"After a Fashion" by Jen Turano

After a Fashion (Mar. 3, 2015) by Jen Turano.*

In an era (it’s NYC in 1882) when it’s difficult to be an independent woman of self-supporting means, Miss Harriet Peabody works hard. Having no father and a deceased mother, a year has passed since she left the clutches of her confidence-scheming aunt (she’s a con artist) and secured employment from a local milliner. It’s a respectable job, and she adores the fashion industry, plus she’s adept at sewing garments and hats. She’s innovative as well, trying to perfect a collapsible bustle, and kind-hearted, wanting to someday open a shop selling refashioned gowns to other working women like herself who can’t afford gowns from the likes of Arnold Constable & Co. in the elite Ladies’ Mile district.

            Harriet’s employment comes to an abrupt halt when she has the great misfortune of delivering hats to Mr. Oliver Addleshaw’s not-fiancée. Knowing that she is now unemployed and assuming (wrongly) that she’s desperate for any new employment, Oliver eventually enlists her help by presenting her as his fiancée for appearance’s sake when meeting with a business partner, the Duke of Westmoore. It is a business partnership only. Which is fine by Harriet, as she’ll never really fit into Oliver’s world of wealth, prestige, fancy dinners and elegant balls. She’s a fraud wearing expensive garments, but that’s a trifle compared to the fake relationship the two are in. After all, the relationship is just for business purposes, right?

            As a reader who’s enjoyed all four books in Turano’s ‘Ladies of Distinction’ series, and a fan of the author’s because of them, I looked tremendously toward this new novel. I was not disappointed. I liked the “business partnership” that Turano incorporated into the story to keep Harriet and Oliver involved in each other’s lives. I always love that her female characters aren’t damsels-in-distress, but ladies who seem to value independence and independent thinking. Of course, we expect a romance to develop, but this story isn’t just about two people falling in love. It’s also a tale wrapped in business, mayhem, charm, wit’s end and trickery. It’s posh lifestyle versus life just scraping by. It’s trusting in God and finding that trust again. And at the center of it all are two imperfect people from two very different walks of life and a strong cast of supporting characters, also diverse in their current predicaments and upbringings. Highly recommend!

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”