Perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice... Promised by Leah Garriott (Review) @LeahGarriott @ShadowMountn

Welcome! I'm excited to be sharing my review from this debut author from
one of my favorite line of books today! I posted an interview with the
author last week that you can check out here. Read my review below...

Promised

(A Proper Romance)
By Leah Garriott
Adult Historical Romance
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 362 Pages
February 18th 2020 by Shadow Mountain

Summary

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.

EARLY PRAISE:

"Promising Regency-set debut. Vivid period details and the hero's grand romantic efforts will please fans of historical romance."—Publishers Weekly

"Debut -author Garriott's smooth prose and character-driven story will enthrall readers looking for sweet historicals with Austenesque plots."—Library Journal

"Garriott's impressive debut distinguishes itself with its expertly evoked Regency setting, a cast of realistically flawed yet eminently relatable characters, and a sweetly satisfying love story. Teen fans of Austen-era love stories will fall hard for this impeccably crafted romance."—Booklist

“Promised is a sweet regency romance and one that I recommend to all of you romance fans, especially those of you that enjoy stories inspired by Jane Austen.”—The Book Diva’s Reads

“…a fun, entertaining, and perfect addition to the Proper Romance collection.”—The Readathon

“With an Austen-like focus on minute emotional detail and some amusing secondary characters, Garriott’s gentle novel promises a treat for Regency fans who like their characters well-bred, their interiors comfortable, and the romance no racier than the hero turning up in a wet shirt.”—Historical Novel Society

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My Review

PROMISED is a heartwarming and marvelously entertaining Regency romance. The characters are charming and easy to like, the romance is sweet, and there is plenty of tension with enough twists to keep readers engaged. An ideal story for sweet historical romance fans.

This book... It was exactly what I was in the mood for. It's not a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but there are definitely similarities, and as I'm a big P&P fan, it definitely worked well for me. There is a wealthy lord who is a bit arrogant and his rakish cousin who are after the same girl (a bit like Darcy and Wickham vying for Elizabeth). The heroine is bookish and loves long walks. There's also a fun family dynamic with the heroine being closest to her father. But there, the similarities end as there are some twists and turns to the story. It also has one of my favorite tropes, a hate-to-love romance.

I loved Margaret from the start! I didn't agree with her desire to marry a rake who she would never love, even though I understood how she was trying to protect her heart. I particularly loved the relationship she had with her brother and family. I also loved her interactions with Lord Williams. They're quite humorous with some great banter and an attraction that starts small and slowly grows towards the end. Lord Williams I liked from the start, but he definitely grew on me as the story progressed. The romance had plenty of challenges that kept things from being too easy.

My one complaint was that the end did get a bit too mushy for my taste, but that would be it.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed this story so much! The back and forth of these characters as they banter and pursue (or try to not pursue in the heroine's case) a relationship was very entertaining. The characters were complex with much more to the story than just the romance. Highly recommended to fans of Pride and Prejudice and sweet Regency romances.

Content: Some innuendo, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

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.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Instagram

Follow the Tour

Debut novelist Leah Garriott tours the blogosphere February 17 through March 15, 2020 to share her new historical romance, Promised. Forty popular book bloggers specializing in historical romance, inspirational fiction, and Austenesque fiction will feature guest blogs, interviews, exclusive excerpts, and book reviews of this acclaimed Regency romance novel.

PROMISED: A PROPER ROMANCE BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

February 17 My Jane Austen Book Club (Guest Blog)

February 17 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)

February 18 Katie's Clean Book Collection (Review)

February 18 Wishful Endings (Interview)

February 19 RelzReviewz (Character Spotlight)

February 20 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Spotlight)

February 21 The Lit Bitch (Excerpt)

February 22 The Debutante Ball (Interview)

February 23 Adventure. Romance. Suspense (Review)

February 24 A Bookish Way of Life (Review)

February 24 Austenesque Reviews (Guest Blog)