A poignant and relatable novel, Looking Glass Lies captures the war women wage against themselves, and the struggle to see beauty reflected in a mirror not distorted by society’s unrelenting expectations.
For most of her adult life, Cecily Ross has compared herself to other women-and come up short. After a painful divorce from her emotionally abusive husband, Cecily returns to her hometown of Canyon, Texas, looking to heal.
But coming home isn’t what she expects. In a town as small as Canyon, her pain is difficult to escape-especially with her model-perfect ex-sister-in-law working at the town’s popular coffee-shop hangout. With help from her father, a support group, and an old friend who guides her to see her own strengths, Cecily may have a shot at overcoming her insecurities and learning to love again.
The true test comes when tragedy strikes, opening Cecily’s eyes to the harmfulness of her distorted views on beauty-and giving her the perfect opportunity to find peace at last.
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Summary
From: Rebecca Maney
Book Title: Looking Glass Lies
Book Author: Varina Denman
What do you like about this book:
"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet and what is sand." - Madeleine L'Engle
Cecily Ross has been mired in sand for years; married to an emotionally abusive husband whose unrealistic expectations nearly destroyed her, even after their divorce. Having arrived back in her hometown, she finds a measure of solace living with her father in Canyon, Texas while trying to place the pieces of her life in some semblance of order. Even still, the sinister whispers of her heart tantalize Cecily towards patterned self-destructive behavior , daring her to mar the beautiful young woman that she views in the mirror.
Graham Harper always admired Cecily Ross from a distance even in high school, watching her marry a narcissistic high school sweetheart, Brett; however, the young woman who has returned home is but a hollow shell of the Cecily that he once knew. Following the urging of Cecily's father, Graham makes a friendly overture, knowing that his counseling skills can help Cecily gain positive ground, never expecting the spark of attraction between them to re-ignite. Graham cautiously hopes that giving her a job and leading her towards supportive friends, can help to put all the pieces that were once Cecily Ross, back together again.
Reading this book is like peeling off layers; layers of insecurity that nearly every woman experiences on some level, feelings that have her fighting to measure up to the expectations of those who seem to matter the most, often resulting in utter emotional implosion. Will hitting rock bottom destroy or redeem? Cecily Ross is about to find out.
I am grateful to the author for a copy of this book. The opinions stated are entirely my own.
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