Charming Grace

Despite what some other readers have said I thought Charming Grace was every bit what I'd expect from Deborah Smith. The beginning was innovative and fun, I enjoyed the characters immensely, and the story has stayed with me for some time as I read it over a year ago and still remember it with great fondness. I would and do highly recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed Deborah Smith's books in the past and anyone who wants a great story with a lot of heart!

Grace Bagshaw Vance does not hesitate to wield a shotgun or dump gravel on the only paved road that leads to Stone Senterra's mountain production headquarters. Widowed, this thirty-four year-old ex-beauty queen and former host of a popular morning show on Atlanta TV earns the classic southern pronouncement, "She's crazy, bless her heart." Her husband Harp, a GBI agent, gave his life to prevent a serial killer from blowing up Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. His status as a national hero garnered the attention of action-movie superstar Stone Senterra who plans to direct the movie about Harp's life and death. Unfortunately, with such blockbuster films to his credit as Viper Platoon and Death Squad Patrol, Stone's ability to keep his outrageous tendencies under control seems doubtful. Stone's bodyguard Boone Noleene proves to be the only hindrance in Grace's plans. She gracefully handles Stone's outrageous sister who stars in his movies and oversees publicity. She forces Stone changing locations to Alabama, and she strongly affects those who star in the movie. But Boone and she quickly develop a passion and an impossible desire that neither can afford to fulfill. Beneath the surface they are surprising alike, concealing poignant and painful pasts. They are equally loyal and equally determined as well, despite the fact that Grace intends to stop the movie Boone's boss vows to film. CHARMING GRACE becomes a poignant and provocative account of the power of the media to reshape the world according to the price of a ticket. Grace struggle to preserve the memory of her husband even as Stone's careless exposure becomes far less than the truth. Her instant attraction to his bodyguard lends profound shades of grey to a tale that is at once simple and yet deeply complex. Furthermore, outrageous characterizations and marvelous witticism combines for a fast-paced read that readers will find impossible to put down. Fans who adored Deborah Smith's previous release, SWEET HUSH, will easily recognize her remarkable style as both lyrical and mesmerizing. Indeed, Smith's voice has certainly made an indelible imprint and although I had forgotten reviewing Smith's previous novel, I immediately recognized her wonderful authorial voice before finishing the first few pages. CHARMING GRACE earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

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.

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.

Action star Stone Senterra visits Dahlonega, Georgia to try to meet with Grace Vance, widow of Georgia Bureau of Investigation hero Harper. Her deceased husband died two years ago taking out the psychopath Turn-Key Bomber just before the serial killer was going to blow up a hospital. The world saw Harp's heroism as he died saving many innocent lives. Now Stone, known for dumb down action thriller flicks, wants to film Harp's life. He tries to charm Grace, but she rejects his deal as she believes he is only capable of an action-packed cinematic insulting dolt of a movie.Stone's bodyguard Boone Molene tries to intercede as he is grateful to his employer for giving him a chance straight out of Angola Prison. As Boone and Grace become acquainted they fall in love, but she still refuses Stone's efforts as she believes that the action hero will destroy the dignity of her late husband.This entertaining contemporary is more a character study than a romance, though a love subplot adds depth to the tale. The story line provides insight into Grace and through her eyes Harp. Fans will appreciate Grace's efforts to keep her late spouse's life from becoming a bogus macho action adventure flick as he was deeper than just a GI Joe doll. Deborah Smith furbishes a strong look at legends and how Hollywood can corrupt and propagandize or enhance heroes.Harriet Klausner