Rating: 
Summary: Really good, but Not as good as...
Review: ...her last book Falling for Chloe. The Fortune Hunter is very well written, and Farr is ahead of all other new regency writers in my opinion. However, the Heyer-esque sense of fun and enjoyment I had come to admire was missing from this latest book. The Fortune Hunter has two interesting and vivid main characters and a lot of passion, if that is what you like you will love it. But, the secondary characters were weaker than in Farr's earlier novels, it wasn't very humorous, and all a bit intense, passionate and serious really. I couldn't help wondering if this was because she had made the jump from 'regency' to 'historic' fiction? It depends what you like, but I enjoyed Falling For Chloe far more.
Rating: 
Summary: My Return To Romance
Review: An earlier reviewer described this book as perfect, and I cannot think of a better way to describe it. I had not read a romance novel in years, but when this came in (I work in a bookshop), something drew me to it. I am so glad I decided to give it a try. It is completely wonderful...everything about it is simply perfect. I literally laughed out loud at times, and the ending still makes me cry when I think about it. Diane Farr has a way of describing the setting, and her characters within the setting that makes it all so clear in my mind that it's like watching a movie of the book. I fancy myself a writer and I am completely furious that I didn't write this!! Haha! It is SO good. Her books Duel of Hearts and Under a Wishing Star are excellent as well, but this one.... Oh! There's just something about this one.
Rating:
Summary: The Fortune Hunter Strikes Gold
Review: Diane Farr has once again outdone herself in her latest novel, the touching and beautiful story of two seemingly mismatched lovers, an impoverished but charming rogue who must marry an heiress to save his destitute family estate and a wealthy spinster who has resolved never to marry in order to maintain her hard-won independence. George Carstairs, Baron Rival, is literally down to his last penny when he embarks on a campaign to meet and win the hand in marriage of the reclusive but fabulously rich Lady Olivia Fairfax. Lady Olivia, who has had a history of disastrous relationships with men, from her distant and domineering father, to her abusive step-brother, her faithless fiance, and her condescending solicitor, is happy in her independent life as a 26 year old spinster, running the charitable school for orphaned girls that she has founded. Despite the fact that George makes no secret of his need for Olivia's wealth, she finds her determination never to marry and never to put herself within a man's control crumbling in the face of Geroge's devastating charm, his obvious devotion to her and her family, and his intrinsic honesty and kindness. But can she trust him, or trust her heart? For George's part, what begins as a rather cold-blooded plot to marry money soon becomes transformed, in a very believable way, into a great and enduring love that transcends material wealth. The story begins with a case of mistaken identity and there are many plots and sublots along the way that keep the pace of this book moving quickly. The dialogue between the lovers, so real and so full of gentle wit and amusing double-entendres, is some of the best I have ever read. This is a beautifully-written story with lots of depth and a sure bet to be nominated for a RITA award for 2002. If you are a stickler for romantic fiction of the highest quality, do yourself a favor--run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore or on-line bookseller and pick up a copy of The Fortune Hunter for your keeper shelf. You will laugh, you will cry, and your heart will be touched, but you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Romance Novel
Review: I am delighted and amazed when I encounter a perfect novel. Diane Farr's The Fortune Hunter is happily such a novel.The set-up is familiar: George Carstairs, Baron Rival, has managed to eek out an existence in London as a successful card shark. But he has struggled for years in vain to raise the capital to restore his beloved boyhood home, Rye Vale, which was impoverished by his deceased father's still outstanding gambling debts. Though George is infamous from his façade as a gambler and womanizer of the worst kind, he is actually a deeply honorable person and agonizes as desperate circumstances force him into his only remaining option: he must marry an heiress to save his estate. At the top of his list is the elusive and mysterious spinster, Lady Olivia Fairfax, whose secret past has made the truth of one fact absolutely certain to her: she will never give up her hard won control over her own life and over her own fabulous wealth by marrying anyone, especially a fortune hunter like the one who broke her heart when she was a girl. Yet George is not just anyone. When they meet, Olivia sees him immediately as the embodiment of her every fantasy. For his part, George is smitten by the saucy woman he takes to be a maid in his deceased friend's home. He helps her sort through the items left there to benefit the charity (school for poor but promising women) that Olivia founded. He ends up confessing to this alluring maid his plan to woo and marry Olivia for her money. His surprise and mortification are complete when at the reading of his friend's will he again encounters this unforgettable maid who has haunted his dreams-and she turns out to be Olivia! To make matters worse, George receives an inheritance-a modest quarterly income-that the friend stipulates Olivia is to disburse based on whether George is making a useful contribution to Olivia's school. Hence, seemingly against their wills, Olivia and George are thrown together in her school, and the fun begins: irresistible force (George) meets immovable object (Olivia) as George seeks to woo Olivia even as he is completely honest with her about being a fortune hunter. The development of their relationship is among the most clever and entertaining I've ever encountered. Farr has a gift for snappy banter that is never gratuitous but grows believably from the characters of these two complex and lovable persons she so vividly brings to life. There is so much cleverness, humor, deep emotion and verisimilitude in The Fortune Hunter that every page is a fabulously entertaining and pleasurable emotional experience. Farr's great writing skill also produces a very fun plot and lively supporting characters. Do not miss this wonderfully irreverent, wise and deeply emotional novel!
Rating:
Summary: I loved it.
Review: I am not a crazy regency fan, but this book is so smart and charming that I have to say it almost makes me a believer. I say almost because I know that this is the exception that proves the rule. This rake and this spinster dont follow the unwritten regency rules of acting stupid so they come across very refreshingly. The witty dialogue and engaging plot that grows from the characters and not plot device are a breath of fresh air. There is no formula here just wonderful characters that you wish you could always read about. If only other regency writers would take note.
Rating:
Summary: not as good as I'd hope it would be
Review: I liked the hero better in Falling for Chloe (the prequel). The heroine had moments of spluttering spinster syndrome and did some silly things. There was a subplot about the heroine's brother and wife that did nothing for the story. I've read better by Farr.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: I really did not enjoy this book in spite of all the wonderful reviews I had heard. The characters were boring and not believable and the plot was just slow and boring. I just did not care if Rival would be able to overcome Olivia's resistance to marriage or about all the little tasks she made him complete to remain in her company. It was just so mundane, with little tiny instances and bland conversation taking up so much of the book it took me forever to finish it! A disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: A REAL TREASURE!
Review: I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE seduction. This book has it in spades - not to mention loads of humor and witty dialogue. A rascal of a hero and a spunky heroine collide in a comical first meeting and the story takes off from there. She's rich and he's poor and desperate for an heiress. But fear not, this is not your typical regency romance. It's much, much better. Get ready to read this one straight through. You won't want to put it down. A definite keeper.
Rating:
Summary: If You Like Oscar Wilde. . .
Review: If you combine the wit of Oscar Wilde, the elegance of Cary Grant, and the rogue-ishness of Humphrey Bogart, you have George, the hero of "The Fortune Hunter." Against him, plot our heroine, a combination of Katherine Hepburn and Greer Garson. Part of the fun of a romance is the knowledge of where it is going and what will probably happen, but not exactly. You know the hero will partake in the villain's fall, rescue the heroine, and choose her over all other temptations. The romance staple of the "bad" man who virtuously warns the heroine against him, becoming more and more charming as he falls deeply in love is irresistible, like "The Fortune Hunter" itself.
Rating: 
Summary: Farr is a delightful writer...
Review: Ms. Farr is a wonderful writer and this was a good book. Having said that, I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as DUEL OF HEARTS. Once I finished DUEL, I quickly found THE FORTUNE HUNTER and although the writing was great, the characters likable, etc. there just seemed to be something missing from this one. I can't quite put my finger on what is missing, but I still look forward to tracking down all of Ms. Farr's books and putting her books on "auto buy."
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