Hard Promises to Keep

Falls Village Collection #10

by Kitty Berry

Ten years ago, I was on my way to becoming a man. She was still a girl.
I was on vacation when my whole world shifted. She was oblivious to her effect on me.
Butterfly.
That’s what I named her because she’s beautiful and delicate, her wings ready to open so she can fly. Then I can capture her and make her mine.
But she’s proving to be tough and it’s hard for me to be gentle. I’m not accustomed to dealing with female disobedience. But I have my ways to get what I want.
Now that I’m back in Falls Village to claim what I was forced to leave behind; I will not stop until I have her.
Fate steps in and provides me with an opportunity that I take advantage of. My Compatible Companions’ match proves to be the perfect sexually like-minded female.
I give her the summer to accept our contract and be mine.
I’m a very different man than I once was but I still have family obligations and responsibilities I’m not entirely comfortable fulfilling. I’ll do whatever it takes to be sure my family is respected and that I honor my father and uncle’s memory even if those are hard promises to keep.

375 pages, ebook

Published January 26, 2021

About the author

Kitty Berry grew up an only child who never wished for a sibling in a small town in Connecticut. After graduating with a degree in Early Childhood Special Education, she began teaching in the field and started to raise a family. Her literary influences happened later in life when she stumbled upon The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve after seeing it featured on the Oprah Show. It was her late mother’s (whose name she uses as a pen name) desire of becoming a writer that prompted Kitty to create a contemporary romantic series.
Being a creative person by nature who came into writing during a time in her life when the busy balance of career and family made her crave an escape into the world of romance, Kitty took that desire and turned it into a romantic series that offers the reader multidimensional characters.
In 2013, she published her first novel from The Stone Series, Sliding. Since then she has written 10 other novels in that series, among them Stoned, Second Chances, Surrender, Starting Over, and Silence. The final installment, Survivor was released in 2016. A holiday edition was released in late 2018.
Since then, Berry has released a trilogy titled, The Anatomy of Love and written a carry-over stand-alone novel, Vines of Ivy. In 2019, she released the Compatible Companions Trilogy.
Because angst-ridden, plot-driven, women's contemporary romances mesmerize Kitty, Berry writes only in that genre. While each book in The Stone Series can stand alone with its own story, Berry’s intention was to create carry-over characters to satisfy the need of the reader to know more after each novel ends. As an avid reader herself, Kitty enjoys the feeling of being there with the characters inside the story and often finds herself wanting to know more about them, missing them when the story is over, and becoming excited all over again when she discovers those familiar characters in subsequent novels. It is her hope that The Stone Series will do the same for her readers.
Kitty is married to a man she met in graduate school and has three boys who are almost men.
Kitty recently founded RomantiConn (a romance author signing event annually held in CT) and is currently working on the Falls Village anthology hybrid with her fellow RomantiConn authors.
Visit Kitty’s website @ www.kittyberryauthor.com

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Hard Promises to Keep and it is so fantastic and so exciting that it absolutely blew me away. Vince DiPaola 10 years ago vacationed in Falls Village, Maine. He saw a young Taylor Hamilton walking on the beach and was immediately so enamored with her he named her Butterfly. He goes back to Falls Village 10 years later to claim his Butterfly and his Compatible Companion match gives him the perfect opportunity. Even though Taylor likes this strong controlling man, she is not ready to give herself to him completely. Vince wants to be the man Taylor wants but family responsibilities he is not entirely comfortable with make it difficult. Love the Italian that Vince and his family spoke. This captivating story has beautifully written love scenes, lots of thrilling action and danger, and along with some great new characters, there are some of the previous characters from this series that add so much excitement and humor.

[Jaime Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved each and every book in this series I have read and they continue to get better and better. You fall in love with the town and characters. The writing and storyline has you so involved that you feel like you are in the story and want to live there. Plus this one has a lot of steam that makes you unable to put your kindle down. If you haven’t added Vince and Taylor’s story do it now. You will not be disappointed.

[Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

With each and every installment of the Falls Village Collection I find myself wanting to move to Maine and live next door to these awesome characters. Vince, the mafia Don, set his sights on a girl who he named butterfly when he visited the area ten years ago, although she has remained in the back of his mind she has always been in the fore front of his heart. Taylor has had her share of bad relationships and daddy issues, but it is not until she gets matched with Vince through Compatible Companions, that she understands just how much she needs a dominant male to claim her submissiveness. Taken away to Italy only proves that they are perfect for each other, but when danger strikes will Vince allow her to remain by his side? Or will he throw away his butterfly in hopes that she will fly to safety? Emotional from the opening pages, Kitty Berry once again proves that no matter the characters and storyline, her readers will always be highly entertained. Absolutely my favorite in the series.

[Donna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor Hamilton has an obbession with her mafia romances, one that her boyfriend cannot understand. She also has a desire that she cant explain and again her boyfriend cannot support her. Her life will change when she signs up for a service that matches her with her ideal mate. Her life is stagnant and reminders are every where around her. She needs the change.
Vince DiPaola first spots his butterfly on a beach in Maine right before his life will change forever. He cant get her out of his mind for years and even returns to the sleepy town to hope to see her again. He is in the process of changing his future as a mob boss when he know he needs more from his personal life. One of his acquaintances runs a service for matching like minded people in his BDSM lifestyle. Little did he know how fate would intervene.
I enjoyed this book set in this town even though i have not read any of the others. I will go back and find out more about how the others gor their HEAs. Taylor and Vince are explosive, partially due to Vince's total dominance nature and part to Taylor's inability to learn from her sassy mouth. These two push each others buttons in the most provocative ways that neither can see straight at times. Vince commands the relationship but Taylor stears it.

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful dual narration by Dom Jonson and Teena Scott. They both bring the characters to life and bring the romance and plot to life. Brilliant.

Vince a Mafia Don first saw Taylor ten years ago , and gave her the name butterfly . They meet again through Compatible Companions, that she understands just how much she needs a dominant male to claim her submissiveness. When danger strikes will Vince allow her to remain by his side. We have lots of thrilling action and danger.