A Lasting Impression - Virtual Book Tour

                                                         About the book:

A fake. A forger. More than anything, Claire Laurent longs for the chance to live an authentic life, to become the woman she wants to be. And she'll be given that choice. But will it come at too costly a price?

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden.
The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves--and each other--for who they really are.

Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.
For more information please visit www.tameraalexander.com







My Review:
This was one of the few books I've read that has left me with a feeling of wow.  The characters, the setting, the storyline...everything seemed to line up perfectly to create a fantastic novel.  Claire was brilliant.  The perfect mix of repentant with enough of a real person to really make her come alive.  Her life was extreme but still believable, if a bit lucky at times.  Her relationships, not just with Sutton, but with the entire cast of the book, come slowly at first and the develope into something very rich and meaningful.  I truly enjoyed watching Claire and Sutton get to know one another and discover their lives together.

Now many of you may remember me saying that I wasn't a big fan of Christian novels.  Well, this book is one of the reasons I keep giving them a try.  Religion was not written in every line, but rather between the lines, with characters trying to live their lives in the way they know they should be.  They just picked right back up and tried again. 



Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Party from Tamera Alexander! While Tamera and her book,  A Lasting Impression, are traveling across the country virtually (with a few international stops as well!), she will be hosting a Kindle Fire Giveaway (11/4 - 11/15) and preparing for a lavish Southern-Style Facebook Party (11/15) (dripping with hospitality, of course). She will be giving away Southern Food Baskets, books, and an array of other fabulous freebies! Don't miss a minute of the fun. Swoon!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Brand New Kindle Fire (shipped as soon as it releases)
• A copy of A Lasting Impression and 3 other special books Tamera wants you to have (for Kindle)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on November 15th. Winner will be announced at A Lasting Impression Facebook Party on the 15th. Tamera will be wrapping up the A Lasting Impression celebration with an author chat and giving away Southern Food Baskets (Loveless Cafe Food Baskets, books, Amazon & Starbucks gift certificates, and copies of Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook), six gift certificates to Starbucks and Amazon.com, and copies of A Lasting Impression! So grab your copy of A Lasting Impression (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Tamera on the evening of November 15th for an author chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about the 1860's?) and lots of Southern-inspired giveaways (complete listing here).

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on the 15th!

Blog Tour Schedule:

11/4

Lena at A Christian Writer's World http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Mocha with Linda http://mochawithlinda.blogspot.com

Holly at 2 Kids and Tired Books http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com

Alena at Little Bit Of Wonderful http://little-bit-of-wonderful.blogspot.com

Jami's Reviews http://jamisreviews.blogspot.com

Tara at Ramblings of the Blonde Mother Bear http://www.theblondemotherbear.com

Patricia at It's Time To Read Mamaw http://itstimetoreadmamaw.blogspot.com

11/5

Jenny at Book Reviews By Jenny http://bookreviewsbyjenny.blogspot.com

Diana at hanging by a thread http://www.pencildancer.com

Debra at Footprints in the Butter http://debrakb.blogspot.com

Pam at Southern Gal Loves to Read http://southerngallovestoread.blogspot.com

Maggie at Tethered Mommy http://www.tetheredmommy.com

Renee at Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com

11/7

Margaret at Creative Madness Mama http://creativemadnessmama.com

Kari at Alas 3 Lads http://www.alas3lads.blogspot.com

Reviews By Jane http://www.reviewsbyjane.blogspot.com

April’s Lifestyle Show http://aprilslifestyleshow.com

Mindy at A Room without Books is Empty http://detweilermom.blogspot.com

Mary Ann at A Mom With A Blog http://www.amomwithablog.com

11/8

Trish at In So Many Words http://trishdoerrler.com

Faith Hope & Cherrytea http://faithhopecherrytea.blogspot.com

Misha at On my Bookshelf http://mollystories.wordpress.com

Diane at That's What I'm Here For http://www.dianeestrella.com

Kim at Window To My World http://berlysue.blogspot.com

Amber at Snidbits http://amberfrench.blogspot.com

Crystal at My Reading Room http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com

Tiffany Amber Stockton http://amberstockton.blogspot.com

11/9

Books, Etc...by Bina http://www.booksbybina.blogspot.com

Laurie's School Days http://www.lauriegauger.blogspot.com

Michele at My Blessings From Above http://koreamom.blogspot.com

Caroline at Happy Four http://happyfour.blogspot.com

Stacie at Hobbit Door http://hobbitdoor.blogspot.com

Krista at Welcome to Married Life http://www.welcometomarriedlife.com

Elizabeth at Count It All Joy http://texasjoy.blogspot.com

Casey at Writing for Christ http://enjoyingthewritingcraft.blogspot.com

Annette at Net's Book Notes http://www.annetteirbyreviews.blogspot.com

11/0

Christy at Southern Sassy Things http://southernsassythings.blogspot.com

Mandie at Taking Time for Mommy - Online Magazine for Moms http://takingtimeformommy.com

Celena at The Traveling Sisterhood http://thetravellingsisterhood.blogspot.com

Theresa at Frugal Experiments http://www.frugalexperiments.com

Christen at mom, writer, crafter, coffee drinker http://ChristenKrumm.com

Whitney at Rambles of a SAHM http://ramblesahm.blogspot.com

Debora at A Book and a Cupcake http://abookandacupcake.blogspot.com

Kristen at Read Great Fiction http://readgreatfiction.wordpress.com

Katie at Legacy of a Writer http://katie-mccurdy.blogspot.com l

Melissa at Bibliophile's Retreat http://www.bibliophilesretreat.com

Lauri at Knits, Reads and Reviews http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com

Brooke at I blog 4 books http://iblog4books.blogspot.com

Paula at Grace Reign http://gracereign.blogspot.com

11/11

Kendra at Happily Managing a Household of Boys http://familymgrkendra.blogspot.com/

Andi at Radiant Light http://www.frommipov.blogspot.com

Jasmyn's Reviews http://jasmynninestuff.blogspot.com

Jendi's Journal http://jendisjournal.com

Jettie’s Ramblings http://jettiesramblings.blogspot.com

Stephanie at A Cooking Bookworm http://www.acookingbookworm.com

11/12

Vera at Luxury Reading http://www.luxuryreading.com

Linda's Lunacy http://lindaslunacy.com

Amy at My Friend Amy http://www.myfriendamysblog.com

Becky at Christian Chick's Thoughts http://christianchicksthoughts.blogspot.com

Angela at All Grown Up? http://pantylesspreacherswife.wordpress.com

Sheila at Showcase Sisters http://showcasesisters.blogspot.com

Suzanne at Clicking Her Heels http://www.clickingherheels.blogspot.com

Melanie at So Many Books.. So Little Time http://www.melanieski.blogspot.com

Kim at Teaberry Cottage http://teaberry-cottage.blogspot.com

Sara at Shoopette's Book Reviews http://shoopettesbookreviews.blogspot.com

Kathy at Bags, Books & Bon Jovi http://bagsbooksandbonjovi.blogspot.com

11/13

Kelli at The Zen of Motherhood http://www.thezenofmotherhood.blogspot.com

Renee at Doorkeeper http://reneeannsmith.com

Betsy Ann - Writer at Large http://www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com

Jen at Happy Little Homemaker http://www.happylittlehomemaker.com

Lauren at 5 Minutes for Books http://5minutesforbooks.com

Michelle at Healing Hearts http://edgyinspiratuionalauthor.blogspot.com

Megan at The joys of life http://www.raunandmegan.blogspot.com

Laurel at Let's Go on a Picnic! http://headant.com

11/14
Megan at Inspired by Fiction http://inspiredbyfiction.blogspot.com

Charity at Austenitis http://austenitis.blogspot.com

Jennifer at Adventures in Unsell Land http://www.theunsells.blogspot.com

Michelle at Life in Review http://lifeinreviewblog.com

Savanah at Ridiculous Reviews http://ridiculousreviewsbysavanah.blogspot.com

Preslaysa at The Literary Mama http://www.preslaysa.com

Patty at Broken Teepee http://brokenteepee.com

Whitney at Rambles of A Stay at Home Mom http://ramblesahm.blogspot.com

Book Review: Impulse by Candace Camp

Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 401
Acquired: 10/20/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: NetGalley
Series: No

Cam Monroe is a stablehand, Angela Stanhope is nobility. Their love is forbidden and when Angela's father finds out about he threatens to ruin Cam and find a way to send him to jail for the rest of his life. Cam leaves the family's estate and vows to have Angela and his revenge. Meanwhile, Angela marries Lord Dunstan to try and save Cam from her father. Dunstan does not turn out to be the good man everyone thought he was, and several years later they end up divorced after a scandal that rocked the town.

When Cam hears of Angela's divorce he finds a way to return and try to marry her, but Angela sees herself as damaged good after her divorce and is terrified of being under the control of any man. On top of everything, Cam has been the victim of several "accidents." Accidents that seem to be happening all to frequently to be real. Will Angela and Cam learn to trust each other again, or will they forever live with their past doubts.

While this was more of what I consider a "traditional" romance, mistreated woman falls for gentle man but have too many issues to deal with to see that they love each other. However, the little bit of mystery behind Cam's accidents adds just enough to keep the story interesting, although an astute reader will figure it out early in the game.

3/5

Book Review: Seducing the Vampire by Michele Hauf

 

Seducing the Vampire by Michele Hauf
Genre: Paranormal Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Acquired: 09/30/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: NetGalley
Series: No

Think Snow White meets vampires, werewolves, and France. Three of my favorite things and one of my favorite fairy tales growing up (I went through 3 copies of the Disney movie). Our fair princess is played by the blood born vampiress, Viviane LaMourette. Now blood born vampires are rare, and females even more so. So enter the evil queen (errr king in this case), Constantine de Salignac, the local vampire tribe leader who will have Viviane or else no one will! Prince Charming is played by quite an unusual character, a half werewolf half vampire named Rhys Hawkes, who just happens to be half-brother to Constantine. Now remove the 7 dwarfs, unless I totally missed something, and we have our main characters.

The story itself takes us back and forth between present time and the time of Marie Antoinette's court in France. We first meet Viviane on her way to visit her patron in France where she meets Rhys for the first time and Constantine presses her to become his. Fearing for her independence should she choose to be with Constantine, Viviane tries to delay giving him a decision and ends up falling for Rhys. When Constantine finds out, saying he is mad would be the understatement of the century. He sets out for revenge.

In the present time, Rhys hears a myth of a "Vampire Snow White" in the sewers of France. The timing and description of the fair vampire maiden reminds him of Viviane, thought lost to him for all this time. He immediately takes off to France to try and find her (Prince Charming to the rescue).

The story's jump between time periods was well written. There was never any confusion when you started a section as to which time you were in now. There was a lot of action, but it never got too overwhelming or confusing with too much going on all at once. This was a great read.

4/5

Book Review: Night of the Vampires by Heather Graham

 

Night of the Vampires by Heather Graham
Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
Acquired: 09/16/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: NetGalley
Series: None

Most of us know how deadly and devastating the civil war is. Now try to imagine it even worse. With a third enemy that doesn't care which side of the war you are on. If you are human, then you're fair game. There is a pestilence that is ravaging the land, both North and South, and that pestilence is an army of savage vampires that seem intent on wiping out the human race all together. Only a select few realize the truth behind the strange deaths. Most choose to believe that it is some strange new disease that is highly contagious.

Megan Fox is different. She knows the truth. In fact, half of her is the truth. She is half vampire and has managed to retain control of her hunger and kept her soul. She is on the hunt to eliminate the vampires that have turned to pure evil. Along the way she finds her half-brother, another like her, that also hunts the vampires with a group of his friends, and has been for years.

One of these friends is Cole Granger, a Texas sheriff that has not taken any sides in the Civil War. Apparently Texas has too much to deal with - outlaws, Indians, and vampires. Word of a large outbreak of this "disease" in a military prison brings them East and into the very heart of the Civil War. Cole finds it difficult to trust Megan at first. After all, he's only met one other half-vampire before and tends to hold to the kill it before it can kill you mentality.

As the death count rises and more and more vampires are brought back, Megan struggles with her rising feelings for Cole and strives to earn his trust. But can they learn to trust each other and work together in time? The scales are tipping, and it's not in favor of the humans.

This story had quite a nice twist on traditional vampire historical fiction novels. Since the war is taking place, it's very easy for unexplained deaths to be blamed on wounds received in the field. And with so many being buried away from home, who is there to notice that the dead aren't staying put. The characters of Megan and Cole were very well written. Neither one really trusted the other, with good reason, for quite awhile. Their relationship grew in a very realistic way, even if it did progress rather quickly. The downfall of Megan's character is that she is obsessed with the search for her father, a full vampire, and her search puts many in danger time and time again. It just seemed like she never learned and grew.

3/5

Book Review: Adam Runaway by Peter Prince

Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 438
Acquired: 4/17/10
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Series: No

Adam Hanaway, also known as Runaway since he tends to run away from confrontations, is trying to return his family's fortune. His father lost it all and then killed himself. Adam left London to go to Portugal and work for his uncle's import company. He is hoping to prove himself so he can eventually move up the chain of comman and help his mother and sister financially. While there he finds himself accused of fraud, falls in love, and is eventually involved in a dangerous scheme with the possiblity of making him a fortune.

The story itself was quite good, but it was a bit drawn out. While I enjoy reading a character's internal dialoge, there was a bit too much of it for my taste. It seemed a bit repetitive. He continually talked about how he was tired of be cowardly but never really tries to be any different. I did enjoy his relationship and interaction with his neightbors very much. They were the highlight of the book for me.

2/5

Book Review: Ophelia by Lisa Klein

Ophelia by Lisa Klein

Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Acquired: 6/8/2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle 2011
Series: None

Most of us have read, if not at least heard of, the story of Hamlet. The danish prince's tale has captured the imagination of many, but what of the beautiful Ophelia? Where did she come from and why did she behave the way she did. Lisa Klein takes a look into the life of Ophelia before the start of Hamlet, and follows her through the tragic tale.

Ophelia's story is interesting, and Klein did a fantastic job of molding her story into the framework of Hamlet. But there was just something about her that I had a hard time connecting with for some reason. She seemed a bit one sided, always worrying, complaining, and enjoying the same things no matter what the circumstances were. I can see the places where the author tried to make her grow and develop into something more, but she always came up just a bit short....maybe that was the point?

The plot was were it really lost me. I know there is only so much freedom you have when you are working within another famous story, but there was much of Ophelia's life that was up to the imagination. Most of her story just seemed a bit cliche and overdone. I could almost swear I had read something almost exactly the same and that did turn me off quite a bit.

I don't want to turn anyone off from the book too much though. I don't think there was anything actually wrong with the story, writing style, or characters. And I have to admire the way the author was able to keep all the facts from Hamlet straight and fit it into Ophelia's story just right. It just wasn't a book for me.

3/5

Book Review: The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner

The Tudor Secret (The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles) by C.W. Gortner

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 352
Acquired: 2/28/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: ARC
Series: Spymaster Chronicles (1)

Welcome back to the Tudor court (one of my favorite places to read about). King Edward is sick and rumored to be dieing. The kingdom is in an uproar, and the regent prepares to put Jane Grey on the throne, usurping both Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth.

Enter Brendan Prescott, an orphan raised by the Dudley family at their country estate, sent to court to serve their son Robert. But as everyone in the Tudor era seems to, they have an ulterior motive. Brendan finds himself sucked into a web of intrigue revolving around a plot to imprison and possibly execute the Princesses.

Overall, a very interesting story. The author admits to taking liberty with some of her characters and expanding on rumors that were very vague in the time. I had two big complaints. One, that there were a few contradictions in the story. People were said to have one point of view or opinion only to have it miraculously flip a couple of chapters later without any explanation. Two, the romance in the story seems to spring out of nowhere. I was very much blindsided by it. Once I paused and went back, just accepting it and moving on, it was a nice part of the overall story.

The characters grew and developed, but it was all very abrupt and made things a bit choppy. If there is a second in the series, I will probably give it a try and give the author another chance to smooth out the flow of her story.

2.5/5

Book Review: A Separate Country by Robert Hicks

A Separate Country by Robert Hicks

7. A Separate Country by Robert Hicks

Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 419
Acquired: 10/3/2009
Book of Your Shelf? Yep
Why I have/read it: Group Read that I didn't have time for originally
Series: No

Eli Griffin has been given a special task by General Hood. A task that will take him deep into the Hood family's history and open a whole can full of mysteries and intrigue. General Hood and his wife, Anna Marie, have both written their histories down and we follow their tale as Eli reads through it, with the occassional jump back to the "present" as we see the effects their stories have on the man.

General Hood is not a good man and has done things that lead to the deaths of many people. This is his story and how he comes to terms with his past and tries to make up for what he has done. While I did not like General Hood in the beginning, he seemed to be a callous and cruel man, by the end he had earned, at least, my respect. Respect for accepting the consequences of his actions and learning from them. Respect for trying to change his life.

I'm a little at a loss as to what to think of Anna Marie. I had a very hard time relating to her as a woman, mother, or wife. She seemed to be constantly trying to overcome something within herself, something similar to selfishness, that she could never quite master. This seemed to hang over her head too often to allow me as a reader to get too close.

Eli Griffin, the main narrator, was an odd man, and I'm still not quite sure what to think of him. He changes and grows in ways that are surprisingly familiar, but I can't seem to put my finger on why.

I enjoyed reading the book, but there were times I had to put it down, especially near the beginning, because the scenes were a quite disturbing. They were there for a purpose, and the book wouldn't have been the same without them, though.

4/5

Book Review: The Flappers: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Vixen (The Flappers) by Jillian Larkin

Let's go back to the 1920's, to the days of flappers and prohibition, and young lady's trying to make their mark on the world. Gloria Carmody seems to have everything...the money, the boy, the lifestyle, and friends. But she's just not quite happy with any of it. One night she sneaks out with her best friends, Lorraine and Marcus, into the biggest speak easy in town. She falls in love with the music, the atmosphere, and the people.


Lorraine has always been jealous of Gloria. She had everything, the perfect life, but at least she could tag along and absorb part of the glory as her best friends. Then one day she finds out that Gloria is hiding a secret from her, a big secret. She holds Gloria's future in her hands - what will she do with it?

Gloria's cousin, Clara, has come to town to help Gloria plan for her upcoming wedding. She also comes to escape a wild lifestyle back home and get back on track the way a proper society girl should. Little does she know that all her secrets are at risk of spilling out and ruining her new life.

This book in one of the memorable reads for 2010. The characters were developed perfectly and the story was captivating. I don't think I've ever read a novel about the 20's and it was fascinating to read about the time period. Jillina Larken is going on my watch list for authors, I can't wait until she releases the next in the series.

5/5

Book Review: The Clouds Beneath the Sun by Mackenzie Ford

The Clouds Beneath the Sun: A Novel by Mackenzie Ford

You can find quite an interesting group of people at an archeological dig in Kenya in 1961. This is where Natalie Nelson finds herself as part of a remote dig site in the Serengeti. Things are going great until the team runs into grave robbing and a murder that Natalie becomes a key witness of. But of course, that is not all. Natalie finds herself in a battle between two brothers - a competition that has been around for their entire lives.

I don't think anything I say can really do justice to this book. I feel as I was in Kenya, I felt the heat, I heard the animals, I smelled the Serengeti. There was a lot going on in Kenya in the early 60's and I was able to experience a little bit of all of it by reading this book.

The characters were engaging and dynamic, the setting was beautiful. My only complaint is that the author lingered over the political aspects of what was going on in the country in a way that I didn't understand at first.

4/5

Book Review: Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt


Bess Southerns is a charmer, a wise woman, a healer - trained in the forbidden folk magic of the Catholic church. By helping her neighbors she risks bringing the law down on not only herself, but her family and friends. We watch as she has a family, some that stand by her and some that leave because they fear her skills. We follow the family through her daughter and her granddaughter.

When a neighbor accuses someone of witchcraft, however, the hunt for witches begins and Bess finds her family under scrutiny. This was an interesting look into not only the way the lower class lived, but also how the fear of witches could be contagious, drawing many innocents in along with the guilty.

The book could have been a tad bit shorter. There were a few times I had to set it down because I felt that it had stalled and I needed a break from it.

3.5/5

4th Round Winner and Book Review: The Season by Sarah MacLean

The Season by Sarah MacLean

I read this book as part of a debut book contest hosted at http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com and it won my vote for the round. Alexandra is about to enter her first London season...much to her dismay. She has little patience for gowns, balls, dancing, or potential husbands. Somehow she makes her way successfully through the myriad of balls and gatherings.

On the other hand, the close family friend, Gavin, is still recovering from the sudden and suspicious death of his father. When spies, espionage, and murder come into play he goes on the hunt for his father's murderer. In the midst of this, sudden feelings for a certain young woman come to the surface. Unfortunately, Alexandra insists on helping, and getting herself into and out of trouble.

A great story. Pegged as a romance by some, I felt that the romance was there but not so much that it was distracting. I'm glad I was selected to judge so I could have a reason to pick this up and bump it to the top of the reading list.

4/5

Book Review: Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Louisa Cosgrove is in trouble. On the way to stay with some friends of her older brothers, she finds the carriage stopped in front of an asylum instead. An asylum for mentally ill women, and they seem to think she's someone names Lucy Childs. Try as she might to convince them of their mistake, they just assume her "confusion" is all part of her mental condition.

Louisa was an oddity for her time. She wanted to be a doctor like her father in an era where females even being nurses was still frowned upon. As she tries to unravel the threads of her past and figure out how she ended up in the asylum, Wildthorn, we get to see the difficulties and joys of her life as she grew up. We also get a very intimate look into what asylum life was like - and it wasn't very pretty.

Louisa finds unexpected friends, and surprising enemies as she goes. I was very surprised when the betrayer of her trust is finally revealed and is forced to come to terms with what happened to Louisa.

While the story was interesting and moved along fairly well, there were times I had a little trouble believing in some of the characters, at times they seemed very static.

3.5/4

Book Review: The Keening by A. LaFaye

The Keening by A. LaFaye

Influenza used to be one of the most dreaded diseases in the world. When Lyza's mother succumbs to the disease, it is up to Lyza, a teenage girl, to take care of her father and prevent the rest of the family from putting him in the work farm for people who are not quite there mentally. Lyza struggles to find a way to save her father, remember her deceased mother's wishes, and figure out who she really is.

The character of Lyza was fascinating. She reminded me of myself so much as a teenager. Knowing where you wanted to go and who you wanted to be, but not having a clear picture of how to get there. I loved the way she related to her mother and father, and was willing to sacrifice anything to save her father from being committed to the work farm.

The story concentrates very much on Lyza and her father, rarely leaving the small world of their family, and then only when necessary. This was the perfect way to write this very intimate story of the love between a daughter and her father, and their search to find their way in a world that has suddenly changed.

4/5

Book Review: The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Rumors: A Luxe Novel (The Luxe)

(minor spoilers if you haven't read the first book, The Luxe)

In the second book of the Luxe series we are focused a bit more on the younger Holland sister Diana. As society reels from Elizabeth's death and speculates on possible alternatives, Diana must grow up quickly to save the family. They are quickly running out of money and things to sell for money. Her best hope is to marry her sister's former fiance, Henry Schoonmaker, who is mourning for Elizabeth. But it isn't a simple as all that. Penelope Hayes, who played a part in Elizabeth's death/disappearance, has her eyes on Henry as well, and she is not afraid to use every underhanded trick she can think of to win him over.

Diana is a girl after my own heart. She mocks society and all it's silliness as she attempts to play along - if only for appearances sake. She loves Henry deeply and passionately, and prays for when it will be considered appropriate for them to leave mourning and become engaged. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Will have settled in California and are looking for oil when a letter from Diana causes enough concern for them to risk returning to New York to try and help, for Elizabeth's mother is quite ill and the financial situation is becoming even more dire.

Penelope is a very mean person (I'd like to use a different phrase, but my daughter reads this). While I respect her will to fight and do whatever it takes to get what she wants...I hate to see how she treats the people around her in order to get it.

This book moved a bit more slowly for me than the first in the series. There were many small details that became large ones and I'm hoping they are all made relevant in the third book. I'm far too attached to Diana to give up on her now and will be ordering the next in the series, Envy as soon I can.

3.5/5

Book Review: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Courtney is having a bad couple months. She finds her fiance is a flirt and possible more and her best friend was covering for him. She decided to take solace in some nice hard liquor and a Jane Austen novel. The next morning she wakes to find herself no longer Courtney living in LA, but Jane Mansfield living in England...a long time ago.

As Courtney/Jane struggle to figure out what happened to send her into another time, place, and body...she comes to learn that not everyone is as they seem and first impressions don't usually last.

The story of Courtney as Jane is a wonderful adventure into the world of Jane Austen, full of romance, mistaken intentions, and best friends. The story ends in a somewhat traditional Austen fashion, but is even more wonderful because of it.

4/5

Book Review: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

I just couldn't finish this book. I made it up to just after page 100 and had to put it down. The only person I was able to enjoy was the crazy guy. I'll set it aside for now and perhaps take it up again later for another shot.




1/5

Book Review: The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview

Caroline is distraught. She is in alone and sobbing as "her" Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy marries Elizabeth Bennet. Little does she know that she is being watched...by the other Mr. Darcy...the American cousin, Robert.


I adored this book. The characters were represented perfectly and they grew in ways that allowed us to love them. Caroline and Robert have a very difficult time relating to each other. She does not feel he is a proper English gentleman, and he thinks she's too guarded and doesn't share her thoughts enough. They are tossed together by Elizabeth Bennet (now Darcy) taking ill and sending for her friends for comfort.

Seeing all the characters again was like catching up with old friends and hearing their new stories. I fell into the story and didn't come up for air until it was finished.

4/5