"Caught by Surprise" by Jen Turano

When a kidnapping and case of mistaken identity lands her in Chicago, Temperance Flowerdew is rather flustered and annoyed--especially when she finds out the reason for the kidnapping. Her dear friend Gilbert Cavendish rides to the rescue (though expecting someone else to need rescuing), and when they're spotted together in a compromising position by a society matron, Gilbert feels obliged to propose marriage. However, now that Temperance finally has the gumption to go for what she wants--no more sitting at the sidelines for this society wallflower--she turns him down and refuses to listen to reason. And that is only the beginning of their troubles: between murder attempts, a possible missing inheritance, and matchmaking old ladies (and gentlemen), there's barely time to fall in love.

It was sweet to see Temperance and Gilbert go from friends to falling in love, even if Temperance is a bit stubborn about it (though it must be said, Gilbert's proposals--if such they could be called--rival Mr Darcy's first proposal for romanticism and endearment. Which is to say, exhibits neither at all.). They really do feel like good friends, with their ability to read each other and anticipate each others' moods, and the definite feeling of history between their two families. Though the Grand Gestures of Romance are not quite so crazy in this book as the previous, they are pretty adorable nonetheless.

As always, the characters are fun and crazy; I especially liked what happened with our erstwhile kidnappers. There were a lot of surprises in this book; even with being able to guess a few bits of the mystery, I was still constantly surprised by twists in the plot (but had no trouble following it).

While it is sad to see this hilarious series come to close, it does mean one good thing: another (no doubt just as hilarious) is right around the corner.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a complimentary e-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" (free prequel novella)
1. Behind the Scenes
2. Out of the Ordinary
3. Caught by Surprise