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Hawthorne Brothers #1
Dove's Way
"Even months after that day on the train, her face still haunted my dreams. And I was sure the feel of her in my arms would stay with me forever. But then one night, she stepped back into my life as if walking into my dreams. . . ."
Matthew Hawthorne saved Finnea Winslet's life one day on a train in Africa. But Finnea didn't know that on that day she saved his soul. Destroyed by scandal, Matthew would have been ostracized completely by the unyielding society of his birth had he not been such a powerful man. Matthew doesn't let himself care about anyone or anything, until Finnea arrives unexpectedly in Boston.
Raised in Africa, Finnea is as foreign to Bostonians as they are to her. Yet she is determined to make a life for herself there, so she turns to Matthew to learn the ways of that rigid town. But can Matthew help Finnea without losing what is left of his heart?
From the jungles of Africa to the heart of Boston society, DOVE'S WAY is an extraordinary tale of redeeming love that will rescue a man, and release a woman from the pain in her heart.
Matthew Hawthorne saved Finnea Winslet's life one day on a train in Africa. But Finnea didn't know that on that day she saved his soul. Destroyed by scandal, Matthew would have been ostracized completely by the unyielding society of his birth had he not been such a powerful man. Matthew doesn't let himself care about anyone or anything, until Finnea arrives unexpectedly in Boston.
Raised in Africa, Finnea is as foreign to Bostonians as they are to her. Yet she is determined to make a life for herself there, so she turns to Matthew to learn the ways of that rigid town. But can Matthew help Finnea without losing what is left of his heart?
From the jungles of Africa to the heart of Boston society, DOVE'S WAY is an extraordinary tale of redeeming love that will rescue a man, and release a woman from the pain in her heart.
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 29, 2000
1 person is currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Linda Francis Lee
40 books488 followersLinda Francis Lee is a native Texan now calling New York City home. Linda's writing career began when her article "There Is No Finish Line" was published in her university's quarterly magazine. But she got sidetracked from writing when she started teaching probability and statistics. Later she found her way back to writing, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution called her breakout novel, Blue Waltz, "absolutely stunning."
Now Linda is the author of nineteen books that are published in sixteen countries around the world, in languages as diverse as Japanese and Russian. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films, and she is in the process of co-developing a television series set in her beloved Texas. Lee's next novel, her twentieth, is a large work of fiction about the redemption of a man, and will be released in 2011.
When Linda isn't writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends.
Now Linda is the author of nineteen books that are published in sixteen countries around the world, in languages as diverse as Japanese and Russian. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films, and she is in the process of co-developing a television series set in her beloved Texas. Lee's next novel, her twentieth, is a large work of fiction about the redemption of a man, and will be released in 2011.
When Linda isn't writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 7, 2011
Dove's Way is the story of two very wounded people who find healing in each others arms. If you're in the mood for a moving romance (and a good cry) this book is a great choice.
Finnea Winslet grew up wild and free in Africa under the loving guidance of her father. When her dad dies Finnea is left all alone and must travel to Boston to meet the mother who deserted her nineteen years earlier. She is told that a fellow American named Matthew Hawthorne will accompany her safely home while she rides the dangerous African railway.
When Finnea first meets Matthew he is rude, threatening and does his best to scare her senseless but fails. Matthew only wanted to be left alone and is amazed that Finnea doesn't flinch when she glances at his facial scar. Finnea sees it as "character" and isn't bothered at all by his blustery attitude. When the train derails Matthew spends a harried night watching over Finnea until help arrives. When Finnea wakes Matthew is gone before she can thank him and she believes she'll never see him again.
A few months later Finnea is in Boston trying hard to fit in and learn all of the ridiculously stifling rules that a proper lady must follow when she meets up with Matthew again. He saves her from embarrassment during a dinner party and she decides then and there that he will teach her how to become a proper Boston lady. She does not care that he craves solitude. She is relentless and he soon caves in.
What follows is a very satisfying romance between two tortured souls. And I do mean tortured. Both Finnea and Matthew have deep emotional wounds and many trials to overcome before they find their happy ever after. This is an angst filled read but it never became overwhelmingly depressing because of the gentle humor interwoven into the story.
This book would have received five stars but I did feel a bit cheated because a pivotal scene that occurred in Africa was not included in the book - only alluded to throughout the story. This was very disappointing in an otherwise perfect book. Or maybe I'm just being greedy!
Finnea Winslet grew up wild and free in Africa under the loving guidance of her father. When her dad dies Finnea is left all alone and must travel to Boston to meet the mother who deserted her nineteen years earlier. She is told that a fellow American named Matthew Hawthorne will accompany her safely home while she rides the dangerous African railway.
When Finnea first meets Matthew he is rude, threatening and does his best to scare her senseless but fails. Matthew only wanted to be left alone and is amazed that Finnea doesn't flinch when she glances at his facial scar. Finnea sees it as "character" and isn't bothered at all by his blustery attitude. When the train derails Matthew spends a harried night watching over Finnea until help arrives. When Finnea wakes Matthew is gone before she can thank him and she believes she'll never see him again.
A few months later Finnea is in Boston trying hard to fit in and learn all of the ridiculously stifling rules that a proper lady must follow when she meets up with Matthew again. He saves her from embarrassment during a dinner party and she decides then and there that he will teach her how to become a proper Boston lady. She does not care that he craves solitude. She is relentless and he soon caves in.
What follows is a very satisfying romance between two tortured souls. And I do mean tortured. Both Finnea and Matthew have deep emotional wounds and many trials to overcome before they find their happy ever after. This is an angst filled read but it never became overwhelmingly depressing because of the gentle humor interwoven into the story.
This book would have received five stars but I did feel a bit cheated because a pivotal scene that occurred in Africa was not included in the book - only alluded to throughout the story. This was very disappointing in an otherwise perfect book. Or maybe I'm just being greedy!
July 29, 2016
Assez moyen, somme toute. Fiona est plutôt agaçante à souffler le chaud et le froid, la résoltion du "problème" de Matthew me paraît trop facile et seule Mary trouve à peu près grâce à mes yeux. Les autres personnages sont tellement caractériels que je les ai tous détestés. Et l'histoire mériterait une meilleure intrigue (puisque je trouve qu'elle n'en a pas vraiment, de toute façon...)
Malgré tout, l'écriture demeure agréable et fluide. Ca aurait pu être vraiment bien si les personnages étaient plus attachants et moins dans l'excès.
Malgré tout, l'écriture demeure agréable et fluide. Ca aurait pu être vraiment bien si les personnages étaient plus attachants et moins dans l'excès.
February 1, 2020
Héroïne égarée dans une société qu'elle ne comprend pas (elle a grandi en Afrique) et héros sombre et taciturne (qui refuse le bonheur à nouveau)... en fait, erreur de casting pour cette romance qui promettait de l'exotisme et puis, pas du tout. Mais on continue de débroussailler les étagères encombrées.
October 29, 2013
Disjointed and quite hard to read. DNF
Interesting idea with the heroine being raised in Africa and returning "home" to the US after the death of her father.Her mother and brother had left years ago when she was a child. So to her they are literal strangers.
She boards a train that will take her to the coast and is told to seek out a man on board named Matthew (sorry forgot last name) who is to escort her on her journey. When she sees him she immediately know that "omg this is the The wild White man with the scar" that her african friends have been telling her about.Hes gone about from villages and in the wilderness fighting wild animals and saving lives and whatnot. Then she goes on a bit in her head how he looks like a warrior etc.
They have a rather bizarre conversation :/ Hero seems to hate heroine on sight for no particular reason also called the "i feel disdain for every other human because ive been hurt by people in the past.I have such a tragic backstory" reason
THEN! The train they are on crashes! Exciting isnt it?
But...we cut to a journal entry where the hero is describing saving Finnea from the crash. Quite anticlimatic. Then we cut again to the US.city of Boston where several months have passed and heroine is more or less recovered were told in an expositonary way from her mother,who then goes on to complain about how weird her daughter is/how hovely her son is.
Im sorry this is when I dnf...or rather skimmed until I found out about the Dark Secret the heroine had. I just couldnt believe in the plot/characters/romance so this is probably my first and last by this author.
Interesting idea with the heroine being raised in Africa and returning "home" to the US after the death of her father.Her mother and brother had left years ago when she was a child. So to her they are literal strangers.
She boards a train that will take her to the coast and is told to seek out a man on board named Matthew (sorry forgot last name) who is to escort her on her journey. When she sees him she immediately know that "omg this is the The wild White man with the scar" that her african friends have been telling her about.Hes gone about from villages and in the wilderness fighting wild animals and saving lives and whatnot. Then she goes on a bit in her head how he looks like a warrior etc.
They have a rather bizarre conversation :/ Hero seems to hate heroine on sight for no particular reason also called the "i feel disdain for every other human because ive been hurt by people in the past.I have such a tragic backstory" reason
THEN! The train they are on crashes! Exciting isnt it?
But...we cut to a journal entry where the hero is describing saving Finnea from the crash. Quite anticlimatic. Then we cut again to the US.city of Boston where several months have passed and heroine is more or less recovered were told in an expositonary way from her mother,who then goes on to complain about how weird her daughter is/how hovely her son is.
Im sorry this is when I dnf...or rather skimmed until I found out about the Dark Secret the heroine had. I just couldnt believe in the plot/characters/romance so this is probably my first and last by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2008
I found this book in a box of old books late last night and decided to give it a reread. I know I must have read it before, but it felt brand new. I couldn't put it down. I stayed up way past my bedtime finishing it, then raced back to the box to get the second one in the series, the telling of Grayson's story. I really enjoyed this book. Flawed characters that were still likable, enough romance to make it sizzle. Good job Ms. Lee.
June 13, 2019
Finnea Winslet, born in Boston, has spent the last 19 of her 25 years in Africa with her father. When her father, a rubber tree farmer, dies of jungle fever, Finnea is forced to return to Boston – to a brother she doesn’t remember and a mother who abandoned her when she was six.
Because the area is wild and dangerous, an American named Matthew Hawthorne is hired to ride the African train together with Finnea. Hawthorne, infamous in the wilds of Africa, manages to terrify the other passengers from the car in which he riding. As they are scattering to other cars, Finnea arrives and sits. Although Hawthorne tries to scare her too, she is unfazed by his antics and unspeakably horrible facial scar.
As they are staring at one another, the train derails; Matthew saves her life by fighting to keep her alive until help came the next morning. By the time she finally awakens in a hospital, Matthew is gone. She assumes she will never see the man again.
Months after her ordeal and recovery, we find Finnea trying to fit into Boston society. After the freedom of Africa, the strict mores of Boston seem stupid and rigid. However, Finnea tries very hard to please her mother; her brother seems to barely tolerate Finnea.
Invited to her first formal dinner party, Finnea is stunned to see the incredible number of forks, spoons and knives arrayed around her plate. However, she has another shock coming – Matthew is also at the party.
He seems intent on being as indifferent to Finnea as possible. However, when she creates a stir with a terrible social faux pas, Matthew saves her. Realizing that the heady society that her mother and brother move in will not tolerate much more from her, Finnea decides that Matthew will teach her everything she needs to know of Boston society. As you might imagine, Matthew is underwhelmed with the offer. He refuses; he storms; he rants. The next day they start!
Before you imagine that this is a story of manners and Boston, it isn’t. This is a story about 2 seriously damaged people trying to cope. We learn of Matthew’s shattering story but later, we find Finnea’s backstory to be soul-searing.
The author did a beautiful job of conveying emotions. This book is definitely a keeper; it is the first book of a trilogy.
Dove's Way (2000)
Swan's Grace (2000)
Nightingale's Gate (2001)
Because the area is wild and dangerous, an American named Matthew Hawthorne is hired to ride the African train together with Finnea. Hawthorne, infamous in the wilds of Africa, manages to terrify the other passengers from the car in which he riding. As they are scattering to other cars, Finnea arrives and sits. Although Hawthorne tries to scare her too, she is unfazed by his antics and unspeakably horrible facial scar.
As they are staring at one another, the train derails; Matthew saves her life by fighting to keep her alive until help came the next morning. By the time she finally awakens in a hospital, Matthew is gone. She assumes she will never see the man again.
Months after her ordeal and recovery, we find Finnea trying to fit into Boston society. After the freedom of Africa, the strict mores of Boston seem stupid and rigid. However, Finnea tries very hard to please her mother; her brother seems to barely tolerate Finnea.
Invited to her first formal dinner party, Finnea is stunned to see the incredible number of forks, spoons and knives arrayed around her plate. However, she has another shock coming – Matthew is also at the party.
He seems intent on being as indifferent to Finnea as possible. However, when she creates a stir with a terrible social faux pas, Matthew saves her. Realizing that the heady society that her mother and brother move in will not tolerate much more from her, Finnea decides that Matthew will teach her everything she needs to know of Boston society. As you might imagine, Matthew is underwhelmed with the offer. He refuses; he storms; he rants. The next day they start!
Before you imagine that this is a story of manners and Boston, it isn’t. This is a story about 2 seriously damaged people trying to cope. We learn of Matthew’s shattering story but later, we find Finnea’s backstory to be soul-searing.
The author did a beautiful job of conveying emotions. This book is definitely a keeper; it is the first book of a trilogy.
Dove's Way (2000)
Swan's Grace (2000)
Nightingale's Gate (2001)
December 29, 2013
3 e 1/2
"Per la prima volta capisco che talvolta la speranza si trova nei luoghi meno probabili. E il giorno in cui sei salita su quel treno, io ho trovato in te la mia speranza."
La trama prometteva davvero bene e nel complesso è stato un romance originale e coinvolgente, ma con qualche nota stonata. Avrei preferito che la notte del disastro ferroviario, che ha segnato la vera svolta nel rapporto tra Matthew e Finnea, ci fosse stata mostrata interamente e non tramite rapidi flashback sparsi D: inoltre l'autrice per i miei gusti ha buttato troppa carne sul fuoco, una caterva di disgrazie che danno alla storia un'atmosfera triste e quasi cupa: il difficile rapporto tra Finnea e la madre e il fratello e la nonna (tutta Boston in realtà XD), il segreto del suo passato (facilmente intuibile); i problemi di salute di Matthew, il difficile rapporto con la figlia e la famiglia, la perdita del suo talento artistico, il passato con la moglie fedifraga e chi più ne ha più ne metta XD Tra l'altro in tutta la prima metà del romanzo Finnea "insegue" Matthew con una tenacia ammirevole (ben diversa insomma dalle "solite" protagoniste passive o troppo sceme) e appena lui ricambia lei con un rapido voltafaccia comincia a sfuggirgli e a fare la difficile (e riecco la "solita" protagonista XD)! Il finale comunque è stato molto dolce e lieto, dopo tanti problemi, il trasferimento era quasi prevedibile però! XD
"Per la prima volta capisco che talvolta la speranza si trova nei luoghi meno probabili. E il giorno in cui sei salita su quel treno, io ho trovato in te la mia speranza."
La trama prometteva davvero bene e nel complesso è stato un romance originale e coinvolgente, ma con qualche nota stonata. Avrei preferito che la notte del disastro ferroviario, che ha segnato la vera svolta nel rapporto tra Matthew e Finnea, ci fosse stata mostrata interamente e non tramite rapidi flashback sparsi D: inoltre l'autrice per i miei gusti ha buttato troppa carne sul fuoco, una caterva di disgrazie che danno alla storia un'atmosfera triste e quasi cupa: il difficile rapporto tra Finnea e la madre e il fratello e la nonna (tutta Boston in realtà XD), il segreto del suo passato (facilmente intuibile); i problemi di salute di Matthew, il difficile rapporto con la figlia e la famiglia, la perdita del suo talento artistico, il passato con la moglie fedifraga e chi più ne ha più ne metta XD Tra l'altro in tutta la prima metà del romanzo Finnea "insegue" Matthew con una tenacia ammirevole (ben diversa insomma dalle "solite" protagoniste passive o troppo sceme) e appena lui ricambia lei con un rapido voltafaccia comincia a sfuggirgli e a fare la difficile (e riecco la "solita" protagonista XD)! Il finale comunque è stato molto dolce e lieto, dopo tanti problemi, il trasferimento era quasi prevedibile però! XD
February 14, 2014
This is my new favorite author. I loved the main character, who lost a child, blamed herself for it, and has healing powers. Many women/mothers will be able to relate to this. I also like the hero of the story, who finds his wife in a compromising situation and is scarred for life, literally and emotionally. Her characters are complex and the action is lively. I'm looking for more of her books.
March 4, 2022
A sweet, historical romance fiction that sparked my interest in this genre. This was the first story I had ever picked up for this category, and I was glad I chose it. Every page I turned gave me different feelings: confusion, anger, sadness, and most importantly, LOVE. Despite the flaw, everything worked out, which left me indescribable once I closed the book.
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June 15, 2009romance, historical
June 7, 2010
A fun beach read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews