A Promise Given

Rating:
Summary: Good Highland Adventure
Review: Courtesy of Love Romances

Ian MacGregor is the laird of his clan in the Scottish Highlands. He returns to the keep in the Lowlands where he spent many of his young and carefree years. He is shrouded in mysteries surrounding the deaths of some of those closest to him. He has returned to claim his bride, Margaret Kincaid, to whom he has been betrothed since his childhood. But it is Margaret???s younger sister, Sabrina, who catches his eye???and his heart. When Margaret suddenly disappears, he eagerly accepts Sabrina as a replacement bride.

Sabrina grudgingly agrees to wed Ian, knowing she is bound to do as her father wishes. But she vows to never love Ian, swearing she has given her heart to another man. She has her doubts about Ian, having heard disturbing rumors about his past, and whisperings he may have had a hand in Margaret???s presumed death. Despite her beliefs Ian betrayed her many years ago, she can???t help but be drawn to him. Her spirited nature tells her to ignore all she has heard and to put her faith and trust in Ian.

Ms. James weaves a passionate tale of love found, amid some of the most turbulent years of Medieval Scotland. For it is a time of great political upheaval as Robert the Bruce fights to gain his throne. Ian and Sabrina are caught in the middle of it all, on opposite sides of the political game, though their hearts are bound in the greatest battle of all???for A Promise Given and a binding love.

Ms. James has created a lively cast of characters. The antics of Ian and Sabrina alone making for an exciting read. Both Ian and Sabrina are very strong yet imperfect people, with faults and fears aplenty for each, making them all appear all the more realistic. Add in the colorful cast of secondary characters and the story comes alive. All are memorable and only add, never detract, from the story. However, the secondary characters are not so well developed or dimensional as the hero and heroine. Many of the characters??? behavior and emotions are never fully explained. Why do they feel the love and/or animosity held for Ian and Sabrina? Many of these explanations are lacking, which at times has a tendency to stall the story.

In spite of the not always fully developed characters, this is a pleasurable read. Plenty of action and suspense, well tempered by the romance of the era, and the characters, can be found throughout. Ms. James has a way with words, using wonderful imagery to paint the landscape. One almost feels a part of the story, planted right in the middle of the beautiful but treacherous Scottish Highlands.

A Promise Given is a promise kept for this reviewer to be on the lookout for more books by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: I enjoyed this book right from the start. I only wish that the characters were not SO slow to realize that each loved the other. I guess that that is just the way it goes. How could Sabrina not know how sweet Ian was right from the start. I enjoy Ms James' books. GABRIEL'S WAY is one of my favorite romance novels.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Surprise
Review: I got his book from a book sale by mistake. Just goes to show that mistakes are NOT always bad. This was my first of Ms. James and I will definately be looking for more of hers. I thought the characters were strong, possessing believable fears, and love. The conflicts involving honor, duty and loyalty are something in which the reader can identify. Sabrina is strong despite the treatment of her family, and shows a trust in people that makes her attractive to all. Ian is a hero who has some insecurities of his own, but they don't detract from him as a sexy man, full of patience (to a certain point) Nice twist in the plot. I recommend this book if you have time to read without interruptions, otherwise you will struggle to put the story down.

Rating:
Summary: Another very touching book
Review: I have always enjoyed Samantha James's books and this time was no exception. This book was a warm tale of two childhood friends who as adults must marry and face the trials of life in the harsh land of Scotland together. The characters are very human. They had humor and sorrow in thier lives.

This is the story of Ian MacGregor, the head of his highland clan and Sabrina the second sister and the unloved one by her father. Ian fostered at Sabrina's home when he was a lad and his father had wanted a wedding to seal the alliance between the clans. Ian comes back many years later to marry Margaret, Sabrina's older and beautiful daughter. He meets up again with Sabrina, who in thier youth was a good friend. She is very untrustful of him and he is saddened to see how her own family treats her. She is strong and has a mind and a voice of her own but also deep seeded fears.
Margaret dissppears the day before the wedding and is presummed dead. Ian decides to marry Sabrina to fullfill his father's wish. She is both overjoyed and mad about the whole idea but goes along with it as not to shame her father.

Soon they are back at Ian's castle and the trouble begins. Both thier lives are in danger and together they must face thier mistrust of each other and find the love that they both share.

This book has great mystery and was an easy read and hard to put down until the end.

Rating:
Summary: Promisses
Review: I like Samantha James. I think she has a lot of talent. She has potential but she just doesn't live up to it. This was a good story don't get me wrong but it could have been better. Something is missing here. It just doesn't get four stars from me. I think her plots are too formulaic. Too much purple prose. Too much drama where there need not be. But really the purple prose is annoying. Too many stupid names for men and womens you know whats ;-) Also the characters could have been a little smarter. But I still recomend it. It had it's moments.

Rating:
Summary: Samantha James rocks!
Review: I read a Promise Given in less that one night. I didn't stop until I put it down!! It was wonderful and I loved the chemistry between Sabrina and Ian! How could she have ever thought that she was in love with another man!! I would definitley reccommend this book for anyone who was looking for a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Samantha James rocks!
Review: I read a Promise Given in less that one night. I didn't stop until I put it down!! It was wonderful and I loved the chemistry between Sabrina and Ian! How could she have ever thought that she was in love with another man!! I would definitley reccommend this book for anyone who was looking for a good read.

Rating:
Summary: A story of passion, mystery and tenderness.
Review: Sabrina and Ian have known each other since they were children, but Ian goes away for several years, and Sabrina is left feeling bitter because she believes he broke a promise to her. Ian is betrothed to her older sister Margaret, but when she disappears, he takes Sabrina as his bride. Needless to say, she is unhappy about this, but finds herself attracted to him anyway. I liked both of the characters. Ian is a hard man because of the battles he's been in and because of the mystery surrounding his father's death. Sabrina is a strong-willed woman who speaks her mind, something a woman of her time was not supposed to be. Their clashing personalities made for good reading. This is a story I'd read over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: Samantha James promises to be one of the best to read!!
Review: Samantha does it again!!! She has become one of my favorites.

Ian and Sabrina were practically raised together while Ian was being tutored and trained under her father. Ian, a Highlander, was bethrothed to Margaret, a Lowlander and Sabrina's sister. Ian was a constant thorn in her side, as most big brothers and cousins are most times, except, neither Ian nor Sabrina realized that their constant bickering was really a sign of puppy love that soon blossomed into an enchanted love. But this only came about due to Margaret's mysterious disappearance the day before the wedding. Nevertheless, a "Promise Given is a Promise Kept" and Ian married the very reluctant Sabrina in Margaret's place. But ah, the plot thickens. Is Margeret truly dead and if so, who murdered her? Does Ian have enemies and spies abiding in his castle? Read the book to discover the answers to these questions and many more!!

Rating:
Summary: Samantha James promises to be one of the best to read!!
Review: Samantha does it again!!! She has become one of my favorites.

Ian and Sabrina were practically raised together while Ian was being tutored and trained under her father. Ian, a Highlander, was bethrothed to Margaret, a Lowlander and Sabrina's sister. Ian was a constant thorn in her side, as most big brothers and cousins are most times, except, neither Ian nor Sabrina realized that their constant bickering was really a sign of puppy love that soon blossomed into an enchanted love. But this only came about due to Margaret's mysterious disappearance the day before the wedding. Nevertheless, a "Promise Given is a Promise Kept" and Ian married the very reluctant Sabrina in Margaret's place. But ah, the plot thickens. Is Margeret truly dead and if so, who murdered her? Does Ian have enemies and spies abiding in his castle? Read the book to discover the answers to these questions and many more!!