Happy Monday!
I hope you had a great weekend filled with all the books! A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reading an ARC copy of Promised by Leah Garriott. It’s a historical romance (clean read) and one you’ll want to add to your TBR pile!
About the Book
Margaret Brinton keeps her promises, and the one she is most determined to keep is the promise to protect her heart.
Warwickshire, England, 1812
Fooled by love once before, Margaret vows never to be played the fool again. To keep her vow, she attends a notorious matchmaking party intent on securing the perfect marital match: a union of convenience to someone who could never affect her heart. She discovers a man who exceeds all her hopes in the handsome and obliging rake Mr. Northam.
There’s only one problem. His meddling cousin, Lord Williams, won’t leave Margaret alone. Condescending and high-handed, Lord Williams lectures and insults her. When she refuses to give heed to his counsel, he single-handedly ruins Margaret’s chances for making a good match—to his cousin or anyone else. With no reason to remain at the party, Margaret returns home to discover her father has promised her hand in marriage—to Lord Williams.
Under no condition will Margaret consent to marrying such an odious man. Yet as Lord Williams inserts himself into her everyday life, interrupting her family games and following her on morning walks, winning the good opinion of her siblings and proving himself intelligent and even kind, Margaret is forced to realize that Lord Williams is exactly the type of man she’d hoped to marry before she’d learned how much love hurt. When paths diverge and her time with Lord Williams ends, Margaret is faced with her ultimate choice: keep the promises that protect her or break free of them for one more chance at love. Either way, she fears her heart will lose.
My Thoughts
Y’all, I love Proper Romance books. They are absolutely swoonworthy and give me all the feels. It’s what I’ve come to expect and what I hoped for when I started reading Promised.
My first impressions: this reminded me of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. And I love books that have that feel. Margaret had such a quick judgment with Lord Williams and I had to admit, I searched every nuance looking for a glimmer of Mr. Darcy. 🙂
And y’all, this book didn’t disappoint. As she came to learn who Lord Williams really was, her heart began to open. Which made the plot twist all the more shocking and unexpected. Seriously, I think I was as shocked as Margaret.
This book was a fantastic read, with a great voice, and I can’t wait to read more books by Ms. Garriott. She knocked her debut novel out the ball park.
*I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley. My review was not required nor influenced.
About the Author
Though she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story. She’s resided in Hawaii and Italy, walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She’s currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids. Leah is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.
Toni Shiloh 