At the beginning, I thought I wouldn’t like the book because the characters showed immediate infatuation to each other, and I’m not a huge romance fan. But though they were attracted to each other, it was not the main theme of the book.
What I liked:
There was a lot in this book that I liked. Being a Civil War fan, I enjoyed reading of the aftermath of the CW in people’s lives. The flashbacks to Johnson’s Island when the men were POW was also intriguing. The hint of mystery with Mrs. Markham’s threats, the loyalty and friendship of her servants, the love and loyalty of Phillip’s comrades. It was a very interesting and likable story.
What I didn’t like.
The main thing that lowers my rating is the Christianity, or lack of it, in the book. God or Jesus weren’t mentioned until halfway through the book. And even then, the Lord always seemed and afterthought. “He was going to need to place his complete trust in her and Kern. And the Lord, of course. He sincerely prayed that would be enough.”
Gotta get on a soapbox here and say there was more trust in the arm of flesh than in God. Prayer might be a “good idea,” but it was never enough. There wasn’t really evidence that the characters were believers. I got the impression that they stood up for themselves and fought in their own strength just fine, only turning to God when they thought they needed a little extra help. There wasn’t a personal relationship between man and God.
So, as a story, I enjoyed it. The writing style was fantastic, plot line intriguing, but the spiritual aspect found wanting.
*I received this book in exchange of my honest review from LitFuse*
Back Cover Blurb
Robert came to Galveston to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow. He didn’t expect to find love in the unlikeliest of places.
Robert Truax, former Second Lieutenant and Confederate officer in the Civil War, made a promise to his comrade Phillip Markham. If anything happened to Phillip, Robert would look after his beloved wife, Miranda. She was his life, his world, his everything.
After the war, Robert is left to pick up the pieces and fulfill his pact. When he arrives at Miranda’s home in Galveston, Texas, things are worse than he imagined. Phillip’s name has been dragged through the mud, everyone in town believes him to be a traitor, and his widow is treated as an outcast. Even more disturbing is her emotional well-being. Miranda seems hopeless, lost, and so very alone.
Robert had thought his duty would be simple. He would help Miranda as quickly as possible in order to honor a promise. But the moment Robert laid eyes on her, his plans changed. He’s mesmerized by her beauty and yearns to help her in any way he can.
He makes it his duty to protect Miranda, turn her reputation around, and to find some way to help her smile again. But it doesn’t prove to be an easy task—Robert knows something about Phillip that could shake Miranda to the core and alter her view of the man she thought she knew so well.
I first began writing when my son was in the third grade. We’d gotten through this rather horrible series – okay, we only got through book six and I’ve never owned up to the fact there are…six more books – but…he said that the stories I made up for him about dragons when he little and needed to stay in his jogger stroller while I ran were more interesting. So…we decided to create our own book. It was called Fanglers, had smelly creatures in it, and while it certainly never got published, I realized that I’d missed using my brain. Not that I didn’t love staying home with my son, it’s just, brains are a horrible thing to let just sit. As the years went on, I wrote here and there, some middle grade, some YA, some contemporary romance, and over those years I was getting a lot better with query letters. Agents didn’t seem to want to sign me on, but they would call me, talk about my unusual writing voice, and then they’d give me pointers. Apparently I had a bit to go with my actual writing craft. I started really looking at all the books I read, figured out what I was doing wrong, and then by the time my son reached middle school, I landed my first agent and then she sold my first book a year later – so…yeah…it took me a while to get published. 
It takes about four edits for me to start getting funny. I’ll have the scene down, but the dialogue might not be clicking as well as it should. However, by the fourth edit, the characters are really developed, so it’s easier for me to know how they’re going to interact, and that’s when the humor happens. I delete a lot of words – I never save anything that I’ve written because I’ll think that something is brilliant, a quirky turn of phrase, or a specific scene – but it just doesn’t work, so if I don’t delete it, I’ll try to force it into the story and it won’t come across as humorous, just dumb. 
What is the easiest part of writing for you?
Jen has graciously offered to give away a print copy of After a Fashion! Because of shipping issues, this is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY.
A USA Today Best-Selling Author, Jen Turano has written the critically acclaimed Ladies of Distinction series, and A Class of Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers. Her novel, After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist. It is also a nominee for Romantic Times 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013. Her seventh book, Playing the Part, released in the spring of 2016, and will be followed by a new four-book series, Apart from the Crowd. When she’s not writing, Jen spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying herself as an empty-nester since her son recently abandoned her for the college life. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency. Her books may be found in fine bookstores, or follow the Baker House Publishing link to find additional places to purchase her work –http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/authors/jen-turano/1761Purchase the sheet music here: http://www.withajoyfulnoise.com/come-ye-thankful-people-come.html
Here is another piano solo for you all to enjoy! There is just something about this song that brings back memories of church and good singings. What hymn is like that for you?
Purchase the sheet music here.
No, I’m not infatuated with my “Befriending the Beast” story (okay, maybe I am a little stoked about it…) anyway, I thought you Pinterest lovers would like to see a little of the “behind the scenes” work of the story. Where I get my inspiration from. Because I like lovely pictures! Hop on over and check out “Befriending the Beast’s” Pinterest board!
(and yes, this is cross-posted from my writing blog)
Amanda Tero Books 