The Promises We Were Never Meant To Keep: Rubble Ridge - Book One

by Alannah Carbonneau

Some souls are intended for more than one great love, for tragedy. I’m one of those souls.
I saw Tate first. It was hard not to, with his boy-man muscles and shaggy hair. But I fell in love with Holt. You could say it was Holt’s charming smile that won me over. Or maybe it was simply the easy confidence with which he knew I was his, and he was mine.
Our love was a thing of youth. It was rich with foolish hopes and big dreams. It was fast, and hot, and innocent.
Holt was supposed to be my forever. But life isn’t always so simple.
Sometimes we’re forced to face hard choices. My hard choice came in the form of two pink lines not long after Holt was drafted to play pro hockey—his dream.
Suddenly, my dream looked different. It looked like family in this little mountain town, not fame and fortune under the big city spotlights. And it looked like Tate…
But that’s the thing about life. The picture is always changing, shifting.
I’d been someone’s future—a mother and a wife. Now, over a decade later, I am a widow.
Holt has returned to help with the family business, and I’m stuck working under him. Stuck facing all the feelings I thought I put to rest. Stuck facing the life I sacrificed for the dreams of the boy I loved. Stuck under the suffocating weight of my guilt, and the secrets I’ve kept.
Now, I’m forced to face the fact that maybe I was always meant to love two men. Two brothers.

The Promises We Were Never Meant To Keep spans a lifetime and ends on cliffhanger, as Faye and Holt’s story continues in book two. This is a slow burn, emotional love story about life and how sometimes, it doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes, the mess makes it so much more beautiful.

Second Chance
Widow
First Love
Pregnancy/Secret Baby
Forbidden Love
Workplace Romance
Hockey Romance
Family Life
Small Town Romance
Contemporary Women's Fiction Romance
Domestic Life

Genres: Romance, Hockey, Small Town Romance, Second Chance Romance, Second Chance

502 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2026

About the author

Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, Alannah Carbonneau is only a short drive away from the Rocky Mountains that have a staring place in so many of her novels. With seventeen novels and counting currently available on Amazon, Alannah is not only a full-time author, but a full-time mom of two beautiful boys, and wife to an amazing man who always has her back. She lives in a rambling ranch house that needs way too many renos and has one too many cats, but she is happy and in love.

With a solid circle of friends and family, and a very manly, supportive husband who does his best to make sure his family is taken care of, Alannah’s novels feature manly men (sometimes they can be a LOT manly) and friend/family relationships weaved into the stories, because life is about a whole mess of people, and although this is fiction, the best fiction is sprinkled with sweet (and sometimes not so sweet) bits of reality.

Because she loves romance, Alannah writes Contemporary and New Adult Romance. Soon to be released is the Creekwood Valley Series that has ties to the reader beloved Donnelley Brother Series, where light suspense and romance weave to create titillating stories that not only steal your heart but keep you on the edge of your seat. She is the author of the highly rated Teach Me Series, an emotional read about love, life and lessons learned. Our Dark Design is a standalone erotic romance peppered with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages, and The Choice is an entirely unconventional standalone romance about three.

She is currently working on a Cross World Fantasy Romance Series for Adults she can’t wait to share with you, because this will feature hot men who are a little bit dominant and a lot protective who are head over heels in love with stubborn, magnificent women.

When Alannah isn’t writing or spending time with her three men, she can be found in her garden, or with a paint brush in hand. But no matter where she is or what she’s doing, you can bet that she’s thinking of a love story she can share with you.

Reviews

[SilverBit_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is their story going to get 2nd book?

[Jessica Wireman Couch · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEVOURED truly and honestly could not put this read down. As soon as the ARC appeared on my Kindle I could not let this story go. Raw real angst laughter hot tears o hell moments, doesn’t even begin to describe the spiraling emotions the Author graciously opened her world for us. YOU.WILL.FEEL.ALL.OF.THE.FEELS.

[Hannah Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My goodness! This book was brilliantly written. The emotions I felt from Faye, Tate and Holt are undescribable. I read this book literally in 4 days! I recommend to anyone and I absolutely recommend a box or TWO of tissues. It ended on a cliffhanger which I knew it would, but now it's got me eager and excited for the next 2 books of this series to watch how everything unfolds. Okay, gotta go and pick my jaw up from the floor. I received an advanced free copy from the author and this review is written completely of my own free will. :)

[Brita Mackay]

Some souls are intended for more than one great love, for tragedy. Faye’s one of those souls.

Faye saw Tate first. It was hard not to, with his boy-man muscles and shaggy hair. But she fell in love with Holt. You could say it was Holt’s charming smile that won her over. Or maybe it was simply the easy confidence with which he knew she was his, and he was hers.

Their love was a thing of youth. It was rich with foolish hopes and big dreams. It was fast, and hot, and innocent.

Holt was supposed to be Faye’s forever. But life isn’t always so simple.

Sometimes we’re forced to face hard choices. Faye’s hard choice came in the form of two pink lines not long after Holt was drafted to play pro hockey—his dream.

Suddenly, her dream looked different. It looked like family in this little mountain town, not fame and fortune under the big city spotlights. And it looked like Tate…

But that’s the thing about life. The picture is always changing, shifting.

Faye had been someone’s future—a mother and a wife. Now, over a decade later, she’s a widow.

Holt has returned to help with the family business, and she’s stuck working under him. Stuck facing all the feelings she thought she put to rest. Stuck facing the life she had sacrificed for the dreams of the boy she loved. Stuck under the suffocating weight of Faye’s guilt, and the secrets she’s kept.

Now, she’s forced to face the fact that maybe she was always meant to love two men. Two brothers.

The Promises We Were Never Meant To Keep spans a lifetime and ends on cliffhanger, as Faye and Holt’s story continues in book two. This is a slow burn, emotional love story about life and how sometimes, it doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes, the mess makes it so much more beautiful.

Tropes: One Great Love, Tragedy, Foolish Hopes, Big Dreams, Hard Choices, Surprise Pregnancy, Pro Hockey Player MMC, Small Mountain Town, Widow FMC, Family Business, Life she Sacrificed, Guilt, Secrets, Two Brothers, Cliffhanger, Slow-Burn, Emotional Love Story, Mess life makes is so much more Beautiful, Second Chances, First Love, Forbidden Love, Workplace Romance, Hockey Romance, Family Life, Contemporary Women’s Fiction Romance, Domestic Life.

The Promise We Were Never Meant to Keep is the 1st book in the Rubble Ridge Series by Alannah Carbonneau.

I fell in love with Alannah Carbonneau’s writing when I read her Gods of Myth series. And I am a bit biased when it comes to Alannah’s books as she is a fellow Canadian and more than that she’s a fellow Albertan,

Alannah always manages to deliver an emotionally charged and deeply immersive story and “The Promises We Were Never Meant to Keep” delivers on just that. She pulls you into the story from the very beginning. And in this book delivers amplifies every feeling and every choice carries so much weight. I have to say that Alannah has this gift to giving her readers this emotional engagement – all her characters don’t just live on the page; they breathe, ache, hope, and they unravel in ways that feel real, that feel like they could be your neighbours or best friends, or anyone you pass on the street, and this makes each character just feels so strikingly real.

One of the greatest things that Alannah did in this book was the level of detail she knitted into each of the characters – Faye, Holt, and Tate. Carbonneau never once rushed in any of their development; rather Alannah layered in their histories, insecurities, and all the desires with intentional and cautious care. The attention to detail Alannah put into this book was stunning, the depth makes it so easy to connect with the characters, making you want to root for each one of them, and at moments, you even hurt and cry for each one of them.

Alannah makes an interesting choice in slowing the pace in some places, and it’s not a flaw but it’s a unique choice. It’s in those quieter moments we find that the characters have more room to grow and we the readers have the space to understand them more intimately. And when the story reaches its emotional climax, we find that the groundwork that Alannah has put in pays off perfectly and stunningly.

I found that The Promises We Were Never Meant to Keep is this stunning heartfelt, character-driven story that rewards the readers patience with its rich emotional experience. Alannah’s storytelling stays with you long after you’ve read the final word, and for those who love sinking into the inner worlds of such complex characters, I promise you that this book is going to be entirely worth the journey this book will take you on. And to be honest, the only part I disliked was the brutal cliffhanger – and now I’m on pins and needles waiting for the next book.

This book still has me in a stranglehold! This book is so raw, emotional, gripping, and I was enthralled from the very first chapter. I can’t wait for the next book in this series and I truly hope that Alex gets her own story.

I wish that I could give this book more than 5 stars, The Promises We Were Never Meant to Keep owns my heart and very soul and I truly believe it deserves more than 5 stars. This is a MUST READ and you need to get it on your TBR ASAP!

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I can’t tell you much about the plot, because that would result in sharing spoilers, which is something I’ll try to avoid.

But what I can do, is give my personal view about this novel. Maybe you can call it „a mixed bag“ of different impressions.

In my opinion the story develops extremely slow, the first ca 100 pages are written from the point of view of the then 14, 15 and 16 year old teenager MCs. All those teenager behavior and the typical feelings included this life phase made the novel appear a bit boring for me or maybe I am too old for that kind of narrative.

The basic concept of the plot is early recognizable for the readers and it is also, even if it is not a new one, promising.

Some other characters, for example the parents of the FMC seem to act always perfect and a bit on the cookie cutter side.

Something else which the author obviously has a preference for is using mixed metaphors and idioms, which often seemed a little strange to me, for example „My heart is swollen with nerves“. Descriptions like that lead me to the question if that is even medically possible.

As mentioned above, the story line moves slowly from 2006 until the year 2009, then follows a time jump into the year 2022 and with a much smaller jump reaches than the year 2023. However those time jumps make a lot of sense regarding the drama of the plot. I received a free ARC of this novel and I am voluntarily sharing my honest review here.

Nearing the end of the novel one of the MCs is facing a big decision: should he go for a future life in his small hometown with the woman he loves and leave his beloved and big career behind, or should he continue his professional career in the big city, which has meant and still means so much to him? At the end of the novel the author decides his fate like a professional puppet master, the MC and doesn’t have to make a real decision. After that the story ends rather abruptly, without further regard to all the still open narrative strands.

Even if it isn’t mentioned at the end of the book, Alannah Carbonneau already wrote in her introduction, that at a later point in time there will be following a second and a third part of this story. Each one of them written from a different character’s perspective.

The author also mentioned some kind of ugly parts in the storyline. I don’t know, what exactly she refers to, but I could only detect some deep conflicts the MC’s had to go through, and one of them was, if it is always the woman who has to follow the big life plans her man has made for himself and her. And making decisions about something like that, when only being 17 years old, is really hard. Maybe some readers might think about the decisions being made and the consequences of those were morally questionable, but I am convinced some things in life can’t be judged by the book. The drama of this story is beautifully written and handled with care.

[Auj · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars*

Omg, I was trying not to cry during the ending because I was subbing a class of high schoolers. I'm tagging it as made-me-cry because I nearly cried multiple times and probably would have had I been alone.

This is an emotional, messy, beautiful love story of two brothers who fell in love with the same fourteen-year-old girl when she moved to town. The younger brother, Holt, approached Faye first, so he snatched her up. However, Holt loved hockey about as much as he loved Faye, and as the years went by, Faye got sick of coming in second fiddle to hockey.

The rest slightly spoils the story, so I'm tagging it with the spoiler tag: When Faye discovers that she's accidentally pregnant, she decides not to tell Holt because he'll give up his dreams and grow to resent her and the child. Rather, she dumps him, claiming she wants to stay in Rubble Ridge instead of moving to the big city (she secretly did), and I guess eventually marries Holt's older brother, Tate.

It was hard for me to get over the huge time jump from 18-year-old Faye to 31-year-old Faye with Tate suddenly dying, and Holt coming back into town, and Holt and Faye slowly renewing their relationship. I know Alannah Carbonneau will be writing one book about Faye's and Tate's relationship, but I wish Part 2 of the book had been that, and the cliffhanger could be him dying.

Instead, I just got massive whiplash. I did like Faye's children, especially Owen, though Mabel was amusing. Alannah did a good job leaving us in suspense if Owen was actually Tate's kid because there was no clear mention of that until the last page when the doctor pronounces Owen an exact match for a kidney from his biological father, Holt.

I don't know why, but Holt wasn't my favorite romance hero, even in Part 1 of the story. I honestly think I preferred Tate, even though we didn't get to know him well. I also would have preferred if Holt and Faye had more deep conversations in Part 1 since Holt seemed to just like her because of her beauty and due to instinct. If you really think about it, they didn't have much in common. That was the main issue I had with the book besides how Part 2 was handled.

The cliffhanger was delicious, and I can't wait for the next book.

Thanks to the author & BookSirens for the ARC. In no way has that affected my review or rating.

[Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alannah Carbonneau delivers an emotionally charged and deeply immersive story in Promises We Were Never Meant to Keep. From the very first chapter, the book pulls you into a world where every feeling is amplified and every choice carries weight. Carbonneau has a real gift for emotional engagement—her characters don’t just exist on the page; they breathe, ache, hope, and unravel in ways that feel strikingly real.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the level of detail woven into each character - Faye, Holt and Tate. Carbonneau doesn’t rush their development; instead, she layers their histories, insecurities, and desires with deliberate care. This attention to depth makes it incredibly easy to connect with them, to root for them, and at times, to hurt with them.

There are moments when the pacing slows, but it’s clear this isn’t a flaw so much as a choice. Those quieter stretches give the characters room to grow and give the reader space to understand them more intimately. By the time the story reaches its emotional peaks, that groundwork pays off beautifully.

Overall, Promises We Were Never Meant to Keep is a heartfelt, character-driven read that rewards patience with a rich emotional experience. Carbonneau’s storytelling lingers long after the final page, and for readers who love sinking into the inner worlds of complex characters, this book is absolutely worth the journey. And honestly, the only hateful part is the cliffhanger—and the agonising wait for the next book.

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

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW — The Promise We Were Never Meant to Keep by Alannah Carbonneau
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Messy, emotional, and full of complicated love.

This story dives deep into a love triangle that spans years, choices, and the weight of secrets that never truly stay buried.

The FMC falls in love young with Holt, the charming boy destined for pro hockey. Their relationship is full of youthful passion and big dreams for the future. But when life throws her an unexpected pregnancy while Holt is chasing his dream, everything changes—and suddenly her future looks very different.

Instead of the big life she imagined, she stays in their small town and builds a life with Tate… Holt’s brother.

Years later, she’s a widow. Holt comes back home to help with the family business, and now she has to face the man she once loved—and the feelings she thought were long gone.

This book really leans into the emotional messiness of loving two people and the guilt, grief, and unresolved feelings that come with it. Watching the past and present collide made the story intense and heartbreaking at times.

✨ What I loved
• the emotional second-chance tension
• the complicated love triangle
• the small town setting
• the messy, realistic emotions
• the past and present timelines

💭 Overall vibe
An emotional and angsty romance about grief, choices, and the complicated reality that sometimes one heart can hold more than one great love.

If you like
• love triangles
• angsty romance
• small town drama
• second-chance love
• emotional character story

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’ll always be mine. Just as you’ll always be his”

This book is perfect for anyone who needs heartbreakingly raw and tragically real love stories that are beautiful, messy and complex unforgettable emotional journeys.

My angsty reader heart soaked up every word of this book! The writing is so strong and gives so much depth to these characters, their love and their stories—genuinely had me feeling all twisted and tangled emotionally. I actually CRAVE a book does that to me and this book did it 10 times over and I’m gonna need more. Anything she’ll give us, I want all of it.

That ending was quite the gut punch so I’m over here existing in a very intense limbo situation and I’m not sure I’m going to be okay here for long. I need details for book two immediately because I’m certain I’m not strong enough to manage life in this unknown!

I was lucky to have received an ARC of this book and am thankful to be able to voluntarily support this author with an honest review.

[Makenna McNaughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alannah Carbaneau has done it yet again! I absolutely DEVOURED this story. I read it in 2 days. (The missed sleep was well worth it!). Oh man, it is very very rare that a book can make me feel all of the feeling that The Promises We Were Never Meant To Keep did. I was able to cross off 'a book that made you cry' on my reading challenge because of this book. Faye, Tate and Holt had me hooked from the very beginning. The characters are so well thought out and you can tell how much love and planning went into creating every single little detain about them. I went into this book knowing that it ended on a cliffhanger but man was i secretly hoping that it didn't the closer I got to the end of the book. I need book 2 ASAP! Thank you so much Alannah for letting me read and review this masterpiece! I can't wait to see what you have in store for us in book 2.

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

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Promises We Were Never Meant To Keep is an emotional, slow-burn romance that tugs at every heartstring. Faye’s tangled feelings for Holt and Tate are raw, believable, and heartbreakingly real, and the author does a beautiful job of capturing love, loss, and life’s messy choices. The writing made me feel like I was right there with the characters—laughing, crying, and gasping at every twist.
The cliffhanger ending leaves you desperate for the next installment, which is exciting but also a little frustrating if you’re impatient for closure. Still, with its heartfelt storytelling, emotional depth, and a small-town charm that draws you in, this is a compelling start to the Rubble Ridge series—just keep the tissues handy.

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well well well who knew I’d like second chance romance as much as I do. This love story is a wild ass ride of who saw her first and who ends with her. This was definitely a slow burn for me I gave it 3⭐️ simply because I feel the first half of the book could have been a little less. I wanted to know more about Tate, the life all of it. When I tell you by the second half of this book I was gutted sobbing and read it in one sitting!!! Well worth the read and will surprise you by the end. I’m read for a book two. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[JENNIFER · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you find just the right book....

I wish I could give it more stars, I read so many books a year but it is only a few times a year that I find the book that just hits so good that you find yourself trying to find another that feels just like it. I had so many feelings with this book, especially with the nostalgia of the feeling of firsts. Now I am just praying this story continues and soon lol. I usually try to hold off reading a series until they are done but I am glad I didn't because I got to witness such great writing and I am going to go check out more of your books. I am glad I found an amazing new author (new to me)!

[Vivien R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omgosh! The pain, the angst and the love. This is one of these beautiful soul deep love stories that I had to put down a few times and take a breather. That’s not a bad thing, that’s just how intense the story is. And I get very emotionally invested in the characters I read about. Faye, Holt and Tate are the main trio of characters. Faye has difficult decisions to make about her and her baby’s future and she does what she thinks is best. Was it truly the right thing? I don’t know. Secrets always have a way of coming to light. This ends on a cliffhanger and I look forward to seeing what happens next!

[Anna Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart is breaking. This was a five-star read that owned my heart and soul. What incredible writing, what amazing characters, and what a beautifully messy and raw story. I honestly don’t want to spoil anything, but if you love small-town romance, hockey romance, and/or second-chance romance, this was such a good read. I can’t stop raving about it or thinking about it. I can’t even imagine how hard this must have been to write—the hurdles involved in portraying such a complex relationship—yet I’m so glad the author did. Book two now, please.

[*Nicole* · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! I have read Alannah Carbonneau's works in the past and I truly love her writing.

While this is a small town romance with hockey and second chance tropes, it's so much more than that. I loved Faye, Holt and Tate so, so much. Their journey is an emotional one. The past and present both having warmth and heartache, oh my goodness I never wanted to put this book down! At the same time, I hated to near the end. I needed tissues throughout, so be prepared for that and I'd recommend not reading it during that extra sensitive week of the month like I did 😂

This story is perfection so far and I'm ready for book two. I need to keep reading! Read this one if you want all the feels.

[Brenda Orozco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I’m glad I did. The sweet teen love between Holt and Faye was so sweet and pure. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. I wasn’t prepared for how the second part developed. Just when I thought my heart was going to be mended, I was left with that cliffhanger. Please don’t make us wait so long for the next two books. I hope Alex gets her story.

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

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely wonderful and beautiful story about young love and how quickly Dreams can change. Sometimes the path we want to take isn’t the one we go down. And I loved hire this story displayed that. The love between Faye and Holt. This broke my heart wide open and I was so invested throughout. This definitely took me through my emotions. And then I’m left on a cliffhanger. I really need the next book asap ❤️

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly heartbreaking. I could barely get through it without sobbing. I’ll admit I was a total Tate girl from the very first chapter. So his story just killed me. The book left off on such a cliffhanger and I need book 2 to come out soon so I can see the dominoes fall with Holt and Faye. I’ve loved every book I’ve read by this author and would easily recommend her work to people. Great storyteller! Thank you to the author for this arc copy.

[Maria Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. The story of Faye,Holt and Tate. It was beautifully written the emotions I felt reading this story. The emotional pull between them . The emotional rollarcoster I felt reading. Have a box of tissues next to you while reading I recommend you will need them. Ends in a cliffhanger so I’m ready for book 2! I received this as an ARC read for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. These are my honest views.

[Natasha Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book I can't believe it was so good first she falls in love with one brother and he goes off to play hockey and doesn't want his child so then she is with the other brother but then the other brother passes away and she gets back with the original Brothers shoes with. Your emotions will be all over the place with this one

[Samara Bonfiglio · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! I can’t wait for the second book!

A fantastic read! I normally don’t leave reviews but I just had to! Please tell me the next book is coming out soon?!?! I cried, I laughed, and my heart is pounding in anticipation for what’s to come!

[Katie Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the story. can’t stop crying

This reminds of my of what true love is. Such a great story of love, loss and second chances. It will make
You laugh and cry at time as such a great written book

[Misty Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! awesome read!!

So many emotions in one book! Loved this so much…Excited for the second book. The characters were beautifully written and it definitely pulled at all the heartstrings.

[Wilson De Jesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I need book 2 NOW

As always the story was perfection. Tears, laughter, LOVE. Can't wait to read more. I know it will be another one of your books I'll re-read a few more times. B

[Ashling Tobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutey loved it!!! The angst was something else.

[Jackie Wellman-Mattson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good. Luckily, I had nothing going on, and I read this in 1 day. Now I have (im)patiently wait for the next book because it does end in a cliffhanger.

[Edith-Marie Buonacore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit!!!! This was more emotional than I expected. I am not sorry about that at all. The characters in this book are endearing. You are connected from the beginning of this book.

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review to follow --but for now I'll just say "There better be a book 2 & sooner than later!"

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodish story, but ends on a horrible cliffhanger.