Book Review: A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano
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Synopsis from the back of the book:
Miss Arabella Beckett, defender of the downtrodden women of America, is returning from her travels in support of the women’s suffrage movement when she suddenly finds herself in a spot of trouble. Arabella, always loath to accept help, is particularly reluctant to receive assistance from the arrogant, narrow-minded knight in shining armor who shows up just in time.
Private investigator extraordinaire Mr. Theodore Wilder is on an assignment that began as a favor to his good friend Hamilton Beckett but swiftly evolved into a merry chase across the country. When he finally locates Hamilton’s sister, and she turns out to have radical ideas and a fiercely independent streak, he’s at his wit’s end.
Much to their chagrin, Theodore and Arabella’s paths continue to cross when they return to New York. When the trouble Arabella accidentally stirred up in her travels follows her home and threatens her very life, the unlikely couple must face the possibility that they have landed in the most peculiar circumstance of all: love.
My review:
All Theodore Wilder was trying to do was locate his friend’s sister and escort her safely home. It doesn’t seem like a difficult task since Arabella is only a woman, but Theodore soon finds out that she is unlike any quiet, biddable woman he has ever known. Again, this author shines in having fun and quirky characters with a lot of heart. I loved the opposition between Theodore, who had a rather limited view point of women, and Arabella, who stretched the boundaries for them! The chemistry between them was good and I really liked the snappy dialogue between two people who weren’t afraid to express themselves.
Arabella was a contradiction in that she was strong and independent as evidenced by her involvement in the women’s suffrage movement, but she also had a soft, sensitive side. I loved that she was sensitive enough to take a hard look at herself when things would go wrong and then try to fix it. I also enjoyed the strengthening of her faith. She was a great personality to pair with Theodore.
Now Theodore… Poor, misguided Theodore. He was kind of a male chauvinist, if you will. In the first book in this series, he managed to upset some pretty independent ladies with his viewpoints on women. I felt myself wincing when those same viewpoints came out in his interactions with Arabella. I wasn’t sure there was going to be any hope for the man, but his true character shined through. I loved his loyalty to his friends and family.
This author did a wonderful job of adding a well rounded cast to this story. They added the right amount of spice to Arabella and Theodore’s story. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. In my review on the first book in this series, I said that I didn’t like Theodore… I have changed my mind.
What I enjoyed most about this book:
Characters with personality and I loved the snappy dialogue as well as the nice chemistry between the main characters.
What I didn’t like about this book:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book so there wasn’t really anything that I didn’t like about it.
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Would I recommend this book to others?
Definitely. This book made me laugh at the witty comments and wince at the foot-in-mouth moments. It was a fun book to read. This is the second book in the series and it is a stand alone, but if you want a fuller appreciation of Theodore’s growth you should read the first book beforehand.
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-Loraine Nunley
