Review: Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano

Behind the Scenes

by Jen Turano

About the Book

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 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…

My Thoughts

This is the first full-length novel I’ve read by Jen Turano and I don’t know why it took me so long to do so. I’d read her novellas in the past and loved them, yet only recently picked up one of her novels. But better late than never, for Turano’s writing is certainly worth the wait.

First of all, I just love the fun, light-hearted, quirkiness of her books. I love historical fiction, but not many characters in the genre are as funny and quirky as Turano’s. They’re imperfect, they usually aren’t all that graceful, and they certainly are not going to sit around waiting on a man to tell them how to live their lives. I love, love, love this about her books. I can relate to Turano’s heroines, particularly Permilia because she’s shy and doesn’t know how to speak to most people and doesn’t bend to the rules of New York’s high society. And, like me, the girl couldn’t dance her way out of a paper bag. But she’s also smart, witty, and resourceful. When things don’t go her way, she figures out another way to make her dreams come true, asking the Lord for His guidance in her life. Some of the situations Permilia finds herself in will make you laugh, while others will have you on the edge of your seat.

At times I was bit torn as to how I thought about Asher. Overall, I think he was a pretty good hero, but there were times I think he just a little flat for me. Not my favorite hero, but definitely not the worst hero. As for some of the background characters, I found them delightful in their own rights. They create a rich cast for this book, and I can’t wait to read more about some of them in the rest of the series.

All in all, I absolutely loved Behind the Scenes. It’s unique, has so many great elements, and has earned a place on my top ten books of the year. I must needs all of Jen Turano’s books!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.