Guest Review: Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey

Lady Isabella Weston has loved James Sheffield for as long as she can remember. Her come-out ball seems the perfect chance to make him see her in a new light. James is stunned to find the impish girl he once knew has blossomed into a sensual goddess. Ane if he remembers his lessons, goddesses always spell trouble for mortal men. When Issiz kisses James, her artless ardor turns to a masterful seduction that drives him mad with desire. But, no stranger to heartbreak, James is determined never to love, and thus never to lose. Can Isabella convince him that a life without love might be the biggest loss of all?

It has been said that . . . “everyone loves a lover.” I think when you encounter these lovers you will be delighted. Isabella is truly a lovely human being in her spirit as well as her physical attributes, and her relationships with her family, especially her sister Olivia, are beautifully detailed and add greatly to the reader’s understanding of the dimension of this character. James, on the other hand, is a man of genuine honor and a close friend to the Weston family. He is a man who has lost his beautiful, beloved Irish mother at the age of 10 years, and subsequently, as he endured the all-consuming grief in his own heart, he watched his father disintegrate and die a few months later. Brought to England to be with his paternal grandfather and raised as the only heir, he is dismissed and literally excluded from his grandfather’s affections because of that man’s predjudice and hatred of the Irish. He has gravitated toward the Weston family whose property adjoins his grandfathers’ largely because of the loveless growing-up years and the emotional holes in his heart. Their warmth and inclusive circle has nurtured him and eased the pain caused by the rejection of his grandparent. He has closed off his heart in his belief that love and loss are just not worth the suffering and pain they bring. Yet from his earliest encounters with the Westons, precocious and energetic Isabella claimed his attention.

This is a artfully crafted story of friendship, love, authentic caring, and the fear of being vulnerable, the kind of vulnerability that all lovers must accept as they allow another person to invade their hearts and lives. There are twists and turns that are sometimes predictable and often surprising. These two people have character and integrity, both want love in the worst way, but Isabella doesn’t know how to break through James’ protective shell, and James simply can’t face the prospect of allowing himself to be defenseless against Isabella’s embrace. Add in the backdrop of the push-pull of the Weston family and you have a great story! I am led to believe that this is the first in a series of stories involving members of the Weston family and I am looking forward to reading more of this intelligent, stimulating, energetic, and sometimes uproariously funny family.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.