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A review by lifeand100books
Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren
4.0
It's not a secret that I love historical fiction novels. If you were to take a look at the book genres I read in a pie graph form, I'm 99% positive that more than 65% of that graph would be dedicated to historical fiction novels. As I was scouring Netgalley one evening I came across a novel entitled Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren. It was all about a woman finding herself (WIN!) while on a Grand Tour in the early 1900's! For those unfamiliar with that term, back in the day the wealthy would go on tours around Europe to see the sights, meet people, etc. For more info, click here. Excited to see what Bergren had in store for me, I jumped right into Glamorous Illusions.
Cora Diehl's family has fallen on hard times. As farmers in a small town in Montana in 1913, her family can barely keep it together as their crops fail and Cora's father's health declines after multiple strokes. Her life takes a dramatic turn, however, when she learns that she is the illegitimate daughter of an incredibly wealthy man, Wallace Kensington, The Copper King. Through a massive fortune made in the copper business, Cora's new family has more money than she could ever imagine. They take her along as they tour through England and France, and Cora begins to experience sights that she only dreamed of before. Her journey will be filled with danger, discovery, and adventure as she travels across Europe on a journey of self discovery and self acceptance.
Wow. Wow. Wow. This book, in a word, wowed me. From the glamorous locations to the high fashions in early 1900's, this book hooked me. Cora is a character going through deep transformations: spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. She's got a lot on her plate, and what better way to figure out what she's made of than a trip around the world. Bergren gives Cora and Will great narrative voices for the reader to engage and connect with. Their emotions are so clearly and eloquently written for the reader. Their anger, their guilt, happiness, and sadness are all there to make the reader connect with these characters.
I'm not the most religious of people, but I can say that I did find the spiritual elements of the book to be moving. God is a major part of Cora's life, and as much as her journey is about finding herself, it's also about finding her place in His master plan. I was also incredibly surprised at how action-packed the end of the novel was. It changed the whole feel of the novel (in a good way) and made me that much more anxious to begin Grave Consequences (book two). In short, Glamorous Illusions is a solid start to the Grand Tour series, and historical fiction fans should definitely add this mainstay on to their reading lists.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1LE
Cora Diehl's family has fallen on hard times. As farmers in a small town in Montana in 1913, her family can barely keep it together as their crops fail and Cora's father's health declines after multiple strokes. Her life takes a dramatic turn, however, when she learns that she is the illegitimate daughter of an incredibly wealthy man, Wallace Kensington, The Copper King. Through a massive fortune made in the copper business, Cora's new family has more money than she could ever imagine. They take her along as they tour through England and France, and Cora begins to experience sights that she only dreamed of before. Her journey will be filled with danger, discovery, and adventure as she travels across Europe on a journey of self discovery and self acceptance.
Wow. Wow. Wow. This book, in a word, wowed me. From the glamorous locations to the high fashions in early 1900's, this book hooked me. Cora is a character going through deep transformations: spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. She's got a lot on her plate, and what better way to figure out what she's made of than a trip around the world. Bergren gives Cora and Will great narrative voices for the reader to engage and connect with. Their emotions are so clearly and eloquently written for the reader. Their anger, their guilt, happiness, and sadness are all there to make the reader connect with these characters.
I'm not the most religious of people, but I can say that I did find the spiritual elements of the book to be moving. God is a major part of Cora's life, and as much as her journey is about finding herself, it's also about finding her place in His master plan. I was also incredibly surprised at how action-packed the end of the novel was. It changed the whole feel of the novel (in a good way) and made me that much more anxious to begin Grave Consequences (book two). In short, Glamorous Illusions is a solid start to the Grand Tour series, and historical fiction fans should definitely add this mainstay on to their reading lists.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1LE