Behind the Scenes

Apart from the Crowd, Book 1

By: Jen Turano

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Start of a delightful new series from historical romance author Jen Turano.

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....

©2017 Jen Turano (P)2017 Two Words Publishing

Extremely Entertaining!

Warning...this book will make you laugh out loud!
I absolutely adore Permilla Griswold! I loved the detailed descriptions of the clothing, the rooms, the people. I loved the "wallflowers!"
Oh, and the handsome gentleman Mr. Asher Rutherford. Have a fainting couch at the ready, he is swoon-worthy.
I loved this book!
*Sorry for the short review, I got Out of The Ordinary on Audible and HAD to listen to it right away.

Delightful, clean, and witty.

This is the first book of Jen Turano, that I have come across. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. She was able to write about a strong women caricature, and still put a sweet love story in there too. This book has humor, lovable caricatures, a love story, and a mystery too. It's also very clean. I'm very excited to have found this author! I hope she will continue to have more of her books made into audiobook form!!!
I received this book for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

Charming story...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would. I really enjoyed listening to this book. I've always enjoyed historical fiction and this one was no exception. It was a very charming story.

What other book might you compare Behind the Scenes to and why?

I am not sure. I can definitely say that I found the story to be very chaste and engaging. I recall laughing out loud several times and it definitely improved my commute.

Which character – as performed by Lauren Ezzo – was your favorite?

I liked the main character the best but she did a great job on the male voices, I know that sometimes it's hard to do that well, but she was excellent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Faith and diligence always leads to success.

Any additional comments?

You don't have to be a Christian to enjoy this book, but I found that it re-enforced my faith as I've also seen God's influence in my own life. This was a very enjoyable listen and greatly helped my commute.

Great book

The book was light hearted and very funny. I really enjoyed it and the narration was excellent.

Enchanting

This story was so much fun. You will love the female lead and laugh out loud.

The Gilded Age!

A titter here, a grin there, and several outright guffaws later I found myself absolutely delighted not only with the narrative but the narration (by Lauren Ezzo). Barons of Industry provide the wealth but the Knickerbocker Set wields as much power in New York as ever did the ton in London. No titles, but prominent hostesses hold sway and the fit and style of a gown and the bloodlines of its owner remain fodder for gossip. Our heroine Permilia is a confirmed Wall Flower who would rather be helping her father manage his mines than finding a spouse. A suffragist and strong supporter of women's equality, she nonetheless becomes tongue-tied in the presence of society gentlemen. Spicing the action is a murder plot, tours of the Vanderbilt mansion, and a mad-cap ride in a dumb waiter. In fact the whole story is a delightful mad-cap ride with a sweet Christian twist!

Turano brings one back to Wholesome Shows

Okay, I admit. I read the first two books out of order. Oops! But, I still enjoyed hearing how Asher and Permilia got together. How Gertrude met Harrison and Mr. MacParland. Plus the back story of Henrietta and her sister.

Ms. Turano weaves a fun tall which includes humor, mystery, and romance. Her leading characters are satisfyingly well developed. And I enjoy her feisty leading ladies (and their endearing silly quirks). I also liked how, at the end, everyone is gathered and the mystery is revealed.

I already remarked in my review of book 2, Out of the Ordinary, that I found Ms. Ezzo's style for this series distracting (too many gasps). That said, here's what I liked about the narration. Ms. Ezzo's pacing (pauses) was perfect. While, I still could not tell the difference when Asher/Harrison, or Permilia/Gertrude/Lucy spoke, I could tell when young versus older characters spoke and male vs females spoke. Plus, Ms. Turano writes in a way that it doesn't take long to figure out who is in a scene.

This story didn't have as many silly situations, that caused for a chuckle, as book 2. This also allowed for me to enjoy each scene as it played along. Ms. Ezzo's clear narration voice is very enjoyable to listen to. The production was also nicely done.

Overall, I found Ms. Ezzo's captured the upper class style of Ms. Turano's characters extremely well. I can see why she chose the style of narration. It's just not for me.

I still see classic and classy actresses like Audrey Hepburn playing out these scenes. I would definitely recommend both author and narrator for future works.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook. I wrote this review as a thank you to both the author/publisher and narrator.

Sweet, funny and delightful

Set in New York, Permilia overhears is an independent, outspoken young lady who has no problem speaking her mind whether it's proper or not. Asher Rutherford, a high born man, whose family suffered a financial blow, struggled to keep them out of poverty by becoming a businessman and made a big. It was at a masquerade ball that Permillia overhears a plot to kill Asher and thus it begins. This story will make you laugh time and time again. A sweet and delightful love story you will enjoy. Whether you prefer to listen to the story--the narrator did a great job-- or read it yourself, you will truly enjoy this novel.

Love it

I loved the twists and turns of this story. I also love that it didn't contain perfect families.

So enjoyable

Jen Turano Has’s to be one of the funniest authors she has brought to life. The most funniest situation that could really be true
These strong women and their hilarious adventures are so funny. How does she come up with this? It is amazing to sit and read or listen on Audible and laugh and laugh and laugh. She is just a joyous author she has been given a gift from God not everyone can bring such humor to bless the lives of others
Thank you Jen