Bookish Thoughts: Diamond in the Rough

"You seem to be an original, my dear, so perhaps you won't feel the need to wait so long before you abandon what's expected of you, embracing who you truly are and who God meant you to be, instead of trying to embrace a sense of who others want you to be."  - Miss Mabel Huxley

Description:

To save her family from financial ruin, Miss Poppy Garrison accepts an unusual proposition to participate in the New York social season in exchange for her grandmother settling a family loan that has unexpectedly come due. Ill-equipped to handle the intricacies of mingling within the New York Four Hundred, Poppy becomes embroiled in one hilarious fiasco after another, doomed to suffer a grand societal failure instead of being deemed the diamond of the first water her grandmother longs for her to become.

Reginald Blackburn, second son of a duke, has been forced to travel to America to help his cousin, Charles Wynn, Earl of Lonsdale, find an American heiress to wed in order to shore up his family estate that is in desperate need of funds. Reginald himself has no interest in finding an heiress to marry, but when Poppy's grandmother asks him to give etiquette lessons to Poppy, he swiftly discovers he may be in for much more than he bargained for.

About the Author:

Jen Turano is the author of over eight books and two novellas. A graduate of the University of Akron, she has a degree in clothing and textiles, is a member of ACFW, and lives in Denver, Colorado. For more information, visit her at www.jenturano.com.

My Thoughts:

I’ve had the pleasure of reading all of Jen Turano’s books to date, and can honestly say that she is one of my very favorite historical fiction authors.  That being said, this review will probably have a bit of bias.  I’ve been hooked since reading my first of her books (which was actually her second published work) and have yet to be disappointed.  Though I’ve greatly enjoyed them all, I have had some favorites here and there, and this one definitely falls into that category!  

As always, Ms. Turano kept me in stitches from the first few pages all the way through!  I would frequently look up and find my husband trying to read over my shoulder and find out what was so funny!  I couldn’t help but love Poppy’s character and her penchant for finding herself in the midst of unusual circumstances - situations that are rarely of her own making, but she jumps in with both feet.  I adored her unique way of looking at things, enjoyment of life, and determination.  She’s quirky and kind, but also stubborn and sometimes a bit reckless.  I noticed that the author’s portrayal of society changed a bit during this book, as well.  It isn’t a kind place, most of the time, with gossiping, conniving, and sabotage being things that are clearly shown.  Which highlights even more the kindness in Poppy’s character, as well as several other characters we’re given the opportunity to meet.  I also quite liked Reginald, with his faux stuffiness and determination to help his cousin.  I loved the teasing he and Poppy regularly engage in, as well as getting to see Poppy and other characters through his eyes.  I do have to say, that there were a couple characters that surprised me!  When the book began, I wasn’t expecting to like them, but over the course of the story, I found them becoming some of my favorites.

And of course, there’s a bit of intrigue mixed in, which kept me curious and hurrying to finish the book before bedtime.  Though I wasn’t overly surprised at “whodunit,” the reasoning behind all of the shenanigans wasn’t quite what I had anticipated.

I will definitely be rereading this book and am anxiously anticipating what I’m hoping will be Beatrix’s book!

Something I didn't include in my review, is that I really enjoyed the focus placed on being who God created you to be, rather than who society, or the media, or whomever, says you ought to be.  That's an excellent reminder for anyone, especially in today's culture of social media and comparison, but particularly teens and younger women.  So if you are a younger lady, or if you have one in your life who enjoys reading, I'd highly recommend this book to you/them.  Plus, it's really funny! 
(No one asked me to say that, just so you know - that's my own personal observation)
As always, links are below!

Have a beautiful day!

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