Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano

Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano ISBN-13: 9780764217951 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
As Miss Gertrude Cadwalader, paid companion, becomes acquainted with her employer, she realizes the wealthy Mrs. Davenport has a strange tendency to be a bit light-fingered with other people's trinkets. Gertrude is relieved when Mrs. Davenport decides to have a quiet summer away from the social scene--until the woman changes her mind in order to help a young socialite launch into society.

When Gertrude is caught in the act of trying to return one of the trinkets by Mrs. Sinclair, the mother of shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair, the woman jumps to an unfortunate conclusion. Harrison is determined to mend fences with Miss Cadwalader, but he's unprepared for the escapades that courting her will entail.


My Review:
Out of the Ordinary is a Christian romantic comedy set in June 1883 in New York. It's the second in a series. This book can be read as a stand alone since each book has different main characters. However, Gertrude and Harrison first meet in the previous book, so they refer back to events in that book, and the main characters in the previous novel played a role in this one.

The main characters were nice people with a good sense of humor. They ended up in a series of silly situations during which they got to know and care about each other. There were some phrases that were too modern and some behavior that was improbable for the time, so don't expect high historical accuracy. There wasn't a lot of action in this story. For example, about 25% of the story occurred in one room on a yacht. People exchanged lengthy, humorous dialogue, even when in a hurry.

There was also a long, sad confession by Mrs. Davenport explaining why she acts they way she does. Both Mrs. Davenport and Gertrude feel like they're not worthy of God's love, and Gertrude has stayed as Mrs. Davenport's companion in an attempt to make atonement for her failure to save her mother. Both come to accept God's love. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this humorous novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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