My Review of Caught by Surprise

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Rating: 4 Star.

Recommendation: 13 up.

My favorite character/s: Temperance and Gilbert are one of my favorite sets of Jen Turno's books! Temperance is an exciting and trying character that makes you want to knock some sense into her!

My Verse for Temperance is Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. English Standard Version.

My thoughts: This is a great book! I've read several of Mrs. Turno's books and enjoyed them very much. I can't wait for the next one!

On the opening lines of Caught by Surprise, the latest from Jen Turano, you will find Miss Temperance Flowerdew, being kidnapped on the streets of New York City as she is walking to work. You expect the details of this tale will blossom into something out of the ordinary!

When Temperance's childhood friend, Mr. Gilbert Cavendish, shows up on the scene and ends up rescuing her, you know this tale will be full of unexpected events. Especially with characters like the vivacious Temperance and the sedate and always in-control Gilbert!

Hold on until the final page to see where Temperance and Gilbert will land at the end of all of the chaos. There will be a lot of secrets revealed along the way!

I loved this book! Jen Turano’s stories always contain humor along with a storyline that completely holds your interest. I think that Temperance, the main character in this story, is my favorite character in all of Jen Turano’s books. I laughed at the dialogue between Gilbert and Temperance all the way through the book. If you are looking for a fun adventure story, this is one you won’t want to miss. This book is sweet and clean, with no foul language or embarrassing scenes.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

If you are familiar with the author you know that her characters are fun, independent and very opinionated. Well I'm talking about the women in her stories. I love how she makes them strong, funny, and at times unpredictable. Temperance is a perfect name for our main character. Her temper is quick but she knows what she wants. Now how did she find herself kidnapped ? Temperance loves adventure but I'm sure this is not what she had in mind. I laughed so hard as she is whisked away on an adventure that will keep readers entertained with her shenanigans. The author has created a character that is such fun I have decided I want to join her on her trip. She would be such a hoot to travel with.

Gilbert takes it upon himself to save the damsel in distress. Has anyone told Gilbert that Temperance can handle herself just fine? He is in for some real fun and games as he travels with Temperance. I loved when Gilbert asked Temperance, " You'll stay out of trouble?' Oh Temperance you have stolen my heart with your full of life heart and adventure that will send you on a journey you will not expect.

Now lets examine this tangled tale before we go any further in the story. Did you miss the part where Temperance was kidnapped, but the wrong woman was kidnapped. So who was the real person who was to be kidnapped and why? Gilbert is so focused on marrying Temperance to keep people from talking about why they were traveling on the train together, that he forgot to investigate why it even happened in the first place. Now on to the story folks. I see a mystery has emerged and it is getting good. Someone is not telling the truth and just what are they hiding? Is it time to take this kidnapping serious? Well I for one want to tell Temperance to watch her back. Something fishy is going on and it doesn't look good for Temperance right now.

One of the best parts of the entire story is the tug of war between Temperance and Gilbert. He is all for protecting her and, well we know Temperance. She is fighting him all the way. Just a little advice, Temperance, I love your independence, but for goodness sake let the poor man protect you. I don't know why but they remind me of Lucy and Ricky. I am enjoying every moment of this book and love how gifted the author is by giving us characters we can laugh with, cheer for and pray with.

This story is filled with intrigue, is unpredictable and danger lurking around every corner. Can Temperance and Gilbert solve the mystery before they get hurt? Why are family members out to get them? It's getting harder to trust family members when they seem to be deceitful. Don't miss this great adventure that will keep you entertained while trying to unravel the mystery surrounding Temperance.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Bethany House. The review is my own opinion.

Caught by Surprise
Jen Turano

Temperance Flowerdew gets snatched off the streets of New York, drugged, and stuffed in a coffin. When she wakes, hours later, she overhears her captors talking about her fate over the clickity-clack of train wheels. Something has gone terribly wrong.

Ever since her parents’ deaths, her circumstances have gone from bad to worse. Since the return of her best friend, Gilbert Cavendish, to New York City’s social scene a few months ago, Temperance realized she’d lost a part of herself. In setting out to discover herself again, she’d obviously taken a wrong turn. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be nailed in a coffin arguing with her captors.

Gilbert Cavendish (the second son of a British earl) has his life figured out. His trusty secretary schedules his every move, and he spends his time efficiently making money. All that gets thrown out the door when Fanny Flowerdew comes to his home to beg that he take the next train to Chicago to rescue her kidnapped daughter, Miss Clementine Flowerdew.

Always the gentleman, Gilbert agrees to step in during Mr. Flowerdew’s absence. A quick trip to Chicago should set all to rights and then he can return to business as usual.

Only nothing goes as planned. He finds Temperance, not Clementine, in Chicago. When Clementine’s aunt discovers the two of them together unchaperoned, Gilbert knows he’ll have to offer for Temperance’s hand. The only problem? She doesn’t seem inclined to accept his offer. He thinks friendship would make the perfect foundation for a happy marriage.

With the help of his friends, Harrison Sinclair and Asher Rutherford, Gilbert sets out to convince Temperance that they’d make the perfect couple. And time seems to slip out of control, because someone wants her…or him…dead.

Jen Turano does it again with another fast-paced romp through the Gilded-Age of New York. Readers will feel as breathless as a dashing damsel wearing a corset and a bustle as they follow the twists and turns of Temperance and Gilbert’s story. Well-developed characters and witty dialogue round out the story. Readers of Turano’s other wallflower tales will enjoy this final edition.

I always really love Jen Turano’s books because they incorporate the best humor into everyday events. This particular book once again introduced laughter among each scene. I enjoyed the added element of danger and mystery in the plot. And it was fun to see Temperance, previously shy and reserved, come out of her shell and let her fun personality shine. I liked the romance that started out as restoring a good friendship and then blossoming into something more. I think the ending worked out a little too perfectly, but nonetheless, I enjoyed the book overall. I definitely recommend this book!

Turano is an author I read when I need a light-hearted romance that's full of quirks and laughs. This book was no exception. In fact, I think it was my favorite in the Wall Flower series, but I'd have to go back and reread the other two to say for sure. Actually, this book made me want to go and reread the last one. You could read this without reading the others, but it wouldn't nearly be as fun, and you'd probably get lost as to why people were orange, and why coats are being laid over the mud, and things like that.

Temperance was great. I love how she decided to stop hiding who she used to be and to embrace her life. She was a very practical no nonsense nonsensical person :) She certainly had a great attitude when she got snatched off the streets.

Gilbert was fun in his list making ways. I like that he came to the realization that they would suit more quickly than Temperance did. It always made me laugh when he started another list. They really were great for each other.

I will say that, like most of Turano's books, the mystery part was a little over the top. I just expect it when I read her work so it doesn't bother me. However, if you aren't used to it and aren't a fan of it, this book definitely goes above and beyond with the resolution of everything. But again...it's fun, it's quirky, it's light-hearted, and it's clean. If that's what you are looking for, give this one a shot.

A delightful book. Another winner. I have always love Jen Turano's books and this one does not disaapoint. It is humourous, mysterious and intriguing book. I highly recommend this book

While Caught by Surprise is a well written book, I found myself having trouble getting into the story. I personally found it to drag, and found myself skipping ahead (something I rarely do). The majority of the book is dialogue and that dialogue also just felt very stilted and unreal to me. It was hard for me to connect to the characters.

Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Story Notes

Jen Turano lends her sharp wit and excellent writing to the final installment of her Apart from the Crowd series which brings a story of hilarious adventure on the journey to find true love in the most unexpected place – right in front of you.

Jen Turano’s delightful stories have been favorites of mine for several years. I love her way of writing with sharp and piercing wit that truly makes me laugh aloud. Her characters are well developed and carry the very essence of real people in real situations, though hopefully they are not in the danger that seems to follow the most recent young ladies of her focus. And her way of weaving faith throughout the pages of her writings is very natural and yet central to the makeup of her characters. Her latest heroine is a young woman with the interesting name of Temperance Flowerdew, who is the unwelcome ward of her father’s cousin after the untimely death of her parents several years past. Having removed herself to the home of Mrs. Snook to help with her school, Temperance is enjoying her new found freedom and the chance to earn her own living, however small. While out on an errand one afternoon, Temperance is suddenly grabbed from the street and forced into a carriage where she is knocked out with Chloroform and nailed inside a coffin. From there begins the hilarity that is so prevelent in Ms. Turano’s books along with the quiet love story that is also present in her writings. As Temperance seeks to find out who took her and why she will find help from her former best friend Gilbert Cavendish, whom she hasn’t seen in several years. But Gilbert is his usual logical self and when they find themselves in a compromising situation without a chaperon, Gilbert suggests marriage. Unwilling to tie either of them to a marriage without love, Temperance laughs at his suggestion and determines rather to discover the culprit of this kidnapping and what it means for her now. Gilbert is upset that Temperance is so casual about her reputation and determines in his mind that he will convince Temperance to marry him so she will be cared for as she should. But Temperance is adamant in her refusal of him unless he were to fall in love with her, but Gilbert has never seen Temperance as a romantic partner before now. As they spend more time together discovering who is responsible for all this trouble and why, both will find that the love they had been looking for all along is right in front of them. They will also see that falling in love is not a tragical giving up of one’s own freedom but a chance to find an even better life alongside your very best friend. If you are looking for a wonderful read that will leave you smiling, laughing and rolling your eyes in turn, this is the story for you. I never find myself disappointed in the writing style and the vocabulary that is used in Ms. Turano’s books and love to see where her characters will go next. There is no predicting what will happen in each story except to say that there will be sarcasm, sharp wit and a love story that will make you believe in love, although not in the most conventional of ways. Ms. Turano’s inclusion of faith and its importance to daily life also lends excellence to this story. She always includes a faith journey for one or both of her main characters and it makes me reflect on my own faith to see if there is a lesson I can learn as well. I will most certainly highly recommend this story and the series to others as I am positive they will be as entertained as I have been. I am hopeful Ms. Turano will have a new book or series available soon as I truly enjoy each story she creates.

I received this E-Book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Another amazing book by Jen Turano! I can always count on having fits of laughter while reading her books. I loved the interaction between the characters across the series and the adventures. Can’t wait to read more of Jen’s books.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review."

Jen Turano’s books make me laugh out loud and for me personally that is a very rare and desirable quality in a book. While set in a historical era, Turano’s characters carry a modern day flair for freedom, independence and disregard for strict protocol, which is part of what makes her stories so comical.

In this book there are multiple plot lines of mystery and mayhem as Gilbert and Temperance discover what is really important in life.

While this book is part of a series and reading the previous books will give you a much broader view of the characters, Caught By Surprise could be read as a stand alone novel.

I received a free digital galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, so many twists and turns in this story. Once again Jen produced a wonderful book. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publershers. Can’t wait for the next book.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series from book one so I was excitedly anticipating this third book in the series. Temperance was such a fascinating character in the first two books, but I never expected the transformation she would undergo in this book! This book was a treat from start to finish. I loved pretty much every interaction Temperance had with every other character in the book; her wit was fantastic! I did see most of the twists and turns coming, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment at all. I just looked forward to how she would react when they happened! While there was a spiritual component to this book, I did wish it had gone a bit deeper.

Caught By Surprise by Jen Turano was the first taste I had of Ms. Turano's writing, and I definitely will look for her works again as I greatly admired the humor, adventure, mystery, intrigue, and depth of the characters included in her writing.  This work is the third in Ms. Turano's series Apart from the Crowd, and even though I had not read the first two books in this series, I easily picked up on the characters and storyline. 

Caught By Surprise tells the hilarious, adventurous, and sweet story of a young woman, Temperance Flowerdew who is snatched off her feet from the streets of New York City on her way to work.  Temperance was on her way to Miss Snook's School for the Education of the Feminine Mind, where she was teaching other women the fine skills of painting and art, yet she never made it due to her unfortunate abduction.  What an excuse to miss work!  Temperance is whisked away from New York City, getting knocked out by some means, and then wakes up to find herself on a train bound for Chicago with her abductors! 
Then, the secondary character, Mr. Gilbert Cavendish enters the scene with answering a  desperate plea from Temperance's Aunt Fanny to rescue Temperance's cousin, Miss Clementine, whom has been abducted.  He is unaware that there was unfortunate mix-up in identity....the abductors had snatched the wrong Miss Flowerdew!  Gilbert tracks the abducted woman to Chicago, and finds Temperance, his childhood friend, instead of her cousin, Clementine.  While Temperance managed to free herself from her abductors, Gilbert and Temperance soon are trapped by their strange circumstances, and due to their being seen together in a hotel without a chaperone, they are pressured into a forced engagement. What a strange situation to find themselves in!      

Miss Temperance Flowerdew is anything but the typical protagonist, as an orphaned young woman stubbornly independent and fending for herself in the late nineteenth century in New York City.  Temperance, I have to say, is one of my favorite fictional characters that I have encountered, especially with her very relatable nature, as well as her humorous mishaps, almost unbelievable poor luck, whimsical charm, and love for the arts.  Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is a polite, charming, and almost obsessively orderly gentleman.  He adds a great deal of balance to Temperance's wild charm, but will the friends realize that their friendship runs much deeper before it is too late? Will they be able to survive the many different violent attacks and events that seem to be following them?        

Just a sidenote, I have to say, what perfect names Ms. Turano chose for the characters, especially as they seem to fit perfectly in the time period as well as to each character's personality.  The only critical comment that I can make regarding this work is the situation where Temperance is explaining her situation to Gilbert once in Chicago, the phrasing and wording seems slightly awkward and protracted.  However, that may be the feeling that was meant to be portrayed.  Overall, I greatly enjoyed this work and hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy reading Ms. Turano's book.  It is a sweet and comedic tale of love, adventure, friendship, hardship, and mystery.

I’m usually a huge fan of Jen Turano’s witty dialogue and bordering-on-ridiculous plots. But Caught by Surprise didn’t work for me. It has many strengths: strong characters who are definitely individuals. Quirky individuals. A romance plot. A mystery/suspense subplot. Plenty of humour. A Christian message that’s clear yet understated and not at all preachy. All delivered in Jen Turano’s unique writing style.

And yet it didn’t work for me.
This could be a sign of the times. #MeToo remains in the news, and it’s hard to find anything amusing about a society that forced a man and woman to marry simply because they’d been caught in a compromising position. (Specifically, being together for longer than a millisecond without a chaperone).

Sure, Gilbert Cavendish believed he was doing the honourable thing in offering to marry Temperance Flowerdew. But that’s only because he was being portrayed as an honourable man. It’s not much of a stretch to see a woman in a similar situation being forced to marry her abuser. Or (as almost happened) an honourable man being forced into marriage with a naive young woman being manipulated by selfish parents, sacrificing her at the altar of their position in society and requirement for an influx of cash to boost their coffers.

Maybe I’m overthinking this.
But then we get to Alice and Charles Cavendish. This subplot also had uncomfortable #MeToo echoes. We don’t know the history behind their relationship. We only know that Charles is old enough to be Alice’s father and they somehow got married (another overambitious father, perhaps?), only to discover they loathe each other.

Sure, that wasn’t uncommon for the time (witness the marriage of Mr Collins and Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice). But did Alice choose to marry Charles, or was she forced? Or was it the marriage of a flighty young girl blinded by the idea of being a countess, and not realising that meant providing the aging earl with the obligatory heir and a spare?

Leaving these issues aside, I also found the breakneck pace and non-stop dialogue left me feeling as though there was never time to breathe.
Things kept happening. (This is a novel,so things happening is good.) But there was never a chance to have a break and gather my thoughts and decide if Temperance and Gilbert were really meant to be together. They both seem to have come to that conclusion, as does everyone of their (fictional) aquaintance, but I’m not convinced.

Oh, I’m sure they’ll have an eventful marriage and I’m all for marriages based on friendship that builds into love (as opposed to attraction that builds into lust). But perhaps that was what was missing—the tripping from friendship into attraction. After all, it takes both to build a successful marriage. I suspect it was in there.

But it was buried beneath that non-stop dialogue and breakneck pace. Not to mention plenty of misunderstandings and bullets.
Jen Turano fans will want to buy and read this to round out the series. But those who haven’t read and loved Behind the Scenes and Out of the Ordinary will probably prefer to begin at the beginning. Otherwise they have very little chance of following the quirks of the many characters in Caught by Surprise.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Caught by Surprise is the third novel and final novel in Jen Turano's Apart from the Crowd series, aka the Wallflower girls as I like to think of them. All of the novels in this series can be read separately, but you certainly will have the most understanding about the backgrounds of the supporting characters in this novel if you read them in order. Caught by Surprise was an entertaining read, with secret villains, incompetent criminals, lip-reading spinsters, and lots of almost-lists. The plot moved at an appropriate pace and held unexpected twists and turns that took me a little while to figure out.

I enjoyed the dialogue between characters, particularly between Mercy and her brother at the beginning, as well as the verbal sparring between Temperance and Gilbert throughout the novel. It was fun to see how characters from the previous novels were interspersed as well, which allowed the reader to see how their lives had progressed from the other books. I also liked watching both Gilbert and Temperance work to discover both their similarities and differences and learn to embrace change the habits they had adopted in the decade or so before. One thing I would have liked to see more of was a better weaving of having faith and trust in God into the story. It was there a little bit, but it almost seemed like He was there to act as a blanket acceptance of whatever the characters chose to do. I know that was not the intent, but I think the characters' faith could have been expressed clearer without that impression. Overall, however, I thought this novel was a light and enjoyable summer read, and it was amusing to get to know the characters over the course of the three novels.

I received this novel from Jen Turano and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano

Mystery, attempted murder and mayhem

My rating is 4.5 stars

Temperance couldn’t care less that her reputation could end up in tatters after the compromising situation she and Gilbert were found in. (After all, it is the 1880’s and being found outside a hotel alone with a man is scandalous!) She wants much more than a marriage to avoid scandal. Even if said marriage is with her best friend since childhood. She wants love and romance and adventure! How in the world would that be possible with straight-laced, rule-following Gilbert?

I loved Gilbert and the way he was so confounded by Temperance declining his proposal. Err, suggestion. After all, what matters more than doing what is expected and avoiding stirring up gossip and scandal? The poor man was pulled out of his comfort zone so many times in this story.

Temperance was delightful. With her artistic nature and love of freedom, romance and adventure, she may have appeared a bit flighty, but she was truly resilient, having overcome quite a bit of hardship. Her zeal for life and the way she threw herself so completely into each thing she did made her very endearing. Her stubborn nature and temper not so much. Except to Gilbert, when he was honest with himself.

This story was full of whimsical adventure, ridiculous situations (I mean that in a good way), mystery, attempted murder and plenty of mayhem. The bumbling criminals and devious relatives added to the interest. Characters from the previous books of the series played large parts in this story in a very welcome way. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the story.

My only criticism was that the epilogue had too many loose ends to tie up and ended up cramming what appeared to be too many things into a short chapter. It seemed out of place with the delightful way the rest of the story was told.

While it appears this may be the last of the books in this series, I am looking forward to whatever this author writes next.


This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

Miss Temperance Flowerdew, the most timid of the put-upon wallflowers of the Apart From the Crowd series, has decided to throw off her mild-mannered ways and return to the adventure-seeking nature of her youth. As the unwitting catalyst for this change, her childhood friend Mr. Gilbert Cavendish, is on hand to recommence the saving of Temperance from the mishaps that seem to befall her constantly. First up, a kidnapping and the ensuing scandal.

Now, it isn’t without issues but in the hands of a different author this might just be typical historical romance fodder. But here we have a heroine who is happy in her independence and a hero who is a bit too quick to propose that she give it up. Are there predictable elements to this story? Sure, but that doesn't take away from the sweetness of their slightly protracted romance and the resolutions of the different story threads.

If you are a fan of Jen Turano and the Apart from the Crowd series, you'll enjoy the reappearance of quite a few characters. If you have not yet read any of this series, I would recommend reading them in order despite their ability to stand on their own. While it doesn't topple book 2, Out of the Ordinary, as my favorite Jen Turano so far, this was a fun and enjoyable read with that combination of faith, humor, adventure and sweet romance that keeps me wanting more.

This review refers to a NetGalley e-galley read courtesy of the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Caught by Surprise
by Jen Turano
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 31 Jul 2018
I am reviewing Caught By Surprise through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:



Temperance Flowerdew is headed to work when she is grabbed off the street by a stranger. The stranger then sends her off on a Chicago Bound train before she can make sense of any of it.


Mr Gilbert Cavendish is then called to rescue a woman who was sent on a Chicago bound train. He follows the trail only to discover it is his good friend Miss Temperance Flowerdew. Before they are able to discover who is behind the abduction, they are seen alone together by a New York Society Matron, which puts their reputation at risk.



Gilbert is willing to propose marriage to Temperance but she wants none of it because she finally has Independence and won't let that go. Except now the misunderstanding in Chicago has come to New York and her vary life may be in danger? Can accepting Gilbert's proposal save her life and give her more than she ever dreamed?


I give Caught By Surprise five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!