Sometimes I think authors forget who they are writing for. Women! And I was not expecting the heart braking things that happened to Mackenzie. Its bad enough she is in love with her best firned and can't have him and he marries someone else. But then the author gives her blindness. UGH, so not what I was expecting at all.

Definitely not a a light read. This book has angst and more angyst and it got just too painful for me to read. I will say it is well written. But I just don't enjoy reading this painful a story, I am more into fun books.

Hunter needs to learn a girl does not like her icing questioned, "to prove his point, he did not look at her cleavage when she jerked back and crossed her arms. “Well, I can tell you that my icing is top rate. In fact, most guys would say my icing rocked their world.” Hunter tends to have a one track mind, “you said panties. It doesn’t get much more serious than panties.” He walked around until he was behind her, and his lips grazed the outer rim of her ear. “Red panties.” I liked this book, I really loved Hunter.

PROMISE ME YOU - Marina Adair
Raising Kane Series – Book 1
Montlake Romance
ISBN: 978-1-5039-0354-8
ASIN: B07CRC9G1
October 2018
Contemporary Romance

Nashville, Tennessee – Present Day

Mackenzie Hart had a best friend in musician-singer Hunter Kane. Together they wrote award-winning songs, songs that made the country music Hunter Kane Band famous. Actually she loved Hunter, but knew he didn’t see her that way. She stayed for his wedding’s rehearsal dinner and then disappeared out of his life to face the difficulties mounting in her own. Even though she hasn’t seen Hunter in three years, she continues to write great songs for him under the name Mack and Muttley. Brody Kane, Hunter’s cousin and agent, remains her friend and agent with a pledge to keep her anonymity. Actually, Muttley is her guide dog, a very large poodle/mastiff mix who is still working on his guide dogs skills. Due to a dysfunctional gene inherited from her mother, Mackenzie is blind like her mother before she died. She knows the care her mother needed and is determined not to be dependent on anyone, although her 69 year old neighbor, Arthur, helps her. Tia Flynn, the manager of Bark ‘N’ Bean café, helped train Muttley. She is Mackenzie’s health-care advocate who helps Mackenzie adjust to her new life. Even with Tia’s help, Mackenzie has become very isolated.

Hunter Kane is now divorced. His marriage lasted about a year. Long tours kept him away from home and drove his wife away. His 4th album also flopped. Except for two very successful singles by the reclusive writers Mack & Muttley. He wants them to write his next album and is determined to talk with them. When he forces Brody to disclose the writers’ identities, his life, previously focused on his band’s success in sales, road tours, and performances, changes. He originally backed off from Mackenzie because of their music collaboration and relationship. Now the unknown Arthur’s presence in her life disturbs him. It seems he loses everyone he loves, from his alcoholic dad to Trouble (his nick-name for Mackenzie) to his ex-wife.

Both Hunter and Mackenzie want to stand on their own. Loneliness and neediness can have a debilitating effect on any relationship. Luckily his uncle took Hunter in and helped raise him after he escaped his alcoholic father, but Mackenzie wasn’t so lucky. They both become successful, but both need more in their lives—each other. Yet change is difficult for both. The story is full of great characters, including Muttley, and reads fast with both sassy and serious dialogue. Readers will relate to the emotions all the way through, which will drive them to know how the situation resolves itself.

Robin Lee

Mackenzie Hart and Hunter Kane are best friends and song writing partners. Hunter friend zoned Mackenzie because initially she was too young, then they were working together. That didn’t stop Mackenzie from falling in love with Hunter. At Hunter’s wedding rehearsal dinner to another woman, Mackenzie walked away and completely ghosted Hunter. Fast forward three years, Hunter’s latest album has tanked, except for a couple of songs written by a mystery duo, and he is divorced. He needs to collaborate with this mystery duo for his next album. Of course, this is Mackenzie writing under a pseudonym. This is the start of a new second chance romance by Marina Adair. I loved Mackenzie’s character. She has gone through some rough times, but she is working through her issues. What drove me crazy was Hunter. His character is all over the place. He goes from friend zone, to trying to seduce Mackenzie in about a paragraph. For a second chance romance to work, the characters usually need to work through the issues that kept them apart in the past. This felt rushed and I didn’t buy Hunter’s sudden change of heart. I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

More than 5 stars!

Gripping from the first few pages! Mackenzie is facing heart break when her secret crush is getting married and she's going through a life altering situation. So she completely changes her life. A 3 year hiatus from their friendship and Hunter discovers a shocking secret Mackenzie has been hiding, 2 actually! Everything Mackenzie always feared came true and Hunter can't believe she shut him out while going it alone. But really, that's all Mack had known her entire life was going it alone. Now he needs her to get back into writing music along side him and realizes that's not all the way he wants her... But could this be TROUBLE?

Mackenzie's life is different now in ways that won't allow her to hit the road on a whim with Hunter, but not name touring stars require that! How will they work it out, or can they? Can either totally give themselves to each other?

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Promise Me You by Marina Adair is a fantastic second-chance romance that shows you just how much true love can play a part in your life. It also shows that sometimes you get dealt things in your life that are less than ideal, but it's the way you choose to deal with them that show your true strength of character.

Mackenzie Hart is one of the strongest female characters I have read in quite some time. Her life has been in upheaval for many years and every time she seems to have it a little bit under control, something else happens to test her once again. She relies on music and her songwriting ability to help get her through.

Hunter Kane is a very famous country singer and the man who happens to be Mackenzie's best friend. Hunter and Mackenzie make a fantastic writing duo, they've been responsible for many of his bands hits, but the fact that he previously married someone else and she has been in love with Hunter for years, are both very sound reasons for them not to mix business with pleasure.

This is one of those stories that is going to stick with you for a great deal of time once you finish reading it. It is beautiful and it showcases how even in the most difficult of circumstances, you have to find ways to persevere and overcome. Most often the most difficult roads traveled lead to the most rewarding outcomes and this love story is no different.

Mackenzie was in love with her best friend Hunter forever so to save herself from more heartache while seeing him get married to someone else she leaves and with no communication as to why. Hunter could never understand why. Years later they end up having to work together and the chemistry is there. I didn't really care for Hunter but I did like Mackenzie, it was heartbreaking. and I felt like she was being used. Eventually Hunter starts to grow on you and you think maybe he can redeem himself and be what she deserves.

Promise Me You, Marina Adair

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) , Romance

I love second chance romances, love books about film stars, music stars so I really expected to love this book. It was an OK read, but missed out on that magic spark that makes a book unmissable for me.

I felt for Mackenzie, she's had a tough life and now its got a lot worse. I wouldn't say its a second chance romance though, as first time round it was all unrequited love on her side with Hunter being blindly oblivious I thought. Now he's back, single again and shocked to find his one time best friend in the situation she is. He's not seen or heard from her since she fled his wedding celebrations, and feels betrayed in a way by her leaving and that his cousin, manager and close friend Brody has known about her all along.
I got the impression Hunter didn't know how she felt from the story and yet he comes back and apparently felt the same? I found that strange, he married someone else. Maybe it was just hindsight that allowed him to see his feelings and understand how Mackenzie felt?
Its a story that's not just Hunter and Mackenzie's romance but also covers her other issues. I wasn't entirely convinced by those, thought she'd have to have more adaptions, more help, more training but it could have been this way I guess? Just didn't seem convincing for me, and I would have though Mackenzie's family history would have made her prepare more. I don't know though, I'm guessing along the lines of what if it were me....
Hunter and his band are at the peak of their career, and he has the arrogance about his music that comes with knowing you're the best. He's desperate to write his next make or break album with a writing duo that have made hits for him before, he feels a special connection to their songs, and is shocked when he learns who is behind the names.

Its got all the elements I should love but somehow the story just didn't gel with me. Its well written, paced to deliver surprises just right but I just wasn't feeling the romance, the barriers ( and those were huge), and when it all came to a head I wasn't convinced by the ending. Ah well, its perfect for others, everyone wants different things and what I didn't like could be what makes it perfect for you.

Stars:Three, a well written book, but a story that just didn't connect closely with me.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

<i>”A heartening romance of friendship, second chances, and the healing power of love…”</i>

That’s how the blurb starts and it’s the perfect way to describe this story, so I’m using it too. My God, what a ride! I’m emotionally spent after reading this. I didn’t expect it to be so touching, so emotional, so inspiring! <b>EYE-OPENING!</b>

There isn’t much I can tell you about the story, because it will be a pity to use any spoilers, but I can tell you this. You have a very famous country singer as a hero and one of the most strong female characters ever, a song writer that has her life in dire straits.
Together, they make the perfect team, expect for the fact that she’s in love with him for as long as she can remember, he married someone else and also, since they’re working together, he thought it’s best not to mix business and pleasure.

But life can not be always planned. Life happens and you have to deal with everything that comes your way. That’s what make this story so sadly beautiful. The way you have to cope with your pain and manage to survive even the worst nightmares, because there’s no other option.

So, there you have it. An emotional roller coaster, but so amazing, it’s definitely worth reading. Mark your calendars for October, 23rd, add it to your TBR shelf and enjoy the ride.

<i>"ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."</i>

<It would be an absolute honor to have you as my guest on my blog too. Stop by anytime you want :)
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This is Hunter and Mackenzie book, Hunter is a famous musician and Mackenzie is a song writer, the book starts with Hunter marrying someone else and Mackenzie finds out she has a genetic disorder that she contracted from her mother that leaves her blind so she leaves her best friend Hunter to his new life with his new bride . This book wasn't really my mind if book not sure why but it just didn't do it for me sry but thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!