Promised
by Leah Garriott
Rating: 4/5
With hints of Pride and Prejudice and She’s All That, this story held my attention and I definitely lost sleep over needing to finish it in one reading session. Having been watching Sanditon, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed reading about romance in the Regency era.
After abruptly ending her engagement to her philandering childhood friend and neighbor, Margaret Brinton is determined only to marry for convenience. She has promised herself to never love someone so much that they can hurt you, so she seeks out a matchmaking party where she meets the devilish rake, Mr. Northam. He seems perfect for her needs – she is neither attracted nor is her heart in danger when she already knows the truth regarding Mr. Northam. Her plans go awry when Mr. Northam’s cousin, Lord Williams, interferes and warns her away from his cousin. After an embarrassing mishap, Margaret leaves the party early and escapes to her home where she finds out her parents’ have arranged a match for her with none other than Lord Williams. The hurt and disdain she feels for Lord Williams is palpable but she finds herself still drawn to him. Can Margaret decide what she truly wants? Will she be able to honor her promise to herself?
Leah Garriott’s debut novel is well written, heartfelt, and endearing. Her characters are bold, refreshing and opinionated. The plot is not necessarily unique but moves the story along with sass and hilarity. There’s definitely a strong Pride and Prejudice feel between the main characters but there are also stronger male influences (her father and brother) in the main character’s life which bring something sweet and new to the typical story.
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am curious to read more from this author! Highly recommend for those that love Pride and Prejudice type stories. PG-13 or less in content.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
