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Southened #2
Gracie
She made the ultimate sacrifice... but can she now move on with her life?
Gracie McCabe is building a new life for herself in the seaside town of Southend. Working alongside best friend Ruby, she's put her past to rest and is planning her future.
All that is missing is a family of her own. Gracie desperately wants a baby so when boyfriend Sean proposes, she accepts without hesitation. But a chance encounter before the wedding night gives her doubts and when old secrets come back to haunt her, it seems that Sean is not the tower of strength she expected him to be.
Will Gracie find her happy ever after or will she be betrayed once again?
Gracie McCabe is building a new life for herself in the seaside town of Southend. Working alongside best friend Ruby, she's put her past to rest and is planning her future.
All that is missing is a family of her own. Gracie desperately wants a baby so when boyfriend Sean proposes, she accepts without hesitation. But a chance encounter before the wedding night gives her doubts and when old secrets come back to haunt her, it seems that Sean is not the tower of strength she expected him to be.
Will Gracie find her happy ever after or will she be betrayed once again?
- GenresRomance
373 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2013
12 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 19, 2013
LOVE!! I really hope, though, that Jennifer gets her comeuppance, Sean gets a heavy dose of reality (and becomes the father he needs to be!) and Gracie gets the HEA she so deserves after being so beaten down by that evil sister of hers!
January 31, 2014
Have now read "Ruby" and "Gracie" and loved them both!
September 27, 2023
Lovely read but did make me want to commit murder
May 15, 2013
I've been a fan of Bernardine Kennedy's novels for many years, and am now most certainly a fan of her alter-ego Marie Maxwell.
Ruby was the first in a planned series of four novels and I enjoyed it immensely.
The second in the series; Gracie was published by Avon (HarperCollins) in mid April 2013 and I've been looking forward to catching up with the characters for a long time. Although this book is part of the series, the author provides enough background information throughout the story which makes it a great stand alone story too.
Gracie is Ruby's best friend and although she featured heavily in the first novel, this is her story. Gracie and Ruby are back home, living and working in the Southend hotel that Ruby recently inherited. Gracie still has the scars on her heart from the hard times that she lived through when she was younger, but is excited and happy to accept a marriage proposal from long-term boyfriend Sean Donnelly. Sean works hard and loves Gracie. This is her chance to settle down and have a family, to love and be loved, probably for the first time in her life.
Gracie's big mistake is to keep secret from Sean the most important thing that has happened to her, the one thing that has shaped her life, and the thing that hurts her so much. Despite this, the couple begin married life with big dreams and high hopes for the future, until Sean begins to show a side that Gracie does not like.
I loved Ruby; Marie Maxwell's first novel, but I adored Gracie. As with Ruby, this is a compelling story that does not shy away from some really sensitive, yet very important issues. It is clear that the author has drawn on her experiences and knowledge when writing this story as it is so real and believable. The lead characters are, on the whole, strong women who have suffered hardships yet are still fun-loving and hopeful.
The period setting is wonderful, the descriptions of 1950s Southend are rich and evocative and the plot is fast-paced and packed with interesting and well-rounded characters - some you will love and others you will loathe and detest.
Both Ruby and Gracie have been a joy to read, I'm now eagerly awaiting the next in the series which I believe will feature Maggie and will be set in the 1960s.
Ruby was the first in a planned series of four novels and I enjoyed it immensely.
The second in the series; Gracie was published by Avon (HarperCollins) in mid April 2013 and I've been looking forward to catching up with the characters for a long time. Although this book is part of the series, the author provides enough background information throughout the story which makes it a great stand alone story too.
Gracie is Ruby's best friend and although she featured heavily in the first novel, this is her story. Gracie and Ruby are back home, living and working in the Southend hotel that Ruby recently inherited. Gracie still has the scars on her heart from the hard times that she lived through when she was younger, but is excited and happy to accept a marriage proposal from long-term boyfriend Sean Donnelly. Sean works hard and loves Gracie. This is her chance to settle down and have a family, to love and be loved, probably for the first time in her life.
Gracie's big mistake is to keep secret from Sean the most important thing that has happened to her, the one thing that has shaped her life, and the thing that hurts her so much. Despite this, the couple begin married life with big dreams and high hopes for the future, until Sean begins to show a side that Gracie does not like.
I loved Ruby; Marie Maxwell's first novel, but I adored Gracie. As with Ruby, this is a compelling story that does not shy away from some really sensitive, yet very important issues. It is clear that the author has drawn on her experiences and knowledge when writing this story as it is so real and believable. The lead characters are, on the whole, strong women who have suffered hardships yet are still fun-loving and hopeful.
The period setting is wonderful, the descriptions of 1950s Southend are rich and evocative and the plot is fast-paced and packed with interesting and well-rounded characters - some you will love and others you will loathe and detest.
Both Ruby and Gracie have been a joy to read, I'm now eagerly awaiting the next in the series which I believe will feature Maggie and will be set in the 1960s.
June 20, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and was looking forward to finding out what happened with Gracie and Edward. I found the ending very strange, it is as if the book just cuts off and the story has no end. I am hoping there is a sequel in the future.
September 6, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book
April 17, 2014
Really enjoyed, this follow on from Ruby,, Can't wait for the third one,Maggie,,
March 6, 2015
loved this book free on kindle
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews