Stolen Promise (Dark Hearts Series) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lisa Marie Wilkinson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dark Hearts Series | Publication Date: March 1, 2010

Cultures clash and passions collide when a stunning deathbed confession by his mother sends Evan Dark, the heir to a sprawling South Carolina plantation, to England in search of information about the father he never knew. Evan, a Southern gentleman who has just discovered his Gypsy heritage, cannot resist coming to the aid of a spirited young Gypsy woman, Jade of the Lowara tribe, who has fled her campsite after learning she is betrothed to a brutal clansman. Jade's father, seeing an opportunity to bring wealth to his clan through marriage, pegs Evan as Jade's bridegroom. Coerced into marrying Jade, Evan intends to abandon his Gypsy bride and return to South Carolina, where his own fiancée awaits him, unaware that she has been unfaithful with his half brother and that the two are plotting to challenge Evan’s status as heir. When loyalties divide and fortunes are at risk, will Jade's love be enough?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wilkinson populates an unusual premise with stock characters and a meandering plot line. Just outside 1806 Windsor, England in the Lowara gypsy camp, Jade runs away from an unwanted betrothal and encounters Evan Dark, a visiting part-gypsy American. Despite Jade's protests, Evan brings her back to her family, who then force the two to marry. Evan declares the Roma ceremony illegitimate and decides to return to his fiancée in America, bringing Jade and her sister along as indentured servants. When they arrive in his South Carolina plantation, it is clear to Evan's fiancée Gloriana that Jade is much more than a lowly servant, and when Evan reveals that he meant to stay married to Jade all along, Gloriana schemes to pull them apart. Even die-hard gypsy fans will struggle to stay interested. (Mar.)
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From Booklist

Jade, a young Gypsy, ran away from her tribe and lived with a mainstream Regency-era family in England until she was found and returned against her will. Promised to an abusive man, she tries to escape and take her sister with her. Her father, not impervious to her distress over Dimitri, makes a deal to wed her to Evan Dark, the half-Gypsy, half-American grandson of the leader of another tribe. Fleeing this arranged marriage, too, Jade escapes only to be captured by Dimitri. She is rescued by a redcoat, who turns out to be Evan Dark. She marries him but refuses to acknowledge the marriage, making a deal, instead, for Evan to take her as his indentured servant, along with her sister, to America, where he plans to marry a woman who will unite her huge plantation with his. Although Wilkinson’s characters lack deep-seated motivations, the story of a Gypsy rejecting her culture is original, and Jade’s protectiveness of her sister is touching. --Diana Tixier Herald

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: Medallion Press (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605420697
• ISBN-13: 978-1605420691
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,915,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm Ohio-born, California-educated, and I currently reside in Tennessee, which makes me well-traveled if you don't define well-traveled too stringently. I love talking about books from either side of the fence, as a writer or a reader.

I'm an author who might never have been published if not for writing contests. Lacking the courage to submit directly to agents and editors, I began entering my work in RWA chapter contests. After 60+ finals and placements on four different manuscripts, a final round editor judge in the Florida Romance Writers Golden Palm contest requested the full manuscript of "Fire at Midnight" and subsequently offered me my first contract.

My first historical adventure-romance novel, "Fire at Midnight" was released in March 2009 by Medallion Press, and reviewers have been very generous:

*Rated 9/10 by Novelspot
*Five Stars from SingleTitles.com
*Five Stars from Midwest Book Reviews
*Five Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies
*Four Stars from Affaire de Coeur
*Four Stars from Romantic Times Book Reviews
*Named "One of the best books published in Chicago," by Publish Chicago.

Please visit my website to view the video trailer for "Fire at Midnight" and also the new trailer for "Stolen Promise," my next historical adventure-romance which will be released in March 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STOLEN PROMISE Stole My Heart, March 4, 2010

By 

Sue "Sue" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stolen Promise (Dark Hearts Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked up STOLEN PROMISE yesterday morning and finished it by Midnight. I thoroughly enjoyed the H/h, Evan and Jade. There was humor with good banter between Evan and Jade. There is also a secondary romance but it did not take away from the main story. It just added to it.

There were times when Evan's brother Colin had me laughing so hard.

If you are looking for a sweet, sensual read with some humor and drama, be sure to pick up STOLEN PROMISE!

Lisa, keep writing the great historical romances!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Author, March 20, 2010

By 

Marianne C. Houghtaling (Phantom Fan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stolen Promise (Dark Hearts Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

I cannot say enough about this fantastic book. It is an historical romance that you never want to end. I read this page turner in one day, and it is now going on my keeper shelf. If you read one book this year, make it this book. You will not be disappointed. By the way, don't miss her first book, "Fire at Midnight" which I also purchased from Amazon which is another 5 star novel. If you are an historical romance reader looking for something new, fresh and exciting, I promise you will enjoy the writings of Lisa Marie Wilkinson.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intriguing historical, March 4, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stolen Promise (Dark Hearts Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1806 England, Jade flees from the Lowara gypsy camp as she rejects a forced commonly bartered marriage to abusive Dimitri. She does not get very far away when she meets half-breed American gypsy Evan Dark. He rejects her pleas to either take her to safety or ignore her; instead Evan takes her back to the Lowara encampment.

However, her family forces the two to marry Roma style as he should not have been with her without a chaperon. Evan proclaims their nuptials as bogus. He returns to the States planning to marry his American fiancée Gloriana Clayton, but brings Jade and her battered (by Dimitri) sister Liberina with him as indentured servants. On his South Carolina plantation Rosefield, Gloriana realizes Evan is falling in love with Jade so she plans to insure he goes through with his marriage to her; doing whatever it takes to get rid of the gypsy.

This is an intriguing historical due to the refreshing concept of a Roma romance crossing the ocean to South Carolina where Evan is local aristocracy in spite of his grandfather's blood. The story line is driven by the romantic triangle, but that is no contest as Jade is a moral individual trying to do right by her sister while Glory is an avaricious unethical person willing to do anything to further her position in society their respective. Although having Glory with no redeeming quality is a detractor, Lisa Marie Wilkinson provides readers with an entertaining early nineteenth century romance.

Harriet Klausner