PROMISE ME by Kristin Mayer

PROMISE ME

(Trust #3)

by Kristin Mayer

ARC Review

Released: May 15, 2014

My rating: 4 of 5 ⭐️

For Sam Matthews, seeing her best friend happy and married is a double edged sword. Of course she is thrilled beyond belief her BFF has finally been able to find her slice of bliss, but her own shortcomings in that department stand out painfully in contrast. A single event in her past she has buried so deep has left an indelible stain on her and driven her to find sexual release in meaningless encounters, without any risk of emotional involvement.

When her new position with the football team brings her to North Carolina, she once again bumps into star quarterback Mark Robertson. One of her no-strings-attached one time encounters from a few months back, Mark makes it clear he would not be adverse to a repeat performance, and finds out quickly that when pushed for more than a physical release, Sam shuts down fast. Interested in more than a simple booty-call, Mark simply bides his time.

Mark's straightforward approach and gentle persistence, eventually break down Sam's heavily enforced walls. But even when trying to put her heart into it, Sam finds that her past  still won't let her go. If she shares her secrets, will she win his trust, or lose his love?

*****

Third book in the Trust Series, I actually think PROMISE ME could easily be read as a standalone novel. Sure, you'd miss a few references to past events, but the core of the story is all contained in this book.

Less dramatic than the previous two Trust books, in that there was no suspense factor, no unknown entities or hidden agendas anywhere. PROMISE ME was more of a pure romance novel with a very heavy erotic edge and a suggestion of kink in there as well, although we don't really get to experience any. An emotional ride, for sure. In some ways a bit frustrating to read, when it deals with something that could have been dealt with or should have been dealt with, but wasn't due to a misguided sense of guilt. I'm sure, however, there is a lot of truth in that.

The character of Mark is fabulous. One would expect a star QB to be a bit of an arrogant and cocky bastard, but aside from being reasonably self-assured, his crazy-neurotic but loving family seems to have kept him fairly grounded and he is unbelievably thoughtful and patient when it comes to Sam. But, he came, he saw and he will bide his time until he has her conquered!

Sam has spent to much time alone with her 'secret', so that the imagined stain of it has taken on massive proportions in her perception. A stain, and guilt that shouldn't even exist. In every other aspect of her life, she is a bit of a 'ball-buster', not afraid to go head to head in defense of friends or loved ones and relatively confident. Yet it takes endless patience on Sam's behalf to convince her of her worthiness when it comes to matters of the heart.

A well-written series by Kristin Mayer with deliciously dominant men, from the gently persuasive to the ridiculously overbearing, and the capable women who can clearly handle them!

✨From heart-breaking tenderness to panty-melting heat in the blink of an eye!!✨

**Copy provided in return for an honest review**