Swan's Grace

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.)