What do you think?
Rate this book
Promise Me #5A
Surrender to Me
Former aristocrat turned lowly vampire, Devlin Dalcon, gets by on his supernatural charm, swindling others for money and goods. When Devlin encounters bride-to-be Annabelle - another potential victim - he finds the tables have turned as he falls in love with her.
Audible Audio
First published September 23, 2011
About the author
Tara Fox Hall
91 books447 followersTara Fox Hall’s writing credits include nonfiction, horror, suspense, erotica, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She also coauthored the essay “The Allure of the Serial Killer,” published in Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone: Being and Killing (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). Her first full-length action-adventure novel, Lash, published in April 2012. Her vampire series begins in June 2012, with the 1st novel Promise Me. Tara divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 8, 2012
If you want to see more of my reviews, check out my blog @ Moosubi Reviews!
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Rating Clarification: 3.5 / 5 Stars
This book is a novella for Promise Me, so I’m going to keep this review pretty short. (:
Note: I will assume that if you’re looking at this review, you’ve read Promise Me, the novel that this novella accompanies. If not, there are slight spoilers ahead.
While Promise Me focuses on Danial and Sar, Surrender to Me gives readers a glimpse of Devlin, and maybe why Devlin and Danial could be so close, yet so competitive and sometimes hateful. Although Danial is not involved in this book, Annabelle and Devlin are the main focus.
In this novella, you really see Devlin as more of a caring and loving person. After reading Lash, a weresnake novel that also includes Devlin, and Promise Me, which kind of antagonizes Devlin, and I think it’s safe to say that I mostly disliked him. It seemed like he didn’t have much love for anybody, and he didn’t care about others – he only wanted power and the pleasures of life. His relationship and sacrifices for Annabelle are pretty monumental, and it’s obvious that Devlin really loved her. Combined with the fact in Promise Me that Danial eventually seduces Annabelle away, it made a lot more sense as to why Devlin could hate and care about Danial in the way he does.
Overall, this novella brought more understanding and a new perspective for the vampires’ stories. I would recommend this to fans of Promise Me especially if you weren’t the biggest fan of Devlin (or even if you were – you might enjoy hearing his earlier story!) – I feel that seeing Devlin in this state really warms your heart.
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Rating Clarification: 3.5 / 5 Stars
This book is a novella for Promise Me, so I’m going to keep this review pretty short. (:
Note: I will assume that if you’re looking at this review, you’ve read Promise Me, the novel that this novella accompanies. If not, there are slight spoilers ahead.
While Promise Me focuses on Danial and Sar, Surrender to Me gives readers a glimpse of Devlin, and maybe why Devlin and Danial could be so close, yet so competitive and sometimes hateful. Although Danial is not involved in this book, Annabelle and Devlin are the main focus.
In this novella, you really see Devlin as more of a caring and loving person. After reading Lash, a weresnake novel that also includes Devlin, and Promise Me, which kind of antagonizes Devlin, and I think it’s safe to say that I mostly disliked him. It seemed like he didn’t have much love for anybody, and he didn’t care about others – he only wanted power and the pleasures of life. His relationship and sacrifices for Annabelle are pretty monumental, and it’s obvious that Devlin really loved her. Combined with the fact in Promise Me that Danial eventually seduces Annabelle away, it made a lot more sense as to why Devlin could hate and care about Danial in the way he does.
Overall, this novella brought more understanding and a new perspective for the vampires’ stories. I would recommend this to fans of Promise Me especially if you weren’t the biggest fan of Devlin (or even if you were – you might enjoy hearing his earlier story!) – I feel that seeing Devlin in this state really warms your heart.
March 1, 2012
I won’t recap the story as the previous reviewer has already done that so excellently. Instead I’ll cut straight to the chase.
What I liked best about this story was the way I was instantly sucked into its fictional world. In fact for a moment I actually thought I might be reading a sequel as the characters all arrived fully-drawn and with histories that did not require slow unveiling. That made them all the more believable and ‘larger than life’. It also kept the momentum and pace of the story rolling throughout.
Devlin, the vampire, has to be one of the nicest and gentlest vampires in history – not to mention one of the most romantic. His love for and devotion to Anna pours out of every page.
“If I refused to go with you, what would you do?” she whispered.
“I’d stay here and let the sun have me.”
After he’s just been mauled almost to death by a bear to save her life, what sweeter words could a woman expect to hear? I’m not used to vampires being so tender and romantic so this really did it for me.
However, the course of true love certainly did not run smooth for this couple, given their vastly different stations in life and I defy any reader not to be gripped by the colourful events that follow. I know I was. And it’s always a sign of a good story when you feel it ends too soon and want it to continue, even though you secretly know it ended at exactly the right time.
I think this writer really knows how to weave an exciting story and make it compulsive reading. My only criticism is that on a few occasions Devlin’s language sounded a bit too modern and idiomatic for its historical period and setting and once or twice jolted me out of the wonderful fictional world the writer created. A minor detail, however, which certainly didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment and will not stop me from looking out for future stories by this very talented writer.
What I liked best about this story was the way I was instantly sucked into its fictional world. In fact for a moment I actually thought I might be reading a sequel as the characters all arrived fully-drawn and with histories that did not require slow unveiling. That made them all the more believable and ‘larger than life’. It also kept the momentum and pace of the story rolling throughout.
Devlin, the vampire, has to be one of the nicest and gentlest vampires in history – not to mention one of the most romantic. His love for and devotion to Anna pours out of every page.
“If I refused to go with you, what would you do?” she whispered.
“I’d stay here and let the sun have me.”
After he’s just been mauled almost to death by a bear to save her life, what sweeter words could a woman expect to hear? I’m not used to vampires being so tender and romantic so this really did it for me.
However, the course of true love certainly did not run smooth for this couple, given their vastly different stations in life and I defy any reader not to be gripped by the colourful events that follow. I know I was. And it’s always a sign of a good story when you feel it ends too soon and want it to continue, even though you secretly know it ended at exactly the right time.
I think this writer really knows how to weave an exciting story and make it compulsive reading. My only criticism is that on a few occasions Devlin’s language sounded a bit too modern and idiomatic for its historical period and setting and once or twice jolted me out of the wonderful fictional world the writer created. A minor detail, however, which certainly didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment and will not stop me from looking out for future stories by this very talented writer.
October 30, 2011
A Gripping Story from a Brilliant Author
Surrender to Me
Devlin and Anna are desperately in love, but they face insuperable obstacles. Anna is the daughter of a powerful lord, whereas Devlin is a penniless musician. As if that were not enough, Anna is due to marry another in a few days' time. And to complicate matters even further, Devlin is a vampire. But they are not going to let any of this stand in their way.
This is the story of their flight.
I was absolutely gripped by this book. Tara Fox Hall's beautiful spare prose allows the story to move at a very fast pace. I loved the characters, and the twists in the plot took my breath away. This is not a run-of-the-mill vampire story. It fairly throbs with life. Once started it was impossible to put down, and it left me wanting more.
Tara Fox Hall is a writer to watch. She has all the makings of a best-seller and certainly deserves to be. I cannot recommend this book too highly.
Jenny Twist
Surrender to Me
Devlin and Anna are desperately in love, but they face insuperable obstacles. Anna is the daughter of a powerful lord, whereas Devlin is a penniless musician. As if that were not enough, Anna is due to marry another in a few days' time. And to complicate matters even further, Devlin is a vampire. But they are not going to let any of this stand in their way.
This is the story of their flight.
I was absolutely gripped by this book. Tara Fox Hall's beautiful spare prose allows the story to move at a very fast pace. I loved the characters, and the twists in the plot took my breath away. This is not a run-of-the-mill vampire story. It fairly throbs with life. Once started it was impossible to put down, and it left me wanting more.
Tara Fox Hall is a writer to watch. She has all the makings of a best-seller and certainly deserves to be. I cannot recommend this book too highly.
Jenny Twist
May 1, 2012
This is a short story and normally I don’t read short stories unless it’s for a class because I prefer novels where I can get more fully absorbed in the story, but I didn’t feel like I was missing that with this story. Read the rest of this review here: http://paperbacksandfrosting.com
September 2, 2014
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed for For Whom The Books Toll
4, Spicy
Former aristocrat turned lowly vampire Devlin Dalcon gets by on his supernatural charm, swindling others for money and goods. When Devlin encounters bride-to-be Annabelle—another potential victim—he finds the tables have turned as he falls in love with her.
** I'd like to mention first, that Surrender To Me was written before the Promise Me series was created. The short story is taken from the full length story in Immortal Confessions.
My Review:
Being a vampire isn't all it's cracked up to be. Devlin Dalcon is tired, hungry and angry with himself. He uses humans to bilk them of their money. Devlin is supposed to be making plans for how to steal a dowry shipment, not looking for romance. But instead he falls in love with a woman about to be married.
Following Devlin into the woods, Annabelle doesn't notice she's about to be attacked by a bear. Devlin comes to her rescue just in time, but he's lost a lot of blood and needs to replenish it. He drinks from the bear, and Annabelle finds out that he's a vampire. Thinking she would be repulsed by him, now she is more intrigued and then one thing leads to another, and Devlin is making love to a virgin.
The two decide to run off together, despite the many obstacles in their path. They plan to use her dowry money to live on and are almost on their way when the gypsies arrive. A scuffle ensues and Annabelle is badly hurt. Will Devlin be able to save her?
Surrender To Me by Tara Fox Hall is written from Devlin's point of view which already makes it different. I was quickly drawn in on page one and wanted to keep turning the pages long after there were no more pages to be turned. I wanted to read more and more. Devlin and Annabelle's story is a true love story that is very well written. Devlin was turned into a vampire centuries ago, he still has trouble controlling his rage. The story is short and there is a lot packed into it, emotions, danger, surprises, and a few twists. Devlin is a handsome man, and he uses women to get what he wants, money and sex. His character seemed to change right before my eyes. I didn't get to know Annabelle very well, she seemed to know what she wanted and wasn't afraid to fight for it. I liked the world Ms. Hall created for her characters and I will continue reading The Promise Me series.
Reviewed for For Whom The Books Toll
4, Spicy
Former aristocrat turned lowly vampire Devlin Dalcon gets by on his supernatural charm, swindling others for money and goods. When Devlin encounters bride-to-be Annabelle—another potential victim—he finds the tables have turned as he falls in love with her.
** I'd like to mention first, that Surrender To Me was written before the Promise Me series was created. The short story is taken from the full length story in Immortal Confessions.
My Review:
Being a vampire isn't all it's cracked up to be. Devlin Dalcon is tired, hungry and angry with himself. He uses humans to bilk them of their money. Devlin is supposed to be making plans for how to steal a dowry shipment, not looking for romance. But instead he falls in love with a woman about to be married.
Following Devlin into the woods, Annabelle doesn't notice she's about to be attacked by a bear. Devlin comes to her rescue just in time, but he's lost a lot of blood and needs to replenish it. He drinks from the bear, and Annabelle finds out that he's a vampire. Thinking she would be repulsed by him, now she is more intrigued and then one thing leads to another, and Devlin is making love to a virgin.
The two decide to run off together, despite the many obstacles in their path. They plan to use her dowry money to live on and are almost on their way when the gypsies arrive. A scuffle ensues and Annabelle is badly hurt. Will Devlin be able to save her?
Surrender To Me by Tara Fox Hall is written from Devlin's point of view which already makes it different. I was quickly drawn in on page one and wanted to keep turning the pages long after there were no more pages to be turned. I wanted to read more and more. Devlin and Annabelle's story is a true love story that is very well written. Devlin was turned into a vampire centuries ago, he still has trouble controlling his rage. The story is short and there is a lot packed into it, emotions, danger, surprises, and a few twists. Devlin is a handsome man, and he uses women to get what he wants, money and sex. His character seemed to change right before my eyes. I didn't get to know Annabelle very well, she seemed to know what she wanted and wasn't afraid to fight for it. I liked the world Ms. Hall created for her characters and I will continue reading The Promise Me series.
May 5, 2020
A wild, twisty, vampire adventure
4 stars overall, 4 stars story, 4 stars narration
While being only 50 minutes long, this short story took me on a wild, unpredictable ride. Although it is not perfect, it really entertained me, and I was satisfied by the “happy for now” ending. I would describe it more as a historical vampire adventure rather than a paranormal romance. Some romantic content is involved, but I was never sold on the trueness of the vampire Devlin's love for Annabelle. To me, however, that didn’t really matter because the twisty plot is so entertaining. Imagine a vampire similar to Anne Rice's Lestat in an action-packed story set in circa 1810 France; that gives you some idea of this wild story. This is the second audiobook by Tara Fox Hall that I have experienced. I think that this “Surrender To Me” is almost as good as “The Chalet”. If you like amoral vampires and plot-driven adventures, I recommend this short story.
One minor complaint that I had is a little historical inaccuracy. However, I could forgive this problem because the story is so interesting and because the book blurb did not mention the historical setting. The audiobook is supposed to be set during the Napoleonic Wars in France (1803-1815), but hardly any of the characters have any guns, even the nobility. Actually, guns had become common by the century before. Also, it unbelievably seems that the wars had no effect on this section of the French countryside. In addition, a few bits of dialogue seemed too modern for the time period.
I was rather pleased with the narrator. He had a sexy voice and was pretty good at women’s voices. His pacing was very good, too. He also did a very good job at the few short love scenes. I give his performance 4 stars instead of 5 because he did not even attempt any French accents and instead made everyone sound English.
I requested and received a free audiocode romance the author, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
4 stars overall, 4 stars story, 4 stars narration
While being only 50 minutes long, this short story took me on a wild, unpredictable ride. Although it is not perfect, it really entertained me, and I was satisfied by the “happy for now” ending. I would describe it more as a historical vampire adventure rather than a paranormal romance. Some romantic content is involved, but I was never sold on the trueness of the vampire Devlin's love for Annabelle. To me, however, that didn’t really matter because the twisty plot is so entertaining. Imagine a vampire similar to Anne Rice's Lestat in an action-packed story set in circa 1810 France; that gives you some idea of this wild story. This is the second audiobook by Tara Fox Hall that I have experienced. I think that this “Surrender To Me” is almost as good as “The Chalet”. If you like amoral vampires and plot-driven adventures, I recommend this short story.
One minor complaint that I had is a little historical inaccuracy. However, I could forgive this problem because the story is so interesting and because the book blurb did not mention the historical setting. The audiobook is supposed to be set during the Napoleonic Wars in France (1803-1815), but hardly any of the characters have any guns, even the nobility. Actually, guns had become common by the century before. Also, it unbelievably seems that the wars had no effect on this section of the French countryside. In addition, a few bits of dialogue seemed too modern for the time period.
I was rather pleased with the narrator. He had a sexy voice and was pretty good at women’s voices. His pacing was very good, too. He also did a very good job at the few short love scenes. I give his performance 4 stars instead of 5 because he did not even attempt any French accents and instead made everyone sound English.
I requested and received a free audiocode romance the author, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
June 15, 2013
Reviewed by: Patti
Book provided by: book provided by the author for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
The first thing that captured my attention was that this book was written from the man’s point of view. I really wanted a change and this seemed like a perfect way to shake things up a bit. This short story is related to Promise Me Series by Tara Fox Hall.
Devlin Dalcon is the main character and he drew me in like a moth to the flame. Devlin’s feelings for Annabelle were clear and powerful. I was envious of her from the start. The heroine Annabelle is not a character I admired right away. It was difficult for me to find what it was about her that was so special that Devlin was willing to risk so much. There were a few unexpected twists and I always enjoy those.
The story itself was beautiful and captivating. Having finished this short tale I am now compelled to find out the complete story and will be finding the rest of the series. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing it told from the heroes’ perspective and I hope that I can find more books written from this viewpoint. Tara Fox Hall has used her amazing talent to compress a huge amount of content and passion into a wonderfully written short story. If you love a love story you need to read this.
Book provided by: book provided by the author for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
The first thing that captured my attention was that this book was written from the man’s point of view. I really wanted a change and this seemed like a perfect way to shake things up a bit. This short story is related to Promise Me Series by Tara Fox Hall.
Devlin Dalcon is the main character and he drew me in like a moth to the flame. Devlin’s feelings for Annabelle were clear and powerful. I was envious of her from the start. The heroine Annabelle is not a character I admired right away. It was difficult for me to find what it was about her that was so special that Devlin was willing to risk so much. There were a few unexpected twists and I always enjoy those.
The story itself was beautiful and captivating. Having finished this short tale I am now compelled to find out the complete story and will be finding the rest of the series. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing it told from the heroes’ perspective and I hope that I can find more books written from this viewpoint. Tara Fox Hall has used her amazing talent to compress a huge amount of content and passion into a wonderfully written short story. If you love a love story you need to read this.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews