Chiar dacă acțiunea cărții se împarte în două planuri temporale și perspectiva sare de la un personaj la altul, stilul de scriere al autoarei nu este obositor și nici plicticos. Creează o stare de nerăbdare la aflarea secretelor - care nu sunt puține - și plăcere de a descoperi gândurile și trăirile fiecărui personaj în parte. Intriga lasă loc multor momente sensibile și romantismul se trezește nu doar în viața tinerei Gracie, ci plutește și în jurul Anastasiei, care îi seamănă bunicii ei în multe privințe. Previzibilă pe alocuri, povestea nu și-a pierdut totuși din farmec și m-a încântat prin peisaje, dialoguri cu umor și m-a făcut să suspin de drag, dar și de teamă.

The Temptation of Gracie - Santa Montefiore - Google Books The Temptation of Gracie - Santa Montefiore - Google Books

Secrets are revealed of a past that know one could even guess at and Gracie is just not the person they all thought they knew. Widow Gracie decides to book a cookery holiday in Italy after seeing an advert in a magazine. Her friends in her Devon village and her London family cannot dissuade her and in the end her daughter Carina, a self obsessed business woman who rarely visits, decides to accompany Gracie to ensure she is ok as her mother is not used to foreign travel. Anastasia, Carina’s daughter, also goes and she gradually gets to know her grandmother on the trip- this is a touching family story as well as a romance.

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Maybe the novel was a bit predictable in some regards, but it didn't honestly spoil the experience for me. I was *rooting* for my predictions to come true, expecting they would, but hoping they'd come faster. From bestselling romance books and mystery thrillers to bookish gift guides you will love it in here. Montefiore certainly knows the area and is able to recreate the magic of Tuscany with a stroke of her pen. Her descriptions are truly evocative of that wonderful place. If I have one criticism, it is that being well into my sixties now, sixty eight doesn’t seem as old as Gracie sometimes appears. Yes, she’s a granny, a widow, and lives alone in Devon, with her secrets, and maybe she needed to appear older than her years so the return of a youthful spirit could be highlighted more clearly. Whatever, she is an affectionate character and I enjoyed sharing her adventure. When Gracie Burton stumbles upon an advertisement for a week-long cookery course in the heart of the Tuscan countryside, she cannot resist, and ploughs her life savings into the trip. Her only family - daughter Carina and granddaughter Anastasia - are hesitant about what has prompted this seemingly random venture. But they have no sense of Gracie's past; of what could possibly be calling her to Italy. They have no idea that Gracie is harbouring the secret of an extraordinary life that preceded them . . .

Review: The Temptation Of Gracie By Santa Montefiore Review: The Temptation Of Gracie By Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore in 2013Gracie Burton is an unassuming widow, living independently with her two dogs and keeping herself busy by involving herself in various village activities in Badley Compton in Devon. She has a reputation for efficiency and for getting things done and is relied upon by the unlikely-named Flappy Scott-Booth, who sees herself as the self-appointed lady of the manor – for which, read busybody. Gracie claims to have led an unremarkable life and no one has any reason to disbelieve her – not even her nearest and dearest. The Temptation of Gracie's Flappy now takes centre stage in her very own novel, more charismatic and competitive than ever! Don't miss Flappy Entertains – out now**The Temptation of Gracie is romantic – in the broadest sense of the word – although there is definitely romance in it as well. Mostly, it is about love – between men and women; between uncles, nieces, and nephews; between fathers and children; between mothers, daughters, and grand-daughters. As an avid reader who enjoys traditional books, audiobooks, and even e-books, my goal is to make your next book choice much easier. Whether you're a longtime book lover or want to get into reading, I want to help you discover great books, even when you're short on time. There were a few twists in the story that I did not anticipate, although anticipating outcomes and being right about them is fun, it is a real delight to me when they are unexpected. This novel takes place in two time frames, when Gracie is young in her early twenties when she is living in Italy and also in the present day when she embarks upon a bonding holiday with her estranged family. In 1998, she married Simon Sebag Montefiore the writer and historian in a Jewish wedding. They met through historian Andrew Roberts, who believed they were made for each other, given that of all the people he knew, they were the only two that could recite the Evita by heart. Santa Montefiore believes that they complete each other even as they are so different. Simon is more of a philosophical man with no interest for the outdoors, while Santa has always been enchanted by the outdoors and never saw herself settling with a man who could not even contemplate skiing. They now write from the same house with Santa on the top floor and Simon on the ground floor. Just like his wife, Simon is a critically acclaimed writer with his historical novels such as Jerusalem, Young Stalin, and the Court of Red Star receiving some of the highest accolades in the literary world. Besides being the sister to the socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, the couple is also fast friends with the Queen of Netherlands Maxima, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales. Montefiore lives in London with her husband and two children, Sasha and Lily, but the family also frequents a cottage in the Hampshire countryside where she grew up. Her house, which features on many of her novels, is a seventeenth century farmhouse with lovely ancient bluebell trees and stunning gardens that burst into a blaze of color during spring.

The Temptation of Gracie - AbeBooks 9781471169618: The Temptation of Gracie - AbeBooks

I have really enjoyed The Girl in the Castle series. I’m currently listening to the Secrets of the Lighthouse. In this particular book the Lord’s name is irreverently & inappropriately used in vain. Surely another phrase could have been used. Remember, God is watching! Reply Still, overall, I enjoyed the story. The Temptation of Gracie is a feel-good book that’ll make you emit a happy sigh and want to cook spaghetti with your family members. The conflicts and drama are heartfelt but fairly light, and you can just imagine what a beautiful movie this would make. I took longer to warm to Carina, whose initial obsession with work, worldly trappings and not her mother, and to some degree her daughter irked me. Gracie was treated more like a maiden aunt, you keep meaning to visit, rather than a mother. Similarly, Gracie had no real relationship with Anastacia, as they never had the opportunity to bond. This trip, could either make or break the fragile threads, but you'll need to discover that for yourself.

The Temptation of Gracie is such an emotive read. With 68 year old Gracie’s stable and predictable life in Badley Compton a world away to the experiences she had as a teen/young woman, during the week at the cookery school in Castello Montefosco her past emerges as she confides in granddaughter Anastasia. From not knowing each other very well at all, they realise how similar they are (in more ways than one!). And as much as Anastasia is there for Gracie, Gracie is also the confidant for Anastasia. I adored the developing bond with these two. Okay. Let me say that I don't generally enjoy romance novels: novels dealing heavily with romance, or contemporary novels that are sort of unrealistic but whimsical. One day, Gracie encounters an advertisement in a magazine, announcing that Castle Montefosco, in Tuscany, is currently open to the public. Strangers can come and stay for a few days and learn how to cook authentic Italian food. Although everyone knows Gracie as someone who hates leaving the comfort of her small town in England, she makes the seemingly crazy decision to travel to Italy. The latest book in the Lincoln Lawyer series comes out this month. This will be the 7th book in that series, and the 41st book in the Bosch Universe. Harry Bosch also plays a big part in this book. She led an extraordinary life in Tuscany with her uncle, Hans, got to live in a gigantic house and followed her passion for paintings. A completely different Gracie all together. I can’t really describe more of her life in Tuscany. Nonetheless, I must say that those were the best moments in the book for me.