Thank you to Corinne Michaels and the team at Valentine PR for the advance reader copy of Keep This Promise, the third story in the Rose Canyon series.
I adore the Rose Canyon series so much. Help Me Remember was one of my top books of 2022. This story was teased a bit in Melanie Harlow’s Tempt and so I have been very excited to get my hands on it.
I am about to lose everything.
My home. My name. My future.
My husband was involved in something that could cost us our lives, and on his deathbed, he demands my daughter and I flee Britain. I had no idea he found her biological father, Holden James, in Rose Canyon, and that’s where we’d start over.
The moment we see each other, feelings I’d long forgotten rush over me. Holden doesn’t hesitate to care for us. We find ourselves reaching for each other, even when we should hold back. His smile warms me, his arms protect me, and against my better judgment, I fall for him. All the possibilities of a future are threatened by a looming past.
I’m being hunted, and it’s just a matter of time before someone finds me guilty of crimes I didn’t commit. Whatever trouble my husband was involved in won’t evade me forever.
I am trying to keep my promise and stay for Holden, but I don’t know how long it’ll be before we have to run.
My name was Sophie Pearson, but I vanished, just like my hope to ever find love again.
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: We meet our heroine Sophie on the run and she is as in the dark as we are as to why she needs to abandon her life in England, to make a new one in America. This was so effective as readers will feel pulled into uncovering the mystery and that they are in lockstep with our protagonist. This Rose Canyon series has had a phenomenal overarching mystery. Back to Sophie, readers will fall easily for her and her adorable daughter Eden. But the star of the show for me was Holden! I have been waiting for his story as he has been in this series for quite a while. The doctor has not been keeping secrets (unlike our last two heroes), instead secrets are revealed to him that no one could have anticipated. Surprise you’re a dad! Holden tackles this challenge wonderfully and it was beautiful to read him opening his home and his heart to Sophie and Eden.
- Setting: Holden actually described the setting best. He told Sophie quite early on that gossip spreads like wildfire in Rose Canyon. Let’s be honest his words speak to the dynamics of all small-town romances. What is unique about this one is the mystery element. I feel the need to recommend to readers to start at the beginning of this series. Yes, you can just read Keep This Promise. But if you want to benefit from the full effect of a multibook unfolding mystery do yourself a favour and start with Help Me Remember. This is also a lovely conclusion to the series by bringing together not just our characters but the wider Rose Canyon mystery and having it take a twist I was not expecting.
- Pacing: So much of the earlier parts of this book are defined by mystery. No one knows what has caused Sophie and Eden to run away. Once the pieces of the puzzle become clearer, you will probably just like I reach a point in the story where you will not be able to put this book down. My desire for answers and happiness for this family propelled me to stay up way too late to finish this book.
- Romance: This book was a slightly slow burn at the beginning but once they came together it was so hot and the heat never dissipated. There is an incredibly touching intimate scene that has our couple sleeping together for the first time after they have not slept with someone for a very long time. That scene and so many others indicate Corinne’s skills of building couples who have such emotional intensity that they will bring you to tears, while not sacrificing the heat and passion in and out of the bedroom. The most heartwarming moment of any single-parent romance is seeing the love interest not just fall in love with their partner but also with the child. For this book especially, to see Holden just adore his daughter so quickly was lovely.
Keep This Promise receives five out of five stars.
You can pick up the story below…
Amazon | Paperback | Special Edition Paperback | Audio
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Thank you again to Corinne and the Valentine PR team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
