Passion and Promises

Small Town Sweethearts #1

by Sephyrra

Cora
Cupcakes, chaos, and my twin teens – that's my world. As the proud owner of The Sweet Fairy, Silverton’s favorite bakery, I spin sugar and spice into everything nice. It's a sweet life, literally, even with the whirlwind of raising twins solo. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Enter Axel Blackstone, my enigmatic new neighbor. His brooding, intense gaze captivates me. He’s a riddle, cloaked in silence. His rare smiles send my heart racing. Behind those deep, intriguing eyes, I sense there is something exciting, but darned if I can figure him out. All I know is, he's stirring up more than just my recipes.


Axel
In Silverton, I'm just Axel, not an ex-soldier with a prosthetic leg or a former security chief for a billionaire.
This quiet town was supposed to be a sanctuary but Cora, with her fiery red hair and contagious laughter, shattered my peace. She's fearless, yet wary of love, a contradiction that draws me in. Cora's presence is a risk, a reminder of old wounds, but there's something about her that's irresistibly intriguing. In a town where everyone thinks they know you, she's the mystery I can't help but want to unravel.

In this spicy small-town romance, discover a tale of sweet surprises and a Valentine's promise of a happily ever after.

Featuring:

Second chance romance
Adorable curvy heroine
Swoon-worthy amputee hero
Forced proximity
He falls first and falls hard
Slow burn romance
Spicy scenes
Main Characters over 35 years

Genres: Romance

313 pages, ebook

Published January 30, 2024

About the author

Sephyrra juggles the lively bustle of family life with her passion for writing. She's a fan of all types of romance - from spicy love stories to intense dark romances. When she's not busy with her family or stirring pots in the kitchen, she's crafting stories about plus-size characters over 35. Her writing is a blend of humor, heart, and a wide spectrum of emotions, reflecting her love for diverse romance genres. In her world, every free moment is a chance to explore the many flavors of romantic storytelling.

Reviews

[Fey Flowers (enbytweenthepages) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 68% - What in the patriarchy is this? Cora is a survivor who's risen like a damn phoenix - she doesn't need permission from her teenage son whose toxic masculinity is already kicking way too hard. She could just be honest with her kids instead of being submissive?!

I tried, I really tried. As a fat person myself I feel so seen in Cora and love everything about this woman - except for her kid Jayden and her love interest Axel.

Axel has a rough past himself - I love that he went to therapy to learn to live with his disability and all the many changes he must take. He is a potential catch - BUT

- "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" in THAT moment or anytime? Can we please stop with this b*llshit?
What doesn't kill you gives you anxiety and trauma. It sucks up joy and energy.
Romanticizing trauma is such a disgusting thing.

- He goes behind her back because he didn't want to wait for her to tell him about her hurtful past. Boooooo!

- He is a veteran (That one is personal)

I desperately hoped for more because Cora deserves everything.

Adrian, the therapist is the absolute horror of a guy and also Zade, Axel's best friend. They are adults - stop calling women "girls" - and stop acting like women are underwear. Just gross these guys.

This story has so much potential. Just why?

Cora, Juniper, Kehlani and Maeve are such fine characters but the men are just garbage. - If I want garbage men I just open a dating app.

If you think that I'm just a silly leftist feminist: Yes. A proud one.

[CriSsStina · Rating 2 out of 5]

⚪️ the cover is pretty
⚪️ finally, both main characters are over 30 years old (h is 38, H is 40)
⚪️ I liked the small-town vibes and the bakery set-up
⚪️ I liked her BFF and her manager side characters
⚪️ appreciated the playlist and how each chapter had a song assigned
⚪️ it was a freebie on Amazon, so there's that


*posible spoilers*
.
.
.
⚫️ the writing style wasn't for me, but despite that, this was a quick read
⚫️ I didn't understand some of these characters' choices, like why the MMC refused to talk for such a long time with his former employer and best friend, especially after a few years of therapy
⚫️ cringe moments that should have been fun / interesting but weren't (e.g., the ladded between bedrooms, uhm sir, why take such risk, use the fuckin' door, you are both adults!!!)
⚫️ soap opera style of drama; sometimes it works, but this was not the case; seriously, her ex managed to get out of that fire and explosion, how and why? just to come back as the main villain; the fact that he was back was predictable; I expected, though, for him to be disfigured, something, anything 😂
⚫️ they didn't use protection and didn't even talk about that, and she is surprised she's pregnant; ma'am, you've 38 and a mom, use your brain 😂
⚫️ the spice was there, not overdone, but awkward, meh, and with that terminology that makes it cringey
⚫️ I hated that entire scene where the kids break the window with a ball because of how the FMC and her kids behaved (I still don't know their ages, just that they are teenagers, but they sometimes behave like toddlers, especially her son); that's not momma bear behavior, she was sooo out of line and then she is still a coward and HE of course has the initiative and does everything for apologizing
⚫️ the revelation that he is in love with her was painfully out of nowhere and not believable; insta lust, absolutely valid; but they talked just a bunch of times until that moment (superficially I might say), they didn't had one single date yet, but he loves her; *rolling eyes*

I think I had a few more points on my list, but I forgot them. So I'll stop here 😂😊🤷‍♀️.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this and this is my honest review.

I loved the idea behind this story. So much of it held incredible potential. Unfortunately, I felt like there were several inconsistencies (mainly in characterization) and inaccuracies (such as with hospitalizations).These pieces were important to the plot but personally I think they needed to be handled differently.

By far, my least favorite character is Jayden, the son. He is consistently behaving inappropriately for situations and no one truly addresses this with him. It does lead to a huge problem for the family, but I think there was a way to allow him growth while also maintaining his protective nature and personality.

I loved the representation of a plus-sized FMC, and MMC with a physical disability. Juniper was so much fun. ❤️

[C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Confused

Closed door intimacy is great...but this is like closed door conversation and closed door relationships and closed door everything. Everything happens behind the scenes. Well not the fighting because in 3 weeks homegirl became a pro boxer,🙄

[Karina Maggard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense meets wholesome storyline

Spice - 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️/5
🪖- veteran
🧁- dark past
🪖- disabled MMC
🧁- curvy FMC
🪖- past trauma
🧁 - past trauma
🪖- found family
🧁- single mom of twins
🪖🧁- HEA

[Maria]

FREE today (May 18, 2024) on Amazon.

[Stephanie Abelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had a little bit of everything

Loved this story! It had a little bit of everything. A great small town love story, a little spice, and some good suspense with a twist.

[Dave Saari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard Romance Novel Fare

The complete title for this book by Sephyrra is “Passion and Promises: A Plus Size Second Chance Romance,” which does a very nice job of setting the stage for the reader’s expectations. The book delivers on those expectations with standard Romance novel fare, including – as promised – a second-chance romance for the plus-sized heroine Cora with hot amputee Axel. The book is written in first-person narrative style with chapters by Cora and Axel, and the eBook version includes a link at the beginning of each chapter to a song which is presumably intended to set the mood for the ensuing episodes. Since I was only interested in reading a book, as opposed to having a multimedia experience, I didn’t listen to any of the songs, but I’m guessing that many readers will find that feature of the book quite appealing.

Back to that standard romance novel fare. We are treated to meet-cute, instant attraction, hesitancy to commit, plenty of hot love scenes, exceedingly villainous bad guys – all the usual good stuff. For me, however, it came across as rather unoriginal, and there were several things that turned me off. Many of the descriptions struck me as unrealistic or silly, such as an elevator accident more likely to occur in a third-world country than a modern American building and a dog whose jaws would need to be hippo-sized to do what he does. The supporting characters also struck me as one-dimensional. Finally, the book could be the poster child for my lonely crusade to eliminate use of the pseudo-word “alright,” which appears dozens of times. I know the word is creeping into common usage, probably thanks to The Who and their well-known album back in the boomer days, but to me every occurrence is like nails on a chalkboard.

To sum up, my guess is that the book will be well-received by hard-core Romance fans, but perhaps less so by readers of other genres.

[P.J. Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not the typical audience for romance novels, but I must admit, I was engaged by the story. The characters are enjoyable and relatable, the two MCs being both damaged in some way, and it's nice to watch them open up to the idea of love.

I often class romance as fantasy, as that's essentially what it is. It's an escape from reality and Passion and Promises delivers on this front. It combines all the ingredients unique to this genre, couple meet, they fall for each other, there's usually some kind of tension that keeps them apart etc etc.

For me though, it was too fantasy, the love affair seemed to happen too quick, but if you like that kind of thing, it's great as you get to the passion sex much earlier, and there is a lot of it here, which is what the book promises and delivers on.

The other aspect was the villain of the piece, being told in the first person perspective, you never get any glimpse of him, or his skills and how he manages to do what he does, as well as why he holds such a grudge, other than he's bad. This kind of lets the book down for me, as I found myself not really caring for the MCs or even worrying about them. After all, all we know about him was he did illegal stuff, he's bad and he's a lawyer. A lawyer, fine, white collar crime for criminals, but hardly someone with the right skills to be the menace he should be.

Overall, a solid novel that's well written, great characters, with good spicy love scenes.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cora has a quiet life working hard at her bakery, which she's purchased when the previous owner passed away. Loving how she brings joy to her customers and her bakery has become a essential part of the community. Her twins are the most important thing to her always working hard to support and care for their wellbeing. Yet behind all this she is hiding a big part of her past, always being careful who she gets close to, never looking for any sort of romantic relationship, just her and the twins. Axel has always been a strong man, firstly in the army then working as Head in his best friends security team. Until the accident occurs and he looses his leg, struggling to come to terms with his disability he goes totally of the rails. Then as if that's not enough his fiancée leaves him staying he's changed and its to much for her. Moving to a small town to find himself and rebuild his life, he walks into a bakery that totally change his outlook. Who is the vision he sees no other than Cora. But can these two flawed people help each other, or will their personal issues prove to much. This is a gripping story with some sensitive issue's, but it's also a story of growth, hidden strength and coping with regret. I recieved this as an ARC copy and this is my own honest opinion and review of the book

[K.T. Munson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review

This shouldn't be labeled a 'second chance' romance but rather an 'instant love' story. That theme more correctly depicts this story. Normally I like insta-love stories but this one just felt too rushed and over the top. Also why did Cora keep falling to the ground? She should probably get that checked out. Despite a few weird actions, all joking aside, I actually really liked Cora. She's a determined mother, business owner, and resilient woman. Enter Axel too gorgeous and rich, thanks to his accident. I was sort of split on Axel - some of his behavior was endearing and other parts boarded on creepy. That being said, I did like the representation that he brought to the book. I loved all the supporting characters - they were great! So the characters were decent and the insta-love pretty believable. I even liked her sorted past - that was a wonderful lesson for readers and gave Cora such amazing depth. The problem was the plot after that was so painfully predictable I was bored. I was almost through it so I stuck it out since the writing was decent, but it ended about how I'd thought with nothing new or surprising towards the end. If you love romance, and want an easy read - this is the book for you.

Rating

3.5 stars (rounded down)

Wonderful characters, decent writing, and an unoriginal romance plot. Perfect for the beach or airplane ride.

[Saba Aneeq · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
I absolutely loved the concept of an independent woman (Cora) who runs a business (bakery) all by herself. She is surrounded by genuine people, which include her children and two of her best friends. The list gets heavier when enters our hero, Alex. He is a strong and protective man who is head over heels in love with Cora (love at first sight 💕) and supports her in every way.
The narrative is flowing and continuous, reading in one go type, which is something very positive.
Some incidents in the book that put me off while reading. (Something that got to do with my age, may be, where logic and practicality are required).
1. The ferris wheel situation.........
2. Setting the ladder in between the windows......
3. The scene at the motel where Rose shoots Gabriel down and later he is engulfed by flames, yet he survives 2 deadly tragedies.
4. An explosion throws Rose out of the window, yet being pregnant, she gets up and moves on.
Points 1 and 2 would score high with teenagers and girls in their early 20s but not with adults who have seen enough around.
Ignoring these, overall, the book is a very good package with the right amounts of drama, romance, and feeling of positivity in the end. It's a must read.

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passion and Promises is a sweet and steamy,small town, he falls first,grumpy-sunshine, curvy single mom gets her hunky injured hero romance. Cora is a curvy, sassy, independent bakery owner who is a divorced mom to twin teen daughters and a son. Her divorce was bad, and she now has no desire to have another relationship. Axel is a hunky, grumpy, injured, ex-military man who lost his leg. He is still dealing with that and is jaded to love after his fiancé left him when he was injured. He then became head of security for his billionaire friend. Axel comes to town looking for a fresh start. He sees Cora and falls hard and fast. This story was a lot about healing and becoming better after rebuilding from heartache. Can these two heal each other? Will Cora let love in? Throw in some mystery and overprotective kids, and you get quite the story. I thought the couple had great chemistry. It read fast overall but had a few slow spots for me. This really was a sweet and steamy, heart felt romance. I always love seeing a middle-aged, plus-size female find her love 😀.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tishana Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book that I ever read by Sephyrra and I absolutely loved it.

The story follows characters Axel and Cora as they navigate the darkness of their paths, start over in a small town and eventually find love and happiness while becoming the best version of themselves.

Through all that they both been through in their individual lives, they helped each other by being their support person, Axel helping Cora deal with the emotional scars left by her ex-husband, Cora helping Axel realize he’s worthy of love after a freak accident at work caused him to lose part of his leg.

I’m a sucker for a sweet romance story and the fact it ends in a HEA was the best! The story itself had great flow and I felt was tied in well between flashbacks of the past and the character’s storylines, being a blended family and really shows that we can all get through the dark battles that we dealt with in our past and live a happier life, being a better version of ourselves in the end. If you love a good love story, this book is for you! :)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

***ARC REVIEW***
Name: Passion and Promises
Author: Sephyrra
Rate: 4.75 🌟

~Second book that I’ve read written by this upcoming indie author Sephyrra!!This is a Spicy Small Town Romance which is a perfect read now in February!

Cara FMC lives in a small town with her kids in which they are twins. She is a curvy red head, beautiful, strong, and independent, plus she owns her own bakery called “The Sweet Fairy”. I loved her character so much, because at the end she says f*ck it to all and be the better person. She is just an awesome person. Her son OMG… he is a character!!! You know what they say “Boys will always protect their mom”, so he sure does… Axel MMC starts off as a leave me alone type guy since he is going through some stuff but when he walks in The Sweet Fairy for the first time he falls for Cara!! The way he conquers her heart… Just perfect!!! The Storyline, the plot, the spice… it was all great! Go check out this book if you enjoy HEA endings!!!

[Sotto Voce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the very template of a rom-com. Readers who are into this kind of love story would like it more than I do. If that is your thing, give this book a chance and enjoy it.

Personally, it feels too unoriginal, I gain nothing from it. I know, originality is debatable nowadays and to a certain extent, it applies to every single creative work out there. However, I have read and seen this story many times before; it’s very predictable with all the cliché tropes and cringe scenes. Fairy tale, meet-cute, a hero,’ bestie sidekicks that only serve as plot devices, even a one-dimensional moustache-twirling villain. There are motivational messages, and I appreciate the effort, but again, the packaging feels very syrupy, wrapped up with the most predictable and cliché endings.

This is a personal review and very subjective. Many romance readers would appreciate this book. I wish the author the best for her effort.

[Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it !!! a great start for a new series !! love Cora and Axel... this is their love story... a sweet and heart felt love story... starting over... a new town... a new life... that's what they both need... their past is heart breaking... their future is bright , but, only if they take the leap... Axel is a disabled vet going through a lot... Cora is raising twins and has her bakery... he falls first and fast... it's love at first sight for him... she had a bad divorce... so... what a sweet story..!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annette Hatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved that this book gave way to giving just enough information of each character to keep my interest. A very heartfelt and captivating story that had me wanting to know what happens next. I will say I did predict part of the ending, but it didn’t keep me from finishing the book! The main character grew throughout the book and you got to see that growth and enjoy it. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a nice cozy romance with very little spice and a lot of love.
I did receive this book as an arc to give an honest review!

[Curvy Girls Read Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing his leg in a work accident, and his fiancee in the aftermath, Axel moves to Silverton, Oregon for a reset. Enter bakery owner Cora and Axel falls for her right away. The single mom turns out to be his neighbor who is notoriously private, with walls surrounding her heart from a traumatic past.

This slow burn romance follows Cora and Axel's slow burn romance as he shows up for her again and again. Their story is both suspenseful and sweet. Looking forward to Zade and Juniper's story in the next book!

[Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know

So much happened in the fist 35%of the story that it was too much. I felt like it was just drama for the sake of drama and these people would have just stayed away from one another with all the chaos. Also, if a man I had known for like 2 days licked my face, it would be an immediate no. Full stop. No second chance. Restraining order. You can't just go around licking people...

[3v4nny]

was it the best book written? no. was it very corny at times? very much so, but boy do i love this damn book! im ngl axel being in love from that first scene made the book a fav, cause wdym he was saying hes in love and i hadnt even gotten through 1/4 of the book, i loved it. coras kids was such a good addition to the book and jayden made me laugh sm. i love single mom books and i need more!

[Jessica D · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. I like the story line but I just don’t feel like it’s written well. I feel like the author honestly tried to pack in too much detail and too many scenes that just don’t add up. I finished it, though it was difficult for me to follow along. That being said, I liked the MC’s and their backstories. I also think the cover is beautiful!

[Sara Carver · Rating 4 out of 5]

One word: SWEET! Sweet treats, sweet kids, and a sweet, sweet man. This is a second chance at love, small town, single mom, disabled man, love story. If you’re looking for a feel good, make you smile, kind of romance - this is it!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passion and Promises is a charming romance novel with likeable and relatable characters that I really enjoyed. Loved every moment of this story. It has spice, romance, suspense; I didn't want to put it down. Great vacation read! Would definitely recommend!

[Hanna Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute second chance romance that I really enjoyed. Interesting characters, fun romance, and a great story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Diane Jewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read 🌶

Passion and Promises by Sephyrra ⭐⭐⭐

It was ok, doesn't make me want to read book 2.

Cora+Axel both in their 30 should know what happens when you have bedroom scenes without protection...... Yes its a small town spicy love story

[Sara Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero Of My Heart

This book was great! The action was fantastic and the spicy was so hot! Even though Axel was our main man… it was Cora’s strength and determination that made her the hero! It such a powerful message about starting over and letting love back in! So romantic!!

[Georgia Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this sounded interesting but the execution was lacking. It was incredibly insta-love and their connection felt quite forced. Nothing felt very developed and there were a few inconsistencies. Two stars for Leo bc he’s the goodest boy ever

[Brittany Tabor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off pretty strong. Got super cheesy and cliche. It felt like an off brand Hallmark movie.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason I finished it was by skimming the last 30%. It started off okay but it did not keep my attention.