Review: The Promise by Brenda Joyce

Pride..

After a record breaking sail from China, Alexi de Warenne’s moment of triumph quickly vanishes. At his welcoming party, his bewitching childhood friend Elysse O’Neill begins flirting with a shipmate, clearly punishing Alexi for his time at sea. But when Alexi finds Elysse desperately struggling in the man’s arms, tragedy ensues. Within days, Alexi weds her to save her honor—and leaves her to forge a new life.

And Pretense.

Elysse de Warenne rules the ton with her wit and grace, but the whispers of “abandoned bride” follow her ruthlessly. Elysse will never reveal the truth: that she hasn’t see her husband in six years—and they didn’t even consummate their marriage! When Alexi unexpectedly returns to England, Elysse will do whatever it takes to win his heart and claim her place at his side.

Alexi and Elysse have been friends since they first met at the ages of 8 & 9. Alexi at one point had thought that he would marry Elysse and that would be that. But then he grew up and discovered that there were other women and a world of debauchery waiting for him and gave up the idea of marriage completely. But Elysse and Alexi still have a connection that none can explain. But Elysse is now feeling something more for Alexi, desire.

On the night of Alexi’s welcome home party Elysse decides to makes Alexi jealous. She’s had a bit too much champagne, and Alexi’s not paying enough attention to her, so she decides to take a walk with Alexi’s ship pilot and friend, William. But William wants Elysse a bit too much and takes things a bit too far. Things don’t work out well for William and in order to save Elysse’s reputation, Alexi agrees to marry her. While Elysse is shocked and stunned by everything that has happened she’s thrilled to be Alexi’s wife.

Unfortunately by the time the wedding takes place Alexi’s a different person – an angry, angry man. They marry but then Alexi takes off on his ship without his wife and without consummating the marriage.

Six years later: Elysse is living in London when she hears that Alexi’s ship is about to come in, literally. She also finds out that he’s bought a house in Oxford and has no plans on leaving London. Elysse has worked for years to make people believe that Alexi is a wonderful and doting husband and that they have a wonderful marriage. She can’t keep up the pretense if he’s living in a different house than her! She immediately moves in, much to Alexi’s chagrin and all hell breaks loose.

Let me start off by saying I love Joyce’s writing. She always manages to invoke deep emotion in me when I read her books. Unfortunately in this book, I hate to say, it wasn’t a good emotion.  My heart hurt for Elysse for most of the book – truly hurt.

Alexi was a bastard. There I’ve said it. Oh, he definitely had some redeeming qualities and without telling you too much of the book and how he finally stepped up to the plate, he did come through in the end. However, before that? A right bastard. I get his anger over the incident with his friend William. I get the anger at having to marry Elysse – even though he was the one to offer for her. I get that he was upset at what he thought was his wife’s current reputation when he got back to London but he never stopped to talk to her – he just didn’t care. He wanted to hang on to his anger – I think because he’d lived with it for so long.  With Elysse it was either have sex or get out of his life. He left for six years and never came back! Did he think that would save her honor or make his anger less? IDK. When he did come back he was mean! sigh I guess after having read about him in previous books I expected a lot more from him and didn’t get it.  I really need to like my heroes in my romances and Alexi was not too likable for most of the book.

For Elysse’s part – wow, she had a will of iron. I had to admire that she’d lived through humiliation for six years. I didn’t get that she concocted a scandalous rep for herself but I guess a woman’s gotta do what a woman’s gotta do. She did have a couple of TSTL moments when I just rolled my eyes at her but for the most part she really carried the book, imho.

So in the end… really liked Elysse, really didn’t like Alexi for most of the book (which again, I really need to like the heroes in my romances!). Really still like Joyce’s writing and this book will not stop me from reading further in this series.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I received this book from the publisher for review.

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