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Shades of Gray #3
Glory Bound
READER The expanded version of SHADES OF GRAY is here! Fall in love again with this epic Civil War Serial SHADES OF GRAY (Duty Bound, Honor Bound, Glory Bound)
Called the “greatest love story ever told” when it was first released in 2008, Shades of Gray has been expanded at the request of readers to include dozens of new chapters in this complete trilogy set.
The original title has more than 1,000 5-STAR REVIEWS like
Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this poignant Civil War tale that pits brother against brother. Readers will discover the fine line between friends and enemies when the lives of two tenacious foes cross by the fates of war and their destinies become entwined forever. A classic tale of courage, honor, and enduring love that has been praised by both men and women—from professors of history to avid romance readers.
Glory The series culminates in this emotional final volume that reflects the sacrifices of both sides and proves there can be no bond stronger than that which unites enemies. Immortal love, whence it flows, can never die.
Author Jessica James uniquely blends elements of romantic and historical fiction in this deeply personal and poignant tale that, according to one reviewer, “transcends the pages to settle in the very marrow of the reader’s bones.” Winner of numerous national awards, James has received critical acclaim for this page-turning story of courage, honor, and enduring love.
“The best Civil War fiction book since Cold Mountain.” – J. Bibb, SCV, Trimble Camp 1836
“If you want to read a book you will never forget and will think about for months after reading it, read Shades of Gray. The book took my breath away. Honestly, you will not sleep.” – A Bookworm’s Dinner Blog
“A classic love story as much as it is a war story.” – Civil War Book Review
Called the “greatest love story ever told” when it was first released in 2008, Shades of Gray has been expanded at the request of readers to include dozens of new chapters in this complete trilogy set.
The original title has more than 1,000 5-STAR REVIEWS like
Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this poignant Civil War tale that pits brother against brother. Readers will discover the fine line between friends and enemies when the lives of two tenacious foes cross by the fates of war and their destinies become entwined forever. A classic tale of courage, honor, and enduring love that has been praised by both men and women—from professors of history to avid romance readers.
Glory The series culminates in this emotional final volume that reflects the sacrifices of both sides and proves there can be no bond stronger than that which unites enemies. Immortal love, whence it flows, can never die.
Author Jessica James uniquely blends elements of romantic and historical fiction in this deeply personal and poignant tale that, according to one reviewer, “transcends the pages to settle in the very marrow of the reader’s bones.” Winner of numerous national awards, James has received critical acclaim for this page-turning story of courage, honor, and enduring love.
“The best Civil War fiction book since Cold Mountain.” – J. Bibb, SCV, Trimble Camp 1836
“If you want to read a book you will never forget and will think about for months after reading it, read Shades of Gray. The book took my breath away. Honestly, you will not sleep.” – A Bookworm’s Dinner Blog
“A classic love story as much as it is a war story.” – Civil War Book Review
152 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2021
161 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Jessica James
28 books669 followersJessica James is an award-winning author of suspense, historical fiction, Christian fiction, and military fiction ranging from the Revolutionary War to modern day.
She is a four-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and was featured in the book 50 Authors You Should Be Reading, published in 2010.
Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
When not writing, Jessica James can be found on the back roads of the country, finding new historic sites to blog about on www.PastLaneTravels.com.
James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and NINC.
AWARDS:
2020 John Esten Cooke Award
2020 Finalist HOLT Medallion Award
2020 Finalist Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers Best Award
2019 Finalist Indie Excellence Award
2019 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction
2018 Silver Falchion Award Finalist in Suspense
2017 Rone Award for Best Cover (Deadline)
2017 IndieBRAG Medallion Winner
2016 Gold Metal Military Writers Society of America
2016 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Bronze Winner Romance – Suspense
2016 Finalist for BOOK OF THE YEAR in Foreword Magazine’s IndieFab contest
2015 NJRW Golden Leaf Award
2014 Valley Forge Romance Writers Sheila Award Finalist
2014 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction
2014 Reader’s Crown Award Finalist
2014 Next Generation Indie Award Finalist in Fiction/Religious
2013 USA “Best Books 2013” Finalist in Fiction/Religious
2012 Bronze winner Foreword Magazine Book of the Year in Romance
2011 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction
2011 USA "Best Books 2011" Finalist in Historical Fiction
2011 Next Generation Indie Award for Best Regional Fiction
2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist in Romance
2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist in Historical Fiction
2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
2010 Military Writers Society Award in Historical Fiction
2009 HOLT Medallion Finalist for Best Southern Theme
2008 Indie Next Generation Award for Best Regional Fiction
2008 Indie Next Generation Finalist for Best Historical Fiction
She is a four-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and was featured in the book 50 Authors You Should Be Reading, published in 2010.
Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
When not writing, Jessica James can be found on the back roads of the country, finding new historic sites to blog about on www.PastLaneTravels.com.
James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and NINC.
AWARDS:
2020 John Esten Cooke Award
2020 Finalist HOLT Medallion Award
2020 Finalist Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers Best Award
2019 Finalist Indie Excellence Award
2019 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction
2018 Silver Falchion Award Finalist in Suspense
2017 Rone Award for Best Cover (Deadline)
2017 IndieBRAG Medallion Winner
2016 Gold Metal Military Writers Society of America
2016 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Bronze Winner Romance – Suspense
2016 Finalist for BOOK OF THE YEAR in Foreword Magazine’s IndieFab contest
2015 NJRW Golden Leaf Award
2014 Valley Forge Romance Writers Sheila Award Finalist
2014 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction
2014 Reader’s Crown Award Finalist
2014 Next Generation Indie Award Finalist in Fiction/Religious
2013 USA “Best Books 2013” Finalist in Fiction/Religious
2012 Bronze winner Foreword Magazine Book of the Year in Romance
2011 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction
2011 USA "Best Books 2011" Finalist in Historical Fiction
2011 Next Generation Indie Award for Best Regional Fiction
2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist in Romance
2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist in Historical Fiction
2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
2010 Military Writers Society Award in Historical Fiction
2009 HOLT Medallion Finalist for Best Southern Theme
2008 Indie Next Generation Award for Best Regional Fiction
2008 Indie Next Generation Finalist for Best Historical Fiction
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 18, 2021
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“Glory Bound” is an emotionally enthralling ending to the Shades of Gray trilogy. The heroics shown by Hunter illustrate the love of country on display during the Civil War.
Read full review in the 2021 June issue of InD'tale Magazine.
“Glory Bound” is an emotionally enthralling ending to the Shades of Gray trilogy. The heroics shown by Hunter illustrate the love of country on display during the Civil War.
Read full review in the 2021 June issue of InD'tale Magazine.
June 16, 2021
Andrea Evans's heart is broken. She leaves Alex's home, as he commands, yet she's a shell of her former self. She goes back to the Union headquarters into the fray of battle and suffers a great loss, then another. War has crushed her spirit and her heart's bleeding out without Alex near her. The next time they meet, Alex pleads for a second chance. Her heart aches but she knows she can't take the risk of losing him. He makes a solemn vow:
"But live or die, Andrea, my love for you will never end."
Andrea walks away. As the war rages on, they meet up and each time, Alex begs her to become his wife. Then the unthinkable happens and Andrea runs to his side. Andrea must choose between war and love before it's too late.
In the culminating conclusion to the Shades of Gray trilogy, Glory Bound is a riveting masterpiece. In war-torn Virginia, both sides suffer great losses, and this is portrayed brilliantly by Jessica James. Her emotional narration plunges the reader into the depths of despair before uplifting those reading in a moment or two of hope. The pacing of Glory Bound is perfect with plenty of conflicts to keep the reader invested. Again, the heart-wrenching realities of war interweave with the personal stories of Alex and Andrea in Glory Bound. I cried several times, especially at the end. The bravery and courage of everyday people are proudly on display here. Glory Bound is such a wonderful story and I'm honored to have read it. Historical fiction readers, rejoice, Glory Bound is your next must-read. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
"But live or die, Andrea, my love for you will never end."
Andrea walks away. As the war rages on, they meet up and each time, Alex begs her to become his wife. Then the unthinkable happens and Andrea runs to his side. Andrea must choose between war and love before it's too late.
In the culminating conclusion to the Shades of Gray trilogy, Glory Bound is a riveting masterpiece. In war-torn Virginia, both sides suffer great losses, and this is portrayed brilliantly by Jessica James. Her emotional narration plunges the reader into the depths of despair before uplifting those reading in a moment or two of hope. The pacing of Glory Bound is perfect with plenty of conflicts to keep the reader invested. Again, the heart-wrenching realities of war interweave with the personal stories of Alex and Andrea in Glory Bound. I cried several times, especially at the end. The bravery and courage of everyday people are proudly on display here. Glory Bound is such a wonderful story and I'm honored to have read it. Historical fiction readers, rejoice, Glory Bound is your next must-read. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
September 30, 2021
Glory Bound: Clean and Wholesome Southern Romantic Fiction: Shades of Gray Civil War Serial Trilogy Book 3 is by Jessica James. This final book is wonderful. I think I cried more in this book than in any other book I have read lately. It is very emotional all the way through. I can hardly wait to start on the bonus chapter about Andrea after the war.
June 22, 2021
The Shades of Gray series finale was very well done. I really enjoyed this historical trilogy. I don’t normally read this genre, so it was a very entertaining and enjoyable change of pace for me. Highly recommended trilogy. *this honest review is based on a complimentary copy from the author*
July 7, 2021
Truly enjoyed this Civil War trilogy. Highly recommend her other historical fiction books as well.
June 15, 2021
Each Book in this series was phenomenal as the characters and the drama of the Civil War jumped off of the page.
I totally enjoyed the three books, in this updated Shades of Gray Trilogy ( Duty Bound, Honor Bound & Glory Bound. I have read this story before as well as the story Noble Cause and found the new added parts of this story gave such depth to this wonderful Civil War Epic.
The Main characters in this story are written so well that they are easy to envision. The descriptions of battle scenes are also written in a way that you can feel you are actually there. The theme of the story is where two strong willed, independent and highly capable enemies on opposing sides are put into a situation where they are forced to come to terms with each other.
Glory Bound is the Final Book in the Series and picks up with Andrea as she is finally well enough to leave Hawthorne, the home of Hunter. The relationship that had gradually forged between them was severed by a terrible misunderstanding between them. This misunderstanding drove apart all of the trust these two had gained between them. Andrea returns to being the spy Andrew Sinclair, being sent right into the midst of the terrible battles between the two opposing sides. Her interaction with Alex Hunter is not ended as there are some opportunities to again come face to face. This last book continues the devastation and toll that the war has taken on both sides. It culminates in the realization that there is a bond stronger than loyalty to nation or land.
Even though I have read this story before- I could not put it down. This was a story that I did not want to end. Reading the new parts just made this story more special. It is a story I definitely will come back to read again.
I received a copy of this book from StoryOrigin and this is my honest unbiased review.
I totally enjoyed the three books, in this updated Shades of Gray Trilogy ( Duty Bound, Honor Bound & Glory Bound. I have read this story before as well as the story Noble Cause and found the new added parts of this story gave such depth to this wonderful Civil War Epic.
The Main characters in this story are written so well that they are easy to envision. The descriptions of battle scenes are also written in a way that you can feel you are actually there. The theme of the story is where two strong willed, independent and highly capable enemies on opposing sides are put into a situation where they are forced to come to terms with each other.
Glory Bound is the Final Book in the Series and picks up with Andrea as she is finally well enough to leave Hawthorne, the home of Hunter. The relationship that had gradually forged between them was severed by a terrible misunderstanding between them. This misunderstanding drove apart all of the trust these two had gained between them. Andrea returns to being the spy Andrew Sinclair, being sent right into the midst of the terrible battles between the two opposing sides. Her interaction with Alex Hunter is not ended as there are some opportunities to again come face to face. This last book continues the devastation and toll that the war has taken on both sides. It culminates in the realization that there is a bond stronger than loyalty to nation or land.
Even though I have read this story before- I could not put it down. This was a story that I did not want to end. Reading the new parts just made this story more special. It is a story I definitely will come back to read again.
I received a copy of this book from StoryOrigin and this is my honest unbiased review.
June 28, 2021
The original book Shades of Gray was one of the most moving books that I have ever read. The expansion of this story into a three-volume story has made one of my most favorite books even better! The story of Andrea and Alex is just so incredible and I love, love, love the historical setting to this story. I honestly didn't think it could get better but Jessica James did it! Do not hesitate-go read this series now!
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March 26, 2022I finished all three books of this series within a week. They were impossible to put down. Be warned, emotions run high. It's a love story surrounded by the the Civil War. Andrea works with the northern army as a messenger. She is DARING (caps are the appropriate setting for her bravery.) Then she is captured by the South and put in a prison. As her physical health starts to go down, she is sent for rehabilitation to Hawthorn, the home of Hunter, a Captain in the Southern army. Where a headstrong woman and a headstrong man meet, sparks will fly. What a show it is.
These books also gives us a picture of what it's like to fight in a war. Ms. James description of the war is very moving, a heartrending story of both sides.
These books also gives us a picture of what it's like to fight in a war. Ms. James description of the war is very moving, a heartrending story of both sides.
July 18, 2023
I borrowed Glory Bound ~ Shades of Gray Trilogy ~ Book 3, by Jessica James from the Kindle Unlimited Program.
The reality of the pain and suffering of those that fought in the Civil War are accurately told in the Shades of Gray trilogy. Alex Hunter the devoted leader in on the Southern lost cause and defender of his Virginia home state was an honorable man of great strength as a leader of his men. He met his match in Andrea Evans, a young woman that rode as a currier for the North and became the love of his life.
The author, Jessica James offered a free epilogue that was worth reading and told the end of Andrea's story. It was the true ending of the love story between Alex and Andrea and worth downloading.
The reality of the pain and suffering of those that fought in the Civil War are accurately told in the Shades of Gray trilogy. Alex Hunter the devoted leader in on the Southern lost cause and defender of his Virginia home state was an honorable man of great strength as a leader of his men. He met his match in Andrea Evans, a young woman that rode as a currier for the North and became the love of his life.
The author, Jessica James offered a free epilogue that was worth reading and told the end of Andrea's story. It was the true ending of the love story between Alex and Andrea and worth downloading.
November 19, 2021
Captivating story
Jessica James surpassed my expectations with this trilogy. The sweeping vistas and pastoral scenes from the past made me feel like I was right there in the scene. The writing and dialogue are simply spot on. I am a civil war reenactor and the stunning details show the mindful attention to detail and historical accuracy. I have studied the time period for more than 25 years and am very impressed. This series has been a true joy to read.
Jessica James surpassed my expectations with this trilogy. The sweeping vistas and pastoral scenes from the past made me feel like I was right there in the scene. The writing and dialogue are simply spot on. I am a civil war reenactor and the stunning details show the mindful attention to detail and historical accuracy. I have studied the time period for more than 25 years and am very impressed. This series has been a true joy to read.
February 7, 2022
This is one of the best series I have ever read! I devoured the last two books in a matter of days. I am a happily ever after kinda girl, though, so my heart was shattered. I highly recommend that you read the epilogue to appease your soul if you’re of a similar mind. I’m now reading the rewrite with a different ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2023
SHOCKING
I really loved this whole series. Each book had me expressing more emotions than the last. I was really hoping that Hunter would 🙏 not die. I wished his life was spared. I cried when the main female character cried with every loss she had. She had many losses. I'm glad that she found something to live for.
I really loved this whole series. Each book had me expressing more emotions than the last. I was really hoping that Hunter would 🙏 not die. I wished his life was spared. I cried when the main female character cried with every loss she had. She had many losses. I'm glad that she found something to live for.
September 1, 2025
Such a beautiful but sad story about love, war and honor. I love the way Jessica James puts words on paper. She has a way of putting you right there. I am unhappy with the ending but the reality of war is revealed. I am looking forward to reading the updated version.
Currently reading
June 8, 2021Release day for Glory Bound! Read the 5+ star review from N.N. Light Book Heaven! https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
March 29, 2023
excellent!
The book is so well written, it draws you in and makes you feel like you are living their story. Well done.
The book is so well written, it draws you in and makes you feel like you are living their story. Well done.
May 1, 2024
Emotional Rollercoaster!
November 17, 2024
Loved this series except for the ending - felt like a gut punch 🤛😢
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews