I loved this book. I knew I was in for a treat when the main character, a gossip columnist, was named Permilia Griswold. I seriously love the name. The lady is also a gem. She's a Cinderella, but not. She's accepted in polite society, yet has wall flower status. What fun it was watching her maneuver all the hysterical happenings she had gotten herself into.
The other characters in this novel are oh, so wonderful. Brilliantly done; such a hodge-podge of comedy.
The mystery and suspense are well done while still maintaining the quirkiness.

Content; Clean
Source: Netgalley

"Miss Permilia Griswold, the wallflower behind "The Quill" gossip column, knows everything that goes on in the ballrooms of New York. When she overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Asher Rutherford, she's determined to warn him. Away from society's spotlight, Asher and Permilia discover there's more going on behind the scenes than they anticipated."

As always, Jen has written yet another sweet, witty, romantic, and faith-filled story.

I loved every bit of this book, from the characters and their dialogue, to the fascinating and intriguing storyline.

Permilia was my favorite character because she didn't really care about people's opinions about her. She cared more about helping others and doing what she loved, whether society agreed with it or not. She also knew when to take some time away from others so she could focus on asking God for direction in her life.

Another favorite of mine was Asher's friend, Harrison, because: one, he reminds me of Henry Cavil looks-wise (if you don't know who that is, look him up. You won't regret.), and two, he's just one of those no-nonsense fellows who also happens to be completely laid back and humorous. Everyone needs someone like that in their life.

And as for the plot, it was thoroughly enjoyable, with plenty of intrigue and mystery, and just a touch of humor.

Overall, the characters were hilarious and colorful, and the story was fun. Definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a witty and historical novel.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bethany House for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet, clean and fun read. The characters were interesting and likeable. I did find them to be a bit silly at times, but I assumed it was the time period.

The premise of this book was amazing, Jen Turano always seems to find unique interests or jobs for her characters. I love that we encounter Permilia Griswold, who is a high society woman, as she is attempting to take notes for her anonymous gossip column at a fancy ball. Of course, when Asher Rutherford is kind to her, I kind of fell a little in love with the man myself!

I enjoyed how Permilia constantly got herself into trouble and Asher helped her out. Though, one time the tables were turned and she helped him. This was an enjoyable book and I'd highly recommend it!

The more I read of Jen Turano's works the I fall in love with her style and wit. 'Behind The Scenes' is another witty historical book sprinkled with a dash of romance and mystery. If you already love Jen or have never read one of her gems I can guarantee you'll love this book. Give it a try today.

Jen Turano is at it again. She's turning 19th-century New York society on its ear in the first novel of the Apart From the Crowd series, Behind the Scenes.

I first met mining heiress Permilia Griswold in the prequel novella At Your Request. Even then, I knew she'd be trouble, using her role as a wallflower to gather fashion tidbits from her society peers, then secretly writing a column for the New York Sun called Miss Quill's Quality Corner. Permilia being Miss Quill. Catchy, huh? But when she overhears a plot to murder department store owner and fellow member of "society," Asher Rutherford, she knows she must convince him of the fact.

Though this story holds a mystery, it's more a subplot. The book has some laugh-out-loud funny parts, and I enjoyed the interaction between the slightly insecure and unpredictable Permilia and the rather stuffy, predictable Asher. The poor man is never really sure which way is up with her, even when her actions make sense in the scheme of things.

There were numerous areas in the first half, though, that I felt contained too much narrative---mostly backstory---that slowed the action. The second half of the book moved the plot toward a satisfactory ending. It has some wonderfully quirky characters and a good solution to the mystery that I didn't see coming. Overall, it was an entertaining story with humor that makes it four-star worthy for me.

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 gossip 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. . . .

I never knew what a snobbish bunch of people "Society" people could be. Wallflowers weren't even considered to have feelings. They were shunned and if someone had anything to do with them they were too.

I found the story to be delightful. Asher and Permilia don't want to admit they have feelings for each other as they work to solve the mystery of who wants to do away with Asher. I highly recommend this book.

For Permilia Griswold, being a wallflower is not a bad thing. She stays on the fringes of society. She shows efforts to be a lady to her stepmother and she gets the information she needs to write her society column for the newspaper. It is usually a safe position to be in, until she overhears the plotting of a murder.

I love the books of Jen Turano that I have read. I know that I will have a strong heroin who gets herself into precarious situations. The book will be well paced and fun to read. This book fit all of the descriptions above. I loved Permilia and her unconventional friends. There are aspects that remind me of the Cinderella story. I guess any story that has a mean step-mother, spoiled step-sister, and a missing slipper.... You can't forget the handsome gentleman in the equation.

The book is set in wealthy New York City. Permilia is a champion for the underprivileged woman who knows how to shoot a gun. She is not afraid to charge to the rescue when needed or find unique ways to get out of a room. There are many moments that make you laugh.

This book is clean, with mild violence and mild kissing.

Great book. Held my interest till the end. Very good.

This is my first book to read by Jen Turano and I must say it was quite different. She writes in a witty and sometimes funny and sometimes too much style. Although there is mystery and danger with a hint of romance, this was too wordy and the describing of characters and events was told in an unusual way in the telling.
I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own.

Jen Turano has given us yet another delightful read. I always fall in love with her characters a few chapters in and could read her books over and over.

I love Jan Turano's books. They are quirky and hilarious. "Behind the Scenes" is full of fun and suspense at the same time. I love how Jen Turano creates her characters to be different from the norm of the time period. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

I was not a fan of this book it was wrote in my opinion in a overly dramatic way. I just had a hard time reading and was not interesting to me. Not my cup of tea.

In the first book of the new Apart from the Crowd series, Behind the Scenes is another delightful story. After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, Permilia Griswold is finally putting her status on the fringes of society to good use by penning anonymous society gossip 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. And thus, begins the latest in Jen Turano’s newest romance suspense novel. Once again she has made her book laugh out loud funny as she pulls the reader into the story and you begin to try guessing who the ‘bad guy’ will be this time.
Yes, I am a fan of Ms. Turano’s books even though they are set in the past when times were very different. And yes, you know before you start that the man and woman will get together by the end of the book. There is absolutely no mystery to that part of the story. But I am especially drawn to the overall concept of weaving a bit of mystery into the love story.
This one did start off a bit slow as the characters were at a ball in the Vanderbilt home in New York. But it did pick up and there were enough escapades to keep things moving along. And I felt sorry for Permilia because of her dysfunctional family. But she was an overcomer by the end of the book. Then we could all celebrate with her.
Based on this book, I will choose to read more in the series and more of Ms. Turano’s books. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Contrary to the prevalent thought of the day, I'm not a lady who feels as if my life has been ruined simply because I've obtained the somewhat undesirable label of wallflower." (8)

Behind the Scenes is the first full novel of the Apart From the Crowd series. At Your Request was the prequel and I had already fallen in love with the "wallflowers" of the group. Miss Permilia Griswold and Mr. Asher Rutherford were a pair of characters I immediately wanted to read about! To say Permilia is odd may very well be an understatement, but her oddity is the very reason you'll find it endearing. She's honest and to the point, though a tad bit on the dramatic side. She's one of those characters you just can't help but laugh with. A wallflower, but proud to be one, and I admire that. There is nothing wrong with it, and you'll be surprised by how much wallflowers know, simply just by observing.

"Gentlemen are not keen on ladies who are too intelligent, and I'm afraid that's exactly how you come across when you speak on even the most mundane of topics." (19)

When one quirky heroine tries to keep one fashionable hero (that have no idea what to do with her) from dying a horrible death by murder, you can bet laughter and mayhem will follow. The Gilded Age Society of New York may never be the same again when one mystery after the next involves some questionable antics of a group of wallflowers and a cunning Mrs. Davenport. With the author's usual flair of lively humor, mixed in a world of societal rules (that our lovely heroines don't mind breaking) and delightful characters, it's hard not to love Behind the Scenes.

"I really should have let at least one arrow hit you, directly in the head . . . not to kill you - just to knock some sense into that unprogressive mind of yours." (143)

PS / That ending is simply perfect.


This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a delightful light-hearted romance that was fun to read.

Jen Turano is one of my favourite Christian historical romance authors. I love her characters, her witty dialogue, and the underlying truth (Truth) in her novels. And Behind the Scenes is no exception.

The main character is the unfortunately named Miss Permilia Griswold, member of New York’s elite, and well-known (or perhaps unknown) wallflower. The story starts at the famous 1883 costume ball given by Mr and Mrs William Vanderbilt II, an event which let the media into New York society for the first time, for better or worse. The descriptions of the ball are excellent, and my initial suspicions that the descriptions might have been a little over-the-top were allayed when I did a little research. If anything, Behind the Scenes is understated.

The story has touches of Cinderella, with Permilia as the motherless girl, a self-centred stepmother and an even more self-centred step-sister, an absent but loving father, and Mr Asher Rutherford, the owner of one of New York’s biggest department stores, as Prince Charming.

But there is also a suspense element, after Permilia overhears a death threat against Mr Rutherford … and he doesn’t believe her. This leads a quirky troupe of characters on what is best described as a merry chase as Permilia and Asher spend more and more time together as they attempt to find the source of the threat.

My one issue was that there were parts of the story I didn't quite understand, almost as if I'd missed something ... I had. I'd missed At Your Request, the free novella introducing this new series (partly because the novella didn't release until January 2017 and I couldn't resist reading this as soon as the review copy was available. In December 2016). Anyway, I suggest you don't make the same mistake.

Recommended for fans of witty historical romance.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Bethany House. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Having read novels by this author before [1] and at at least a few other historical romances of a similar kind [2], I can say pretty easily what I appreciate about the author’s Christian romances. For one, they are not too heavy handed, at least to this reader, although they have a strong element of divine providence as well as godly effort. For another, they are very Nathanish sorts of novels, in a good way, not in the “everyone has PTSD” sort of way. So, what makes this novel Nathanish? Well, the lead character is one who struggles to get along socially, has a mix of class as well as a somewhat rough background in the country, and is a writer with poor handwriting but with a skill for observation as well as a certain sense of discretion in avoiding names but providing information, and a strong interest in educating those from disadvantaged backgrounds. And the male character is certainly more than a little Nathanish himself, somewhat boring and predictable in his routine, but also considerably brave and plucky and gallant in his own way, and deeply concerned with justice, even if he is a bit more of a peacock than I am in terms of his sense of style.

The story itself is the sort of one that ought to please those who are fans of contemporary Christian romances. The protagonists struggle with a crisis of faith over where their life is taking them, are concerned about finding godly marriage and dealing with the questions of honor and reputation as well as showing love to those who are not necessarily very lovable. There is peril, and the need to resolve past wrongs. Without going into too many spoilers, the novel itself manages to keep up a brisk pace of action in which a significant role is played by adventuresome ladies who straddle the line between their native high-spiritedness and the rules and strictures of standards of upper-class femininity. There are a lot of secrets that are spilled or shared, and the result is a happy ending, but one that has a certain taste of melancholy or bittersweet, and with at least some unfinished business about who is to run the mine that a great deal of the heroine’s hopes and plans revolve around.

So, will you enjoy this novel? If you are reading it, you will probably enjoy it greatly. The characters here are realistic, especially by the standards of late 19th century Christian historical romance, where seemingly every available billionaire or hidden nobleman has been paired off with some worthy and adorable woman. This is not specifically a wish fulfillment novel–the main characters involved have some growing to do, sometimes make serious errors in judgment but not in terms of their moral decency. If you like a novel that combines a strong sense of divine providence with a satisfying romance and some comic hijinks involving fashion and high society in New York, this is likely a novel that will please you. When you read a Jen Turano novel, you know what you are getting and if you like what that is, you will like what you get. It would not be hard to imagine finding more than a dozen enjoyable books from this author, given how she likes to write novels out of her love of the late 1800’s, romance, fashion, and high-minded Christian morality with more than a little tinge of social justice. This happens to be an enjoyable and quirky novel, and there is always room for that in my own reading.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015/03/05/book-review-after-a-fashion/

[2] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/book-review-a-noble-masquerade/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/12/09/book-review-at-loves-bidding/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/12/08/book-review-a-love-made-new/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/03/16/book-review-treasured-grace/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/07/22/book-review-mr-darcys-daughters/

Asher Rutherford and Permilia Griswold were an absolute delight to read about. In a world of high society rules, fashions, and etiquette, they certainly provided some entertainment. I found myself connecting to Permilia instantly. I could not have dressed myself up and gone to the ball as she had. Think Cinderella meets Lucille Ball. Okay, maybe not quite Lucille Ball, but you get the picture. I found her words and actions to be hilarious!

I think what impressed me most, however, was Asher. When he described starting his company in order to spare his family I think my heart skipped a beat. The entire book I rooted for him and Permilia. First impressions don’t need to be everything, although their first encounter was just as amusing as the rest of the book. The thing about Permilia is she had a huge heart, and does not want people to be taken advantage of. Unlike her step-sister Lucy who just seems to worry about her place in society.

Basically, this is a wonderfully written story. You feel like you are there with the characters, laughing, crying, and smiling. Permilia is enduring, and makes you wish she was in your circle of friends today! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I always love getting to read a new novel by Jen Turano. I enjoy her sense of humor plus the way her heroines are generally not accepted by the high society set. That just makes the character all the more interesting to me, especially when she is as feisty and kind-hearted as Permilia Griswold. And oh, the names! Turano has a real gift for choosing unusual names for many of her characters, often names I have never heard before. Such fun!

Now motherless Permilia had spent much of her life following her father from one mining interest to another so she had not learned all the fine skills society demanded of young women. Her ineptitude earned her a position and reputation as a wallflower at society events. Not particularly interested in making a match, Permilia used her near invisibility to good use in her anonymous gossip columns. Everything changed when she overheard a sinister conversation threatening Asher Rutherford’s life. When he refused to believe her, Permilia took it upon herself to protect him – and that is where the hilarity ensued!

Although the story got off to a somewhat slow start due to all the necessary details about the Vanderbilt ball, it picked up its pace later with plenty of action and romance, laced with a bit of danger and suspense, and as always, several delightfully laugh-out-loud moments. Of course there was a surprise or two in store. Most importantly I was quite pleased to see a couple of not-so-nice characters receive their due comeuppance.

All in all, “Behind the Scenes” was another fun read that kept me engaged throughout its entirety. I am looking forward to this author’s next offering.