Customer Reviews

Wedding Promise (Harlequin Historical)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We meet Rachel Sinclair and her brothers Henry and Jay. She is a feisty, innocent but determined eighteen year old who means to take care of her brothers, no matter what.

Enter Cord McPherson, owner with his brother Jake, of a ranch just outside of Green Rapids, where Rachel and her brothers has taken over one of the McPherson's line cabins [actually a shack].
Their introduction to each other is tantalizing and Cord falls in lust with Rachel.[grin]
He decides to solve one of his many problems by hiring Rachel to do the cooking and laundry and he lasts all of three days before approaching her with his proposition. Never telling her about his brother Jake, a wounded war hero with a nasty temper.

Ah, but the story progresses with the meeting of Rachel with Conrad Carson, owner of the mercantile store, an eligible bachelor who becomes quite smitten with Rachel.

You really must read to find out how Rachel handles the hellish temper of Jake -- Cord's bungling proposal and the wonderful every day life she made for herself and her brothers on the McPherson ranch. And how she and Cord brought Jake's love back to him.
Definitly HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and a P.S. - We meet a Mr. Beau Jackson, whose story is in MAGGIE'S BEAU -- should be another excellent one.

I must admit that I wanted to step into the pages of this book and become Rachel Sinclair McPherson! This book is a page-turner from the very first scene because the characters are so likable. The story is set in Green Rapids, Kansas a few years after the War Between the States. Rachel and her two younger brothers were traveling west on a wagon train with their parents until their parents died along the trail. The wagonmaster refused to let them continue their trip and dropped them off in Green Rapids. Rachel soon finds her brothers and herself a home in one of Cord McPherson's shacks. It doesn't take long before Cord finds them living on his property. He is immediately attractd to Rachel. He soon asks Rachel to take over as the cook at his horse ranch while his regular cook/housekeeper is away. Running out of food and money, Rachel decides to take the job. Rachel works from dawn till dusk and soon becomes the center of Cord's world. Cord is over the moon when the preacher's wife comes calling to check out exactly what's going on between the two of them and it is hurriedly decided that he and Rachel should marry. I'll leave Cord and Rachel there except to say that they have great chemistry;-) A tender sub-plot is created with Cord's brother Jake who lost part of both legs during the war. Rachel helps bring him back with his long-time love, Lorena Claypool and also makes it possible for Jake to use his love of music to become a productive individual.
And a joyous ending for all! (Just the kind I like;-)

Rachel Sinclair was an 18-year-old girl trying to care for her two younger brothers after their parents died along the trail west and the trio was left in Green Rapids. At first squatting in an abandoned shack, Rachel is desperately trying to provide food and shelter, but she knows it will be only a matter of time before they run out of money. Then Cord McPherson, the owner of the land she is living on, shows up one day and offers her a job as the cook and laundress for the ranch he runs. Rachel thinks he's an answer to her prayers.

Cord McPherson is attracted to the feisty girl who is so determined to provide for her little family. She's beautiful, she has a mind of her own, she's loving, and she can cook and clean well, to boot. So when the preacher's wife demands that Cord marry Rachel to protect her from the gossip circulating around town, it's definitely no hardship for Cord to walk down the aisle! Cord has no idea what love truly is, but perhaps in time he will find out what it means with Rachel :)

I really loved this book. Rachel was my kind of heroine - independent, smart, and strong. She wasn't clingy or the type who couldn't live without a man in her life. Cord was a pretty good hero, although he was a little too cocky and possessive of Rachel for my tastes. The two main characters interacted well with one another most of the time, and they didn't fall in love as soon as they met one another - also something I liked. The author gave them time to develop their relationship and love for one another.

The cast of secondary characters was excellent. There was another romance in the book - that of Jake (who was a skilled pianist before he joined the Union army and lost his legs in the war) and Lorena (who had been Jake's fiancee before the war, but now Jake avoided her). Jake could be a beast, but Lorena stood right up to him, so she wasn't spineless either. Also, fellow rancher Beau Jackson was briefly introduced in this book, and he has his own book (Maggie's Beau by the same author).

Altogether, a wonderfully tender romantic read that I would definitely recommend.

I think this was the best storyline I have ever read. I fell in love with all her characters and they were so believable. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, so to enjoy this book is not out of line! Even though it is a romance book, it could also be listed as suspense. This is a real page-turner!!

AS all other reviews, it is a fine story. Not the greatest romance writer, but I gotta say, the secondary characters of faithful beau Lorena with Jake, the legless veteran brother of Cord - they have a scene where "Rena" comforts the angered sullen Jake, nearly fell of my seat, well visualized and beautiful romance, thank you Ms. Davidson for that one. Read Redemption for Jake's story.

Green Rapids, Kansas 1867

THE WEDDING PROMISE is a tender romance of a young lady with the burden of the world upon her shoulders. The love her life is a man burdened by some emotional and physical scars. Together, they make the best life possible and find happiness for the others who love them.

This is a tender tale that's quick and easy to read and will touch your heart!

I enjoyed all of Mrs Davidson's books and this is one of my favorites. The heroine is strong enough to not let the hero run all over her but, with the right touch of humor to make life interesting. She doesn't take any bull off the men in the story, while she runs their life the way she wants it to be run. Again Mrs. Davidson does it just right!!

Carolyn Davidson's A WEDDING PROMISE is a lighthearted look at love in Kansas after the Civil War. Cord McPherson has taken in Rachel Sinclair and her young brothers after finding them living in an abandoned hut on his land. He needs a cook and someone to wash his clothes. Rachel recently lost her parents on their way west. She needs a temporary home for herself and brothers until she is able to save enough monies to travel onward. She agrees with Cord's decision. It is August and she'll stay until spring and help him out.

A secondary story about Cord's brother Jake takes place. Bitter after having lost his legs while fighting for the Union army, he makes hell to pay for anyone who tries to get close to him. Cord stayed back to help work the ranch but his father wasn't happy with him. Because of the way he was treated by his father, insecurities are reflected in Cord's love for Rachel. They argue but their quarreling is realistic and far from the fabricated narrow-minded squabbles found all too often in romances.

This is a gentle romance where you see two people who obviously need each other to complete themselves. If you enjoy the McPhersons and want to read another story try the follow-up to this book, Ms. Davidson's REDEMPTION.

This is one of Davidson's better novels IMHO. I like the heroine in this book better than others this author had created - more educated and not so naive, though innocent nonetheless. This was an enjoyable read all around. In fact, it is worth reading just for one scene alone - the scene between the supporting characters, Jake and Lorena. I was a little shocked at first, but crying for what they'd lost and cheering them on all the same. It was the most touching scene (no pun intended) in the whole book.

I really enjoyed this book, it had all of the makings of a good romance novel. We have a strong young lady who is trying to take care of her two younger brothers. Then a job offer to cook for a large ranch from a very handsome and single ranch owner. One of the things I like most about reading historical romance novel is seeing the way they lived so many years ago. They way they lived and survived.
The one thing I noticed about this book was that there wasn't any big problems looming over their heads! No crazy villian trying to steal away the main characters, no huge tragedy getting ready to overtake them, no conflict between the main characters as far as I could see. There were a few minor problems that were easily solved. Even the love for each other was not in question as it is for so many books, with one or the other of the main characters not realizing how much they love the other until the last minute. I dont think I have ever read a romance novel without the "big conflict" and I liked it. Although I have to admit that without the conflict, there isnt much suspense or thrill, but in this case I was more than content to just read a happy, easy-going story line with a happy ending for all. And the addition of the Jake, the disabled brother, was another angle that adding just the right amount of interest.