Litfuse Blog Tour -- A Lasting Impression

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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











ARE YOU READY TO PARTAY!?

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!

The Review:
My Ranking: 7 out of 10
Ages 16 & up

I’d read a book by Tamera Alexander prior to this one, and I wasn’t all too pleased with it. But, because of how interesting this one sounded I decided to give her another chance. While the beautiful cover, intriguing synopsis, and interesting story would suggest that I’d be leaving a glowing review, I had a few personal problems with the book that leave me unable to give it full praise. But I’m getting ahead of myself now. ;)

The writing style was easy to read, and I never found myself lost or confused about what was going on. I found the story unique enough, and kept me reading. Alexander has a way of making her reader’s get lost in the story, and she certainly had me turning pages as I read through this novel. One thing I'll give Alexander is her incredible gift at whisking her readers away into another era in history. Her descriptions of the surroundings are incredible and I always feels as if I'm there.

 Her characters were well laid out and easy to get to know. I never found myself completely liking the hero, but he was sweet and perfect for Claire, and I found them to be a cute couple.

 The thing that kept me from fully enjoying this book was the unneeded levels of sensuality in it. Sure, it was nothing but kissing and nothing further than that was even begun, but it still was pretty passionate and got to me(I think I've gotten more picky about my books as of late, concerning their romance levels). You can see below in my content warning what all took place, and find out if it would be a problem for you.

 Sensuality: 


There were several kisses, several somewhat passionate and described, never excessively though. 


 There is a part where girl is said to be “grateful for every point where their bodies touched – their hands, their arms, their knees”, which takes place during an Indian-wrestle match between a couple. They end up flirting and kissing. 


There is a scene where a girl is led into a room by a man and she notices he closed the door and perceives he has less than honorable intentions. She flees, and he calls after her saying she mistook his intentions. There is no further interaction between the characters. 


 There is also a scene where one of the main character’s walks into the woods and stumbles upon the girl he is attracted to in her undergarments. He only sees her for a split second, but it says he “appreciates what he saw”. She ducks behind a rock and from there she demands, while giggling, that he wait up the hill. 

So, while her stories are very good, Alexander’s romance level is just too high for me, with little prudence shown from either character. BUT, not everyone has the same convictions and such as I, and I do believe many people would enjoy this book. It has a well written story and intriguing characters, and I truly did feel like I was stepping back in time when I picked up this book.  :)