Customer Reviews

Return To Promise (Heart of Texas, No 8)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

One of the first romances I ever read was a Debbie Macomber book so I credit her with my current love for the genre. With RETURN TO PROMISE I am reminded just why I enjoy her books so much. She's able to weave a story so seamlessly and make it so heartwarming.

Jane, a physician, and Cal, a rancher, have been married several years and have two young children when Jane's father breaks his hip and Jane returns to her California hometown for a few weeks, children in tow. When she is in California, she realizes it is no longer her home and yearns for her new hometown of Promise, Texas.

Meanwhile, Cal is lost without Jane. Although he was a bachelor for many years, he has come to rely on Jane so much and finds himself feeling lonely. When complications require Jane remain in California, he finds himself a bit resentful.

Nicole Nelson has just returned to Promise with one thing on her mind - to seduce Cal. She doesn't care that he's married - it just makes the game more challenging. When she hears Jane is out of town, she figures she has more of a chance to succeed in her malicious endeavor. Nicole's actions seem rather innocent at first - but it soon becomes evident that she has an ulterior motive in mind. Will Cal and Jane's marriage survive this invasion?

We also meet many of the people of Promise, but readers who haven't read the other Promise books won't feel left out. What a skill it is to write a sequel like this and make it stand alone!

RETURN TO PROMISE reminds me of Jan Karon's "Mitford" series - a heartwarming story, set in a small town, with many endearing secondary characters.

After reading RETURN TO PROMISE, readers will be anxious to read the stories featuring the other residents -- Lonesome Cowboy, Texas Two-Step, Caroline's Child, Dr. Texas, Nell's Cowboy, and Lone Star Baby.

There is rarely a better reading experience than a Debbie Macomber book!

A fan of the Heart of Texas series, I had to read this book. And needless to say I wasn't disappointed. Once again the characters are real and their situations are real. Debbie Macomber did an excellent job of conveying the emotions of both Jane and Cal. She wrote of both their feelings--Jane's wanting to be reassured and Cal's "she already knows, I don't need to tell her" attitude. Even Nicole in her quest for Cal seemed real. I loved the confrontation between her and Jane at the book store. Go Jane!!!! I love these people in Promise, Texas and Debbie Macomber for creating such wonderful people to read about. This is real life with a happy ending!!!!

P.S. When's the next Promise, Texas book???????? I'm ready for it!!!!!

I've read the other Promise stories and, granted, this one isn't typical. But I found it very real. The difficulties in Cal and Jane's marriage are definitely believable; they stem from small frustrations and careless moments, as marital problems so often do in life, and are exacerbated by the death of Jane's father. Jane's grief, too, is very believable. And Nicole, the woman who tries to break up Cal's marriage, might be a bit cliched but let's face it--cliches have a grounding in truth. Overall I liked the story a lot and I found the emotions genuine. I thought the resolution worked because you can believe in these characters and in the love they have for each other, despite the fact that daily life has gotten in the way of their expressing that love. Macomber's fictional Texas town is less idealized in this story but in the end returning to Promise is a satisfying experience.

and this book has me eager to read other Debbie Macomber books. When I started reading the book, I was expecting a typical ending to the book, and was surprised when it didn't happen at all. Cal and Jane are very "real" characters that you can picture in your mind as you read this book, and that is something I always like.

Well done Debbie Macomber. You've got a new reader in me!!

Cal Patterson knew his wife would be furious when she learned that he entered the bull riding event without telling her. Eight seconds of thrilling accomplishment doesn't keep trouble at bay when Jane threatens to leave the arena with their three-year-old son and eighteen-month-old daughter. Such incidents leave Jane feeling that her husband has been less than honest with her. An attractive young woman reintroduces herself to Cal following his ride. Little does he suspect the threat she poses to his marriage or the damage she will purposefully cause to his reputation around town.

As trouble begins to escalate between Cal and Jane, she finds herself called away to California to offer support to her mother while her father's hospitalized. Miscommunication and wounded feelings leave both Cal and Jane feeling bereft and frustrated. As frustrations continue to increase, their marriage's strength continues to be undermined.

New York Times best-selling author Debbie Macomber returns readers to Promise, Texas. I haven't read the previous books in Debbie Macomber's Promise series, and found that RETURN TO PROMISE reads well as a stand-alone. With heart-warming characters and realistic challenges to this five-year marriage, RETURN TO PROMISE approaches romance with a mature outlook and a practical understanding. Recommended.

I have read all the "Promise" books and was quite anxious to read "Return To Promise". I was disappointed! It was only about Jane and Cal's marital problems. There are so many delightful characters living in Promise Tx - I would have loved to read about some of the other inhabitants! I hope Ms. MacOmber will 'return' to Promise with more books about the other folks!

The schism in their marriage started when Cal Peterson hid from his wife Jane that he signed up to participate in the Promise, Texas Labor Day Rodeo bull-riding event. The next incident begins when Jane's mother calls to inform them that her father is ill. Jane, accompanied by her three-year-old son and eighteen-month-old daughter, travels to her California home while Cal stays behind.

Meanwhile, Nicole Nelson, best friend to the woman who jilted Cal years ago, has returned to town. Nicole makes a bold bid to catch Cal's interests, having romanticized her image of him over the years. However, her machinations lead to a separation between Cal and Jane as each misinterprets the situation to fit their thoughts. Jane thinks Cal is having an affair while Cal believes his constant running into Nicole is a coincidence. With Jane in California and Cal in Texas, it seems that this relationship is over unless the duo comes to their senses.

The RETURN TO PROMISE will satisfy die-hard fans of the warm uplifting series and newcomers who will gain a taste of that mighty Macomber magic. Cal and Jane have appeared as secondary charcaters in previous books, so that their starring role feels like coming home. However, the plot is occasionally detoured by flashbacks that Ms. Macomber told in previous novels. Still, the latest book in the Promise series works because of the lead couple, who substantiates that men and women occupy different galaxies.

Harriet Klausner

I've read all the Promise books and looked forward to this sequel, but I was disapointed in what has happened to the "Dr. Jane" character. She doesn't act very intelligently (IMO) for an educated and previously spirited lady, in fact, she seems rather like a 1950's type of woman. And Cal, unfortunately, acts like an demanding jerk. (I realize their conflict is the point of the story, but it didn't seem very realistic as the characters seemed more mature in the previous books.) Of course there was a happy outcome, although it felt rather contrived. I read the whole thing to see what happened to the characters of Promise, who I rather liked (enough to buy the books), but I wouldn't really recommend buying this one unless you are a big-time "Promise" fan and want to add it to your collection. I'm a fan of this author's books, but, sorry, not really of this - although it is still an OK read & somewhat updates the series.

Cal Patterson and Jane have been married for several years and have two children.Jane is called back to her family in California resulting in her staying longer than expected.When Jane returns to her home in Promise,she is met with disturbing awarness that her marriage is being tested.

I enjoyed the book very much and I believe you will also.It is easy reading and relaxing.

While this is suppossed to be an update of the people of Promise, I really only felt updated on Cal and Jane's life. All the other characters were barely mentioned in forms of, "That must be Nell's pie...or Savannah brought me lunch...or Grady and his kids...I would have LOVED to have more info about what was going on in the other people's lives as well. I really thought that Cal was being a jerk and never really owned up to that fact. Go Jane!!She was great...