Swan's Grace [Mass Market Paperback]

Linda Francis Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2000

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 a secret--until she discovers that her family has bargained her away to Grayson, the lonely boy she once loved--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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 1892 Boston, Lee's sequel to Dove's Way opens as Sophie Wentworth's father calls her home from Vienna, where she is touring as a famed cellist. Unbeknownst to Sophie, her father, desperately in need of money to support his new wife's extravagant lifestyle, has sold their home, Swan's Grace, and betrothed Sophie to her childhood friend, Grayson Hawthorne. The once warm and giving Grayson has fond memories of Sophie as the awkward young child who followed him everywhere, her cello always in tow. But now hardened and stern, Grayson is just as pleased to marry Sophie for the practical purpose that it will serve in mending the scandal that ensnared his younger brother, Matthew. Just as Sophie is surprised by Grayson's coldness, he is shocked (yet undeniably aroused) to see that she has changed from a technically brilliant musician to a flamboyant and practiced coquette. Marriage and happiness may still be possible; nevertheless, as the secrets of their past (including one they share) become palpably present, both passion and shame boil over. After a slow start, the book builds to a few surprises; however, none is sufficiently intriguing to make this sequel stand out. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Linda Francis Lee writes powerfully moving love stories."
--NORA ROBERTS

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449002063
• ISBN-13: 978-0449002063
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,758,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Linda Francis Lee does it again!, September 7, 2000

By 

Beachreader "BeachReader" (Port Townsend, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Swan's Grace (Mass Market Paperback)

Linda Francis Lee has followed her wonderful DOVES WAY with the second book in the series about three Boston brothers and the women they love. In SWANS GRACE the heroine is a well-known cellist who has been summoned home from a European tour by her father. Several surprises await her, not the least of which is her home has been sold and . . . well, perhaps you'd be best off reading the book to discover the really shocking surprise! Suffice to say it changes her life -- but Sophie doesn't think for the better -- at first. Linda Francis Lee is an author of rare depth and talent. I'm told that to research this book she actually took cello lessons. Now *that's* dedication! Anyone who enjoys the novels of such authors as Betina Krahn or Susan Wiggs should enjoy this as well.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enertaining Americana, September 10, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swan's Grace (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1892, American expatriate Sophie Wentworth takes Europe by storm as her exquisite musical talent thrills patrons throughout the continent. However, when her father asks Sophie to return to Boston, Sophie agrees. Sophie misses her home SWAN'S GRACE and has waited five years for her father to ask her to come back. She wonders how her stepmother will react when she returns to New England.

However, the States prove an immediate shocker when Sophie learns the hard way that her father sold SWAN'S GRACE without even informing her. Worse yet, he completed a business deal that has her engaged to attorney Grayson Hawthorne a person Sophie is attracted to but hates for betraying her. Grayson wants Sophie just as he did when she fled for the continent. However, Sophie tries to make Grayson hate her even as she falls deeper in love with her fellow Bostonian.

SWAN'S GRACE is an entertaining Americana romance that centers on love lost and love recovered. The story line is fun as Boston in the "Gay Nineties" seems real. The lead couple is a charming duet whose feelings for one another are hidden behind cold walls of distrust. Sub-genre fans will welcome Linda Francis Lee's latest tale and want to also read her fabulous DOVE'S WAY.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, July 31, 2001

By 

Kathryn Wilson (Palo Alto, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swan's Grace (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book. I found it incredibly refreshing that this story had emotional depth as well as a compelling story. I also applaud the author for going the route less travelled and letting Sophie be less then innocent. I would recommend this book to anyone who is sick of the everyday romance novels- You will enjoy the story. Ive read all three books in the series and each one is wonderful.