A Bookaholic Swede: Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman Blog Tour

Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman Blog Tour

Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

About Fading Starlight

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (May 3, 2016)

Lauren Summers is hiding. Her fashion house internship should have launched her career, but a red carpet accident has left her blackballed. The only job she finds is unpaid, but comes with free lodging–a run-down cottage in the shadow of a cliff-side mansion. Unsure of what comes next, she’s surprised to be contacted by a reporter researching a reclusive former Hollywood ingénue who lives in the nearby mansion.
Kendall Joiner wants Lauren’s help uncovering the old woman’s secrets. In return, she’ll prove the red carpet accident was a publicity stunt so Lauren can regain her former job. With all her dreams in front of her, Lauren’s tempted by the offer, but as she and the old woman get to know each other, Lauren realizes nothing is quite as it seems.

“An inspiring plot that brims with Old Hollywood suspense, vintage fashion and modern frustrations.”—RT Book Reviews

REVIEW

First, I want to say that I'm not a big reader of Christan Fiction, it's just a genre that has never really interested me that much. However, I do love Lisa Wingate's Caroline series and I would love to read more books like that. So, I was a bit cautious when I saw that this book was Christan Fiction, and that has nothing to do with Christianity, I'm a Christian myself. I just can't stand reading books that are saccharine and preachy, no matter if it's Christian fiction or just any other kind of book.

So, now that I have gotten that said will I try to explain why this book worked for me on some levels and the things that I had problems with. I did like the book, in a way. I liked that it was easy to read and with a not too complicated story. However, that's also the problem with the book. I felt that the story and the characters lacked depth. It had potentials, but it didn't fulfil it. I found the story about the reclusive Hollywood starlet interesting, but I felt that it could have been given more room, being explored and explained more than it did. I wanted to know more about Charlotte Montgomery and her past. Perhaps some twist to the story. Something that would make the characters come to life.

Then we have the scandal that brought Lauren Summers to Santa Barbara. I don't know if it's just me having a problem with how a wardrobe accident could have her blackballed. I mean just look at the dresses the starlets have nowadays on the red carpet. Here, we have a young woman that is fighting with her parents about having a sexier image and then suddenly she is showing a little much for her parents taste. SCANDAL! This is not nipplegate we are dealing with, some undergarments are showing...

Alright, the complaining is over. I did enjoy reading the book, there were as I stated some things that bothered me, but I found myself enjoying part of the story, sure it was easy to spot the good and the bad girls in this book, but for the moment was it precisely what I needed to read. My favourite parts in the books are everything that has to do with Charlotte Montgomery, she was the one character I came to like the most. I could understand what she had gone through and I loved that she started to see that there are good people in the world.

Thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Kathryn Cushman

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. She is the acclaimed author of over a half-dozen novels, including Leaving Yesterday andA Promise to Remember, which were both finalists for the Carol Award in Women’s Fiction. Kathryn and her family make their home in Santa Barbara, California.