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Christos's Promise
Bride by arrangement, unwilling wife...
The first time Christos Pateras laid eyes on Alysia, he promised he would make her his.
Ten years later, Christos seized the chance to realize his vow: Alysia's father was offering his daughter's hand in marriage, in exchange for Christos's financial support. But on their wedding night, Christos discovered that though Alysia might be his bride by arrangement, she was not his willing wife....
The first time Christos Pateras laid eyes on Alysia, he promised he would make her his.
Ten years later, Christos seized the chance to realize his vow: Alysia's father was offering his daughter's hand in marriage, in exchange for Christos's financial support. But on their wedding night, Christos discovered that though Alysia might be his bride by arrangement, she was not his willing wife....
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
13 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Jane Porter
617 books2,054 followersBorn in Visalia, California, I'm a small town girl at heart. I love central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and the miles of farmland. In my mind, there's nothing sweeter in the world than the heady fragrance of orange blossoms on a sultry summer night.
As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.
My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).
I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.
After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.
I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.
As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.
My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).
I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.
After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.
I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 25, 2018
Triggers: death of a child, mental breakdown
This is a very angsty tale of a poor little rich girl heroine who was abused by her father, married the wrong man, Now divorced, her mother is dead from cancer and she has been living in a convent for two years at her Greek shipping billionaire father's command. The story opens when the hero, also a Greek ship owner, arrives to tell the heroine that a marriage between them has been arranged and that she will never be under her father's power again.
The heroine is attracted to the hero, but doesn't want to be under any man's power. She marries the hero and then tries everything not to get close to him or to let down her guard. She even runs away for a few days. The hero tries to be patient with her. He knows she's been in a mental institution, he knows of the father's abuse (he witnessed it ten years before and he made a promise to rescue the heroine when he was able - hence the title).
What he doesn't know is the spoiler above. (How his detectives missed that is beyond me)
So this is a tale of rescue of a heroine who doesn't trust her rescuer And a hero who doesn't quite know what he is rescuing the heroine from. Even the reader doesn't know the whole story until the end - is the hero working out of revenge or love or a mix of both?
It's a fascinating, if harrowing story. Heroine is very damaged. Hero does not have limitless patience. But they find a way that was believable to me to have an HEA. There is a lovely, very necessary epilogue.
This is a very angsty tale of a poor little rich girl heroine who was abused by her father, married the wrong man, Now divorced, her mother is dead from cancer and she has been living in a convent for two years at her Greek shipping billionaire father's command. The story opens when the hero, also a Greek ship owner, arrives to tell the heroine that a marriage between them has been arranged and that she will never be under her father's power again.
The heroine is attracted to the hero, but doesn't want to be under any man's power. She marries the hero and then tries everything not to get close to him or to let down her guard. She even runs away for a few days. The hero tries to be patient with her. He knows she's been in a mental institution, he knows of the father's abuse (he witnessed it ten years before and he made a promise to rescue the heroine when he was able - hence the title).
What he doesn't know is the spoiler above. (How his detectives missed that is beyond me)
So this is a tale of rescue of a heroine who doesn't trust her rescuer And a hero who doesn't quite know what he is rescuing the heroine from. Even the reader doesn't know the whole story until the end - is the hero working out of revenge or love or a mix of both?
It's a fascinating, if harrowing story. Heroine is very damaged. Hero does not have limitless patience. But they find a way that was believable to me to have an HEA. There is a lovely, very necessary epilogue.
July 4, 2018
I found this to be incredibly depressing on so many levels.
November 12, 2011
VERY angsty MOC HP between a Greco-American tycoon and the daughter of a Greek tycoon. Pretty smexy read with lots of angry!sex! Loved it. Will definitely watch out for more of Porter's books if they are like this.
The only thing that is preventing this from being a keeper is that the heroine is VERY damaged. Very. Frankly, she is too much of a basketcase throughout the book for the romance to be very believable once you think about it.
Setting: Greece and Connecticut
Grade: B+/B
The only thing that is preventing this from being a keeper is that the heroine is VERY damaged. Very. Frankly, she is too much of a basketcase throughout the book for the romance to be very believable once you think about it.
Setting: Greece and Connecticut
Grade: B+/B
July 19, 2012
Well going into this book I had been warned it would be an angst fest and it was, the heroine was so deeply scarred and angry and afraid. She had been raised by a hateful father and lovely mother and she got away from it through an art scholarship where she met her husband and had a child. Her marriage was unhappy but she had a child she loved and then he died and things became so muddled up, she broke down and went to a sanatorium. She got out and then nursed her mother through her battle with cancer before losing her. Her father then put her in a convent where the hero comes to see her and tell her he bought her from her father and that he wants them to have a happy marriage and children.
The heroine doesn't want any of it and she agrees because she wants freedom to escape. The hero wants to make her happy and she thinks and he lets her believe that he married her for her name and then later revenge as she finds out it was her father who made the hero's father life hell but in reality he married her because he wanted to. He saw her ten years ago and wanted to get her away from her father, he was terribly patient with her and when he tells her that her father has no money she is ecstatic, he also helps her see the truth about what happened with her baby and how she was not to blame. There is a lot of angst from the heroine's side, she hates him and then she doesn't, the person she hates is herself. She had really been dealt a crappy hand but the hero changes all of that.
The heroine doesn't want any of it and she agrees because she wants freedom to escape. The hero wants to make her happy and she thinks and he lets her believe that he married her for her name and then later revenge as she finds out it was her father who made the hero's father life hell but in reality he married her because he wanted to. He saw her ten years ago and wanted to get her away from her father, he was terribly patient with her and when he tells her that her father has no money she is ecstatic, he also helps her see the truth about what happened with her baby and how she was not to blame. There is a lot of angst from the heroine's side, she hates him and then she doesn't, the person she hates is herself. She had really been dealt a crappy hand but the hero changes all of that.
October 8, 2019
I had problem with somewhat abrupt ending. The story was good but some parts weren’t crystal clear and I believe it would’ve executed better as the author is tremendously talented.
Loved the hero and I felt for the heroine. I’m glad she got her happy ever after.
Recommended.
Loved the hero and I felt for the heroine. I’m glad she got her happy ever after.
Recommended.
March 10, 2013
4 Stars ~ Earning an art scholarship to Paris enabled 17 year old Alysia an escape from her controlling Greek father. She'd married and had a child, but her marriage was an unhappy one and she lost her infant son to tragedy. Unable to carry her inconsolable grief, she suffered a breakdown and was hospitalized. Finally able to face the world again, she's forced to return to Greece to care for her dying mother. Upon her mother's death, her father sends her to live with the nuns in the convent and this is where Christos finds her. Christos had seen Alysia suffer at her father's hand ten years ago and he vowed to himself that one day he'd come for her. He doesn't fully know her tragic past, but he can see she has spirit and knows that the marriage arrangement he's made with her father can work. Convincing Alysia is another matter. She wants nothing to do with Christos and terror fills her when he declares he's marrying her not only for her father's money and his shipping lines, but for the children she's going to give him. Facing a cold and loveless life in the convent, Alysia realizes her only hope of a future is to marry Christos and then escape.
Ms. Porter has a gift for breathing emotion into her characters bringing them to life. From the first pages, I found myself emotionally engaged with Alysia and Christos. While we aren't often given Christos' POV it is obvious from the beginning that he does actually care for Alysia. Ms. Porter piled tragedy after tragedy upon Alysia, the cold and controlling father, the loveless marriage, the death of her child and then her mother, and then the arranged marriage to a stranger, all in the span of eight years. Christos sparks life back into Alysia even if it's angry emotion for much of the book. While he has his moments of pride ruling, Christos continually champions Alysia and proves he's worthy to be her hero. This is a heart wrenching love story that will stay with me for some time to come.
Ms. Porter has a gift for breathing emotion into her characters bringing them to life. From the first pages, I found myself emotionally engaged with Alysia and Christos. While we aren't often given Christos' POV it is obvious from the beginning that he does actually care for Alysia. Ms. Porter piled tragedy after tragedy upon Alysia, the cold and controlling father, the loveless marriage, the death of her child and then her mother, and then the arranged marriage to a stranger, all in the span of eight years. Christos sparks life back into Alysia even if it's angry emotion for much of the book. While he has his moments of pride ruling, Christos continually champions Alysia and proves he's worthy to be her hero. This is a heart wrenching love story that will stay with me for some time to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2018
I know several of my GR friends loved this, and I really tried to, also, but I just had some problems with it. First, it really *was* angsty the whole time, but......
December 3, 2011
Intense Emotional read,Alysia was too damaged but still the story developed really well -absolutely loved the book,Christos was adorable such a patient caring character,my heart went out to Alysia suffered so much then the guilt and way her father treated her but then Christos is back in her life and heals her,its a keeper for me.
Recommend it
Recommend it
December 31, 2011
This is a compelling read for all the drama and emotion. Not a super realistic story though (how on earth could a 25-year-old woman be "trapped" in a convent by her father?). And in real life I'd question the heroine's mental health. It kept my attention though.
August 16, 2018
This book was so depressing. The heroine obviously was still in a depression for 75% of the book and still needed medical help.
She did go through such a terrible trauma, and I’m glad she overcame it in the end. I only gave it 3-stars for the happy epilogue since there was no happiness at all during the story.
She did go through such a terrible trauma, and I’m glad she overcame it in the end. I only gave it 3-stars for the happy epilogue since there was no happiness at all during the story.
August 30, 2018
La prota se autodenomina ante el héroe como "mercancía dañada", porque perdió el hijo de un tipo que la embaucó. Mucho angst para después de trabajar diez horas de corrido y caminar eternas cuadras hasta la parada de buses porque #pobreza. Next.
November 10, 2014
What can I add to my review? Nothing that Saly and Kay haven't already written.
I liked both their review's. Reproducing here an except from Kay's superbly summarizing review -
"Ms. Porter has a gift for breathing emotion into her characters bringing them to life. From the first pages, I found myself emotionally engaged with Alysia and Christos. While we aren't often given Christos' POV it is obvious from the beginning that he does actually care for Alysia. Ms. Porter piled tragedy after tragedy upon Alysia, the cold and controlling father, the loveless marriage, the death of her child and then her mother, and then the arranged marriage to a stranger, all in the span of eight years. Christos sparks life back into Alysia even if it's angry emotion for much of the book. While he has his moments of pride ruling, Christos continually champions Alysia and proves he's worthy to be her hero. This is a heart wrenching love story that will stay with me for some time to come. "
Beautiful....
I liked both their review's. Reproducing here an except from Kay's superbly summarizing review -
"Ms. Porter has a gift for breathing emotion into her characters bringing them to life. From the first pages, I found myself emotionally engaged with Alysia and Christos. While we aren't often given Christos' POV it is obvious from the beginning that he does actually care for Alysia. Ms. Porter piled tragedy after tragedy upon Alysia, the cold and controlling father, the loveless marriage, the death of her child and then her mother, and then the arranged marriage to a stranger, all in the span of eight years. Christos sparks life back into Alysia even if it's angry emotion for much of the book. While he has his moments of pride ruling, Christos continually champions Alysia and proves he's worthy to be her hero. This is a heart wrenching love story that will stay with me for some time to come. "
Beautiful....
August 7, 2018
On the one hand the writing was strong and the emotions were really compelling... on the other hand, the basic storyline (the hero has married the heroine without her having any real input on it and wants to impregnate her, like, yesterday; she is traumatized by her Mysterious Past and really really really doesn't want to have a baby) was so horrifying that I just... couldn't read it as a romance.
January 24, 2016
Utterly awful the dialogue was uninterested and I couldn't connect with either character. Good idea for a book but somehow their story was loss in transalation.. Read four chapters and abandoned the struggle to finish it. Don't waste your time on this one.
April 25, 2019
Very messed up storyline and plot with some messed up characters. The author wanted some major angst so she created h who was admitted in sanatorium had nursed her dying mother with no support from her crazy rich greek dad who was honest about her with H but abuses her and The H's dad had been blacklisted by h's dad but this is not about revenge
September 29, 2020
It's getting an extra star because I finished it, but this is not a very satisfying romance. He's on-again/off-again and she's a mixed up mess, never asking simple questions. For example, the most obvious one: "Why did you give my father money to marry me when in fact you said you married for money?"
The romance just never jells for me and the book is more sex than story.
The romance just never jells for me and the book is more sex than story.
September 24, 2017
A lot of unnecessary fighting between the couple. And random/quick reasons for falling in love. Not a good resolution to the heroine's two issues either. All wrapped up in a few lines.
March 5, 2019
If angsty, angry, MC's are what you like in a book, this is perfect for you-- complete with an HEA.
March 28, 2011
I'm currently reading the backlists of my favorite authors via eBook, and I thought maybe I had read this back in the day because the cover art looked familiar but...
If I had read this sucker, I would remember. This is a damn good book. A different and more intriguing take on the 'marriage of convenience' plot that it purports to be. The heroine has a truly horrific past that informs her character's actions. The hero is more than just the typical-alpha male-Greek magnate that most HP books present.
I really only grant 5 stars to my Betty Neels romances, but, if you can find this 2001 release via paperback or eBook, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
If I had read this sucker, I would remember. This is a damn good book. A different and more intriguing take on the 'marriage of convenience' plot that it purports to be. The heroine has a truly horrific past that informs her character's actions. The hero is more than just the typical-alpha male-Greek magnate that most HP books present.
I really only grant 5 stars to my Betty Neels romances, but, if you can find this 2001 release via paperback or eBook, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
January 20, 2016
I loved this story I couldn't put the book down!
From beginning to end, this one kept me enthralled! Christos was so loving and patient, Alysia had no choice but to finally let herself fall deeply in love with him. Even after revealing her dark secret Christos did the unthinkable to find answers and get to the truth. He saved her out of love. Wow. I'm just sad the story had to end.
From beginning to end, this one kept me enthralled! Christos was so loving and patient, Alysia had no choice but to finally let herself fall deeply in love with him. Even after revealing her dark secret Christos did the unthinkable to find answers and get to the truth. He saved her out of love. Wow. I'm just sad the story had to end.
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May 15, 2016( أسوار الذهب )
أول ما وقعت عينا كريستوس على أليسيا , أقسم أن يجعلها زوجته . بعد ذلك بعشر سنوات , سنحت لكريستوس الفرصة لتحقيق قسمه فقد عرض والد أليسيا عليه الزواج بإبنته مقابل مساندة كريستوس له ماليا , لكن بعد العرس , اكتشف أن أليسيا التى أصبحت زوجته تبعا لهذه الصفقة , تزوجته رغما عنها
أول ما وقعت عينا كريستوس على أليسيا , أقسم أن يجعلها زوجته . بعد ذلك بعشر سنوات , سنحت لكريستوس الفرصة لتحقيق قسمه فقد عرض والد أليسيا عليه الزواج بإبنته مقابل مساندة كريستوس له ماليا , لكن بعد العرس , اكتشف أن أليسيا التى أصبحت زوجته تبعا لهذه الصفقة , تزوجته رغما عنها
doubtful-because-not-v
December 20, 2017She was in a convent because she rebelled against her tyrant father and had been a party girl Her father arranged this marriage for her but hero loved her she went through with it to escape father.
December 14, 2012
Arranged marriage, shared history, bad dad, first baby died
April 14, 2013
Keren. cerita spt ini yg gw suka...
February 16, 2015
heroine with a child.
July 11, 2015
I like it
October 10, 2011
I really liked this one!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews