Linda Francis Lee: Swan’s Grace

Ivy Books (Paperback), ISBN 0-449-00206-3

Just when I think it can’t get any better, Linda Francis Lee proves me wrong. Case in point: Dove’s Way, the first book featuring the Hawthorne brothers. I loved that book and I honestly feared starting Swan’s Grace because I didn’t think the author could keep the star quality, the marvelous interaction between characters, and do it all in the same setting (Boston) without losing something along the way. I am overjoyed to confess I erred. Swan’s Grace forges new relationships, keeps the marvelous flavor, reveals new family secrets, and introduces some truly memorable characters along the way.

Famous — or infamous to proper Bostonians — cello player Sophie Wentworth returns to her home, Swan’s Grace, at her estranged father’s request. Along with her entourage, she moves in to a home she no longer owns. Her father, using his power of attorney, sold it to Grayson Hawthorne — and, in the doing, signed other papers, papers that would make Sophie, willing or not, Grayson’s bride. Staid, stuffy, and proper, Grayson loves untamed, unconventional Sophie, but does he love her enough to set her free, to not only allow her freedom but to glory in it?

A fun read filled with fully realized characters — characters with all their scars, petty behaviors, needs, and wants in full view. The author’s research into the mores and manners of the time and place add to the authenticity, giving the reader a fascinating glimpse into a Boston and a society that no longer exists. Swan’s Grace stands alone, but I think the reader will miss another great read if they don’t grab Dove’s Way as well. Me? I’m anxiously waiting to meet the third Hawthorne brother and learn what happens in Nightingale’s Gate.

Patricia Lucas White

Patricia Lucas White’s latest historical novel, To Last a Lifetime, was an Eppie finalist for 2003. To Last a Lifetime and two of her fantasy romances, the Sapphire Award-winning A Wizard Scorned and The Godmother Sanction, can be ordered through Hard Shell Word Factory. Her recent contemporary, PS, I’ve Taken a Lover, is available from Lionhearted Books.