Welcome back to the island of Dawnhaven, where nothing is what it seems. Taylor Hale is thrilled to return to the island, and more importantly, to James Champlain. But as their relationship deepens, she learns dangerous secrets about the supernatural world. There are creatures other than vampires in the island woods. Creatures that seem to be hunting Taylor…
James will do anything to protect the girl he loves. But at every turn, powerful forces threaten to tear them apart. The supernatural balance is shifting. Ancient rivalries have been awoken. Age-old paranormal grudges must be settled, and the island is the perfect battleground.
How can James save Taylor from his world, his family, and…himself?
Leigh Walker lives on the gorgeous coast of Maine with her awesome husband, their beautiful kids, and her BFF, Choco the chocolate lab. Her smash-hit series Vampire Royals was previously optioned by Netflix. Leigh also writes Billionaire Romance as USA Today and Amazon Top-Ten Bestselling Author Leigh James. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Portuguese.
Outside of writing and family, her interests include maintaining a sense of humor, reading, sucking at golf, and lifting weights.
I couldn't get enough of this story, made for a long day at work... Even getting a few minutes at lunch time wasn't enough, and foregoing my Netflix binge watching didn't take precedence. I had to read this absolutely addictive series. So, I am including both books in this review. I love the story, the characters, and where it was going. James & Taylor's story to me where far more interesting than Twilight's Edward & Bella. For real!!! It had all the elements in it that for me fall into my book reading perks. Vampires, werewolves, and a crow named Edgar. I won't give any spoilers, but I just can't wait till the 3rd in this series comes out, like man I'mma be jonesing for sure till March!
Four stars this time because I'm kind of getting sick and tired of hearing oh boo boo he's going to leave me oh boo hoo please don't leave me oh God please don't leave me. It's just getting old.
I seriously loved this book and couldn’t put it down definitely worth the read I love Taylor she is badass and I completely love James and Luke makes me laugh.
Edited: March 14 2024 - Second time reading this series and I am highly annoyed with everyone, especially the main character. Talk about cringey stuttering and indecisive basket case of an MC. Ugh! I came so close to chucking this into my DNF pile but was determined to finish this again so I ca. delve into the third book which I haven’t even read yet, but I had preordered it a long time ago. Im begging the book gods to help me make it through the third book and praying that it gets better from here. Sigh. Here we go. (Just relieved to finally be done with this book.)
Happy reading ——————————————————————————————
Not as great as the first book, but still had a lot of surprising and refreshing moments within the plot.
So, I could've passed on this one. Bummer. We had more of the stuttering and scared of her shadow lead female character, Taylor. Then mix in the hottie, I'll save you sorta vampire, male lead, James. A few side characters, equally hot but agitating and wolves. Tada! There's your story.
What I did like was the the puppies-so brief, Eden's turmoil, and Luke's BS.
What I didn't like was the annoying 14 year old Amelia-just gross, Becky (still don't know what's wrong with her) and clueless Dad. Oh and did I say Taylor's stuttering? That too.
*Promised*, the second installment in Leigh Walker’s series, unfortunately falls short of the potential set up by its predecessor. While it continues the storyline introduced in the first book, it struggles to build on the foundation laid in *Awakening*, resulting in a predictable and underwhelming reading experience.
One of the most glaring issues with *Promised* is the lack of character development. The protagonist, despite being more seasoned and familiar with the dangers of her world, doesn’t experience much growth from where we left her in *Awakening*. Her internal struggles, while touched upon, are never fully fleshed out, and her decisions feel repetitive and unremarkable. For a character who has already been through so much, her responses to new challenges feel stagnant. This lack of development makes it hard for readers to stay engaged, especially when she seems to be treading the same emotional and narrative ground as the first book.
The romantic subplot, which could have been a saving grace, lacks both depth and originality. The chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest feels forced, with much of the relationship's progression relying on clichés rather than genuine emotional connection. The tension that should naturally arise from their situation often falls flat, and the dialogue between them is stilted, sometimes veering into melodrama. The romantic dynamic that might have been intriguing in the first book becomes predictable in this one, with little growth or change to keep readers invested.
Secondary characters, who had the potential to add richness to the world, are once again underutilized. Several of them were introduced in the first book with hints of interesting backstories or potential, but they remain sidelined here. Their relationships with the protagonist remain superficial, and they often serve only as plot devices rather than fully realized individuals. This weakens the emotional stakes of the novel, as the protagonist’s interactions with others lack the complexity needed to create a compelling ensemble cast.
The pacing of *Promised* is also problematic. While the first book managed to balance action and character development, this installment feels uneven, with long stretches where very little happens. These slower sections drag, making it hard to maintain momentum. When action does occur, it feels rushed and doesn’t carry the weight it should. The conflicts that arise are resolved too easily, with little tension or lasting consequence, which ultimately weakens the overall impact of the plot.
In terms of plot, *Promised* falls into predictable territory. While there’s a clear continuation of the overarching storyline, the twists and turns are often telegraphed early on, leaving little room for genuine surprise. Many of the conflicts and resolutions feel formulaic, and the stakes never feel as high as they should. The potential for gripping drama is there, but it’s consistently undercut by the lack of suspense and depth in the storytelling.
One of the more disappointing aspects is the world-building. *Awakening* introduced readers to a supernatural world filled with potential, but *Promised* doesn’t expand on it in meaningful ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book starts off where the last one left off, which I love. Taylor is coming to terms with her new supernatural boyfriend and the reality around her. But she is dealing with a best friend who is a new vampire, secrets and more paranormal stuff.
Things are strained between Taylor and James. Trying to keep secrets safe and continue on with everyday human life. Beware, this book starts off emotional have those tissues ready. This book then takes a twist, and they are left with more responsibility than they ever wanted.
She had to go home eventually, and a whole lot of questions with not many answers, plus she starts high school in a week, and now her father hates her boyfriend.
This book packs a punch as it gets going, including almost wars, other supernaturals, and lots of deception. It is a real page-turner. I can’t wait to read more in this series.
I truly enjoyed this book. I liked seeing how it evolved from one catastrophe to the next. This book was high-action, intense emotions, and lots of discoveries. I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next. I love Taylor’s character. She is human, but she is strong and determined even when she is afraid. I love how she matures in this book from the last one. James and his supernatural world are ever-changing, but his heart and morals aren’t, and I love it. This book gets wicked, wild, and worrisome.
Promised is the second book in the Equinox Pact series. My rating is probably more of a 3.5 but I rounded up to a four. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one, but I still had fun reading it. Taylor and James continue the romance that they started in the first book. Although I don't think James was as well written in this one, he felt flat and kept saying the same things repeatedly. I still enjoyed their relationship though. I also still found Taylor's dad annoying. I thought he had caught a clue at the end of the first book but frustratingly he didn't. Even putting aside the supernatural the man has no clue what's going on with his wife, with his daughters, or with literally anyone around him. The addition of werewolves has potential, but it depends on how the author uses them in the next book. Having for the most part enjoyed this book I will for sure be reading the next one.
Language: R (88 swears, 7 "f"); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13 I feel like there was so much potential, but everything was ruined in this book -- I'm not even going to bother with the third one. Both Taylor and James are whiney for at least 80 percent of the book, and the unequal-ness of the relationship doesn't get fixed. Taylor mentioned wanting an equal relationship in the first book multiple times, and then she doesn't mention it once in this one where it gets so much worse. Taylor and James have problems but only deal with the external issues and randomly start acting like they resolved their relationship issues in order to deal with the other conflicts. Not cool. The mature content rating is for innuendo, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for battle scenes and mention of suicide.
A good continuation to the first book in the series. The werewolves are a good addition to the story, and their presence explains some of the past mysteries.
James and Taylor reinforce their relationship, but not without some difficulties thrown in their way. At some point James has doubts, not about his love, but the possible consequences. Becky is worth than ever, and some of her behaviour are explained. Amelia, oh dear, she is a conniving teenager, although she seems to calm down a little as the story develops.
Luke is a welcome addition to the story and Eden is something else. This part ends on a fairly good note, but there are still some issues to be resolved. Exciting times ahead.
Taylor has had a hard life and when she falls for James, it's like a breath of fresh sir. But she also has to deal with step mother Becky and the drama with Amelia. Trouble seems abound as a new girl hits class, and James can't get a read on her. Turns out a new species has moved into town, and Taylor is the target.
Becky is something else. She's having a fling and getting weirded by the day. No one saw what was coming. And James'parents are a winning pair. They dump his brother on him. Surprise!!
It's an interesting story. Not overly filled with action, but interesting. Read on my friends
I still liked the story! But I didn’t feel as hooked in it as I did the first book. I got a lot of Twilight vibes mixed in with Vampire Diaries. I feel like I have a lot of unanswered questions that I’m hoping the third book will take care of. This one felt much more YA, or maybe I was just paying more attention to this book. The MMC really irked me with the whole poor me act and trying constantly to push away the FMC. Still super interested in the whole balance of things aspect, but starting to get confused/wondering where it’s headed. Also, screw the step mom.
Love it can’t wait for the next book it can not come soon enough I hope it will be at the first of the year when I love books I want to read them all at once hope you all enjoy it as I did
I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first one. I really liked the additions of Mali and Luke, but it bothered me that James wants to respect her father and says he understands where he is coming from, but then snakes Taylor out of the house each night.
LW has made for herself a special place in my heart. With every word she writes and with every world that she creates. I love the combination of romance, fantasy and drama! I can't wait to read what happens next. Keep it up LW! Please never stop.
Definitely read the first book in the series so that you aren't lost. This is such a fun and intense story. James and Taylor are such a great love story, but this book is also full of drama and fantasy!
First book was intriguing. The second time around it is predictable. Found myself occasionally spacing while reading whole pages. It's similarities to another series makes it less exciting.
So all the hope I had with the first book was lost with this one. The author kept repeating facts from the first book like her readers had amnesia or something. Additionally, there was no continuity to facts. For instance, how tall is her dad? That changed several times throughout.
This section will be shorter as it is mostly the same as book 1 of this series. If you haven’t read it, then you can click here to do so. [https://ondeanelourens.com/2020/11/25...]
The second book did not disappoint with its storyline. I liked how Taylor is so understanding of Eden’s predicament of wanting to bite her the whole time. I also enjoyed the new character, Luke, that was introduced as James’ bad boy brother. I like how by the end of the book you still not sure where his alliances lie.