Promises

PROMISES lead me into a false sense of security. I really enjoyed the beginning. It reminded me of contest entries I read of unpublished romance novels. The first fifty pages or so are really great because they've been read and re-read forever by judges and industry professionals, but when you get the rest of the book, you're like WTF, what was this person thinking.This is how PROMISES read to me, like the author never had someone critique her whole work just bits and pieces, because it didn't fit together as a cohesive novel. So when I got it (and brought it with my own money) I was furious. The only upside is that I think PROMISES has cured me of my fascination with Pride and Prejudice Sequels. To be honest, I'm tired of wasting the little money I have on fan fic from any Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants to write a Pride and Prejudice variation and hasn't really worked on the craft of storytelling.I haven't been this annoyed since I attempted to read Sharon Latham's fan fic attempt. Yes, I know that she is a very popular author of P&P fan fic, but no many times that I have tried I have been unable to read past the first fifty pages of her first novel. Because nothing happens except sex, and I love you so much. Plus, it's obvious that Ms. Lathan didn't even read Pride and Prejudice when she wrote that story, just went by that crappy Keira Knightly movie.

NOTE TO SELF: LYNETTE TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND GET A GRIP.

PROMISES has a very interesting and intriguing premise. Mr. George Darcy and Mr. Thomas Bennet are old school friends who meet up again by chance in Mr. Gardiner's bookshop. Fitzwilliam Darcy who is grieving the recent loss of his mother meets the nine year old Elizabeth Bennet and becomes enchanted with her wit and intelligence. Elizabeth has a photographic memory and is something of a child prodigy. So she and Fitzwilliam hit it off right away. Over the years they have encounters and when Fitzwilliam comes back from his Grand Tour and sees how the now sixteen year old Elizabeth has blossomed, the sibling love and affection he's always had for her has blossomed into love. He proposes but Mr. Bennet states that they cannot marry until Elizabeth turns seventeen so that she can benefit from a season to meet other men and to make sure that marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy is what she really wants. Well, you're asking, what's wrong with that? Nothing at all, because this is the part of the novel that was very compelling and justified me spending my hard earned money on PROMIES, but what happened next went right into WTF territory and made me wonder what book I suddenly picked up and started reading because it wasn't the same book that I had just started.After Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet leave Pemberly there is a serious of WTF events which involve missing letters and misunderstandings. These missing letters occur year after year through asinine circumstances that a two year old could have figured out how to overcome. I mean really, I'm not a history buff or anything, but even I know that it was no big deal for Mr. Darcy to send a letter by express or personal message to get to Longbourne, especially considering the circumstances he was in. So what happens when Fitzwilliam Darcy meets Elizabeth and Thomas Bennet again? Years later, to what I presume is when Elizabeth is twenty years old like in Pride and Prejudice when Darcy arrives at Netherfield . . .. Do they talk about the situation and figure out what was going on? Do they ask the most basic questions a two-year old would want to know? No they do not and the comedy of errors continues. And if PROMISES wasn't on my Kindle and if I hadn't had my Kindle replaced at least three times so far, I would have thrown it across the room.Enough was enough. I stopped reading. My time is too short.

REVIEW COURTESY OF LYNETTE'S TWO CENTS BLOG SPOT

I fell in love with Pride & Prejudice when I read Ms. Austen's Masterpiece in High School for English class (I am originally from Sweden), and I was re-enchanted with the story after watching the BBC version from 1995 (Colin Firth is the one and only). After watching the mini-series, I searched high and low for anything to slake my thirst for Lizzy and Darcy. In the beginning there weren't many choices, but in the last 5-7 years, there has been an abundance of books from any aspect and perspective. I have probably read over a 100 variations by writers such as Abigail Reynolds (love her); Kara Louise (lover her); Lory Lilian; P.O. Dixon (love...!); Jan Hahn; Brenda Webb (LOVE!); Pamela Aidan (very good); Regina Jeffers; Linda Wells; Mary Lydon Simonsen; Summer Day; Sara Angelini; Susan Adriani; Sharon Lathan; Shanon Hale; Amanda Grange; Nancy Kelley; C. Rafe Carlson, I could go on, but don't want to bore you!

This book is FANTASTIC!! I loved (LOVED) everything about it. I do not want to give too much away and ruin the awesome experience of the unexpected, but I agree with many of the previous customers who have given the book Five Stars. Wendi Sotis did the unexpected and made me fall back in love with Lizzy and Darcy. It was a new and fresh approach to an already well told story. I havn't been this excited about a P&P variation since I read Brenda Webb's book (Fitzwilliam Darcy: An Honorable Man). All I can say is: "READ IT"! I can't wait for her next book "Dreams & Expectations" which is due sometime this spring (2012).

This book nearly got a full 5 stars because Ms. Sotis crafted a story so compelling that I was taken along as our couple experienced the discovery of love and I practically felt their hearts breaking when they felt betrayed. The premise of this volume is that Mr. Bennet and the elder Mr. Darcy have been friends since Cambridge. Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam meet as youngsters and then again when Elizabeth has become a beauty. The fathers agree to a courtship, to be declared after Elizabeth has been out for a year; they will be allowed a formal engagement on Elizabeth's 17th birthday. Mr Darcy knows his time is limited and Mr Bennet vows to help young Darcy when his father passes. In the meantime, Lady Anne's brother and sister become aware of William's betrothal to the "lowly" Bennets and in an effort to merge Rosings and Pemberley, they resort to unconscionable methods of breaking off communications beween Pemberley and Longbourn. William begs for assistance when his father passes, Elizabeth waits impatiently for her 17th birthday and beyond, William is nearly killed in a fire, and no news is received by the other. Grief, resentment, anger, and broken hearts are known to both houses. A good, old-fashioned, romantic read, with only minor editing needed.

I love reading about Darcy and Elizabeth as youngsters. This story was so interesting that I could not put it down. I'm looking forward to more books by this author. Its not the same old, same old story. She writes better "what ifs" than most.

What a wonderful refreshing novel of love, dedication, promises kept, adventure, mystery and trials and tribulations to find happiness. Ms. Sotis' novel keeps you very interested in the story. It showed a different aspect of Darcy and Lizzy meeting at an early age in life and where it took them in the end.
Even Mrs. Bennet changed near the end of the story in controlling Lydia and Kitty. Amazing, huh? Mr. Bennet showed his love for Lizzy by standing by her through it all!
Colonel Richard, God Bless Him, for showing his dedication to his cousin Darcy and always had his back.
I truly enjoyed the difference in the direction Ms. Sotis took this novel. I can't express the gratitude enough how much I enjoyed her novel and hope you do as well. Congratulations on a novel well written.
Promises made and promises kept!!!!

Of all the dozens of P&P variations and sequels I've read this one is easily one of the best. The storyline is fascinating and the story itself, while tracking somewhat with the earlier part of P&P, is fascinating. Excellent plot. It's nice to see so much of a well written story amongst the many P&P variations. This novel is rated PG with no explicit sexual content. A real page turner. Highly recommended.