Title: Promise me
Author: A.G. Meiers
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (210pgs)
ISBN: 978-1-946379-50-4
Publisher: Painted Hearts Publishing (19th November 2020)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: A fortune shouldn’t get you killed. A promise shouldn’t break your heart.
Attorney Rafe Stanton knows making promises is a dangerous thing. Over and over he has failed to keep people under his protection safe. For years he watched his younger cousin Noah lose his battle with drugs and alcohol, which eventually led to a deadly car accident. When he finds out about Noah’s secret marriage to Logan Tate, Rafe has one last chance for redemption.
Inheriting a fortune should be a blessing, but for Logan life never works out that way. He’s learned the hard way that dreams don’t come true—and if they do, well, there is usually a hefty price tag attached. All he really wants is a quiet life, but that isn’t in the cards when his apartment gets broken into and a pretentious lawyer from Boston arrives thinking he can call the shots.
The two men don’t see eye-to-eye about the inheritance, but with Noah’s powerful family coming after Logan, they find themselves reluctantly on the same side. A gunman, greedy in-laws, and meddling friends are not enough trouble; soon they also need to deal with the explosive chemistry between them.
But Rafe made a promise to the past and Logan doesn’t trust easily, so a future together seems out of reach.
Purchase Link: Painted Hearts | Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Smashwords
Review: When Noah dies Rafe is left feeling guilt over not doing more for his cousin, when he discovers Noah’s Will he realises that the promise Noah extracted from him the night of his death is going to bring him head to head with Noah’s family.
Logan is left reeling by his husband’s death, Noah promised to look after him but now with Noah’s family setting their sights on Noah’s money Logan wonders if he can survive the battle, with Rafe on his side he might just be able to make it but the attraction they feel for each other just might blow up in their faces.
A.G. Meiers has written a story that pulls a lot of emotion from the characters; we have guilt, grief, anger, sorrow, fear, loss, and a dash of happiness. Both Rafe and Logan go through a lot emotionally as they find their way to each other with Noah’s wishes hanging between them as Logan just wants what Noah promised him and Rafe just wants to fulfil the promise he made to Noah.
Logan and Rafe both have secrets that affect how they feel. Rafe is tortured by guilt and feels he could have done more to protect people who relied on him, and Logan is bewildered by what’s happening to him, their secrets play a large part in how each man interacts with others especially those close to them.
We are pulled into this story from the first pages and it doesn’t let up as we are dragged along for the ride, it’s a rollercoaster of emotion as we follow the ups and downs of the story. Logan and Rafe’s relationship is fraught with emotional bombs, and they never know when an emotion bomb is about to go off. With the help of their friends they navigate the minefield of love and redemption and most of all forgiveness.
There’s some amazing secondary characters in this story, uncle Vicky, his niece Ria, Jase, Kane, Rafe’s dad and step-mom, they bring love, hope, kindness and acceptance into the story and an amazing support that both Rafe and Logan desperately need.
I really enjoyed this story and thought it was well written and for the most part well executed, there was one issue in particular I had with it and that was because of the actions of Noah’s family… was Noah’s death really an accident, not once after everything that came to light did anyone think that Noah’s death was a bit convenient, even though Noah’s death was an accident we’re human so of course the thought would flit through your mind after the truth is revealed about Noah’s family, but not once did any of the characters even wonder for a second before dismissing it. I mean Noah’s family are cold and ruthless I could so see them offing Noah to get their hands on his money.
I recommend this story to those who love a great storyline, love damaged main characters, who love family drama, who adore characters learning to forgive themselves and adore love stories where the love is hard fought.