In Good Company by Jen Turano

Back Cover: After Growing up as an orphan, Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm aren't always well-received and she finds herself dismissed from yet another position.

Everett Mulberry has quite unexpectedly become guardian to three children that scare off every nanny he hires. About to depart for Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer, he's desperate for competent childcare.

At wit's end with both Millie and Everett, the employment agency gives them one last chance - with each other. As Millie falls in love with her mischievous charges, Everett focuses on achieving the coveted societal status of the upper echelons. But as he investigates the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the children's parents, will it take the loss of those he loves to learn whoes company he truly wants for the rest of his life?




Review: LUCKY ME! Two new books by Jen Turano is ONE summer? Fantastic! After reading the five-star book, "After a Fashion" by Jen Turano I couldn't wait for "In Good Company" to land in my mailbox. This book was worth waiting for - I just loved it!

"In Good Company" picks up right where "After a Fashion" ended. In short, this series is about three working class young ladies: a hat maker, a nanny, and an actress. Unlike the society women that they serve and entertain, they have learned to live by their wit, maneuver the underbelly of the world of the rich and famous, and thrive where many would fail - and they do it all with an air of never failing class.

Harriet, Millie, and Lucetta make up quite the cast of characters. I love this trio. The first book (After a Fashion) focused on Harriet, but this second novel is all about Miss Millie.

Miss Millie                                       Miss Harriet

Miss Lucetta?

Millie is an absolute blast. She is a magnet for trouble and she is more than a little crazy - herding peacocks, walking the plank, and feathering her young chargers are all more-than-normal activities for Millie. Deeply misunderstood by her uppity employers, Millie has found herself unemployed more often than not. How was she to know that you don't teach children to swim by simply throwing them in the water like you would a puppy? Or that counting to a thousand while playing hide-and-seek with the children was a very good way to loose them? Life around Millie, to say the least, is never boring, and reading about her exploits is pure laughing entertainment. She is probably my favourite of the three girls...but do I have to choose?

Quite bluntly, I don't think Everett deserves Millie - she is way too fabulous for him (I told you I love her). But the iconic "Pride and Prejudice" theme running through this book is hard for a romantic like me to resist, and I loved it when Everett realizes that the lowly-born Millie is likely the best thing that will ever happen to him. Oh, but what do to with that pesky realization? I'm grinning with glee as I write this. I very much liked this book. And in Everetts defence, he does become quite likeable after he realizes some drastic changes are in order.

The storyline running through this novel is wonderful. I love the era and the social drama is delicious. Jen Turano brings New York society alive unlike any other historical romance writer than I know. In addition to wonderful characters, "In Good Company" is well written and thoroughly engaging. It gets top marks from me, and I can't wait to read the next story on Miss Lucetta!


Book has been provided courtesy of Bethany House and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group"