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Passion's Betrayal
She Was a Thieving Temptress
When Luke Steele met the sparkling green eyes of the masked bank bandit, he instinctively knew this was no gun-glinging robber; he was looking at sensuous, spirited Promise O'Rourke. He was the only ne who saw through the disguise - and he swore to hold the provocative vixen hostage to his secret. Inflamed with desire, the iron-muscled rancher gave the golden-haired desperada a choice: to spend the rest of her life behind bars - or to live free after enduring one night in the prison of his embrace.
He Was a Lying Heathen
Penniless Promise would have had enough cash to leave Colorado forever if it hadn't been for that insolent half-breed, Luke Steele! Now there was no way out but to bear his hateful gropings. Too proud to beg for mercy, the lovely innocent gritted her teeth and hoped it would be over soon. Only the moment he stroked her sensitive flesh and kissed her breath away, Promise prayed it would never end! Then she realized the extent of his treachery, for one night in his arms would never be enough. Now she was fettered by the chains of love, forever a victim of Passion's Betrayal
When Luke Steele met the sparkling green eyes of the masked bank bandit, he instinctively knew this was no gun-glinging robber; he was looking at sensuous, spirited Promise O'Rourke. He was the only ne who saw through the disguise - and he swore to hold the provocative vixen hostage to his secret. Inflamed with desire, the iron-muscled rancher gave the golden-haired desperada a choice: to spend the rest of her life behind bars - or to live free after enduring one night in the prison of his embrace.
He Was a Lying Heathen
Penniless Promise would have had enough cash to leave Colorado forever if it hadn't been for that insolent half-breed, Luke Steele! Now there was no way out but to bear his hateful gropings. Too proud to beg for mercy, the lovely innocent gritted her teeth and hoped it would be over soon. Only the moment he stroked her sensitive flesh and kissed her breath away, Promise prayed it would never end! Then she realized the extent of his treachery, for one night in his arms would never be enough. Now she was fettered by the chains of love, forever a victim of Passion's Betrayal
590 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 28, 2014
Pretty Decent, but Unexceptional Book.
Penelope Neri has shown herself to be a versatile author. So far, she has traveled with her writing from 1700's England to 1800's Hawaii back to 1700's England to 1300's England and with this book, "Passion's Betrayal" to the American West in the 1800's. The book she wrote following this one, is centered around Vikings and Norsemen. So she got around in her writing. Now, on to this review.
The Story: We first meet the heroine of the book, Promise O'Rourke, when she is 10 years old. Promise lives with her mother, Mary, and her "father" Patrick O'Rourke, in Colorado Territory. (Promise later learns that Patrick O'Rourke is not her biological father, among other things.) Patrick O'Rourke is, for lack of a better word, a charlatan. One day, a stranger shows up and shoots and kills Patrick, which is witnessed by Promise. Fast forward six years. Promise is now 16, Mary is dying and their home is about to be foreclosed on. After being sexually propositioned by the bank president, Promise decides to rob the bank to pay her mortgage. Then, she does something very stupid. She goes back the same day to pay the mortgage, when earlier she claimed she couldn't raise the money. This draws the attention of both the bank president, Matt Hollander, and of Luke Steele, the "hero" of the book, both of whom either suspect or know that Promise is the bank robber. Luke makes an offer to Promise: if she comes with him to Santa Fe, New Mexico, he won't turn her in to the authorities. Luke isn't doing this for altruistic reasons. He lusts after Promise, and he wants to punish her for Patrick's actions toward him. Luke spent four years in prison charged with robbing and assaulting his ex-partner, Jake Colter, of gold from a mine they owned. In reality, it was Patrick who did both the robbery and assault. Part of Luke's revenge is punishing his daughter.
As they trek to Santa Fe, Luke and Promise begin a sexual relationship, with Promise falling in love with Luke. However, the shadows hanging over them are the fact that Luke is using her for revenge, and the fact that Luke is the stranger that shot and killed Patrick O'Rourke. Eventually, Luke confesses to both wanting revenge and the killing; Promise shoots him, but doesn't kill him. Eventually, for some strange reason, Promise forgives Luke his actions and they go on to get married, and have a daughter, who becomes the heroine of a later book, "Loving Lies."
This is an okay book, but I have a big problem with Promise's forgiveness of Luke for what he did both to her and to Patrick. I for one could never forgive someone for shooting and killing someone I claimed to love, even if it turned out they were horrible people and it was in self-defense. Other than that, it was okay.
Sex: lots of sex scenes, but none overly graphically described.
Violence: Quite a few scenes of violence, shootings, killings, attempted rape, actual rape, only a small handful are described in any detail.
Bottom Line: A book for Ms. Neri's fans, but not really one for anyone else.
Penelope Neri has shown herself to be a versatile author. So far, she has traveled with her writing from 1700's England to 1800's Hawaii back to 1700's England to 1300's England and with this book, "Passion's Betrayal" to the American West in the 1800's. The book she wrote following this one, is centered around Vikings and Norsemen. So she got around in her writing. Now, on to this review.
The Story: We first meet the heroine of the book, Promise O'Rourke, when she is 10 years old. Promise lives with her mother, Mary, and her "father" Patrick O'Rourke, in Colorado Territory. (Promise later learns that Patrick O'Rourke is not her biological father, among other things.) Patrick O'Rourke is, for lack of a better word, a charlatan. One day, a stranger shows up and shoots and kills Patrick, which is witnessed by Promise. Fast forward six years. Promise is now 16, Mary is dying and their home is about to be foreclosed on. After being sexually propositioned by the bank president, Promise decides to rob the bank to pay her mortgage. Then, she does something very stupid. She goes back the same day to pay the mortgage, when earlier she claimed she couldn't raise the money. This draws the attention of both the bank president, Matt Hollander, and of Luke Steele, the "hero" of the book, both of whom either suspect or know that Promise is the bank robber. Luke makes an offer to Promise: if she comes with him to Santa Fe, New Mexico, he won't turn her in to the authorities. Luke isn't doing this for altruistic reasons. He lusts after Promise, and he wants to punish her for Patrick's actions toward him. Luke spent four years in prison charged with robbing and assaulting his ex-partner, Jake Colter, of gold from a mine they owned. In reality, it was Patrick who did both the robbery and assault. Part of Luke's revenge is punishing his daughter.
As they trek to Santa Fe, Luke and Promise begin a sexual relationship, with Promise falling in love with Luke. However, the shadows hanging over them are the fact that Luke is using her for revenge, and the fact that Luke is the stranger that shot and killed Patrick O'Rourke. Eventually, Luke confesses to both wanting revenge and the killing; Promise shoots him, but doesn't kill him. Eventually, for some strange reason, Promise forgives Luke his actions and they go on to get married, and have a daughter, who becomes the heroine of a later book, "Loving Lies."
This is an okay book, but I have a big problem with Promise's forgiveness of Luke for what he did both to her and to Patrick. I for one could never forgive someone for shooting and killing someone I claimed to love, even if it turned out they were horrible people and it was in self-defense. Other than that, it was okay.
Sex: lots of sex scenes, but none overly graphically described.
Violence: Quite a few scenes of violence, shootings, killings, attempted rape, actual rape, only a small handful are described in any detail.
Bottom Line: A book for Ms. Neri's fans, but not really one for anyone else.
February 13, 2017
It was just okay. I really do like this authors writing style but occasionally she gets on tangents for like three different conflicts and complications. I think if she had stuck with one complication/conflict/antagonist. But I did really believe their love story. Except their first time together. That could've been done differently .
October 25, 2026
"On your feet, Plimmer," Steele snapped. "It seems to me you owe the young lady an apology.”
"We ain't got no quarrel with you, Steele. This here is Cherry Creek business," Todd insisted,
" I say a couple of liquored-up yellow-bellies bothering a lady is every man's business. If he's a real man, that is." 🤎
"We ain't got no quarrel with you, Steele. This here is Cherry Creek business," Todd insisted,
" I say a couple of liquored-up yellow-bellies bothering a lady is every man's business. If he's a real man, that is." 🤎
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews