Promise by L.B. Dunbar is live
An emotional and swoony second-chance-romance, this is a heart-mending romance for a small town marriage-in-repair between reunited lovers seeking a second chance at love later in life.
Amazon
Blurb
A heart-mending romance for a small town marriage-in-repair between reunited lovers seeking a second chance at love later in life.
Dart Rivers is my ex-husband, or so I thought.
Three years ago, he drove out of our small town to chase racing dreams, leaving me and my broken heart in his rearview mirror.
Couple goals and shattered promises brought feelings of failure on both our parts.
Then one night, a special delivery is left on my back step. A stork-drop of sorts. (Think Baby Boom). At first, I believe there must be a mistake, but when the sweet bundle swaddled in pink gazes at me, I’ll do anything to keep her.
Enter Dart Rivers again.
An accident on the track leads to him sneaking into the house, crashing on my couch, and announcing he’s still mine.
Close proximity provides honest conversations, friendly couch time, and familiar attractions. With silver speckled in his hair, Dart is still the best-looking man I’ve ever seen, making my belly flutter and my heart beat again.
But can I trust that fragile organ? Can I give my ex-not-ex-husband a second chance? Can I believe Dart’s new promises?
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Rogue River series is a spin-off from the Sterling Falls series, specifically Sterling Touch, giving readers small-town romances with characters over 40.
Review
3.5 stars
An emotional and swoony second-chance-romance, this is a heartfelt story about a married couple in their 40s finding their way back to each other, and it’s a really sweet read.
Trinity and Dart were childhood sweethearts who fell madly in love and got married. Years of infertility and tragic losses took their toll, and when Dart got the opportunity of a lifetime to become a professional race car driver, their lives took different paths and they were both left brokenhearted by their subsequent separation. Three years later, Trinity’s life changes when a newborn baby girl is left on her doorstep, and she finally starts to hope for the chance at motherhood that she never thought she’d get. Then her life is upended again when Dart returns home, declaring them still married and asking for a second chance.
It’s an emotional read as we see these two reunite. It’s clear they still love each other deeply, but there is years of anger, grief, guilt and pain between them. Trinity is understandably hesitant to trust Dart in her space again, but his sincerity is hard to resist, and there is still a lot of love there. They have a lot to work through, but with lots of talking, reminiscing and bonding over the new baby in their lives, their feelings for each other become impossible to ignore.
“I might have been physically away from you, but I was never gone. Never without you.”
It’s a slow rebuilding, and I thought their reconciliation was realistic and well written. Trinity wrestles with her feelings, and I could understand where she was at emotionally, and I admired her ability to forgive and open her heart again. Dart’s realisation of the pain he caused and the damage he left behind was heartbreaking, and watching this broken man trying to reclaim his life was so emotional. Seeing him desperately in love and fighting for his girls was beautiful and so swoony!
“I’ll love you like no other,” he whispers. “I’ve never not loved you, Trinity.”
One thing that threw me off was the racing metaphors. In the beginning of the book, it was near constant and so cheesy and had me cringing when I was desperately trying to lose myself in the feels.
My thoughts race around the oval track in my head. Spiraling down the straightaway of jealousy, then looping around the curve.
My stomach is as tight as a stubborn lug nut.
I’m already all in the race, but I’m just keeping a steady pace, not looking to rush or pass her. I’m just fucking thankful she’s keeping me on the track somewhere near her.
*sigh*
That being said, I love a second-chance-romance, and was fully invested in seeing these two come back together. The addition of their baby girl was the icing on the top, bringing lots of sweet moments. The book did feel a little draggy, though, and I thought it could have been wrapped up quicker than it was. But I did love seeing these two find their way back to each other, and I enjoyed this story.
3.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
Rogue River
Promise (#1)
Buy: Amazon
Patience (#2)
To be released
Prudence (#3)
To be released