Promise Me Forever

by Connie Mason

Lily Montague is everything Captain Matthew Hawke desires--lovely, vivacious and wealthy enough to finance the fleet of ships the Boston patriot is planning to sail against the British. Then and there, the charming pirate vows to claim the defiant miss as his bride. But he had never dreamed that he could be undone by Lily's innocent beauty or her sweet rapturous promise of forever in her embrace.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, American, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Ebooks

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Connie Mason or Cara Miles is the best-selling author of more than fifty historical romances and novellas. Her tales of passion and adventure are set in exotic as well as American locales. Connie was named Story Teller of the Year in 1990 by Romantic Times and was awarded Career Achievement award in the Western category by Romantic Times in 1994. Connie makes her home in Tarpon Springs, Florida with her husband Jerry.

Prior to her first published work in 1984, Connie was a full time homemaker. Always an avid reader, writing was one of Connie's dreams.

In 1995 Connie was featured on a segment of the CBS news show 48 Hours, a television production that devoted an entire program to the romance novel industry. Connie was also featured in an article published by National Inquirer.

In addition to writing and traveling, Connie enjoys telling anyone who will listen about her three children and nine grandchildren, and sharing memories of her years living abroad in Europe and Asia as the wife of a career serviceman. In her spare time Connie enjoys reading, dancing, playing bridge and freshwater fishing with her husband.

Reviews

[ANGELIA · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one could have been a winner, if it hadn't been so redundant. It starts off good, with young Lily Montague being replaced in her widower father's affections by his selfish fiancee, who convinces him to marry his daughter off ASAP. Lily's beauty and wealth attract plenty of suitors, but she doesn't want to play the marriage game of the British upper classes and only wants to marry for love. She sabotages her chances of a good match by pretending to be a heartless flirt, which damages her reputation. It's then further ruined when the fortune hunting American, Matt Hawkes, (who doesn't believe in love and needs a rich wife to finance his business interests, while he serves his country in the War of 1812), takes her for a carriage ride and her stepmother-to-be catches them in a compromising position. Next thing you know, they're married, much to Matt's satisfaction and Lily's fury, as Matt has made it quite clear he thinks love is a lot of nonsense, only lust exists between men and women, and he intends to make use of both her body and her money at will. And so it goes on...and on....with too much of the same. Lily claims she won't sleep with him, Matt insisting she'll change her mind, Lily succumbs to his seduction, then angrily declares it will never happen again, they ignore each other for a while (which isn't easy when you're still sharing a bed), but the battle goes on, aboard ship enroute to Boston, and when they get to Matt's home, Hawkesworth. Despite Matt's sister, Sarah, trying to help, things only get worse, as Lily, who once again gives in to desire (and again is furious with him as well as herself), declares she doesn't want sex without love (he has her money, why can't he leave her body alone), while Matt states she should be content with what they have, since few couples achieve such passionate ecstasy in their lovemaking. He wants her to be content - like himself - to be married friends with benefits, and leave it at that, as he's convinced romantic love doesn't exist. Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees! It obvious how much his sister, Sarah and her fiance (later husband), Jeff love each other and prove it by their devotion to each other, and putting the other's happiness ahead of their own, something Matt and Lily are seemingly incapable of, as they both put themselves and how they feel ahead of the other. (They're Me Generation, generations ahead of time.)

Not making things easier, is two rivals for their affections: Clarissa, Matt's former mistress, who wants to get back her former status, and Clay, Matt's lawyer, who falls for Lily. Clarissa's ego won't let her accept that it was over for her and Matt even before Lily, and she continually causes trouble, with Matt appearing in compromising situations, and Lily thinking the worst, especially after Matt had never promised he'd be faithful, and more than once had threatened to take his pleasures elsewhere, when Lily denied him her bed. Clay tries to be the gentleman, but knowing all was not right with their marriage, goes ahead and declares his love, tells Lily a divorce is not impossible, and he'd treat her well and make her happy. Matt's soon as jealous and suspicious as Lily.

This kind of thing goes on way too long. The couple never talks, unless it's to argue (otherwise they take refuge in sullen silence), and when they're not fighting, they're...(it also starts with "f"), and enough is enough is overload.

There are interludes from all this nonsense that are entertaining, like when Matt leaves for the sea, Lily decides to return to England and boards a British ship, the ship is captured by an American one, and guess who the captain is! Soon, Lily and Matt find themselves stranded on a deserted island, and it becomes a Garden of Eden, without the apple and snake, as they declare their love. Still, Lily keeps fearing that if they're rescued, Matt might get cynical about love again and things would revert to the old ways. There's some melodrama, as Matt explores the other side of the island, leaving Lily alone (as her shoes are not made for walking), which was kind of dumb, since he suspects pirates stop there for the supply of fresh fruit and spring water. Sure enough, here come the pirates, and their horrible leader is about to rape Lily, when she's rescued by Matt (and what a close call, as the guy had ripped her clothes almost off and was getting on top of her), as his ship's crew (the ship was spotted by Matt on the other side of the island and he signaled them) took care of the pirates.

Another good episode (or at least it started that way) is when Lily worries about Matt going off to war, and disguises herself as a sailor in training to sneak aboard his ship. This was all too soon ruined, by Clarissa paying an unwelcome surprise visit to the ship to borrow Money from Matt and Lily (naturally) misunderstands the situation, and once again they're at odds.

This all keeps up too long, to the (ridiculous) point that Lily stays stubborn, even when Matt is once again off to battle, and won't budge, even though he reminds her he might get killed. She taunts him about Clarissa, he in turn taunts her about Clay and leaves in a fury. Lily realizes her mistake and chases after him, but too late.

Clarissa and Clay, like a couple of bad pennies, keep showing up. When Matt's presumed dead, Clay tells Lily he'll wait as long as it takes and hopefully she'll come to care for him, and let him he a father to her unborn child. Clarissa observes them together, and starts rumors that they're lovers (still wanting to hurt Lily, even though she also thinks Matt's dead, something Lily never believed, despite the evidence). When Matt turns up alive, he arrives in time to find Lily and Clay in yet another of those compromising situations, and questions who's the baby daddy. Clarissa makes it clear she's still interested (big surprise), Matt and Lily argue, make passionate love, and argue some more, until they both (finally) realize how foolish they've both been.

The book ends with a dumb epilogue, where Lily's having a difficult time in childbirth and her rough, gruff (not to mention rude) doctor is acting like a tyrant, and hurts Lily when he examines her. Why they'd ever put up with him is beyond me, in a city that's sure to have plenty of good doctors as well as midwives. Of course, she survives and has a healthy boy, but it could have ended with just that, rather than a drawn out childbirth scene, just like the jealous misunderstandings were drawn out way too much.

It was an entertaining story, but could have been written much better.

[Roub · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely loved it! though lily got on my nerves! she was a very prickly and capricious lil madam but i guess dat was her appeal to matt. she was also very jealous of clarissa and wud not listen to matt. the hero was totally besotted wid her and told her so many times he had nothing to do wid clarissa, yet she wud not listen. my favourite moment was when they got lost on the island.

[ibNell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hard one for me to rate. It was a page turner, and I did enjoy it…but it did get on my nerves a few times. Same problem over and over. But in the end it was a good read and I wanted to find out what happened next.

[Nessa]

I'M A FAN OF CONNIE MASON, AND I'M USUALLY IN IT FOR THE RIDICULOUS DRAMATIC ANGST, THE ALMOST CHEATING SCENES AND OVERLY HYSTERICAL CHARACTERS BUT I draw the line for this one when the heroine's so fucking annoying. Okay, let me get this straight. THIS IS FICTION. I don't fucking care if there's cheating, rape or anything that crosses the line in reality, THIS IS FICTION. So! The heroine is absolutely immature and childish (she's 18), she keeps withholding sex from her husband, and then hurling insults at him.

She claims that she WANTS LOVE but she's so SELFISH and YOUNG to know that LOVE IS A TWO WAY STREET. If you want LOVE, YOU HAVE TO GIVE LOVE. She just expected her husband to fall and worship her, declaring his undying love? Fuck no.

This is a strangers to lovers troupe but the heroine was just too overboard for me this time. It's funny how I could even accept the other books written by C.M where the hero cheats...but at least then the heroines weren't so dumb and annoying.

[Dicta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. I like that the ending had a lot of suspense, anger, to it. Matt going for war etc. Also the beginning was really good. I like that Lily acted the way she did. Imagine she had a lover n another Man was said to marry her by force.

The use of use of IMAGERY for HYPERBOLIC parts was really good. I didn’t really like some part of Matthew… what ?? nobody gets to buy love that easily. He stole her by that act of rape which was caught that led Lily to be forced to marry him, n he thought one day she could learn to fall for him. He lavished her with unwanted passion. That was very IRONIC

I mean listen women who don survive arranged or forced marriages can’t stand their spouses it arguments till a divorce. Lol Might change if they fell in love which they did. It a FICTIONAL story with some chapters actually being the realities of some women in some parts of this world. N for that I love the ALLEGORY used.

Honestly I wish this app allowed us to comment on other readers views.

This book’s good great work !

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like Lily. She's annoying and I wish that he had pushed her overboard on the ship to America.

[Mesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always a pro at all the spicy bits, of which there were many scenes... not a huge fan of the characters themselves however. More like 3.5 stars really.

[Readitnweep · Rating 2 out of 5]

I classified this as an English romance, but it's really more American historical. Captain Matthew Hawke is an American ship's captain, gathering up ships and men to fight the British. Lily is a 17-year-old who has escaped her father and vindictive future stepmother back home in England.

Connie Mason is one of my favorite authors and I run to a book when I see her name as author, but this one was a disappointment.

I was put off by the young age of Lily to begin with, but I think that would have been overlooked later if her character had been mature for her age. But she wasn't.

Lily was not likeable, in my view. She acted spoiled and selfish and the book repeated the same theme throughout: that Lily didn't trust Matthew or he didn't trust her because he saw her with his attorney who he knew loved her or because she saw him with his ex-bitch-mistress, Clarissa. Strangely for a Mason book, nothing else happens except this same theme repeated.

Matthew was an okay character. He was an adventurer and could have been interesting, but I could not see why he was drawn to a spoiled little kid like Lily when he was so worldly and she acted very much her age. So, the transition of his feelings weren't believeable to me. Also, the way he got rid of Clarissa in the end was way too convenient and contrived.

I'll still happily look for Connie Mason books, but I won't read this one again, and I learned quite a bit from it about what I don't like.

[Kathrynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like either main characters in this book. They both got on my nerves by their stupid antics. Lily tried to gain a "loose" reputation in an effort to NOT marry someone. She ends up with "Hawk" who needs her money to fund his 3 American ships to fight the British.

Big thumbs down from This Reader.

[Al]

These old books are always written on an epic scale. Let me see if I can encapsulate: Regency England, Boston, Privateers, Ships, stranded in a deserted island, Pirates, New Orleans, British- American war (not the revolution), back to Boston and throughout the book, a tenacious ex-mistress.

It was exhausting just trying to finish it.

[Susan Laine]

have

[Cassandra]

Pretty good. I usually don't read books that take place during the revolution era.

[Julie Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little history lesson about the war of 1812 but love story was great!