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A review by ladywithaquill
Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano
5.0
Once again Jen Turano has created an enchanting story full of laughter and intrigue! Although the beginning was a bit of a slow start for me, as I hadn’t read the previous book in the series and was struggling to understand who the characters were, it picked up quickly. I loved the banter between the two main characters, and there were many wonderful supporting characters to enjoy as well. With the elements of attempted kidnapping and attempted murder, the story moved swiftly and had me whipping through each page, eager to find out what happened next. Never a dull moment in this book!
Miss Temperance Flowerdew has found herself in quite the predicament. Mistaken for her cousin, she is kidnapped by surprisingly amiable criminals and taken to a hotel in Chicago to await ransom. When the kidnappers realize they have made a mistake, they abandon her there, and in walks her childhood best friend, Gilbert Cavendish, to save the day. Befuddled at seeing her when he thought he was there to rescue her cousin, he changes course to get Temperance home safely. When they are discovered at the hotel alone together, Gilbert offers Temperance marriage, but Temperance isn’t going to bow to society standards without a fight. It will require a great deal of determination and patience on Gilbert’s part to convince Temperance that their friendship has grown to something much more precious – love.
The fact that both Temperance and Gilbert knew each other as children made this book a seeming comedy of errors. I loved how they each knew each other’s “tells”, and one could anticipate the other’s thought process before said thought had even been formed. Temperance poked fun at Gilbert with such matter-of-factness that I found myself laughing at the two of them, especially as Gilbert realized his feelings for Temperance were much stronger than he realized. The best part of his courtship was his list, “Reasons Why a Lady Would Want to Marry Gilbert Cavendish” – I actually had to set the book down, because I laughed so hard. In addition to his increasingly romantic courtship, Gilbert was supportive and protective of Temperance, but he also knew that she needed someone to be by her side, fighting with her, not for her. The two of them really were the perfect couple, and I think that made this book one of Jen Turano’s best to-date.
If you haven’t read a book by Jen Turano yet, you are missing out! Laughter, tears, and a lot of happy sighs are what can be expected during the reading of one of her stories. I highly encourage you to get one of her books and experience it for yourself!
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
Miss Temperance Flowerdew has found herself in quite the predicament. Mistaken for her cousin, she is kidnapped by surprisingly amiable criminals and taken to a hotel in Chicago to await ransom. When the kidnappers realize they have made a mistake, they abandon her there, and in walks her childhood best friend, Gilbert Cavendish, to save the day. Befuddled at seeing her when he thought he was there to rescue her cousin, he changes course to get Temperance home safely. When they are discovered at the hotel alone together, Gilbert offers Temperance marriage, but Temperance isn’t going to bow to society standards without a fight. It will require a great deal of determination and patience on Gilbert’s part to convince Temperance that their friendship has grown to something much more precious – love.
The fact that both Temperance and Gilbert knew each other as children made this book a seeming comedy of errors. I loved how they each knew each other’s “tells”, and one could anticipate the other’s thought process before said thought had even been formed. Temperance poked fun at Gilbert with such matter-of-factness that I found myself laughing at the two of them, especially as Gilbert realized his feelings for Temperance were much stronger than he realized. The best part of his courtship was his list, “Reasons Why a Lady Would Want to Marry Gilbert Cavendish” – I actually had to set the book down, because I laughed so hard. In addition to his increasingly romantic courtship, Gilbert was supportive and protective of Temperance, but he also knew that she needed someone to be by her side, fighting with her, not for her. The two of them really were the perfect couple, and I think that made this book one of Jen Turano’s best to-date.
If you haven’t read a book by Jen Turano yet, you are missing out! Laughter, tears, and a lot of happy sighs are what can be expected during the reading of one of her stories. I highly encourage you to get one of her books and experience it for yourself!
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**