Promised (Proper Romance Regency)

Wow. This book is special. Although, I will admit- it took a while to pull me in, the sneaky thing. By 35% I was more than a little intrigued. By 50% I was all in, refusing to get up until reading the last sentence. The author's writing style was very comfortable and well-paced, with descriptions vivid enough for me to picture each scene, but without being overdone and prosy.

Parts of the story felt familiar - Lord Williams reminds me more than a little of Matthew Macfadyen's Mr. Darcy. Aloof yet principled, intelligent, reserved... and also skilled at quickly erecting barriers to protect the heart. Similarly there were bits of Elizabeth Bennet in our heroine, Margaret Brinton. Margaret has a fierce tongue and quick wit, and also leans toward prejudice as a means of self-defense (which sounds funny but is totally true). She's been wounded before and fears repeating that pain.

While there were sparks of familiarity throughout the story, the plot was pleasantly unique with a couple "wait, what?!" curve balls thrown in. How could it not be, when our first scene takes place in a Regency-era speed-dating house party? Brilliant. And it only improves from there. I will say that it took a while for me to fully appreciate the first person voice, mainly because I so wanted to get into Lord Williams' head at certain points to hear HIS side of the story! The overall tone reminded me a lot of Amelia Peabody (Elizabeth Peters) or Jan Hahn. Love those brilliantly matter-of-fact female voices.

My only wish was that we might have enjoyed a lengthier epilogue. The ending felt somewhat abrupt. Not unfinished or incomplete, but more like .. untapped. I would like to hear more of the story -- visit this world again, perhaps with the main characters acting as peripheral characters in a future novel? I would purchase that in a heartbeat.

I feel privileged to have enjoyed an ARC of this story and already have plans to purchase the print edition when it releases. This book has well-earned its place on my shelf of favorites.

Blush factor: non-existent. Language: squeaky clean. This title is appropriate for all ages.

I loved this book. The type of reader I am:
Not an avid reader....more of a mood reader
Not a lover of detailed books which causes me to skim alot

This book was great for me. Detailed just enough for me and I related and liked the main characters. I liked the story all the way through as I love the enemies to love aspect always. Wonderful book which I will read over and over again.

*Edited*
I wanted to come back and give this writer way more credit since it's her first book. I keep reaching for this book and re-reading my favorite parts. She gets that tension heat filled moments I need with my proper regency romances. And she knows how to space them out throughout the book where it's not too much or too little. I just finished another book by a different more established author and was sorely disappointed that it didn't live up to this one. I wish this author had more books out because she gets it.

The book's beautiful cover and premise intrigued me. And early on in the story, it was a pleasant surprise to come across a loving father who wants his daughter to be happy and feels remorse for the role he must play in securing her future. I've read so many books in this genre with villainous or disinterested fathers. The development of the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine was extremely difficult to believe. I'm accustomed to suspending my disbelief, but something about this story proved far more challenging than usual, and it was difficult to ignore the glaring inconsistencies. She willfully misunderstood him, but in a petulant way, not in a strong-willed, opinionated way. And there's definitely a difference. Some parts were so obvious, yet our smart heroine was acting totally clueless, denying the facts right in front of her face. I did not care much for these characters at all, unfortunately. They felt superficial, even with first-person narration. Miscommunication is a standard trope, and I tolerate it when it's useful, but when a single question to any number of people might resolve the glaring confusion, and the supposedly forthright heroine won't even ask it or demand an answer, the story loses credibility. Some of the encounters between characters, including secondary ones, simply left me confused. I actually had to go back and re-read several chapters just to make sure I hadn't missed something. The writing itself was strong, but the character development and plotting lacked depth and flow. The romance would have been far more satisfying if it had developed naturally. I just couldn't enjoy the sweetness when I couldn't see how it arrived at that point. It was all too convenient. Nearly every character was distressed for one reason or another, lending a somber air to the story, and that single note carried throughout the entire book. Even in potentially devastating circumstances, the emotional reactions rang hollow. I never connected emotionally with the characters, and there was a lot of angst that might have increased the tension and suspense if it were proven necessary, but the reasoning for it was unrealistic, making the happily-ever-after not at all satisfying. Overall, this didn't feel like a true romance to me.

I was interested in the description of the book and thought the cover was lovely. Garriott's debut novel was really fun. I loved how it starts at a match-matching party.

Margaret has given up on love and is set to a loveless, marriage of convenience, knowing she won't be hurt again. She has her sights set on the rake Mr. Northam. He checks every item off of her list but his cousin, Lord Williams won't let her. Williams thinks he knows what's best for Margaret and one thing you only need to learn once is never tell a strong woman she can't do something, because she will see to it if its her last breath.

The enemies to lovers romance was sweet and perfect. Everything wrapped up nicely and the story came around full circle. I loved the fun moments between Williams and Margaret. It reminded me of "The Princess Diaries 2" where Anne Hathway's character says "I loathe you" to Chris Pine. I could see Margaret doing that in a heartbeat.

I received an ebook from the publisher thanks to Net Galley to give this honest review. This book will perfectly fit into the proper romance line.

Leah Garriott’s first novel reminded me of my first time reading Pride and Prejudice. The plot line felt similar with some fun twists. Leah’s ability to create tension and desire leaves you with a good book hangover from staying up past your bedtime.

A fun, light read with witty humor and laugh out loud moments.

Now time for some sleep...

This was a clean read and one I loved every minute of. I loved the main character and her sassy attitude. I loved the hero and his sometimes grumpy yet steadfast demeanor. Their witty banter and his romantic gestures made this story even more delightful. It was everything I love in a story, especially since the first half made me laugh more than most books. It was a delightful and fun story to read, and one I know I'll want to revisit again.

This novel started so strong. I love the conversation between characters and found myself bursting out laughing through several of the scenes. I was annoyed at Margaret for being so stubborn. I had to put it aside for a day because I was annoyed at her. But when I came back to it I enjoyed some of my favorite scenes. I loved the ending and felt giddy with the buildup. Amazing first book!

I love reading books from new authors. It's an awesome surprise, especially when you really like the book and can't put it down.

Promised, written by Leah Garriott, has such wonderful Jane Austen vibes that this novel clicked with me instantly. It all starts with a very humorous match-making party. We meet the strong-willed Maragaret Brinton who is there to find a husband of convenience after having been heartbroken in the past. Soon she meets two men that catch her interest, Mr. Northam and Lord Williams. After an unsuccessful attempt at matchmaking, a frustrated Margaret heads home. Once there, she finds out that she is now engaged to Lord Williams and she is not happy. Margaret does everything in her power to undo this travesty. This is when the fun begins as Lord Gregory Williams and Margaret banter back and forth in a dance of chase and run. I love most of Margaret's family except her older brother, Daniel, even though later he finally comes round later and acts more reasonable. Also, Margaret's younger sister Alice was a cute addition to the story. A true favorite character in this novel was Lord William's mother. She was delightful! This emotion-filled book will keep you laughing one moment, crying the next, and greatly puzzled at what is really going on. I enjoyed it so much.

This engaging Proper Romance has a fun plot, great dialogue, and a slow burn romance that pays off in the end.

I found a new favorite author reading this book. This was such a fun, well written Jane Austen style Historical fiction story! Great characters that keep you laughing and guessing what will happen next. I also love that they are imperfect and learning through their mistakes. It is very hard to put down especially when you're waiting to see how some things will play out so don't try and read it right before bed thinking you can put it down.... might be up till 2 a.m.

Margaret had her heart broken and so she has decided a marriage of convenience is what would be best for her. She meets 2 gentlemen and decides one will be perfect for her. In picking him her heart will never be broken again. Yet the other gentleman won't let her go that easy.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys clean historical romance!

My rating is 3.5 stars

It wasn't until I was a good way through Promised that I saw the similarities to Pride and Prejudice. The way in which Margaret was so repulsed by Lord Williams' manner and his haughty attitude. Then I started noticing other subtle things and began to realize that there were a number of connections. What I appreciated is that the author did not attempt to make this a retelling, including all the characters and situations with slight variations. Instead, Leah Garriott made the story her own.

There were some cute and some romantic moments, such as with the donkey. And some odious yet indispensible characters.

While I liked Lord Williams - mostly - I didn't really understand his motivation for the "thing" that ended up being a problem. Somehow it didn't quite ring true. Other than that, he was kind despite being a bit aloof and was certainly persistent!

Margaret had a deep love for her family, especially her sister, Alice. Her relationship with her brother, Daniel, was humorous at times, especially when they were goading and needling each other. I do have to confess, though, that her prejudice against Lord Williams and her grief over her sad circumstances was a bit overwhelming throughout much of the story. She wasn't bad, I just wasn't much of a fan. And I wasn't quite sure why Lord Williams fell in love with her.

There were a couple of items I would have liked to have had explained more thoroughly (or at all, like the donkey). The narrative style was good yet not compelling. Overall, Promised was enjoyable.

I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.