Jen Turano‘s Diamond in the Rough debuted last month, so I am a little tardy with my review of this novel, the second in Turano’s American Heiresses series.
In this novel, readers meet Miss Poppy Garrison, who, against the wishes of her mother, has moved to New York to live with her grandmother in order to save her parents’ farm. Poppy’s grandmother’s fondest wish is that Poppy be a “diamond of the first water”–namely, a success in society, unlike her daughter. Of course, Poppy is hilariously unprepared for such a feat and constantly finds herself in embarrassing situations.
Reginald Blackburn, on the other hand, is a very proper English gentlemen, the son of a Duke, no less, who is in town helping his cousin find an American heiress to save his estate from financial ruin. Through a series of unfortunately encounters, Reginald and Poppy find themselves thrown together. Poppy’s grandmother hires Reginald to train her in etiquette… and he soon is in demand among all the young ladies.
What Poppy doesn’t realize is that Reginald has a secret of his own…as they two learn to challenge their perceptions of society, the people around them, and themselves, they must decide what they truly want in life.
Like all of Turan0’s books, this is a witty romance full of comical adventures, unexpected dangers, and thoughtful revelations. I highly enjoyed it!
Karen