Promise Me Never

Promises Duet #1

by Nichole Greene

It was supposed to be a carefree summer, a chance for me to shed my bookworm ways and get some experience under my belt. Literally. Instead I find myself thrown in the path of the grumpy and frustratingly sexy, Luke Stone. He’s my grandpa’s right hand man on the ranch which makes him inescapable.

After tragically losing my wife I swore off love. I have no interest in opening myself up to that kind of pain again. Which is why I should not be saving Eliana Hart every time she makes a reckless decision. Until the night that changes everything and turns me into her teacher. I told her I’d make no promises and I meant it, no matter how much it hurts.

Genres: Westerns, Romance, Small Town Romance, Forced Proximity, Cowboy Romance, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2024

About the author

Nichole is a contemporary romance author. When she isn't writing, she's chasing her four children around. Writing has always been her aspiration but it wasn't until her husband suggested she actually follow dreams that she took the biggest step. Her debut novel, Cold and Broken exceeded her expectations and she can't wait to share more of the stories taking up space in her mind.

Her other hobbies include baking, listening to music, and reading. She also has an obsession with true crime podcasts and cheesy 80s movies.

Reviews

[Capt. · Rating 1 out of 5]

It seems like most of the positive reviews are of from ARC readers because I am baffled. How the fuck is this romantic?

Al they did was have sex then the MMC to turn to a fucking asshole then the FMC instantly forgives him then sex sex then MMC returning to being a worthless garbage then FMC being a pathetic woman AGAIN.

The message this book trying to say is that if there is love then everything is OK. I mean, how else can you explain how Eli can be a saint around someone as vile and nasty and ugly as Luke.

[Retsel Koko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of course he’s an asshole who lost the love of his life 🙄
Of course she’s a fucking virgin 🙄
Of course on top of being a virgin, she’s also a doormat 🙄
Of course they solve EVERYTHING through sex 🙄

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Nothing feels as good as you, Sunbeam.”

Promise Me Never is for the angst lovers. Little bit forbidden ranch hand having a summer fling with his bosses younger granddaughter, yes. Angsty and emotional AF at points, also yes. Luke is a man who suffered great losses back to back and has never let himself properly grieve those losses. Eli is the sunshine to his midnight rain (sorry, had to do it) even though Eli has her own life struggles and relationships to grieve.

I enjoyed this one and think it was probably one of this authors best books that’s contemporary. If you’re looking for your next favorite broody rancher and the starts of a romance filled with angst and emotion, then Promise Me Never is where you should turn your eyes and your kindle.

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CW: discussions about sudden death of a spouse, death of a parent due to illness, grief, emotional outbursts from a grief avoidant person, emotionally neglectful parents, fighting

[Grisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 stars

I was excited to start this CR duet because I can't resist a widower trope. Overall, I was satisfied with how it was handled. It was sweet, with a tinge of ache, and the writing was very decent. The Colorado ranch atmosphere was believable, as was the main characters' individuality.

However, for much of the book, the tension/ passion came across as more intellectual than visceral. This got a bit better in the last third of the book as Eli and Luke were heading towards heartbreak. Yet, the climax of this again lacked that gut wrenching quality. I still enjoyed this story and I am going straight into the final book to see their HEA.


My review for Book 2 (Duet conclusion): here

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P.S. Trivia: in a funny case of Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (as it so often happens with me 😅 in many aspects of my life), the last H of my previous read was also named Luke. I noticed it happening a lot in my reads lately, esp. when I am scouting for future TBR adds, like I stumble consecutively on the same names/surnames across genres.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm I'm not sure how I feel about this one. There were parts I definitely enjoyed and some other parts I didn't.

Things I liked:
The setting/vibes
The tension/angst
Puppy sidekick is always a win

What didn't work for me:
Certain phrases were repeated a little too often.. Piercing blue eyes, beat guys off with a stick, etc
Immediately following their first intimate moment, we got an inner monologue about his late wife. Obviously she is going to be at the forefront of his mind throughout the story as he is grieving, but having it be right after this moment with the FMC was tough for me. (Totally could be a 'me' thing)
I think in general, I just needed a stronger pull between these two, something to make me feel the connection more.

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Promise Me Never is book one of the Promises duet and I went into this not knowing much, just hearing it was super angsty and emotional. Since it’s a duet it does end on a cliffhanger without an HEA or HFN, so just know the overall story is not complete if you hop into this first book.

Eliana is headed to her grandparents ranch for the summer while college is out. She’s the daughter of two highly esteemed geologists who both teach at UCLA, and while her parents are proud of her intellect, there really has never been more of a connection or love from them. While on summer break, Eli is wanting to lose her virginity too! Luke is the grumpy ranch hand who manages her grandparent’s ranch and comes to pick her up at the airport.

Things start off rocky between them, but they quickly form a sort of friendship and when she drunkenly asks him to be her first one night, he ends up accepting the next day. Luke says he’ll be her first, as long as she promises to never fall in love with him. Luke is a widower who lost his wife 8 years ago and still isn’t over it, he definitely has a lot of emotions and grief. But he does start to feel alive again with Eli, instead of just living day by day. This one was just okay for me, I expected to love it more but it didn’t hit quite as emotionally as I thought it would.

CW: emotional neglect, loss of a pregnant spouse, alcohol use, slight violence, cliffhanger ending

[Megan Coggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Messy. Angsty. Forbidden. Angering.

Luke: the grump widowed cowboy
Emotionally stunted
You’re gonna want to punch him
Holding out hope tho for book 2

Eli: the young ranch owners granddaughter
Virgin
Little bit of a door mat here but I have a feeling that may change in the next book


If you read and liked Jewel e anns fisherman’s duet, this gives kind of similar vibes.

[Maggie Rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I'm giving this 2.5 and here's why I understand that Luke is still grieving amy but that doesn't excuse the way he treats Eli. The first time he gave her ice cream and it ended with him kind of touching her the next time it was a massage that ended up with sex and the next day she always just accepts that. I have trouble with mmc who are so hot and cold with the fmc.
She told him next time he treats her like he did she was done he ditched he on her birthday and the next day, I understand he was upset about Amy but Eli didn't know that and spent her whole 21st birthday night not really drinking in case he needed her just for him to say what he did to her.

[Karina]

I’m not a fan of books where the male lead is still pining for his ex. I’m no expert in grief but 8 years is quite some time to try and move on . This man deserves to be alone for how he treated this girl . Hope she ends up with someone else

[BookishRaquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

My Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐
My Spice Rating: 3/5 🌶️

What you’ll find:
💛 Protective MMC
💛 Strong FMC
💛 Virgin FMC
💛 Summer Fling
💛 Small Town Romance
💛 Age Gap (8 Years)
💛 Widower MMC

This was my introduction to Nichole Greene's work and I am officially a fan. It was easy for me to give this book 5 stars. Promise Me Never wrecked me in the best way possible.

Eliana "Eli" is visiting her grandparents' ranch for the summer. She is determined to get away from her parents' narrow-minded view of her and plans to have a summer of firsts. While there, she encounters Luke who works on the ranch. Luke is protective, strong, grumpy, and has not healed from the loss of his wife. He has sworn off love, however, when he meets Eli he starts to feel things he hasn't felt in a long time. Eli and Luke had amazing chemistry, but there were lots of ups and downs. Past trauma proves to be too much to bear and everything comes crashing down.

This was a wild ride! This is probably one of the best romance books I've ever read. I loved the main characters as well as the secondary characters. The writing was perfect and this was easy to read. I was an emotional wreck but I enjoyed every second of it. When I got to the end, I was left feeling like pages were missing. Nope, not the case. Nichole gave us a cliffhanger 😭 While I understand and fully support Eli doing what she felt was right at the time, I absolutely did not expect it. I may or may not have reached out to Nichole begging for the next book 🤣 Don't judge...my heart was hurting and I needed answers 🫣

Thank you Nichole Greene for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piece by beautiful piece

Eli and Luke were everything I didn’t know I needed! Their whirlwind romance was like waves crashing against sharp rocks at shore - you knew it was coming, but it still hurt when it happened! I couldn’t turn away from these characters and I was shocked the way it ended in that cliffhanger.

”This might be temporary, but the mark that he’s left on me is indelible.”

When Eli came to Colorado for the summer to spend time with her Grandparents, she was on a mission. Only…she never expected to meet Luke and connect with him the way she did. Luke has been in a perpetual state of pensive sadness for years now, just taking it day by day. But when Eli gives him feelings he hasn’t had for a long time, he’s unsure if he should be guilty or happy.

This rollercoaster romance is so up and down, but you find yourself rooting for them anyways! They both have their history of problems but when they get together it’s fireworks of chaos! I’m trying not to give anything away but when Luke finally meets his breaking point, the guilt takes over and he forces himself to say goodbye, due to his promises of forever to a ghost.

When the ending comes, my heart too breaks for both of them! More so for Eli who just aches for love in any way, shape or form she can get it. This will be so hard to come back from and I cannot wait for part two!!!

”I’m going to be the one she thinks of when she finds someone who isn’t damaged. Someone who can give her what she deserves.”

*Overall 5/5
*Heat? 5/5
*Med Burn
*Dual first person POV
*Ends on cliffhanger

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶🌶🌶

Eli is getting away from academia for the summer. Her parents are off being geologists, too busy to give her a lick of their attention.. but that's okay because what could be better than spending her 21st summer with her grandparents on their gorgeous Colorado ranch... plus it's the perfect time for her to finally lose her v card since she isn't nose deep in a book.

Luke... I think this grumpy guy is one of my favorite book boyfriends at the moment. Because seriously, this grouchy man is the sweetest.
After losing his wife in a freak accident, Luke is determined to live his life as a recluse. It's been 10 years since his wife died, and his little cabin is basically a shrine to who she was. But when Eli shows up at her grandparents' ranch, something about her has him hooked.

Emotional damage... that is what cliffhangers do to me. I really thought we were going to end this book with an HEA and no third act break up. But then I was left on a horse going full canter and the saddle not strapped on!!!! You can't leave me hanging like that!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, I feel for Luke on the other hand, I want to strangle him. The same goes for Eli.

I totally understand that the man is still grieving for his wife and unborn child, but that doesn't justify his awful behavior throughout the story. I'd get it if it was just a one-time occurrence, but it was frequent enough to be irritating. He had his tender moments, but he was a jerk. Repeatedly. The fact that she let him get away with it? Ridiculous. But, I'm chalking that up to her being inexperienced.

I hate that she was basically a doormat for him to walk all over and sincerely hope book two goes very differently. He needs to grieve properly before anything healthy can grow between them, and she needs to experience a man who can and will treat her with respect.

I did love the moments where he let his guard down and allowed himself to feel happiness. I liked her standing up for herself with her parents. I liked her finally getting away from his toxic behavior.

I know the story doesn't end here, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of their journey. I only hope she has more of a backbone, and he's learned to respect her a lot more. 🤞

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I really wanted to like this book. Virgin FMC, Grumpy MMC, Broken MMC, Grumpy/Sunshine, small town…

My heart needs love and I didn’t get it in the book. I’m
Hoping the second book will swoon me so I can come back to this review and state how much I loved this whole story.

Luke is a hot ranch hand and he’s walking around with a dark cloud over him at all times. He works hard, and he’s hard on himself. Losing his wife ruined him. As it should but he won’t let anyone close enough to love him back.

Eliana is at grandparents ranch for the summer and really trying to find herself. Also lose that v card.

Luke offers her a summer of hookup but no commitment or love. Even though he loves her in his own way but wont acknowledge it. He’s a protector and shows her that intimacy is hot and fun.

The ending.. which is a huge cliffhanger made me so freaking mad. Again, I hope I come can to this review and state how the second book saved the story.

[HeatherDawn the_sarcastic_librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book blind and then was blindsided with an angsty cliffy, which is my favorite kind. I did not read a blurb or anything. The only thing I knew was that it was small town, age gap, the mmc was a widower and it was supposed to be angsty. I LIVE for angsty small town romances. Give me all the angst and make it hurt and Nichole Greene delivered all of that and more in Promise Me Never. I absolutely loved this book. Eli's grandpa's ranch foreman, Luke, has my heart. He is just as precious as he is prickly. He has faced more heartache at a young age than any person should have to experience and Eli is a breath of fresh air with one summer goal, to lose her V-card. Eli is the perfect blend of innocence, intelligence, sarcasm and maturity. Her parents are academic @$$holes who care more about rocks than her. Thank goodness she has the most adorable and loving grandparents to show her the love she deserves. As Eli sets out to lose her V-card, Luke steps up to help her in her endeavor, but tells her she cannot catch feelings for him because he will never love anyone other than his deceased wife and Eli has plans to return to college at the end of summer, so they agree to a summer fling. They sneak around all summer, and Eli learns a lot from Luke and while Luke might be a grumpy grump, he's also a romantic grump. I took notes for my husband. The closer it gets to the end of summer, they both realize that feelings are developing but do not acknowledge it to each other. I do not want to spoil the ending of this book, just know that it ends on a sad cliffhanger and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.

[MarissaIsBooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 in a duet and I highly recommend going right into book 2…..

This was superrr angsty and honestly I loved the chemistry between Eli and Luke. The build up between them was so good, with the right amount of angsty burn and spice.

There’s a lot of unresolved grief and loss in this story, and this makes you really feel that heartache as much as the romance that was building.

I love a grumpy cowboy/rancher and Luke definitely fits that. However, I’m going to need a LOT of groveling from him in book 2 to forgive him…..

Highlights:
- Romance: MF
- Small town
- He works for her grandparents
- Angsty
- Life after loss

Check TWs/CWs listed in the book as there are several heavy topics discussed.

[Katelynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a duet that I'm definitely going to have to continue reading! I loved Eli was a mix of innocence, intelligence, and strength. She was looking to experience more while always working hard and coming across with a pretty sunny disposition. Then you have the grumpy ranch hand Luke, who is battling his own internal demons. He has that rough exterior hiding a gushy heart full of pain. I felt his agony and loss so thoroughly. This pain created plenty of angsty moments that Eli had to do some real searching aa to where to draw the line. I can't wait to see what happens next after the intriguing cliffhanger

[Sarah McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was shockingly good. I really wasn’t expecting much but I loved this book. It was cutie pie cowboy romance, very quick read, and is getting me through my Elsie silver drought until her next book comes out. Don’t get it twisted this book is mostly smut, but good smut and the rest of the book was not annoying at all, I genuinely enjoyed this plot and group of characters. Even the fights/couple conflicts didn’t bug me, which is a feat! I cant wait for the next one to come out. If I could change one thing I would’ve liked a bit more slow burn.. it wasn’t insta love but could’ve had more tension. Also this man needs therapy

[Ashley Schounard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not know this ended on a cliffhanger (went into this blind) but I am IMMEDIATELY starting book 2!

Eli and Luke don’t start off on the best foot and don’t end on one either. The relationship with her parents is heartbreaking but love the relationship she has with her grandparents. Don’t get me started on Luke’s past… HEART.BREAKING!

My only negative is about half of the bedroom scenes could have been removed. Just felt it was a smidge too much for the length and plot.

Kindle unlimited

[Yames Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

4🍭🍭🍭🍭

As a romance reader, I really like when stories are different! This is the case here. I love the characters, the background story, the angst and the feelings.

I’m looking forward for the next book but I hope is not one of those duets with an unnecessary second part.

[CeCe · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing was very, very amateurish. It felt forced as if “this is what I want it to come across” as instead of it allowing it all to happen organically. Allow me, the reader, to come to my own conclusion. I am not an idiot. If the guy does not talk much and grunts, I will see that in the voice of the character. You do not have to tell me. Additionally, the heroine was not my favorite.
Gods luck. DNF. I just couldn’t connect.

[Reading With April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a random read (Amazon suggested it) & I'm glad a dove into it. I loved the two main characters & enjoyed the side characters as well. Certain parts had me in my feelings 🥺 but I loved that. Also, the 🌶 was good. Now, onto part #2 of this duet.

[mehrnaz · Rating 1 out of 5]

more like promise me you'll never read this wth

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

This book was really good. I’ve been dnfing a lot lately and I’ve been so disappointed in several new releases from my favorite authors. Because of that, I was so thrilled that I was sucked immediately into this. The tension between Eli and Luke was so good. I loved the dynamics between all the characters. It was extremely well written and for the first time in a while, I couldn’t wait to get home from work and back to this book. It was compelling and suspenseful the way Luke and Eli’s story played out. It ended on a gut wrenching cliffhanger where Luke rips Eli’s heart out and I’m dying to see how he comes back from that!

[Kylie Rudsinski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again a book that completely lacked emotion for me. I didn’t feel anything for Eli or Luke. Maybe more sadness and empathy for Luke as he was a widower and I can only imagine how attempting to move on from that is. But I wasn’t invested in their story - it seemed like I both had too many random details and at the same time not enough, like the story jumped around different gaps.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promise Me Never
By Nichole Greene

Listen here. When I got to the 94% mark on Kindle and I realized there clearly was not enough time left for this book to end exactly the way I wanted it to, I started to panic. I panicked right up til the last page and Lord have mercy, I am reeling. Though I understand Eli’s decision and thank Colt for standing up for her, I wasn’t ready for this cliffhanger. I will be in a book hangover status for several days, without doubt! Thank goodness I wrote my summary of the plot for my review BEFORE I realized all of this because I’m sitting here, staring at the screen, wanting words to come to me, but all I can do is feel. Feel LOTS, that is, and I didn’t even have a bottle of wine ready to break in to and sip on as I stew over this ending! Phew. *says to self* “We’ll make it to part two!!”

Promise Me Never is a small-town romance with an age gap between Eli and Luke, our main characters. He’s a widower and she is a college student who is still a virgin, determined to lose her v-card while visiting her grandparents on their ranch over the summer. Luke’s past trauma causes him to be an overprotective character, especially when he finds himself becoming attracted to Eli after she has an accident where her head is smacked against a boulder while exploring amongst the ranch shortly after arriving. They promise their summer fling isn’t going to end in anything serious other than a casual hook up until Eli leaves.

Promise Me Never has amazing characters in it; I fell in love with Luke and Eli immediately. As much as I love them, the secondary characters are all just as amazing and this just pulls the book together, in my opinion.

Luke is the definition of an angsty ranch hand. Leave it to Eli, the granddaughter of the ranch owners, who are Luke’s bosses, to break through his hardened shell and bring light to his life once again. Eli is sassy and intelligent, she can hold her own but what’s so loveable about her, is she doesn’t want to have to hold her own. She wants to love and be loved, and I swooned like crazy she broke down Luke’s walls. He clearly loves her, as she does him, but he will not allow himself the happiness because of the overwhelming guilt he has about potentially moving on after his wife’s death. It's sad, tragic, heart-wrenching, while all at the same time it’s spicy, steamy, and exciting.

I will officially be worthless until book two of this duet comes out so I can devour it and watch, hopelessly, as their story develops. Nichole Greene wrote an amazing novel in Promise Me Never and she’s got all of my feelings tangled up the minute I flipped to that last page! Excuse me while I continue my stalkerish perusal of Nichole's website, Instagram, etc to figure out when part two drops because I have to know there an end in sight, and create a countdown!


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

BookIG: @tequilamockingbirdlady
GR profile: mvporter

[Julia David · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down to 3

Thank you to The Author Agency for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-Angst Central-

I’m always down for a tortured MMC and when presented the opportunity to read an ARC of this book after reading the premise, I quickly signed up to get my hands on a copy. Did it deliver? Well yes, but not in the best way it could have.

Luke and Eli were cute. His little gestures and his willingness to look out for her is sweet. Do we get the “alpha” type, “nobody touches her” scenes? Yes. but honestly, it could have been worse and when they actually communicated properly, they communicated well.

It’s established that Luke’s wife has passed eight years prior. Characters talk about Amy’s (MMCs wife) influence in Luke’s life even in the present day. Though she is referred to multiple times in the book, the essence of her isn’t integrated smoothly into the story. I think she gets name-dropped out of nowhere sometimes to create tension that’s unnecessary instead of being an overarching presence in Luke’s life and we especially see that when Luke and Eli start to get into a s*xual relationship. You kind of forget about Amy and theeen oop- right- Amy.

Maybe this is a personal preference, but his reluctance towards relationships should have been upkept longer considering all the information we have on his character.

Speaking of relationships, this book is all but 248 kindle pages long, but these characters are going at each other for about 60% of it, so if you’re not into smut heavy books, I probably wouldn’t recommend this to you.

Finally, the ending was so abrupt. It totally caught me off guard and whether we need a sequel yet, I can’t say. But, what I can say is that the way this book ended was so angsty and dramatic that I’m actually really curious how the rest of the story plays out lol So at least it has me hooked.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but neither Luke or Eli are particularly all that memorable. Due to it being a two-parter, it was a pretty quick read and did help me get out of a slump. It’s angsty, dramatic, and if you want all of that and a small town background, as well as hellathen I’d recommend reading Promise Me Never.

- - - - - - -
Thank you again to The Author Agency for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promise Me Never by @nicholegreene.author tells the story of Eli, a 20-year-old college girl and Luke, a surly 28-year-old widower that works on her grandparents' ranch. Through Eli's summer break, the two of them break down one another's barriers and insecurities and try to keep their planned summer fling secret, until one night when everything changes and everyone but Eli's grandparents discover the truth behind why the lead ranch hand suddenly has such an affiliation with the owners' granddaughter. The book ends on a massive cliffhanger that honestly made me check with the promotional team to ensure I wasn't missing part of the eARC file. Book 2 is going to have so much explaining to do in order to help every plot point conclude.

I adore the age gap between Eli and Luke, especially because he doesn't treat her any differently because she is younger than him. (If you know me personally, then you know I have a 7.5 year age gap with my husband.) Luke never demeans Eli's place in the world as a college student, nor does he feel the need to belittle her in front of her friends. They both come with emotional baggage with Luke's in the form of losing his wife 10 years ago and Eli's in the case of emotionally absent and emotionally abusive parents. I have to rate this book a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ with one star being taken off for Luke's bouts of anger that he lashes out (sometimes unexpectedly) on Eli and how quickly she forgives him for these transgressions. For the rest of the book, Luke is extremely sweet to Eli, but I wish he had not acted like a grade-A jerk to her when Eli's grandfather mistakingly mentions Luke's deceased wife Amy when returning home from a cattle sale. If you're in the mood for a grumpy/sunshine cowboy romance in a soon-to-be completed duology (but without a HEA just yet), then check out Promise Me Never. There also are mentions of several goats and the cutest puppy ever named Charlie that feature heavily in the story. Who could ask for better than companion animals making an appearance? 🥰

(I received an electronic ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Agnieszka Chajmik · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review for 'Promise Me Never' by Nichole Greene

First of all, let me start by saying that I am a fan of Nicole's books. Although small town romance is not typically my first choice, I knew that whatever Nicole had written was going to be good, and I was not mistaken.

'Promise Me Never' is a captivating small-town romance novel that explores the age gap trope. The story revolves around Luke, a widower, and Eli, a college student who is determined to lose her virginity while visiting her grandparents on their ranch in Colorado over the summer. Luke's past trauma makes him overprotective, especially when he finds himself becoming attracted to Eli after she has an accident while exploring the ranch soon after arriving. Despite their growing attraction, they both promise themselves that their summer fling will not turn into anything serious until Eli leaves.

From the beginning, I found myself drawn to both characters. Eli is intelligent, compassionate, and hardworking. Her character is driven and bold, and some of her sassy lines had me laughing out loud.

Luke, on the other hand, is a complex character who is still dealing with the tragedy of losing his wife. Despite his initially harsh and abrasive demeanor, he is a good-hearted man who deeply cares about those around him. His dedication to his job and his constant growth throughout the story make him a compelling character.

While the story may seem cliche and cheesy at first glance, the chemistry between Eli and Luke is palpable right from the start. Their relationship is beautifully portrayed, and the plot development tugged at my heartstrings, particularly when their sparks ignite in every direction, even though it takes them some time to realize it.

'Promise Me Never' is the first book in the Promises duet and ends with an angsty cliffhanger. However, the story is deliciously filled with drama, constant ups and downs, and the delightful banter between the characters. It is the perfect read for a weekend, offering both entertainment and emotional depth.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Promise Me Never
Author: Nichole Greene
Hero/Heroine: Luke & Eli
Tropes: Age Gap, Grumpy x Sunshine, Cowboy Hero, Small Town, Boss’s Granddaughter, Virgin Heroine, Spicy Lessons

tw/cw: death of a loved one, absent parents, grief, body and slut shaming,

✨the good ✨

Luke Stone. Boy do you have some explaining to do. That ending. I just can’t. Apart from the cliffhanger (which, not gonna lie, is still too soon to talk about) this small town, grumpy sunshine romance was a pretty addictive read.

When Eli ends up at her grandparents ranch for the summer after being ditched by her parents, she meets Luke Stone. Still grieving his wife’s death, he’s in no mood to look after a teenager. However, he gets the shock of his life when he meets Eli and realises she’s not the spoilt princess he thought she was.

This story was a fast paced, angst filled read and I was completely hooked from start to finish. Luke, though he gave off this grumpy, take no shit air, you could tell that he really started to care for Eli. And Eli was such a great heroine, always ready to give Luke his answer and not willing to put up with his attitude. I also loved the friendship group as well, Colt and Sam were so sweet to be there for Eli when she really needed them (and if you’ve read this book, you’ll know what I mean by this).

All in all, this small town romance had me gripped from the very first page, I’m not sure I can wait until the next book is out. When is it released again?

✨ the bad ✨

That cliffhanger though.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.

✨overall thoughts: small town. grumpy hero. sunshine heroine. I mean, what’s not to love?
✨ 3rd act break up: yes
✨ heat level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨ star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️