What do you think?
Rate this book
Promises to Keep #4
A Second Chance
Amy uses the second chance she had hardly dared dream of to make up for the wasted years. But a familiar face from long ago makes an unwelcome reappearance, threatening her new-found happiness. Payback has more than one meaning, and sometimes people get what they deserve...
387 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Shayne Parkinson
11 books365 followersI write historical novels set in New Zealand, starting in the 1880s and continuing through to the 1920s. I'm fascinated by social history, particularly that of my own country. I was born in New Zealand, and apart from two years in England have lived here all my life. I'm married to my childhood sweetheart, who grew up in the farming valley that's the inspiration for my imaginary one.
We have a few acres in the countryside, where we have an orchard and a large vegetable garden, and a small flock of sheep to keep the grass down. We make our own wine, cider, jams, jellies and sauces.
We have a few acres in the countryside, where we have an orchard and a large vegetable garden, and a small flock of sheep to keep the grass down. We make our own wine, cider, jams, jellies and sauces.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
July 25, 2010
I cannot express how much I loved this series. Ms. Parkinson's writing is so engaging and real that I found myself excited to escape into the world of her characters each time I picked up one of her books. To say I am WAITING for the next book in this series would be an understatement! Thank you Shayne for giving me weeks of enjoyment and reminding me how lucky I am to LOVE to read :)
February 29, 2012
I read books 1 and 4. I did not read 2 and 3. While I may have missed some things, I am glad over all that I did not read the middle two. I liked Amy too much to read about her horrible marriage. I do wish I knew a little more about some of the other characters, like her older brothers. They are not really mentioned in the last novel so I have no idea where they went or how their lives turned out.
I was very glad that Amy was finally able to have peace in her life. She needed and deserved to have it. I was truly glad that there was very little violence or abuse in this last story. Most loose ends were tied up and while not every story has a happy ever after, I was satisfied with the wrap up. -- But if you want to write more Shayne Parkinson, I would read it!
I was very glad that Amy was finally able to have peace in her life. She needed and deserved to have it. I was truly glad that there was very little violence or abuse in this last story. Most loose ends were tied up and while not every story has a happy ever after, I was satisfied with the wrap up. -- But if you want to write more Shayne Parkinson, I would read it!
November 28, 2014
I have truly truly enjoyed this series of books. I know that it is time to put Amy and Sarah and the rest of the Leith-Stewart family to rest but this series is so well written that you can't help but feel like you are Amy's lifelong friend being given the incredible opportunity of intimately knowing her life.
The story is not finished until all four books are read in full. I have seen many a review that the books are too long but the story doesn't lag and I don't know what could have been left out in favor of brevity. I for one am grateful that they were long as they have occupied my snatched moments of reading for the better part of a month and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my time.
A rare jewel of a story.
For all of my reviews visit Blessed and Bewildered
The story is not finished until all four books are read in full. I have seen many a review that the books are too long but the story doesn't lag and I don't know what could have been left out in favor of brevity. I for one am grateful that they were long as they have occupied my snatched moments of reading for the better part of a month and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my time.
A rare jewel of a story.
For all of my reviews visit Blessed and Bewildered
August 10, 2012
Fantastic reading except for the big mistake I made upon starting the first novel; I wasn't aware it was part of a series! I felt like too little was happening to move the storyline along. Page after page of mundane Little House on the Prairie like lives of the characters set in New Zealand had me wondering when any developments were going to occur. To my surprise and delight, I realized there were three more books. Then it began to make sense, and I realized I was onto just the kind of storytelling I enjoy most. Epic, generational, and often filled with pain one can only hope exists in fiction, this series hooked me in to the very last, and I was not quite ready for it all to end.
January 29, 2015
Promise Keepers is one of the best long series I have read in a good while. The characters are so real I couldn't help but laugh, cry, and rejoice with them from the first book, Sentence of Marriage to the last, Second Chances. The main character is Amy, a fifteen year old naïve farm girl who falls in love with a young rich visitor from the city. Amy can break your heart but you root for her throughout the books As the stories take place in New Zealand in the late 19th century you can also get a feel for a different place and time, yet it could be anywhere. I would highly recommend this series and will be looking for other books by Shayne Parkinson.
October 26, 2012
Well, What can I say.......
I absolutely loved these books. I fell for every character, good and bad. For a story to be able to provoke so many emotions in a reader is a rare thing. The fact that it wasn't full all sweetness and light and happy endings made them even more real. I do agree with another reader as I would have liked to have known how John and Thomas got along in their lives. As for the ending, I'm not sure if I liked it or was annoyed! I thought for a few moments that my kindle had broken haha
Thanks for the journey and I will certainly be reading more of your work xx
I absolutely loved these books. I fell for every character, good and bad. For a story to be able to provoke so many emotions in a reader is a rare thing. The fact that it wasn't full all sweetness and light and happy endings made them even more real. I do agree with another reader as I would have liked to have known how John and Thomas got along in their lives. As for the ending, I'm not sure if I liked it or was annoyed! I thought for a few moments that my kindle had broken haha
Thanks for the journey and I will certainly be reading more of your work xx
September 30, 2011
Of the four books in the series -- this is sort of a follow up book to the trilogy -- I think this one fell short of the others. It seemed a little forced, to me, as far as story line and the pace felt forced as well. I will say that it pretty neatly wraps up the loose ends that the trilogy had left hanging but it almost wraps them up TOO neatly.
I still definitely recommend the series as a whole if you like this genre!
I still definitely recommend the series as a whole if you like this genre!
November 2, 2018
I've loved every book in this series and this one rounds out the story of Amy Leith/Stewart and finally gives her the happy complete life she deserved. What a saga! As another reviewer mentioned, it's too bad these books aren't available in other forms than e-books (i.e. hard cover or paperback) as I'd recommend them to so many others. I will definitely take a look for more books by this author.
October 6, 2011
I thought this book would bring closure to Amy's Saga. In many ways it did, but there's so much more. Frank and Lizzie, David, Beth, Maise!...so many great characters. I hope she write another sequel.
June 23, 2012
This is the 4th book in the series and is a satisfying conclusion. Amy finally gets the chance to relax a little and leave all the difficulties of her past for awhile. However, the reappearance of a particularly lothesome character threatens Amy's new found happiness.
May 29, 2013
I finally finished reading Promises to Keep series and I love them all!!! All four of them! I can't wait to read "Daisy's War"!
August 7, 2024
The first novel in this series was a Prime freebie. and it sounded good. Wow, I was blown away, and I've since purchased the rest. This series reignited my love for historical fiction. I grew weary of historicals being basically a romance in disguise. "Promises to Keep" does have love and relationships and family, but that's not the main theme. It also has pain, physical and emotional, and ... well, read them and find out: My recommendation: Start from #1 and read them all!!
June 1, 2015
OH MY GOD!
The previous books in this series are long, and wordy.
This one is long, and wordy, and heart rending in places, joyous in places, contrived ...
But I love happy ever after books, even if they are not quite the same as love stories. This one has the odd romance or so, but the plot is definitely not a romantic trope. This is the climax of a life story, with the previously created characters working with a few new introductions to create a weave of delicate emotional tapestries. I can't count the number of times I ended up having to dry my eyes in order to continue, and I really HAD to continue. Despite the extra words, I needed to finish reading this.
All in all, the series is a decent set of stories. A problem with working a series around the life of one person is that you are somewhat restricted in how to get anyone else's story in. And, I suspect if your characters insist ( as I've heard they do) on telling you every word they are saying, it might be rather difficult to figure out where to draw the line. I notice that I don't write books, or try to edit them: I just read them and review them.
I recommend this series to people who enjoyed books like "The Thorn Birds."
The previous books in this series are long, and wordy.
This one is long, and wordy, and heart rending in places, joyous in places, contrived ...
But I love happy ever after books, even if they are not quite the same as love stories. This one has the odd romance or so, but the plot is definitely not a romantic trope. This is the climax of a life story, with the previously created characters working with a few new introductions to create a weave of delicate emotional tapestries. I can't count the number of times I ended up having to dry my eyes in order to continue, and I really HAD to continue. Despite the extra words, I needed to finish reading this.
All in all, the series is a decent set of stories. A problem with working a series around the life of one person is that you are somewhat restricted in how to get anyone else's story in. And, I suspect if your characters insist ( as I've heard they do) on telling you every word they are saying, it might be rather difficult to figure out where to draw the line. I notice that I don't write books, or try to edit them: I just read them and review them.
I recommend this series to people who enjoyed books like "The Thorn Birds."
June 22, 2014
This Series was the best I've read in a very long time!
This was the fourth book in the series. I dreaded it coming to an end. Amy captured my heart in book one as being a sweet and loving country girl. At a young age she experienced so much loss and pain but never lost her kindness and compassion for others.
The second book was very frustrating and difficult to get through. It broke my heart to see Amy be physically and mentally abused by not only her step mother and husband but by her son as well. I became frustrated at times because she allowed them to make her believe the horrible things they said about her. It took a very long time for her to stand up for herself and end the physical abuse. I came to hate her oldest son Mal and felt no sympathy when he died.
All of the characters in this book came to life. Lizzy and Frank added humor. with so many characters over Amy's lifetime the Author did a fine job of making them easy to remember by name. I felt I knew her whole family. I read the complete series in a matter of two weeks. Any time I had a spare minute I opened my Kindle or phone.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
This was the fourth book in the series. I dreaded it coming to an end. Amy captured my heart in book one as being a sweet and loving country girl. At a young age she experienced so much loss and pain but never lost her kindness and compassion for others.
The second book was very frustrating and difficult to get through. It broke my heart to see Amy be physically and mentally abused by not only her step mother and husband but by her son as well. I became frustrated at times because she allowed them to make her believe the horrible things they said about her. It took a very long time for her to stand up for herself and end the physical abuse. I came to hate her oldest son Mal and felt no sympathy when he died.
All of the characters in this book came to life. Lizzy and Frank added humor. with so many characters over Amy's lifetime the Author did a fine job of making them easy to remember by name. I felt I knew her whole family. I read the complete series in a matter of two weeks. Any time I had a spare minute I opened my Kindle or phone.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
May 20, 2025
Great series so enjoyed being taken away!!
Thank you!
Thank you!
July 5, 2018
Great book, great series. I couldn’t put this book down. Obviously Jimmy was the most reviled character in the book. I was waiting for him to get his due, and was glad when he did. Although I have to say I am a bit disappointed that it came from Sarah and not Amy herself. It fits well with the plot the Sarah had the means to do what she did in order to run him out of town. I just think it would have been more satisfying to have Amy take charge and be the one to ruin him. I really wanted a scene where Amy really let him have it and slap him, etc. Not in Amy’s nature, but again...would have been so satisfying!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2011
I'm very happy with this series. For 4 Nook Books at $3 a piece, I was more than pleased with the entertainment value I got out of them.
As for the story itself, the only character I could have done without is Sarah. She came off as very abrasive and controlling, moreso than what her character probably needed.
As for the story itself, the only character I could have done without is Sarah. She came off as very abrasive and controlling, moreso than what her character probably needed.
August 23, 2014
Book four
Our heroine continues to amaze.Not since Follett's "Pillar's of the earth" have I enjoyed reading a series so much.Well written historical saga of one woman's struggle as she ages from a young girl raised with love to a woman who overcomes an abusive marriage and continues to find joy in her world.
Our heroine continues to amaze.Not since Follett's "Pillar's of the earth" have I enjoyed reading a series so much.Well written historical saga of one woman's struggle as she ages from a young girl raised with love to a woman who overcomes an abusive marriage and continues to find joy in her world.
September 1, 2014
Fantastic Series!
This series captured and held my attention with zero effort. I'm in awe of the character development and the way the author addresses important topics that we take for granted as rights today, but which were taboo in days gone by.
This series captured and held my attention with zero effort. I'm in awe of the character development and the way the author addresses important topics that we take for granted as rights today, but which were taboo in days gone by.
December 8, 2010
Would give it a 2.5 if I could. The previous three books were great but this one felt very forced to me.
February 14, 2018
New Zealand 1906 onward. Book #4 in series.
I read book #1, 2 (DNF) & 4. But I skipped book
#3.
Amy was only 15 when she fell in love w/ 20 YO
Jimmy in book #1. He promised love & marriage.
He took off when he learned they had a baby on
the way. They ran into each other 21 years later
and she saw him now as insincere and insulting.
Amy got to know daughter Sarah, now an adult,
who'd been surrendered for adoption years ago.
Jimmy perpetrated fraud in business dealings and
businesswoman Sarah 'turned the tables' on him.
Sarah could be condescending, not all hearts and
flowers, but ultimately she helped broaden Amy's
experiences & loved Amy.
Amy finally found some happiness in this last book
of the series. Especially 2 visitors who had a profound
impact on her life.
Amy tended to placate men who tried to intimidate her.
And cried too often. But she also had a deep well of
strength. Her late spouse Charlie was a bully & abuser.
David, their son, made a decision to be the opposite of
Charlie. David cherished his wife and daughter & never
wanted to harm them. David had memories of being
"scared stiff" of Charlie as a child.
These books were engrossing and difficult to put down.
Family members and neighbors really helped each other
'through thick & thin.' IMO, book #2 contained way too
much violence and menacing behavior. However it had a
favorite scene; Amy voting for the 1st time, & Charlie
being forbidden to follow her into the voting booth. She
promised Charlie she'd vote for Charlie's candidate, when
actually she voted for the opposition!
I read book #1, 2 (DNF) & 4. But I skipped book
#3.
Amy was only 15 when she fell in love w/ 20 YO
Jimmy in book #1. He promised love & marriage.
He took off when he learned they had a baby on
the way. They ran into each other 21 years later
and she saw him now as insincere and insulting.
Amy got to know daughter Sarah, now an adult,
who'd been surrendered for adoption years ago.
Jimmy perpetrated fraud in business dealings and
businesswoman Sarah 'turned the tables' on him.
Sarah could be condescending, not all hearts and
flowers, but ultimately she helped broaden Amy's
experiences & loved Amy.
Amy finally found some happiness in this last book
of the series. Especially 2 visitors who had a profound
impact on her life.
Amy tended to placate men who tried to intimidate her.
And cried too often. But she also had a deep well of
strength. Her late spouse Charlie was a bully & abuser.
David, their son, made a decision to be the opposite of
Charlie. David cherished his wife and daughter & never
wanted to harm them. David had memories of being
"scared stiff" of Charlie as a child.
These books were engrossing and difficult to put down.
Family members and neighbors really helped each other
'through thick & thin.' IMO, book #2 contained way too
much violence and menacing behavior. However it had a
favorite scene; Amy voting for the 1st time, & Charlie
being forbidden to follow her into the voting booth. She
promised Charlie she'd vote for Charlie's candidate, when
actually she voted for the opposition!
May 2, 2018
Read All Of These!!! Seriously.
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I have enjoyed the Promises To Keep series. I got Sentence of Marriage as a free download quite sometime ago and I bought up the remaining three and just couldn’t stop. Shayne Parkinson is a very talented author. I haven’t felt such emotion for a character such as Amy in many years. Her story was gut wrenching and beautiful and I’m happy I got a chance to read them. I honestly can say these are now my favorite series. Seriously I have never enjoyed a story more than this. I have read many books and nothing has quite been like Amy’s. You follow her from her childhood and the very unexpected and painful things her innocence leads her into along with the people who fail her along the way. You feel every heartbreak every stifled cry..every ache ..as she suffers through life..the fourth and final book this one is a glimpse at peace ..at redemption that good things do come ..painstakingly so ..to one that deserves it more than anyone. Good things come to those that fight and persevere. I love this book and I love this series!!!
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I have enjoyed the Promises To Keep series. I got Sentence of Marriage as a free download quite sometime ago and I bought up the remaining three and just couldn’t stop. Shayne Parkinson is a very talented author. I haven’t felt such emotion for a character such as Amy in many years. Her story was gut wrenching and beautiful and I’m happy I got a chance to read them. I honestly can say these are now my favorite series. Seriously I have never enjoyed a story more than this. I have read many books and nothing has quite been like Amy’s. You follow her from her childhood and the very unexpected and painful things her innocence leads her into along with the people who fail her along the way. You feel every heartbreak every stifled cry..every ache ..as she suffers through life..the fourth and final book this one is a glimpse at peace ..at redemption that good things do come ..painstakingly so ..to one that deserves it more than anyone. Good things come to those that fight and persevere. I love this book and I love this series!!!
July 3, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. I came to understand Amy more fully as a woman who truly understood her abusive husband from more than one point of view. I admire her strength and her understanding of the people she loves so much.
Her story with Sarah was not my favorite, as I could not help but see Sarah as someone who was trying to "mother" Amy rather than respecting her wisdom and compassion as a wife and mother in her own right. After all, Amy is Sarah's mother and, although she didn't want to give her up at birth, doing so provided Sarah with and incredible life and loving family. Amy was so young and naive when Sarah was born but she has become a woman of strenght, wisdom, and compassion. Sarah has a lot to learn from her mom!
Overall, this is an incredible read and I can't wait to get into Daisy's War!!
Her story with Sarah was not my favorite, as I could not help but see Sarah as someone who was trying to "mother" Amy rather than respecting her wisdom and compassion as a wife and mother in her own right. After all, Amy is Sarah's mother and, although she didn't want to give her up at birth, doing so provided Sarah with and incredible life and loving family. Amy was so young and naive when Sarah was born but she has become a woman of strenght, wisdom, and compassion. Sarah has a lot to learn from her mom!
Overall, this is an incredible read and I can't wait to get into Daisy's War!!
July 10, 2017
Amy's story is finally finished. I'm happy to say that I'm pleased that things were left in a favorable way for both Amy and her various cousins, friends and other relatives.
I've read all 4 books in the series and have liked them although I'll be the first to admit that her writing is, at times, repetitive and tends to slow things down a bit but it is eventually worth the time spent slogging through some parts of the whole (4 book) series.
Her character development is vivid and well done. You'll have no trouble experiencing who you'll like and dislike. There will be no neutral subjects for you to spend your time on.
Enjoy!
I've read all 4 books in the series and have liked them although I'll be the first to admit that her writing is, at times, repetitive and tends to slow things down a bit but it is eventually worth the time spent slogging through some parts of the whole (4 book) series.
Her character development is vivid and well done. You'll have no trouble experiencing who you'll like and dislike. There will be no neutral subjects for you to spend your time on.
Enjoy!
August 17, 2017
Captures you from the start!
Promises to Keep Series of books were totally engrossing. I got the first book free and the others with 2 days. I couldn't put them down. I'd do my housework and get cleaned up and settle in for a cozy cup of hot tea, while continuing on into Amy and Lizzie's bitter sweet life stories. I Absolutely love Shayne Parkinson's writing still. The story jumped off the pages to draw you in and make you mad enough at times to give spouse the side eye, lol. Just a great story telling and wonderful emotion filled page turning Series that'll keep up every night till you've read them all.
Promises to Keep Series of books were totally engrossing. I got the first book free and the others with 2 days. I couldn't put them down. I'd do my housework and get cleaned up and settle in for a cozy cup of hot tea, while continuing on into Amy and Lizzie's bitter sweet life stories. I Absolutely love Shayne Parkinson's writing still. The story jumped off the pages to draw you in and make you mad enough at times to give spouse the side eye, lol. Just a great story telling and wonderful emotion filled page turning Series that'll keep up every night till you've read them all.
August 24, 2017
I must say this one exceeded my expectations by quite a bit. Parkinson, the author, does a nice job of tying up loose ends which I always like. Amy, the main character gets a second chance at something very important to her but she also has to deal with someone unpleasant from her past. I thought the series was well worth the time invested in reading it. One interesting bit; the families on these small New Zealand farms ate mainly sheep. They had cattle but they were dairy cows and they sold their milk to a factory daily.
September 14, 2018
I wanted to wait until I finished all 4 books in the series and write one review. I have to say, I really loved this series, I had a hard time putting any one of these books down and I was sad to finish the last one. I felt like the main characters were so real and I was so caught up in their lives. You cannot read this series without sharing in their joy, their pain, and their losses. I really love the descriptions of day to day life in the late 1800's and early 1900's and as I've never read anything that was based in New Zealand that was an interesting element for me.
September 16, 2019
I loved this latest book in the series, as always I hate for the book to end, even though I am moving forward with Daisy's War. Wonderful characters and Ms Parkinson truly brings them all to larger than life! I love to read these at night in bed as I have trouble sleeping but they totally relax me as I really get into the stories and characters. This tends to lessen my issues and concerns that keep me awake so I pleasantly drift away while I am in Amy or Lizzie's life and family!
So yes, I highly recommend the whole series so far!
So yes, I highly recommend the whole series so far!
November 1, 2021
It's not very often that I read... no, DEVOUR a series as thoroughly and happily as I did this one. Never a boring moment, no unnecessary reintroducing characters, just simply wonderful, in depth storytelling. I absolutely love this series! I just know that when I come to the very end, when there's no more to read about Amy and her family, I'm going to be a bit sad. It's just that kind of a story. I've gotten to know and love all the characters. Well, I love most of them. There are the few unsavory ones, but what life doesn't have those?
Thank you, Shayne Parkinson, for these books. I'd put them on a shelf with The Thorn Birds. Yes, they're THAT good!
Thank you, Shayne Parkinson, for these books. I'd put them on a shelf with The Thorn Birds. Yes, they're THAT good!
January 28, 2022
love these books
For a bit I didn’t like Sarah but as time went on I warmed to her and as for jimmy, I wanted to jump in those pages and give him a punch. I was a little shocked by frack and felt bad for davie but I get it, I had a feeling from the other book that mal had got a girl pregnant. I was hoping once Amy told Sarah about Beth’s health that she would be able to help (having money) but I guess money doesn’t solve everything even in fiction. Now what to read, I want to read more on these Characters that I have begun to know & love xx
For a bit I didn’t like Sarah but as time went on I warmed to her and as for jimmy, I wanted to jump in those pages and give him a punch. I was a little shocked by frack and felt bad for davie but I get it, I had a feeling from the other book that mal had got a girl pregnant. I was hoping once Amy told Sarah about Beth’s health that she would be able to help (having money) but I guess money doesn’t solve everything even in fiction. Now what to read, I want to read more on these Characters that I have begun to know & love xx
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews