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A Bittersweet Promise
Once Bitten, Twice Shy!
After her fiancé's betrayal, Jonquil made a promise - never to fall in love again! But when Slade Alexander starts taking more than a casual interest in her, she's intrigued.
The man is an enigma. Wealth and success have made him tough, yet he treats his tiny ward, Natalie, with a tenderness that makes Jonquil long to be part of a real family. But then she discovers the real reason for Slade's interest in her....
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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July 27, 2024
A Bittersweet Promise starts off as the ML (Slade Alexander, in his early 40s) who is a "famous author of thriller novels" has become the guardian to a young girl whose father worked for him and passed away suddenly with his wife/her mother. Slade was not notified they had designated him as such in their will, and although taken aback takes in the child, Natalie.
Natalie is very traumatized by the loss of her parents, and Slade does not believe he can help her heal alone. He hires a private investigator to find if she has any other family and finds out about Jonquil who lives in Scotland and has just turned 35. The PI doesn't have much further information about her other than she runs a BnB because the locals won't spill any info to a stranger asking around about a long-time resident. Slade decides to go and scout her out to see if she is "appropriate" to help take care of her niece.
What he doesn't know is that about 10 years ago, Jonquil was jilted at the alter by Natalie's father who eloped with her sister. Jonquil had spent most of her life raising her significantly younger sister and taking care of their ill father after their mother's death and was absolutely devastated by the betrayal. She "recovered" only by shutting herself off emotionally and has, as far we know, lived very quietly running the B&B ever since.
I thought this was an incredible, heart-wrenching angst but not too angst novel. I love that Jonquil does not, is not expected to, and is not dinged for not forgiving the people that hurt her. It is understood that she is right and allowed to feel the way she does. Sometimes she reacts a bit oddly to a situation, but her life has been shaped by events where she was deeply hurt and betrayed by the people she loved the most. She has low self-esteem, but when she is wrong, she apologies.
Slade is a tough man (with some childhood trauma, which is why he wants to help Natalie) but not any kind of pushy "alpha". He deeply cares for Jonquil but won't force her into anything. Because of his fame he's had a lot of superficial relationships, and was burned in the past. The details around him are vague but it's fine, there's enough mentioned to paint the proper picture.
My one quibble is there's one last obstacle at the end that feels a little over the top but it does give us a look into the depth of everyone's feelings, and lets Natalie and Jonquil spend some time together.
Natalie is very traumatized by the loss of her parents, and Slade does not believe he can help her heal alone. He hires a private investigator to find if she has any other family and finds out about Jonquil who lives in Scotland and has just turned 35. The PI doesn't have much further information about her other than she runs a BnB because the locals won't spill any info to a stranger asking around about a long-time resident. Slade decides to go and scout her out to see if she is "appropriate" to help take care of her niece.
What he doesn't know is that about 10 years ago, Jonquil was jilted at the alter by Natalie's father who eloped with her sister. Jonquil had spent most of her life raising her significantly younger sister and taking care of their ill father after their mother's death and was absolutely devastated by the betrayal. She "recovered" only by shutting herself off emotionally and has, as far we know, lived very quietly running the B&B ever since.
I thought this was an incredible, heart-wrenching angst but not too angst novel. I love that Jonquil does not, is not expected to, and is not dinged for not forgiving the people that hurt her. It is understood that she is right and allowed to feel the way she does. Sometimes she reacts a bit oddly to a situation, but her life has been shaped by events where she was deeply hurt and betrayed by the people she loved the most. She has low self-esteem, but when she is wrong, she apologies.
Slade is a tough man (with some childhood trauma, which is why he wants to help Natalie) but not any kind of pushy "alpha". He deeply cares for Jonquil but won't force her into anything. Because of his fame he's had a lot of superficial relationships, and was burned in the past. The details around him are vague but it's fine, there's enough mentioned to paint the proper picture.
My one quibble is there's one last obstacle at the end that feels a little over the top but it does give us a look into the depth of everyone's feelings, and lets Natalie and Jonquil spend some time together.
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