Gertrude Cadwalader's job is to keep her employer happy--she's a paid companion, after all. That means wearing Mrs. Davenport's extremely creative fashions in public--not for the easily humiliated--and occasionally returning a pilfered item that somehow ended up in her light-fingered employer's possession. Harrison Sinclair has long admired Gertrude's practicality and spunk, and when his own mother accuses her of thievery, he leaps to her defense. Through outlandish escapades and grand romantic gestures, he hopes to turn their friendship into something more.I love the quirky characters that Turano comes up with. Not just the main characters, but all those meddling little old ladies, the spunky sisters, the friends who are only trying to help (with comically disastrous results). I knew Mrs. Davenport had to have some kind of backstory to her kleptomania, but I didn't expect anything so tender. I'm glad she sees restoration too.
The romance is sweet, the cast delightful, but best of all is the author's sense of humor. Which leads me to . . .
The List of Romantic Gestures. I laughed so hard. I tried explaining to my husband what was going on (seeing as he was looking at me with concern while I appeared to be having a fit on the other end of the couch), but I could hardly get the words out. Every time I looked back at the page I started laughing again. When I finally got it under control, I turned the page to the next scene--and it started all over again. Brilliant.
If you love the old, clean romantic comedies, or humor akin to The Importance of Being Earnest, then this is the book for you. Though I do recommend reading the prequel and Behind the Scenes first for the deepest enjoyment of this quirky series.
Thank you Bethany House for the free book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
Apart from the Crowd
0.5: "At Your Request"
1. Behind the Scenes
2. Out of the Ordinary
3. Caught by Surprise
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