Monday 9 January 2012

Waking Up Gray by R.E Bradshaw

Lizbeth Jackson, aged forty and divorced is finally free. Free from her sham of a marriage, free from her cheating ex husband and free to lead her own life in any way she wants to.

She arrives on Ocracoke Island from her home in Durham to spend the following few months studying the Carolina brogue for her masters degree. She is at last fulfilling her dream which had been put on hold all these years after Lizbeth married James and had her daughter Mazie at nineteen. Mazie was the one good thing to come out of the marriage.

Lizbeth is renting her late aunt Minnie's cottage from her cousins. Although Lizbeth hasn't been to Ocracoke Island for years, she soon settles in to life on the island, helped by her aunt's friend, Fanny O'Neal, from the cottage opposite.

When Lizbeth sees Fanny's granddaughter outside kissing a woman one night, Lizbeth can't get the sight out of her head. When Lizbeth meets Gray over at Fanny's cottage, Gray starts flirting with her and Lizbeth can't help feeling attracted to her.

Lizbeth and Gray begin to spend time together and Lizbeth finds herself falling for Gray in a big way. She decides to throw caution to the wind and go with her feelings. So what if Gray is a woman and Lizbeth has only ever been out with men? Gray however, doesn't want to allow herself to fall in love. She knows Lizbeth will leave the island to go back to her life in Durham and she feels she can't take the hurt and pain this would cause her. Gray has been hurt badly in the past. She knows what she feels for Lizbeth now would break her heart beyond repair if she actually fell in love with her totally.

But the inevitable happens, Lizbeth and Gray sleep together and they fall in love. But the course of their love is to be rudely interrupted by an ex lover turning up, just when things are going so well. The course of events that follow could have a tragic outcome. Will Lizbeth and Gray's love be able survive the consequences of the events that follow?

At last, another delightful romance from the pen of R.E Bradshaw. For me the moral of this book is that yes, life can really begin at forty. Yes, you can start over again from scratch. This book gives hope for anyone that finds themselves in this situation. It is very true to everyday life. This book is wonderfully refreshing and a real must for lovers of fine romance. The descriptions of Ocracoke Island just made me want to book a holiday there. The book is so well written and descriptive, that as a reader I felt at ease among the characters, just like I was viewing it all as it actually happened among friends. I was right there with them. The characters are adorable. The book is a real page turner from the very first page right through to the last page. After each book from R.E Bradshaw, I wonder how she can top the last one, how she can make her stories any better? Well, I have to say she manages it somehow, all her books are nothing but consistently good. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite among R.E Bradshaw's books. I adore them all. They will always have a permanent place on my book shelves, this one included.

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