With the usual humor and blotched up proposals (not of marriage but of business) in this spectacular laugh out loud romantic comedy from Jen Turano you are sure to enjoy the ride with Harriet and Oliver as they scale misplaced opinions, thoughts and many other hilarious antics from themselves, a crazy dog and cat, and others. The opening of this series is a perfect blend of humor, serious, and loving characters. ( )

Cute, with good banter and good connection between the protagonists, but I wasn't getting much historical vibe-- felt like all the characters acted too modern. Ending was a little too far-fetched. ( )

A really fun read.

Harriet, a hat girl who dreams of her own dress shop for less-advantaged women, reluctantly strikes a deal with Oliver, a high society gentleman in need of a faux girlfriend to impress a potential business partner.

I thought Harriet and Oliver were fantastic together, their comedic dialogue, their sparks, the way she inspires him to do better and the way he supports her aspirations in an era when female aspirations were mostly frowned upon.

The secondary characters were entertaining as well, whether the hound dog with a variety of fear, the best friend trying and failing to expand her vocabulary, or the elderly woman who steps back into society with gusto by taking in adult Harriett and her friends as wards, each was vibrant and unique and added a little something to the mix.

Admittedly, I read less historical romance than contemporary so I don’t know if there’s a whole host of books in this genre that feature as much humor as this one did, but I sure did appreciate the playfulness found in this story. ( )

I loved this book so much that I can't decide who my favorite character is! I found the dialogue between Harriet and Oliver to be quite amusing. Her roomates, Lucetta and Millie, are endearing. Lucetta and her theatrics and Millie with her hilarious vocabulary mistakes all help to create an interesting story.

I definitely want to continue the series. If the next book is just as good as this book, I will be very pleased! ( )

When you read a book by Jen Turano, prepare to alternately laugh and swoon. Sometimes you skip the “alternately” clause and head straight for “simultaneously”. During the course of the book, you may also find yourself holding your breath, biting your nails, flailing dramatically, and grinning. So much grinning.

With each new book of Ms. Turano’s that I read, I find myself wondering how in the world she is going to top the crazy and hilarious situations into which she thrusts her characters. And then somehow she finds a way to do just that! Harriet seems to find her fair share of hysterical antics even if she stumbles into most of them quite unwillingly. One of the scenes that had me laughing the loudest was her first… um… encounter with Miss Birmingham, which also happens to be when she meets Oliver as well. The crazy was real, y’all. And so deliciously entertaining lol. Along with the comical shenanigans, there are the more subtle bits of humor that Jen weaves throughout the book. Lucetta’s line-memorization quirks. Millie’s misuse of words. Buford. And, while not especially humorous, the twist at the end? Oh my! Never saw it coming!

Bottom Line: Long-time fans of Jen Turano’s will love After A Fashion, and first-time readers will fall in love with her style. She proves that historical fiction doesn’t have to be stuffy and creates heroes and heroines that will wrap around your heart and leave behind a grin when you turn the last page. If you love romantic comedies and/or historical fiction, this is a book you need to read!

(Disclaimer: I won a copy of this book in a giveaway for which no promise of a review was given. This is, as always, only my honest opinion.)

Read my full review here: https://readingismysuperpower.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/review-after-a-fashion-je... ( )