A Sanctuary Sound Novel
April 9, 2019
Blurb: They couldn’t be more different…or more completely perfect for each other.
Claire McKenna knows about loss. The bullet wound that ended her promising professional tennis career drove her to make a quiet life for herself working with fabric samples, chatting with her book group, and spending time with her parents in her sleepy coastal Connecticut hometown. Then there was the boyfriend who dumped her to pursue her adventurous childhood friend. Now, Claire’s business has hit a financial snag, but she’s up to the challenge. After all, she can survive anything. At least she thinks so…until her teen crush, Logan, returns to town with his sister, Claire’s traitorous friend.
Photographer Logan Prescott is more playboy than homebody. But his sister’s illness teaches him that there’s more to life than chasing the next thrill. Bent on helping her win Claire’s forgiveness, he turns his charm on Claire and offers her big bucks to renovate his multimillion-dollar New York City condo.
After years of playing it safe, Claire must now take some risks. The payoff could be huge, but if it all falls apart, can her heart recover from another loss?
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SASCHA DARLINGTON’S REVIEW
I have found another author to add to my list of must read writers: Jamie Beck. The Promise of Us tells the story of Claire, who, as a teenager, was shot in a mall shooting. Not only was Claire’s life irrevocably changed but so were the lives of her parents and friends. The girl who was once known for living the life to its fullest is now a woman who takes very few risks.
When Logan Prescott, the brother of Claire’s former best friend, returns home with his ailing sister, Claire realizes that the crush she’s always had on him still exists. Logan, always a playboy, finds himself attracted to Claire and wants to help her really live her life again.
I enjoyed reading this book. It’s quiet, thoughtful, and the characters react realistically.
Logan might not be the standard male in a romance novel. He’s a bit selfish and manipulative, traits that he acknowledges. In some ways, it was refreshing to see this different type of character as long as, you know, I didn’t have to live with him. On the flipside, he tries to photograph dire humanitarian situations so he is giving back to society and he genuinely cares about his sister and friends, Claire included.
For some readers who can’t put themselves in the shoes of a shooting victim, Claire’s behavior could be hard to tolerate. She lives in physical pain and fear and suffers from anxiety attacks when she’s removed from her comfort zone.
One complaint I have about this novel is that I think Beck waited too long to show us how smothering Claire’s parents are. Now, I completely understand their behavior. When you almost lose a daughter, you do tend to want to shelter them to the extent possible. It seemed that their behavior wasn’t shared with the reader until half-way through or more which felt too late because it gave me a whiplash kind of reaction.
If you are a fan of Susan Wiggs’ stories, you might enjoy The Promise of Us.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating:
4 out of 5 butterflies
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