Rating: 
Summary: The BEST story next to "The Heiress"!!
Review: This review will have spoilers, so read on if you must...Eh, after a while of not reading much of Deveraux's books, because a Knight in shinning Armor dissapointed me, I picked up Heiress and Rememberence & completly read the book in one 6 hour sitting. I then found I had this book stashed away in my closet. I read the back and the story sort of scared me. I don't like unfaithful heros or stories of unhonorable men and thought this book might have that. So, eh, silly me went to the end and read a bit and then felt a bit better that this doesn't really have that at all. For one, this has to be my favorite novel of ALL time next to the Heiress! Thank you Jude for putting more AMAZING Love Scenes into this book!! I greatly loved this book sizzled! Sex almost every other page, but it wasn't trashy and it wasn't boring. Done WELL! Thank you! Gavin, an amaing hero character--I think the reviewers who diss him and give this book a low score do NOT understand the story at all! Gavin--YES, was played for a fool! How can you not hate Alice and smack Gavin up-side the head for being so dumb? Eh, so even though he "thought" he was in love or whatever with Alice, a cold non-loving person who used Gavin, he ends up marrying Judith, a warm passionate carring and smart woman. The book is not over-done with telling how lovely Judith is where it becomes annoying. I've read other novels that do and just want to throw away, but this never becomes too much. It was done well. Gavin's fate was good, stupid Alice lost him because of her greed. He marries Judith to get back at Alice for hurting him. Alice pretty much lies to Gavin in this whole book, using him by using his feelings for her. SO, maybe some think he was blind, but he was and he was being used. I sort of feel sorry for Gavin for being dumb, but anyone could have if they were being used like that. It took TRUE LOVE for him to be free from Alice of course, which I LOVED how the story works out with a completly amazing ending! I guess this story also shows how Gavin thought all women were angels until he met Judith and he could not keep his hands from her. Maybe at first sight, his soul felt a pull to her. Her love and companionship was true and not fake. It wasn't perfect, but what relationship is perfect? They had their fights, great ones and times of pain and great times of passion and love and understanding of one another. Gavin was allowed to hold her after making love to her, which he thought was amazing because Alice never gave him such a thrill. Judith was warm when I believe he needed that. Of course people are human beings so they make mistakes and Gavin does make his mistakes in the begining by hurting Judith's feelings, but love has it's ups and downs. I loved was that Alice never was in the picture mostly throughout the whole book. She sort of got what she deserved for marrying that slime of an Earl. And GOD! That poor poor sad story near the end of love pain and lose. I cried my eyes out. I won't say any more. It seemed to me Gavin didn't have Alice on his mind at all when he got married. Maybe on Gavin's mind only when Judith brought her name up, but when Gavin was with Judith, all he could think of was Judith. Gavin got a chance to be with his wife and know her and love her. Thank you Jude for making such a perfect plot and story with a wonderful perfect ending. I went and bought the other 3 books to the series the other day and I LOVE Stephen! OH, thoe Montgomery brothers are so fun! Gavin and Judith got time alone together to learn to fall in love with one another without Alice personally getting in the way, so I was glad he never had ANY affairs. (Which I was afraid of, but it never happened) He married for money and etc. to begin with, but he soon learned what TRUE LOVE was, based on the person and who they are. I thik Judith was amazingly beautiful because she WAS on the inside. Maybe why men saw her and just were stunned. Her inner beauty brought out her outer beauty. All in all, the best book I've read so far in this series and in my life!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Read; A Terrific Heroine; & A Very Flawed Hero & Plot
Review: As my review title suggests, I did enjoy reading Jude Deveraux's "The Velvet Promise," primarily because I admire and appreciate her heroine Judith Revedoune Montgomery's character. Judith's qualities of intelligence, ingenuity, courage, inner strength, her loving, kind heart and unselfish nature make her truly admirable. Judith, however, is far from perfect. She has her flaws, as all people do. And these flaws, along with her many excellent traits, form a very believable young woman. I wish I could say that Ms. Deveraux is consistent in her character development, but she is not. The characters of her hero, Gavin Montgomery, and his lover, Alice Valence, are so flat they are almost caricatures. I found that these distorted, comic-book-like figures, intruded and impeded my enjoyment of the novel. Wealthy heiress, Judith Revedoune, is forced by her brutal and abusive father to agree to marry Gavin Montgomery. Judith was raised to enter a convent and become a prioress; ruling lands, estates, villages, and knights. Her two elder brothers have recently died, and now she is the only heir. Her father desperately wants grandsons and the continuation of his bloodline. The Montgomery family is an old and noble one, dating back to the Norman conquest. The Montgomery brothers, led by Gavin, also offer protection from the Scots for the Revedoune borderlands. Gavin Montgomery, at first glance, would seem all that a maid could ask for in a mate. Yes, he is a handsome hunk - aren't they all? He is intelligent, in the I.Q., "left side of the brain" sense of the word, knightly, of noble birth, bearing, and sensibilities, and has assumed responsibility for his entire family since his parents' deaths when he was sixteen years old. He is also wildly infatuated with the obviously sociopathic Alice Valence, and has been her lover, and blind to her fatal faults, for two years when the story begins. He believes that Alice was a virgin when they were first "together." Meanwhile, she had been sleeping around since her early teens. (Sorry for the cattiness - I got carried away by our hero's stupidity!). Anyway, Gavin is truly, madly, deeply, etc. He has proposed marriage many, many times and Alice has always put him off with excuses - which he always accepted. She desires social position and wealth, which Gavin does not have, but she also wants Gavin's undying and exclusive devotion. She finally tells him that her father has insisted she marry a wealthy earl, and persuades him not to go to her father and pay a handsome bride price for his own suite. No one, except a green boy would believe this nonsense, without the slightest suspicion. What we have here is a naive hero, with tunnel vision, who is a poor judge of character, and stubborn to the extreme. Alice is a woman so obviously evil, and demented, that even though the Montgomery brothers warn Gavin about her, he remains oblivious. Alice is another cardboard character, whose flatness really unbalances the entire novel. The author has portrayed her without any redeeming characteristics whatsoever. There is no real background material to explain why she has developed into such a despicable wretch. Our hero and heroine meet on their wedding day. Gavin is surprised by Judith's unusual beauty, and dignified manner. She is taken by Gavin's gallant behavior, and thinks there may be hope for her marriage. Then she witnesses Gavin kissing Alice, and declaring his undying love for her, in the garden during the wedding feast. Judith has a bit of a declaration of her own. She vows to Gavin that she will never give herself to him freely. Thus, with this auspicious event, we have the main storyline - which gets tiresome, in spite of a few interesting subplots that Ms. Deveraux has devised. She does attempt to redeem Gavin at the book's conclusion, but by this time, he has become such a cartoon figure that it is difficult to blame or forgive him. I am also disappointed with Jude Deveraux's portrayal of historic figures and lack of adherence to historical detail. She shallowly depicts England's King Henry VII and his Queen Elizabeth as a loving, happy couple, which history disputes. They chat and gossip together like old chums, a veritable "Harry" & "Liz." Their anachronistic behavior was extremely distracting for me. There is little detail of court intrigues and politics, so very prevalent at this time - and at all times. After reading this novel, one is left with the idea that the English court had little to do except gossip about love affairs, and petty, personal intrigues. I will attempt to read book two in the series. I liked what I read of Stephen Montgomery, Gavin's brother and the main character in "Highland Velvet." This was my first Jude Deveraux novel, and I must say that "The Velvet Promise" was a disappointment for me, and certainly not up to what I expected from this well-known author.
JANA
Rating:
Summary: best !
Review: its a wonderful book !
this was the first of the many jude devarauxe books that i read & i love it !
i read alot of romance books but this one made the hero a bit real to think abt , like a real life man would be , i mean who has insecurities & is harsh for no reason at all & then hes tender beyond words !
the story revolvs around a married couple who learns to trust each other & then finaly love one another
nice book must read
Rating:
Summary: Historical Romance at its finest!
Review: Jude Deveraux is a master in this genre. Gavin and Judith are characters you will remember for many years to come after you set done the book. I read a lot of romances, and if I remember their names some time later, I know the author has struck a cord with myself. Gavin is a handsome and strong man, the eldest of several brothers (read the rest of the series to find out what happens to them!) and he meets the beautiful Judith. Alice was a wonderful twist to the story, and I'm sure I wasn't alone in my frustration of Gavin's blindness to her faults. Jude Deveraux is becoming one of my favorite authors in the romance genre, I have only recently discovered her and have yet to find a book I don't like! Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: My absolute favorite series!
Review: I absolutly loved this series. All the characters were so vibrant and realistic it was hard not to fall in love with them. No one wants to read about a character who is boring and plain, this is why I love Jude Deveraux. She never lets you down.
Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFUL
Review: A very sweet & sour romance !
the heroine Judith is a real woman, she's sweet as long as Gavin is & sour if Gavin gets nasty
There's is an arranged marriage where none has seen the other, & Gavin is in love with the villan of the story, Alice, who's a true u-know-what !
When they c each other on their wedding day they r both stunned by their attraction towards each other & Judith starts dreaming about her happy life but no sooner has the day ended that she hears Gavin professing his undying love to Alice who tricks him by saying that she'll take her own life, from that moment the fight of wills & love begins
the story also describes Gavin three other brothers who make the story much more interesting
This one is the first of the four series of these brothers, i have yet to read the other three but i can bet they'll be as good as this one
hope u enjoy reading it as much as i did !
Rating: 
Summary: Velvet Series Part 1 - Gavin and Judith's Story
Review: This is Gavin and Judith's story, the first in the Velvet series. Gavin is the eldest of the 4 Montgomery brothers and he is in love with the beautiful but cold Alice, his mistress. However, she will not marry him because she wants wealth beyond his means. She becomes betrothed to Chatworth. Losing all hope of marrying his beloved Alice, he agrees to marry wealthy heiress, Judith. A marriage of convenience. Will Judith's love for him and loyalty to him break his obsession for Alice. Judith is a worthy heroine. And it was fun to read her seduction of Gavin. There is an softness and innocence about their love for each other. However, my heart went out to Judith for her lost towards the end of the book. Get out the hankies! A great read, a worthy JD classic! Lealing
Rating:
Summary: Best love
Review: I loved this book. I read many different books. This by far is my all time favorit. Jude Deveraux is one of my favorite romance writers I have run into. I have read it three times and am starting on a fourth. Judith becomes so real before you know it all her sorrows and joys are yours . I cryed over this book more every time I read it. This a masterful tale that will draw you in and never let go. Gavin is a little bit of all men sweet with a lot of pain ,anger,hate,and ,lust. May I also suggest the othere Montgomery novels... Highland Velvet, Velvet Song,Velvet Angel, And The Black Lyon which has a surprising connection to the Montgomery novels
Rating:
Summary: best !
Review: its a wonderful book !
this was the first of the many jude devarauxe books that i read & i love it !
i read alot of romance books but this one made the hero a bit real to think abt , like a real life man would be , i mean who has insecurities & is harsh for no reason at all & then hes tender beyond words !
the story revolvs around a married couple who learns to trust each other & then finaly love one another
nice book must read
Rating: 
Summary: wooden, contrived and way too violent
Review: I object to any novel in which rape is seen as an acceptable way for a man to bring his wife into line. Ditto smashing her in the mouth, and sadomasochistic kinky sexual practices. there is way too much hot andheav stuff between Gavin the supposed hero and Alice, his mistress who has married another because she is ambitious. her husband is a savage who resorts to the abovementioned practices, and all the other women in the castle are like something from a Drcula film as they all satisfy their unnatural desires.
Judith is too good to be true in some cases and a total fishwife in others, and Gavin has got to be the dumbest man alive not to see through Alice. For 2 whole years, no less. The ending is melodrama at its worst, and the miscarriage Judith suffers because of her is just as glossed over as the appalling violence toward women in the rest of the book. Their constant jealousy and bickering makes the book a chore to read after the first 50 pages. I kept hoping it would get better but it didn't. And of course evil Alice is left alive for revenge at the end of the book. I wish she had sapred us a sequel but she didn't.
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