"the promise" by beth wiseman

Sometimes when something seems too good to be true, it is ...

---

Mallory's search for happiness leads her to a faraway place. There she finds heartache, betrayal—and danger.

Mallory Hammond is determined that no one will stand in the way of her goal—to save a life. She had that chance years ago, and she failed to take it, leaving her adrift and in search of the real meaning of her life. Finally, she meets a man online from a volatile corner of the world who offers her the chance to find that purpose. But she will have to leave everyone she loves behind in order to take it.

Tate Webber has loved Mallory for many years. He understands that Mallory will never be happy with him until her deepest heart's desire is satisfied. When Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her dreams, Tate begs her not to go but tries to give her the space she needs. Mallory embarks on her dangerous journey only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. And Mallory can only pray that she will make it out alive.

Inspired by actual events, The Promise is a riveting love story that asks the question: how far will we go for love?

---

The Promise is a very intriguing—and scary—novel. It's one of those books that you can't put down because you have to know how it all turns out, but you want to put it down because the protagonist is being so stupid. However, it's a whole lot easier to see someone else's stupidity than your own, so I guess I understand, at least a little, how Mallory could have been taken in by Abdul.

The novel actually reminded me a lot of a Lifetime movie—you know, the ones based on true stories where naive women fall under the spell of dangerous men. And I wouldn't be surprised if this story does make its way to the small screen someday.

Overall, even thought I wasn't a huge fan of Mallory, I did enjoy this book. And I do think there are a lot of idealistic young women who should read this novel, as it provides a powerful warning and shows the power of real love. 4 stars.

Content note: While The Promise is put out by a Christian publisher, I wouldn't label it Christian fiction. Some of the characters are religious, but there's little evidence faith in Jesus Christ. I don't think that's necessarily a problem as far as the story goes, but I do think readers should know what--and what not--to expect.

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my review of Wiseman's The Wonder of Your Love and A July Bride.

---

Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. Having sold over 1.3 million books, her novels have held spots on multiple Bestseller lists. She was the recipient of the prestigious Carol Award in 2011 and 2013. In 2013 she took home the coveted Holt Medallion. Her first book in the Land of Canaan series--Seek Me With All Your Heart--was selected as the 2011 Women of Faith Book of the Year. Beth lives in Texas with her family.

Find Beth online: website, Facebook, Twitter

In a daring new novel, Beth Wiseman jumps way outside the box. The Promise will take readers far away from Amish country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by actual events, this is the book Beth has been working toward for a long time.

Curious? Click here to read the reviews, and be sure to enter Beth's Kindle HDX giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Promise by Beth Wiseman

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced November 10th here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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."

"a july bride" by beth wiseman

About the book (from the publisher): Can she forgive the man who left her at the altar?

Alyssa Pennington dated Brendan Myers for three years before she accepted his proposal. For almost a year, Alyssa's friends and family helped her plan a lovely wedding to take place in the church she'd grown up in. It was the happiest day of her life when she walked down the aisle to be united with the man of her dreams. But when Brendan left her at the altar, Alyssa was consumed by humiliation, embarrassment, and a broken heart that wouldn't allow her to trust anyone. Especially Brendan.

Brendan Myers knows he will spend the rest of his life regretting what he did to Alyssa, the only woman he's ever loved. Without her, his life is empty. In one fateful moment, he'd panicked, destroyed their future, and ruined everything. Now he plans to win her back.

But winning back his bride might prove much more difficult than he can imagine. And even if he does get her to the altar again, will she think turnabout is fair play?

My take: "A July Bride" turned out to be nothing like I expected—in a good way! When I began reading, I thought Alyssa and Brendan's reunion would be a fairly simple one, and I was a little annoyed that I thought I had it figured out so soon. But then Wiseman introduced Dalton, who also began vying for Alyssa's heart, and I wasn't sure who she would end up with or who I even wanted her to. The point of view shifts throughout the story among Alyssa, Brendan, and Dalton, allowing the reader to understand each of the characters.

That said, by about a third of the way through the novella, I knew who Alyssa would end up with, as one of the suitors became decidedly unsuitable. But I didn't anticipate exactly how things would resolve themselves, and I did enjoy the journey. I also appreciated what I thought was a fairly realistic look at marriage presented by Alyssa's best friend Sherry and her husband Monroe.

Some stories are suited for novellas, and others would function better as full-length novels. This is one of those stories that felt rushed as a novella. It covers the span of a full year, so much is left out/sped through. For example, Alyssa and Dalton's relationship—it took place over the span of several months, and while it moved a little rapidly, the pace wasn't unreasonable. But on one page, they've been dating for a few weeks in the early fall, and on the next page, it's winter and they've taken a major step towards marriage ... but the reader isn't privy to any of that. I would have enjoyed seeing the relationship develop a bit more.

Overall, "A July Bride" is a quick, enjoyable read ... I just wish it had been longer and more developed. It's not my favorite of the Year of Weddings novellas, but it's still pretty good.

My rating: 3-1/2 stars

Buy the novella.
See my reviews of Wiseman's The Wonder of Your Love and the other Year of Weddings novellas: December, January, February, March, April, May, and June.

About the author: Beth Wiseman is hailed as a top voice in Amish fiction. She is a Carol-award winner and author of numerous bestsellers including the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. She and her family live in Texas.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookblogger 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 an 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."

"an amish wedding" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller & kelly long

About the book: As Priscilla prepares for her wedding to Chester, her best friend Rose and older sister Naomi do their best to help her. But when things begin to go wrong, Priscilla doubts whether God really intends for her to marry Chester.

Meanwhile, Rose finds herself engaged to her longtime friend, Luke—a good man, but not one who ignites feelings of passion within her. And Naomi, whose heart was badly broken in the past, meets a man who just might be worth trusting her heart to.

In these intertwining stories, three Amish women learn what it means to trust their futures to God.

My take: As with any anthology, I enjoyed each of these stories to varying degrees. The first story, "A Perfect Secret" by Kelly Long, was my favorite. Rose and Luke's journey intrigued me, and the story contained some good mystery elements along with the romance.

I also enjoyed Kathleen Fuller's "A Perfect Match." I've read several Fuller books, and I've liked each of them.  This is the most "straight up romance" of the three, and Naomi's matchmaking ways made me chuckle.

The final story, "A Perfect Plan," was my least favorite. The plot just didn't interest me, though the story was written well. Chester and Priscilla faced obstacles as they prepared for marriage, but none of those obstacles seemed like they might actually drive them apart. And since the story takes place after the two have already fallen in love, I just didn't care too much about what happened.

If rating these separately, I'd give "A Perfect Secret" 5 stars, "A Perfect Match" 4 stars, and "A Perfect Plan" 3 stars. So that averages out to a 4-star book. I do think that Amish fiction fans—especially fans of any of the authors—will really like this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free for review from Amazon.com through its Vine reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. 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."

"the wonder of your love" by beth wiseman

Still reeling from her husband's betrayal and unexpected death, Katie Ann Stoltzfus focuses all her energy on her newborn son. When widower Eli Detweiler arrives at Katie Ann's Amish community in Caanan, Colorado, Katie Ann is drawn to him. But he has just finished raising his family, while she is experiencing motherhood for the first time at age 40. Their lives are in different places; can they surmount their differences to find love again?

My take: After reading scads of Amish fiction recently, I'm getting a bit tired of the genre. So I was pleased to discover that The Wonder of Your Love didn't really even focus on the Amish lifestyle. Katie Ann and Eli were Amish, but they had friends who weren't, and they even used cell phones. Really, Katie Ann and Eli could have been Englisch and the story would have remained similar—only a few of the Amish details would have needed to be changed.

That said, as a romance, I didn't really enjoy The Wonder of Your Love. I liked Katie Ann and Eli, and I enjoyed getting to know Katie Ann's friends—especially Martha, a Christian Englisch woman. Author Beth Wiseman did a good job of building chemistry between Katie Ann and Eli, and their attraction to one another was believable. However, I did not enjoy the way their romance played out. Perhaps it's all the reading about relationships I've done on Boundless, but I couldn't get over just how poorly both Katie Ann and Eli handled their relationship! They were attracted to one another immediately, but they quickly acknowledged they could not have a relationship because they were at different places in their lives. Then their relationship became physical. (I'm talking kissing and holding hands here—nothing beyond that!) Then they talked again about how they could be nothing more than friends. This went on for quite a while, with their words saying one thing and their actions another. Basically, I wanted to knock some sense into them, and I got fed up with their backing-and-forthing.

I give The Wonder of Your Love 3 out of 5 stars. You can buy the book here and see what other reviewers are saying here.

About the author: Beth Wiseman is hailed as a top voice in Amish fiction. She is a Carol-award winner and author of numerous bestsellers including the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. She and her family live in Texas. www.bethwiseman.com, Twitter @bethwiseman, www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-Beth-Wiseman/47576397539

About the giveaway: Beth is celebrating the release of Book 2 in the Land of Canaan series with a Fabulous Facebook party on November 1st. She'll be giving away one of her OWN paintings, several mini prize packs and a sneak peak at the next book in this heartwarming series. CLICK the button (below) to RSVP for the party - then join us on November 1st for a book chat, Amish themed trivia contest, and more! The Wonder of Your Love Facebook Party on 11/1!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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."

"an amish love" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller, and kelly long

An Amish Love is a collection of three romance novellas set in an Amish community in Pennsylvania.

A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long: Abigail sees marriage to Joseph as a way to escape her disapproving father. Joseph sees marriage to Abby as an entryway into the community his family abandoned years before. After they marry, they learn what it means to truly love someone.

What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller: Five years ago, a tragic accident caused Ellie to lose her sight and Christopher to lose his fiancée. When Christopher returns to Pennsylvania, he finds himself drawn to Ellie. But will the truth about the accident keep them apart?

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman: Naaman left his wife and family to “find himself.” When he returns home, his wife Levina has a hard time trusting him. As Naaman seeks to reconcile with his wife and his community, a mysterious man threatens to destroy the progress Namaan has made.

Of the three stories, I expected Long’s to be my favorite (I am, after all, a sucker for the “first comes marriage, then comes love” plot line) and Wiseman’s to be my least favorite. I should quit making predictions because the reverse was true! Though I enjoyed Wiseman's the most (largely due to the mystery surrounding Naaman's return), all were well-written and entertaining. I read each novella in approximately one hour … a great way to unwind after a long day! If you like Amish romance, I'm sure you'll enjoy An Amish Love.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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."

an amish family christmas by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller, and barbara cameron

An Amish Family Christmas is comprised of three intertwining novellas that take place in Paradise, Pennsylvania.

A Miracle for Miriam: Seth shattered Miriam’s confidence when they were 14. Five years later, he returns to their Old Order Amish community with a renewed faith in God. He is intrigued by Miriam, but she doesn’t know if she can trust him again.

A Choice to Forgive: Lydia (Miriam’s sister) has been widowed for two years. When her husband’s brother Daniel—who was Miriam’s first love—unexpectedly returns to Paradise, Lydia fears her attraction to Daniel will dishonor her husband’s memory. When she learns of the  secret Daniel and her husband had been harboring, she must choose whether to forgive either of them.

One Child: Sarah & David lost the baby she was carrying one year ago. When a young Englisch couple is stranded at their house, the wife goes into labor. Sarah and David will have to rely on their faith and each other to save the young family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Of the three stories, One Child was my favorite, though all were well written and entertaining. Each novella can be read in one sitting, making this a great book to pick up on a snowy evening. Also included are several authentic Amish recipes that I’m anxious to try! 

I received a free copy of this book for review from Thomas Nelson.