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Book Review: Glittering Promises by Lisa T. Bergren

Kathryn Cooper
THIS IS BOOK 3 IN THE SERIES!

image and summary from Goodreads

Title: Glittering Promises
Author: Lisa T. Bergren
Publisher: David C. Cook
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Pages: 464
Series: Grand Tour #3
3 STARS: It Was OK

Lisa T. Bergren’s popular Grand Tour series concludes as Cora Kensington journeys farther into Italy, wrestles with a terrible ultimatum from her father, and comes to terms with the Father who will never fail her.

America’s newest heiress must decide if her potential fortune is rationale enough to give up her freedom and all that God is leading her toward. And when her newly-discovered siblings are threatened with ruin, her quandary deepens. Then as Cora nears Rome, more journalists are track the news story of the decade—“Copper Cora,” the rags-to-riches girl—and want to know more about her family and the men vying for her attention. Meanwhile, a charming Italian countess decides that if Cora isn’t going to claim Will’s heart, she might just try…

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this last book in the series was just okay for me. It felt slow probably because I’m not really familiar with Europe so the descriptions were longer than I’d prefer and many of the places blurred together for me. I think overall if the book was shorter it would have felt fast paced, but I don’t think fast paced is the goal for this series. All of the books give beautiful descriptions of Europe and its history. Glittering Promises specifically shows us the beautiful cities and countryside of Italy.

I loved the characters of this series. It was nice to think back on book one and see how far they have come. Cora has been through a lot. She was asked to endure a lot through this final book though her trials this time where much different than the first books. Will drove me a little crazy. He seemed a bit hypocritical with his jealousy of Pierre. I wanted more between Will and Cora, but them trying to find their way together was the major plot. I enjoyed hearing more of Vivian this time. She was stronger and more kind.

After the first half of the book things really picked up, and then I loved it. If you read the first two in the book you have to read this final leg of their journey across Europe. The ending was beautiful and the excitement made my heart speed up.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: none
Violence: mild ( kidnapping, injury, fighting )

I received the ARC ebook from David C. Cook via NetGalley. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Click To Buy Books By Lisa T. Bergren On Amazon


As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.

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Blog Tour with Review & Giveaway: My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White

Kathryn Cooper

I am so happy to be a stop on My Own Mr. Darcy blog tour today hosted by I Am A Reader! 
Visit the Tour Schedule to see more posts.

image and summary from Goodreads

Title: My Own Mr. Darcy
Author: Karey White
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: July 2013
Pages: 220
Series: none
4 STARS: I Really Liked It

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough. Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

My Thoughts:
This was such a cute story. Do you love Pride and Prejudice? I do! Have you ever thought about what Mr. Darcy would be like in a modern setting? Maybe back in the 1800s it was better to be quiet and aloof instead of funny and friendly. Mr. Darcy in the 21st century would be a total snob and stiff!

As a teenager Lizzie fell in love with Mr. Darcy in the 2005 movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She decided she would marry a man like him or not marry at all. Her friend felt it was time to intervene to save her from herself. Lizzie was challenged to go on ten dates with the next guy that asked her out. Chad was the lucky man. Chad was so sweet and funny and fun to be around. When her vision of Mr. Darcy finally walked into her life everything turned upside down though.

It was funny but sometimes painful to watch Lizzie flounder around. I just hoped she wouldn’t ruin her life with her crazy expectations! The poor girl was so confused about what kind of man she should date. It definitely got tiresome to watch her make dumb decisions over and over again. I understood the reason for it, but it still got old and almost made me not like Lizzie anymore.

Did I enjoy this read? Yes! Lizzie had a real reason for her choices no matter how misconstrued they were. Silly girl was all I could say. I really enjoyed the interior design parts of the book. Lizzie graduated in interior design and wanted to make that her career. The design details made me want to decorate my house!

My Own Mr. Darcy showed a modern girl reach for her dreams. It was a cute and light read fans of Pride and Prejudice retellings will enjoy.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: none
Violence: none

I received the ARC ebook from I Am A Reader Blog Tours. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.


Click To Buy Books By Karey White On Amazon


As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.


Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/8/13
 a Rafflecopter giveaway
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book Review: Midnight Masquerade by Marcia Lynn McClure

Kathryn Cooper

View my blog tour post on my Teen blog, Clean Teen Fiction, to see more information and a giveaway!

midnight mas

Title: Midnight Masquerade
Author: Marcia Lynn McClure
Publisher: DistractionsInk
Release Date: July 29, 2013
Pages: 228
Series: none
5 STARS: I LOVED IT!!!

Stavos Voronin was not as blind-eyed as many nobles and royals. Evony’s physical gestures—even the simplest movement of her hands—revealed that she had not always been destitute. The same was true of the children—of their polished manners and the boy’s knowledge of horses and tendency to be bold and fearless of strangers.

Ah yes, Stavos enjoyed a good mystery. After all, interest in the inexplicable circumstances surrounding the royals of Abawyth was the very thing that had lured him to the kingdom—the enigma of Abawyth’s twelve sleepy princesses. And yet now—now his mind was all the more intrigued. Not only was the obscurity of what had caused the profound and baffling torpidity of Abawyth’s princesses laid out before him, but also he found his curiosity intensely piqued over the riddle surrounding the very lovely Evony and her siblings.

As Stavos strode through the village resting on the outskirts of Abawyth Castle, his mind reeled with possibilities. His musings were drawn back to why he had come to Abawyth at all—to solve the conundrum surrounding the twelve beautiful princesses of Abawyth kingdom—to solve the seemingly impenetrable crux and thereby win the hand of one of Abawyth’s princesses, as his father, King Letholdus of Ethiarien, had commanded.

My Thoughts:
I would consider this book a New Adult since the main character is in her early 20s, but lucky for us lovers of clean romance this book was clean just like all of Marcia’s wonderful romance novels.

I love fairy tales! This was such a unique retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I didn’t know what to expect at every turn. Evony was a wonderful heroine: strong and brave, determined and kind. She was a joy to read. She only made me think, “No! Don’t do that! That’s a stupid choice!” one time. It’s annoying to read a book that has the main character making a bad choice at every turn. Thankfully that was not the case with Evony. She was smart and just . . . lovely. I don’t know how else to describe her.

Stavos was such a dreamy prince. I love to read Prince and Princess stories. I’m such a girl! Stavos did not disappoint as the hero. He was everything a prince should be, full of honor and bravery. It didn’t hurt that he was thought to be the most handsome man alive!

As with all of Marcia’s books there was a wonderful intriguing plot that kept me turning the page while full of breath taking romance that kept me smiling. If you’ve ever read a review for one of her books you’ve probably heard about her talent for writing kissing scenes. Those scenes were very swoony. 😉 This book also had a good amount of peril and action. It was easy to read late into the night.

Midnight Masquerade was a fairy tale laced with faint inducing romance and pulse stopping mystery.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: moderate ( long kissing scenes one mention of tongue and some necking; kissing while in bed- no sex; hints of men taking advantage of women )
Language: very mild ( I didn’t keep track of exact, but I think 1 d*** and 1 h*** and maybe a few more )
Violence: mild ( death by knife and swords, kidnapping, whipping )

I received the book from I Am A Reader for the blog tour. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Click To Buy Books By Marcia Lynn McClure On Amazon


As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog

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Blog Tour with Giveaway! Midnight Masquerade by Marcia Lynn McClure

Kathryn Cooper
Midnight Masquerade tour

I am so happy to be a part of this blog tour hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer! I love Marcia Lynn McClure’s books! 
Visit the Tour Schedule for more posts. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of my post.

midnight mas

Title: Midnight Masquerade
Author: Marcia Lynn McClure
Publisher: DistractionsInk
Release Date: July 29, 2013
Pages: 228
Series: none
5 STARS: I LOVED IT!!!

Stavos Voronin was not as blind-eyed as many nobles and royals. Evony’s physical gestures—even the simplest movement of her hands—revealed that she had not always been destitute. The same was true of the children—of their polished manners and the boy’s knowledge of horses and tendency to be bold and fearless of strangers.

Ah yes, Stavos enjoyed a good mystery. After all, interest in the inexplicable circumstances surrounding the royals of Abawyth was the very thing that had lured him to the kingdom—the enigma of Abawyth’s twelve sleepy princesses. And yet now—now his mind was all the more intrigued. Not only was the obscurity of what had caused the profound and baffling torpidity of Abawyth’s princesses laid out before him, but also he found his curiosity intensely piqued over the riddle surrounding the very lovely Evony and her siblings.

As Stavos strode through the village resting on the outskirts of Abawyth Castle, his mind reeled with possibilities. His musings were drawn back to why he had come to Abawyth at all—to solve the conundrum surrounding the twelve beautiful princesses of Abawyth kingdom—to solve the seemingly impenetrable crux and thereby win the hand of one of Abawyth’s princesses, as his father, King Letholdus of Ethiarien, had commanded.

My Thoughts:
I would consider this book a New Adult since the main character is in her early 20s, but lucky for us lovers of clean romance this book was clean just like all of Marcia’s wonderful romance novels.

I love fairy tales! This was such a unique retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I didn’t know what to expect at every turn. Evony was a wonderful heroine: strong and brave, determined and kind. She was a joy to read. She only made me think, “No! Don’t do that! That’s a stupid choice!” one time. It’s annoying to read a book that has the main character making a bad choice at every turn. Thankfully that was not the case with Evony. She was smart and just . . . lovely. I don’t know how else to describe her.

Stavos was such a dreamy prince. I love to read Prince and Princess stories. I’m such a girl! Stavos did not disappoint as the hero. He was everything a prince should be, full of honor and bravery. It didn’t hurt that he was thought to be the most handsome man alive!

As with all of Marcia’s books there was a wonderful intriguing plot that kept me turning the page while full of breath taking romance that kept me smiling. If you’ve ever read a review for one of her books you’ve probably heard about her talent for writing kissing scenes. Those scenes were very swoony. 😉 This book also had a good amount of peril and action. It was easy to read late into the night.

Midnight Masquerade was a fairy tale laced with faint inducing romance and pulse stopping mystery.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: moderate ( long kissing scenes one mention of tongue and some necking; kissing while in bed- no sex; hints of men taking advantage of women )
Language: very mild ( I didn’t keep track of exact, but I think 1 d*** and 1 h*** and maybe a few more )
Violence: mild ( death by knife and swords, kidnapping, whipping )

I received the book from I Am A Reader for the blog tour. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

marcia

Marcia Lynn McClure’s intoxicating succession of novels, novellas, and e-books, has established her as one of the most favored and engaging authors of true romance. Her unprecedented forte in weaving captivating stories of western, medieval, regency, and contemporary amour void of brusque intimacy has earned her the title “The Queen of Kissing.”

Marcia, who was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has spent her life intrigued with people, history, love, and romance. A wife, mother, grandmother, family historian, poet, and author, Marcia Lynn McClure spins her tales of splendor for the sake of offering respite through the beauty, mirth, and delight of a worthwhile and wonderful story.

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 9/17/13

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click To Buy Books By Marcia Lynn McClure On Amazon


As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog

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September YA Reading Queue

Kathryn Cooper

Reading Queue is a monthly meme where you share the books you want to read that month. Visit the host sites Book Tasty and Books: A True Story to add your post to the linky and visit other posts to see what others are reading for the month. Maybe you’ll find someone planning to read the same book as you! I’ll list my books in the order I want to read them. 

Click the covers to view on Amazon.

Books I planned to read in August:



Books I read in August:
I’m not sure how this happened, but I had an epic FAIL! I didn’t finish any of these books. I’m halfway through Swept Up by the Sea which has taken me all month. Obviously I’m having a hard time immersing myself in that book. I started Sugar Coated a few days ago thinking I could read it in time for the blog tour, but I got sick and didn’t get too far. I love Sugar Coated so far but want to go back and finish Swept Up by the Sea first. I will do better this month!!!

Reading Queue for September:


As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.

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September Adult Reading Queue

Kathryn Cooper

Reading Queue is a monthly meme where you share the books you want to read that month. Visit the host sites Book Tasty and Books: A True Story to add your post to the linky and visit other posts to see what others are reading for the month. Maybe you’ll find someone planning to read the same book as you! I’ll list my books in the order I want to read them. 

Click the covers to view on Amazon.

Books I planned to read in August:


Books I read in August:

Hey that’s 50% of my goal. Not too bad. Not like my epic fail with YA reading goals. 🙂

Reading Queue for September:

I will finish Midnight Masquerade this weekend for my part in the blog tour on Tuesday, and I hope to get into Emma: a Latter-day Tale this month!

As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.

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Book Review: The Miner’s Lady by Tracie Peterson

Kathryn Cooper
image and summary from Goodreads

Title: The Miner’s Lady
Author: Tracie Peterson
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: September 1, 2013
Pages: 336
Series: Land of Shining Water #3
5 STARS: I LOVED IT!!!

When Chantel Panetta’s younger sister claims to be in love with Orlando Vittorio, Chantel knows there is no hope. The Panettas and Vittorios have been sworn enemies for decades, and young love cannot heal the deep wounds between the two iron-mining families. Yet, unable to resist Isabella’s pleas, Chantel agrees to help her sister spend time with Orlando…only to have a run-in with Dante, Orlando’s brother. The older, more handsome one.

Chantel can’t deny the attraction that flares when she’s with Dante. But when a tragedy occurs at the mine, is there any hope that the hatred that has simmered between these two families might be resolved? Or will Chantel’s hope for love be buried amidst decades of misunderstanding?

My Thoughts:
The Miner’s Lady was the third book in the Land of Shining Water series, but don’t worry it wasn’t necessary to read the first ones since those had different main characters. I loved this book so much though so I’m going to have to go back and read the first two books now!

I am going to gush about this book. I loved loved loved it!! It releases tomorrow, September 1st, and I highly recommend you get it. Summer’s over! We all need something amazing to help us escape during back-to-school craziness. The Miner’s Lady will take you on a trip to 1890 to a mining community in Minnesota, full of romance and turmoil.

The romance between Chantel’s sister Isabella Panetta and Orlando Calarco was reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. The Panetta and Calarco families had a long-time hatred for one another, but the young couple didn’t care about a feud that began so long ago. Isabella wanted what was best for her sister which sometimes involved distracting Orlando’s older and very handsome brother Dante.

I loved that Dante wasn’t perfect, the guy had faults. Hearing his thoughts as well as Chantel’s really helped me connect with them, especially when they had strong opposing views. This book was full of deep characters. There were many plots interwoven among the romance like addiction, poverty, loss, and betrayal. I cannot say enough good things about this book!

The Miner’s Lady will bring your emotions through these character’s lives. As a reader, I experienced laughing joy, tears of sadness, and everything in between. It was a beautiful historical romance.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: none
Violence: mild ( murder by gunshot, murder by beating, mining accidents with injury and death )

I received the ARC ebook from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Click To Buy Books By Tracie Peterson On Amazon


As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.