would have liked, I am always so completely invested in their relationship dynamic. This is purely thanks to Joseph's understanding of power exchange that goes far beyond play.

I keep coming back for more because no one else measures up.



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[Desiree Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Aannabel JOseph has such a grasp of the emotional connection ikn a D/s relationship, especially in an evolving one. I think one of the strongest elements in the book is Ryan's personality. We see Kat as someon drifting aimless as "Club Girl" wothout anything to anchor her. Ryan senses that at once, and while she is not yet in the lifestyle he klnows sheneed control or she'll self-destruct. Even her mother, later in the book, comments on that. So he provides that structure for her and she begins an erotic ourney of self-discov erey. A+, Ms Joseph.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author is a good writer. There are only a few authors in this genre that I can feel confident will have a well written story and Annabel Joseph is one of them. This is the second book in a sequel- it's the story of the friend who visits during Into The Woods. This was a good story but the heroine bugged me. She dragged out her angst too long. It got tiring after a while. Still I recommend this for those who enjoy reading BDSM type books. Although the BDSM element in this story is pretty tame.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this. Maybe I was getting tired of reading at this point but these characters while complex and sexual didn't really capture my attention like Mis Joseph's other characters. May have to reread this to see if it was me or if these characters were as lackluster as I believed.

[Cornelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hot sexy bdsm book. It includes shibari and much more. If you liked the idea or premise of 50 shades of Grey - you'll love this. It's well written with sexy, fleshed out characters. It's over the top hot.

[Michelle Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annabel Joseph has written a fabulous book! I loved the character development of Ryan and Kat! The scenes were hot! Annabel Joseph never dissappoints. This is a must read for those that enjoy intense BDSM!

[Agnieszka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet BDSM-themed romance with lots of smut. Trigger warning: features Dom berating/controlling sub's food choices. (WFT is up with this as a theme in D/s erotica? Is giving your sub an eating disorder part of the "training"?) Aside from that, nice, light reading.

[Vfan1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! So glad Ryan got his story and Dave and Sophie (Deep in the Woods) made quite an erotic appearance. Cried a few times and loved the HEA.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this looked interesting. Borrowed it from a fellow Kindle user through BookLending.com.

Definitely different, but in a good way. At times I was unable to put the book/Kindle down!!