Spotlight on Glamorous Ilusions by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Yesterday my husband sent me out on a day of pampering...I had my hair cut, dyed, and styled (for just over four hours!), followed by a pedicure and manicure. While that was refreshing and rejuvenating, a wonderful addition to my day of R&R was my beloved Kindle, and my copy of GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS by Lisa T. Bergren. (FYI, she's the author of one of my other all time favorite series, RIVER OF TIME)

This book swept me away and though I'd had a slight jump start on it, I read almost the entire thing in one delcious gulp yesterday. It was exactly the kind of book I needed to slow down, to think, to fill my spirit with wonder, history, beauty, and romance.  Here's the gorgeous cover, official blurb, and my own modest review....

GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS (Grand Tour Series Book 1)

Lisa Tawn Bergren

Paperback and ebook, 416 pages

June 1st, 2012 by David C Cook

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 education, 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….

The first book in the Grand Tour series will take readers on a journey of cultural refinement, but moreover, explores what truly informs a person’s sense of identity.

Lisa Bergren does it again. This book swept me away, wrapping me in a warm blanket of family, hope, wonder, history, and self-discovery....and beautiful romance. The beginning was slow and beautiful, unraveling at the perfect pace to match the farm-life setting, then kicked into another gear with each new chapter in Cora's journey. By the end, I was eager to keep reading, to see what would happen, all while lamenting the fact Kindle was telling me I had very few pages left. "No, it can't end already," is what I kept telling myself, all while clicking furiously to read more.

I fell in love with these characters, with the hope and message sheltered within the words, and with strong, protective, handsome Will. I'm looking forward to book 2 and beyond.

What have you read lately that filled you with a sense of wonder and beauty?

Spotlight on Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren...& Giveaway

As you may know, I kinda love time-travel stories mixed with historical and romance. And if you add in Italy, I'm a goner. So it really should come as no surprise that I absolutely fell in love with the River of Time series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. And here's a little glimpse why....

WATERFALL (River of Time #1)

By: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Paperback, 369 pages, Published 2011 by David C. Cook

What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?
 

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.

Conversing with the author, Lisa Bergren, in the past about our obvious mutual love of Italy and time travel led to a hunch I would enjoy this novel, but I had no idea how much. I absolutely loved every moment of this book!!

It was fun to see similar instincts and choices between our modern-day heroines transported to the past, but what were more thrilling was all the differences. WATERFALL takes places in the 1300s, two hundred years before my own time travel adventure, so while I've become well versed in Renaissance history, it was such a joy to lose myself in Medieval times, in an era where chivalry reigned, men were knights, and love was epic. Twists and turns abounded--just when I thought the story was over, Lisa would shock me with something fresh and different and pure fun. I mean, don't get me wrong...this book is filled with serious battles, fierce emotions, and crazy politics, but within the gifted hands of Ms. Bergren, I was able to relax and just enjoy the ride.

Gabi is truly a warrior of a protagonist, and Marcello was hotness personified. The loving relationship between sisters Gabi and Lia was both heart wrenching and uplifting, and Luca brought the funny. I am so glad this is a series, because I'm not ready to let any of these characters go... unfortunately that just means my plans for the weekend are shifting, as I'll be stuck in my Kindle for the foreseeable future :)

Sounds good, right?? So good, in fact, that I want to give away a *FREE EBOOK COPY* to share the love! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below.

For *Five* additional entries (one additional entry for each of the following, give me a heads up in the comments), you can:

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So, I'm reading the rest of the series this weekend...how about you? What are YOU reading this weekend?