Glamorous Illusions

It’s the summer of 1913 and Cora Kensington’s life on the family farm has taken a dark turn. Not only are the crops failing, but someone dear to Cora is failing as well.

In one fateful afternoon, a stranger comes to call, and Cora discovers a terrible secret about her past…a secret that will radically change her future.

Cora is invited to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a journey intended to finish a person’s eduction, to solidify an understanding of ancient culture and contemporary refinement. As she travels from England to France, with kin she’s never known, Cora encounters the blessings of a family name, as well as the curses. But when an unbidden love begins to form, she realizes the journey is only beginning… -Goodreads Blurb

*May Contain Spoilers*

Lisa T. Bergren explores the idea of discovering one's identity in her novel, Glamorous Illusions. The main character, Cora, is a farm raised girl who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty. A character who is very easy to like. The connection that Bergren creates between Cora and the reader is one of strength, built with hope and faith for Cora's future. 

Bergren does a great job in showing Cora's personality and determination, which will allow readers to immediately respect Cora. Especially when she faces the hardships of discovering her birth right. 

The plot, I must say, is what intrigued me the least. It was a slow moving story line. A train chugging along with only enough coal to barely keep it going. At times, the plot seemed to speed up a little causing me to read faster, but, sadly it only fell further behind. 

I'm determined to look into the series that this novel is a part of to see if Cora's story continues. It disappointed me that the novel ends in the middle of their trip, perhaps actually closer to the beginning. I was hoping that the entire tour of Europe would be included in the book, but it was not. 

I also felt a little cheated at the end. Don't get me wrong, I was proud of Cora for stepping into the shoes she was forced to don. But what about Pierre and Will? These two completely different gentlemen were the main men who were pursuing Cora. However, at the end, Bergren gives no hint as to what will transpire between Cora and either one of them. 

Hopefully, the series will continue with Cora's journey so that all readers will be able to know the full story of our dear Miss Diehl Kensington. 

Glamorous Illusions

on Amazon

rating: 3/5 cups

WWW-Wednesday (8)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

01. Currently Reading:
Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren. When Cora finds out that her Papa isn't her real father, her life is thrown into a chaotic upheaval. Especially when her newly found father demands that she take a tour of Europe with her half-siblings, who don't exactly play nice. So far it's been a little slow in the excitement department, but it's getting better. :)

02. Recently Finished:
Just The Way You Are by Barbara Freethy. This book stole my heart! A man torn between two sisters, one he used to love and one he married. On the last page I thought about reading it again right away, but then decided that I'll wait for a rainy day.

03. Reading Next:
Here (On the Other Side) by Denise Grover Swank is next in my TBR list. The main character accidentally kills her best friend and wakes up with memories that never happened, where she died instead. This novel sounds spooky and mysterious. Two qualities I love in a book. 

Teaser Tuesday (16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Glamorous Illusions (p.136)
        - Lisa T. Bergren

I was making my way to a chair on the edge of the parquet floor in the sprawling, grand room, which was modeled after Versailles, when Will took my hand. "May I have the first dance, Cora?"

"I, uh...I am rather new to dancing," I said.

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