Promises I Made

Lies I Told #2

by Michelle Zink

In the thrilling sequel to Lies I Told, Grace learns that the most difficult thing about pulling off the perfect crime is living with the consequences. Fans of Ally Carter, Cecily von Ziegesar, and Gail Carriger will love this thrilling, high-stakes novel, which deftly explores the roles of identity and loyalty while offering a window into the world of the rich and fabulous.Grace Fontaine was trained to carry out perfect crimes. But when a mistake was made the night her family tried to execute their biggest heist yet, her world fell apart.Haunted by the way she betrayed her brother, her friends, and Logan—the only boy she's ever loved—Grace decides she must return to the place every thief knows you should the scene of the crime.Returning to Playa Hermosa as a wanted criminal is dangerous. But Grace has only one chance to make things right. To do it, she has to use everything she's been taught about the art of the con to hunt down the very people who trained the only family she's ever known.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2015

About the author

Michelle Zink is author of the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy, A Temptation of Angels, and This Wicked Game. Her next book, Lies I Told, releases Spring 2015.


Learn more on Michelle's blog at www.michellezink.com.

Reviews

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed book 1 in this duology, Lies I Told when I read it earlier this year. I loved the premise of this story and the characters and when everything went down in that last chapter and I turned the last page, I knew I had to get my hands on book 2 as soon as possible.

When I started Promises I Made, I was terribly concerned. Grace’s life has blown up and everything she wants and needs is out of reach. The boy she fell in love with and then betrayed… the mother she trusted who betrayed her … and the brother who is the only person she could count on is in jail for a crime that he was certainly not the mastermind. She decides that she has to go back to the one place she shouldn’t… Playa Hermosa. The town where everything went down, but she’s bound and determined to do everything she can to help her brother, even if that means turning on the only family she’s never known.

I loved that Zink really played up the consequences of the actions of Grace and her family. There was no sugar coating what they did and Grace certainly doesn’t get forgiveness easy. I was crushed when her relationship with Logan didn’t deter her from doing what her parents asked her to do, so when they are reunited in this book it was even worse. There is no way that Logan could easily forgive her for the things she has done to him and his family, and Zink certainly didn’t hold anything back.

I really enjoyed the suspense that Zink built up in this part of the story. Ultimately, to help her brother, Grace needs to provide the police with the real criminals in this story, and their experience makes this a bit of a challenge. I loved that she ended up finding confidants and that those people tie back to the first book. It was really amazing to see her get the things she should have had the first time around, and I loved that these two characters basically steal the show when it comes to the pages they are on.

Overall a fun and suspenseful duology, with an ending that will pull at your heartstrings! Perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Ashley Elston or Gail Carriger.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying ending to one of the better teen heist books out there.

Review coming soon!!!

[Ashley (gotbookcitement) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yayy for First Book Read of 2019! And Double Yayy because this also finishes a series, technically a duology, but still I finished something I started.
I enjoyed this. I enjoyed the first book when I read it. I won't say it was anything spectacular, but it was interesting. It centers on a family of grifters, con-artists who move to different places and target a rich person or family to steal from. Grace and Parker were adopted by Cormac and Renee for help with the cons. Teens are able to get into places where the two adults would have trouble. In the first book, Grace helped her family con a boy named Logan, and during the con, she fell for him. The heist went all wrong, with someone getting caught and someone taking off with all the money. The remaining members of Grace's "family" are now in crisis mode.
In this sequel, Grace returns to the scene of the crime to rescue her family member that got caught, but getting someone out of prison is hard. I feel like that's all I can say without spoiling anything.
I thought this was all right, I liked it. Grace is on the run through pretty much the whole book, she's laying low. It's a very interesting subject matter, but in reality, it doesn't make for a lot of action in the book. She's hiding, she's trying to find leads, she's always on alert looking over her shoulder, and she's trying to free the one person she cares about the most. Luckily she gets some help.
I'm glad I got to see how Grace's story played out. I really enjoyed the subject matter of the book, the conflict that Grace goes through because of her lifestyle. Her "parents" are selfish people and I felt bad for Grace. She wants so bad for a real family and these people are just using her to steal. The book also brings up the part Grace plays in the cons, and just what all she's guilty for. I did enjoy how it all ended too. It was a good ending.
I'd definitely recommend this series for people interested in Con Artists and Grifters. It presents an interesting type of life.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5
A Nice Ending

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: An amazing second installment with a lush setting and complex characters.

Opening Sentence: When I think about what happened in Playa Hermosa, its not the gold that gets to me.

The Review:

Spoilers for Lies I Told ahead… Grace has changed. She is no longer naive. She will not be used again. She takes Cormac’s money and runs, with only one intention in mind: free Parker from jail, however long that takes. This isn’t going to be easy, and she doesn’t have the resources to stage a breakout, so she’ll need allies. But how can she trust anyone after what she went through?

I read Lies I Told last year, and I thought it was a decent book. I had a couple problems with the main character and the love story, but it was well written with a unique premise and a lush setting. Going into Promises I Made, I knew it was going to be a completely different storyline than the first novel, but I was unsure how that would affect how much I enjoyed it.

The problems I had with Grace in the last book were gone by the end of the first chapter. In the previous installment, I thought that she was naive. Yes, she was young, and these people were her only family, but really? She was being so obviously used by Cormac and Renee but she couldn’t seem to figure that out, even when her brother was so adamant about his very true opinions.

At the beginning of this second book, she had seen the light. The last shred of her innocence had been destroyed the night they stole the Fairchild’s gold and Parker was found by the police. Now, her only goal is to get Parker out of jail, no matter what it takes, and that gives her the strength to push through some unfortunate situations. This also makes her less trustworthy of everyone, and I liked the character development she underwent over the story, much more than the first.

The other problem with the last story was the romance. Her relationship with Logan hit the ground running, and was basically insta-love, which anyone whose read my reviews knows that I usually despise. That story was no exception. Luckily, there was much less focus in the relationship this time around, other than apologies and redemption and that sort of stuff.

Altogether, I found this novel a magnificent end to the series. There was more suspense, more emotion, and more development in book two. I enjoyed the main characters much more, and it went in a very different direction than I was expecting – ultimately, that was a success. The setting was lush and gorgeous, and the writing style nicely done. I would definitely recommend this!

Notable Scene:

Cormac had used more than his share of money to rebound. Parker had gone to jail for it. I’d use every cent of what was left to get him out of trouble if I could, and I wouldn’t waste any more time feeling bad for Cormac.

He was on his own now.

We all were.

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Promises I MAde. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Donna Villeponteaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed!! Not sure what I was expecting but found that this sequel to Lies I Told to be a letdown. And the supposed character, Detective Fletcher, never materializes. So many characters from the first book (Marcus, the mysterious next door neighbor who we never meet in the first book, Selena, Logan, Renee) become aware of Grace's reapppearance in Playa Hermosa but somehow the police never find her!

[Allison Brunskill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love teen heist/con books and this was the first book I've read dealing with the "after". I was skeptical going into this, I knew it wouldn't have the action of the first book and I was worried about how it would compare. Well this was fantastic. Grace goes through so much; she's been betrayed, she has to acknowledge her betrayals, she's alone, she has to learn to trust, and so on. I loved how realistic this was, no matter how sorry Grace was there are some things you can't come back from. She may not get the ending you want but ultimately she gets the ending that's right.

[Fiona R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. In my opinion, not enough action or substance to justify a sequel. A very slow read and rushed ending.

[Laney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great end to the first one!

[Chocolate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first on

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever felt like you have nobody to trust, or like your whole life is just a lie? Well, that's exactly how Grace Fontaine feels after her life of perfect crimes unexpectedly came to an end after one bad night. Promises I Made by Michelle Zink, is a sequel to Lies I Told, which is about Grace’s life with her manipulative foster parents, and all the perfectly executed crimes her and her family performed together. This novel is a must read for young adult girls because of the intriguing mix of mystery and little spark of love all pulled into one. I think many girls can relate to what Grace is going through, because many girls at least once throughout their life feel lost and like they can't trust anybody. Although Grace is going through a time in her life where she is lost and untrusting of anybody, she manages to put that pain aside and stay loyal to her older brother as she worked with two complete strangers in order to do whatever she could to get him out of jail for something that wasn’t his fault. Throughout the book, Grace was taught, on multiple occasions, that there are people she CAN trust. Although she betrayed her best friend and only boy she’s ever loved, by lying to them, her best friend still remained loyal and gave her a place to stay as she was on the run. This book shows that even though you may feel like nobody is there for you, there are people who have your best at heart, and will help you even if you’ve wronged them.

[Thia Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars...

Book 1 was really good and after ending on a cliffhanger, I was really looking forward to reading this one. However, it fell flat for me. I felt like a lot of the pages were just fillers. There would be periods of nothing really happening and then suddenly (as I was starting to feel bored) something would finally happen. Also, Scotty got on my nerves. He was so OVERLY "sweet, caring, and understanding" all the time. I mean he was just so nauseating to me.

Another thing I didn't like was all the peacock talk! I know that book 1 mentions here and there about the birds, but this book went on and on about them in order to fill pages. The thing is the birds had absolutely nothing to do with anything at all. All the bird talk made me feel like I was reading 2 different books.

Also, I thought Grace was a little hard on her mom. She explained (reasonably) why she did what she did, yet Grace didn't want to understand. Actually, I thought her mom's explanation made a lot of sense and really had Grace and Parker's best interest (in a criminal like way) in mind.

The ending didn't surprise me, it was Parker that surprised me. After all that "we're in this together" stuff, his decision at the end was quite strange. However, I did like the "realistic" ending (for the most part). Grace didn't get a happily ever after, but she got a chance to move toward a better future. So, that was nice to see.

Overall, this one wasn't as good as the first book, but it did wrap everything up.

Content: Mention of sex (mild sexual content)
Language: There is about the same amount as book 1

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huge thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book for review!

I liked this book... butttttt I didn't love it as much as I did the previous book. I felt like a lot of the tension that made the first book so good was missing. And while I liked how everything was wrapped up it just felt like a lot of filler... and this was a fairly short book.

This book starts off shortly after the previous book left off. Grace and Cormac are living in Seattle, trying to con some money out of a woman, and Parker is locked up in Playa Hermosa. Renee is gone and Grace knows that nobody is going to help Parker. So she takes off with the rest of Cormac's money and heads back to the scene of the crime to try to figure out how to help Parker.

A lot of this book is Grace doing idle things. Grace staking places out. Grace traveling around. Grace being stressed about money. And that's it. I was SO HAPPY when Marcus and Scotty showed up! This was when things started to get good. We find out who the man next door (who sang the creepy songs) was! And we get this lovely, sexy con-man-turned-domestic-partner-with-his-ex-cop-husband story and I LOVED IT SO MUCH! Grace finally got to experience what it was like to be taken care of and loved! This happy little family was the best and I just wanted them to live happily ever after.

Marcus, we learn, taught Cormac everything he knows and he wants to take Cormac down. Grace is all for this! Sadly the big take down is full of boring stake-outs and little drama. It was all very anti-climatic.

Key characters from the previous book make a few appearances, Grace gets the chance to make amends with a few people, but I really would have LOVED a show down between her and Rachel. Sadly that didn't happen. I feel like there was a lot of potential in this that just didn't happen.

But I did enjoy getting a happy ending and I did enjoy seeing Grace come to terms with what she'd done and I loved Marcus and Scotty so much that I'm giving this four stars.

[Stacee · Rating 4 out of 5]

After that ending in Lies I Told, I was so excited to be able to start this book immediately after finishing. It doesn't pick up right at the end of LIT, but Grace gives us the 411 on what's been happening.

For me, this book had more of a slow burn. Since the con has already happened, there isn't much of a set up. Instead it's a cat a mouse game of sorts: Grace is trying to help Parker without getting caught. Which means there's a lot of hiding and incessant bus rides and less than 2 minute phone calls to a detective.

With Grace's inner monologue, the story stays interesting. There are a couple of characters from LIT that make an appearance, but there are two new characters that show up and just about steal the show. I'll let you find them on your own.

The ending was very satisfying and I'm happy with where it was left. All in all, this series was an enjoyable quick read.

**Huge thanks to Michelle Zink for having the contest for the arc**

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent and is worth reading. Promises I made is the sequel to Lies I Told, which was published on November 24, 2015. The book continues on and unfolds the result of the heist in Grace’s point of view. New characters are introduced and they are well developed as well as old characters, which you will get to know even better. The plot is original and has more plot twist and surprises. The second book is follows the same plot as the first, but extends it as well. There is nothing really controversial except for some language. A theme of the book would be giving second chances. Although Grace helped rob and hurt the Fairchild family, they give her a second chance and forgive her. I recommend teens of both boys and girls. This book is amazing and I hope you read it.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first! I wanted her and Logan to get back together somehow!!

[The book in my backpack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nachdem alles im Desaster geendet ist, muss Grace nun schauen, wie sie ihren Bruder retten kann. Er wollte es gar nicht durchziehen... Jetzt sitzt er als einziger im Gefängnis. Ihr Vater hat sich ein neues Opfer gesucht, damit er das verlorene Geld wieder reinholen kann. Ihre Mutter hat sich abgesetzt. Ihre Freunde hat sie belogen, sowie ihren Freund, dem sie zusätzlich noch Drogen verabreicht hat. Sie hat einen psychisch kranken Mann geklaut...
All das nagt an ihr und sie kann nicht loslassen, also geklaut sie ihren Adopivvater und zieht alleine los. Als sie mit der Polizei kooperieren will merkt sie, wie wenig sie eigentlich weiß. Ein Auf und Ab der Gefühle startet und Grace erkennt, dass ihre Adoptiveltern sie nur ausgenutzt haben.
Genau wie das erste Buch sehr spannend geschrieben. Hier wird mehr Wert of die zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen gelegt und das Thema Vergebung diskutiert. Die unterschiedlichen Charaktere gehen sehr verschieden damit um.

[Shikiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel was very underwheming.
I read the first book about a year ago and have been waiting for my library to get the sequel since then. I had built up so much anticiation for it as someone who absolutely loved the first book so it was so dissapointing.
Nothing really hapened throughout the book. One plot I was interested in seeing was how her friends from the first book would react to her and treat her since she betrayed them. However they just forgave her without her needing to do anything. Logan was the only one who initially almost turned her in since he was resentful but still let her go even after he found her.
The plot felt flat and the climax when she finally found her dad was so anti climatic.
In my opinion, catching her dad and the trial seemed very rushed when they couldve and shouldve been more central to the plot.
Overal it wasn't terrible, just underwhleming.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

YA continuation of the book Lies I told. This is a quick read that provides closure to the previous novel. Being it is YA it provides enough depth and much enjoyment.
After Grace’s “family” completed their heist where everything went wrong, Grace wants to make a break and live a normal life. She now realizes the pain her lies have caused for people. She goes back to Playa Hermosa even though she is a wanted person of interest. She reaches out to the detective, using her skill to not be caught, in order to illicit some help..many believe she’s a victim in this as well but she knows she has caused harm. Her real chance is to find those who called themselves her “parents” with some help from unexpected sources, Grace will discover there is forgiveness in the world ….

[Sara Strack · Rating 5 out of 5]

For starters, I had not meant to stay up all night reading the two books in this series. But I did, and they were SO good. The first book dealt with the months leading up to a heist we know goes wrong. This book deals with the months after everything went wrong for Grace. While I enjoyed the build of the first book, I think I preferred Promises I Made, because Grace on the run was more intense to me. I was almost looking over my shoulders as much as she was. In addition to that, I loved Marcus and Scotty. The bond between Grace and Parker was also high on my list too. Basically, I just really liked it and am a little sad Graces story is over. But I am satisfied with how it ended.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There a reason that I don’t typically read sequels of books unless it’s a brand new storyline. This book was a good wrap up of Grace’s story, but definitely slow paced compared to the first book. There was much less intense moments, I liked her interactions with Selena and wish there was more of a finale to that friendship. I went into the book thinking it would be very different and while I’m happy with Grace’s ending, I wish it had the same vibe as the first book. 3.5/5

[Colette Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book, but still very good.

[Kayley Creagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motivations were real and the characters were well developed from last year. Great continuation from last book.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as great as the first, but still really good!

[Monica Gargac · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick, easy read. nice choice for YA

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great follow up with a new host of characters. A great read that I couldn’t put down.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slower than the first, but still enjoyable, and a little bit sadder than I expected.

[Madelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

cry worthy

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 ⭐️

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent sequel to "Lies I Told." It's really hard to put these books down!