I am pleased to say that I am taking part in the above Pump Up Your Book blog tour! You can click on the picture to go find out more details about the book, the author, watch the trailer and other tour stops.
And enter to win a Kindle Fire HD!
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.*
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Series: N/A
Pages: 306
Buy From Amazon: HERE
The Past Casts a Long Shadow. Especially When It Points to a Woman's First Love. Her name was Mary Grace until she fell in love with the French exchange student visiting her family's Nebraska farm. Francois renamed her "Aglaia"-after one of the beautiful Three Graces of Greek mythology-and set the seventeen-year- old girl longing for something more than her parents' simplistic life and faith.
Now, fifteen years later, Aglaia works as a costume designer in Denver. Her budding success in the city's posh arts scene convinces her that she's left the naive farm girl far behind. But "Mary Grace" has deep roots, as Aglaia learns during a business trip to Paris. Her discovery of sensual notes that Francois jotted into a Bible during that long-ago fling, a silly errand imposed by her mother, and the scheming of her sophisticated mentor all conspire to create a thirst in her soul that professional success can't quench. "The Third Grace" takes you on a dual journey across oceans and time-in the footsteps of a woman torn between her rural upbringing and her search for self.
My Overall Feeling of the Book:
The story behind this book sounded really good. A teenage summer fling with a French exchange student. Going to find him in Paris 15 years later. So romantic.
But it just didn't quite get there for me. There were so many parts of the book where Francois is telling stories about the mythical Greek gods and I started to find myself skimming over those parts to get to the main story.
The main story did draw me in with sewing and designing aspects as well as the side stories of the people within Mary Grace's ("Aglaia") circle of "friends". Those were very interesting.
Main Characters:
Mary Grace "Aglaia" Klassen: First I found it very difficult to read with any kind of flow with the name "Aglaia" even though the author takes the time to explain that it rhymes with "I'll pay ya". Through most of the book she is very shallow even to the point of abandoning her faith and being embarrassed for her "friend", Lou, to meet her Mother. To me that is unforgivable. Thankfully, by the end of the book she has turned a corner in her self-centeredness.
Francois Vivier: The object of "Aglaia's obsession. He turns out to be a major creep!
Dr. Lou Chapman: User, stalker lady. She wants to ride on Aglaia's friendship with a University bigwig to get tenure because said bigwig can't stand her and rightly so. She also gave me the creeps.
My Favorite Scene:
When Aglaia makes her way home :)
A Brief Excerpt:
Aglaia hobbled out of her kitchen through the sliding doors to the third-story patio on Saturday morning with her favorite pottery mug in hand. The best thing about her apartment was the view of Mount Evans from her deck. She sat in the cool dawn with her left foot resting on the other patio chair. The snow-tipped Rockies glistened blue with ghostly transparency, floating on a bed of cloud. A distant thought sand into her mind like a hymn: I lift my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from?
Page 79
It Would Have Been Better If:
A lot less Greek mythology. And there were a few too many overly-large and difficult words sprinkled throughout the book. Very distracting.
Rating
3/5
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Now, for the giveaway!
To enter for a chance to win my review copy of this book:
*Mandatory- Please leave a comment telling me if you would go out of your way to find a long-lost love from your teenage years or is the past better left in the past?
*Extra- Follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you do :)
The giveaway will run until October 21, 2012 at 11:59pm. The winner will be announced on October 22nd.
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On to the next book,
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