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Charming Grace
A slumbering Georgia community almost chokes on its mint juleps when Hollywood calls to film the true-life (and death) story of a heroic local lawman. Aside from the chaos that trails in the moviemakers' wakes, one person has a very private reason for not wanting the intimate details of the gentleman's life story revealed--his widow, Grace. So begins her inventive, comic crusade to obstruct proceedings, aided and abetted by a cast of quirky eccentrics, including the movie star's personal bodyguard, and a good-hearted ex-con with a private tragedy of his own. But, amidst the high jinks, nobody is prepared for the heartbreaking secrets that are finally revealed; secrets that will change all of them--hero, heroine, and movie star--forever.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2004
27 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Smith
81 books419 followersaka Jackie Leigh
aka Della Stone
aka Leigh Bridger
Bestselling Author
Co-founder, co-publisher
Vice-president, Editor in Chief
BelleBooks, Memphis, TN
Deborah Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of A Place to Call Home, and the No. 1 Kindle Bestseller The Crossroads Cafe, A Gentle Rain and other acclaimed romantic novels portraying life and love in the modern Appalachian South. A native Georgian, Deborah is a former newspaper editor who turned to novel-writing with great success.
With more than 35 romance, women's fiction and fantasy novels to her credit, Deborah's books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Among her honors is a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times Magazine and a nomination for the prestigious Townsend Literary Award. In 2003 Disney optioned Sweet Hush for film. In 2008 A Gentle Rain was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's RITA awards.
For the past fifteen years Deborah has partnered with Debra Dixon to run BelleBooks, a small press originally known for southern fiction, including the Mossy Creek Hometown Series and the Sweet Tea story collections. As editor, she has worked on projects as diverse as the nonfiction Bra Talk book by three-time Oprah Winfrey guest Susan Nethero, and the In My Dreams novella by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Addison Allen.
In 2008 BelleBooks launched Bell Bridge Books, an imprint with a focus on fantasy novels and now expanded to include multi-genre fiction--mystery, suspense, thrillers, women's fiction, nonfiction and other. In 2013 BelleBooks acquired the late Linda Kichline's paranormal romance press, ImaJinn Books, and hired legendary editor Brenda Chin, formerly of Harlequin Books, as editorial director. Chin will expand the imprint to cover a diverse mix of all romance types.
Deborah's newest books are the Crossroads Cafe novellas: THE BISCUIT WITCH, THE PICKLE QUEEN, THE YARN SPINNER, and THE KITCHEN CHARMER (2014). She released a mini-short story, SAVING JONQUILS, in March 2014. A sexy romantic novella, A HARD MAN TO FIND, is scheduled for later in the month.
aka Della Stone
aka Leigh Bridger
Bestselling Author
Co-founder, co-publisher
Vice-president, Editor in Chief
BelleBooks, Memphis, TN
Deborah Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of A Place to Call Home, and the No. 1 Kindle Bestseller The Crossroads Cafe, A Gentle Rain and other acclaimed romantic novels portraying life and love in the modern Appalachian South. A native Georgian, Deborah is a former newspaper editor who turned to novel-writing with great success.
With more than 35 romance, women's fiction and fantasy novels to her credit, Deborah's books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Among her honors is a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times Magazine and a nomination for the prestigious Townsend Literary Award. In 2003 Disney optioned Sweet Hush for film. In 2008 A Gentle Rain was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's RITA awards.
For the past fifteen years Deborah has partnered with Debra Dixon to run BelleBooks, a small press originally known for southern fiction, including the Mossy Creek Hometown Series and the Sweet Tea story collections. As editor, she has worked on projects as diverse as the nonfiction Bra Talk book by three-time Oprah Winfrey guest Susan Nethero, and the In My Dreams novella by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Addison Allen.
In 2008 BelleBooks launched Bell Bridge Books, an imprint with a focus on fantasy novels and now expanded to include multi-genre fiction--mystery, suspense, thrillers, women's fiction, nonfiction and other. In 2013 BelleBooks acquired the late Linda Kichline's paranormal romance press, ImaJinn Books, and hired legendary editor Brenda Chin, formerly of Harlequin Books, as editorial director. Chin will expand the imprint to cover a diverse mix of all romance types.
Deborah's newest books are the Crossroads Cafe novellas: THE BISCUIT WITCH, THE PICKLE QUEEN, THE YARN SPINNER, and THE KITCHEN CHARMER (2014). She released a mini-short story, SAVING JONQUILS, in March 2014. A sexy romantic novella, A HARD MAN TO FIND, is scheduled for later in the month.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 1, 2018
Its been a very challenging year ... and I've seriously neglected recording my books to Goodreads for 2017.
In an effort to document some of my selections, CHARMING GRACE was among my reading choices for the year
I found the main character, Grace Baghshaw Vance a world-wind ... and a marvel. The character possessed a deep-seated
integrity that was so engaging .. I rooted for her every effort.
If time allowed, I'd certainly would have enjoyed elaborating more but ...
Kudos to Deborah Smith for a wonderful read.
In an effort to document some of my selections, CHARMING GRACE was among my reading choices for the year
I found the main character, Grace Baghshaw Vance a world-wind ... and a marvel. The character possessed a deep-seated
integrity that was so engaging .. I rooted for her every effort.
If time allowed, I'd certainly would have enjoyed elaborating more but ...
Kudos to Deborah Smith for a wonderful read.
April 11, 2020
This was a great pick me up book, fun and snarky. What a cast of hooligans ! To tell the truth I LOVE to Vacuum my house because I can put my head phones on and listen ! I was laughing half the time.
The narrators were a hoot.
Enjoy ~
The narrators were a hoot.
Enjoy ~
September 13, 2011
I pretty much like anything Deborah Smith has written, which is why I picked this one up when I saw it at the library. It has more humor than other things of Smith's I've read, but still had plenty of her "trademark" angsty stuff. Grace Vance is determined to stop a Hollywood version of a movie about her cop-hero husband's life, especially since he died being a hero, and especially since Hollywood is going to get it wrong (given who's producing and starring in the movie). There's lots of flashbacks, some really hilarious moments, a nice romance (and I do wish people would stop it with the romance-bashing), and yeah, the ending is over-the-top, but it fit with the humorous tone of the book. I liked it.
August 22, 2015
audio
May 16, 2017
I don't know why I read this book to the end because most of it was so stupid, but it made me laugh in its dumbness. It was silly...sappy...had its gratuitous sex scenes... and a happy ending. Guess I needed something like this after reading Charlotte Bronte's Villette. I have enjoyed other Deborah Smith's books a lot more than this one.
January 23, 2018
I tried hard to like this book because it takes place in Georgia and I live in Georgia. The protagonist, who's supposedly an educated woman, dumps a pile of gravel in a road to keep a movie director from getting to his house. Then she sits on the pile with an orchid and an unloaded shotgun waiting for him. I know people do some crazy and unexpected things, but I just couldn't get any further.
March 9, 2018
This book is different from other books I have read by Deborah Smith. I enjoyed it even though I thought some of the plot details were a little far-fetched. It was a fun book to read, but there was also a hint of sadness in it too.
July 7, 2020
Well this was a silly book - not particularly funny either. All in all a big disappointment and I must admit I skipped quite a bit of it.
August 13, 2021
Another winner from Deborah Smith
Intriguing story full of great characters. Story line a mixture of humor , sadness and a fierce devotion to family.
Intriguing story full of great characters. Story line a mixture of humor , sadness and a fierce devotion to family.
June 21, 2013
It is difficult to review the plot of this book because there is so much going on, all of it leading to the wonderful ending. There is no excess padding in this book!
Grace is determined to keep Stone Senterra from making a movie about her bigger than life deceased husband who died a heroic death as a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent. Grace loved Harp Vance from the time she saw him in the general store counting out his precious coins to buy a ceramic Santa deeply discounted in the month of July. Harp and his sister lived with his grandmother and were considered "poor white trash" in the Georgia mountain town of Dahlonega. It was a love that grew over the years in spite of Grace's wealthy father's disapproval; one that took Grace off the stage in the Miss America pageant for which she was the predicted winner and into the arms of Harp in a hasty elopement.
Now, Senterra, former action movie star, wants to write, direct, and star in the movie he wants to make telling all about the personal, private lives of the Vance couple. But Grace, her grandmother, and her niece have different ideas...and a shotgun is not out of the question if it makes Senterra turn tail and run. It doesn't and Senterra's bodyguard/former convict and potbelly pig-sitter is enlisted to persuade Grace to see just how important the movie is. The fun begins.
The stories of the wonderful characters (and there are several, all of them pivotal characters in the plot) tugged at my heart until I thought I would cry. And then, Grace and her supporters would do something so outrageous, so hysterically funny that I laughed out loud. While this book is about an attempt to make a movie, the reading of the book was, for me, like watching a movie. I could see everything happening as though it were on the movie screen and I loved every minute of it. It would definitely have been worth the price of going to the movies....maybe this book will become a movie. If it does, I want to be first in line.
I don't know where Charming Grace has been all my life, or for that matter, where Deborah Smith has been all my life; but I am so glad I found them.
Grace is determined to keep Stone Senterra from making a movie about her bigger than life deceased husband who died a heroic death as a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent. Grace loved Harp Vance from the time she saw him in the general store counting out his precious coins to buy a ceramic Santa deeply discounted in the month of July. Harp and his sister lived with his grandmother and were considered "poor white trash" in the Georgia mountain town of Dahlonega. It was a love that grew over the years in spite of Grace's wealthy father's disapproval; one that took Grace off the stage in the Miss America pageant for which she was the predicted winner and into the arms of Harp in a hasty elopement.
Now, Senterra, former action movie star, wants to write, direct, and star in the movie he wants to make telling all about the personal, private lives of the Vance couple. But Grace, her grandmother, and her niece have different ideas...and a shotgun is not out of the question if it makes Senterra turn tail and run. It doesn't and Senterra's bodyguard/former convict and potbelly pig-sitter is enlisted to persuade Grace to see just how important the movie is. The fun begins.
The stories of the wonderful characters (and there are several, all of them pivotal characters in the plot) tugged at my heart until I thought I would cry. And then, Grace and her supporters would do something so outrageous, so hysterically funny that I laughed out loud. While this book is about an attempt to make a movie, the reading of the book was, for me, like watching a movie. I could see everything happening as though it were on the movie screen and I loved every minute of it. It would definitely have been worth the price of going to the movies....maybe this book will become a movie. If it does, I want to be first in line.
I don't know where Charming Grace has been all my life, or for that matter, where Deborah Smith has been all my life; but I am so glad I found them.
July 6, 2014
Simply CHARMING!!!!
Deborah Smith brings a rich array of characters to life and weaves romance and happy every afters amidst comic back drops.
When movie star turned director Stone Senterra arrives in Dahlonega, Georgia to make the movie of GBI Agent Harp Vance's life and death Grace is determined to stop him, but then she falls hard for Stone's ex-con bodyguard.
Boone Noleene is determined to hang on to his job with Stone so his brother Armand will have a job when he gets out of prison. After their Mother died Armand did his best to take care of the younger Boone, and for years all they had was each other, Boone is determined to take care of Armand now. But falling for Grace could cost him his job with Stone. And then there is the job offer from Roarke, to design and build houses with him. Giving Boone a chance to fulfill his lifelong dream of being an architect.
When Grace finally succeeds in sabotaging the movie Stone fires Boone "for good" (Stone is constantly firing Boone and then hiring him back with a raise). Boone takes off for New Orleans after finding out that Armand was released earlier then planned and disappeared. Once he gets there he discovers that Armand has been kidnapped by some nasty characters who think Armand stole money from them while in prison. Boone's attempt to save Armand merely gets him kidnapped too and when Grace arrives they all wind up sharing a cell but then Stone arrives in a helicopter with long lost Dad and rescues Boone, Armand and Grace. A media circus ensues as the Noleene/Senterra family is reunited.
Stone talks with Grace about making an honest depiction of Harp's life and the resulting movie "Hero" wins an Oscar for Best Picture.
Deborah Smith brings a rich array of characters to life and weaves romance and happy every afters amidst comic back drops.
When movie star turned director Stone Senterra arrives in Dahlonega, Georgia to make the movie of GBI Agent Harp Vance's life and death Grace is determined to stop him, but then she falls hard for Stone's ex-con bodyguard.
Boone Noleene is determined to hang on to his job with Stone so his brother Armand will have a job when he gets out of prison. After their Mother died Armand did his best to take care of the younger Boone, and for years all they had was each other, Boone is determined to take care of Armand now. But falling for Grace could cost him his job with Stone. And then there is the job offer from Roarke, to design and build houses with him. Giving Boone a chance to fulfill his lifelong dream of being an architect.
When Grace finally succeeds in sabotaging the movie Stone fires Boone "for good" (Stone is constantly firing Boone and then hiring him back with a raise). Boone takes off for New Orleans after finding out that Armand was released earlier then planned and disappeared. Once he gets there he discovers that Armand has been kidnapped by some nasty characters who think Armand stole money from them while in prison. Boone's attempt to save Armand merely gets him kidnapped too and when Grace arrives they all wind up sharing a cell but then Stone arrives in a helicopter with long lost Dad and rescues Boone, Armand and Grace. A media circus ensues as the Noleene/Senterra family is reunited.
Stone talks with Grace about making an honest depiction of Harp's life and the resulting movie "Hero" wins an Oscar for Best Picture.
December 3, 2011
Acabei ontem o livro! Devo dizer que me fartei de rir com algumas situações nomeadamente aquele final!
Então afinal eles era todos irmãos??? o Stone, o Boone e o Armand? Isso sim foi surpreendente e aquele final com aqueles efeitos todos do rapto muito bom também! Achei estranho foi de repente acabou o livro, conheceram o pai e tudo acabou em bem muito rápido! Boone diz a Grace que a ama loucamente e ela idem e voilá ficam juntos!
Outra cena fabulosa no final e na qual eu me ri imenso foi quando o Boone diz à Grace que quer ir para um sitio com ela brincar ao "esconde o telemóvel"!
Eu percebo a parte da devoção dela ao Harp mas chegar ao ponto de estar a fazer amor com ele e pensar no morto, isso fez-me imensa confusão, parecia que não queria largar algo que pertencia ao passado...não colocando em dúvida o amor dela por ele e achando que claro que deve ser duro perder assim o amor de uma vida inteira!
Então afinal eles era todos irmãos??? o Stone, o Boone e o Armand? Isso sim foi surpreendente e aquele final com aqueles efeitos todos do rapto muito bom também! Achei estranho foi de repente acabou o livro, conheceram o pai e tudo acabou em bem muito rápido! Boone diz a Grace que a ama loucamente e ela idem e voilá ficam juntos!
Outra cena fabulosa no final e na qual eu me ri imenso foi quando o Boone diz à Grace que quer ir para um sitio com ela brincar ao "esconde o telemóvel"!
Eu percebo a parte da devoção dela ao Harp mas chegar ao ponto de estar a fazer amor com ele e pensar no morto, isso fez-me imensa confusão, parecia que não queria largar algo que pertencia ao passado...não colocando em dúvida o amor dela por ele e achando que claro que deve ser duro perder assim o amor de uma vida inteira!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2012
An amazing book. I HATE books that make me cry, and I cried without reservation. And I laughed. And I understood these people.
There were a few technical difficulties with typos and grammar, but mainly it was a very well done book written with charm and heart. And some silliness. But nothing that made me wince and go "oh, c'mon".
I liked it. I'll reread it. and I hope that her other books have the same humanity chugging along the pages. My proverbial hat is off to the author; many thanks, Ms Smith.
There were a few technical difficulties with typos and grammar, but mainly it was a very well done book written with charm and heart. And some silliness. But nothing that made me wince and go "oh, c'mon".
I liked it. I'll reread it. and I hope that her other books have the same humanity chugging along the pages. My proverbial hat is off to the author; many thanks, Ms Smith.
February 16, 2021
Another favorite story from Deborah Smith, this one is quite touching, especially in the memory of the heroine's first husband. Yet, the laughter caused by the interaction between Grace, bless her heart, and her new love, reach new heights. I literally almost fell off my couch reading some of their antics. Great Story!!!
September 30, 2009
Grace Bagshaw Vance will do whatever it takes to stop a Hollywood action star, Stone Senterra, from making a bad movie about her dead husband Harper, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent who died a hero. Harper was the love of her life, but she finds herself falling for Stone's bodyguard, Cajun Boone Noleene.
January 19, 2010
I picked up this book at my local library without knowing what it was about, I need a audio book for a long trip. It was a fun story, even funny but when it comes to literally value it's just a paper back cheap romance novel. ( why I read it? well it was a very long trip and I didn't have anything else to read)
December 1, 2009
My third favorite.. for all the same reasons: character development, dialogue, and intelligent-kooky characters. Grace is strong; Boon Nolene (great name!) is stronger; Stone Sentera turns out to be pretty okay. I really loved the book.
January 17, 2010
What was Deborah Smith trying to do in this book? I've really liked her other books, but this one had a very odd flow to it and left me disappointed. It was a terrible mix of over the top humor and the painful loss of a spouse.
July 7, 2012
Having a couple of different storylines in this book was a good idea. Neither was enough to stand as a story on its own, but they came together nicely. Wide enough range of characters with distinct personalities - some stereotypical, but fun. I enjoyed it.
November 8, 2012
I loved this book. I listened to it on my iPhone. VERY well done! Humorous and a slow flirtatious love story. Loved it. Loved the lead male, a Cajun bodyguard and the fiesty heroine, a spit-fire debutant. Very fun.
March 2, 2013
I do not know why this book was just not for me. I could not get into it. Went back to read other peoples comments and began to think it was all me. Anyway I gave up, too many books out there for me to struggle to the end of this one.
July 11, 2014
Audiobook: Hmmmm, this book was twice as long as it should have been. However, I loved the reading by the different characters and the southern accents. The book was good, but predictable. There were some memorable characters that I will store in my brain somewhere.
November 24, 2014
Favorite book of the year. Funny, witty, entertaining, wonderful plot twists, jumps from one characters point of view to another as narrator. Absolutely the best audio book out of hundreds this year as I commute 3 hours a day to work and home.
January 6, 2017
This seems to be my winter of rereading all of Deborah Smith's wonderful books. I enjoyed meeting Grace, Boone and all entire cast of characters. As is always the case with her books, Smith created a world that I loved entering.
January 23, 2008
absolutly loved this book. It was sad and funny. It wasn't like most romance novels. I forgot I was even reading a romance novel with all the comedy in it.
Read
June 24, 2008Great book. I wrote it
November 24, 2008
I can't really think of anything to say about this book. It seems like I should have enjoyed it more. But I just didn't.
May 13, 2009
Good book! Nice easy read...need a love story with a twist..this is it.
August 4, 2009
I like good happy ending books with twisty turny plots, even if they are often predictable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews