Tarnished Beauty: A Novel

After falling in love with Samartin's first novel "Broken Paradise", I eagerly waited for a chance to curl up with "Tarnished Beauty". It did not disappoint! Samartin draws you in with characters so real and story-telling so vivid that you mourn the loss when there are no more pages left to turn. Tarnished Beauty has the added bonus of a story within a story so you find yourself absorbed in both. As the book weaves between these two worlds you're sorry to be torn out of one world and then happy, once again, to be back in the other. I can highly recommend Samartin's novels. If you're not yet reading this author, you should be!

The book club that I am a member of, Real Ladies Read, selected this author's first book, Broken Paradise for the month of July. We enjoyed the book so much that we invited the author to participate in the meeting on her book. She gifted her second book, Tarnished Beauty, to us and I was the first to read it. This book was a great read and the main character's major struggle transcends color lines. It is a relatable struggle for women around the world and I was drawn into her story from the beginning to the end. This is a great read and I am now officially a fan of Cecilia Samartin Crys McKinley RLR Book club

I love this novel. It pulled me in and did not let go even after I turned the last page. I did not want to leave the world Samartin so vividly brought to life. Jamilet possesses a beautiful face, but a hideous birthmark causes her superstitious Mexican village to shun her. She lives, unable to attend school, with her sickly and sad mother. Once her mother dies, she crosses the border to live with her aunt. Having grown up in scorned seclusion, Jamilet has trouble relating to others. Yet the boy across the street still helps her find employment at a local hospital. There she attends to the mysterious Señor Peregrino (Mister Pilgrim). He forces Jamilet to listen to his story in the beginning, but she, like the reader, becomes entranced and listens of her own free will. He tells of his time as a pilgrim on the Road to Santiago in Spain. He and his friend Tomas eventually join with the beautiful Rosa and later the bold Jenny. It's a tale of tangled loves, dedication, and dashed hopes. The story-within-a-story is perhaps even more beautiful than the tale that frames it. Samartin's characters are incredible. They are all flawed, but strong. Some are insecure; some are bold. Some are jaded; some are naïve. Every one of them seems real. Their stories resonate because of this strong sense of character. People do not do great things in TARNISHED BEAUTY. Instead, they live. They connect. That's enough for me. Excerpted from In Bed With Books

Cecilia's writing draws you into a story in a way other writers only hope they can. The vivid pictures that I created in my mind as I read this book, the characters were as if I had known them forever. I was so involved with the story and characters I could not put it down and yet I tried to pace myself because I did not want the story to end. I am a true fan of all her work.

I just finished the book. I LOVED IT!!!!!!! I did not want the book to end. Jamilet's story was so heart-warming and inspirational. How Senor Peregrino and Jamilet overcome their heartbreaks by creating and believing in their truths and reality is just inspiring. The novel holds many surprises. The author's way of telling Senor Peregrino's story was just so beautiful. I'll be re-reading this book. It's one of the best books I've read. Thank goodness for storytellers such as Cecilia Samartin.