One of my all-time favorite historical romance book and author is The Promise by May McGoldrick. What is different about this author is that May McGoldrick is a pseudonym for two people (a husband and wife) who collaborate to write historical romances. These books turn out amazingly well - perhaps it is due to a balance of both genders in the creation of these stories. Sadly, they have moved on to write more contemporary stories, but having previously asked them on any potential future historical romances, they have said that if they find an interested publisher, they'd be more than happy to produce more. So if there are any publishers out there, in need of an excellent historical romance "author", please seek out Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick for your future books!
In any case, I digress and apologize. On to the summary and review!
Summary
Heroine: Rebecca Neville
Hero: Earl of Stanmore
Setting: Mid-18th century England
Rebecca is fleeing to escape being caught of a murder crime where she defended her virtue from a nobleman. On the way, she meets a weak noblewoman who has just recently given birth to her son. The noblewoman offers Rebecca a chance to escape with her on a ship. Rebecca grabs at the chance and finds herself mourning the loss of her lady savior and a new mother to the newborn, James, while in route to America.
Fast forward 10 years later and we find a more settled, hardworking Rebecca in Boston with her adopted son, James. They are inseparable and love and rely on each other dearly. We also find that the Earl of Stanmore has finally discovered that he has a living heir and sends his lawyer to locate and retrieve said heir. Shocked, Rebecca finds she cannot give up her son to an unknown earl, yet cannot deny her son's birthright so she agrees to escort her son to England to meet the earl and ensure that her son's future is safe and stable. Upon arriving in England, Rebecca and the Earl of Stanmore face off in an attempt to secure James' future in the way they believe is right for him. From there, you follow both characters on a fairly realistic journey through romantic struggles and sacrifices for those that they love.
Review
This was one of the first books I had read where the heroine has a child to care for and I thought it might ruin the romance like what sometimes happens in real life with children, but I was wrong! This story is poignant and sweet. The pacing is done well - the hero and heroine are not rushed into any sexual intercourse off the bat. Instead the attraction and romance slowly builds to fire some sizzling, yet romantic love scenes. The story is strong so readers feel like they are actually reading a book with substance, rather than just a weak story that keeps throwing the hero and heroine together for sex. This is actually one element I really love about May McGoldrick. "She" actually writes substantial stories and not facades of a story. The romance is a main part of the book, but there is more to it than just that. There is depth to the story.
The descriptions are wonderful and allow readers to become immersed into the world of the characters. The writing style is very easy to read and detailed. As the condition of my copy of this book can attest to, I wholeheartedly recommend reading this book.
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