Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano is a face-paced and delightful romance that is sure to be a favourite for those who like historical romances.

​The author has created a rather precocious character in Permilia Griswold who was somewhat of a chatter-box and too curious for her own good. When she overhears a murder plot about Asher Rutherford (her complete opposite) she sets out to protect him and the results are quite funny. This is by no means a serious read, but one that is good at producing a chuckle or two.

While the book did not have God or faith as a central theme (more as an after thought) it was still a good read. The secondary characters are as delightful as the main ones. The sisters Henrietta and Mabel leave one wondering about their sanity, but are so funny they are endearing. I love how the author used mystery and humour to keep me guessing until the end. Overall, this was a charming book, full of humour, a little romance and a mystery to keep the reader involved to the end.

Behind the Scenes – Jen Turano

What a fun book! I love Jen Turano and her humor. This is book one in the Apart from the Crowd series. Miss Permilla Griswold isn’t your typical rich girl. As a matter of fact, she is quite the opposite. She was raised by her father, and then by a not so great stepmother. She has a heart for helping others. She also has a secret, which I won’t share. She has been “put on the shelf” and has accepted her fate.
Mr. Asher Rutherford is accepted into society even though he owns a department store. Permilla and Asher’s lives intersect in quite an interesting way.
This book is full of quirky humor like Turano’s other books. The characters are super fun!
Read this book.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I have really enjoyed this series of books. They are entertaining, engaging and encouraging!! I would definitely recommend this to other fiction readers!

I love this book. The names are unique. I will be putting a full author review on my blog and I will return here when published.

A delightfully strong heroine who does not fit into society and remains unbothered by it. Great humour and a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I'm a huge fan of Jen Turano's work. She brings the nineteenth century to life for my imagination. She creates rich characters who go against the norm and conventions for women. While I adore the cover for her newest release Behind the Scenes, I couldn't wait to dive in and read Permilia's story. With an introduction to the high society of New York City in 1883, I was drawn into the story right away.

The writing is clear and concise. I had no problem imaging the Vanderbilt's estate with all of high society dressed up in their costumes as they partied the night away. Turano does a great job at researching what these people wore. What is acceptable behavior, dances, and clothes. The story flowed well from her research, inviting me to wander along with Permilia and Asher.

The pace of the story took a while to capture my attention. The story starts out with Permilia headed to the Vanderbilt costume party with her step-sister and step-mother. For a long time, it was just the details of the party and the wall flowers, so I kept praying the entire novel was not this dull. I understand this laid the ground work for the story, but the party took up the first thirty percent of the novel. That is one long party. But after leaving the party, the rest of the novel picks up pace and ends in a unpredictable mystery that I didn't see coming. The mystery ending did write very well, and Turano did include moments where Asher and Permilia were shot at and running from the bad guys, so this was definitely written a lot better than most historical mysteries I have read.

The characters of Permilia and Asher were different because of their ability to stand on what they believed. Permilia is a Daddy's girl who worked with her father in the mines until her remarried to Ida, her step-mother, than her father wanted her to understand the rules of high society and join them. Permilia felt out of place. Something I can totally relate to. Since she is a member of the wallflowers and hides out the outskirts at these social engagements, she can observe and take notes for the world to read. I enjoy her strong behavior and knowing what she wants. Permilia doesn't let the opinions of others affect how she runs her life. As for Asher, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but as I learned later on, his family lost their fortune, so Asher used his business sense to open a successful mercenary in town. The only one in town that employed woman. He saw woman as important to the success of the business world, not as a hindrance.

Romance between Asher and Permilia was not the main focus of the story but of course, it did develop through the story. I enjoyed how Turano didn't have all these unrealistic feelings internally struggling between Asher and Permilia. I'm glad she allowed their relationship to grow and blossom just like the characters did.

Behind the Scenes is an original story with richly developed characters who are trying to mingle along the wealthy and avoid death at the hands of some crazy people. Fans of Jen Turano's other two series should pick up this exciting introduction to her new series and be prepared for a well-written story worth savoring.

I received a complimentary copy of Jen Turano's Behind the Scenes from Bethany House Publishers and the opinions stated are all my own.

A sweeping historical romance! I love Jen Turano's writing style, which is so gripping right from page one. In Behind the Scenes, the murder plot lends just the right amount of intrigue to keep us turning pages and the characters throughout the story are extremely well-drawn. I'm glad to be reminded of this author and look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing avid fans of Jen Turano to read and review her novels in advance of their release -- and to not have to wait for April! As usual, a lovely, lively, and entertaining confection of a read from Jen Turano. I would compare this novel to "Divinity" which is a fantastic delightful candy. Like Divinity, this read is a frothy, light, slightly nutty, and an altogether enjoyable treat! I love forward to Jen Turano's next historical romance and highly recommend Behind the Scenes!