Carla Blumberg, an archaeologist living in Dornsburg, Austria, is an intriguing character in FORTUNA, written by Vera Zegarac. Although Carla is an accomplished professional in her field, she struggles to deal with her conflicted relationship with her mother, Marlene Blumberg. Marlene has always been a cold and critical person, affecting Carla’s perception of her worthiness. Carla’s best friend from childhood, Uma, grew up with loving parents, the Welkers – the parents Carla never had. Unfortunately, Uma and her husband, Claude, now live in Toulouse, France. Although the friendship is strong, most of the communication between Carla and Uma is now by email. When Carla meets and falls in love with Eric Shottel, a handsome, successful bachelor, it seems her fortunes may have improved. The story continues with many complications and unforeseen events, making this novel an engaging read.

There are several interesting characters in this work; each person is skillfully described. While most of the story occurs in the present time, the added feature of including the histories of Carla’s and Eric’s parents creates a greater understanding of their actions. Many settings, including lovely homes in Dornsburg, and an archaeological dig in Ephesus, are beautifully depicted. Author Vera Zegarac writes an engaging tale in the fictional work, FORTUNA. The reason for this title is fully revealed towards the end of the book, and it is an appropriate statement of Carla’s difficult, and rewarding, life. A lovely story, with a delightful ending!

FORTUNA by Vera Zegarac is a romance, but it is so much more. Uma and Carla had been friends from a young age, but their lives could not be more different. Uma's parents were loving and supportive, even when her love life saw her move to France with her husband. Carla, however, fought desperately for just a sliver of approval; she gave up her dreams to stay with her mother. Only once she had gained strength from her therapist she had done something purely for herself,  archaeology, yet her mother had made her disapproval abundantly clear. Carla was desperately lonely, fearing she would never find love as her friend had. But then she met Eric, and everything seemed perfect. Eric's family wanted an heir, and yet fate seemed against them, their torment driving a wedge between them. Some time apart seemed just the thing, and with a dig opportunity in Turkey, Carla found just the way to give them time apart to heal. But will absence make the heart grow fonder, or will out of sight become out of mind?

FORTUNA by Vera Zegarac is a wonderful tale about life. I call it a romance because ultimately it is about finding love, but it is also about Carla finding herself as the book follows her story through a number of years and major life events. This is a great read, a story about Carla trying to break free from the oppression and mindset forced upon her by her upbringing, and finding love and happiness. As with real life, it is messy and things don't always go to plan. I found myself empathizing with Carla, hoping for things to turn in her favor. I loved the turning points in her life, from marriage to strife and finding someone other than her faraway friend Uma to confide in. This could very well be a true life story, and it is packed with emotions. Vera Zegarac has a clear skill for this genre and narrative. From beginning to end, this is an amazing story. I really enjoyed reading this.