Glittering Promises by Lisa Bergen

Description:

 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.
 

Wealth cannot buy peace... Or Direction.

For Cora Kensington, the Grand Tour was to be the trip of a lifetime. She discovered the family she never knew she had and may have even found the love she longs for in Will. Yet her life has just become infinitely more challenging...

Hounded by the stubborn pursuit of Pierre de Richelieu and journalists chasing the beguiling story of the newest American heiress, Cora fights to remain true to her past, reconcile her present, and still embrace her future. But as Will struggles with her newfound wealth, Cora begins to wonder if their love is strong enough to withstand all that threatens to pull them apart. 

As she glimpses the end of the tour, Cora knows it's time to decide Who and what defines her... and who and what does not.

My Opinion:

So, I don't know about everyone else, but when I read a final book of a series I expect a ringer. Glittering Promises was, sadly, lacking in the thrill department. I liked the book, but it did not hold to my expectations for an ending to a story. When I turned the last page I felt like this story had so much more to offer, like the last few pages were ripped out... 

I did not like the romance between Cora and Will as much in this book. It was much more laid back and mushy-gushy compared to Grave Consequences. Most of Will's thoughts about Cora made him sound like he had a high school crush on her, and his jealous tendency's were a bit over the top. *SPOILER* I also did not care much for the other woman that gained Will's eye. She should have created much more drama between Will and Cora or she shouldn't have been in it at all. As it stands, her character was not really important.

I also felt like Lisa didn't know how to conclude this story, so, in order to do something "unexpected" she *SPOILER* Enhanced Andrews nasty behavior and changed Pierre's standards of what he deemed right and wrong to make it plausible for them to turn against Cora, which I definitely don't believe was intended from the beginning. Maybe Andrew, but not Pierre.

On another note, I did like the struggles that Will and Cora had to face to be together. Such as Cora's newfound wealth, and that Will did not want to be a kept man. But with God as the focus of their relationship, they overcame every obstacle put in their way. Which leads me to say that also I liked how much God played a part in this book since in the other two he wasn't as much of a focus. 

Most of all, I loved how this series revealed the budding relationships with Cora and her estranged siblings and then showed their continued bond and love for each other as a family develop. Especially between Cora and her sister Vivian.

This series showed how wealth and power are not always good things,  they can bring you together, but they can also pull you apart. It all depends on how you handle them and if you still look to God as the number one priority above all others.

Rating: 3 Stars