Promise Me

Hometown Heroes #0.5

by Jennifer Vander Klipp, Jennifer Crosswhite

Marketing director for Samashima Family Farms Cait Bellamy, on a break from the endless restoration of her farmhouse, witnesses potentially-devastating vandalism at the farm. Car restoration hobbyist and real estate attorney Grayson Kendall finds himself intrigued by the happenings at the farm which seem to be related to his latest real estate development. He does some digging, unknowingly putting Cait and her beloved farmhouse in danger. Can they both learn trust each other and create something new out of the wreckage their pasts while trying to discover who wants to put the farm out of business?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2017

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promise Me is part of the Hometown Heroes series by Jennifer Crosswhite. This is my first introduction to her writing and it will not be my last. This short read has great, likeable characters with some history and suspense that me intrigued all to the end. I thought it was really great.
Promise Me gets four and a half stars from me. Looking forward to more in the Hometown Heroes series.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own hones opinion.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Cait and Grayson! JL Crosswhite knows how to make characters come to life. Cait sees a crime being committed and snaps a photo of the vandal. Grayson has had his eye on Cait from church choir practice and jumps at the chance to give her a ride after her car is vandalized. Although there are some bumps along the way, Cait and Grayson get a sweet, happy-for-now ending.
The plot has twists and turns. There are some tense scenes; some sweet, romantic ones; and some humor. The plot has a very satisfactory ending; the reader is not left hanging.
I want to read more of this series and more by JL Crosswhite. I would recommend Promise Me to clean/wholesome romance readers, romantic suspense readers, and readers of Christian fiction.
I received a complimentary copy. I chose to write a review and share my opinion of this excellent book.

[Vicki Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first read by this author for me too. A very intriguing story that kept me turning the pages from start to finish. The author has developed good characters with Cait and Grayson and their romance story is one that could probably be identified by many. The base of this story is also one that is happening all over this country, development of property for the masses. However, that is definitely just a sideline, but it is the reason for the greed and corruption toward Caitlin and her employer's properties.

This is a very good faith filled story that rang so true. I would encourage anyone that enjoys sweet, Christian romance with mystery and intrigue to read this novella. A very easy and clean read.

I received a copy of this book from the author. This is my voluntary, honest and completely personal review.
VICKI FROM WYOMING

[Bhriv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promise Me, written by Jennifer Vander Klipp, is the prequel to the Hometown Heroes series.
A great book on learning to trust after being hurt by the ones you should be able to trust the most. I think my favorite character was Cait. She could be that girl next door that you never took the time to get to know and yet, she could be me, too. After one has been hurt by family, it's hard to know if you should trust someone who might just happen into your life.
A great prequel to the Hometown Heroes series! Perfect addition!
For a novella, Vander Klipp did a great job at developing her characters. Mystery, suspense, and romance...nothing is missing! This was a clean, inspirational read appropriate for teens on up. I was given this book by the author. All thoughts and comments are my own.

[Caryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cait is renovating an old farmhouse as she works full time at a family farm. She unexpectedly witnesses vandalism on the farm. Soon she becomes his target.

Grayson, a handsome real estate attorney, who's trying to prove to his family he can follow through on a project. He's drawn into Cait's troubles which in turn threatens to derail his land development venture.

I enjoyed watching as Cait and Grayson followed clues to uncover the mysterious vandal. The twists and turns kept me turning the pages. It's a sweet read.

I recommend this novella to those who enjoy sweet, contemporary romances.

I won a copy. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cait renovates an old farmhouse. At her day job as a marketing director, she witnesses vandalism. Real estate attorney Greyson needs this deal to go through. Can Cait and Grayson create something together while finding out who wants to put the farm out of business?

I enjoyed this book. Characters are realistic and interesting. The plot is suspense-filled. Add Christianity to the mix and a great story is created. It's a journey of love, as the description reads. I look forward to the next books in this series. It wet my interests.

[Diana Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author to me but I loved the novella. Look forward to reading more. Cait is to refurbish her farmhouse but someone is vandalizing it. Who could be doing it and why? Who can she trust to talk to about it? Someone is trying to run her out, but why? Wonderful on edge flip paging story. Loved the characters.

[Malia Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great prequel!

This is a wonderful prequel to Vander Klipp's Hometown Heroes series. I can't wait to read more in the series!

[Danielle Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic
This is a great book. I enjoy this story. Cait gets blamed and harassed and put in danger because her boss dont want to sell their land. Good writing.

[Joan Arning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promise Me is a sweet short story featuring Cait who is redoing an old farmhouse and Grayson a young attorney. You will love both of these characters. I look forward to the rest of the series!

[Rachel Bonner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the kindle version, enjoyable holiday reading.

[sandra smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Good fast read with great story line and characters...cant wait to read the first book Protective Custody and the rest of the series of hometown heroes

[Renee Kamenszki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Samashimas' farm and store are still run pretty much still run like their Great-great Grandfather's family ran it when he migrated to California. "Treat your workers and customers like family." Short hours on Sundays allowed everyone who wanted adequate time to attend Church if they desired. But, uppermost it was to be set aside for time spent with family and friends. Following their family's premise, it is important to have adequate time to rest. Working seven days non-stop makes a person less productive....not more.
Cait Bellamy's job is in obtaining more retailers to stock their products. The motto of the farm is fresh from our farm to the table. Cait spearheads all the campaigning for ads to spread the word and accumulate more business. Always emphasize how the correct procedure for safe healthy produce is the correct choice, to always deliver our product at the peak of freshness. It is always a busy week being sure everything runs smoothly but also many times frustrating.
Cait is off on Sundays so first thing in the morning she loves to make the trip to the farm and just walk around. Letting the smell of the earth, growing produce, and of course, animals put her senses at ease. Then Cait begins to zero in on just what she wants to capture in her film and just gets lost in time. Today is no different and when she glances at her watch she sees again time has flown while she has lost herself being part of God and nature.
As she heads back to her car she is sure she hears water running. There are no streams or waterfalls so where is that sound coming from? It is kind of hard to locate the source of the sound since there is so much fog that has rolled in with the cooler evening temperatures. Cait proceeds to the storage sheds, she is sure she saw a shadow dart behind one. As she approaches a man rushed out and Cait snaps her camera up and proceeds to rapid-fire snapping his picture. He runs off and she realizes she is up to her ankles in cold rushing water. When she grabs her phone to call the police she sees the irrigation controls are all smashed and water is rushing down the rows of small plants. Smashing and pulling them from the soil to flood the next rows. The damage to the plants and the water destruction stops her in her tracks, just stunned.
When the police arrive Cait relates what happened with the man and how she came to be walking through the farm on a Sunday. The police don't seem to feel she is in any danger taking the man's picture. But, this is where they are so wrong.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this prequel! Had it in my To Be Read pile but just acquired the main books of the series so I needed to see what they were going to be like. This prequel has totally encouraged me to jump into the Hometown Heroes series! I can’t wait to meet more of the characters and learn about their stories.

This short story evolves around Cait and Grayson…and the star of the story…Cam the puppy!! Enjoyed the Christian theme evident throughout the story, the gentle romance and the suspense. Roll on the next book!

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice novella with some suspense and a furry friend. I enjoyed the characters and learning about their occupations. There was a lovely faith and family element. There is an overarching mystery that isn’t solved on this novella. I’m unsure if it’s a series long mystery or if it’s just unsolved here because it’s a series prequel. Stay tuned as I head off to read book one.

Update: This is a standalone and the mystery here does not continue in the next book.

[MaryEllen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cait and Greyson are the stars of this intro to the Hometown Hero series. Although the story is short, we get to see them through a range of emotions, and we see a bit of their intellect.

The drama they face is serious, but the reader is not left to wallow in the anxiety for too long.

I can't wait to read more from this series.

[Kathleen Robison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced read with an intriguing plot and really interesting, but likeable characters. Looking forward to reading the series. I like the author’s clean and concise prose. Thoroughly enjoyed the story.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this story was too rushed. The ending left me feeling as if she was not totally safe. The humor of how she captured the intruder was great! Would consider reading the next in the series.

[D'anah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start to a series. Enough suspense, drama, things going on to keep you involved and turning the page. Would have liked closure on what the story behind it all was. Guess that's the teaser for the series?

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clean romance with suspense. This is a novella and leads you into the series, which you need to read to find out who was targeting Cait.

[Marie Pinkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good intro

This novella was a.good intro to a new series. Likeable characters, suspense, and romance mix to create an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the series.

[Heidi Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book!

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book.
I like the way this author writes!
So who is trying to scare Cait off her property and does Grayson have anything to do with it?

[Marian Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always prefer to read the prequel before starting a series and this one did not disappoint. Can’t wait to start (and finish) this series! I like her writing and the Christian references.

[Cinnabug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even with all the action and suspense in this story, the author still managed to weave in a sweet romance. I loved it!

[Steve W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about the book's description sounded interesting, and I couldn't find the book (online) in my local library, but I did find the "Hometown Heroes: The Complete Collection" that included this story, though not in either audiobook or Kindle format. Starting off the book was not very engaging, and it never really grabbed me the way I was hoping.

As for the writing, I was surprised to find a number of grammatical/usage errors (not in the dialog, since not all characters would speak properly, but in the narration), and some of the sentences didn't make sense to me on the first read (finally, by the third read, I got what the author was saying). Though I checked out the series, and it expired before I got through all the books, I'm not highly motivated to return and finish the series.

[Clara K Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Loved the characters. I really loved the way the author brought the spiritual parts in the lives of the two main characters.

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her life is already hectic between her job, choir and working on her farmhouse. Dealing with vandals at both work and home is almost too much. How does she react to the attacks? What does she think about his cute solution?

[D R Jobsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooked

Loved this introduction to Hometown Heroes. Intrigued by Grayson s commitment to success without sacrificing his faith, and by Claire’s determination to independence without sacrificing relationships with others of like convictions and faith. Can’t wait to see the outcome of their commitments.