A Match in the Making

 

Gwendolyn Brinley has decided to take the summer apart from her position as her cousin's companion, and to spend it with Mrs. Parker in Newport.  What she doesn't plan for is Mrs. Parker breaking her leg and assigning Gwendolyn the role of assistant matchmaker.  When she inadvertently reveals the existence of matchmakers to the "catch of the season," Walter Townsend, she finds herself inundated with requests and conflict as the society set duke it out to make the most advantageous matches. How can she keep herself removed from the tumult while seeking to learn as much as she can about the people involved?

Gwendolyn is yet another of Mr. Turano's unconventional, strong-minded, female characters: insightful, compassionate, and independent.  And, of course, she manages to find an ending that sacrifices none of those elements of her self, but one that enhances and sweetens the person she already is.

Once again, Jen Turano has managed to draw me into her fictional world within the first few pages, to care about her characters, and to be sorry when the story is over.  I can only hope that at some point this series will involve Gideon and Adalaide's story, because I know that one will be just as amusing and satisfying as this one was.

5 stars, and I cannot wait for the next installment in the Matchmakers Series.

You can find A Match in the Making HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

To Disguise the Truth - Jen Turano

 

"Considering she'd once shot the man sitting across from her, Eunice Holbrook was beginning to get the sneaking suspicion her past had finally caught up with her."  And thus, the adventures of Eunice Holbrook, as she's currently known, and Arthur Livingston, the man she shot, begin anew.  Eunice has started a new life for herself in New York, and enjoys running the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, completely separated from her past.  Arthur is on a mission to find the woman he promised to protect, and ensure she is given the land and legacy that is rightfully hers.

I think this is my favorite Turano series so far - I love the quirky, unusual, female characters banded together at the Inquiry Agency.  I love the banter between the main characters.  And I love having a centralized series so that the characters continue to have their stories move forward even when they're not the main character.  I'm really going to miss this group of women, and the men who've managed to be interesting enough to hold their own with them.

My only small issue with this story is how neatly and easily the "mystery" resolves, but it's not meant to be a suspenseful book, it's definitely a romance, and as such, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4 stars, and I loved this whole series!

You can find To Disguise the Truth HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

To Steal a Heart - Jen Turano

 

From christianbook.com:

After a childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she'd put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend's innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend--until he abandoned her.

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he'd be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.   

This story was an interesting combination of class perspectives.  I especially loved Nicholas's contradictory character of trying to fit into society to please his adoptive uncle, while also caring so strongly for those from his former life, and having a heart for those from the life he'd managed to escape.  I liked that while many of the former criminals Nicholas and Gabriella had associated with were reformed and striving for better lives, it wasn't true of all of them.  While some of that was merely to serve as a plot device, it rang true - some people are going to continue to make bad choices and will despise those who find a better way.

I enjoyed the characters and their growth over the book.  I am excited for this series to continue, and hopefully not only get the rest of the boarding house ladies' stories, but continue to revisit the characters we meet in this one.

I give this book 4 stars.  I always enjoy Ms. Turano's humorous stories and characters.

You can find To Steal a Heart HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Storing Up Trouble - Jen Turano

In Storing Up Trouble, the third installment in the American Heiresses series, we get to read about Beatrix Waterbury, one of New York's elite Four Hundred, as she is sent to Chicago to spend time with her Aunt Gladys, known as a wealthy, yet eccentric, woman among Chicago society.  Once she arrives, she is surprised to find that Aunt Gladys is requiring her to take a working position at a well-known department store, and as such, Beatrix keeps her identity as an American grand-heiress under wraps.  Meanwhile, she encounters Norman Nesbit, another odd character within Chicago society, and his female scientific partner and friend, Theodosia, known as Theo.  With danger on their tails, and their eyes opening to the world around them, how can these men and women work together to keep their loved ones safe and to find their calling of a larger purpose?

I loved finally getting Beatrix's story!  And there were so many awesome new side characters to love: eccentric Aunty Gladys, who takes in women to teach them skills and give them friendship; the women themselves, including Blanche who likes to experiment with hair solutions and makeup concoctions; Roberta who creates 7-course dinners, and Mamie who adds fun and quirkiness.  Then there's Norman and Theo, the unusual scientific pair of friends whose lives Beatrix finds entwined with her own.  I loved that these tow, rather than being concerned with gossip and society's opinion that they were odd, instead embrace the freedom that comes from already being seen as non-conforming and use it to their advantage to avoid unnecessary society appearances and concentrate on their scientific research.

However, there was so much more to this book than its engaging characters - there was amazing change and growth within these characters as they allowed their eyes to be opened to the lives of the people around them.  Beatrix, by taking on the position of a low-paid salesgirl, was able to see the conditions under which women were working, and it softened her heart and opened her mind to find ways to improve their lot in life.  Norman, once he looked beyond his science, was transformed into a man who cared for the people in his life and was able to put his considerable intellect to use bettering their lives and working on projects that would benefit those beyond his immediate circle.

Overall, this was a delightfully amusing novel, with just enough eye-opening change to give it weight.  I give this book 4 stars; I have thoroughly enjoyed the American Heiresses series, and I am disappointed to not be able to visit these characters again.

You can find Storing Up Trouble HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE. She is always a delight to read, and I always anticipate her next release!

Diamond in the Rough - Jen Turano

"Any smidgen of hope that her entrance into New York high society would be deemed a rousing success died the moment Miss Poppy Garrison's tiara became firmly attached to the sleeve of her dance partner."

With that opening, we begin the second installment of the American Heiresses series, and find Miss Poppy Garrison in New York City, living with her grandmother, Viola, participating in the Season.  Viola is determined to show Poppy that being accepted into high society is desirable, and while Poppy was perfectly content living on a horse farm in Pennsylvania, she discovers that she doesn't hate it.  However, mayhem and adventure seem to find her no matter how hard she works on her decorum and poise.  Reginald Blackburn, travelling companion to Lord Charles Lonsdale, is charged with teaching Miss Garrison to fit in to this world of heiresses and money, and yet he finds himself admiring her unflappability in the midst of the chaos that follows her. 

"I've always felt that misfits are far more interesting than normal folks."

I love that Poppy has such a firm grasp on who she is, and what is valuable in the people around her.  The people she is drawn to turn into such rich characters and the relationships that develop throughout the book from such inauspicious connections really made this book great for me.  Poppy owns up to her mistakes, but she is never ashamed of who she is or the accidents that befall her.  She loves others and has a tender heart to those she learns are living in wretched conditions. 

"I think you'll eventually discover that you're delightful just the way God made you, my dear."  "You seem to be an original, my dear, so perhaps you won't feel the need to wait so long before you abandon what's expected of you, embracing who you truly are and who God meant you to be, instead of trying to embrace a sense of who others want you to be."

I love that, even with an entirely new set of characters, by using the same setting as a previous series, Ms. Turano is able to sneak in a cameo of a favorite character from past novels and use her to deliver wisdom from the position of experience. 

This book was one of those rare finds where you don't want to put the book down, but you also don't want it to end too soon!  I loved watching Poppy find herself even more fully, and I enjoyed watching her build up those around her as she did.  I always love Ms. Turano's grouping of friends who enjoy being together throughout the mayhem she puts them through, and this cast of characters is among her best.  I can't wait to hear Beatrix Waterbury's story in the third book!

I give this book 5 stars.  Between Diamond in the Rough and Flights of Fancy, American Heiresses is becoming my favorite Turano series!

You can find Diamond in the Rough HERE.
You can find Ms. Turano's site HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review. 

Flights of Fancy - Jen Turano

Isadora Delafield has found herself in a position that many would envy, from the outside.  She has caught the attention of a duke, to the delight of her mother.  However, when she rebuff's the duke's intentions, she inadvertently places herself in danger, and suddenly becomes part of an insane plan to get her out of harm's way.  The plan involves hiding this great American heiress as a servant in an out of the way household in Pennsylvania.  The household in question is that of Ian MacKenzie, an industrial attorney who has worked hard to draw himself out of the poverty and abuse of his childhood.  Having worked his way into the circles of rich investors and industrial owners, his last goal is to marry up to gain entrance into the social circles of Pittsburgh.  However, a strange housekeeper with a distinct lack of housekeeping skills, and growing tension between the laborers and those who profit off of them may have Ian reevaluating his goals in life.

I have long enjoyed Jen Turano's books, but this may be one of my favorites.  The characters are delightful, and their journeys of self-discovery are so well intertwined that even though you know where the story is headed, you can't help but enjoy the road to get there.  As Isadora, Izzy in her new life, opens her eyes to the world she was always told she was above, she finds out parts of herself that she never knew were there - some good, and some to be left behind with her old life.  At one point, she has this realization about herself:
"She'd grown up in the lap of luxury, spoiled by her parents and raised with the expectation that her every whim would be met by people paid to see to her creature comforts.  She'd never once considered that her demands cast her in a less-than-pleasant light, but now, after having that brought to her attention, and rather matter-of-factly at that, she really had no choice but to agree that she, Isadora Delafield, was a demanding woman, which then suggested that she might not be very...likeable."  
To her credit, Izzy takes this revelation and turns those parts of herself around, becoming not just "likeable," but beloved by everyone around her.

 As Ian tries to figure out exactly why he's drawn to this oddly bespectacled house manager of his, "house manager" being a position he didn't realize existed, he also finds that perhaps he has let his new position in society cloud his view of the life he has been so desperate to escape.  With Izzy worming her way under his skin, and his Aunt and Uncle taking in orphans that will need his care, and his discomfort with his side of negotiations in the factory disputes, Ian also realizes he may need to make some changes.

Between Izzy and Ian's life-changing journeys, Aunt Birdie and Uncle Amos, the four Duffy children who come to live with them, and the animals on the farm who have such distinct personalities as to be their own characters in the book (including a cow who likes to come indoors), this book is filled with enjoyable characters and relationships.  There are, of course, several unsavory characters to drive the plot, but as hateful as they are, they provide a sharp contrast to the loving and God-seeking lives of the main characters.

I give this book 5 stars; it was such a delighful read, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series holds!

You can find Flights of Fancy HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
Or connect with her on Facebook HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Caught by Surprise - Jen Turano

In this third installment of the Apart from the Crowd series, Temperance Flowerdew comes front and center.  We learn that she's been kicked out of her distant cousin's, Wayne Flowerdew, house, after having lived there as basically a servant since her parents died.  She has recently decided, however, that she is done being the meek, servantile, poor relation, and is reclaiming her spunk and creative spark, thanks in no small part to the reappearance of her childhood friend, Gilbert Cavendish.  This newfound zest will serve her well as she and Gilbert encounter one strange situation after another.  With the whole city thinking that they are engaged, after being caught in what appeared to be a compromising position, can they salvage their reputations and escape gracefully, or will they even want to?

I adore Jen Turano, and her witty, spunky, clever female characters.  Temperance is just another in a growing list of Ms. Turano's heroines who have made me laugh out loud while following their stories.  Temperance and Gilbert's friendship is so precious; I loved how well they knew each other and looked out for each other.  I was glad to see the previous characters from this series making their appearances as well, both Temperance's friends Gertrude and Permilia, as well as their fiances and Gilbert's friends Harrison and Asher.  I feel like this trio of couples would be highly entertaining to spend an evening with.

Characters aside, however, this installment felt a little over the top for me.  The "twists" in the plot had a bit of a soap opera feel, with zany characters and dramatic turns that didn't fit the rest of the series' tone.  Perhaps if you approach the book expecting comedic drama, you'll be able to enjoy it from that point of view.

I give this book 3 stars, based on my enjoyment of the characters themselves, and leaning heavily on the previous books in the series to give this finale a bit more weight than it might deserve.

You can find Caught by Surprise HERE.
You can find the author's page HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Out of the Ordinary - Jen Turano

Picking up just after Behind the Scenes left off, we rejoin Miss Gertrude Cadwalader, friend of Miss Permilia Griswold, (soon-to-be Mrs. Asher Rutherford), and paid companion to the eccentric Mrs. Davenport.  Once again, Gertrude is tasked with keeping track of her quirky employer and covering up for her when things "mysteriously" go missing.  Only this time, she has caught the vindictive attention of Miss Clementine Flowerdew, distant cousin of the much more pleasant Miss Temperance Flowerdew.  Clementine has set her sights on Mr. Harrison Sinclair, whom Gertrude is just now realizing she has feelings for beyond their blossoming friendship.  When there are accusations and suspicious circumstances flying about, can Gertrude and Harrison sort out the truth of both circumstances and their relationship?

There are few authors I anticipate new releases from more than Ms. Turano, especially once a series has begun.  I was delighted to become reacquainted with Permilia and Gertrude, and get to know Temperance a bit more through this story.  Mrs. Davenport's oddities were finally given reason, and her past combined with Gertrude's own gave their relationship many complexities which both made their relationship work, but also kept it from being what it truly could have been.  It was good to see that well-resolved and on its way to being much healthier.  Harrison and Gertrude were so cute together in their easy friendship, as they began to realize and or hope for the possibility of more.  I loved that they didn't try to change each other, but rather helped the other to see the best in themselves. 

This novel also included a full cast of secondary characters, whom I can only hope we see more of in the future.  Miss Temperance Flowerdew became a much stronger character, but Harrison's sisters were also intriguing and I would love to see more of them!  The Huxley sisters, of course, continue to surprise and delight with their observations and interference into the lives of those around them. As a couple in love, Permilia and Asher were delightfully invested in helping their friends seek out a fufilling relationship for themselves. 

In addition to the colorful characters, the thread of seeking God's forgiveness for both imagined and legitimate guilt lent the book a bit more depth.  Whether it was the need to let go of anger towards a God who seemed distant, or the weight of bad decisions, the group of characters was able to point each other towards a God who loves and forgives, while acknowledging that there are consequences to our choices.

I give this book 4 stars.  I already am looking forward to the next book, and desperately hoping that there will be more than 3 books with this set of characters!

You can find Out of the Ordinary HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Behind the Scenes - Jen Turano

In the free novella, At Your Request, we were introduced to group of young women known as Wallflowers in New York society.  Women who, for one reason or another, have not been taken in by high society, and while they attend the social events, they are not expected to mingle or converse, but rather are banished to their own isolated section.  However, Miss Permilia Griswold has found a way to use her Wallflower status to her advantage, and collects information from unsuspecting society guests to use in her column published under the pseudonym Miss Quill.  While snooping around a wealthy hostess's house, however, she overhears a conversation that puts a gentleman in danger, as well as herself for having heard it.  Now, she must convince Mr. Asher Rutherford that she is telling the truth and keep both him and herself safe.

I love Ms. Turano's books; her characters are so fun and quirky, and unusual for the time periods they're set in.  I love how she develops friendships between groups of women, sometimes in unusual circumstances, such as this one.  Wallflowers are not supposed to have friends at all, and they certainly are not supposed to converse with one another, yet beginning with Wilhelmina in the novella, and continuing with Permilia and Miss Gertrude Cadwalader, as well as a small appearance by Miss Temperance Flowerdew, the author has again created a group of women who are brave and smart, and fun.  I greatly enjoyed Permilia's interactions with Asher, and the snippets of Gertrude's life that will surely prove to be an interesting novel later in the series.  If I had a wish for this book, it would have been to add in Wilhelmina from the novella, and to get to know Temperance a bit more - assuming she'll be the main character later on.

As much as I loved the main characters and their interactions in this book, the overall plot fell a bit short for me this time.  Without giving too much away, the dangerous situation seemed contrived, and overdone, and made the book seem sillier than others by this author.   It was a detraction from the character development for me, and I was left disappointed.  However, I still enjoyed the writing, and I am definitely looking forward to future installments in this series.

I give this book 4 stars, mostly based on the strength of the characters themselves, and the hope for this to be the beginning of a great series.

You can find Behind the Scenes HERE.
The free novella is available HERE or HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
Or, you can connect with her on Facebook HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, Bethany House, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Playing the Part - Jen Turano

Playing the Part is the third installment in the series "A Class of Their Own," where we get a deeper look into the life of Lucetta Plum, the actress friend of Harriet and Millie.  Independent, intelligent, and secretive, Lucetta is not impressed by admirers or gentlemen seeking her hand.  Rather, she keeps a personal bodyguard to fend off unwanted intentions and lives her life on her own terms.  Until a particularly determined admirer attempts to force her hand, and her life takes an unexpected turn - not only leaving her to depend on others, but entwining her in her protectors' own mysterious situation.

I really enjoyed both previous books in this series, In Good Company, and After a Fashion.  I love Jen Turano's witty, bright, and strong heroines.  Unfortunately, I felt that this story fell a little short of the previous two.  Maybe it was because the character of Lucetta Plum doesn't really let herself be known by the people in her life, it also makes her feel aloof to the reader.  Although many of her secrets, as well as Bram's - the leading male character - were eventually revealed, it was more of an exchange of portfolios than a true revelation of character.  Bram, however, was a delightful counterpart to Lucetta, a "collector of misfits," as she describes him.

Perhaps my discontentment with this story is similar to that of how I felt of the conclusion to Ms. Turano's last series - "The Ladies of Distinction" series.  She creates such fabulous relationships between her characters, but then marries them off one by one, book by book, and the final character is left to stand alone in her own story.  The friends make token appearances, and a few of the side characters carry over, but we're introduced to so many brand new characters without the support of the ones we've come to love, that it's missing that extra special something.

Regardless, I still enjoyed this series, and I particularly enjoyed the ending of this book.  I give it 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 - not my favorite of the series, but still a fun read.

You can find Playing the Part HERE.
You can find Jen Turano's site HERE.
You can connect with her on Facebook HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

In Good Company - Jen Turano

Millie Longfellow loves children, and desperately wants to be a good nanny.  However, her methods and propensity for disaster see her dismissed from her positions over and over again.  Having run out of options with her temp agency, she is forced to work for Everett Mulberry and his "brats," as he calls them - children who he's been given guardianship of upon their parents' death.  Having been orphaned herself as a child, Millie has a strong affinity for these children and cares for them despite Everett's fiancee's blatant attempts to discredit Millie and have her dismissed.  Can Millie get Everett to see the children as more than an imposition? Can they find out what actually happened to the children's parents?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, After a Fashion, and Millie was one of my favorite characters from that book.  I love that she carries around a dictionary to improve her vocabulary, and that even her frequent misuse of new terms doesn't deter her from continuing on.  I love her feistiness, and her willingness to stand up for what she thinks is right, for herself, for her charges, and for points of integrity.  I love that she sees the humor in her own penchant for disaster; she even says about herself:
"I don't purposefully become involved with shenanigans, Mrs. Mulberry, but you should know that sometimes they just seem to happen to me."

There is a definite Sound of Music vibe to this book, from the nanny who's been fired over and over, down to making clothes out drapes, so that might not be to everyone's taste, but I happen to love that movie, so it didn't bother me.  Although Harriet and Oliver do not factor into this story, I love that so many characters from the first book are featured again - from Lucetta the actress, to the Reverend who continues to pray over these women and serve as both spiritual counsel and friend.  Even Abigail continues her matchmaking ways and lends an air of kindness and humor to the story.

I give this book 4 stars; I'm a sucker for heroines who make me laugh, and Millie does that well.  I can't wait to read Lucetta's story!

You can find In Good Company HERE.
You can find Jen Turano's website HERE, or you can connect with her on Facebook HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

After a Fashion - Jen Turano

Harriet Peabody is working in a hat shop, dreaming of the day she can run her own business, when her boss sends her on an errand that catapults her into a crazy string of events that she never could have imagined.  Finding herself without a job, and accepting a position as a companion to a man trying to close a business deal, Harriet wonders where the good thing is that she asked God for this year on her birthday?  As she tries to learn to pretend she belongs in this fancy life, she also has to deal with issues from her past that she's tried to leave behind.  Can Harriet find who she really is in the midst of all this pretending?

As with all of Jen Turano's books, this one did not fail to make me laugh.  Harriet is such a well-done character that you can't help but root for her.  She has certainly not lived a perfect life, but she is upfront about where she's been and she has tried to make the best choices she could in the circumstances she's been given.  She works hard, and she's determined to do things the right way.  Her roommates bring additional joviality and depth to the story; Lucetta, the famous actress who dresses for comfort and freedom of thought when not on the stage, and Millie, the sometimes nanny/cookstaff/servant who loves children and is studying the dictionary to improve herself, but with frequently hilarious results.  Their friendship and their loyalty add much to this book, and I'm excited that they will each get their own story.

Another grand success by Jen Turano, a book that makes me laugh, but that also explores whether God hears us when we're stuck in circumstances beyond our control and whether it's worth making the right choices in such a situation.  I give this book 4 stars, and I look forward to the rest of the series!

You can find After a Fashion HERE.
You can find Jen Turano's website HERE, although she states she does most of her interacting on Facebook, where she can be found HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

A Match of Wits - Jen Turano

Agatha Watson has been given a traveling assignment for her newspaper because there are people in New York City who want her dead.  Who does she happen upon in her travels, but Zayne Beckett, the man she has loved from afar who left to marry his fiance 2 years ago.  However, due to injury and disappointment, Zayne is not the man he was when he left.  Agatha, being Agatha, plots and plans to restore Zayne to his family and to the man and friend he was.  Meanwhile, those around Agatha, including Zayne are busy trying to keep her alive.

I have loved this Ladies of Distinction series by Jen Turano:
A Change of Fortune
A Most Peculiar Circumstance
A Talent for Trouble

I have loved the characters, and have enjoyed following them through all of the books and watching their friendships and relationships develop.  Even though I liked A Match of Wits, it didn't grab me quite as much as the rest of the series. I think that what was missing was the relationships between the women that made the first three books so entertaining.  Their interactions, their mischief, and their friendships were what gave the books humor and depth, but for most of this book Agatha was on her own.  Even her strong character was dulled a bit by not having others to involve in her hi-jinks.  Part of it was logical - her friends were married and having babies, and that's a natural progression in their timelines, but it made Agatha seem more lonely.

I still loved this series, and I enjoyed seeing more of Agatha's story.  I still highly recommend this series the whole way through, and I hope that Jen Turano continues to write - either more with these characters, or an entirely new set to love!
I give this book 3.5 stars, but the series as a whole gets 4 stars!

You can find A Match of Wits HERE.
You can find Jen Turano's website HERE.
Or you can interact with her on Facebook, HERE, where she's about to do some more giveaways!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

A Talent for Trouble - by Jen Turano

Felicia Murdock thought she'd been called to marry a minister; until she attends his wedding to someone else.  She then comes to the realization that not only was this man not for her, but she had turned herself into someone else completely while she was trying to capture his heart.  Slowly, she rediscovers who she truly is, and finds that maybe being herself is what she's been meant to be all along.

I love this author, I loved this book, and I love this series.  I love the quirky, spunky, adventurous heroines, and I love the men strong enough to handle them.  I love that the women frequently find themselves in jail for all sorts of ridiculous reasons.  Even while these books are amusing and enjoyable, however, the author embeds truth throughout.  Felicia thought that being a pastor's wife, and turning herself into what she thought that looked like, was the only way to truly serve God and His people.  Yet, as she rediscovers herself as God made her, she finds that there is more than one way to look while serving God, and it doesn't mean what she thought it did.  I loved watching her see others' reactions as she cast off the disguise she'd put on during her infatuation with the pastor.  Even Felicia hadn't realized how much of her true self she had put aside to please others.

I give this book 4 stars.  I really hope the author continues this series, because I am not ready to be done with these characters.

You can find A Talent for Trouble HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
You can find my review of the first book, A Change of Fortune, HERE.
You can find my review of the second Book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from Bethany House, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

A Most Peculiar Circumstance - by Jen Turano

A Most Peculiar Circumstance is a sequel to A Change of Fortune, the second in the Ladies of Distinction series, picking up with the rescue of Hamilton Beckett's wandering, adventurous sister, Arabella Beckett, who has found herself in jail after taking a detour from her speaking engagements to save a stranger's daughter from being sold into prostitution.  Predictably, the people she encounters during the rescue do not take kindly to their merchandise being stolen, nor to being shot by a woman, and so danger continues to follow her home.  Theodore Wilder, the private investigator sent to find Miss Beckett, finds himself in the position of continuing to protect this woman who both intrigues and enrages him.  While Arabella's eyes are being opened to the discord between her privileged, rich, life and the lives of the women she has encountered during her latest escapades, she has to search within herself to see whether she's trying to serve others or serve herself and her own causes.

I was very excited to read this book, since I loved Ms. Turano's first novel, and I wasn't disappointed.  Her characters are strong, deep, and humorous.  I absolutely loved the friendships that developed between Arabella, her sister-in-law Eliza (from Book 1), and Agatha (also from Book 1), and the addition of Theodore's sister Katherine.  They were funny and strong, yet never too independent to seek guidance from God, or to accept help from others.  Arabella was able to promote the cause of women's right to vote, yet  realize that she may have not been altogether altruistic.  She says "I've been so smug in my belief that God specifically chose me to change the lives of women, when in actuality it seems I'm the one whose life needs to change."  And change she does.  I love watching her growth through the book, even through her "peculiar circumstance[s]."

This book was also really well tied to the first novel, with a brief yet effective synopsis delivered via other characters filling in Arabella on what she missed while she was traveling.  I'm especially excited now to read book 3, looking forward to more of this writing style and continuing to enjoy the characters I've already come to love.

I give this book 4 stars.  Ms. Turano is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

You can find the author's website HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from Bethany House Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

A Change of Fortune - by Jen Turano

Lady Eliza Sumner has taken a job as a governess with the Watson family in New York.  Not because she actually is a governess, but because she is trying to track down the man who stole her fortune and besmirched her family's name in England.  So, as plain Miss Eliza Sumners, she tries to conceal her identity and search for the thief inconspicuously.  Once her employer forces her to attend a formal dinner, however, and she finds herself seated next to a Mr. Hamilton Beckett, her carefully laid plans begin to go awry.  Instead of following the trail by herself, she is instead surrounded by new friends eager to assist her.  The money she searches for may even become less important as her new life becomes filled with people she cares about.

This book was just plain fun.  While the plot may not have been terribly original or complicated, the characters in the story were completely endearing.  It wasn't even just Eliza who made the story, but every single character who was involved in her life, from Agatha who became a close friend, to Hamilton and his brother Zayne, to Hamilton's children Piper and Ben, and even the mothers, Mrs. Beckett and Mrs. Watson gave such life and humor to the book that I couldn't put it down.  I loved the friendship between Eliza and Agatha, and how together they couldn't resist the adventure of taking an active part in the investigation.  I also loved how the people around them couldn't help but be taken in by their humor and zest for life, while still working to keep them safe and work with them to recover Eliza's fortune.

I give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.  There wasn't a lot of depth to Eliza's search for God, yet she still came to realize that He was guiding her steps, and had even worked the loss of her fortune to her good.  I recommend this book if you're looking for a light, fun read.

You can find A Change of Fortune HERE.
You can find Jen Turano's website HERE.
I am excited to see that this is the first book in a set of four!  I can't wait to see what other characters and stories come next!
Ms. Turano has a companion novella available on Amazon for FREE right now, called Gentleman of Her Dreams.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.