The Promise [Mass Market Paperback]

This book was one of the most frustrating books I have ever read. It was well written and there was a great beginning -- charged with emotion and drama. The failure of the book lies in the fact the male lead, Alexi, behaves like a horrible jerk in the beginning, and then never changes. Then the author tries to make Elyse, the female lead, take all the blame.

Elyse is a vivacious, flirtatious, belle of Ireland who has always loved Alexi. They were dear childhood friends. He is young and gallant and likes to think himself her protector. Unfortunately, what he actually does is hurt her endlessly to protect himself from his feelings for her. He goes to great lengths to avoid her presence and makes sure she sees him with other women to distance himself from her -- all because deep down he loves her. In his mind, he exagerates her behaviors into major flaws -- her vivacious nature becomes selfish, silly and shameless. It was almost as if he worked to hate her because he didn't want to love her.

Alexi's role in provoking Elyse into a flirtatious frenzy at that ill fated ball where Montgomery dies is never addressed. He takes her aside before the ball and profoundly hurts her feelings, accusing her of "playing" men and jealously warning her away from his friend Montgomery, all under the pretense of "protecting" her. This sets the stage for it to be all Elyse's fault when Montgomery tries to rape her. Afterward, Alexi marries her to "protect" her, but this is the biggest joke of all, because really, he marries her to punish her. He abandons her immediately after the ceremony, and manages to avoid her for 6 long years.

During these 6 years he travels the world, keeps a very public mistress in every port, and when at home, gathers intelligence from gossips to fuel his bad opinion of Elyse. As usual, not only does he believe the worst, but exaggerates it, labelling her a courtesan because she allows men to escort her to events, rather than sitting at home, pining for him.

Finally, he returns to London, setting up a household without even telling her. When she forces the issue, by moving in with him, he ramps up his defensive efforts -- rejecting her in public, flaunting his affairs, trying to use sex as a weapon and of course, avoiding her when at all possible. She doesn't ask much, just that he not embarass her, but he never changes, nursing non-existant grievances and misunderstandings to maintain his anger and justify his behavior.

Alexi uses anger and cruelty to protect himself from love, and hurts Elyse unbearably. As I read, I felt myself growing angrier and angrier. When would he see the error of his ways? When was he going to get his comeuppance? Elyse did seem weak in ways too, always accepting blame and refusing to set certain things straight, but overall she gives and gives, repeatedly putting herself on the line to try to make things right. But the author never lets Elyse's efforts work. If the author would have allowed some sort of believable, well-developed resolution to the conflict, it would have been a powerful book, but it never happened. Alexi did have a miraculous change of heart at the very end, but it just wasn't believable, and he never atoned for his sins. As a consequence the book felt like a waste of my time, and just made me mad.

This book was not awful, but it was not good. The hero spends more than 97% of the book sleeping with other woman and being really cruel to the heroine. The only expression of feeling from the hero was hate and resentment. The heroine was not very likable but never deserved that much nastiness from the hero. I just kept waiting for the h to move on with her life. I would have liked this book more.

If you've followed the DeWarrene series, then you feel compelled to read this one. I know I did. Other than the beginning when their childhood connection and affection began, the story is almost insufferable. No thought was given to this story. NO effort either. First of all, I like how she called them friends and how close they were, when their parents are actually step brothers, but that's all brushed off and/or unexplained. It wouldn't be too big of a deal, except if you've read the other stories. No way would the parents allow Alexi to behave so hatefully through this entire book. And yet, she still writes Elysse to be in love with him. It made no sense to have her ridiculed the entire novel and then suddenly, without explanation, Alexi miraculously realizes he's an idiot. He, barely even apologizes. For the lifelong attraction and closeness these two "supposedly" had, he never gives her the benefit of the doubt or does or says anything nice to her. I don't know where Brenda Joyce's head was for this novel. Not to mention, the author kept making reference to Alexi's childhood promises of keeping Elysse safe and protecting her, when meanwhile, he was the one being so cruel through the book. That didn't even make sense.

If you want to read a good DeWarrene story, read Cliff and Amanda's. It's my favorite in the series. Alexi is Cliff's son and I wish the author would have left him young and not given him his own story. AWFUL!! Nothing likeable about Alexi in this.

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