Shades of Honor (Grayson Brothers, Book 1)

By: Wendy Lindstrom

Narrated by: Julia Motyka

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best-selling author Wendy Lindstrom comes an unforgettable novel about love and family, honor and sacrifice, hope and healing....

She Planned to Marry Her Best Friend - Then His Brother Returned Home and Complicated Everything

Marrying her beloved friend, Kyle Grayson, will allow Evelyn Tucker to care for her ailing father and resurrect their failing business. But when Kyle’s older brother, Radford, returns home with his young daughter, it turns Evelyn’s life upside down. Radford has survived a gruesome war and has finally come back to work the family sawmill and make a home for his daughter. Evelyn is drawn to the deeply wounded man and withdrawn little girl, and she can't help reaching into Radford's darkness with her healing love. The undeniable spark between them ignites a love neither has known…and neither can embrace. Torn by her forbidden feelings for Radford and her desperate need to honor and protect Kyle, Evelyn faces an impossible dilemma and her greatest heartache.

Winner of the RITA award

“Awesome underlying emotional power.” (RT Book Reviews)

"A perfect ten...one story that should not be missed!" (Romance Reviews Today)

©2002 Wendy Lindstrom (P)2013 Wendy Lindstrom

Critic reviews

“Awesome underlying emotional power.” (Romantic Times)

Emotional story with uneven narration

I'm not very fond of characters that betray people that trust them (siblings or best friends) but when I accepted to review this book, I had recently read "Texas Destiny", which I really liked. On the surface, both books have the same trope - tortured Civil War veteran falls in love with his brother's fiancee - but the execution makes them different, so this one wasn't as enjoyable for me.

Evelyn has been engaged to her childhood friend for 4 years and she's months away from the wedding when his older brother shows up. Radford (our hero) and Kyle (the fiance) are having problems because Kyle felt her brother abandoned him. Radford's a veteran of the Civil War and has had problems adjusting, so he stayed away from his family. Now he's ready to come back but the relationship with his brother is not making things easy.

The attraction between Evelyn and Radford is immediate. They try to ignore their feelings - although there was a little too much touching for my liking - but instead, their feelings bloom. 3/4 of the book proceeds in this manner - them saying they cannot continue, with a few kisses and touches - and Evelyn's trying to work things out with Kyle. Evelyn has plenty of chances to break the engagement but the truth of her relationship with Radford comes out in the worst possible way. I wasn't a fan of Kyle - he was too much of a whiner about the situation with his brother - but they definitely didn't treat him very well.

The book has some very emotional parts, specially about Radford's recolections of the Civil War. I teared up when he finally confesses to Evelyn what he went through. I think my favorite character of the whole book is Evelyn's father.

The narration was slow, slow so I had to listen at 1.5 speed. Ms. Motyka tended towards over dramatization but the story was melodramatic in parts. I won't necessarily avoid her in the future but I'll listen to the sample first to see if she's sped up her narrations.

I'll probably try the second book in the series even though I'm not very fond of Kyle, because it's gotten lots of good reviews from my friends. I'll probably switch to print though.

*I received this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Euphoric and captivating 💏

I got this book on sale a while back and thought.. I'll give it a chance.
After listening I knew I'd found a 💎 in a coal mine.
I have since bought the entire series.
Always coming back to these wonderful books every time I want a calm, well written story to fall back on.
Each book flows perfectly into the next while keeping most of the same well developed characters.
Each one about a different Grayson boy finding the love of his life.
The scenes are so vividly descriptive it doesn't take long to get completely engrossed in each mesmerizing story.
Every book has it's own message about strong family bonds and moral values.
These book's will have you swooning and sometimes blushing in no time.
There's nothing instant in this series so be prepared to go on a slow ride to get to the steamy parts.
Packed with plenty depth... it's easy to stay interested.
I'm writing one review for the whole series because if you buy this book, there's no way you'll want to miss out on the rest of these book's.
The narration was also a huge complement to this listening experience.
I highly recommend giving up a credit for all these book's.

A Beautiful Story!

The writing and the performance grabbed my heart from beginning to end. I could feel the emotions of Radford and Evelyn as they both struggled to do the right thing for everyone around them even while they yearned for the healing they instinctively knew they'd find with each other. The whole cast of characters, from Evelyn's aging father and Radford's traumatized daughter to those oh-so-appealing Grayson brothers made living in Fredonia, New York through the magic of audio a pure pleasure. This is one to savor long after the final chapter. Can't wait for the rest of the Grayson men.

Sweet, Poignant, Romantic! A Wonderful Love Story

Fredonia, New York, August 1870

He always knew he’d come back. Everything he’d ever wanted was here.
---

Shades of Honor is the first book in the Grayson Brothers series. It’s a post Civil War romance, this first book being the eldest brother’s story. Radford is tired of running from the nightmares of death, pain, and destruction, and returns home to work with his brothers at the family’s lumber mill. But he arrives to find that running kept him away too long and he may no longer be welcomed home.

My Review:

I’ve seen these books popping up here and there in friends reviews and had been planning to read them one day. When the author contacted me and asked if I’d review her audio book, I was more than a little excited! I’m going to break my review down by the actual story, and then the audio book.

The Book:

The Grayson world in Freedonia is lovely. Such a peaceful post war time when things and families are returning to normal again. The characters Ms. Lindstrom has given us are honorable, hard working, passionate people. They've known great loss but they have hopes and dreams and refuse to give up. They keep going, heads held high, always striving to do the right thing.

Pre-, Post-, and current Civil War is one of my favorite time periods to read about in my historical romance novels. There’s something about the era – the plantations, the gentility of the South… it’s such a romantic setting. However, Shades of Honor is not set in the South, there’s nothing to speak of money, no balls or Scarlet O’Hara dramas - overmuch, but I did enjoy it. It’s a very sweet, slow paced, day-in-the-life kind of story about finding that yes, you can go home again, but it might not be on your own terms.

The Audio:

The Grayson Brothers series is being narrated by Julia Motyka, and I’ll say this right up front: She has a beautiful voice! It’s clear, passionate, and captures perfectly the deeply emotional side to the story. The only problem I have with Ms. Motyka’s narration is that sometimes I felt there was too much of a dramatic voice given to certain scenes. There were poignant moments brilliantly read where Ms. Motyka had me fighting back the tears, but for the most part I think she could have taken it down a notch without taking away from the overall emotional depth of the story.

The Bottom Line:

Though not without some flaws, Shades of Honor is an uplifting, entertaining read. If you enjoy charming, romantic, passionate stories with emotionally scarred heroes looking to find ‘home’ again, this might be right up your alley.

I’m rating the written work 3.75 stars and the audio book 3.5 stars.

My sincerest thanks to Wendy Lindstrom for providing me with a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Touching Story

The set up
When Radford Grayson returned home to New York at the end of the Civil War, he was a troubled man. As the oldest of the four brothers, it was expected that he would help his father with the family sawmill business but he left soon after. Now he's returned home after five years with his four-year old daughter, Rebecca, but his younger brother, Kyle, doesn't receive him with open arms. He's had to manage the business following their father's death and resents Radford showing up now that the business is healthy again.

The issues
Kyle is now engaged to Evelyn Tucker, his childhood best friend who is running her infirmed father's livery business. Radford is sent to help Evelyn and they soon find themselves trying to resist their growing attraction to each other. It doesn't help that Kyle isn't very attentive to her and doesn't hide his resentment of Radford.

The heart of the story
This was a really touching story as Radford epitomizes the tortured hero, having experienced unspeakable war action that he relives through nightmares. Evelyn is a special woman who helps him overcome his misery and provides tender care to his daughter. She's desperate to make her relationship with Kyle work but cannot ignore her strong feelings for Radford. Neither wants to hurt Kyle (who was a bit of a jerk) but it was inevitable. They are both honorable people trapped in an impossible situation that Kyle had a hand in creating and perpetuating. I liked how the story developed and was emotionally connected to both Radford and Evelyn. I actually missed them when the story ended.

The narrator did a good job in distinguishing characters and she managed the male characters skillfully. Her voice had a pleasant tone that worked for the story, even though the pacing was sometimes off.

The bottom line
I was really drawn into the story and couldn't stop listening. It was also a wonderful change to be in an historical era set in America instead of Regency or Victorian England. Those societal restrictions can get tiresome after awhile. This was my first historical romance that I listened to and I was pleased with the experience. I'm also looking forward to continuing this series and hearing the stories of all the Grayson men, especially as Kyle's is next. I not only recommend the story but this format. 4.0 stars

Embers grow into a Magnificent Love !!!

This book checks all of my boxes: Well-drawn passionate characters, intelligent writing, American history brought to life ---- paired with a superb narration that breathes life into it all !!! Overall effect is a breathtaking journey into the evolution of true love, family, and adaptation to the travails of real life.

In this sweeping novel, a weary "accidental" soldier returns home to his beloved family in the Post-Civil War North, and struggles to come to terms with his past, his present, and his future. His return causes ripples in the lives of all who love him, as he tries to fit back into this family, that has also adapted to changes during his absence.

I typically read over over 200 books per year, and while I will usually rate them, I rarely feel compelled to write a review. This book , however, is an extraordinary experience which is not to be missed. The author pens the human experience of personal growth with such skill, that the characters seem real. I feel that this novel could be a classic. You will care so much about the characters, that it becomes unputdownable ! Truly 5 stars and more. Well Worth your time and credit !!!

Should have been under drama and not HRomance

The story was not bad but it was just sprinkled fully with drama at every corner of the book. I absolutely feel drained. Also, the narrator made funny pauses while reading a sentence that broke it into unnecessary sections. A bit distracting. Be prepared for drama if you purchase this book.

Really Good Historical Romance

Any additional comments?

Really good historical romance. A very enjoyable and entertaining story of honor, forgiveness, romance, love, death, healing, redemption and family.

The story takes place after the Civil War.

Radford returns from the war suffering from PTSD, not ready to face his demons yet he decides to leave his home and family. He returns 5 years later with his 4yr old daughter ready to rejoin his family and take his place in the family business. This homecoming does not turn out the way he thinks it will. Just as he has changed so have the people he left behind. Trying to find his place once again within his family is not an easy road. Adding to the complications of family is the fact that he has feelings for his brothers fiance'. Feelings that are growing with each day that passes.

This is the first Wendy Lindstrom book I have read. I don't know how I missed these books before but I will definitely be continuing with the rest of the series.

Julia Motyka did an excellent job with the narration. Pleasant voice. Clearly spoken. Smooth even pace. Great character voices. She was able to bring the characters to life as well as convey the emotions of each character. Fantastic job with Grampa and Rebecca. Well done!

This audiobook was provided by the Author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom

Beautiful story about life, loss, and love.

Made me cry, laugh, yearn, and hope. Family strength and love. I love this series.

Swept away

I wasn't too sure about this book when I read the blurb but I was throughly swept away by the telling of the tale... I was living their lives with them feeling their joy and laughing and crying when things hurt. A great story.