Behind the Scenes

 Author: Jen Turano
Genre: Historical Romance

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. . . .

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

​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.

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