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A Class of Their Own #1
After a Fashion
Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself without an income.
Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiancée causing the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.
Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, with its fancy dinners and elegant balls, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.
Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiancée causing the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.
Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, with its fancy dinners and elegant balls, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.
346 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2015
354 people are currently reading
4047 people want to read
About the author
Jen Turano
29 books2,023 followersNamed One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com - https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoaut... , https://www.instagram.com/jenturanoau... or on Twitter at JenTurano@JenTurano.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 647 reviews
March 1, 2015
WARNING: Reading After a Fashion may cause the following side effects:
-sleepless nights
-depression (you will never be as witty as Jen Turano...face it.)
-random bursts of emotion
-belly-aching laughter
-fangirling (with side effects of it's own due to squealing, obsessing over fictional characters, etc.)
-frequent use of large words- whether you know their meaning or not
-sudden urges to jump out of moving carriages or join a circus
-a dazed look that may alarm your acquaintances (but not your friends- they'll simply demand to know what book you've just finished, and your closest will probably ask to borrow it.)
-a desire to give your pets names like Peabody and Oliver
-aggression towards some rather nasty and slimy villains
-perhaps not-so-unrealistic expectations about riding into the sunset with your happily-ever-after
-a compelling desire to hibernate and be unsocial until side effects wear off (be further warned that afore-mentioned side effects do not wear off quickly.)
-an excessive happiness and satisfaction ...until you discover that there is more to come in the not so distant future, whereupon discovering this you will not rest easy until you've secured those as well.
Take with tea and an open- or flexible- schedule.
After a Fashion will hold you spellbound with it's vivid setting and colorful cast of characters. A must read for all historical fiction readers who love to (or need to) laugh! Jen's novels always take precedence on my to-read pile, and they never disappoint with their incredible wit and totally unexpected plot twists. You can't miss out on this wild ride through New York city- from the slums to Delmonico's!
-sleepless nights
-depression (you will never be as witty as Jen Turano...face it.)
-random bursts of emotion
-belly-aching laughter
-fangirling (with side effects of it's own due to squealing, obsessing over fictional characters, etc.)
-frequent use of large words- whether you know their meaning or not
-sudden urges to jump out of moving carriages or join a circus
-a dazed look that may alarm your acquaintances (but not your friends- they'll simply demand to know what book you've just finished, and your closest will probably ask to borrow it.)
-a desire to give your pets names like Peabody and Oliver
-aggression towards some rather nasty and slimy villains
-perhaps not-so-unrealistic expectations about riding into the sunset with your happily-ever-after
-a compelling desire to hibernate and be unsocial until side effects wear off (be further warned that afore-mentioned side effects do not wear off quickly.)
-an excessive happiness and satisfaction ...until you discover that there is more to come in the not so distant future, whereupon discovering this you will not rest easy until you've secured those as well.
Take with tea and an open- or flexible- schedule.
After a Fashion will hold you spellbound with it's vivid setting and colorful cast of characters. A must read for all historical fiction readers who love to (or need to) laugh! Jen's novels always take precedence on my to-read pile, and they never disappoint with their incredible wit and totally unexpected plot twists. You can't miss out on this wild ride through New York city- from the slums to Delmonico's!
March 15, 2025
4.25 stars (reread), personally. ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Historical
About this book:
“Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself out of an income.
Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiance cause the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.
Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship, fancy dinners, and elegant balls, a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.”
Series: Book #1 in the “A Class of Their Own” series. Review of Book #2 Here! and Book #3 Here!
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; After meeting a reverend when she was sixteen, God became a daily part of Harriet’s life; Harriet has prayed for the last six birthdays for God to “send her something wonderful” (one time it was unexpected money for rent, another was stable employment) and prays this birthday for “something of His choosing, something she would find wonderful”; Harriet feels like God had forgotten her and her birthday request after the day doesn’t go as planned; At one point, Harriet feels as if God is punishing her for a lie, but later realizes He is not; Harriet’s aunt waves off her comments about “[her] God”; A reverend tells Oliver that he should live his life in a “manner that makes you happy, or more importantly, a manner in which you believe will please God.”; Oliver thinks that he has never “embraced God fully”, but notices Harriet’s faith; *Spoiler* ; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going, & ministers; A few mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A couple mentions of a missionary; A mention of a church choir;
*Note: The phrase “Good Heavens” is said twenty times; A man says he finds the idea of Oliver entertaining a reverend in his home “rather disturbing, but…to each his own”; A mention of a dog being under someone’s spell.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’, a ‘stupid’, and three forms of ‘idiot’; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Being abducted, Being attacked, Being held at gun-point, Pain, Injuries, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); A fire & smoke (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Harriet is uncomfortable with lying to others about her (fake) relationship with Oliver (but Oliver disagree with it being a lie as he is hiring her to act); Harriet has a sip of wine at a dinner and wishes she didn’t because of the taste (barely-above-not-detailed); Oliver and his friend have drinks at a men’s club, but it’s not specifically said if it is alcohol or not; A woman hits a dog with a hatbox (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a stolen baby, a dead infant, & grief; Mentions of deaths & a man leaving his children to their godparent after his and his wife’s deaths; Mentions of men being trapped in a mine & injuries; Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of thieves, stealing, stolen items (and a cat that was stolen), ransoms, con-artists, scams, arrests, & jails; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of alcohol & drinking; Mentions of cigars & smoking; Mentions of the possibility of a big dog eating small dogs or cats (a concern, but does not happen); Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of a riot; A few mentions of gambling & gamblers; A few mentions of the possibility of a pet dog dying; A few mentions of a dog being shot (but being okay); A couple mentions of an almost drowning; A couple mentions of fires; A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A mention of a squish substance in the street;
*Note: Harriet’s aunt dislike of having to raise her turned into hatred (Harriet recalls being slapped by her aunt & also her aunt somehow making someone unconscious and telling her not to look); Harriet’s aunt wants her to join the “family business” and become a con-artist with her; A man makes prejudice comments towards a working group; Negative comments about children (Oliver’s friend Everett is responsible for three children after the death of their father and calls them “brats” often because of their misbehaving (and later says he was plagued with the children); A man comments that another man should have been happy to not have to deal with his children); A few mentions of a mother dying in childbirth; A mention of a woman wishing another woman was unable to conceive another child.
Sexual Content- A fingers-to-lips touch, four hand kisses, an almost kiss (barely-above-not-detailed), and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Staring at lips (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Touches, Embracing, Dancing, Hand holding, Tingles/Shivers, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing & Staring (including Oliver noticing Harriet’s figure, up to semi-detailed); Harriet also has weak knees around Oliver; *Spoilers* (*Major Spoilers* ; A man plans to have Lucetta (Harriet’s friend and roommate) as his mistress and tells Oliver not to tell his wife because while he doesn’t think she would care about him being with a “few light-skirts”, her father is a pious man and would lecture him about it; That same man comments about going to a brothel because of the “new girls” there (he invites Oliver and then calls him “prudish” when Oliver says that brothels don’t interest him); A young lady knocks Oliver to the floor and tries to kiss him; A mother said she would consider marrying a certain man if she was younger and not married; Mentions of mistresses (including the prior comments and Harriet being concerned that others will think she’s Oliver’s mistress); Mentions of a brothel & former women of ill-repute; Mentions of chaperones & reputations; Mentions of a young lady looking at Oliver as if “he were a tasty treat” & knocking him to the floor to kiss him; Mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of couples sharing beds when married (comments about waking up next to someone and staying warm at night); Love, attraction, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Harriet wears a dress that shows off her bosom (due to squeezing her waist in it and it attracts some men at a ball, which Oliver notices and wishes to cover her “charms” with his handkerchief or coat, barely-above-not-detailed); Harriet notes her slender figure which was “brought on by a distinct lack of food on a regular basis”; Harriet tells her employer that she’s not comfortable delivering anything of a “shady nature” (which makes the woman laugh and say it’s not); Lucetta asks what Harriet will be doing to earn money from Oliver and she responds “not what you’re obviously thinking”; A woman is seen out of the house in just her unmentionables (said that she is “nearly naked” and having a lot of skin exposed); Mentions of unmentionables.
-Harriet Peabody, age 22
-Oliver Addleshaw, age 31
P.O.V. switches between them (Epilogue in Reverend Gilmore’s POV)
Set in 1882
346 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One stars
New Teens- Two stars
Early High School Teens- Three stars
Older High School Teens- Four stars
My personal Rating- Four stars
2015 thoughts:
This was such a cute book! I’ve been looking forward to Jen Turano’s next book ever since finishing “A Match of Wits” back in July! Like the first book in the author’s debut series, I laughed many, many times! The only thing I wish there was more Spiritual content in “After a Fashion”, but I will continue with this series as the next books come out! (And hopefully there’ll be more Spiritual content!) :)
2025 reread:
After a trying day, I decided I wanted to reread a book that would make me laugh and give some joy—which is exactly what this delightful book did! I couldn’t remember much of what happened, so it was almost like reading it for the first time!
I do remember laughing so hard when I first read this book ten years ago, but it made me laugh again and again during this rereading! Harriet and Oliver’s banter and wit, but also with Harriet’s friend group with Millie and Lucetta. Reading it on Kindle this time, I easily highlighted over a hundred parts with all of those scenes and comments—which I will definitely be tabbing my physical copy as well. I’m looking forward to continuing with a reread of the rest of this trilogy soon!
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House) for this review.
About this book:
“Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself out of an income.
Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiance cause the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.
Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship, fancy dinners, and elegant balls, a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.”
Series: Book #1 in the “A Class of Their Own” series. Review of Book #2 Here! and Book #3 Here!
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; After meeting a reverend when she was sixteen, God became a daily part of Harriet’s life; Harriet has prayed for the last six birthdays for God to “send her something wonderful” (one time it was unexpected money for rent, another was stable employment) and prays this birthday for “something of His choosing, something she would find wonderful”; Harriet feels like God had forgotten her and her birthday request after the day doesn’t go as planned; At one point, Harriet feels as if God is punishing her for a lie, but later realizes He is not; Harriet’s aunt waves off her comments about “[her] God”; A reverend tells Oliver that he should live his life in a “manner that makes you happy, or more importantly, a manner in which you believe will please God.”; Oliver thinks that he has never “embraced God fully”, but notices Harriet’s faith; *Spoiler* ; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going, & ministers; A few mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A couple mentions of a missionary; A mention of a church choir;
*Note: The phrase “Good Heavens” is said twenty times; A man says he finds the idea of Oliver entertaining a reverend in his home “rather disturbing, but…to each his own”; A mention of a dog being under someone’s spell.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’, a ‘stupid’, and three forms of ‘idiot’; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Being abducted, Being attacked, Being held at gun-point, Pain, Injuries, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); A fire & smoke (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Harriet is uncomfortable with lying to others about her (fake) relationship with Oliver (but Oliver disagree with it being a lie as he is hiring her to act); Harriet has a sip of wine at a dinner and wishes she didn’t because of the taste (barely-above-not-detailed); Oliver and his friend have drinks at a men’s club, but it’s not specifically said if it is alcohol or not; A woman hits a dog with a hatbox (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a stolen baby, a dead infant, & grief; Mentions of deaths & a man leaving his children to their godparent after his and his wife’s deaths; Mentions of men being trapped in a mine & injuries; Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of thieves, stealing, stolen items (and a cat that was stolen), ransoms, con-artists, scams, arrests, & jails; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of alcohol & drinking; Mentions of cigars & smoking; Mentions of the possibility of a big dog eating small dogs or cats (a concern, but does not happen); Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of a riot; A few mentions of gambling & gamblers; A few mentions of the possibility of a pet dog dying; A few mentions of a dog being shot (but being okay); A couple mentions of an almost drowning; A couple mentions of fires; A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A mention of a squish substance in the street;
*Note: Harriet’s aunt dislike of having to raise her turned into hatred (Harriet recalls being slapped by her aunt & also her aunt somehow making someone unconscious and telling her not to look); Harriet’s aunt wants her to join the “family business” and become a con-artist with her; A man makes prejudice comments towards a working group; Negative comments about children (Oliver’s friend Everett is responsible for three children after the death of their father and calls them “brats” often because of their misbehaving (and later says he was plagued with the children); A man comments that another man should have been happy to not have to deal with his children); A few mentions of a mother dying in childbirth; A mention of a woman wishing another woman was unable to conceive another child.
Sexual Content- A fingers-to-lips touch, four hand kisses, an almost kiss (barely-above-not-detailed), and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Staring at lips (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Touches, Embracing, Dancing, Hand holding, Tingles/Shivers, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing & Staring (including Oliver noticing Harriet’s figure, up to semi-detailed); Harriet also has weak knees around Oliver; *Spoilers* (*Major Spoilers* ; A man plans to have Lucetta (Harriet’s friend and roommate) as his mistress and tells Oliver not to tell his wife because while he doesn’t think she would care about him being with a “few light-skirts”, her father is a pious man and would lecture him about it; That same man comments about going to a brothel because of the “new girls” there (he invites Oliver and then calls him “prudish” when Oliver says that brothels don’t interest him); A young lady knocks Oliver to the floor and tries to kiss him; A mother said she would consider marrying a certain man if she was younger and not married; Mentions of mistresses (including the prior comments and Harriet being concerned that others will think she’s Oliver’s mistress); Mentions of a brothel & former women of ill-repute; Mentions of chaperones & reputations; Mentions of a young lady looking at Oliver as if “he were a tasty treat” & knocking him to the floor to kiss him; Mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of couples sharing beds when married (comments about waking up next to someone and staying warm at night); Love, attraction, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Harriet wears a dress that shows off her bosom (due to squeezing her waist in it and it attracts some men at a ball, which Oliver notices and wishes to cover her “charms” with his handkerchief or coat, barely-above-not-detailed); Harriet notes her slender figure which was “brought on by a distinct lack of food on a regular basis”; Harriet tells her employer that she’s not comfortable delivering anything of a “shady nature” (which makes the woman laugh and say it’s not); Lucetta asks what Harriet will be doing to earn money from Oliver and she responds “not what you’re obviously thinking”; A woman is seen out of the house in just her unmentionables (said that she is “nearly naked” and having a lot of skin exposed); Mentions of unmentionables.
-Harriet Peabody, age 22
-Oliver Addleshaw, age 31
P.O.V. switches between them (Epilogue in Reverend Gilmore’s POV)
Set in 1882
346 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One stars
New Teens- Two stars
Early High School Teens- Three stars
Older High School Teens- Four stars
My personal Rating- Four stars
2015 thoughts:
This was such a cute book! I’ve been looking forward to Jen Turano’s next book ever since finishing “A Match of Wits” back in July! Like the first book in the author’s debut series, I laughed many, many times! The only thing I wish there was more Spiritual content in “After a Fashion”, but I will continue with this series as the next books come out! (And hopefully there’ll be more Spiritual content!) :)
2025 reread:
After a trying day, I decided I wanted to reread a book that would make me laugh and give some joy—which is exactly what this delightful book did! I couldn’t remember much of what happened, so it was almost like reading it for the first time!
I do remember laughing so hard when I first read this book ten years ago, but it made me laugh again and again during this rereading! Harriet and Oliver’s banter and wit, but also with Harriet’s friend group with Millie and Lucetta. Reading it on Kindle this time, I easily highlighted over a hundred parts with all of those scenes and comments—which I will definitely be tabbing my physical copy as well. I’m looking forward to continuing with a reread of the rest of this trilogy soon!
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House) for this review.
October 13, 2015
4.5
If you're in the mood for a good romantic comedy, this will be sure to fit the ticket. It's hilarious and witty and a good romp of a tale. Not the most believable story, but the colorful characters pull it off with a flair all their own. I did pretty much guess the ending, but I enjoyed it plenty all the same.
If you're in the mood for a good romantic comedy, this will be sure to fit the ticket. It's hilarious and witty and a good romp of a tale. Not the most believable story, but the colorful characters pull it off with a flair all their own. I did pretty much guess the ending, but I enjoyed it plenty all the same.
April 9, 2016
Humor is a funny thing. Some people lack the ability to see the comical situations in life, while others easily laugh at all the trials and unfortunate situations they experience. Jen Turano understands humor. This book made me laugh throughout the entire story. It may not be adored or cherished by all readers, but I highly recommend it to all of you who enjoy romantic comedy & those who have a need to simply lighten up a little. It should come with reading instructions, "To chuckle, snort and or giggle, simply read a few pages each day."
After a Fashion, is full of vivid, colorful characters that will make you dread turning the last page. This was an absolute treat for me and I cant wait to read Millie's and Lucetta's stories.
After a Fashion, is full of vivid, colorful characters that will make you dread turning the last page. This was an absolute treat for me and I cant wait to read Millie's and Lucetta's stories.
March 30, 2015
I will preface this review with stating I only got half way through the book before I stopped. If you are a true historical fiction fan and not reading this book because it is a "Christian" historical fiction, stay away. You will find yourself asking, "Did the author bother doing any research about the time period, or does she just not care about historical accuracy?". There were definitely parts of the book that observed common ignorant assumptions of the time and the people. I don't' know much bout this particular genre's fan base, but I have to believe based on the "rave reviews" from said fans, she did a good job writing to her audience, thus leaving a bad taste of Christian Historical Fiction in my mouth. I will admit, there were some funny parts in what I read, but unfortunately is is sandwiched between cheesey "I want to throw this book against the wall" parts.
I wish I could take the hours I spent reading half of this book back, and hope this review saves the time of those who appreciate historical accuracy in all parts in the books they read
I wish I could take the hours I spent reading half of this book back, and hope this review saves the time of those who appreciate historical accuracy in all parts in the books they read
May 24, 2018
This book summed up in two words: Plain Ridiculous.
I'm either grouchy, or just in the wrong mood, or Turano's books just don't work for me anymore, or -or...something because I was sure I would love this book and started it with the full expectation of falling madly in love with it.
After all, I read and thoroughly enjoyed all four books of the Ladies of Distinction series, and this one wasn't THAT different in tones and writing, but somehow it crossed the thin line Turano often walks between Plainly Diverting and Plainly Ridiculous. One certainly does not read her books for historical accuracy, and suspension of disbelief is an absolute must when reading her, but I thought that After a Fashion simply carried things too far.
What Exasperated Me Beyond Belief :
* So the historical accuracy thing. This book is set in New York in 1882. Now, I know, this is Jen Turano; people talk with no filter, ladies dress up as men and walk into brothels, end up in jail, carry pistols like parasols, wear big hats with dangling birds, set fire to the tables at the restaurant, and always try to look inconspicuous with outrageous disguises. Her books aim to be diverting, not accurate, I get that. And to some extent, I can appreciate it, when well done.
The problem in After a Fashion was that the historical inaccuracies were not just matters of improbable situations, but more so matters of incorrect principles and ways of thinking.
- As a supremely wealthy, highly eligible darling of New York high society, there is absolutely no way that Mr. Oliver Addleshaw would randomly ask a hat girl to pose as his companion (gentlemen do not have companions) with the purpose to parade her about town and gain favour with a duke, with whom Oliver hopes to conclude a business deal. Everyone agrees that the plan is mad, but it's just not something that would have been thought of at all in 1882.
- Moreover, when pressed by his best friend to see reason, Oliver declares that no one, no one, could possibly think that by continuously appearing in public on the arm of Miss-Hat-Girl, he'd have any romantic interest in her. This is 1882 after all, not the Dark Ages! Of course going about everywhere with the same woman will not arouse gossip and suspicion, OF COURSE NOT, WHY THIS IS NOT THE VICTORIAN ERA OR ANYTHING, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!
- The mingling of the various social classes simply did not work in this book, not at all. I don't remember any problems with that in the previous books, but I think it's because all of the heroes and heroines were of the same social classes. But here, I can't even begin to list all that doesn't work. Suspension of disbelief HIGHLY, HIGHLY INDISPENSABLE.
- Mrs. Hart, one of the wealthiest, most influential matrons of high society, would not decide to take three working, nearly homeless young ladies under her wing and her roof on a whim. And she would not ask them to call her by her given name immediately.
-Neither would Oliver's grandfather - who waltzes in out of the blue, and proves to be another extremely-wealthy-and-influential-member-of-the-elite-who-does-not-care-that-his-grandson-has-allied-himself-with-a-working-girl-and-asks-said-working-girl-to-call-him-by-his-Christian-name. IT DOESN'T WORK, KAY!
So, in other words, until Oliver and Harriet actually enter into a fake engagement, the premise of this story does not work, and I felt like I was wasting my time.
* Oliver and Harriet, for the most part of this book, are absolutely insupportable whenever they have a scene together - which surprisingly, isn't all that often, considering how quickly they fall in love. Oliver, frankly, just didn't appeal to me all that much. He didn't have that something special that really made me root for him as a hero. He was a little bland, to be honest.
Harriet was just constantly running away from Oliver; jumping from carriages, dashing down alleyways, running into clothing stores, hiding under tables, the list goes on. I liked her as a person, but whenever she was around Oliver she seemed to lose all her brain cells save the ones who had command of her legs (because she was always running away).
*THE FIRST SCENE WITH MISS BIRMINGHAM AND THE DOG??!?!?!!?!? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??!?!?! I honestly considered DNFing this book right then and there. I found absolutely nothing humourous in that completely, COMPLETELY impossibly impossible, supremely irritating scene.
*Which brings me to the general humour of this book. I've read several reviews that mention how funny this book is. Having read other works by Turano, I know how witty she can be, and how hilarious some of her scenes are. In After a Fashion however, while the dialogue is mostly good, most situations were too stupid and improbable to be funny, and too litered with annoying characters to be diverting. I rolled my eyes 90% of the time, and only chuckled for the remaining 10%. Not good.
*I'm also not a dog person, and there was too much dog for me. Buford did not amuse me in the least, and I just found him very superfluous in the book.
*Oliver, for a gentleman constantly described as "fit", "muscled", "well-formed", with a "trim waist" - was remarkably out of shape. What, pray tell, does he do to exercise and keep those muscles well muscled, if he's always sitting down doing business work, and running after Harriet in the street and carrying a dog up the stairs cause him to break into a sweat as though he'd just ran a marathon? Every time he did anything remotely physical, he was out of breath remarkably quickly. Mmmm.
*HOW would he not notice if his jacket is SO ill-fitted that it's missing all its buttons but one?! And if he's usually immaculately dressed in super well-fitting suits, how does he not notice his tailor plays a trick on him and lets him go with a horribly fitting jacket? I believe this was trying to be funny, but it just didn't make sense.
*Harriet, for a lady supposedly endowed with a keen sense of fashion, has absolutely no idea what's up, and is always wearing outdated (albeit original) gowns.
*The main villain of this story really, REALLY lacked motivation and her background story was not convincing IN THE SLIGHTEST. This author is capable of much better.
*The book is literally littered with annoying characters. Like, there is an absolute plethora of them. #why
So yes, anyways, as you can see I had a few problems with this book. I really wanted to love it and I tried my best to just ignore all the pesky little details that bothered me and just have fun with it, but it was just a tad too much. HOWEVER. There WERE many little things about this book that I did enjoy.
What Saved This Book From Earning a 1-Star Rating and An Even More Scathing Review :
*THE MAJOR TWIST AT THE END. ASHJFKAHSJKDJKA I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR ALL THE ADORBS. I just absolutely did NOT see it coming (and it’s not even that surprising or out there or anything, I just wasn’t thinking), but it was so perfect and it made me so happy!!
*I love the fairytale aspect of the story. Poor hat girl gets embroiled with rich businessman…happily-ever-afters and knights on white horses and flowers and sunsets. YAS.
*I really did like Millie and Lucetta, and since the next two books in this series will be about them, well, there is hope.
*I loved that Harriet was a milliner and wanted to open a dress shop (and I loved her idea for a retractable bustle!), but I wanted more fashion details.
*The dialogue, I must say, is pretty good. Witty and funny as always, and Millie was absolutely priceless with her big words and her dictionary.
So it wasn’t ALL bad, I did enjoy myself a little, and although it’s one of those stories that won’t really stay with me, it was still a fun ride and the ending really delighted me and made up for the first 90% of mixed feelings and too much eye-rolling. 😉 I am looking forward to In Good Company, but I really hope it’ll be a bit less ridiculous and hopefully I’ll be in the right mood for it when I pick it up.
I'm either grouchy, or just in the wrong mood, or Turano's books just don't work for me anymore, or -or...something because I was sure I would love this book and started it with the full expectation of falling madly in love with it.
After all, I read and thoroughly enjoyed all four books of the Ladies of Distinction series, and this one wasn't THAT different in tones and writing, but somehow it crossed the thin line Turano often walks between Plainly Diverting and Plainly Ridiculous. One certainly does not read her books for historical accuracy, and suspension of disbelief is an absolute must when reading her, but I thought that After a Fashion simply carried things too far.
What Exasperated Me Beyond Belief :
* So the historical accuracy thing. This book is set in New York in 1882. Now, I know, this is Jen Turano; people talk with no filter, ladies dress up as men and walk into brothels, end up in jail, carry pistols like parasols, wear big hats with dangling birds, set fire to the tables at the restaurant, and always try to look inconspicuous with outrageous disguises. Her books aim to be diverting, not accurate, I get that. And to some extent, I can appreciate it, when well done.
The problem in After a Fashion was that the historical inaccuracies were not just matters of improbable situations, but more so matters of incorrect principles and ways of thinking.
- As a supremely wealthy, highly eligible darling of New York high society, there is absolutely no way that Mr. Oliver Addleshaw would randomly ask a hat girl to pose as his companion (gentlemen do not have companions) with the purpose to parade her about town and gain favour with a duke, with whom Oliver hopes to conclude a business deal. Everyone agrees that the plan is mad, but it's just not something that would have been thought of at all in 1882.
- Moreover, when pressed by his best friend to see reason, Oliver declares that no one, no one, could possibly think that by continuously appearing in public on the arm of Miss-Hat-Girl, he'd have any romantic interest in her. This is 1882 after all, not the Dark Ages! Of course going about everywhere with the same woman will not arouse gossip and suspicion, OF COURSE NOT, WHY THIS IS NOT THE VICTORIAN ERA OR ANYTHING, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!
- The mingling of the various social classes simply did not work in this book, not at all. I don't remember any problems with that in the previous books, but I think it's because all of the heroes and heroines were of the same social classes. But here, I can't even begin to list all that doesn't work. Suspension of disbelief HIGHLY, HIGHLY INDISPENSABLE.
- Mrs. Hart, one of the wealthiest, most influential matrons of high society, would not decide to take three working, nearly homeless young ladies under her wing and her roof on a whim. And she would not ask them to call her by her given name immediately.
-Neither would Oliver's grandfather - who waltzes in out of the blue, and proves to be another extremely-wealthy-and-influential-member-of-the-elite-who-does-not-care-that-his-grandson-has-allied-himself-with-a-working-girl-and-asks-said-working-girl-to-call-him-by-his-Christian-name. IT DOESN'T WORK, KAY!
So, in other words, until Oliver and Harriet actually enter into a fake engagement, the premise of this story does not work, and I felt like I was wasting my time.
* Oliver and Harriet, for the most part of this book, are absolutely insupportable whenever they have a scene together - which surprisingly, isn't all that often, considering how quickly they fall in love. Oliver, frankly, just didn't appeal to me all that much. He didn't have that something special that really made me root for him as a hero. He was a little bland, to be honest.
Harriet was just constantly running away from Oliver; jumping from carriages, dashing down alleyways, running into clothing stores, hiding under tables, the list goes on. I liked her as a person, but whenever she was around Oliver she seemed to lose all her brain cells save the ones who had command of her legs (because she was always running away).
*THE FIRST SCENE WITH MISS BIRMINGHAM AND THE DOG??!?!?!!?!? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??!?!?! I honestly considered DNFing this book right then and there. I found absolutely nothing humourous in that completely, COMPLETELY impossibly impossible, supremely irritating scene.
*Which brings me to the general humour of this book. I've read several reviews that mention how funny this book is. Having read other works by Turano, I know how witty she can be, and how hilarious some of her scenes are. In After a Fashion however, while the dialogue is mostly good, most situations were too stupid and improbable to be funny, and too litered with annoying characters to be diverting. I rolled my eyes 90% of the time, and only chuckled for the remaining 10%. Not good.
*I'm also not a dog person, and there was too much dog for me. Buford did not amuse me in the least, and I just found him very superfluous in the book.
*Oliver, for a gentleman constantly described as "fit", "muscled", "well-formed", with a "trim waist" - was remarkably out of shape. What, pray tell, does he do to exercise and keep those muscles well muscled, if he's always sitting down doing business work, and running after Harriet in the street and carrying a dog up the stairs cause him to break into a sweat as though he'd just ran a marathon? Every time he did anything remotely physical, he was out of breath remarkably quickly. Mmmm.
*HOW would he not notice if his jacket is SO ill-fitted that it's missing all its buttons but one?! And if he's usually immaculately dressed in super well-fitting suits, how does he not notice his tailor plays a trick on him and lets him go with a horribly fitting jacket? I believe this was trying to be funny, but it just didn't make sense.
*Harriet, for a lady supposedly endowed with a keen sense of fashion, has absolutely no idea what's up, and is always wearing outdated (albeit original) gowns.
*The main villain of this story really, REALLY lacked motivation and her background story was not convincing IN THE SLIGHTEST. This author is capable of much better.
*The book is literally littered with annoying characters. Like, there is an absolute plethora of them. #why
So yes, anyways, as you can see I had a few problems with this book. I really wanted to love it and I tried my best to just ignore all the pesky little details that bothered me and just have fun with it, but it was just a tad too much. HOWEVER. There WERE many little things about this book that I did enjoy.
What Saved This Book From Earning a 1-Star Rating and An Even More Scathing Review :
*THE MAJOR TWIST AT THE END. ASHJFKAHSJKDJKA I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR ALL THE ADORBS. I just absolutely did NOT see it coming (and it’s not even that surprising or out there or anything, I just wasn’t thinking), but it was so perfect and it made me so happy!!
*I love the fairytale aspect of the story. Poor hat girl gets embroiled with rich businessman…happily-ever-afters and knights on white horses and flowers and sunsets. YAS.
*I really did like Millie and Lucetta, and since the next two books in this series will be about them, well, there is hope.
*I loved that Harriet was a milliner and wanted to open a dress shop (and I loved her idea for a retractable bustle!), but I wanted more fashion details.
*The dialogue, I must say, is pretty good. Witty and funny as always, and Millie was absolutely priceless with her big words and her dictionary.
So it wasn’t ALL bad, I did enjoy myself a little, and although it’s one of those stories that won’t really stay with me, it was still a fun ride and the ending really delighted me and made up for the first 90% of mixed feelings and too much eye-rolling. 😉 I am looking forward to In Good Company, but I really hope it’ll be a bit less ridiculous and hopefully I’ll be in the right mood for it when I pick it up.
August 12, 2015
Another terrific book from Jen Turano!! I can't wait to read the rest of this series! :)
July 24, 2015
Guys, I’ll be honest, this is probably the best book I’ve read this year. I absolutely LOVE Jen Turano’s writing. She has the delightful habit of dropping her well-developed characters into deliciously ridiculous situations and we readers get to watch them figure out how to deal with it in their own quirky, unique ways. What fun!
Ms. Turano has a way of making historical fiction fun, exciting, and hilarious. I lost count of all the times I burst into giggles while reading. It’s just that good, y’all.
The characters are wonderful. Both the hero, Oliver, and the heroine' Harriet, were deep, unique, and flawed while being extremely likable. Their budding romance was completely swoon-worthy. I also fell in love with a few of the other characters and can’t wait to see them star in their own stories. (Lucetta and Millie, I’m talking about you!)
If you like inspirational historical fiction with comedy and romance (and even if you don’t), I recommend picking up this book. You won’t regret it.
I can’t wait to see what Ms. Turano has up her sleeve next. 5 stars for a fantastic read!
(Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, which I have given.)
Ms. Turano has a way of making historical fiction fun, exciting, and hilarious. I lost count of all the times I burst into giggles while reading. It’s just that good, y’all.
The characters are wonderful. Both the hero, Oliver, and the heroine' Harriet, were deep, unique, and flawed while being extremely likable. Their budding romance was completely swoon-worthy. I also fell in love with a few of the other characters and can’t wait to see them star in their own stories. (Lucetta and Millie, I’m talking about you!)
If you like inspirational historical fiction with comedy and romance (and even if you don’t), I recommend picking up this book. You won’t regret it.
I can’t wait to see what Ms. Turano has up her sleeve next. 5 stars for a fantastic read!
(Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, which I have given.)
September 11, 2015
SUMMARY: Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself without an income.
Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiancée causing the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.
Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, with its fancy dinners and elegant balls, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.
REVIEW: This is the first book in Jen Turano's Class of Their Own series. It is a delightfully humorous historical romp that combines history, suspense, romance, and Christian faith into one hilarious package. Harriet is definitely a unique heroine with a strong-willed mind of her own. Oliver is just as strong-willed but is very materialistically minded with a lack of compassion. The romance develops over time as each of them see the strengths in the other and learns to appreciate and take on some of those strengths.
This book started out with a bang and the quirky, unpredictable situations continue throughout the story line. There are laugh out loud moments, sweet heartwarming romantic scenes, along with several suspense filled periods that all combine for an enjoyable read. I look forward to the remaining books in this series.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "As most people discover, real life doesn't allow much freedom."
"You should live your life in a manner that makes you happy, or more importantly, a manner in which you believe will please God."
"He'd never embraced God fully, but ever since Harriet had stormed into his life, God seemed to be making it clear that it was past time Oliver set aside his materialistic, and somewhat unfulfilling life and begin down a path that would draw him closer to God. He needed to begin helping other people with the fortune he'd been blessed to make, instead of centering his every thought on matters that weren't important in the end."
Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiancée causing the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.
Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, with its fancy dinners and elegant balls, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.
REVIEW: This is the first book in Jen Turano's Class of Their Own series. It is a delightfully humorous historical romp that combines history, suspense, romance, and Christian faith into one hilarious package. Harriet is definitely a unique heroine with a strong-willed mind of her own. Oliver is just as strong-willed but is very materialistically minded with a lack of compassion. The romance develops over time as each of them see the strengths in the other and learns to appreciate and take on some of those strengths.
This book started out with a bang and the quirky, unpredictable situations continue throughout the story line. There are laugh out loud moments, sweet heartwarming romantic scenes, along with several suspense filled periods that all combine for an enjoyable read. I look forward to the remaining books in this series.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "As most people discover, real life doesn't allow much freedom."
"You should live your life in a manner that makes you happy, or more importantly, a manner in which you believe will please God."
"He'd never embraced God fully, but ever since Harriet had stormed into his life, God seemed to be making it clear that it was past time Oliver set aside his materialistic, and somewhat unfulfilling life and begin down a path that would draw him closer to God. He needed to begin helping other people with the fortune he'd been blessed to make, instead of centering his every thought on matters that weren't important in the end."
October 29, 2020
I hope I can even write a good review...because I'm still a little bit in shock after that ending...and still got goosebumps...😳
This might just be Jen Turano's best book...I say that every time, but this one really might be!! It was so sweet, intriguing, slightly mysterious, and just absolutely wonderful!
It brought tears to my eyes a couple of times, made me laugh constantly, and just left me with a wonderful warm feeling. 🥰
A book I would highly recommend, very clean and inspirational!
This might just be Jen Turano's best book...I say that every time, but this one really might be!! It was so sweet, intriguing, slightly mysterious, and just absolutely wonderful!
It brought tears to my eyes a couple of times, made me laugh constantly, and just left me with a wonderful warm feeling. 🥰
A book I would highly recommend, very clean and inspirational!
May 4, 2017
I read this book because I wanted to become familiar with the author because I'm reviewing her latest book later this month.
Sadly I wasn't impressed. I guess this style is just one that didn't jive with me. It's a totally over-the-top story that made me want to roll my eyes 97 percent of the time. Not only did I want to roll my eyes, but I wanted to groan and hide my face and assure people that most females aren't so bossy, ungrateful, and wishy-washy.
Really though, I'm pretty sure this is the kind of book that lots of people laugh out loud when they read it. I'm just obviously not one of those people. It drove me rather nuts. I mean, really. WHO IN THE WORLD would do the kind of stuff that the main characters do? For instance at one time they were at a hugely fancy restaurant with a duke, and the main female character sees someone who she doesn't want to see, so she climbs under the table, fancy bustle and all. Throughout my life I have dined with thousands of people, including in fancy restaurants from time to time, and I have yet to ever see a fancily-dressed lady climbing under the table simply to avoid someone seeing her. I've never heard of it happening either. (And, if my memory serves me, this isn't the first time I've read about it in a book that's the same type of genre as this one.)
There were plenty more examples like the one above. So, if you enjoy this type of exaggerated stories, this is probably a good book for you. I feel bad that I didn't like it more.
Sadly I wasn't impressed. I guess this style is just one that didn't jive with me. It's a totally over-the-top story that made me want to roll my eyes 97 percent of the time. Not only did I want to roll my eyes, but I wanted to groan and hide my face and assure people that most females aren't so bossy, ungrateful, and wishy-washy.
Really though, I'm pretty sure this is the kind of book that lots of people laugh out loud when they read it. I'm just obviously not one of those people. It drove me rather nuts. I mean, really. WHO IN THE WORLD would do the kind of stuff that the main characters do? For instance at one time they were at a hugely fancy restaurant with a duke, and the main female character sees someone who she doesn't want to see, so she climbs under the table, fancy bustle and all. Throughout my life I have dined with thousands of people, including in fancy restaurants from time to time, and I have yet to ever see a fancily-dressed lady climbing under the table simply to avoid someone seeing her. I've never heard of it happening either. (And, if my memory serves me, this isn't the first time I've read about it in a book that's the same type of genre as this one.)
There were plenty more examples like the one above. So, if you enjoy this type of exaggerated stories, this is probably a good book for you. I feel bad that I didn't like it more.
August 14, 2017
I love this book! Like Jen Turano's other books, it was witty, sweet and adventurous! My second favourite Turano book (right now) after A Most Peculiar Circumstance.
July 1, 2015
Loved it!!! This book started out with a bang and kept up the pace pretty much through out the book. I'm pretty sure my eyes were wide and my mouth was hanging open during the first couple of chapters! LOL There were several laugh-out-loud moments in this book as well as some heart warming family scenes, sweet romantic moments and some mildly suspenseful moments! I can't wait to read the next book! :)
June 5, 2017
I absolutely LOVE Jen Turano. Her action packed, humorous books always have me laughing out loud and turning the pages eagerly. This book was no exception. From the very first page, I was hooked and didn't let go until I finished (in one day, I might add!). View my full review: http://faithlovebooks.blogspot.com/20...
January 11, 2018
After I got through the first couple chapters, I could not put it down! I absolutely loved it.
May 2, 2015
Very cute read. The banter between Harriet and Oliver was lots of fun.
I recommend this novel for those that enjoyed A Most Inconvenient Marriage (Regina Jennings) and Like a Flower in Bloom (Siri Mitchell).
I recommend this novel for those that enjoyed A Most Inconvenient Marriage (Regina Jennings) and Like a Flower in Bloom (Siri Mitchell).
April 2, 2016
Good God, I don't know what kept me compelled to read this book.
First off, would you even consider this a historical? I don't know how things were in the States back in 18th?19th? century but the diction seemed so...contemporary, yet written in that roundabout, frustrating way that made people take forever to get a point across.
Second, if this is supposed to Christian/Inspirational fiction, it fails at it. I'm not an expert at Christian fiction, but I've read a few and there's no half-assing in them. They have a definitive tone throughout the book that sets the entire story and builds it up versus just being there and doing absolutely nothing for the story.
Third, that hero. A big, fat NO to that hero. Now, I understand his personality is set for the purpose for reforming him later on, but honestly, he's an ass. And a poor business man.
And finally, that bit of mystery at the end made the whole thing sour. Because of course, we can't have the wealthy hero marry a common hat-girl.
The worst part though was not getting any smut either out of this mess of a book.
First off, would you even consider this a historical? I don't know how things were in the States back in 18th?19th? century but the diction seemed so...contemporary, yet written in that roundabout, frustrating way that made people take forever to get a point across.
Second, if this is supposed to Christian/Inspirational fiction, it fails at it. I'm not an expert at Christian fiction, but I've read a few and there's no half-assing in them. They have a definitive tone throughout the book that sets the entire story and builds it up versus just being there and doing absolutely nothing for the story.
Third, that hero. A big, fat NO to that hero. Now, I understand his personality is set for the purpose for reforming him later on, but honestly, he's an ass. And a poor business man.
And finally, that bit of mystery at the end made the whole thing sour. Because of course, we can't have the wealthy hero marry a common hat-girl.
The worst part though was not getting any smut either out of this mess of a book.
January 1, 2016
What a fun romantic comedy! I always enjoy a paid to pretend romance. There are so many dynamics that make it enjoyable. I got a little annoyed with Harriet sometimes. She is a strong, confident woman, but definitely has her insecurities. Sometimes those insecurities made her do some really stupid things. I thought Oliver showed a lot of patience. Harriet has such a big heart, and it was wonderful to see her bring out the compassion in Oliver as she helped him recognize the needs of others. The interactions between the two of them were always entertaining! I really enjoyed the other characters in the book. I’m excited to read the rest of the series and hear Millie and Lucetta’s stories. I already love both of them and look forward to laughing and enjoying their antics as they find their happy endings.
October 2, 2023
I loved this book! All of the characters were vibrant and so full of life. Even the villainous characters had no shortage of personality. If all of Jen Turano's books are like this, I will have found myself a new favorite author.
Harriet is so fun. She has no qualms about speaking her mind. And don't get me started on her roommates. Throughout the book I just kept smiling because of how silly they were at times. Also, I normally don't like age gap relationships in books but I loved Oliver anyway. The addition of the dog was also great.
I just loved this whole book. I can't wait to read another book by this author.
Harriet is so fun. She has no qualms about speaking her mind. And don't get me started on her roommates. Throughout the book I just kept smiling because of how silly they were at times. Also, I normally don't like age gap relationships in books but I loved Oliver anyway. The addition of the dog was also great.
I just loved this whole book. I can't wait to read another book by this author.
March 31, 2015
I REALLY enjoyed reading this book! This has to be one of the best books by Jen Turano yet! If you're a fan of this author's writing of you'll definitely wouldn't want to miss out on this book! She's getting better and better in her writing all the time! I always LOVE an author who's always growing in their writing and keeps me on the edge of my seat.
From the very first page, this novel really drew me into it's very exciting tale. I was really amazed at how the author gave the main characters so much depth. I was either smiling or laughing out loud throughout the whole story.
The chemistry between the two main characters Oliver and Harriet was AMAZING!
Harriet had such an interesting background story to read about as well and it was very uniquely done. I've noticed how Jen Turano's heroines are such lovable characters and I love how she develops her heroines. Harriet has to be her best yet because of her ongoing drama and her background story.
Oliver on the other hand, was such a swoon worthy hero that I do admit I had a book hero *crush*, lol! *sigh*
Overall, I loved how animated the characters were which to me is so essential to reading a great book. It was also good to see how the author really set a foundation for the next set of characters in her series. I think they were kinda like a comedy relief and a very special part of the story as well. "After a Fashion" was definitely a light-hearted,romantic, and charming read and I highly recommend this book! I didn't want it to end. Seriously! ;)
I'm definitely looking forward to her next book in this series!
From the very first page, this novel really drew me into it's very exciting tale. I was really amazed at how the author gave the main characters so much depth. I was either smiling or laughing out loud throughout the whole story.
The chemistry between the two main characters Oliver and Harriet was AMAZING!
Harriet had such an interesting background story to read about as well and it was very uniquely done. I've noticed how Jen Turano's heroines are such lovable characters and I love how she develops her heroines. Harriet has to be her best yet because of her ongoing drama and her background story.
Oliver on the other hand, was such a swoon worthy hero that I do admit I had a book hero *crush*, lol! *sigh*
Overall, I loved how animated the characters were which to me is so essential to reading a great book. It was also good to see how the author really set a foundation for the next set of characters in her series. I think they were kinda like a comedy relief and a very special part of the story as well. "After a Fashion" was definitely a light-hearted,romantic, and charming read and I highly recommend this book! I didn't want it to end. Seriously! ;)
I'm definitely looking forward to her next book in this series!
March 8, 2015
Great new novel! A wonderful author, zingy stories and characters, she's my go-to author for spunky and unusual heroines. Strong spiritual threads and her heroes are all different, which I like--there is no cookie-cutter hero in her writing. As other reviewers have noted, this story, like her others, has parts that are so funny they make you snort with laughter! Can't wait for the next release!
March 11, 2016
If you enjoy being entertained by what you read, I’d look no further! Replete with uproariously funny scenes, sparkling dialogue embracing brilliant wit and rich sarcasm, and delightfully quirky characters--- this energized and fast-paced novel with its animated mayhem will have you racing through the pages to the surprising but perfect ending!
It all began when hat-maker Harriet Peabody was sent by her employer to deliver some hats to an unpredictable and might I say, somewhat maniacal society woman. After subsequently losing her job, Harriet realizes her dreams of opening her own store selling refashioned gowns to working-class women, are pushed further away than ever. Unless, she accepts the daunting job that the ridiculously wealthy Mr. Oliver Addleshaw has offered her.
When Oliver meets the fetching Harriet, he is impressed with her self-sufficiency and unflappable nature and deems her the perfect woman to have at his side when entertaining the Duke while negotiating an important business deal. Relieved that Harriet won’t press him into marriage like most society ladies would, it was the perfect solution. Thinking a bit of training in the rules of society would suffice; Oliver had no idea how much this charming woman would be like a fish out water! Nor was he prepared for this stubborn and intriguing woman to get under his skin so much. Or to have chased her around the streets so many times! But this is only a business arrangement and they are worlds apart... or are they?
I was enamored with the burgeoning romance that the characters tried to ignore, the well-executed plot climaxing with a deadly threat from Harriet’s past, along with more pandemonium of course, and the laughs that never stopped coming!! Complementing that were the unique and colorful characters which included the irrational Miss Birmingham, the dictionary-challenged friend, the slobbering Buford, and the kindly reverend. With a feel of the movie Pretty Woman about it, this spectacular tale is not only incredibly entertaining but spiritually uplifting as it perfectly portrays the value in us all.
*Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for me honest opinion, which I have given.*
It all began when hat-maker Harriet Peabody was sent by her employer to deliver some hats to an unpredictable and might I say, somewhat maniacal society woman. After subsequently losing her job, Harriet realizes her dreams of opening her own store selling refashioned gowns to working-class women, are pushed further away than ever. Unless, she accepts the daunting job that the ridiculously wealthy Mr. Oliver Addleshaw has offered her.
When Oliver meets the fetching Harriet, he is impressed with her self-sufficiency and unflappable nature and deems her the perfect woman to have at his side when entertaining the Duke while negotiating an important business deal. Relieved that Harriet won’t press him into marriage like most society ladies would, it was the perfect solution. Thinking a bit of training in the rules of society would suffice; Oliver had no idea how much this charming woman would be like a fish out water! Nor was he prepared for this stubborn and intriguing woman to get under his skin so much. Or to have chased her around the streets so many times! But this is only a business arrangement and they are worlds apart... or are they?
I was enamored with the burgeoning romance that the characters tried to ignore, the well-executed plot climaxing with a deadly threat from Harriet’s past, along with more pandemonium of course, and the laughs that never stopped coming!! Complementing that were the unique and colorful characters which included the irrational Miss Birmingham, the dictionary-challenged friend, the slobbering Buford, and the kindly reverend. With a feel of the movie Pretty Woman about it, this spectacular tale is not only incredibly entertaining but spiritually uplifting as it perfectly portrays the value in us all.
*Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for me honest opinion, which I have given.*
February 25, 2015
Jen Turano is incapable of writing a wonderful book! Seriously. Her books just plain make you feel good.
Harriett is currently working as a hatmaker but hopes to open her own dress shop for women who are not wealthy. But she loses her position and now wonders what in the world she is going to do. Then she meets Oliver Addleshaw, a most intriguing man who offers her a job. Or is it? Oliver feels that Harriett is just a perfect fit for his requirements and decides he must have her in his employ. Well, that's the way it is *supposed* to work. But things never go as easily as they are supposed to in a Jen Turano book.
Jen has once again created a wonderful cast of characters in this book, the secondary characters being just as wonderful as the main characters. Jen has a fantastic way of making these characters simply come alive on the pages and making them get into the most peculiar circumstances imaginable. I definitely look forward to seeing most of them in the next books in this series.
Jen Turano also writes with such comedic skills as I have rarely seen in a book. I laughed ALL the way through whole chapters. Goodness, these books are good for a person! How does she do this? God given talent is the only explanation.
And, woven through this story, in my own opinion, is the them of Jeremiah 29:11. God does indeed have a plan for all of us and He is working to bring that plan about, even when we can't see how it can possibly happen. Harriett has always wanted to matter, to belong, and she has no idea of what God has in store for us. Ephesians 3:20 will explain God's goodness to her.
I love Jen Turano's work so much. Her books just plain make you feel good. I love so much holding one of her delightfully delicious books in my hands and diving in. Brings me so much pleasure.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.
Harriett is currently working as a hatmaker but hopes to open her own dress shop for women who are not wealthy. But she loses her position and now wonders what in the world she is going to do. Then she meets Oliver Addleshaw, a most intriguing man who offers her a job. Or is it? Oliver feels that Harriett is just a perfect fit for his requirements and decides he must have her in his employ. Well, that's the way it is *supposed* to work. But things never go as easily as they are supposed to in a Jen Turano book.
Jen has once again created a wonderful cast of characters in this book, the secondary characters being just as wonderful as the main characters. Jen has a fantastic way of making these characters simply come alive on the pages and making them get into the most peculiar circumstances imaginable. I definitely look forward to seeing most of them in the next books in this series.
Jen Turano also writes with such comedic skills as I have rarely seen in a book. I laughed ALL the way through whole chapters. Goodness, these books are good for a person! How does she do this? God given talent is the only explanation.
And, woven through this story, in my own opinion, is the them of Jeremiah 29:11. God does indeed have a plan for all of us and He is working to bring that plan about, even when we can't see how it can possibly happen. Harriett has always wanted to matter, to belong, and she has no idea of what God has in store for us. Ephesians 3:20 will explain God's goodness to her.
I love Jen Turano's work so much. Her books just plain make you feel good. I love so much holding one of her delightfully delicious books in my hands and diving in. Brings me so much pleasure.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.
March 4, 2015
Oh my goodness! It’s been a while since I wanted to cry when a book ended!!! What a great read! This is the first book that I have read by Jen Turano. I absolutely recommend this book.
Harriet (I am sorry, but that is the most dreadful name!) finds herself in quite the pickle when she, as a hat lady, delivers some to a spoiled family. After multiple series of unforeseen events, she finds herself engaged to the richest man in New York. Of course, it is just an arrangement and not a real engagement. You can probably guess the rest of the story from there (;
I found Jen’s insertion of funny characters (people and animals) to be amusing and a fun part of the story. It was definitely ridiculous, but in a great way!!!! You find yourself lost in the story and the characters are absolutely lovely. Often times when reading, I find that I am only attached to one or two, at most. Each character was interesting and had their own storyline that I cared to learn more about.
I want to add that there is not a strong Christian storyline. God is mentioned and prayed to, but that isn’t a huge part of the story. That would be my only recommendation for future books.
When I told Jen that I had not read any of her books before, she replied, “Before you check out any of my other books, if you have an e-reader, there is a free prequel novella out there – Gentleman of Her Dreams – it’s short, but a complete story and introduces you to characters from the first series – The Ladies of Distinction.”
Link is in the pic (AND IT’S FREE!!!!)
Ok, so, if you haven’t seen it yet, this morning I posted a Face-Off with Jen. It was so fun learning a little more about her (even if I did lose…)
Now, here’s the AWESOME news!! Jen Turano has offered to give a SIGNED COPY of After a Fashion to one lucky reader!!!! Just follow this link and you can enter multiple times!!! This is one hot item! So, MAKE HASTE!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
www.aTransParentMom.wordpress.com
Harriet (I am sorry, but that is the most dreadful name!) finds herself in quite the pickle when she, as a hat lady, delivers some to a spoiled family. After multiple series of unforeseen events, she finds herself engaged to the richest man in New York. Of course, it is just an arrangement and not a real engagement. You can probably guess the rest of the story from there (;
I found Jen’s insertion of funny characters (people and animals) to be amusing and a fun part of the story. It was definitely ridiculous, but in a great way!!!! You find yourself lost in the story and the characters are absolutely lovely. Often times when reading, I find that I am only attached to one or two, at most. Each character was interesting and had their own storyline that I cared to learn more about.
I want to add that there is not a strong Christian storyline. God is mentioned and prayed to, but that isn’t a huge part of the story. That would be my only recommendation for future books.
When I told Jen that I had not read any of her books before, she replied, “Before you check out any of my other books, if you have an e-reader, there is a free prequel novella out there – Gentleman of Her Dreams – it’s short, but a complete story and introduces you to characters from the first series – The Ladies of Distinction.”
Link is in the pic (AND IT’S FREE!!!!)
Ok, so, if you haven’t seen it yet, this morning I posted a Face-Off with Jen. It was so fun learning a little more about her (even if I did lose…)
Now, here’s the AWESOME news!! Jen Turano has offered to give a SIGNED COPY of After a Fashion to one lucky reader!!!! Just follow this link and you can enter multiple times!!! This is one hot item! So, MAKE HASTE!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
www.aTransParentMom.wordpress.com
January 14, 2019
Chortle. Snort. Guffaw. I've been reading the A Class of Their Own series backwards and I've finally made it to book one which is just as crazy and hilarious as books 2 and 3! Jen Turano writes with such comedic flair that my cheeks hurt from grinning so much by the time I reach the last page! She excels at throwing -- no -- hurling -- her characters headlong into the most absurd chaos. I can almost hear her maniacal laughter as she plots her riotous mayhem...or maybe that's the echo of my own crazed mirth. If you're a fan of romantic comedy and you haven't given Jen Turano a try -- well, it's about time yo did! And if you are a fan of this author but you missed this book (like moi) here's your chance to make that right! :-)
July 21, 2023
This novel can be summed up in one word: adorable.
At this point, I wonder if Jen will ever pen a novel I won't like. Her storylines are hilarious and sweet, her characters are quirky and engaging, the banter is delicious, ah! I simply cannot.
At this point, I wonder if Jen will ever pen a novel I won't like. Her storylines are hilarious and sweet, her characters are quirky and engaging, the banter is delicious, ah! I simply cannot.
Read
December 27, 2016I read this SO fast. XD Not as good as In Good Company, but still fun. I'm looking forward to hearing about Bram and Lucetta in book three!
August 31, 2015
This book started out well. It started out fun! It started out charming! It started out amusing and silly and bubbly! And then it fizzled. And crashed. And burrrrrrned.
I am not a huge Christian romance reader. The Christian elements of this book were exactly in line with what I was expecting so from that regard, and taking into account the many positive reviews of the book, I would say this author knows her audience.
I AM a big historical romance reader. And I can suspend a sense of historical accuracy, or even historical plausibility, or even historical FLEXibility, but this book started doubtfully and went downhill from there. I am in serious doubts that anything – and I do mean ANY SINGLE THING - that happened in this book would or could have happened in real life. The plot was preposterous, bordering on the absurd. Many of the plot points (and characters), introduced to carry the story along, were simply dropped and abandoned once the moment was over. Ex: Oliver's grandfather. What happened to him? Who knows. The contretemps with the miners in West Virginia: forgotten. Did Oliver bother to do anything? Or did he just fire Silas for screwing it up? A mystery.
I could not stand the main characters; Harriet - who started out as a plucky, sweet, Christian girl - became a wishy washy, spineless (who hides under a table DURING a dinner? and then burns down a restaurant? AND THEN WANTS TO KEEP HIDING IN A BURNING RESTAURANT RATHER THAN COME OUT?!) harridan who jumps to conclusions and .
Oliver was a cross between a chauvinistic bumbler and a straight-up idiot, who throws money at every problem and is both socially inept (despite his prominence among the New York elite) and kind of a flake (for all his so-called business acumen he hires absolutely atrocious employees and neither checks up on their work nor follows up on situations they create.).
The "friends" - Milly (I think?) and Lucetta (LOO-SETT-A) were caricatures at best, and both of them seemed like oddballs -if not outright walking disasters- in general. It was quite obvious that Milly the ex-governess was being set up for a future book with Everett (Oliver's friend who COINCIDENTALLY has inherited some children he has no idea how to care for, and who also has a nasty, horrid lady friend, so of course a future book will center on him replacing said horrid lady with Milly).
Another problem I had with this book was the language, both stylistic and dialogue. Stylistically, Ms. Turano didn't bother to use historically accurate words or phrasing in her text or her dialogue. For example, Harriet was repeatedly referred to as a hat girl or hat maker; milliner (or at the very least, hatter) is the word Ms. Turano was looking for. Milliner's assistant, even. Also, there was a line of dialogue that read approximately " didn't even want to go into the drama there." What?! Not only poor English but completely anachronistic. Go into the drama there? What is this, the Maury Povich show? Are we about to find out who's the real father?
The dialogue was stilted. Lengthy and verbose, it didn't read like anything a character would actually say. Milly's dictionary research (a plot element) combined with Ms. Turano's tendency to find and use the very largest adjective in a thesaurus made for some long-winded and tedious conversations.
I was disappointed in this book, because it started out promisingly and quickly devolved into a disaster. I was hoping for a charming book about a bubbly girl and was served up a hot mess of irritating characters, tedious and/or ludicrous dialogue, far-fetched plot, and overall silliness.
As I said, this book has gotten a lot of positive reviews, so it's clear many people like this author/this style/this type of story. Not me. I'll be steering clear in the future.
I am not a huge Christian romance reader. The Christian elements of this book were exactly in line with what I was expecting so from that regard, and taking into account the many positive reviews of the book, I would say this author knows her audience.
I AM a big historical romance reader. And I can suspend a sense of historical accuracy, or even historical plausibility, or even historical FLEXibility, but this book started doubtfully and went downhill from there. I am in serious doubts that anything – and I do mean ANY SINGLE THING - that happened in this book would or could have happened in real life. The plot was preposterous, bordering on the absurd. Many of the plot points (and characters), introduced to carry the story along, were simply dropped and abandoned once the moment was over. Ex: Oliver's grandfather. What happened to him? Who knows. The contretemps with the miners in West Virginia: forgotten. Did Oliver bother to do anything? Or did he just fire Silas for screwing it up? A mystery.
I could not stand the main characters; Harriet - who started out as a plucky, sweet, Christian girl - became a wishy washy, spineless (who hides under a table DURING a dinner? and then burns down a restaurant? AND THEN WANTS TO KEEP HIDING IN A BURNING RESTAURANT RATHER THAN COME OUT?!) harridan who jumps to conclusions and .
Oliver was a cross between a chauvinistic bumbler and a straight-up idiot, who throws money at every problem and is both socially inept (despite his prominence among the New York elite) and kind of a flake (for all his so-called business acumen he hires absolutely atrocious employees and neither checks up on their work nor follows up on situations they create.).
The "friends" - Milly (I think?) and Lucetta (LOO-SETT-A) were caricatures at best, and both of them seemed like oddballs -if not outright walking disasters- in general. It was quite obvious that Milly the ex-governess was being set up for a future book with Everett (Oliver's friend who COINCIDENTALLY has inherited some children he has no idea how to care for, and who also has a nasty, horrid lady friend, so of course a future book will center on him replacing said horrid lady with Milly).
Another problem I had with this book was the language, both stylistic and dialogue. Stylistically, Ms. Turano didn't bother to use historically accurate words or phrasing in her text or her dialogue. For example, Harriet was repeatedly referred to as a hat girl or hat maker; milliner (or at the very least, hatter) is the word Ms. Turano was looking for. Milliner's assistant, even. Also, there was a line of dialogue that read approximately " didn't even want to go into the drama there." What?! Not only poor English but completely anachronistic. Go into the drama there? What is this, the Maury Povich show? Are we about to find out who's the real father?
The dialogue was stilted. Lengthy and verbose, it didn't read like anything a character would actually say. Milly's dictionary research (a plot element) combined with Ms. Turano's tendency to find and use the very largest adjective in a thesaurus made for some long-winded and tedious conversations.
I was disappointed in this book, because it started out promisingly and quickly devolved into a disaster. I was hoping for a charming book about a bubbly girl and was served up a hot mess of irritating characters, tedious and/or ludicrous dialogue, far-fetched plot, and overall silliness.
As I said, this book has gotten a lot of positive reviews, so it's clear many people like this author/this style/this type of story. Not me. I'll be steering clear in the future.
March 23, 2019
After a Fashion by Jen Turano is the first in the series A Class of Their Owm.
Get ready for a laugh a minute with the antics of the ladies in After a Fashion.
Harriet Peabody, Lucetta Plum and Millie Longfellow are friends that are rooming in a rather downtrodden boardinghouse in New York City.
Harriet is employed by a milliner. She is tasked to deliver hats to Mr. Oliver Adleshaw’s supposed fiancé, Miss Birmingham. Hilarity ensues as Buford, a huge dog, disrupts the delivery by attacking Miss Birmingham. Amid many misconceptions, Harriet agrees to pose as Oliver’s companion in order to impress his business associates.
The two friends, Lucetta and Millie play important roles as they comfort Harriet and give her advice. This was just the cutest story. Lucetta and Millie’s stories should be just as exciting and humorous.
As always, if you want a good laugh and enjoy a quirky heroine who speaks her mind and has a strong faith, turn to Jen Turano. There is notable animal based fun. Buford, the dog is not to be missed. He is a huge dog who is afraid of heights and quakes at smaller dogs. Be sure to be on the lookout for Precious, the cat!
*I purchased this ebook from Amazon. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
Get ready for a laugh a minute with the antics of the ladies in After a Fashion.
Harriet Peabody, Lucetta Plum and Millie Longfellow are friends that are rooming in a rather downtrodden boardinghouse in New York City.
Harriet is employed by a milliner. She is tasked to deliver hats to Mr. Oliver Adleshaw’s supposed fiancé, Miss Birmingham. Hilarity ensues as Buford, a huge dog, disrupts the delivery by attacking Miss Birmingham. Amid many misconceptions, Harriet agrees to pose as Oliver’s companion in order to impress his business associates.
The two friends, Lucetta and Millie play important roles as they comfort Harriet and give her advice. This was just the cutest story. Lucetta and Millie’s stories should be just as exciting and humorous.
As always, if you want a good laugh and enjoy a quirky heroine who speaks her mind and has a strong faith, turn to Jen Turano. There is notable animal based fun. Buford, the dog is not to be missed. He is a huge dog who is afraid of heights and quakes at smaller dogs. Be sure to be on the lookout for Precious, the cat!
*I purchased this ebook from Amazon. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
March 23, 2015
I have a confession to make.
I really like getting books in the mail.
Sometimes, I'll request a book not because I have any real interest in it, but just because I love the thrill of opening the yellow envelope it comes in.
Well, case in point. This book.
I'll admit I had no high hopes for this book. Actually that was kind of a good thing, because then I wasn't disappointed. From the very beginning, I just could not bring myself to like it. The plot seemed very lacking, and the dialogue in particular just turned me off. It was too much like so many other typical Christian romances I've read over the years. The characters were just so...weird. Nothing about the book really struck anything inside me, and so I didn't get much farther than the first few chapters before deciding, nah, no thanks.
However I've read some pretty brilliant reviews of the book, so obviously lots of people liked it. It's just my personal preference that turned me off.
My rating: 4/10
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I really like getting books in the mail.
Sometimes, I'll request a book not because I have any real interest in it, but just because I love the thrill of opening the yellow envelope it comes in.
Well, case in point. This book.
I'll admit I had no high hopes for this book. Actually that was kind of a good thing, because then I wasn't disappointed. From the very beginning, I just could not bring myself to like it. The plot seemed very lacking, and the dialogue in particular just turned me off. It was too much like so many other typical Christian romances I've read over the years. The characters were just so...weird. Nothing about the book really struck anything inside me, and so I didn't get much farther than the first few chapters before deciding, nah, no thanks.
However I've read some pretty brilliant reviews of the book, so obviously lots of people liked it. It's just my personal preference that turned me off.
My rating: 4/10
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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