Charming Grace [Mass Market Paperback]

Deborah Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

The acclaimed author of "Sweet Hush" continues her bestselling tradition with her latest comic, heartbreaking novel about a Gerogia woman whose world changes forever when Hollywood comes knocking on her door.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Smith's beguiling brand of Southern contemporary romance (Sweet Hush, etc.) takes a satirical turn in her ninth novel. When Schwarzeneggeresque action star Stone Senterra arrives in Dahlonega, Ga., the only thing standing in the way of his making a film about real-life local hero Harper Vance is Vance's exâ€"beauty queen widow armed with a truckload of gravel, a potted orchid named "Dancer" and a will of steel. Charming Grace stops at nothing to ensure that her husband's memory does not become fodder for yet another bad movie. Having defied her wealthy father to befriend and then marry the backwoods bad boy turned GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) agent, she is more than ready to face down Hollywood. What she isn't prepared for are the feelings aroused by Senterra's troubleshooting bodyguard, Cajun-born ex-con Boone Noleene, like Vance a gallant-hearted tough guy and like Senterra abandoned by his father at an early age. The novel alternates points of view: first we hear from the rebel belle, then from the brash bodyguard. The battling duo are backed up by a larger-than-life cast of secondary characters, including Senterra's baby sister co-star, Diamond, voted sexiest movie babe by Gun and Knife magazine, and Senterra's son the computer geek, who falls for Grace's black niece from Detroit. Smith blends Southern charm and Hollywood brass, kicking up the satire with Stone's script notes, full of cliches, paranoia and celluloid-deep emotion. Her unflagging energy, forgiving spirit and mischievous imagination compel the reader to delight with her in the frailty of heroes on-screen and off, proving that Smith is one romance novelist who just keeps getting better.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Grace Bagshaw Vance will do whatever it takes to stop Stone Senterra. One of Hollywood's most popular action/adventure stars, Senterra wants to direct a film based on the life of Grace's late husband, Harp, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent who was killed stopping the Turn-Key Bomber. Grace, however, is certain Senterra's brand of mindless, testosterone-drenched movies will disgrace Harp's memory. Armed with a shotgun and a load of gravel, Grace concocts a plan to put a halt to the production only to find herself up against Boone Noleene, Senterra's intensely loyal bodyguard. While they first seem to be on opposite sides, both Grace and Boone soon find they have quite a bit in common, something that worries Grace since the more she finds herself getting to know Boone, the more it seems she is letting go of her beloved Harp. Writing with an easy charm and sassy wit, Smith deftly fashions a splendid story of love and honor. Blessed with an abundance of delightfully eccentric characters and a plot that gracefully moves between past and present, this is a romance to treasure. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446614793
• ISBN-13: 978-0446614795
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,562,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bell Bridge Books

Deborah Smith is a founding partner and VP of BelleBooks and its main division, Bell Bridge Books. Check here for news and updates on the titles she and her partners are publishing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bless her heart, February 29, 2004

By 

Sarrah Knight (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charming Grace: A Novel (Hardcover)

Widow Grace Bagshaw Vance has protected Harper Vance all her life--and she doesn't plan to let his death affect that. When hotshot actor Stone Senterra comes to Dahlonega to film the movie he has written about Harp's life, Grace does her damnedest to make sure it falls through. But Stone pushes back, usually through his bodyguard, ex-con Boone Noleene. It doesn't take Grace long to notice Boone--or that he has a heart and a chivalrous nature much like her dead husband's, but Boone's got an edge she has trouble ignoring. Both Grace and Boone have those Deborah Smith heartbreaking backgrounds, and it just makes you want to cry to read what they're feeling sometimes. They try to avoid their attraction for a number of reasons--not the least of which being Stone Senterra.
Supported by a colorful cast of characters, all sporting odd little quirks that make them memorable, Grace Vance and Boone Noleene, through a rotating first-person viewpoint, make for a wonderful story.
Now, I thought the end of this otherwise "charming" novel was just as sticky, sickly sweet as the homemade fudge to which Stone Senterra is addicted. It didn't quite live up to the otherwise poignant and painfully realistic tone to the rest of the book. However, this is definitely worth your time, and I don't doubt that you'll remember it for quite some time once you've finished the reading.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat contrived, May 13, 2010

By 

avid reader in Colorado - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Charming Grace (Kindle Edition)

I've read pretty much all of Deborah Smith's books. I agree with others--this is not one of her best. The main characters instantaneously fall in love?? And the "father/sons" surprise?? But still worth reading.

But the worst part was the missing words, wrong/confusing character references (like "he" when it should have been "she"), weird formatting and punctuation, etc. that were in my Kindle edition--way more than I've seen in any other Kindle book. Did it happen in "translation" from the printed book? Who does this translation? It was awful!!!!!!!! Extremely distracting!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very charming book..., February 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Charming Grace: A Novel (Hardcover)

I read this book in one day, because it captured my attention from the very first word to the very last. I liked everything about this well-written and charming book--the romantic and familial story of love, the flawed and loyal main characters and the quirky and interesting secondary characters.