Book Review: The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y'Barbo
The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper
by Kathleen Y'Barbo
WaterBrook Press
Copyright 2009
344 pages
ISBN: 978-0-307-44474-5
Fiction/Historical
Synopsis: Eugenia "Gennie" Cooper, a wealthy New York socialite has a secret. She loves to read dime novels! Before settling down to a sedate life in the city, she longs for an adventure out in the Wild West like the characters in the books she reads. Eugenia jumps at the chance to visit Denver, Colorado, where she plans to be a governess to Charlotte Beck. Little does she know how one month in the "Wild West" could turn into a lifetime!
My review: Many of the reviews that I have read about The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper readers have either loved it or didn't like this book at all. I'm one who actually loved it! Eugenia Cooper was a bookworm with an adventurous spirit...who reminded me a little bit of myself, I think! I always thought that I would like to have an adventure before I "grew up!" Maybe we all wish it were as easy to escape everyday duties and responsibilities as Gennie made it seem.
The first half of the book was mostly about Gennie settling in as a governess for a very precocious Charlotte. We don't meet the hero, Daniel Beck until almost halfway through but the wait was worth it. The chemistry between Gennie and Daniel was terrific. The situation that Daniel and Gennie get themselves into might have been a little unbelievable but over all it made for a really nice romance. The only thing that I didn't like about this were the excerpts at the beginning of every chapter from the dime novel that Eugenia read. It was a bit distracting from the main story.
To learn more about Kathleen Y'Barbo and her books please visit:
Renee ~ I'm so glad to hear that you really liked this book! I've really enjoyed some of Ms. Y'Barbo's other books, so I was hoping this one would be good, too. =)
ReplyDeleteGreat review ~ I can't wait to read it!
~ Lori
Renee,
ReplyDeleteI'm one of the ones who just didn't like it at all. I had the hardest time just getting it finished. Since I read it, I'm wondering if I'd like any of her other books....been a little nervous to find out. We'll see!
Christy
I haven't read anything by Y'Barbo yet, but this book sounds fun, so I'll have to remember to keep my eyes out for it. I also find it easier to enjoy a book if I've read some comments about it, like not liking the excerpts ~ I find it changes my expectations and I usually like it a lot more than I think I will. :)
ReplyDelete~ Wendi
Sounds interesting. I think I would be distracted by the bits of novel as well - though it's hard to tell without actually reading it. I also wonder about her choice to not introduce her "hero" until halfway through the book. I would kind of feel cheated if there was this great romance, but I didn't get much of it because they didn't even meet until halfway through the book. Then they have to woo each other... and then the book is over. I would be looking for more pages.
ReplyDeleteStill I like the idea of how you described the heroine. She sounds wonderful. :o)
Lori, Wendi, and Lee, I hope you like this story. Christy did a review of this book on her blog earlier this year...you might want to check out her review too and see whether or not you might want to read this book!
ReplyDeleteChristy~ I hope you like her other books if you decide to give them a try! I haven't read any of her others either but I'd like to.
XOXO~ Renee