Thursday, January 22, 2015

A Change of Fortune (By: Jen Turano)


A Change of Fortune
By: Jen Turano

Hello friends! Do you have a list of books that are waiting to be read? We sure do - it seems there are just too many books and too little time! 

I (Michelle) have a list of books under "must read" on my kindle, but the list has grown so long I often don't know where to start. The last few times I scrolled through the list, one in particular kept staring at me: A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano. Finally, I sat down and started reading, and knew it could go either way as this particular book is her debut novel. Would it be worthy, or one we could easily pass on? 

Well I was about to find out. Not even 5% in and to my delight, I was hooked! It had my attention, but more importantly, would author Jen keep it? Oh yes, she did! The book was a hit and I ended up loving it. Before I even was through with the book, I visited my library's website and put a hold on book two in the series so it would be ready when I finished book one. A Change of Fortune is the first in the Ladies of Distinction four-part series.

Storyline

Lady Eliza Sumner has lost everything: faith, family, fiancé and now, someone has stolen her fortune. She is determined to find the perpetrator, and as she travels to New York seeking this man, she disguises herself as a governess. Once there, Hamilton Beckett enters the scene, who she must work together with to retrieve her fortune. Hamilton is not looking for romance, and neither is Eliza, who has been hurt from a fiancé who left her. In fact she has one mission: find her fortune and return to her life London. But the sparks fly with these two and they may just have to reevaluate what they "want." Author Jen Turano's writing is fabulous. She is very comical, to the point you will find yourself laughing out loud. She creates characters you will grow to love!

Depth

Eliza has lost so much and no longer trusts others or God. She has much to learn. Hamilton has his own hurts as he has lost his wife, but is trying to keep his business strong and raise two young children. Many themes are prevalent in this story: revenge, betrayal, danger, friendship and more. We have the privilege of watching each character respond to each situation. .

Faith

Faith is present in the book but not overly so. We could have used more of it at the beginning and middle. Towards the end though, we loved finding out that God had a plan all along, even through the heartaches. Can you see only hardship in your trials, or can you sense the blessings in disguise? Do you know that He was ever present and actually had your best interest at heart? Eliza came to see this clearly and we loved sharing the experience with her.

Squeal Factor

Jen Turano did something new: made us believers that an author can save a kiss between the two main characters until late in the story, yet still have squeal factor! She did a great job conveying how the characters felt, how they interacted with each other, and we were given a front row seat to their inner thoughts! We loved the chemistry between Hamilton and Eliza, and the banter between two supporting characters. You will feel all giddy inside and won't want to put the book down. Hats off to you Jen, for making us believers!

Overall

You won't regret reading this star debut novel! It was completely entertaining and we can't wait to read the rest of the series. No doubt there are more late nights for us to come. Happy reading!

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