Susanna Kearsley just keeps getting better and better! In A DESPERATE FORTUNE, she writes not only an exciting historical fiction story, but a contemporary one as well.

Sara Thomas is an amateur codebreaker, at least in her opinion. But the truth is, her ability is absolutely amazing. She can find patterns in codes that no one else can see.

Historian Alistair Scott has need of a codebreaker for the diary of Mary Dundas, a Jacobite exile in France in the 1700s. The first entry in the diary is written in normal script but after that, it is encrypted. The owner of the diary will not let it leave her possession, so Sara has to travel to Chatou, France.

Sara has Asperger's and meeting strangers is very difficult for her, but the people she meets in France are very nice and friendly. Especially Luc Sabran, whom she describes as "beautiful." She settles in and it only takes her a few days to figure out the encryption. Then the excitement begins as she starts transcribing the diary. And Mary's story unfolds.

Mary Dundas is asked to help a fellow Jacobite escape from Paris. She is told that she will be in no danger. They will be accompanied by a bodyguard and another older woman as chaperone. She is to pretend to be his sister because the officials are looking for a man who is traveling alone. However, danger follows on their heels as they flee toward Rome. Mary learns things that she never knew before. She learns that she can be strong and resourceful when in danger and she learns that real love shows itself in deeds, not words.

In the present day, Sara is entranced by Mary's adventures. And she is making some discoveries of her own. She is finding out that she doesn't have to pretend to be something she is not; she can be herself and still find love.

Susanna Kearsley has written stories of two seemingly unlikely love matches. But after getting past the superficial differences, they make perfect sense. I can't decide which storyline appeals to me the most. I find both of them to be tender and sweet. If you like richly detailed historical fiction stories and believable contemporary stories this is the book for you.