Gilded Age

Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano (Review, Guest Post & Giveaway)

November 21, 2017 by Suzie Waltner 5 Comments

About the Book

Name of book: Out of the Ordinary

Author: Jen Turano

Genre: Christian historical

Release Date: November 7, 2017

”With all the charm of a Regency romance, the humor of a drawing room farce, and the swoonworthy delight of a fairy tale, Turano’s first Apart from the Crowd historical absolutely sparkles.”–Publishers Weekly on Behind the Scenes

Working as a paid companion may be quite commonplace, but Miss Gertrude Cadwalader’s eccentric employer makes her job unpredictable, to say the least. She finds herself carrying out an array of highly unusual tasks, including wearing peculiar outfits and returning items the woman pilfered. But when the wealthy Mrs. Sinclair catches Gertrude sneaking around the Sinclair yacht with some of the missing items in her possession, she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair is caught in the middle of a misunderstanding between his mother and Gertrude, but he can’t help coming to his friend’s defense. Even as he hopes their friendship might become something more, Harrison is unprepared for the outlandish escapades that seem to follow the lovely, anything-but-ordinary Gertrude at every turn.

“The second installment of Turano’s Apart from the Crowd series is laugh-out-loud enjoyable. The foibles of the characters, balanced out with a light-hearted yet meaningful love story, is a true treat. . . . All of the threads are tied together in the end, even the small mysteries and side stories. It makes for a very satisfying read when the last page is turned.”–RT Book Reviews

Click here to purchase your copy!

The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck (Review)

July 7, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Wow. That’s what I have to say about Rachel Hauck’s newest book. The Writing Desk is so good.

With a dual timeline, one in the present and the other during the Gilded Age, each heroine approach to life is so different, they’re almost opposite of each other. Elizabeth “Birdie” Shehorn is determined. Despite her parents’ plans for her, she longs to go after her dreams. And Tenley Roth, ridiculous sometimes, hiding from life, doubting her worth and abilities, trying to carve a relationship with the mother who abandoned her, was my favorite of all.

Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano Review

April 3, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Miss Permilia Griswold may have been given the opportunity of a debut into New York high society, but no one warned her she wasn’t guaranteed to “take.” After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, she’s finally putting her status on the fringes of society to good use by penning anonymous society gossip columns under the pseudonym “Miss Quill.”

Mr. Asher Rutherford has managed to maintain his status as a reputable gentleman of society despite opening his own department store. While pretending it’s simply a lark to fill his time, he has quite legitimate reasons for needing to make his store the most successful in the country.
When Permilia overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Rutherford, she’s determined to find and warn the man. Disgruntled at a first meeting that goes quite poorly and results in Asher not believing her, she decides to take matters into her own hands, never realizing she’ll end up at risk as well.

As Asher and Permilia are forced to work together and spend time away from the spotlight of society, perhaps there’s more going on behind the scenes than they ever could have anticipated. . . .

Available 4/4/17 (eBook) and 4/18/17 (print)

Throughout this entire book, I found myself smiling, giggling, and even laughing out loud once or twice. Permilia and Asher play off each other and navigate the perfect comedic dance. From the first pages of Behind the Scenes, I liked Permilia. Snubbed by society but unwilling to let that determine her worth, she finds other occupations to keep her entertained during the many times she’s not asked to dance. While she’s a strong woman, she also has a shy side with most men that is endearing.

The one man she has no problem speaking…her mind…with is Asher Rutherford. A business man with whom her previous interactions would cause her stepmother palpitations if she knew the entire tale. Yet Asher’s attentiveness and kind words cause her to view him in a different light.

As she and Asher try to unravel the murder plot against him, and the threat to her now as well, will spending more time together make them appreciate the other more or will Permilia’s headstrong willfulness and Asher’s stodgy opinions tear their budding relationship apart?

The first full-length book in the Apart from the Crowd series, Behind the Scenes delivers Turano’s spot on humor, a peek inside high society during the gilded age, and the fashions of the time. A truly delightful read.

My Rating:

Disclosure statement:

I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

If you love this book, check out others by Jen Turano: After a Fashion, In Good Company, Playing the Part

The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall

March 14, 2015 by Suzie Waltner 1 Comment

For me, there are a couple of definite signs that a book is going to go on a favorites list. First, I want to know what happens to those characters after the book ends. Second, I immediately go back into the book and re-read parts of it. I found myself going back over many scenes in The Hesitant Heiress, the first book in The Everstone Chronicles by Dawn Crandall. And then there’s the little matter of not wanting to put the book down but you have to because you’ve got to work. Or sleep. Or care for you family. This new-to-me author blew me away with her first book and I cannot wait to read the other two she’s written thus far. Crandall immerses her readers in high society in the late 1800s and entertains from the opening page.

Amaryllis Brigham is forced to leave the Boston Conservatory of Music and move in with her aunt. When she learns that she is the sole heir of her grandmother’s will (a grandmother who she had never met), she is met with a stipulations she knows she can’t meet. She must marry within one year after finishing school. The problem is that Amaryllis never plans to marry. Her dream is to start a music school in her beloved state of Washington. Enter Nathan Everstone. A man who is intent on making Amaryllis uncomfortable and uneasy. A man whose father hates her. A man who she is inexplicably attracted to but cannot become involved with.

As Nathan works to gain Amaryllis’s trust, she meets others in Boston society, some friends and some enemies. When she learns the truth of who caused her expulsion from school, all of her prejudices against the Everstone family are called into question. Could she be wrong about them? And if she’s wrong about them, is a future with Nathan a possibility?

I am usually partial to romances written in third person because it gives me as a reader perspective into both the male and female main character’s heads and hearts. Crandall does such an amazing job of telling a story from only the female character’s point of view in first person, I didn’t miss the other perspective. In fact, it made the story more intriguing. As a reader, I couldn’t help but sympathize and even empathize with Amaryllis as she tries to find herself in a society she doesn’t want to be a part of. The interactions between Amaryllis and Nathan are sometimes humorous, sometimes touching, and always has that bit of tension between the two that makes you want to shake them and yell, “Just say it already!” The story moves along at a fast pace and introduces a few characters that will be prominent in future books. (The Hesitant Heiress and The Bound Heart are available now and The Captive Imposter will be available April 1).

To learn more about Dawn Crandall and her books, visit her website.