After a Fashion

Book Review of After a Fashion by Jen Turano From jenturano.com: 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 the lady he brought to town to assist him with entertaining his potential business partner reneges on their agreement. When this unreliable, and slightly deranged, lady causes the hapless Harriet to lose her job, Oliver 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. Leona's Review: This book begins in new York City in 1882 . The author takes the reader into this time era with her descriptions of the area, clothing and language. Harriet Peabody works as a milliner in the back room of the shop. She is to deliver some hats to a customer at the home of Mr. Oliver Addleshaw. The woman who has ordered the hats is Miss Birmingham who is under the assumption she is engaged to Oliver Addleshaw. This arrangement does not go well and Oliver asks Harriet if she would a be woman who would help him with a business deal; Harriet lost her job as a result of the encounter she had with Lily Birmingham. Oliver needed a woman who would help him make a good impression of the business deal. They become engaged by word only. I find Harriet is such a strong and feisty woman and holds her own with Oliver. Their discussions leave the reader with a smile. Harriet was raised by an aunt who never really cared for Harriet for whatever reason Harriet is not sure. Oliver is rich and seems to care only to become richer. He leaves the running of his business for the people working for him to his managers, which are not doing the right things. We see the lower class and upper class in this book. Many characters, which have their own personality, are in this book. I especially liked Buford, the dog, and was so glad Jen Turano included him. This is the first book I have read by Jen Turano and I now have her on my TBR list of authors. It is an easy read and since it is a Christian book, it is a good read for anyone. I would like to see some of the characters in other books. I received a complimentary copy of After a Fashion by Jen Turano from Bethany Books to read and review. The opinions are my own. I give this a 5 star rating. I could even re-read this book and still enjoy it. Leona Olson http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com Posted by Leona Olson at 12:01 PM 1 Labels: 1882, After a Fashion, Bethany Books, Book Review, Christian Romance, Jen Turano, New York City