The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes by Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart

You’re invited to spend the weekend with three extraordinary sisters…

When she was sixteen, Dee Fortune kidnapped her two younger sisters and ran from danger. Now twenty-nine, she’s still trying to control her shape-shifting power—no easy task when Danny James shows up one Friday morning with his deadly smile and dangerous questions about the past.
“Dreyer is wickedly clever and witty.”—Booklist

Lizzie is determined to save her family from financial ruin by turning straw into gold; now if she could only stop turning forks into bunnies. Then Elric, a sorcerer, appears one Friday—annoyed with the chaos Lizzie is creating in the universe and in his heart. . . .
“A consummate mistress of her craft, Stuart is a pure pleasure to indulge.”
—Romantic Times Bookreviews

The youngest Miss Fortune, Mare, towers above her sisters but her telekinetic power is dwarfed by their gifts. She spends her days at Value Video!! and her nights contemplating the futility of her existence. But then a gorgeous Value Video!! VP and Mare’s long lost love turn up. . .and they all turn up the heat on a weekend that no Fortune will soon forget!
“Crusie is a master of fast-paced witty dialogue.”—Seattle Times

I can just imagine what the brainstorming sessions would have been like for the three authors involved in this book.

"What's the strangest thing that someone could morph into during sex?"

"A frog"

"No, no...wouldn't it be hysterical if she turned into the guy's mother just as they got hot and heavy?". Lots of mirth and merriment ensues.

"And, how about, what if, one of the sisters is trying to transform objects, but every time she tries to do it the only thing that happens is that she makes herself a new pair of shoes?" Hahahaha. "Every woman loves shoes!"

"Wait, wait...what if..." laughing .....

Okay...so I don't actually know if that's how it really was, but in some ways it felt to me as though the three authors involved in this book were having so much fun thinking about what things could happen, but it just didn't quite translate onto the page. The book was lots of fun, but it wasn't the fantastic ride I wanted, mainly because the characters were swapped around too quickly, and the chapters too long.

I should probably declare right now that I hadn't ever read Anne Stuart or Eileen Dreyer before so I really was reading this for Jennifer Crusie. And I have to admit that I came away from this book thinking that I am not so enthused about her collaborations, after first Don't Look Down, and now this book. (Luckily, since then I have read Agnes and the Hitman (and no, I haven't reviewed it yet) so my faith has been restored somewhat - restored enough to be looking forward to the collaboration that she is currently working on with Lani Diane Rich and Anne Stuart.

My other qualm was that two of the sisters meet, fall in love, and then agree to marry in the space of three days as well as having to defeat evil aunt Xantippe in that time frame as well.

When I read the book, my favourite relationship was between the youngest sister, Mare and her true love. I'm not saying more on this one because there are two possibilities for Mare, but she definitely ended up with the right guy! Now, as I look back though, I did also really like Dee and Danny's relationship. I wasn't so keen on Lizzie and Elrick. He was a bit...pompous..for want of a better word, for me!

So, whilst this book was a fun read, it just didn't meet my expectations. It could well be that my expectations were too high, but still.

Rating 3.5/5