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Swan Song
Surrounded by bullets and blood, gangsters and empty promises, singer Adrian Marcone navigates Chicago's seedy underworld by keeping men at bay and her heart on ice. But trouble is brewing and the city is on the brink of war, calling a new soldier into the ranks. One who is dark, deadly, and so much more. So many things Adrian can't deny.
Now the city is heating up, Adrian is thawing, and she'll learn that fate will not be ignored.
That some melodies, once heard, can never be forgotten.
Previously published as a novella series under the pen name Audrey Cole. This book is a completed collection of that novella series.
Now the city is heating up, Adrian is thawing, and she'll learn that fate will not be ignored.
That some melodies, once heard, can never be forgotten.
Previously published as a novella series under the pen name Audrey Cole. This book is a completed collection of that novella series.
ebook
First published December 1, 2014
23 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Ward
41 books962 followersI was born in Oregon and studied English Literature at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) My husband and my son are my world.
The best way to keep up on my newest releases, giveaways, and sales is to follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tracey...
The best way to keep up on my newest releases, giveaways, and sales is to follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tracey...
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 2, 2015
What started off as an interesting read became depressing then became interesting again and finally ended up being a huge disappointment.
FYI: This is not a review. None of this will make sense. I wrote this because it was therapeutic
First of all:
FYI: This is not a review. None of this will make sense. I wrote this because it was therapeutic
First of all:
August 31, 2016
Chicago, Illinois
1926
This city is full of predators. There are more dirty cops than clean ones. More mobsters than grocers. For a girl living on her own trying to make it in the big city, life can be very dangerous
Adrian is working as a singer on center stage in one of the hottest joints in town of Chicago.
There she will meet notorious New York hitman aka Birdy
“What is it about you and gangsters, huh?” he rasps, his hands pinning my arms to my sides. “Is this what you like? The violence? The danger?”
“You,” I confess in a strained whisper. “I like you.”
Is Swan Song a perfect read? No, it may not be perfect, but I personally really enjoyed it. As different as characters can be, these two awesome characters will find a light where on obstacles lie. Drew works for the Mob as a hitman and is used to the life of violence and mayhem. Adrian knows that Mob business is dirty, but she has always steered clear of anything that would bring herself in truble. The story was a thrilling ride. From the start I was leaning toward a prediction for the ending, and it turns out I was wrong. The author did such a splendid job of detail with this story that truly gives light to the Mobster world and the the roaring 20's. I felt the attraction between our main characters throughout the story, but regretfully I wish the detail would have built the relationship more thoroughly. I wonted more Adrian and Birdy!
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October 27, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/21/2020)! 🎁
December 13, 2014
Swan Song is amazing. Different, much more adult subject matter than I'm used to seeing from Tracey Ward. I am so in. The book takes place in 1920's mobster Chicago, in the popular Cotton Club there, and tells the story of Adrian Marcone, scared farm girl turned glorious song bird. It doesn't tell the story of that transformation, but places us in the thick of things, with dangerous men and times.
Our Heroine is tough, smart, and strong with her sight set on her goals and everything she does is so that she can get them. Until she meets Drew, dark, dangerous, irresistible. As the relationship grows, he shows her how there is more, even when he isn't there. More than what she thought she wanted and more than she thought she was getting.
Like I said, this book is more adult (hot. so. hot), which is different than what I'm used to seeing from this author, but I can still see what makes Tracey Ward an author I will forever keep on my must-buy list.
I'm in.
Our Heroine is tough, smart, and strong with her sight set on her goals and everything she does is so that she can get them. Until she meets Drew, dark, dangerous, irresistible. As the relationship grows, he shows her how there is more, even when he isn't there. More than what she thought she wanted and more than she thought she was getting.
Like I said, this book is more adult (hot. so. hot), which is different than what I'm used to seeing from this author, but I can still see what makes Tracey Ward an author I will forever keep on my must-buy list.
I'm in.
December 13, 2014
***I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review***
I love it, it is exactly what I have come to love from Tracey. All of her books are so completely different - when Tracey offered the ARC I didn't even read the synopsis before requesting a copy.
This story takes place in the "Boardwalk Empire" mobster times! It is the story of Adrian Marcone, at least that's what she goes by these days. She was raised in the midwest and after her parents died in a car accident she bought a train ticket to Chicago to follow her dreams. She is talented and gorgeous so it doesn't take long for her to be the headliner at the Chicago Cotton Club! The club is run by the mob and Adrian knows enough about the "dealings" to be in the know...but not too much to be overly concerned. The book follows Adrian and the club through a mob war and a risky relationship. Kept me guessing till the very end. Definitely a fresh change from your regular new adult romance!
I love it, it is exactly what I have come to love from Tracey. All of her books are so completely different - when Tracey offered the ARC I didn't even read the synopsis before requesting a copy.
This story takes place in the "Boardwalk Empire" mobster times! It is the story of Adrian Marcone, at least that's what she goes by these days. She was raised in the midwest and after her parents died in a car accident she bought a train ticket to Chicago to follow her dreams. She is talented and gorgeous so it doesn't take long for her to be the headliner at the Chicago Cotton Club! The club is run by the mob and Adrian knows enough about the "dealings" to be in the know...but not too much to be overly concerned. The book follows Adrian and the club through a mob war and a risky relationship. Kept me guessing till the very end. Definitely a fresh change from your regular new adult romance!
June 23, 2021
Welp, the full-length book fixed a lot of the problems I had with the early draft novella(s), but then introduced new ones.
On the bright side, most of the technical errors related to punctuation and dialogue tags are no more, but on the down side, some technical errors still exist, along with fresh, new anachronisms. (I’ll give the mentions of Duke Ellington and Ruth Etting a pass, since they were actually active in the 1920s, but Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald wouldn’t become active, let alone popular, until the ’30s.) Sometimes it seems the author can’t remember what year she’s set her own story in, which is frustrating, because her research otherwise appears to be good. On a somewhat-related note, penicillin wouldn’t become a thing until the 1930s (and wouldn’t really become a thing until the ’40s), which makes me wonder how everyone’s recovering so smashingly from all these gunshot wounds, especially when we’re talking about back-alley 1920s medical practices. (Like, none of these people ever get a hint of infection? How uncommonly lucky for them.)
The author has thankfully punched up her prose, so it isn’t such a beige read this time around, but the story is still told in first-person present-tense, and it still becomes tedious being stuck inside Adrian’s head. (Sidebar, but why do so many modern romance authors use this POV? The main character almost never has an interesting enough voice to warrant it.) Adrian has a bit more personality here than she did in the novellas, and we actually see stuff related to her job as a singer (which I did sincerely enjoy), but I still had a hard time really connecting with her, let alone caring about her. And while I’m grateful her relationship with Drew wasn’t based on insta-lust, I’m still not entirely sure what it was based on. I honestly thought she had more chemistry with Tommy, but then Tommy turned into your standard, possessive villain/antagonist. *Sigh* (And maybe it’s my fault for expecting something different from a book that was clearly setting up a love triangle, but even when it became clear that Adrian/Drew was the endgame, I was at least hoping the author would do something beyond the usual with Tommy. Alas.)
The names “Adrian” and “Addison” (and “Elisha”!) still bother me, as all three would have been firmly male names back in 1926-1927, and this is never brought up or commented upon in-universe. The pacing of the book also seems a little strange, and I have to wonder if this is the result of it being compiled from novellas that—while far from standalone—were at least somewhat self-contained. Slapping together (what I’m assuming were) four separate novellas into one book doesn’t really work without some structural changes. (Or, alternatively, the author could have kept the episodic format by leaving them as “parts”—“part one,” “part two,” etc.—which would have solved the problem in a different way.) The last few chapters in particular lagged for me, though it’s hard to say if that was structure-related or because I was simply getting bored with these characters. Maybe it was a bit of both.
I was pleased to see that Adrian’s pregnancy was actually related to her character arc (and wasn’t just a tacked on case of Babies Ever After), but at the same time it was frustrating because it seems that she (and Drew) would have been smart enough to consider the possibility and do something to mitigate it. (Condoms existed in the 1920s, after all, and even if the author didn’t want to bother with actual contraceptives, there’s still the pull-out method. Drew’s been hitting it on the reg with a woman back in New York for god knows how long before he gets with Adrian, but somehow she never got pregnant? Or else we’re supposed to believe he was smart enough to use condoms with this other woman, but not with Adrian?) I really wanted this book to be a four-star read, and for a while there it was looking like it would be a four-star read, but things like this dragged it back down to three for me.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad read, and it scratched the historical gangster romance itch I had fairly well. The author definitely has potential, and I like that she did some dark and unusual things here, but ultimately I don’t come away particularly impressed or inspired to check out more of her work. (In truth, I was barely inspired to write a review, which is part of why this isn’t as in-depth or as well-structured as some of my others.) That said, I did like the book enough to finish it, which isn’t always the case, so take that for what you will.
On the bright side, most of the technical errors related to punctuation and dialogue tags are no more, but on the down side, some technical errors still exist, along with fresh, new anachronisms. (I’ll give the mentions of Duke Ellington and Ruth Etting a pass, since they were actually active in the 1920s, but Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald wouldn’t become active, let alone popular, until the ’30s.) Sometimes it seems the author can’t remember what year she’s set her own story in, which is frustrating, because her research otherwise appears to be good. On a somewhat-related note, penicillin wouldn’t become a thing until the 1930s (and wouldn’t really become a thing until the ’40s), which makes me wonder how everyone’s recovering so smashingly from all these gunshot wounds, especially when we’re talking about back-alley 1920s medical practices. (Like, none of these people ever get a hint of infection? How uncommonly lucky for them.)
The author has thankfully punched up her prose, so it isn’t such a beige read this time around, but the story is still told in first-person present-tense, and it still becomes tedious being stuck inside Adrian’s head. (Sidebar, but why do so many modern romance authors use this POV? The main character almost never has an interesting enough voice to warrant it.) Adrian has a bit more personality here than she did in the novellas, and we actually see stuff related to her job as a singer (which I did sincerely enjoy), but I still had a hard time really connecting with her, let alone caring about her. And while I’m grateful her relationship with Drew wasn’t based on insta-lust, I’m still not entirely sure what it was based on. I honestly thought she had more chemistry with Tommy, but then Tommy turned into your standard, possessive villain/antagonist. *Sigh* (And maybe it’s my fault for expecting something different from a book that was clearly setting up a love triangle, but even when it became clear that Adrian/Drew was the endgame, I was at least hoping the author would do something beyond the usual with Tommy. Alas.)
The names “Adrian” and “Addison” (and “Elisha”!) still bother me, as all three would have been firmly male names back in 1926-1927, and this is never brought up or commented upon in-universe. The pacing of the book also seems a little strange, and I have to wonder if this is the result of it being compiled from novellas that—while far from standalone—were at least somewhat self-contained. Slapping together (what I’m assuming were) four separate novellas into one book doesn’t really work without some structural changes. (Or, alternatively, the author could have kept the episodic format by leaving them as “parts”—“part one,” “part two,” etc.—which would have solved the problem in a different way.) The last few chapters in particular lagged for me, though it’s hard to say if that was structure-related or because I was simply getting bored with these characters. Maybe it was a bit of both.
I was pleased to see that Adrian’s pregnancy was actually related to her character arc (and wasn’t just a tacked on case of Babies Ever After), but at the same time it was frustrating because it seems that she (and Drew) would have been smart enough to consider the possibility and do something to mitigate it. (Condoms existed in the 1920s, after all, and even if the author didn’t want to bother with actual contraceptives, there’s still the pull-out method. Drew’s been hitting it on the reg with a woman back in New York for god knows how long before he gets with Adrian, but somehow she never got pregnant? Or else we’re supposed to believe he was smart enough to use condoms with this other woman, but not with Adrian?) I really wanted this book to be a four-star read, and for a while there it was looking like it would be a four-star read, but things like this dragged it back down to three for me.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad read, and it scratched the historical gangster romance itch I had fairly well. The author definitely has potential, and I like that she did some dark and unusual things here, but ultimately I don’t come away particularly impressed or inspired to check out more of her work. (In truth, I was barely inspired to write a review, which is part of why this isn’t as in-depth or as well-structured as some of my others.) That said, I did like the book enough to finish it, which isn’t always the case, so take that for what you will.
November 27, 2017
I was pleasantly surprised by this one-the characters were interesting, the setting was well researched, and the sexy times were sexy.
January 3, 2021
Such an original!
This is a must read. Drew and Addy were a perfect pair. This story had grit and love! The concept is so original and real! This is a top 5 favorite for me!
This is a must read. Drew and Addy were a perfect pair. This story had grit and love! The concept is so original and real! This is a top 5 favorite for me!
December 21, 2014
This story stole my breath away. I have read Knockout and Brawler also by Tracey Ward both of which I loved. When I saw this new book by her, I was quick to click. This story is set in Chicago, Illinois in 1926. That alone sets it apart from other romance novels. Adrian is a young woman trying to make her mark in the world, the world filled with mobsters and crime, as a singer.
"This stage and the air and the beat of my heart are mine, all mine, and I give them everything I've got because if I give it, they can't take it. By giving it, I reclaim it. I'm the bird you can't cage. The note you can't reach. The woman you can't forget."
She is alone in the world fighting against the mobster world as an independent woman until she meets Drew a.k.a Birdy.
"I'll play it with the bravery of a girl who has lost everything and has nothing left but this song. This moment. This man."
The story follows Adrian's struggles of a woman in the 1920's who wants to be a known performer. She doesn't want to be under the thumb of the mob which is right where she finds herself. The story is told from her POV. I love this. I love the mobsters (the Capones) and nightclub (the Chicago Cotton Club) setting. What I really love are the interactions between Adrian and Drew.
If you are looking for a romance read that will leave you breathless and wanting more, one-click this book.
"This stage and the air and the beat of my heart are mine, all mine, and I give them everything I've got because if I give it, they can't take it. By giving it, I reclaim it. I'm the bird you can't cage. The note you can't reach. The woman you can't forget."
She is alone in the world fighting against the mobster world as an independent woman until she meets Drew a.k.a Birdy.
"I'll play it with the bravery of a girl who has lost everything and has nothing left but this song. This moment. This man."
The story follows Adrian's struggles of a woman in the 1920's who wants to be a known performer. She doesn't want to be under the thumb of the mob which is right where she finds herself. The story is told from her POV. I love this. I love the mobsters (the Capones) and nightclub (the Chicago Cotton Club) setting. What I really love are the interactions between Adrian and Drew.
If you are looking for a romance read that will leave you breathless and wanting more, one-click this book.
March 3, 2015
Really enjoyed this. The tale started in 1926 at a jazz club in Chicago run by Al Capones brother Ralph. (I have no idea if that is total fiction, even whether a Ralph exists), however that does not really matter or effect my enjoyment of the story.
This tale starts off really atmospheric of many old movies I have watched set in and around the same period. The smart mouth dialogue between Tommy and Adrian (Addy), then later between Adrian and Drew(Birdy) was clever and fun. The relationship that Adrian had with the mobsters, walking a fine line between saying what she thought and going too far was good and I could imagine it all.
There was a great romance and also some drama. I didn't quite see what happened coming and gasped a little. I also loved the epilogue which had action, and also a lovely vision of their life and growing family in years to come.
When it started I thought it was heading in one direction as the relationship between her and Tommy seemed very intense, however then we were introduced to another H whom was equally as interesting. I thought Tommy's character was compelling and he did infact play a large part in this story. I found all the characters interesting and as I said the writing drew me into the plot and the era of 1920's speakeasies.
This tale starts off really atmospheric of many old movies I have watched set in and around the same period. The smart mouth dialogue between Tommy and Adrian (Addy), then later between Adrian and Drew(Birdy) was clever and fun. The relationship that Adrian had with the mobsters, walking a fine line between saying what she thought and going too far was good and I could imagine it all.
There was a great romance and also some drama. I didn't quite see what happened coming and gasped a little. I also loved the epilogue which had action, and also a lovely vision of their life and growing family in years to come.
When it started I thought it was heading in one direction as the relationship between her and Tommy seemed very intense, however then we were introduced to another H whom was equally as interesting. I thought Tommy's character was compelling and he did infact play a large part in this story. I found all the characters interesting and as I said the writing drew me into the plot and the era of 1920's speakeasies.
November 4, 2016
Good story
Maybe I didn't like the story line very much and there were some big things that could've been avoided thanks to one really stupid decision near the end.
But God
This book felt like watching a movie I can almost see the clubs, the streets,the people and feel like I'm there.
If I can describe how the romance in this book is like by one word it would be Realistic.
Definitely not your typical rainbow and cotton candy romance.
Overall this book is worth a read.
Maybe I didn't like the story line very much and there were some big things that could've been avoided thanks to one really stupid decision near the end.
But God
This book felt like watching a movie I can almost see the clubs, the streets,the people and feel like I'm there.
If I can describe how the romance in this book is like by one word it would be Realistic.
Definitely not your typical rainbow and cotton candy romance.
Overall this book is worth a read.
April 8, 2015
A Good One! An old world gangster story from her point of view. I enjoyed the storytelling quality and the imagination the writing provided.
October 21, 2016
Fantastic!
Action and spunk with an old school theme and a great ending! I love every single book I've read of Tracey Ward's.
Action and spunk with an old school theme and a great ending! I love every single book I've read of Tracey Ward's.
November 5, 2016
Who wants to travel 90 years back in time?
I feel like I just did.
I feel like I just did.
December 16, 2014
I am admittedly biased.
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