A Graceful Mess

by Nacole Stayton

[Cocktails and Books]

3.5 stars.

This was one of those books where the cover totally pulled me in. Then there was the title. And there really was a graceful mess after the fallout from this storyline.

Parker Porter is a private investigator who is hired to watch the illegitimate daughter of a US Senator. He figures this is his chance to prove to his father that he can run expansion office of their company. It may not be the dream job Porter wants, but he got him away from home and his cheating ex.

Grace Clearwater, who is about ready to graduate college, lives a bit of a lie. Tortured by dreams she can't understand and unable to let people get close to her, Grace spends a lot of her time and energy putting up a front for everyone, including her parents. But everything changes after a chance meeting with Parker. He sees through to the real Grace and she finds herself willingly sharing pieces of herself she'd never shared before.

Of course, it's clear there is going to be a huge conflict of interest between Parker's job and his relationship with Grace, but even knowing that this was a story that had me happily turning pages and hoping Parker could figure out a way to keep Grace. She helped heal his relationship wounds after his ex cheated on him and he helped Grace learn to open up and really live. Grace may not have known what was truly happening with Parker, but you wanted her to fight for their relationship and realize that Parker was stuck between a rock and a hard place and that he truly loved her.

This was one of those books that I was glad I had the opportunity to read. Nacole Stayton carefully crafted two characters who I would have never imagined together and made them fit perfectly...issues and all.