Customer Reviews

Promise Me Tonight: A Weston Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Eldest daughter of loving family is persistent about marrying her older bro's BFF who she's been in love with since childhood. She seduces him in his room while he was drunk even though he's told her repeatedly he doesn't ever want to marry or love anybody due to his view that those he loves will die. After he realized what happened, Hero marries heroine speedily then leaves her right after to join the Navy. Heroine later finds out she's pregnant & goes back & forth about loving him & being hurt & wanting nothing to do with him even when hero comes back after baby is born & now willing to take the risk & love her & their child.

The 1st half of Lindsey's book was well-paced, passionate, & riveting. Although heroine was aggressive & persistent, she was still endearing b/c of her motivations. But the book became a messy and annoying read in the latter half of the book. Heroine became whiny & weepy. Even towards the end when heroine had profound realizations, her actions still fell back to weepy & immature & whiny. I was really disappointed at the lack (or even regressive?) character development of the heroine. This book would've been a 5-star if the heroine acted better.

Cautiously recommended.

Sara Lindsey is being toted as the next Julia Quinn and has some big shoes to fill. I can say with utmost certainty that she can hold her head high and wear those shoes proudly, especially if she continues to write witty and engaging books like she has done with her debut novel, Promise Me Tonight. This is the first book in a series about the seven Weston siblings who all have Shakespearean names.

Isabella Weston has loved her older brother's best friend, James Sheffield, forever. She has dreams of James sweeping her off her feet, marrying her and starting a family. Unfortunately, James sees her as a child and not the woman she has become. But James will be in for the biggest shock of his life when he attends Isabella's coming out ball and notices that Isabella has grown into quite the woman with an exception bosom he can't stop admiring. He's not sure if he can keep his hands to himself. Not that Isabella minds in the least because she wants James to put his hands all over her, as long as it leads to marriage.

What Isabella doesn't understand is although James wants her dearly he can't offer her marriage or give her children because he is so dead set against it. One of the reasons James feels this way is because of his deceased grandfather who hated his mother because she was Irish. When James was a young boy, he lost both his parents and was sent to live with his cold grandfather. That shaped the way James feels about marriage having heirs. Because his mother died in labor when he was a young boy, James refuses to let the woman he loves go through the same thing knowing there is a possibility that she'll perish. Plus, having his name and legacy die with him is the perfect revenge against his cruel grandfather. So, James tortures himself by denying the passion he has for Isabella even though he thinks about her day and night.

Isabella has longed for James for so long. She is tenacious and will no longer stand to the side and allow James to refuse her. Along with her younger bookish sister, Olivia, they come up with a plan where Isabella will seduce James so he has no choice to marry her. She knows he won't be able to stop making from making her his, especially when she comes up with a very shocking way to seduce him. If he ruins her, then she'll finally have everything she ever wanted.

Fans of historical romance rejoice and welcome Sara Lindsey! Promise Me Tonight is an adorable and passionate tale about a young woman who comes from a huge loving family who wants nothing more than the man she has loved since she was a little girl. The heroine, Isabella, is refreshing and her reactions towards James are delightful. She does some sneaky things that may make readers roll their eyes, but because she's written in such an incredible way, you can't help but root for her. James's downfall, where he succumbs to Isabella's charms is beyond hilarious, even though his issues, due to a rough childhood, do become tedious at times. At certain times I wanted to shake James because he can't let go of the past and he does something very stupid and dangerous because he just can't give into his love for Isabella. But, in the end it doesn't take away from the seductive dance both Isabella and James engage in. Their interactions are very steamy and Sara can sure write some hot love scenes.

If you are a die hard fan of passionate historical romance with witty characters and a hero and heroine who will make you smile and sigh at the same time, you must pick up Promise Me Tonight. I can say with much certainty that Sara Lindsey is one author who will make a name for herself in the next decade to come and I look forward to the other Weston siblings' stories.

Katiebabs

I like a woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. That describes heroine Isabella perfectly. She absolutely has been in love with hero James Sheffield since she was only six years old. She has waited patiently for him for years so when he attends her come out ball after an absence from England for five years she is going to make the most of the situation.

James is a man who has loved and lost but not romantically. His mother died in childbirth and his father died a little later leaving James heartbroken and in the hands of his mean spirited Grandfather. James vowed never to love as he was devastated to lose those he loved so young. He is attending Issy's ball since he promised to do so years before. He is astounded at her beauty and the two engage in a passionate embrace that evening which throws him for a loop. He leaves the country to return again when his grandfather dies.

His return is a blessing for Issy or so she thinks. Turns out James's grandfather has scored a blow against his grandson. James does not inherit the estate instead Issy does and this upsets both her and James.

Let me state that up to this point of the novel I had really enjoyed the characters and the story. It is the second half that I found problematic. James acts ridiculously selfish and his actions are almost unforgivable. Issy at times acts totally appropriate for the situation, especially when she is morose; I remembered she is only nineteen, however she also acts contrary to her character and when she and James converse, especially toward the end of the novel, Issy appears very uncertain. This was a surprise from the bold, steadfast and determined Issy of the first half of the book.

James was likeable at first; unlikable in the middle of the novel, and was somewhat redeemable toward the end. His selfish nature went on a trifle too long but when he did come to himself at least he did not blame shift. The ending of this novel however is satisfying and sweet.

Although this book started off OK, it unfortunately became less interesting as it went along and by the end I was a bit fed up with it. Still it wasn't too bad a read and the story kept pace reasonably.

Isabella Weston has always loved her brother's friend, James Sheffield, and decides she wants to marry him. However, James won't let himself love anyone after his parents died - he can't open himself up to that level of hurt. But he hasn't reckoned with Isabella's persistence and he may have to re-evaluate his plans.

Initially this story reminded me of the writing of Julia Quinn - light, bubbly, lively characters and amusing. However this gradually sloughed away as I journeyed through the story and it ended up with hero and heroine trying to ignore each other and holding grudges and behaving badly. Historical accuracy was OK although the dialogue had rather too much modern American for authenticity, but my big issue with the story was that it just wasn't very romantic. Neither James nor Isabella comes out very well overall and I didn't feel that much confidence in their happy future, knowing how they were both able to do what they wanted without particularly paying regard to the other's opinion. It was an OK story but had its disappointments for this reader.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2010

Promise Me Tonight is the first in a series of Shakespearean name siblings who each find love. In this romantic tale, readers meet Isabella Weston, the oldest daughter of the Weston clan who is madly in love with her older brother's best friend, the guy next door. Though this is a theme that has been used repeatedly, Sara was able to hold my interest until the very last page. I believe readers will find this funny, heart-wrenching and promising debut a delightful read.

Isabella is a persistent, beautiful and witty young woman. She has desired James for so long and now that she is all grown up she will do whatever it takes to get her man. For the first half of the book, I disliked "Izzy" because she was constantly crying and begging. Some of her tactics were deceitful and selfish. However as the story progressed, I found myself rooting for her. She slowly started to mature and come into her own. I realized her tenacious behavior was inherited. Who wouldn't be a romantic with parents who openly loved one another and set an example of a passionate marriage? By the end of the story, my opinions of Izzy evolved.

James is a very honorable and stubborn man. After suffering from some painful incidents as a child, James closes his heart and vows never to love or marry. For most of the book, James's theories on love were tiresome. I understood and even sympathized with him at times, but I found myself becoming bored with his excuses. It was only towards the end that the author revealed more of his past and his reasons for fighting Isabella so hard. Finally, he was able to confront his past and succumb to his desires for Isabella.

Some of the things I liked about the story were that there was a lot of seduction and sexual buildup in this book. The love scenes were hot, steamy and tasteful. Sara writes well written love scenes. I also liked the introduction to the Weston family. They were well written and developed secondary characters that added to the story. The close knit family had some of the funniest lines in the book. They loved James as a part of the family and their hilarious well intentioned schemes left a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

For true romantics and die hard fans of historical romance, I recommend Promise Me Tonight. I eagerly await the second book in this series.
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Isabella Weston has always loved James Sheffield her brother's best friend. James lost love ones at early age and decided to guard his heart and never love again. On Isabella's debut ball he falls for her - but fights (kind-a) the attraction for most of the book. All the characters are strong and writing his wonderful - a late night - could not put it down.

Looking forward the rest of the Weston family series, (which features seven siblings blessed with Shakespearean names and an affinity for impropriety) - Tempting the Marquess: A Weston Novel due out June 1, 2010 and A Rogue for All Seasons due out January 2011.

There's a new historical romance author in town! Her name is Sara Lindsey and her debut, PROMISE ME TONIGHT is a delightful tale of friendship, family and unrequited love that will leave you smiling and sighing as you devour the pages.

Isabella Weston has loved James Sheffield, her brother's best friend, since she was a child. Determined that James will notice her one day, she extracts a promise from him to dance with her at her coming out ball. When that day arrives, James is surprised to realize that the little girl who used to tag along after him has turned into a lush, beguiling woman.

But James has sworn to never marry. Orphaned at the age of ten and forced to grow up with his chilly grandfather, James has had firsthand experience of the destruction wrought by that messy emotion called love. As James soon finds out, he's severely underestimated Isabella, who will stop at nothing to make sure he promises to love her forever.

Sara Lindsey's engaging voice brings the Weston family to life. All six siblings, named after Shakespearean characters, are interesting and boisterous, which makes for a captivating story that easily invests readers in upcoming books centered around the Westons.

I'm always a huge sucker for unrequited love stories, which is what drew me to this book in the first place. Sara Lindsey doesn't disappoint on this score, giving us a strong willed heroine who plunges headlong into action without thinking about the consequences. I found myself smiling at her determination, sometimes laughing at her antics, and nursing a hurting heart when her plans only served to give her further heartache.

James is a very alpha hero, who sometimes comes across as jaded and selfish, but Ms. Lindsey makes sure to give him just enough motivation for readers to understand him. I especially enjoyed watching him struggle with his desire for Isabella. Every time she is near she brings out a side of him that he rarely shows to the world, and those special moments between them are some of the best in the book.

I liked that Ms. Lindsey kept Isabella and James real, flawed people. Sometimes they behaved badly. There were times when Isabella acted stubbornly and rash with complete disregard for James, and times when James acted coldhearted and selfish. Yet, such is human nature. People aren't perfect. Characters shouldn't have to be either.

There is a vibrancy to PROMISE ME TONIGHT that kept me turning the pages. I loved the passion and the emotion in this book, and I look forward to the next Weston tale, Olivia's story, TEMPTING THE MARQUESS in June 2010.

Reviewed for CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

I agree with the reviewer who mentioned that this is a plot we have seen many times. While I found this book very cliched and maybe trying a bit too hard, it was an enjoyable read and I think we will see great new books coming as the author evolves. I also thought that the build up to James and Isabella getting together was to short or the author did not do a great job of building a stronger past. Everyone in the book was just a bit too clever. I plan to see what comes next from Sara Lindsey and am very hopeful

What a delightful historical romance set in England 1792. This is a Weston novel. This book is well written with detail and depth. The characters are charming, strong, emotional and will pull you into the story. It has sweet sensuality, romance,bitterness, forgiveness, mystery, and is an emotional love story.The heroine has been in love with the hero since the first time she saw him, when they where only children. The hero is determined never to marry, his father died shortly after his mother died in childbirth. He was sent to live with his grandfather who was not so nice. As fate would have it, he ends up marrying and learns a lesson in true love. It is a must read. It is fast paced, page turning story from the first page to the last. I would highly recommend this book.

This was such a fun historical romance read. It kept me in the story and the fact that the lead male is the lead female's crush for the whole of her short life is one of those stories that warms your insides. It's really cute in the beginning when it's like a close friend relationship. The entire book heats up tremendously when the two characters start to move into a relationship that is a bit for physical. The inclusion of the battle with the Bonaparte ship fleet was incredibly detailed and I really enjoyed reading that about history. I love it with these historical romances have actual history in them as well as a heated romance, it just makes the book very beneficial. Anyway, this is the first book in a series about the Weston family and I look forward to the next book and the next book after that as well. I really liked the very cute family-esque ending. It was adorable.
Now, everyone is saying it's a ripoff of Julia Quinn. I have never read Julia Quinn, but this is still it's own story. People that can respect that, even if there are similarities will enjoy this book. Or those that haven't read Julia Quinn.