Rosie Macalister has worked hard to fit in with her Yale equestrian team but after spending a year aboard she’s worried about being replaced by newcomer Annelise Tattinger. A brilliant rider and a tarot card reader, Annelise is nothing what Rosie expected and is unexplainably draw to her. As tensions in the house start mounting, and everyone’s place in the circle start to come into question decisions are made that lead to devastating consequences. After graduation, Rosie beings to fully understand who Annelise was and knows that Annelise came to Yale for a reason.
This gave me all the vibes Katy Hay’s The Cloisters which I read last year especially with the Tarot aspect. Both books rely heavily on creating an allusion of magical realism but neither actually takes the plunge into the realm of magic. Which for me is a disappointment. Both are more character driven, coming of age stories that infiltrate the lives of the wealthy. I would say that The Fortune Seller has a bit more ‘action’ in the sense that there is a mystery element, but it’s a slow burn. I don’t think I would have made it through this story without the audiobook, but even then, I was only ever partially invested. Stephanie Cannon’s voice though is incredibly soothing which is why I think I kept listening.
I will say that this book is heavvvy on the horses and equestrian lifestyle. It’s not necessarily a detractor but I did have to look up a few things since I’m not familiar with that world much. I read Girls and Their Horses last year, and while it’s also big on horses I felt more intune with the story and less like I was learning a new sport.
I didn’t particularly love Rosie either, her lack of self-motivation (I guess you could call it) irked me. You’re a senior and haven’t done a single internship or applied for the jobs you think you deserve. The Enneagram 3 in me just can’t deal with that type of limp fish. none of the other characters besides Annelise is particularly likable either but I just wish it would have been more of a page turner story, instead of so drawn out. If you love horses or really enjoy more atmospheric read vs plot-based reads than this book is for you, otherwise you might want to skip.
The Fortune Seller comes out February 13, 2024. Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my copy in exchange for an honest review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
I just finished this too! I was so annoyed at how naive Rosie is especially for someone who went to Yale! I can understand the wealthier kids not having an idea of how the real world works, but not Rosie. I feel like she grew up seeing behind the curtain and her ditzy innocence just didn’t fly with me.
Omg yes! I totally get being naive to the world of wealth but just in general I feel like she was totally oblivious. I feel like college hammered internships etc into me, and I understand riding took a lot of time but I know tons of athletics that still had jobs and internships. It was so frustrating for me, especially since I wanted to be on her side.