"a promise to protect" by patricia bradley

"Don't judge a book by its cover," they say, and in this case, I'm glad I didn't.

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In a steamy small town riddled with broken promises, one woman's secret could change everything.

Acting Sheriff Ben Logan hasn't heard from Leigh Somerall in a very long time, but it doesn't mean he can get her—or their whirlwind romance of ten years ago—out of his head. When she calls out of the blue, it is with a strange request to protect her brother, Tony. But all too soon, Ben is charged with a different task—protecting Leigh from the people after her brother. With Leigh doing everything in her power to avoid Ben, it's no easy task. And the secret she is keeping just may change their lives forever.

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I enjoy two types of suspense novels: romantic suspense, where the romance is the driving force of the novel but there's also suspense, and suspense with a touch of romance (because you have to have romance, right?). I'd classify A Promise to Protect as the latter. There definitely is a romantic thread, but the suspense is the focus of the novel.

While there is a lot of plot crammed into this 331 page novel, it never gets confusing or overwhelming. In fact, it's probably more realistic than if Tony's murder investigation was the sole focus—would a sheriff really only have one case at a time? I don't think so!

Leigh and Ben are both interesting characters, and I enjoyed the redevelopment of their relationship. But the most interesting relationship was between Leigh's son TJ and Ben's dad. Their relationship was so sweet as TJ tried to help Ben's dad regain his speech following a stroke.

Overall, I very much enjoyed A Promise to Protect. The cover appears a bit cheesy (or, as another reviewer said, like it's the poster for a Lifetime movie), but the story is oh so good. Fans of suspense will enjoy this one! 4 stars.

Buy the book.

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Patricia Bradley is the winner of a 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award and a 2012 Touched by Love Award and was also a finalist for the 2012 Genesis Award. The author of Shadows of the Past, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Bradley makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."