Sparkles with all of the passion, extravagance and scandal of a grand and glorious era… As opulent and passionate as the 18th century it celebrates, Through a Glass Darkly will sweep you away to the splendors of a lost era. From aristocrats to scoundrels, its rich, vivid characters create their own immortality. Here is the story of a great family ruled by a dowager of extraordinary power; of a young woman seeking love in a world of English luxury and French intrigue; and of a man haunted by a secret that could turn all their dreams to ashes. . .
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"long, rich, deep historical romance with magnificent characters and twists and turns. All the things I loved in epic historicals such as Gone With the Wind are here. Read it when you have a lot of time and can fall in and stay, however, this isn't a book you can pick up and put down a lot. "
— Hillary (5 out of 5 stars)
" Excellent! I am going to have a difficult time reading anything new! "
— Yvette, 2/19/2014" Amazing! Follow-up, or rather, depending how you read them, the prelude, to Dark Angels. I'm glad I read DA's first and then TAGD. Wonderful!! Never put the thing down...I think I may have read it in my sleep! "
— Adriana, 2/12/2014" It's never a good sign to feel relieved when you've just finished a book, but that's how I feel about this one. So long, so repetetive, and so many typos! There were a few bright spots, but overall, not worth the effort. "
— Shelly, 2/3/2014" I really loved this book at the beginning, and I loved the concept of the older man-younger girl marriage, which is taboo now but was probably the norm during this time period. I was gripped from the beginning of the story, and I found Roger very attractive. I could understand why Barbara liked him, it was kind of like her teen fantasy come true to marry him. I also liked the storyline with Barbara's brother. However, after Barbara and Roger get married, I felt like the story faltered and I didn't like the way Barbara's personality changed later on. I think this book would have been better if it was shorter, too. Overall, I liked it, but the first half is much better than the second. "
— Madeline, 1/30/2014" I got tired of the parenthetical "Little did she know", "she never knew", etc. and also the parenthetical definitions. But I plan to read Dark Angels because Duchess Alice is a much more interesting character than Duchess Bab. Extraneous and explicit sex scenes. "
— Linda, 1/22/2014" It was a bit bumpy in the beginning and then it got better and took some twist and turns but I am digging ig. "
— Tammyg, 1/11/2014" 1715 France and England. Storyline is riveting. Sense of history heavily felt.Great read. "
— Kathleen, 1/4/2014" The first part of the book was a bit slow, but the book picked up later on. "
— Katie, 1/4/2014" 3.5 maybe? I adored parts of this book, but it is super long, kind of drawn out. "
— Rachel, 12/23/2013" Everyone was so irritating and depressing by the end that I skimmed the last 350 pages. "
— stillme, 12/4/2013" Perhaps the most depressing book i have ever read but very well written "
— Gina, 12/3/2013" Even with all the interspersed sex scenes and disgusting addition of perversion near the middle, this story has a lovely family story with a bunch of history all woven together. If you are able to scan passed yucky parts, this is well worth a read. "
— faithful, 2/26/2013" can't complain as it was a free download, I enjoyed the story but it was just too long. I hear there is a sequel, but I think I will pass as my list and stacks of books I really want to read are way big :) "
— Lee, 1/12/2013" Cheesy beach read if you're going on a loooong beach trip. "
— Lindsay, 6/22/2012" Good book...it made me cry. "
— Debra, 3/12/2012" Great historical fiction that takes place during the 18th Century in England. Love the historical aspect of the book and the details are extraordinary. Ready to read the next book in the series. Beware, there are steamy sex scenes, but you can read over them...well, unless you like those bits. "
— Cynde, 8/15/2011" I had high hopes for this book and was greatly let down. I read it about a year ago and was left scratching my head. I fell like this story could have been a lot better, but that the author was trying to make the book into something it was not. "
— Joni, 7/11/2011" Absolutely the best book I have ever read, in any genre. I've read it a good 20 times at least, and this book is HUGE. <3 "
— Helly, 4/29/2011" The last 200 pages are filled with unrelenting sadness (and one or two dollops of hope). Beautifully written by a woman not at all afraid to show grief reflected across several characters' perceptions and actions. "
— Shala, 4/1/2011" I'm a die hard Romance fan because I want that happy ending. This story took me in and left me sad and depressed... "
— Michelle, 3/23/2011" I would have liked this book better if it hadn't included overly explicit sex scenes that weren't related to the plot. I understand that Koen was creating historic context for the story but I thought she overdid it. "
— pavesb, 3/21/2011" This book was a keeper and a life-changer. The indepth research underpinning the most fascinating characters and complex storyline meant I couldn't put it down. It also was a precursor for my interest in the eighteenth century. "
— Beverley, 3/12/2011" This is a tale about unrequited love, complex relationships and growing up!! Absolutely divine!!<br/> "
— T, 2/7/2011" I did like this book, but I was disappointed in the ending. Maybe I'm just HM, but I expected more. "
— April, 2/6/2011" I adored this book! I found that I could not put it down! As a lover of period pieces, this transformed me to another place. The characters and their involvement of their dark secrets were intriguing. "
— Paula, 1/15/2011" Since I love historical romances, this was a great book. It was more historical than romance, and like the Outlander Series, heartwrenching. 18th century England. "
— Debbie, 12/31/2010" I don't think I finished this book and may have used spark notes. It was a hard read for me in college. I may come back for this book later. "
— Zacaro, 12/26/2010Karleen Koen is the New York Times bestselling author of Through a Glass Darkly, of which two million copies have been sold in the US alone. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for five consecutive months. She is also the author of its sequel, Now Face to Face, and its prequel, Dark Angels, a BookSense pick. She lives in Houston, Texas.
Rosalyn Landor is an English-born television, theater, and multiple-award-winning audiobook narrator. Her television credits include Love in a Cold Climate, Rumpole of the Bailey, Sherlock Holmes, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has won numerous Audie awards and AudioFile magazine Earphones awards.