Customer Reviews

The Promise (Legacy series)

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As with her debut novel, The Legacy, TJ Bennett spins a wonderful tail of love at another unusual time in history in The Promise - 1525 Pavia, Northern Italy. Gunter Benhaim is a professional soldier, and Alonsa is a recent widow in need of looking after. Gunter has fought his feelings for Alonsa long enough, when he makes a deathbed promise to a friend and fellow soldier to marry and look after her. Now all he has to do is convince Alonsa, who believes a curse is haunting her, to marry him. Ms. Bennett's sensual writing style draws the reader completely into the budding passion between the hero and heroine, yet she has a knack for writing humor, too. Of particular enjoyment is the secondary love story between a besotted young man, Fritz, and Alonsa's friend and confidant, Ines. The Promise is both captivating and engaging, with a hint of adventure, a strong dose of nail-biting drama, and romance written so well, it will knock your socks off!

I won't summarize the story, as others have done a fine job.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE PROMISE. What's to love? The unique setting (1525 Northern Italy), fascinating history, and incredibly different characters (Gunter, a German mercenary who promises to marry the fiancee of his dying comrade in arms is a hard-living, beer-loving fighter in love with Alonsa, a Spanish widow who has good reason to believe a Gypsy curse is killing every man who loves her) who seem so realistic and historically accurate, they really jump off the page. Along with a gripping dual romance and some very exciting battle scenes, I loved the book's touches of humor, too.

If you enjoy well-researched, out of the box historicals as I do, I highly recommend both this book and Bennett's debut, THE LEGACY.

In THE PROMISE, TJ Bennett returns to the turbulent Europe of 1525 and to Günter Behaim, the mercenary soldier brother of the hero of last year's THE LEGACY.

Günter has made a battlefield promise to a fellow soldier and friend: if something happens to Martin, Günter will take his place and marry Alonsa, the beautiful Spanish widow who sells her father's fine swords to the troops.

Alonsa has other ideas. Cursed by a spurned gypsy suitor ten years earlier, she knows that any man who loves her will die. As proof, she has already buried two husbands. Her marriage to Martin was to be one of convenience. While they liked one another well enough, Martin was more interested in inheriting the family blade business than in loving Alonsa.

When Martin dies of wounds taken in the course of saving Günter's life, Alonsa and Günter, two people determined not to love, are bound together by honor and duty. Günter quickly realizes his love for Alonsa, but conceals it because of her belief in the curse. Alonsa, in turn, will not admit her love to Günter, believing that he does not love her.

Their friends, Alonsa's companion Inés and the eager young would-be mercenary Fritz, provide support in the journey across war-torn Europe. Adventures and dangers test love and courage, and the suspense carries through to the last pages of the book.

THE PROMISE is a terrific read, even better than THE LEGACY. Don't miss it.

I loved this book as much as TJ Bennett's first book, The Legacy. The character of Gunther is an honorable, passionate man. Alonsa matches his passion, even though she fights against it, due to a curse she believes will damn any man who falls in love with her to die. The progression of their love story is full of adventure, danger, humor, and love, as Gunther strives to overcome her superstitions. There is also a very cute love story with secondary characters, that was fun to watch evolve. And, for those who like a little action with their love stories, there are two very gripping and intense scenes involving danger to all parties involved, that had me not wanting to put the book down.

Wonderful writer, and I can't wait for her next book!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Promise. From the first page I was swept up into a world unfamiliar (yet dealing with a subject familiar to most of us) where the question looms: "Is it worth risking all to take that plunge and try for love a second time around?"
The story provided strong, dark adventure, lusty sex scenes, and a wonderful romance where twin souls are united. What more can a reader ask for?

TJ Bennett has done it again. I enjoyed this book as much as her first one and I hope she writes more, faster! Excellent, intelligent story. Fine writing. TJ is an author to keep your eye on.

In 1525 near Pavia in the Lombardy region, mercenary Gunter Behaim has made one friend, Martin who, before he dies from a battlefield wound he took for his brother in arms, asks him to marry his betrothed. Reluctantly Gunter makes the death bed pledge while musing about fate as he never had pals distrusting everyone due to a life of betrayals until Martin befriended him.

Alonsa García de Aranjuez is attracted to Gunter who proposes marriage in place of Martin. She rejects his kind offer as she was cursed by a former lover, the gypsy Miguel ten years ago in Spain. However, as danger mounts, Gunter and Alonsa begin to fall in love while he tries to at least keep her safe and persuade her to let him complete Martin's death bed wish.

This fast-paced sixteenth century romance is a terrific tale due to the "conflict: between the fully developed lead characters. Whereas she fears love, he loathes love. His vow and her curse are like the immovable object meeting the irresistible force. Loaded with action and adventure, readers will enjoy THE PROMISE wondering throughout if love will prove strong enough.

Harriet Klausner