This cover and the catchy title caught my eye and the synopsis really grabbed me! Successful attorney Jane Morgan owns an amazing New York City apartment, but her orderly life comes crashing down when she is caught having relations with an associate from her law firm…on the roof of her apartment building!

Both are arrested for public indecency after a nosy neighbor reports them. Jane is fired, suspended from the practice of law and sentenced to home confinement.

She’s a wonderful cook and starts making TikToks by recreating recipes from old cookbooks. Lo and behold she learns of another building resident who is also on home confinement, and she begins catering meals for him. Perry is handsome and funny and before long, the two enter into a “business” arrangement and romance ensues.

Meanwhile the nosy neighbor winds up dead under very suspicious circumstances and Jane and her twin sister get caught up with the possible crime. There are Polish relatives with expired visas, a new friendship with a neighbor, and very funny sticky situations.

Jane has a very dry sense of humor and I loved her sarcasm. Perry is adorable and very remorseful for his misdeeds in contrast to Jane, who (rightfully so) remains unrepentant for her “crime”. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Piper Goodeve and absolutely adored it. If you are looking for a smart, witty and breezy contemporary romance with a mystery thrown in, I highly recommend Ms. Demeanor. The cast of characters are very unique to say the least!

 

About the Book:

 

From one of America’s most beloved contemporary novelists, a delicious and witty story about love under house arrest.

Jane Morgan is a valued member of her law firm—or was, until a prudish neighbor, binoculars poised, observes her having sex on the roof of her NYC apartment building. Police are summoned, and a punishing judge sentences her to six months of home confinement. With Jane now jobless and rootless, trapped at home, life looks bleak. Yes, her twin sister provides support and advice, but mostly of the unwelcome kind. When a doorman lets slip that Jane isn’t the only resident wearing an ankle monitor, she strikes up a friendship with fellow white-collar felon Perry Salisbury. As she tries to adapt to life within her apartment walls, she discovers she hasn’t heard the end of that tattletale neighbor—whose past isn’t as decorous as her 9-1-1 snitching would suggest. Why are police knocking on Jane’s door again? Can her house arrest have a silver lining? Can two wrongs make a right? In the hands of “an inspired alchemist who converts serious subject into humor” (New York Times Book Review)—yes, delightfully.