You Promised Me Forever

by L.A. Cotton

From bestselling author L A Cotton comes an emotional and angsty coming-of-age story about loss, love, and second chances. When Penny Wilson moves into the Freeman group home, she doesn’t know it will be the best and worst thing ever to happen to her. There, she meets troubled teen Blake Weston. Despite being angry and bitter at the world, he quickly becomes Penny’s protector. And their bond becomes one of survival, friendship... and first love. Until he abandons her without warning. Five years later, Penny’s life comes full circle when she lands a summer job as a camp counselor working with foster kids. It’s her chance to finally heal old scars and put the past behind her. Until she comes face to face with the boy who broke her heart. The boy who promised her forever. *You Promised Me Forever is a standalone romance and deals with sensitive issues that may be triggering for readers. It was previously published under the title Lucky Penny and has been extensively rewritten and includes an extended epilogue.

Genres: Second Chance, Romance, Second Chance Romance, Friends To Lovers, Emotional, Contemporary Romance, Coming Of Age

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 29, 2024

About the author

Reckless Love. Wild Hearts.

L A COTTON is USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty mature young adult and new adult novels, LA COTTON is happiest writing the kind of books she loves to read: addictive stories full of teenage angst, tension, twists and turns.

Home is a small town in the middle of England where she currently juggles being a full-time writer with being a mother/referee to two little people. In her spare time (and when she’s not camped out in front of the laptop) you’ll most likely find LA immersed in a book, escaping the chaos that is life.

L A loves connecting with readers, and you can find her at:

Official Website
www.lacotton.com

Social Media
www.facebook.com/authorlacotton
www.instagram.com/authorlacotton

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

📚𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑📚 Is a full length romance novel by L.A. Cotton. ❥ Penny & Blake ❥

This was such a beautiful heartfelt emotional story, I was pulled in straightaway, so absorbed in their story that before I knew it I’d inhaled it at record speeds.

I loved seeing her growth
I loved seeing how he never forgot about her

These two were so perfect together, he was her protector, she was his best friend.

These two first meet when Penny lands herself at the 'Freeman' group home for foster children, at the age of twelve with nothing but a small bag which held all her belongings. Blake shoulders most of the burdon and protects her as much as he can within that environment.

One day he hung the moon and the next he was gone. No explanation.

Then they meet again many years later at 'Camp Chance' a summer camp where fostered children go for the summer. Unbeknownst to her it's where Blake also works during summer.

Penny is still stuck in the past, an introvert who doesn't like human touch, is shy beyond her years and takes a while to come out of her shell, but slowly we see her changing, growing and becoming a better version of herself. I loved seeing the changes within her.

Blake had a wee bit of baggage tying him down, but couldn't hide the love that he still felt for his 'Lucky Penny' it's always been her. But just like before he does a disappearing act.

These two were like ships passing in the night, missed opportunities, outside influences kept them apart, another encounter has Blake explaining everything, why he'd disappeared, why he never came back for her, why he left her behind.

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[evieo17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t really a big fan of Blake. It felt like he didn’t do much to get out of his situation even after reconnecting with Penny.
He fought to be with Penny when he was young but somehow he just seemed to give up as he got older and just went along with what everyone else wanted of him. Even we he found Penny again, he didn’t really fight as hard as he could have.

[Pauline (booksofviolette) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Penny and Blake were fostered in the same group home when they were kids. Blake was her best friend, her protector. And then he left without a warning and Penny was alone. Five years later, Penny goes to summer camp as a councellor for foster kids. What she doesn't expect is to find out that Blake is also a councellor there...

----------

And what I did not expect was how devastating this story was going to be!

Penny managed to survive in a home every kid wanted to leave. Her mental health is deeply affected but she goes forwards, she tries, and that makes her so much stronger than she realizes.

The setting at a summer camp was refreshing. I love that we get to have flashbacks from Penny and Blake's childhood, it makes us understand their relationship and bond so much better.

Blake is a more complicated character for me, I tried to understand why he didn't do more, but hey, he was just a kid as well.

I went in blindly and was immediately invested in Penny's story. I cried. A lot.
LA Cotton is always a hit for me !

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just so-so for me. I went into it really excited honestly and was hoping to love it. I had seen a lot of raving reviews so I was expecting to have a similar experience.

I liked the story/plot overall but i feel like it just feel a little flat at times and not a lot happened with the amount of time that was passing ing the story. Maybe I just I just couldnt relate to Penny's character because I would have acted totally differently in her situation, but i felt like she just dragged on the process during camp so much and I wish it progressed quicker. Because it was so slow progression wise during that part of the book, i feel like i didnt connect to her relationship as much as i normally do. I typically connect deeply with book relationships and am crying for all their lows and excited by all their highs ... this couple just had me blah the whole time.

It was a good story, but didnt really leave me effected at the end of the day.

[jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk why but I feel like she deserved better

[li ୨୧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

rtc

[direreadsromance · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 it was okay at best

[Noëmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book 😳, I wasn’t expecting this to be so emotional… and oh my heart wasn't prepared for it.
This story was nothing like the Lakeshore U series. It really was a whole new universe and I really enjoyed it. I felt hurt, sad, anxious, nervous for both characters and what they went through. I loved the flashbacks cause they help to understand everything.

Blake and Penny's story was a roller coaster of emotions. I enjoyed the way Penny fights against herself, to feel better. She's trying to move on with her life. I loved her friendship with Marissa.
Blake isn't your typical man, he has a past and his present is complicated. I enjoyed how his character evolved all along. I adored how Penny and Blake reconnected, which wasn't easy. They share a really strong bond and find it hard to ignore. The author really did a great job of expressing their feelings.

Overall, it was a great story. I'd recommend it.

[Brooke Noy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just wanted a little more. Maybe if Blake’s POV came in earlier or we saw more of his time after foster care. It just didn’t hit all the way for me.

[Julie Workman|Bookaholic Sisters Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake and Penny's story's was heartbreakingly beautiful, I read it in a few short hours because I couldn't put it down.
The journey was rough and heartbreaking, I cried with both sad and happy tears, the angst had me in knots. I couldn't read it fast enough, it was absolutely brilliant

100% must read

[TheSassyNerdBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely not what I was expecting from L.A Cotton but I’m not mad about it. This book was emotional and when I say emotional, I mean my heart hurt so much for these characters. I love my emotional reads but I am not used to L.A writing them… however, she writes them very damn well apparently! She brought out so much heartache, pain and sadness and she certainly tugs on your heartstrings!

This is Penny and Blake’s story. These two meet in foster care where their lives are anything but easy or happy, they are only around 12 years old and struggling to live in the system but they find support in relying on each other and being there for each other and their relationship grows from friendship to love but one day Penny comes home and Blake is gone, nowhere to be seen and the life she envisioned for them both will no longer be.

Seven years later, Penny is still struggling to move on from things that have happened in her past and a lot of it has shaped her into who she is now. She is trying to live her life outside of the foster care system and decides to become a counsellor at a summer camp working with foster kids. The last person she thought she would ever see again was Blake, especially at the same summer camp she was working at. He’s also counselling there too which means they will be spending a lot of time together and this will give Penny the chance to confront Blake about what happened all those years ago and get the answers on why he disappeared.


Blake is just as shocked to see Penny. He explains the reason why he had to leave so abruptly years ago and why he was pulled from foster care but Penny doesn’t understand why he abandoned her, leaving her to endure the trauma and pain that she did, pain and trauma that Blake doesn’t seem to understand.


These two and their love and bond was unconditional, unique and beautiful. It was very emotional yes but still beautiful. Even though it had been several years their bond was still very much there and very strong. I loved Penny so much and how she decided to work at the summer camp and help others who have been through similar to her. She was strong, hardworking and determined to move forward with her life. Blake was amazing too, I didn’t feel as attached to him as I did Penny but he had been through a lot also and his love for Penny was so pure and he would go to great lengths to protect her.


It really was something different from this author and I really loved it!

This was well written, going from past to present, making it easier to understand Penny and Blake’s relationship and everything they went through.

I highly recommend reading this! You won’t be disappointed!

5 STARS!!

[Laura Reads Too Much · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I read through some reviews and they all said about it being emotional and crying and I'll be honest, it made me hold of a bit - I read to escape not to feel sad!
Anyway, I'm a big fan of LA Cotton so in I dived!....

Blake has been in foster care around 4 years when Penny arrives and although he doesn't understand it, he knows that him and Penny have something that will never be broken.
Until 7years later and Penny comes home to find him gone. Just gone. No reason, no contact, no nothing. Just gone.

And to say she's gutted is an understatement!

Fast forward 7years and they come face to face but nothing is ever straight forward in the land of books!

This is emotional, but not bawling your eyes out emotional, it follows the path of two kids who have had to grow up before their time, they have a bond and it's been broken. One of those kids leave one hell for another and the other gets everything.
It is sad and it's bittersweet, but it's also full of hope, true love, inner strength and a special bond of two soul mates who may be kids but belong together.
It's a long and rocky road but they get there.

So yes it's sad, yes my heart hurt and yes a wee tear escaped, but I also smiled, I scowled, I swooned, I loved their connection and I wish them all the love in the world.


Thoroughly enjoyed it.
4.5 stars

[romancelover · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it’s time for me to accept l.a. cotton just isn’t for me. I can’t pinpoint anything exactly wrong with her writing, it’s actually pretty decent, but I never emotionally connect with her characters. But I kept giving her more chances because the premises had a lot of potential. In this case, I’ve always loved childhood friends to lovers. But the h was a virgin, typical, the guy didn’t really redeem himself in my eyes, there were more plot holes than I could count, and by the end I was skimming.

Lots of potential, poor execution (to me). I accept this may be a “its me not you” case with this author and others may like this book.

[Melissa J (Book Addicts Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 second chance stars!!

Two broken children find each other when they are at their lowest. Only to save each other and then be ripped apart. Can these same souls find each other in adulthood?!




This book was one hell of a roller coaster. I will admit the beginning of the book hooked me immediately! The characters were outstanding. The story heart wrenching yet beautiful at the same time.

The love story in this book was one for the ages. Penny and Blake are so special. The obstacles they have faced are beyond painful. Their pasts are so incredibly sad. But their future is what keeps you reading.




My only criticism is that I know Penny is a strong woman to get as far as she has in general. But she portrayed a broken weak woman in adulthood. I hated that version of her. I didn’t get to see her growth like I would have wished. That part was kind of rushed over. But the ending was beautiful and well deserved.




The writing was really good. The book flowed well. The beginning like I said earlier had me obsessed. And the end grabbed me right back. This wasn’t a book I devoured in one sitting but I did enjoy coming back to it.

Grab your Kleenex box and get ready to fall in love.


**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review**



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[Valentina Trimigno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una storia intensa, difficilissima a tratti da leggere, perché mi ha messo di fronte a una dura realtà: il senso di abbandono. Penny cerca di ridare una direzione alla sua vita, che ha preso una sbandata imprevista alla morte dei suoi genitori e l'ha portata in affido, in un'atmosfera che di famiglia ha ben poco, almeno finché non incrocia il suo destino con quello di Blake. Lui è in affido già da quattro anni e cerca di sopravvivere, di non affogare nella rabbia e nel risentimento, trovando nell'amicizia e nella compagnia della sua "lucky Penny" quella valvola di ossigeno di cui aveva bisogno per restare a galla. Una situazione imprevista porta Blake lontano da Penny per cinque anni, fino a quando i due si ritrovano casualmente allo stesso campo estivo, a fare da educatori per ragazzi come loro; per lei è l'occasione per capire cosa fare della sua vita, affrontare demoni passati e risolvere i suoi traumi, per lui è una finestra di libertà in una vita che l'ha liberato da una prigione solo per metterlo in un'altra, anche se ben più dorata.
Una L.A. Cotton diversa rispetto a quella che ho letto in precedenza e questo sicuramente è un punto a suo favore, perché mostra la sua versatilità; come sempre, i suoi personaggi sono complicati e tormentati, ma qui si raggiungono vette inesplorate, ho pensato tante volte durante la lettura "basta, c'è un limite al dolore che può sopportare Penny". I personaggi sono ben costruiti, però ho fatto fatica a empatizzare con Blake: è interessante la scelta di inserire i suoi POV come ricordi del passato, ovviamente è un ottimo espediente per ricostruire cosa è accaduto tra i due e come li ha portati alla situazione presente, solo che, per quanto abbia compreso le sue scelte, non sono riuscita a immergermi completamente nella storia. Penny invece è di un'umanità ed empatia disarmante, nonostante la vita difficile che ha avuto e gli strascichi emotivi che le ha lasciato sottopelle, non cerca di rivalersi sugli altri ma vuole solo trovare il suo angolino di pace.

[jordane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You're my lucky Penny. With you by my side, we can survive anything.”

3.5 🌟

You Promised Me Forever follows Penny and Blake. They meet in foster care and develop a strong bond and love for each other until Blake suddenly leaves without notice. Seven years later, Penny is still trying to manage her life outside the system and decides to take the summer off to be a camp counselor working with foster kids. What Penny doesn't know is that Blake is also a counselor at this camp, which will force her to spend all her time with him and give her the chance to confront him about what happened all those years ago.

Penny and Blake's story is very emotional and angsty, and I enjoyed it a lot. As always with L.A. Cotton, I was instantly drawn into the book and read it in one sitting! These two share a special bond, and it's still very palpable even if they haven't seen each other for several years. I also loved the flashback chapters because they clearly show the evolution of their relationship during their time in foster care. Penny and Blake's reunion was so moving, and it's impossible not to root for them to get back together. The summer camp setting was a great addition to the story, and I immediately became attached to Penny. She is strong and hard-working, and I loved that she wanted to help other kids growing up in the foster care system. I liked Blake too, but it took me a little longer to warm up to him. He should have been honest with Penny from the beginning and not kept his current situation a secret for so long. But his love for Penny was so beautiful, and in the end, all he wanted to do was protect her.

You Promised Me Forever was another great read from L.A. Cotton, and I can't wait to read her next work!

*ARC kindly provided by the author and Deviant Hearts PR in exchange for an honest review

[Laurenreadingrecs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4🌟🌟🌟🌟

Tropes:
🩷 childhood friends to lovers
🖤second chance
🩷emotional
🖤angst
🩷tragic past
🖤dual timeline
🩷it was always you vibes

This is the story of Penny and Blake. Penny n Blake meet in foster care around the age of 12. One day Penny comes back n Blake is just gone. Years later Penny gets the chance to be a camp counselor at Camp Chance and low n behold so is Blake.

Blake explains what happened with his uncle and getting pulled from foster care. Penny doesn’t understand why he abandoned her and he doesn’t understand the pain n trauma she endured once he was gone

My heart hurt for both of them. All the things kept from them, the people trying to keep them apart n the road Penny has has to endure just to survive.

A great solid read from author, only thing I thought of was it was a bit drawn out in some places n the ending ( prior to epilogue) was a bit abrupt however still felt was really good story n book. Thank you to Deviant Hearts pr for this arc.

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this wasn’t an LA Cotton book i probably wouldn’t have read it. I don’t do emotional reads and this one’s a heart string tugger.

Two kids in the foster system find sanctuary in each other. Unfortunately fostercare isn’t all sunshine and roses. They get separated and it’s seven years until fate brings them back together. Can they find their sanctuary again?

I love stories about summer camps. I never went to one as a kid but I always thought it sounded cool.

Blake and Pennys story is full of emotions and it really gets you rooting for them.

If you like second chances, troubled pasts and all the feels this one’s for you.

[Hopelessly Addicted To Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Promised Me Forever is a reworking of Lucky Penny which I read some years ago. The passage of time hasn't dimmed the gut punch feelings this brought out in me. Blake and Penny meet in foster care where their lives are hard and they rely on each other. The relationship changed from friendship to young love, until one day Blake is just gone and the life she imagined for them both is over. When they meet again their lives are very different. We see how Penny hasn't moved on from the experiences of her past but she is trying. I liked the friendships she made at how they encouraged her to try new things and open herself up to having someone in her corner. I had conflicting feelings about Blake he did irritate me at times with his secrets which he could and should have sorted out sooner. The uncle got forgiven too quickly for me but I do tend to hold a grudge. A hard story to read at times but a well written one that is full of emotion.

[Patricia (Spellbound Stories Trish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Emotions! So many emotions while reading this gut wrenchingly beautiful book.

This story does have duel pov but majority of it is told through Penny and I truly loved that because it is her journey we are getting and the memories/snippets of Blake that we get help to weave the story together and bring past and present together.

Penny has not had an easy life and being a part of her journey was so emotional. I loved getting to see her come into her own. Blake and Penny have a bond unlike any other and I loved them so much.

[Stital · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, emotional and aching, You Promised Me Forever is a wonderful read.

With beautifully written, realistically broken characters and a complicated and bit of tragic plot, Blake and Penny's story was a roller coaster of emotions. In a true slow burner, with the past slowly revealed, Penny and Blake's connection grows and evolves along with their characters, in a captivating way, full of strength, awareness and forgiveness, leaving the reader with a slightly bruised yet utterly full heart.

4 stars and a summer camp.

[it.sgottabethebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This friends to lovers romance hit me in the feels. It put me through an emotional roller coaster. If you want angst… the hurt you but puts you back together kind then this book is for you. Young love, second chance… all the angst… must read.

[Alessandra Pitones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay this book was okay I guess…. It kind of gave me the fosters vibes, and I feel like blake felt a little too superficial towards the end.

Did this book have an editor???? Jeez I felt like I was going insane with all the grammatical errors

Also I hated the bonus epilogue

[Laura Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Promised Me is a must read. I love Penny and Blake and their story. This is one of my favourite LA Cotton books to date!

[JT · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good second chance romance. Time jumps, so many emotions, trauma, heartbreak, plot twists. This book checked all my boxes for a quick QU read 🙌🏼❤️

[Zoe H · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[ceci · Rating 4 out of 5]

There´s nothing that i love more than a second chance romance, and this one was a great one.
Penny and Blake were fostered together in the same house, and they developed a friendship that ended in love, but he disappeared.
This story was so sad, and heartbreaking for everything that happened to them.
When they meet again, in a summer camp, the sparks (that never disappeares) starts growing stronger. But there are somethings that have to be done before that.
Penny and Blake are soulmates, who belong to each other for the most part of their lifes.
I loved this book so much.
Tropes:
- second chance
- childhood friends to lovers
- angst
- tragic past
- it was always you

I received an Arc copy in exchange of an honest review.

[Danny Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

What started out as a very promising book, completely fizzled out for me. And the reason behind that was Blake. He was weak and didn't fight hard enough for Penny. He let family members make decisions for him. He started out strong and became pathetic. I was so disappointed. If Penny hadn't given in so easily, Blake would have walked away for sure. He couldn't even end his engagement. And until his uncle propositioned Penny to leave town with money I don't think Blake would have budged unfortunately. It was really disappointing to say the least because this has everything I like in an angsty book

I also have to add it's really weird to read about somewhere you were born 🤣. Especially since this author is from England? I know the exact areas in this book, and I can concur about the Upper Arlington snobs 😂🤭. Why is everyone named Brittany as well? This is so true as an Ohioan and they are on the bitchy side 🙈.

[Sewster · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the h had trauma and never had sex. Gotta have our virgin h, right? H got with rich mean girl, who he admits was exactly the kind of girl who used to bully his beloved h. Like, even if he bought the lie that the h had moved on (and he never followed up? Really??), couldn’t he have moved on with someone less cartoonishly evil? Then he goes and turns h into his mistress. And Blake drives a Prius :/

[Nicolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - SPOILER ALERT!!!

This isn’t a new author for me, but it has been a while since I picked up one of their books. Naturally, I was excited because what’s better than childhood friends-to-lovers with angst? (Spoiler: Apparently, quite a few things.)

So, we have Penny (second book in a row with this name, and honestly, I don’t love it) and Alex, who met in foster care at 12 years old. Penny was the new kid, Alex had been there a year or two, and they quickly became each other’s lifeline. Cue lots of flashbacks. Unfortunately, I find flashbacks about as fun as waiting in line at the DMV, and these didn’t change my mind. Some authors make them compelling, this one… did not. Skimmed most of them, sorry.

At 17, Alex vanishes from the foster home, leaving Penny behind, heartbroken and abandoned. Fast forward six years: Penny is now 23-24, working a retail/food job and taking a gig as a summer camp counselor for foster kids. She’s timid, unsure, and carrying deep trauma from past abuse particularly with physical touch. Understandably, relationships haven’t worked out for her.

And then… boom. Alex is back. Turns out, he’s been working these summer camps for five years, conveniently just missing Penny’s applications, until now, when he used his secret counselor-hiring powers (because apparently, he has those?) to bring her in. Penny freaks out. Alex is determined to win her back. He sings to her at a bonfire (of course he does), flirts, kisses her, and slowly wears her down until she’s all in again.

And here’s my issue: Penny has deep-seated trauma around touch, except with Alex. With him, she’s suddenly fine, all barriers magically lifted. I hate when books do this. That’s not how trauma works! But sure, we’ll roll with it.

Then we get a classic "wait... does he have a girlfriend?" subplot. Turns out, Alex might be engaged. Penny stresses about it, but, plot twist, she continues to make out with him anyway. The camp ends. Alex disappears again, this time leaving behind a romantic Post-it note saying "wait for me." (Sure, because that went so well last time.)

Penny starts a catering job, and surprise! her first big event is for a very rich, very blonde, very catty woman gushing about her fiancé. GUESS WHO? Ding ding ding...it’s Alex! Penny is literally serving hors d'oeuvres at his engagement party. Imagine showing up to work and discovering your childhood soulmate slash recent rekindled romance slash guy who just wrote you a song by a bonfire is engaged to someone else. Brutal.

Naturally, she runs home, and surprise again Alex is already waiting for her. He explains that his wealthy uncle whisked him away from foster care, that he doesn't actually love Barbie Fiancée™, and that, yeah, he did sleep with her, but hey, feelings are complicated, okay?! (Sir, what?)

What follows is a rollercoaster of drama, bad decisions, and Penny’s deeply questionable moral compass. She spends pages talking about how guilty she feels for being the other woman while literally being the other woman. She knows Alex is a mess, but instead of calling him out, she just… lets him do whatever he wants. Again.

And that’s the biggest issue: Penny has zero backbone. She had every opportunity to be an angsty, strong heroine who forces Alex to get his act together. Instead, she’s a doormat. Alex had potential as a complex MMC, but since Penny never holds him accountable, we never really see him grow. He just bounces between women like a rich man's tennis ball.

And then after all that the ending is rushed. Super rushed. In the last 10-5% of the book, everything magically resolves, like the author suddenly realized they were out of page space. At that point, I didn’t even care if Penny and Alex ended up together. They weren’t memorable, and the story fell flat.

A book with this much built-in angst potential should have wrecked me emotionally. Instead, I finished it with a shrug. 2.5 stars.