An Inexpressible State of Grace [Paperback]

Cameron Abbott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

New York attorney Ashleigh Moore embarks on a personal journey to unearth her family's oldest secrets, and in the process finds her long-domant disires rekindled - in the arms of a woman.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

No one is more surprised than successful attorney Ashleigh Moore when, dragged into marriage counseling by her insistent husband, tears erupt, and then the confession that she no longer wants to be married. Readers will have seen it coming a mile away, though, since Ash has been cheating on David with Veronica, a woman she doesn't like and with whom she can't even have a conversation. But when it's all about incredibly hot sex, what has like got to do with it? Apparently, quite a lot, as her regard for Renee Silver, a client's general counsel, heats up, along with the news that she and her brother and sister may stand to inherit some big bucks, according to the natural father they have never met. But Ash isn't gay, right? Right? Her office associate's gaydar seems to have Ash pegged a lot faster than Ash does herself in this fast-moving, engagingly told tale of a thirtysomething's coming out amid a marriage full of sadness and regret and sibling relations full of unresolved tensions. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Harrington Park Press; 1 edition (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560234695
• ISBN-13: 978-1560234692
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,849,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deft Characterizations and Engrossing Plot, February 3, 2004

By 

Lori L. Lake "Author of Like Lovers Do, Buyer... (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Inexpressible State of Grace (Paperback)

After fifteen years, talented attorney Ashleigh Ash Moores marriage is on the skids, and increasingly, she finds herself thinking of her only other love, a woman who broke her heart in college. Ash usually finds solace in her work, but when shes assigned a high profile corporate case that could make or break her career track to law partner, she doesnt count on the attraction she feels for the clients in-house counsel, sexy, intelligent Renee Silver. Then Ash receives legal papers from her long-lost father concerning the estate of her grandmother, and long buried family secrets begin to emerge. To top things off, she unexpectedly uncovers evidence of corporate ethics violations, which could put her in danger. Whom can she trust? Which secrets from the past will come out, and what about the powerful pull she feels toward Renee?

With deft characterizations, an engrossing plot, and a marvelous sense about the volatility of secrets, Cameron Abbott has crafted an terrific follow-up to her first novel, To The Edge. Because of the authors narrative skill, this fine sophomore novel will go directly to the head of the class. ~Lori L. Lake, author of Different Dress, Stepping Out, Gun Shy, Under The Gun, and Ricochet In Time, and reviewer for Midwest Book Review, The Independent Gay Writer, The Gay Read, and Just About Write.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting on multiple levels, July 20, 2004

By 

Long Story Short "College Student" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Inexpressible State of Grace (Paperback)

Cameron Abbott?s sophomore novel, ?An inexpressible State of Grace,? is the only novel of hers that I have read so far. I was pleasantly surprised by her writing style. I find, too often, that many lesbian romances lack any other points of interest. Abbott masterfully intertwines four plot lines giving each one enough time and development to stand on its own while allowing them to interact with each other, to form an overall narrative arc through out the story. The differences between plot and story aren?t made in a haphazard way like many immature authors. The montage of scenes expertly paints protagonist Ashleigh Moore?s past over the reader?s perception of the present world she is living in.

Unlike another reviewer I found the details of Ashleigh?s professional life to add a depth and reality to Ashleigh?s world. An integral part of Ashleigh?s identity is tied up in her professional life; it effects the way she interacts with her family, her father in particular, and it is responsible for introducing her to her love interest. Ashleigh?s method of reacting to the world is, in every way, the work of a legal mind. As Abbott is a lawyer, readers might compliment her for writing what she knows, rather than failing to truly understand the way other people think.

This book was a joy to read. I utterly enjoyed following Ashleigh as she discovered and finally confronted the truth about herself, learned the causes behind her family?s dynamic, fell in love with Renee, and confronted the ethical failings of people professionally close to her. I highly recommend this book.

Abbott?s passion for what she does is beautifully apparent in the way that she writes; enjoy it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended, February 17, 2005

By 

fgc (CO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Inexpressible State of Grace (Paperback)

Among the club of lesbian authors who can actually write, this author is one of a small handful whose books feel original. This time she concentrates more on the legal plot than some readers looking for the usual romance-by-numbers might like. But I thought the depth in this area really added to the story and made the characters more real. This is a good story with plenty more to offer than the predictable slumber party before the happy ending formula.