Customer Reviews

Promises of Forever (Indigo)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just finished Promises of Forever...and I HONESTLY don't know how I feel...it's a pretty GOOD read...Finn is DEFINITELY a charming, caring, protective, loving TAKE CHARGE kinda man...I really enjoy the care and concern he shows Kayleigh throughout...but at times I must say I find Kayleigh to be a bit annoying...I just CAN'T wrap my mind around the whole idea that her doctor tells her to take it easy...take better care of herself...cut back on her activities...yet she BLATANTLY refuses to do so...it's like HELLO...IF you want to live...IF you want to possibly beat this illness...you MUST take better care of yourself...it would be a no-brainer for me...on top of that she has this WONDERFULLY giving man who WILLINGLY wants to take care of her (illness, hang-ups, and all) and she still REFUSES to slow down...and the little murder/mystery doesn't really make sense to me (seems unnecessary)...that being said, I did ENJOY the SENSUAL romance between Kayleigh and Finn.

When I finished reading PROMISES OF FOREVER, I had a better understanding of the quotes: "love is blind" and "in sickness and in health." After the death of her father, thirty-five-year old Kayleigh Hardy buries herself in her job, school and volunteer work. All in an effort to forget she is alone in the world, working a job she is not happy with, and having no college degree. A call from her lawyer/godfather sets her life on a different path when she meets Phineas "Finn" Callahan, the handsome Irish financial planner.

I was in awe of the way Bowers introduced and dealt with the interracial relationships and the disease Lupus. A murder, a secret, and secondary characters added just the right amount of intrigue to PROMISES OF FOREVER. Grab your box of tissues, a cup of tea, and your favorite chair and enjoy.

Reviewed by Toni Bonita
of The RAWSISTAZ (tm) Reviewers

Normally I don't write reviews but I had to take the time write one. I've read a lot of interracial romance books and I have to say this one tops my list! I read it within a day and it warmed my heart and put a smile on my face the whole time I was reading it.

Okay, first off let me start by admitting that I'm only halfway through the book.

Second, I'll also throw out there that I'm pretty sick with a high fever and a serious cold.

Nevertheless, I had to log in to write my commentary on the book so far.

When I was around thirteen, I wrote a book about a teenage girl who was a bit older than I was. In my mind, I knew the characters in the story, understood what feelings and impressions I was trying to relay with my writing, and when I'd re-read it, my 13-year-old mine processed it as "gold".

Years later, now that I'm in my 30's, I found files from that story that I (thankfully) typed up when I was around fifteen, and I have to to tell you...not impressive at all.

It was choppy, jumpy, riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, immature, eye-roll worthy in lots of places, and just had a flow that was not smooth in any way/shape/form.

That is what "Promises of Forever" reminds me of--reading those pages that 13-year-old me thought were so wonderfully written, and 30-year-old me was so irritated scrolling through.

The book is annoying. If the worst thing I could complain about were the spelling/grammatical errors, I'd be happier. The characters are all over the place, the story reads as if a speedtalking friend is trying to tell you a story, and you can only understand every 3 words...there's just no soft, contiuous flow. Nothing seems to fit together; it's like taking the pieces of 3 different jigsaw puzzles and trying to force them together.

Finn seems likeable enough, but juvenile for a man in his 40's.

Kayleigh seems more like a girl in her teens than a woman in her 30's.

And don't get me started in her friend Harley. I think she's the most immature character of them all. She's like Kimmy Gibbler from "Full House". She really needs to grow up. I can't beleive someone married her. Poor guy.

Anyways, like I said, I'm only halfway through--but I felt compelled to just type this up between my feverish state.

I'm kinda pissed at myself for letting the high reviews coerce me into buying this. I might as well be reading a Dr. Suess novel.

I'll keep this short. Kayleigh and Finn lacked chemistry. I don't see what he saw in her. I read romance books for passion and love this booke lacked both. Finn was constantly trying to make Kayleigh happy and he was a good guy and he deserved better. She was so immature it was hard for me to like her. She was told that she had Lupus and need to rest and take care of herself but she would not listen to her doctors. She was determined to finish school and get her degree. It was never explanied why she never went to college after high school. Her parents were not poor and it's not like she couldn't work part time to help pay the cost. If she was so driven to get her degree at the risk of her health than the author should have taken the time to tell us why it's taken her so long. The author never let us get to really know either character. They lacked history as individuals. I like to know what makes a character tick. Whick ties into another problem that I had with the story. They never really spent time getting to know one another. More time should have been spent developing their relationship.

Another annoying thing was that Kayleigh was the only Black person in the book. Her female "bestie" was white and her male "bestie"/ ex man was Latino. Everyone described by the author had blue or green eyes. Everyone in the town must be related because green and blue eyes are not that common! I mean come on! Even in a book by a Black author I still have to read all about white people and blue eyes! UGH!

Finally the sub plots with a broke ex client of Finn's and her boss were not necessary and the resolution to both was to simple and poorly excuted.

This book would have benifited from better editing. The author had problems with making her story flow. It felt stiled and wooden.

If you get a copy for free than give a it try but I wish I had saved my $6.99.

This is a wonderful love story. Not just a romance novel or a quick read but an honest-to-goodness, well written, interesting story with great subplots and developed characters. There are so many things I like about this story. One is that the characters are over 30. Kaleigh is 35 and Finn is older. Most romance novels have the heroine being 29 and having achieved the stars already. I loved Kaleigh. Mid-30s, struggling with everyday issues like you and I, working towards her degree and living with lupus. Finn is great. Not your stereotypical romance "alpha" male but take charge none-the-less. His family is like any large family. I think Ms. Bowers did a great job of weaving in a little mystery in the story. Usually at the end of a novel I think, "Sigh, only in a romance novel". In this book, I actually half-believe this could happen to me. Love it, love it, love it.

The rating for this book is 4.5

Kayleigh Hardy was in the process of getting her life back on track after the death of her father. In her godfather office one afternoon he told Kayleigh about her father will. Kayleigh thinking she was left with stacks of bills was surprise when she find out that her father left her some money. With this money Kayleigh didn't know what to do with this amount of money. Kayleigh godfather suggestions that she talk with a Financial Advisor who can help her invest her money wisely.

Phineas (Finn) Callahan is the best in the business but when it comes to his personal life that is where things begin to fall. Finn has decided to take a break from women and relationship for a while. He was once marry which ended badly and although he is fine as wine the woman would love to be with him. Finn has stuck by his decision until he met Kayleigh the instance attraction between them was unbelievable.

Kayleigh is stubborn, strong willed and very loyal to her friends she works for a Boss from Hell. Kayleigh has always been the one to take care of other people and not herself, so her friends began to notice that she is always tired and sleepily and encourage her to go to the doctor. Like most people going to the doctor is the last thing on our list. Once Kayleigh and Finn meet you can feel the attraction between them but they both try to fight until Finn can no longer fight it and believe me it doesn't take him long to realize that.

There first meeting is intense only because when Finn is talking business that is the most exciting thing to him but soon after his interest turns to Kayleigh and they slowly begin a friendship and then one night Finn open up to Kayleigh how he is feeling. While they are getting to know each other Kayleigh decided that to put Finn through some thing to make him uncomfortable in certain situation like taking him to Poetry night with her friends and taking him to her friends party who Finn thinks Kayleigh and him have something going on, which at one point they did but not they are better are friend. You will have to read the book but I can say they that the secondary characters have great stories as well.

As soon as Finn & Kayleigh relationship takes off she is giving the news that she has Lupus and she and her doctor discuss the different treatment. Kayleigh make the decision not to tell Finn about her condition for her she fell if she tells him he would leave her. Kayleigh is having problem believe that her and Finn can actually have a relationship since they are from two different worlds, but through out the book you will see that Finn is devoted to Kayleigh and yes he is having concern as well when he find out about her condition.

Finn can and well be over powering and you will see that once he find out he does everything in his power to make these easy for Kayleigh and you will also see that this goes against everything he said he didn't want to care for another person or fall in love, but in Finn case he does both.

This is a story of unwavering love between a couple who goes through the challenges together and come out on TOP. This is a special book to me because my daughter who in her senior year of high school was diagnose with Lupus and reading Kayleigh story give me hope that one day my daughter will find the man of her dreams but in the mean time she is working and working her way back to school as well.

So Thank You Celya for a story well written.


Smooches

Louise

This book was an excellent read. I finished this book in a weekend because I could not put it down!! I have several books by Ms. Bowers and after reading 2 Real, I had to find another and this one did it. Kayleigh and Finn really made me want to put myself out there for love!!!
Way to go!!! Ms. Bowers keep up the great work with your novels!!!

I enjoyed this book, I have read it twice. I definitely recommend anyone who loves I/R Novels to get this book!

I have been reading a few of the interracial romance books and I have added this one to my book collection. It only took me a day to read this book.

This was the first book that I had read that dealt with not only an interracial relationship, but also the main character having to be able to handle a major medical situation. I was in awe of the way the author introduced and dealt with the interracial relationships and the disease of Lupus. A murder, a secret, and secondary characters added just the right amount of intrigue to PROMISES OF FOREVER. It is a book I couldn't put down until the very end...