Grace Montgomery is a successful district attorney with a
devoted beau who wants to move forward in their
relationship. Grace can't move forward. She is too deeply
buried in her past. Who is Grace Montgomery? Is she the
intelligent undefeated attorney who put herself through
school or that teenager from Stillwater better known as
Grinding Gracie. The burning question is her relation to the
body buried at the family farm - better yet who is buried?
She went through school transparent except for when she
became Grinding Gracie whose sexual exploits were enough to
impel her to leave her hometown. She was the "I'll do
anything to get you to like me girl." But her past just
won't let go so she goes back to face her demons in the hope
that she can move forward. It is apparent that there were
some serious problems in the Montgomery household. Her
mother married the Reverend Barker to bring stability to
their family. What it brought was a nightmare of another
sort -- Grace's nightmare and as a nine year old child it
shaped her entire life. When Grace was thirteen events
escalated into a life and death struggle. Her family was
forced into action. No one outside of those at home that
evening are sure of what actually happened in the Reverends
home but his disappearance has fueled suspicions all these
years.
Enter Kennedy Archer into Grace's vacation time. Kennedy had
been one of the hot boys in high school and had caught
Grace's eye more then once. But he was definitely out of her
league and besides he was with Raelynn the woman he
ultimately married. He hung around with the group of guys
that were all too happy to avail themselves of anything
Grace had to offer. Kennedy, now a widower with two young
boys, Teddy and Heath, is running his father's bank and
running for town mayor. He harbors great feelings of regret
for his lack of action on Grace's behalf when they were
teenagers. And as he gets to know the adult version he
begins to respect her and amazingly develop some strong
desires for this woman who has become a great friend to his
sons. But getting close to Grace could be dangerous to those
he loves and Kennedy is faced with some very hard decisions.
I am being purposely vague on the details of this wonderful
story. Once again Brenda Novak has written a well thought
out suspense tale that has the reader taking sides from the
very beginning. The story delves into the results of abusive
relationships between spouses and parents and children.
People survive abuse but how they view themselves or their
worth is forever effected. As a child it was a self
fulfilling prophecy for Grace to become unworthy of love.
Now the adult Grace has to realize that she is worthy and
open to a more normal future.
Grace Montgomery knows who it is, and she knows why it
happened. She was only thirteen the night it all went
wrong.
And now, like then, she has no choice but to keep her mouth
shut.
Grace left the town of Stillwater thirteen years ago,
trying
to forget, trying to make good. As an assistant D.A. in
Jackson, she's finally achieved the success that was
supposed to change her life. But it hasn't -- so she's come
back to confront her own history. Which means returning to
the farmhouse now owned by her brother and facing the
people
of Stillwater, a number of whom suspect the truth.
Widower Kennedy Archer is one of those people. He's running
for mayor and needs to stay as far away from Grace as
possible. And yet... she's an enigma he can't resist. Even
though her enemies are close to finding out what really
happened -- and that could ruin them both.
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