Grays Hill (Cerny)

Grays Hill 
Barbara T. Cerny, 2010
Strategic Book Publishing
280 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781631353420


Summary
Oksana and Rafe mix like oil and water. Can she melt his hardened heart and breathe life back into him once again or will he stay on the sidelines forever?

After her father committed suicide rather than face his mounting gambling debts, Oksana Wallingford knows she will have to work in order to keep food on the table and her younger brother, the new baron, in school. When her best friend finders her a position as the nanny of his brother's children, it is the opportunity Oksana needs. But what she didn't contend with was Rafe, the recently widowed Duke of Essex and her new employer.

Oksana and Rafe's personalities are like oil and water. However, what begins as mutual hate slowly begins to change into something more. But what future can they have when Rafe has sworn off marriage for good?

As the mismatched pair struggles to come to terms with one another, a disaster that throws everything into question strikes them both.

Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Denver, Colorado, USA
• Education—A.S., Mesa State College; B.S., Arizona State University; M.S., Lehigh University
• Currently—Oakwood, Ohio


Author Barbara T. Cerny grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado, which at that time was a small town of 30,000 people.

She left that little burg to see the world, garner three college degrees, and to serve in the US Army. After eight years on active duty and fourteen years in the reserves, she retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2007.

While deployed to the Middle East in 2005, Ms. Cerny finally figured out she had to get going on the real love of her life, writing. She wrote her first two novels during that time and hasn’t stopped. She is presently working on novels number seven, eight, and nine.

When not writing, Ms. Cerny works as an information technology specialist and supervisor for the US Air Force. She lives with her loving husband, their two active teenagers, two needy cats, and two turtles. The turtles patiently watch her write and listen to her intently as she discusses plot lines with them. (From the author.)

Visit the author's website.
Follow Barbara on Facebook...and Twitter.

Book Reviews
Duke’s staff, his estate and his children, there will be blood.  Blood boiling, curdling and pumping at the rapier speed of desire. A rapier, as fans of armed combat will recall, is a thin sword, used in fencing, thrusting attacks, and in this novel, courtship. The two will feint, stab, lunge, and add insult to injury—while trying valiantly not to fall for and over each other. Kudos to Cerny for creating a female protagonist who can match wits and parry with the best of them. Grays Hill turns romance into a fun sporting event where you find yourself cheering the opponents onto victory. Score, love.
Lucy Wang, Indie Reader


Cerny writes wonderfully, capturing the realities of her chosen time and the constraints of a stifling system, which she does with unimpeachable expertise
BookViral


I liked the relationship development. Many books are weak on that. This is not immediate lust and sex. Rafe and Oksana have interesting interactions and conflicts for a long time before that happens. What I liked best was how they "desired" each other.
Jane Stewart, Amazon Top 100 Reviewers.

Discussion Questions
1. Grays Hill is set in the late 1700's early 1800s. Does this time period work best for this story? Could this story happen today?

2. Oksana is overweight and very tall. How do you think that makes her feel in that time period? Did it add to or detract from the story? How?

3. The Duke is hiding a child with Down Syndrome. We cope with that very differently today but some countries still hide their "imperfect" people. How does that make you feel? Do you agree or disagree with hiding handicap?

4. In many romance novels, the two main characters fall into bed and love immediately. Is this realistic for the time period? How about for today? Do you like a quick fall then some conflict, or a slow build with the conflict?

5. There is a lot of fencing in the book. Do you think a woman would have actually fenced in that time period? Would a Duke allowed her to learn or even taught her?

6. The author’s favorite lead into a love scene in all her books is this one—"The only Tarkington you will every sleep with will be me!" How did that line make you feel? If a man said that to you would you swoon or run for your life?

7. If you were writing the ending of Rafe and OJ’s story, what would it be?

8. What is your take on OJ and Geoff’s friendship? Are you glad they remained friends or would you rather have seen them become lovers and have their happily ever after instead?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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