Daughter of a Promise

by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg

Days after graduating from college, Betsabé Ruiz begins her first job on Wall Street, where she plans to save enough money to eventually pursue her dreams of becoming a theatre actress. What she didn’t anticipate was that this job would allow her barely enough free time to sleep or hang out with friends, let alone take acting classes. She didn’t apprehend the magnitude of the wealth that would be swirling about her, either, or how the long hours and close quarters would infuse her professional relationships with intimacy. Still, she does her best to navigate this uncharted territory at work, where she makes an unlikely best friend and develops an unexpected attraction to her boss.

Told in the retrospective as a letter to her unborn son, Daughter of a Promise is a coming-of-age tale in which a naïve Betsabé assumed leaving her past behind was the prerequisite for succeeding as an adult. The wisdom she ultimately passes on to her child, however, is steeped in the very traditions within which her grandmother raised her back in Miami.

A modern retelling of the legend of Bathsheba and David, this novel is a reminder that the biological forces of desire and love are timeless and complicated.

Genres: Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2024

About the author

Jeanne Blasberg is an award-winning and bestselling author and essayist. Her novel THE NINE (SWP 2019) was honored with the 2019 Foreword Indies Gold Award in Thriller & Suspense and the Gold Medal and Juror’s Choice in the 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards. EDEN (SWP 2017), her debut, won the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Best New Voice in Fiction and was a finalist for the Sarton Women’s Book Award for Historical Fiction. Her forthcoming novel, Daughter of a Promise (SWP, April 2, 2024) is a modern retelling of the legend of David and Bathsheba, completing the thematic trilogy she began with Eden and The Nine.

Jeanne cochairs the board of the Boston Book Festival and serves on the Executive Committee of GrubStreet, one of the country’s preeminent creative writing centers. Jeanne was named a Southampton Writer’s Conference BookEnds Fellow in April 2021. She reviews contemporary fiction for the New York Journal of Books, When not in New England, she splits her time between Park City, UT, and growing organic vegetables in Verona, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Amy Shook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an amazing book! This book definitely needs more attention. I binged this one in two days because it grabs you from the first chapter and keeps you engaged the whole way!

Betsabé Ruiz is second generation Cuban American from Miami. She studies theater and music at her liberal arts college of Lyle after being granted a scholarship. But then a new opportunity presents itself and she is able to start an internship on wall street. Her mentors are impressed and she is offered a permanent position. The work is exhilarating to Betsabe but also draining. Not only is she brillant, but she is beautiful and captivates the eyes of many men in her new world. Struggling between being the strong feminist that wants to break the glass ceiling, and the woman who yearns to be desired, Bestabe enters a forbidden relationship with her boss that is thirty years her senior.

This creates issues for Betsabe at work and with her roommate Rea, that she has been in her life since college. Not only is Bestabe grappling with these relationships but it all is happening during the height of COVID, lockdown, and the Black Lives Matters movement.

The story is told as a letter to her son in the hopes that he might understand more about his mother’s life and learn some valuable lessons from her own trials.

My thoughts:
I am not always impressed with books about young people starting out in their adult life but this one was really special. I love that Betsabe learned so much about herself through these experiences and brought so many perspectives as a woman of color. Betsabe reminded me of my youngest daughter who is also 23, and has always had too much attention for her beauty despite her brilliance. This will definitely be a top ten book for me this year. I can’t wait for Blasberg’s next book but in the meantime I’ll be checking out her backlist.

Thank you to @suzysapprovedbook tours and Jeanne Blasberg for my review copy.

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Publication Day to Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg for Daughter of a Promise! This is a story that I immediately got lost in. It’s just my kind of novel - quiet, slow-moving, character-driven, and intimate. It follows Betsabé Ruiz as she navigates life in NYC just days after graduating from college. It’s full of everything you’d expect - fun, adventure, nightlife, mishaps, struggles, and romance. A typical journey into adulthood with a few bumps and surprises along the way. Bets is a character who I easily related to, and cared for from start to finish.

You all know that I’m one of those crazy freaks who enjoys reading books about global pandemics (especially COVID), so I was pleasantly surprised by the timeframe of this novel. It begins in 2019, and continues into the early months of 2020, which of course we all remember dearly. Ha! The author excels in taking the reader back to those unpredictable, confusing, and extremely terrifying days.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Coming-of-age stories
- Character-driven novels
- Slower paced plot
- NYC setting
- Life on Wall Street
- Office politics and drama
- Themes of motherhood, family, and friendship
- Early 2020 timeline/COVID backdrop

Overall, this was a super solid novel from the author. I enjoyed her last novel, The Nine, and will continue to read her work in the future. 4/5 stars for Daughter of a Promise! Grab your copy TODAY!

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars because the prose itself was truly beautiful. However, everything else about this book was just a chaotic mess. I hate the plot, the characters, and all the unnecessary side plots that do absolutely nothing. But maybe I’m just not the audience for the book 🤷🏾‍♀️

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was incredible. It’s a coming of age story of Betsabé Ruiz who is 23 as she begins a job as an analyst on Wall Street.

This is also a retelling of the Biblical story of David and Bathsheba partially set amidst the shutdown of Covid in 2019.

The plot is told as Betsabé is writing a letter to her son.

This book left me speechless in the best possible way. The parallels of the David and Bathsheba story are perfect. The character of Betsabé is complex and her family heritage adds another layer to an already masterfully spun tale.

This is one of my favorite reads so far this year.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE
AUTHOR: JEANNE BLASBERG
PUB DATE: 04.02.2024

Days after graduation, Betsabé Ruiz’s life in New York is turning out to be nothing less than cinematic. Although her first job at a white-shoe, Wall Street investment bank is the opportunity of a lifetime, she is not prepared for the magnitude of wealth swirling about her, the long hours and close quarters that infuse her professional relationships with intimacy, nor an unexpected attraction to her boss. And like all great films, Betsabé’s New York dream comes with a twist that challenges her to find a balance between where she came from and where she’s going.

THOUGHTS:

I love a good retelling based on well known characters from the Bible - David and Bethesda, and the book is a letter to their unborn son Sol. This is a beautifully written character driven and coming of age story about Betsabé Ruiz’s life, and the sacrifices over a span of about a year in New York City. I really enjoyed the pace and I often imagined reading this through a child’s perspective. Enjoyable read.

[Annissa Joy Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE is a very emotional and real book!! I was captivated from the beginning and read it quickly!!

This book is told in a love letter from Bets to her unborn son in hopes that he will read it one day and maybe understand everything she went thru to get to that point.

Bets is working on Wall Street and hopes to become an actress. She quickly learns that her job is so demanding that she will not be able to pursue that dream of being an actress but she is so tired that she barely has time to eat yet alone socialize.

This is a world so difference than Bets knows. You will read about her disappointments, her struggles, her nightlife adventures and so much more!!

Highly recommend this read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Pat Fayo Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! I read this very quickly. Though it is the rough normal 300 -350 pages, it flows so well you don’t realize ow many pages you have read! The book engages the reader from the first chapter. It is a coming of age book written by a mom to her unborn son.

It details one year of a college student and her internship at a prestigious company in NYC. People of power and control, long hours and lack of sleep overwhelm the protagonist. This is not a fairy tale of a clean calendar and how rich she got etc.

As the story unfolds, Daughter of a Promise reminds the reader of love and sacrifices that mothers sometimes have to make. The author has such a fantastic way of taking the story of David and Bathsheba from the Bible and narrating it in a modern day coming of age story where people can really relate to it. It is about making good choices and being responsible.

Thank you #suzyapprovedbooktours for having me on this tour! This my honest and sole opinion of this book.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of Promise is a retelling of the Biblical story of Bathsheba and David. It is a coming of age story written as a letter to Bet's unborn son Sol and takes place in NYC during the start of COVID. Told over a year of Bet's life as she navigates a new job, professional relationships, friends, family and surprises that kept me guessing. I loved this beautifully written story that had me invested in the characters and I did not want to put it down. Thank you to the author and @suzyapprovedbooktours for a copy of the book and this is my honest opinion

[Cassie’s Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a unique story and the authors tells this story in a love letter to her son Sol. After she graduating from college, Betsabé Ruiz begins her first job on Wall Street at First Providence, she’s hoping the job will help her save enough money to pursue her dreams of one day becoming an actress in theatre. Soon she realizes the job wasn’t what she pictures she’s exhausted, barely has time to eat, hang with friends or even take acting classes. Growing up in a family that struggled financially she feels that she owes it to herself and her family to have a career where she can become financially independent fast. In her new position she’s a woman in a man’s world. She becomes friends with people who has lifestyles unlike what she’s use to. We follow her journey as she tells her son about lessons she learns along the way of finding herself. The story spans pre and the beginning of COVID. We don't ever meet her son in the book, the author's hope that someday he will read it and learn something about his mother and her life during that time. A modern retelling of the legend of Bathsheba and David I really enjoyed this book!

[Laura (laurasnextchapter) Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such an unexpected surprise. This is a new to me author, and her style of writing made Daughter of a Promise such a quick, captivating read. I love stories that begin with newly graduated college kids trying to make it in the real world. And my goodness, does main character Bestabé experience some insane circumstances. Her depth as well as the whole cast of characters made this story work so well. Their layers made both the good and the bad feel so authentic.

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful and memorable story.
Loved the writing, it was beautiful and with a unique format. This is one of those stories that pull you in since the start, moving, emotional and captivating.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗳 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 by Jeanne Blasberg Author released April 2, 2024.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. This book spoke to me on countless levels. I never re-read books, but I may need to re-read this one

[Marilyn Goncalves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a modern retelling of David and Bathsheba. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s a wonderful coming of age story written in a letter to her unborn son sharing her experiences and decisions.
It’s a very well written novel that I consumed in two sittings.

[Lisa Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coming of age story is a love letter to the author's son about the year right before and during the pandemic. Bets moves to NYC and narrates her experiences there as she struggles to find herself. A new job, relationships, disappointments, choices are all things she shares openly. We don't meet the son in this book, but the author's hope is that someday he will read it and learn something about his mother and her lifestyle during that time.

I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bets tells this story in a love letter to her son, Sol. We never meet Sol and part of the mystery of the book is why Bets is writing to Sol. Is she telling the story now because he’s not old enough to understand and she won’t be there when he is old enough? Bets story is one of a young college graduate living in a completely different world than she grew up in. It also spans pre and the beginning of COVID. I loved Bets as the female protagonist and related to her joys and struggles. A very good read that will tug on your emotions.

[Christy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that I was genuinely sad to finish it. Betsabe (Bets) will be an unforgettable character for me. She won me over right off the bat and her compelling story was unputdownable. Bets was so real for me and i could feel her struggles as she navigated an ultra demanding job plus workplace dynamics, friends, family, an unexpected love and a surprise pregnancy, COVID and more. The New York setting was an added bonus.

[Carol (Reading Ladies) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughter of a Promise is a coming-of-age story loosely inspired by the biblical story of David and Bathsheba.

College graduate, Betsabé Ruiz arrives in New York City for her first job on Wall Street while her heart is filled with dreams of musical theater. Her high-pressure job as a financial analyst for a high-stakes investment banker is more time-consuming and demanding than she imagines. As her work life settles into a harried routine, she develops feelings for the owner/boss which are reciprocated. At the same time, she hooks up with a supervisor. Suddenly, her life is complicated as she juggles friendships, hookups, work projects, a secret affair, and workplace dynamics. All of this is related to the reader through letters she is writing to her son.

Interesting tropes in Daughter of Promise include coming of age, college graduate in the big city, workplace romance, slice of life, and abuse of power.

Part of the reading experience is making connections with characters and content. Although this is a well-written story, I found that I couldn’t connect with it on many levels. I’ve never been a young woman in a big city; I haven’t worked in the banking world or on Wall Street; I’m not a second generation Cuban; I’ve never fallen in love with my boss or someone old enough to be my father; I’m certainly not a finance or numbers person; I’ve not been overly tempted by the allure of power or money. Nevertheless, as this well-told story progressed, my understanding of Bets grew. I was able to imagine myself in her complicated world and gained a glimmer of insight into her fascination with and devotion to this older man.

I had the most difficulty understanding the imbalance/abuse of power and the age-gap romance. Thirty years? No wonder she had to explain things to her adult son!

Blasberg indicates that Daughter of a Promise is inspired by the biblical account of David and Bathsheba. I refreshed my memory of this story so that I could catch the correlations. The most obvious is the manner in which the owner/boss attempts to remove Bets’ immediate supervisor/casual hookup from Bets’ life. (*spoiler: no murder involved) It’s always interesting how an author loosely re-imagines a classic story for contemporary readers.

I tend to struggle with unlikable characters. It took me a minute to warm up to Bets as well as other characters. I’m not sure I understand or appreciate her motives for a casual hookup with a coworker, the way she treats her friends/roommate, or her participation in an affair with the owner/boss. As we get to know Bets, understand her ambition, and hear her background, we gain understanding. However, this complicated character was difficult to relate to at first.

The author presents a few thoughtful themes including friendship, workplace relationships, love will do what love will do, BLM, family heritage, and family support. The part I like best about the story is the lessons for life that Bets shares with her son (and all of us) through the letters.

***content warnings include spoilers***
Content Consideration: Premature birth; baby death (at birth); grief; pandemic (too soon?); abuse of power in the workplace

Because it’s well written, I’m recommending Daughter of a Promise for fans of character-driven stories with some complicated themes. If you are interested in the world of high-stakes investment banking, you might especially enjoy this part.

Thanks to the author and @SheWritesPress for a complimentary copy of #DaughterOfAPromise upon my request. All opinions are my own.

For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gifted by @booksparks

This book didn’t work for me at all. BUT if the premise sounds intriguing to you, please check out LIKE HAPPINESS by Ursula Villarreal-Moura. It’s also about a Latinx woman in a relationship with power imbalance, but way more layered and nuanced!

What didn’t work for me

- lots of telling. The story is about a young Cuban American woman in a relationship with her boss old enough to be her dad (🤮). But the whole time I couldn’t figure out why she’s attracted to him. Even though the narrator keeps insisting it’s “love” (and not daddy issues?), it wasn’t really conveyed

- can we stop with the pick me girl energy please?? I’m not interested in reading about women who are so smart all their managers love her, so beautiful all the (white) men lust for her, and so perfect all the other women around her are jealous/scared of her 😑

- covers a lot of topics of racism, equity, power imbalance, privilege, complex mother daughter relationships, “victimhood”, politics, reproductive health. Unfortunately, none are deeply explored. The book is written as a letter to her son, so maybe it’s meant as a general guide about life. But it just felt like the author found a bunch of buzz words and shoved them into a book without further developing anything

- I really dislike the ending. With the book centering on a relationship with extreme unequal power, I wish the author had thought more about what the message of the ending conveys. It might be different from how most relationships with power imbalance ends (cues the different from other girls vibes 🫠), but the ending isn’t illuminating and almost exonerates predators. It’s one thing to want to write something different, and another to write something *harmful*

- I couldn’t find any articles of the author’s background as a Latina or her connection to Cuba, while the FMC is a Cuban American woman. This isn’t necessarily a good/bad thing, and an author can write from whatever angle they want to, but I wonder if the shallowness of story partially stems from the author’s unfamiliarity with the FMC’s upbringing 😅

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daughter of a Promise is about a young woman who is writing her unborn son letters about life lessons and experiences she's had as a college student recruited into corporate banking and all of the highs and lows.

Let's start off with what I liked. The premise of the novel was fresh and unique, Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg is a skilled writer who does raw and gritty well. It is set in modern day, so the real-life moments gave the novel depth and helped ground the timeline in a book that is written more open ended.

Moving on to what didn't work for me. First, I don't know if the author has any roots to Cuba but if the author didn't write that the FMC was a Cuban American I would have assumed she was white. The very things that would have made her unique were whitewashed and non existent. I also struggled with the appropriateness of the letters. There is sex in this, in detail, why is she writing that to her unborn son? It was like the Blasberg wanted to add a sexy side but it's weird when you think of it in terms of letters being handed to a future child. The FMC love triangle was a struggle for me; here is this young Cuban woman who every woman hates or is jealous of and every man falls at her feet. That's so trite and overdone. I also didn't feel like there was any depth between the FMC and either romantic partner. There are a lot of buzz words within Daughter of a Promise, and while I don't shy away from hard topics I do get annoyed when they're thrown in without depth. It's like the sex should have been superficial not protesting for BLM or racial stereotypes and sexism. Those are the areas where the authors should have explored more.

I also hated the ending. Like, throw the book across the room hated it---and not because of the choice she made, but because of how she wrote it to this unborn baby. The FMC treated wealth like something to be jealous of and the plague throughout the entire novel first with Ruby and then her romantic interest, and by the end of it, she came off as a gold digger.

This novel just didn't work for me though you may feel differently. Thank you BookSparks for the gifted copy to review.

[Kriti | Armed with A Book]

I love the idea of a book written to a child.

Though not a business major, Betsabé Ruiz finds herself as one of the two people from her college to be invited to join First Providence, a famous company on Wall Street. She is originally from a clan in Miami and her name means ‘daughter of a promise’. Having grown up in a home where money was scarce and her mother and grandmother worked through Thanksgiving to get vacation around Christmas, she felt that she owed it to herself and her family to pursue a career where she could become financially independent fast. I enjoyed how Bets relationship with her family is portrayed through the story.

Moving to New York for the job on Wall Street was life changing for her. She entered an industry where there are few women in positions like hers, experiencing the challenges of balancing solidarity with personal values. She became friends with people whose lifestyles were so unlike what she knew.

I like the lessons that Bets sprinkled through the book for her son, Sol. I particularly loved the one about friendships in adult years. That it takes courage to talk about conflict.

There is merit to this story and I enjoyed the parts that I was able to make time for.

Many thanks to the publisher for sharing a digital review copy of this book with me for an honest review.

- Kriti, Armed with A Book | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, the Author of “ Daughter of A Promise” has written a heartfelt, emotional and intriguing novel that I devoured in one afternoon. The Genres for this novel are City Life Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Coming of Age Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction. The blurb on the cover states, “This is a modern retelling of the legend of Bathesheba and David, this novel is a reminder that the biological forces of love and desire and love are timeless and complicated.” I appreciate how the story is narrated through Betsabe’s writing a letter to her unborn son.

In this captivating well written novel, Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg vividly describes New York City, Miami Beach, and her dramatic and colorful characters. The Protagonist of the story, Betsabe Ruiz finishes college and finds herself working all hours in the financial district in Wall Street. Betsabe wonders if she can have it all, a prestigious career, and a social life. When Betsabe first starts working, she has no idea of the hours, the commitment, nor the fast paced life in Manhattan. As Betsabe enters the adult world, she realizes there are lessons to be learned and experiences to be lived.

The author discusses the importance of honesty, communication, self-growth, self-healing, forgiveness and second chances. Also discussed is the importance of family, friends, courage, love and hope. Sometimes wisdom is achieved from learning from the past, and accepting the present. I loved and highly recommend this thought-provoking and heart-felt novel.

[KATIE MEYERS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of a Promise by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg is a thoughtful and engaging coming-of-age novel that explores ambition, identity, love, and the lasting influence of family traditions.

One of the strongest aspects of the novel is its portrayal of a young woman navigating the transition into adulthood. Betsabé’s entrance into the demanding world of Wall Street creates a compelling contrast between her personal dreams and the realities of professional life.

A major strength of the story is its exploration of ambition and sacrifice. As Betsabé pursues financial stability and career success, she is forced to confront difficult questions about what she is willing to compromise and what truly matters to her.

The novel also stands out for its examination of relationships. The friendships, workplace dynamics, and romantic tensions add emotional complexity while highlighting the challenges of balancing personal desires with professional responsibilities.

Another notable element is the way family heritage and cultural values remain woven throughout the narrative. The story ultimately suggests that the lessons and traditions we inherit can provide guidance even when we believe we have left them behind.

Overall, this is a compelling and reflective novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy character-driven fiction, coming-of-age stories, and explorations of love, identity, and personal growth.

[Holly Paulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Daughter of a Promise is such a unique, real and raw read. This book follows a young woman interning at a big fancy bank in NYC as she writes letters to her unborn son about her crazy experiences. She works super long hours and is totally exhausted all the time trying to prove herself to all the big shots in charge. Just when you think she can't take it anymore, a global pandemic hits and everything gets turned upside down.

But through it all, this main character really shines a light on what's most important - our connections to friends and family. No matter what crazy stuff is happening in the world, love is what gets us through. I loved seeing how much strength she drew from remembering where she came from and the people who supported her. ‘Look out for the unfortunate, judge righteously, and be an advocate for the poor.’

This story is honest and authentic. You feel every emotion right alongside the main character. Even when things are at their darkest, there's always hope to be found if you remember to cherish the people who love you. ‘Power isn’t the same thing as brute strength and it’s not about flexing muscles. The key is in humility, love, and forgiveness.’

Thank you @booksparks and @jeanneblasberauthor for giving me the opportunity to read this touching novel. #SPRC2024 #TheNewClassic

[Jennifer Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of A Promise by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg released 4/2/24 and is a modern retelling of David and Bathsheba set in the modern setting of a Investment Banking firm in New York City during the pandemic.

Days after graduation, Betsabé Ruiz’s life in New York is turning out to be nothing less than cinematic. Although her first job at a Wall Street investment bank is the opportunity of a lifetime, she is not prepared for the magnitude of wealth swirling about her, the long hours and close quarters that infuse her professional relationships with intimacy, nor an unexpected attraction to her boss. And like all great films, Betsabé’s New York dream comes with a twist that challenges her to find a balance between where she came from and where she’s going.

Narrated in the retrospective as a letter of wisdom to her unborn son, Daughter of a Promise captures not only Betsabé’s coming of age but also her journey to understand that deep-seated forces such as desire and love are more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

The story was both fresh and timeless. Bets is a heroine worth rooting for. Her experience in New York City centers on timeless themes, such as ambition, power dynamics, friendship and love. Much of her experience in New York and the advice she is now giving her son were captivating and difficult to put down! I really enjoyed this one!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Goodreads Giveaway Win*

There are so many things about this book that, on paper (hee hee), I shouldn't like. And yet, it pulled me in; I couldn't help but have become invested. Typically, I would say this book could have used some editing; there was a bit too much finance detail; a bit too many random inserts (I'm looking at you coywolves); and too much Covid. But, I don't know, somehow the shagginess fit. I don't know how to express this but the story had the feel of a classic with it's random plot points that you think are irrelevant and yet offer points of interest. I can't describe it artfully but somehow it needed to have the epic feel to work. I will say this, though: I did not like Bets. Normally, I love an unlikeable protagonist but that's when the protagonist is written to be unlikeable. I think the author actually thought she was writing a likeable character. But I thought she was rude to her friends and did not live up to this enigmatic woman she seemed intended to be. In the end, that didn't matter. It's the overall story that won me over.

P.S. This book is a kind of re-telling of the biblical figure, Bathsheba. Whether you reading the wikipedia entry about Bathsheba before or after reading this book, you'll still get some fun points of interest.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of a Promise by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg is a really unique book that I absolutely loved.

The story is told in a love letter to her unborn son Sol.

A modern retelling of the legend of Bathsheba and David.

After Betsabe Ruiz graduates from college, she is looking to make money with her first job on wall street so that she can become an actress.

Her job is not anything like she pictured. She is tired all the time, hardly any time to see friends, eat or even take classes towards her dream of becoming an actress.

Coming from a family that is not wealthy, suddenly she is surrounded by people who are wealthy and not like herself.

A true coming of age story with an excellent perfectly paced plot.

I really appreciate the time period which spans the time right before and during COVID 2019-2020.

I love epistolary genre and love the letter written to her son throughout the novel. You can really feel the love she has for him, even though we do not meet her son in the story.

Excellent crafted characters filled with surprises along the way. Highly recommend!

[2manybooks2littletime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to my partners, Suzy Approved Book Tours and She Writes Press, and the author. I appreciate the gifted paperback, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

1. 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - I’m in no way downgrading what does happen in situations similar to Betsabé’s; however, sometimes it feels like people don’t think women can make their own decisions when it comes to who they want to sleep with. Just because a man may be in a superior position doesn’t always mean the woman is being forced into something. I felt like Bets was fighting this fight.

2. 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 - When it gets to the point where the reader feels like the storylines are going to meet, there is a twist that left me speechless and in tears.

3. 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐝𝐝𝐬 - Betsabé’s story is one that proves anything is possible if only one puts their mind to it! It isn’t what she left home to do, but she finds success anyway.

4. 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫 - While I’m not much of a memoir reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this read that had me feeling like I was reading Betsabé’s actual life story. I actually had to look to make sure it wasn’t a memoir.

5. 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐛𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 - While retellings are all the rage as-of-late, there aren’t many that retell a Biblical story. This story is brought right into the present and shines a light on the sacrifices and difficulties that come with being a woman.

[Chelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story really touches on motherhood with the sacrifices that are made for our children and this is a mothers telling through a letter to her unborn son. Bestabé has been recruited right out of college to work on Wall Street - a most coveted job by those who dream of working there but she quickly learns that it is not at all the ordinary work weeks and adulthood isn't as fun as everyone believes it is. This is a struggle for her and a big change in life, and some not so wise choices complicate things even further. And life changed as we all know, when the pandemic hit. This novel was really a coming of age novel told in the different perspective of the letter to her child. Her struggles, her choices, her hardships and her segway into motherhood. This was a deep read and that really brings about perspective in sacrifice and change in life. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the coming-of-age story of Betsabé Ruiz, a recent college graduate, originally from Florida and Cuban. She is about to enter the very white, male dominated world of investment banking on Wall Street. That is pretty much all I needed to know before I knew I wanted to read this novel. I enjoyed reading as she navigated her new adult life. Learning the subway, learning to share a studio apartment with an OCD roomie, new hire training at the shiny new company. She starts having feelings for her boss and is conflicted about that. Then… COVID hits. I was unaware of how much I did not want to be reminded of this point in time or the political climate. Some traumas aren’t quite ready to be seen again. I will say it did add to the story of Betsabé’s growth and finding her identity in the sea of New Yorkers. I really enjoyed the journey in this one and might have shed a few tears when she was with her family. It’s a beautiful story.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books that capture a snapshot of life and how things can readily change. 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 does just that as it follows Betsabé “Bets” Ruiz in her new high powered Wall Street job right out of college.

The story, a loose retelling of the Bible story of David and Bathsheba, is written as a letter to Betsabé’s unborn son. She tells of her journey of hard work, family heritage, and a complicated love affair with her boss.

Although the pace was unhurried, the author masterfully included several elements that kept it intriguing and exciting. Bets’ forbidden romance, office politics, the Covid pandemic, pregnancy, loss, and friendships are integral to her growth and maturity.


Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @jeanneblasberg for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

Thank you @ librofm for the gifted audiobook.