Christian Fiction Bloggers discussion

Caitlyn and Megan will be buddy reading A Most Peculiar Circumstance (Ladies of Distinction #2) by Jen Turano.

Miss Arabella Beckett has one driving passion: to help the downtrodden women of America. Naturally, she supports the women's suffrage movement and eagerly attends rallies and lectures across the country. On her travels, she makes a simple offer of assistance to a young woman in need that goes sadly awry and lands both ladies in more trouble than they can manage. An independent sort, Arabella is loath to admit she needs help and certainly doesn't need help from an arrogant, narrow-minded knight in shining armor.

Mr. Theodore Wilder, private investigator extraordinaire, is on a mission. A mission that began as a favor to his good friend Hamilton Beckett, but swiftly evolved into a merry chase across the country. By the time he finally tracks down Hamilton's sister, Arabella, he is in a less than pleasant mood. When the lady turns out to have radical ideas and a fiercely independent streak, he soon finds himself at his wit's end.

When they return home to New York, circumstances force their paths to continue to cross, but the most peculiar feelings growing between them certainly can't be love. When the trouble Arabella had accidentally stirred up seems to have followed her to New York and threatens her very life, the unlikely couple must face the possibility that they might have landed in the most peculiar circumstance of all: love.

Reserved

Hi Megan! Just wanted to let you know that I have finished the first half of the book, I know you haven't had a chance to start it yet so please don't feel any pressure or that you have to rush to get it read. There is no rush on my account, I was just enjoying it so much that I couldn't put it down!
Just let me know when you're ready to discuss :D

I'm finished with the first half and ready to discuss :)

Would you like to start?

I was so looking forward to seeing Theodore and Arabella meet, I knew it would be a great scene, and I ended up loving it even more than I expected to!

After hearing so much about Arabella in the first book, I'm loving getting to know her. And I love how she, Agatha and Eliza have all become friends, I knew they would get along well!

I love the glimpses we're getting of the man that exists underneath Theodore's chauvinstic surface, and the way he cared for Piper and Ben just about made me melt!

I don't know how this author does it but she manages to make me laugh out loud at practically every sentence! Love that! :D

The moment Agatha mentioned going undercover my immediate thought was "Oh boy, there's going to be trouble"!

I absolutely loved that last scene we read! I couldn't believe Theodore's father and brother-in-law were blaming him for the fact that their wives were demanding some respect from them, but as soon as Eliza entered the scene, it became so wonderful! I ended up reading that scene aloud to my mother and we were both laughing so hard by the time it ended!

Sorry for the delay in replying!

I loved that scene! I thought it was so funny how she completely tuned him out without meaning to do so. :)

When I started this book I couldn't remember a lot about A Change of Fortune, but with the quick summary given quite a bit came back and the more I read of this book the more I am remembering the first one. I too love how Arabella, Agatha, and Eliza are all friends.

Me too!

I was laughing quite a bit too and that is always enjoyable! :)

I thought so too - though I thought it would be of a different kind, such as a bad guy kidnapping one of them, not them being arrested.

That was a great scene too! I couldn't believe they were placing blame on him, as though their wives were children and he confused them. I loved it when I read about Mrs Wilder and Katherine each locking their husbands out of their homes, the way those men behaved I surprised it didn't happen sooner!

Reading this book makes me realize all the more how grateful I am that courageous women fought for women to have equal rights. I can't imagine having to put up with all the things the characters in this book have so far. That Samuel Wilder thought his wife was behaving like a man because she questioned where he was was unbelievable to me, yet I'm sure that it is quite true to the way it was back then.

I can't believe how naive Miss James was, that after all she went through she still thought she had a husband waiting for her.

I don't know why Theodore didn't excuse himself and talk to Eliza privately, instead of forcing her to tell everything in front of his father and brother-in-law.

Me too! :D

I know! I was so annoyed with her, there is no way I would have been as patient with her as Arabella was!

Yeah, I don't know why he didn't do that either but I imagine it might have been written that way just to add extra drama to the situation!

I have a feeling that whoever has caused Violet's friends to vanish is either the same person or is connected to what is going on in Gillman. What do you think?

I think it's interesting how the cover depicts Arabella's yellow and pink parasol and the dress she had made to match it!

I really liked that Arabella didn't seem to be very bothered by her hair looking strange after the Sheriff had to cut it to get her unstuck!

I'm really happy that Mr and Mrs Beckett seem to be very supportive of the causes their daughter is championing, I'm sure that was not the case with a lot of parents during that time.

I adore Piper and Ben! I love how with one simple statement Piper manages to cut straight to the heart of the matter!

It seems like it would be quite a coincidence if the disappearances were related to what's happening in Gilman, since there is such a distance between the two locations, but it could be that. I was thinking that it might be a serial killer or something like that, but I can't wait to find out!

I didn't even realize that that was what her dress was, I recognized the parasol but didn't know that was the dress made to match. I guess that's why her hair isn't ruined! lol

Me too!

It is very nice that they support her and hired for her to have a companion to travel with her. I thought it was foolish of her to not inform her family that she let her companion out of her contract and that she travelled about on her, she's very fortunate that nothing worse happened to her!

They are such sweet children!

I can't think of anything else to add, how about you.

No, I can't think of anything else either! I'm really excited to read the second half, I will try to have it done as soon as I can but I'm slowly making my way through Beautiful Creatures right now (It's huge!), so it might be a few days before I'm able to finish this one! Hope that's okay! :)

That's fine! It might take me a while too :)

Just wanted to let you know that I finished the book! Loved it! I'm in no hurry to discuss, so take as much time as you need. Feel free to start the discussion when you're ready! :D

Thanks! So glad to hear you loved it! I'm hoping to get back to it soon :)