Monday, February 06, 2012

Book Review- Promise Me This


Annie is a bitter young girl. She has endured the death of both parents, been subjected to the cruel treatment of her aunt, and the sudden death of her brother. To her horror, she finds out that Michael survived the Titanic tragedy because of her brother's life sacrifice. She vows  to hate Michael Dunnagan for the rest of her life. 

Michael never dreamed of sailing on the Titanic, nor loosing the "brother" that had showed him love. Now bound by a promise to Owen, he travels to New Jersey to fulfill Owens dreams of a thriving garden business and to bring Annie to America. Michael tries to heal Annie's grief stricken heart through his letters.  

When Annie finally turns to God, she knows she must forgive Michael and love him,  but she knows she can't.   Their mutual love for Owen and gardening as well as  an unforeseen tragedy upon Annie's life commences a correspondence between the two.  As Annie and Michael begin cultivating their correspondence relationship, she begins to forgive him for living instead of her brother. They are both surprised at the budding friendship that has sprung forth. Can love blossom amidst their rocky beginning?

As Michael works to bring Annie to America, to fulfill the promise he made to Owen, Annie suffers in the hands of her aunt. When Michael acquires enough money,WWI erupts in Europe, and Annie's letters suddenly stop. Will Michael do the impossible to find the woman he's grown to love?


As an avid reader, stating that this book has topped all my other reading selections demonstrates that quality of the writing in this book.   Cathy kept this book lively. By reading the back of the book some may think too much information was given, but the back says nothing compared to all the twists and turns the author throws upon the reader. I was kept in suspense during the majority of my reading.  At one point you would think you knew what was going to happen and something came out of left field and surprised you. Even with the suspense, the author was able to make this an emotional story as well. There were many times when I wanted to shed tears but the desire to know what would happen next stopped me.  The Bible related parts were interesting. It did not feel like you were reading a sermon or a fake plot. Rather, it  was thought provoking, heart searching, and soul cleansing.  Promise Me This is a collaboration of clean romance, plot twisting suspense, and Biblically-based teaching combined to deliver a  satisfying ending. I recommend this book to all readers.


I received this book free from Tyndale publishing, in exchange for my honest review.

You can purchase "Promise Me This" at CBD or Amazon and find out more about Cathy here.

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for your excellent review, Ali. You've really captured the heart of the story and the heart of this writer. God bless you!

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  2. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Promise Me This. You did a great job with this review! Have you read Cathy's first two books, William Henry is a Fine Name and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires? I think every young person should read those books. They show that no matter how young or old you are, one person can make a difference. Plus you will learn a lot about the Underground Railroad and see how the Civil War impacted individuals. They are beautiful books too!
    Blessings and happy readings,
    Carrie

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  3. Wow that sounds like a really exciting book! I will have to look it up.
    Also, I just nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! The details about the award are here: http://allfilledup.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/versatile-blogger-award/#comments
    Congratulations!
    - Aimee

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  4. I will certainly have to check out the book. Do you know how many pages is in it?

    ~Godsgirlz1~

    http://godsgirlz1.wordpress.com

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be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
(Psalm 19:14)