Swan's Grace

Hawthorne Brothers #2

by Linda Francis Lee

HE WAS A MAN WHO MADE THE RULES, WHILE SHE WANTED ONLY TO BREAK THEM. . . .

Grayson Hawthorne is everything blue-blooded Boston society admires–rich, ruthless, untainted by scandal. While always keeping a tight rein on his emotions, he has never forgotten Sophie Wentworth, the spirited but awkward child who captivated his youth with music and a young girl’s adoration. But one night long ago, she left the city unexpectedly. Now the toast of Europe, Boston’s ugly duckling is returning home with the grace of a swan.

Through provocative performances, Sophie has found great fame as a concert cellist. She hopes to keep her past and her new life separate–until she discovers that her family has bargained her away to Grayson, the lonely boy she once loved, but now a cold, forbidding man with the power to break her tattered heart. At that moment, she vows to bring Boston . . . and Grayson . . . to their knees.

Swan’s Grace is the sophisticated, unforgettable story of a gifted but defiant woman and an unforgiving man who must find a gentleness in his soul to heal both their tarnished hearts.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Music

334 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2000

About the author

Linda Francis Lee is a native Texan now calling New York City home. Linda's writing career began when her article "There Is No Finish Line" was published in her university's quarterly magazine. But she got sidetracked from writing when she started teaching probability and statistics. Later she found her way back to writing, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution called her breakout novel, Blue Waltz, "absolutely stunning."
Now Linda is the author of nineteen books that are published in sixteen countries around the world, in languages as diverse as Japanese and Russian. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films, and she is in the process of co-developing a television series set in her beloved Texas. Lee's next novel, her twentieth, is a large work of fiction about the redemption of a man, and will be released in 2011.
When Linda isn't writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends.

Reviews

[seton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of a trilogy about 3 brothers of a high society Turn of the Century Bostonian family. The first book is titled Dove’s Way and the third is Nightingale’s Gate.

In this one, Sophie, a concert celloist, has been in love with Grayson Hawthorne since she was 4. When her life falls apart on her 18th birthday, she escapes to Europe where she becomes a success. However, Grayson decides its time for him to marry and decides to buy Sophie from her father and gets engaged to Sophie in absentia. Sophie’s father, being the good businessman, calls Sophie back to Boston to finish the transaction.

I really wanted to like this book.

I’m a sucka for stories about childhood loves and the author’s writing style at times reminded me of Judith McNaught, Mary Spencer/Susan Spencer Paul, or Anne Gracie. Unfortunately, unlike McNaught who knows how to offset the manipulative angst with a healthy dose of cheese, Linda Francis Lee prefers to go the Edith Wharton route where you have a huge cast of rich characters determined to be relentlessly unhappy and you just want to slap them to get over themselves. The majority of the characters from the H/H down are all imperious and implacable and just refuse to listen to each other and only concerned with feeling sorry for themselves that it just gave me a headache after a while. Sophie, especially with her Deep Dark Secret, still could have made things easier for herself if she had only opened her bloody mouth to explain instead of perpetuating her brave sad clown act. Even if she didnt want to talk about her Deep Dark Secret, she also had money troubles throughout the book and instead of dealing with it, she just paid for the vacation of her three hanger-on entourage to dig herself further into a hole.

Grayson came across as a second-rate reject from the Judith McNaught Hero assembling line, right down to his very waspy sounding name. He didnt have that great a childhood either and he gets bad surprise after bad surprise at the end and I just want to feel for the guy but he just didnt come off the page for me.

Given a choice, I’ll always take the dark angsty read over a light, cute read but good angst needs to feel carthatic and not make me want to commit seppuku (Japanese ritual suicide) after reading it. Like the worst Mary Baloghs, this is a seppuku novel.

[LadyAileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il libro fa parte di una saga dove i protagonisti sono i tre fratelli Hawthorne. Purtroppo la pubblicazione è avvenuta senza seguire l'ordine cronologico e con un lasso di tempo non invidiabile.
Io ho letto solo gli ultimi due ma sono convinta che questo sia il più intenso e coinvolgente. La trama è densa di colpi di scena insospettabili e vi giuro che non riuscivo a smettere man mano che procedevo nella lettura.
Una storia che mi ha commosso soprattutto nel vedere come la povera Sophie veniva trattata da Grayson (la crede perfetta nel ruolo di moglie considerato che la loro sarà l'unione di due antiche famiglie della Boston bene) e dal suo stesso padre (merce di scambio per poter far vivere nel lusso la nuova moglie). E' una persona molto fragile avendo subito molte delusioni ma che maschera bene assumendo un'aria spregiudicata e sfrontata (lato che non apprezza Grayson ma che allo stesso tempo l'attrae). Il protagonista invece è un uomo segnato da un'infanzia molto difficile a causa di un padre insensibile e inflessibile (ma c'è una ragione) ma nonostante questo è riuscito a diventare un uomo di successo forse troppo rigido nel modo di pensare ed è qui che cominciano i guai.
Alla storia dei due protagonisti è affiancata la storia della madre di Grayson e del suo amante che si rivelerà un tassello molto importante per l'intera vicenda.
Per quanto riguarda l'ambientazione siamo nel 1892 a Boston che ho trovato perfetta. Il livello di sensualità è alto ma non è elemento di disturbo. Una bellissima storia d'amore che difficilmente dimenticherete.

[niteskycs · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars for sophie and grayson. the best part of this book was the setup and how sophie and grayson have always been there for each other since childhood as part of boston's oldest and most well-respected families. i wish there was more of a conclusion on sophie's relationship with her father as well as grayson's mother and his biological father but otherwise it was a pretty decent book.

[marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was deeply impressed by the depth of emotion convened in this story. I was also amazed at how life-like both Sophie & Grayson were. This story made me feel there angers, as well as there happiness.

In the future I will not hesitate to pick up another Linda Francis Lee book. I'm also quite saddened that her books aren't more well known.

I Found this book to be totally satisfying from start to finish.

[Jenny Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first one of Linda Francis Lee I'd read. I remember loving it so much. And while it was wonderful the second time around, after reading the two stories back to back, I love the first one more.

[Daneesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually started this book last night. It was fabulous. Both had cared for each other since they were kids. As adults, they've both been through a lot. They both need some love and healing. This book took place in America in the 1890s. I thought it was a refreshing change of scenery.

[Tressa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the characters. I felt that they were one-dimensional. Also, the contemporary dialogue jarred me from the story's time period of the late 1800s. I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this book very much.

[Sarah]

i couldnt put it down, i stayed up past my bed time for this a couple nights!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to Dove's Way, following the older brother. Also a good beach book.

[Flitterkit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful. Somewhat endearingly awkward, but beautiful and I just love the music.