Diamond in the Rough

July 22, 2019
Set in 1885, this fun second installment of Turano’s Heiresses series (after Flights of Fancy) introduces heiress Poppy Montgomery. Poppy may be the granddaughter of Viola Van Rensselaer, a high society matron, but she has been raised outside of the city, far from the respectabilities of “New York Four Hundred” elites. With her parents’ horse farm in financial jeopardy, Poppy accepts an unconventional offer: Viola will pay her parents’ debt if Poppy comes to the city for the upcoming society season. Reginald Blackburn, the second son of a duke and out of contention for his family’s fortune, is in New York with his cousin, the Earl of Lonsdale. Financially strapped, the Earl is in search of a suitable heiress to shore up his family’s coffers. Reginald is charged with weeding out the unsuitable prospects. Intrigued by Reginald’s sense of propriety, Viola offers him a job teaching etiquette to Poppy. Reginald takes on the task and is immediately smitten by outspoken Poppy. As Reginald takes on more students and Poppy considers more suitors, it is Reginald’s calm, sincere demeanor that eventually wins her heart. Though faith elements are light, series fans will enjoy this delightful romance. Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary.

August 1, 2019
In 1885, Poppy Garrison is spending a season in New York with the grandmother she hardly knows, instead of at the family farm she loves. At Poppy's debut, her tiara catches on the sleeve of her dance partner, and that is only the beginning of her misadventures. Her grandmother hires Mr. Blackburn, companion to an earl, to help teach Poppy refinement. The young woman finds herself dangling from a balcony, in a freezing lake, and in several other very funny predicaments. While intrepid Poppy is smart and tenacious, Mr. Blackburn must pull her back from danger. He also finds that he enjoys life more in the company of this kind, always-surprising free spirit. The juxtaposition of the wealth of the New York 400 and the lives of those struggling to survive in the city provides a memorable backdrop to this combination fish-out-of-water and opposites-attract romantic comedy. If the constant hilarity at times hides the suspense and plot, the strength of both main and minor characters shines brightly in Turano's fun romp.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)