Jen Turano: Meeting Her Match

By Kelly Bridgewater

Miss Camilla Pierpont, a renowned matchmaker and influential member of the New York Four Hundred, has vowed never to marry after suffering a devastating heartbreak during her debut years ago. However, when she is nearly abducted along the Hudson River, she finds herself rescued by an annoyingly outspoken, albeit fascinating, gentleman who challenges her in a manner she wasn't expecting.

After learning that Camilla Pierpont has enjoyed success with taking wayward young ladies in hand, Mr. Owen Chesterfield travels to the Hudson River Valley determined to convince Camilla to sponsor his sister, who is in desperate need of social rehabilitation.

Knowing her life is in danger, Camilla agrees to Owen's proposition and travels with him to West Virginia, finding herself charmed by the less-than-formal attitude of his small hometown, as well as by Owen himself. But danger waits in the shadows, disrupting what she knows would be the most spectacular match she's ever made--her own.

 

My Thoughts:

I love Jen Turano’s stories. I have read all of them and enjoyed majority of them. However, Meeting Her Match was different than her previous series. It does fit well into her Matchmaking series. A lot of dialogue explaining the feelings and what has occurred in the past to convince Camila to help Owen’s sister become proper enough to enter society and be presented into the Four Hundred Society. There were funny moments with a pig, a dog, and a cat. There were funny moments with whitewashing a fence. I did enjoy the cast of characters in Owen's families. With their help, Camilia learned that what others think of you is not that important as what you think of yourself. Near the end of the novel, the action did pick up, and became more of what I expected from Turano’s stories. Speaking of the romance, Owen and Camila did not like each other and pretended to be betrothed to help his sister, but then of course, sparks began to fly, and the romance was off to the races. Overall, Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano captured the wild wealthy world of West Virginia and brought into falling literally into the world for the Four Hundred in New York City. I can’t wait to read her next series.

I received a complimentary copy of Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Meeting Her Match

Jen Turano: To Spark a Match

 By Kelly Bridgewater

"Turano takes readers on a lighthearted romp through matchmaking season . . . . This is a delight."--Publishers Weekly on A Match in the Making

After five unsuccessful Seasons on the marriage mart, Miss Adelaide Duveen has resigned herself to the notion that she's destined to remain a spinster forever--a rather dismal prospect, but one that will allow her to concentrate on her darling cats and books. However, when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue that resembles the plots in the spy novels she devours.

Former intelligence agent Gideon Abbott feels responsible for Adelaide after society threatens to banish her because of the distraction she caused to save his investigation. Hoping to return the favor, he turns to a good friend--and one of high society's leaders--to take Adelaide in hand and turn her fashionable. When danger surrounds them and Adelaide finds herself a target of the criminals in Gideon's case, the spark of love between them threatens to be quenched for good--along with their lives.

 

My Thoughts:

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano carries a mystery wrapped in a matchmaking bow. The heroine, Adelaide, is a riot. She is always in a sticky situation especially when the hero, Gideon, is around. How so many odd situations happen to one person is beyond me. But Turano does a wonderful job at crafting a character with heart who honestly does not care what the Four Hundred think of her. Even when she is “accepted”, Adelaide does things like taking two wallflowers to sit at her table at a ball, that they usually frown upon. I love the idea of the bookstore and the trouble that it brings to the plot. Gideon, on the other hand, sparks with charm as he does not admit to himself that he actually finds Adelaide’s mishaps adorable. The setting is nicely handled. I would love to visit some of the remaining Four Hundred homes just to tour them and see them wrapped in nicely tuned history. Overall, Jen Turano crafted another novel in her romantic comedy style that features a funny heroine who always ends up in hilarious situations, but always the love of the two people always wins in the end. If readers are not familiar with Turano’s writing, then I highly suggest picking up any of her books.

I received a complimentary copy of To Spark by Match by Jen Turano from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Purchase To Spark a Match

Jen Turano: A Match in the Making

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Miss Gwendolyn Brinley accepted a temporary paid companion position for the Newport summer season, believing it would be a lark to spend the summer in America's most exclusive town. She suddenly finds her summer turning anything but amusing when her employer expects her to take over responsibilities as an assistant matchmaker. Tasked with the daunting prospect of attaining advantageous matches for her clients, Gwendolyn soon finds herself in the employ of Mr. Walter Townsend, the catch of the Season, but a gentleman Gwendolyn finds beyond irritating.

Walter Townsend is reluctantly in search of a wife for the sake of his unruly motherless children who cannot keep a governess for long. What he wasn't expecting was Miss Brinley, an amateur matchmaker who turns his quest for a new wife into a complete and utter debacle. Constantly besieged by society ladies on a mission to win his affection, Walter must find a way to overcome their inundating attention--and his unexpected attraction toward Gwendolyn.

The more time they spend together throughout the Newport Season, the harder it is for Gwendolyn to find Walter a wife when she realizes his perfect match might be . . . her.

 

My Thoughts:

A Match in the Making by Jen Turano features the Matchmaking unit during the Season in Newport beach. At first, the story centers around Gwendolyn who is trying to make something of her life. Walter and Gwendolyn meet and of course, butt heads right away. Plenty of moments that make you laugh. A near drowning experience. A horse. A Rat in a church. Turano does feature many fabulous moments that make her stories's comedic. The romance is not the top priority of the plot since Gwendolyn is hired to be the matchmaker, but circumstances occur that change that. The plot is a little dry at times, which I have never found in a Turano novel. Usually her stories have me flipping through the story at a rapid pace because I am so engrossed in the lives of the characters and the plot. Her writing style is nicely described and detailed. I have never been to Newport Beach, but it sounded lovely. I would love to see the old homes and learn more about their history. Overall, A Match in the Making by Jen Turano was a little slow to enter into the story, but I still will want this novel to join Turano's library of all her books.

I received a complimentary copy of A Match in the Making by Jen Turano through Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase A Match in the Making

About the Author:

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.