First Line Friday: Jen Turano’s Diamond in the Rough (with giveaway)

First Line Friday

Welcome to another First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books. Jen Turano’s books make me smile and as you will see below, always from the very first line! Or often simply by reading the characters’ names, although I have to say, Diamond in the Rough’s Poppy Garrison is very sedate for a Turano character. When Gertrude Cadwalader, Temperance Flowerdew, and Lucetta Plum have featured in previous novels, you’ll understand what I mean! I’d love to know what first lines you have been reading lately, and if you choose to enter the giveaway, you can share your own Turano character name by using the formula in one of the giveaway options!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with many reading opportunities!

First Line

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Such a fun first line – just what I’ve come to expect from Jen!

The Book

Diamond in the Rough

To save her family from financial ruin, Miss Poppy Garrison accepts an unusual proposition to participate in the New York social season in exchange for her grandmother settling a family loan that has unexpectedly come due. Ill-equipped to handle the intricacies of mingling within the New York Four Hundred, Poppy becomes embroiled in one hilarious fiasco after another, doomed to suffer a grand societal failure instead of being deemed the diamond of the first water her grandmother longs for her to become.

Reginald Blackburn, second son of a duke, has been forced to travel to America to help his cousin, Charles Wynn, Earl of Lonsdale, find an American heiress to wed in order to shore up his family estate that is in desperate need of funds. Reginald himself has no interest in finding an heiress to marry, but when Poppy’s grandmother asks him to give etiquette lessons to Poppy, he swiftly discovers he may be in for much more than he bargained for.

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Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. She can be found on Facebook or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com.

Relz Reviewz Extras
All things Turano @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Jen’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: [easyazon_link identifier=”0764231685″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Diamond in the Rough[/easyazon_link] or Koorong

RR Giveaways - 2019-09-07T132259.148

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35 comments

  1. I’ll admit, I’ve never read any of Jen Turano’s books – but for some reason, this book intrigues me. From what I’ve read in past reviews from her books, she seems to lean towards a fun and romantic writing style – not my general genre – – but the Lord is speaking to me to read this one – so I will listen to the voice of the Spirit and try a new author – at least new for me. I feel He has something to teach me in this reading.

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  4. Petunia Meadowlark – that is funny! Maybe Jen could use that for a secondary character in an upcoming book! I have read several of her books, and I have greatly enjoyed them. Thanks!

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  6. Vera Beechnut-Crawley (as in the plant Aloe Vera, which, though the least pretty of my plants by far, sounds a lot better as a first name than Runner Bean, tomato, or Wandering Jew).

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  8. I have never read Jen Turano’s books. They are on my list of books to check out. Here’s a few name ideas. I have a lot of flowers 🙂

    1. Rose South Bonita-Crawley

    2. Cosmo South Bonita-Crawley

    3. Plumeria South Bonita-Crawley

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  11. Happy Weekend! My first line is from “Ford” by Susan May Warren:

    “If Ford didn’t get his head in the game, they were doomed. People were going to die. Probably him.”

    My Jen Terano name would be Lilac 57th-Crawley!

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  12. Iris Lindsborg-Crawley. I love Jen’s books and her unique characters. Thanks for the chance to win Diamond in the Rough.

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  15. Never had the chance to read Jen’s books but this would sounds great! Would love the chance to read and review it! Thank you! `Catbthereader!

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  17. I have no flowers in my house because I have a black-thumb (even plastic ones die by my hand!). There are some dandelions in my yard, so I’ll go with Dandelion Sagi Crawley. To me Jen Turano writes HYSTERICAL (not just historical) fiction. Would love to win her latest.

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  19. Hey Rel!!!

    How fun, and thank you for having “Diamond in the Rough” for a visit.

    My name is, and do know that this took some thinking because I don’t really have any flowers in my yard, which I discovered as I just went out and searched around, but I did find one lone yarrow plant – so I’m Yarrow Turano-Crawley. Hahahaha – Good luck everyone with the giveaway!!!

    All the best,

    Jen

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  21. Thanks for the giveaway! I love Jen’s books, but haven’t read her newest yet. My name would be Peony Edelweiss-Crawley. 😂

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  22. This sounds like a very good book and the cover is Beautiful ! I enjoyed reading what the book is about. Thank you for sharing this .

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  32. How fun! Mine uses an old street name and a flower I grow in the Spring (well, it luckily comes back, let’s be honest, so I don’t really grow it) so it is Tulip Chart-Crawley.

    Reply

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