Playing the Part (Mar. 1, 2016) by Jen Turano.*
Being an actress
in 1882 does not have the coveted reputation it does in 2016, but that doesn’t
mean that there aren’t sought-after actresses. Indeed, Lucetta Plum is one of
the most sought-after actresses in New York City. Unfortunately, the attention
of a certain individual is not only unwanted but threatening enough where she
leaves the city for Ravenwood. Ravenwood is “a castle, located in Tarrytown,
along the Hudson River.” It comes complete with a moat and the owner of said
castle is Abigail Hart’s grandson, Bram Haverstein. Naturally, Abigail
accompanies Lucetta to Ravenwood as her chaperone. Others pop up as well,
including Mr. Skukman (Lucetta’s bodyguard), Mr. Kenton (Abigail’s loyal
butler), Mr. Archibald Addleshaw (a good friend of Abigail’s) and a bevy of
neighborhood women.
It turns out that Bram is secretly
fascinated by Lucetta, though the picture of Lucetta-the-actress that he’s
painted in his mind turns out to be very different than Lucetta-the-person. The
more he learns about Lucetta, the more he wants to know her, but he’s got a
secret that no one but him and his staff – all with very interesting
backgrounds – know about. And while Lucetta thinks that butterflies in the
stomach and hearts all a-flutter are ridiculous, she’s experiencing just that around
Bram. Does Bram care for the person Lucetta is and not the demure, weepy
characters she plays onstage? What is Bram’s big secret? Can Lucetta be saved
from the obsessive fan who wants her merely as a possession, a plaything? And
why is the gatehouse a mausoleum?
For anyone who thinks Christian
historical fiction is meek or uninteresting needs to pick up a book by Jen Turano.
Faith in her story is never overwhelming; therefore, it reinforces the tale
instead of deters from it. Turano shows no qualms about creating Lucetta as a
character whose faith has been floundering, and I love that. We’ve all had
those moments where we lacked faith, so why not a main character as well? It
makes Lucetta more relatable, despite her beauty, intelligence, independence
and upbringing. Likewise, Bram is a character of note, and I appreciated
watching him transition from a man with a “traditional” view of women of the
time to a man with a progressive purview and admiration for a woman of great
mind. This is another terrific novel from Turano with a good plot and splendid
characters. Subtle romance is there, and humor is in tasteful supply. Super
highly recommend!