Cover Image: The Promise of Us

The Promise of Us

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Member Reviews

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't hate this book the way I did Steffi's, but this wasn't that much better for me. I don't know if perhaps I can't gel with the author or the characters just aren't relate-able but something is amiss.

I liked Clair in book number one and I really thought that even with her past trauma we'd still be able to see her strength come through. Claire is definitely the most relate-able of characters due to her insecurities, fears, and relationship dynamics. I got where she was coming from, but the author just wrote her a little too weak for me.

Logan is a character that I just cannot vibe with. I think he was a great brother and support to his sister. His parents are awful people and you could see that he was looking for someone, anyone to understand him and keep him grounded while letting him be free. My issue was his inability to understand that people are entitled to their feelings. Especially, seeing as his parents were so inflexible in that department.

Peyton, I still hate her so I won't be reading her book. I don't care what happens to her. I don't know if both she and her brother are a product of their upbringing and the selfishness is something the reader is supposed to understand and empathize with, but that didn't work for me. People don't change because it's what will make you happy.

I did like that Logan pushed Claire to brave the outside of her comfort zone. She fought hard against him, but in the end she was better for it.

I don't condemn her parents for their smothering personalities because I've never nearly lost my child to a terrorist attack and had to see her rebuild her life and find new dreams. That's a family that needed to seek therapy and I think that's where the author loses me.

Do a little more research and identify resources for her characters. I always feel that there is something missing that is vital to the development of the characters.

So again, this is the end of the line for me because I like Steffi's brother but I just loathe Peyton and I don't wish to see anymore of her, her family nor Steffi.

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I loved this book! I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Characters are so relatable. Thank you!

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The premise of "The Promise of seemed interesting. And the i liked the cover too. I tried really hard but this book is just not for me. I simply couldn't feel anything. There was no chemistry between the main characters. The hero mainly seemed to me arrogant and always thinking about tricks and plots. I just couldn't like him. The conversations are all mixed up also. sometimes it's in 3rd person and sometimes not.Maybe it's a good story but clearly not for me. So i will not be posting this to any other sites for your benefit.

(Thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the Arc in exchange of an honest review.)

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Claire's story is a heartfelt one. Suffering from PTSD, she struggles to find her center. After being a victim to a terrorist shooting, Claire loses her future and her sense of being safe in public places. She places her recovery around those who love her and her two closest friends Peyton and Steffi.

But a betrayal and the passage of time force Claire to become deadset in her views and insecurities. The small town playboy and brother to her now frenemy, comes back to town with a mission.

While I did not agree to Logan's motives (which were to try and win forgiveness on behalf of his sister), and his way of forcing Claire to obviously do what she didn't feel comfortable doing (which was to break out of her comfort barrier). I did appreciate that he was just trying to be a friend.

His sudden awareness about being attracted to her may have been a bit forced and Claire being the total opposite of him, may have contributed to me rolling my eyes a few times at both of them. Claire may seem to come off as bitter, but I guess she's earned it. Her family didn't help her situation either by always being worried and telling her to "be safe". Granted, she did need the push to break free, and Logan was totally responsible for all character growth for her. So it was nice to see his playboy character taken down a notch by grumpy Claire.

"For all the ways he'd criticized Claire for letting fear stop her from trying new things, he'd let fear stop him from grasping on to love."


I like the sub story of Claire and Steffi owning their own contracting business. Claire's love for decorating and design was a fresh spin on her otherwise tough character. It also plays a factor in bringing Logan and Claire together as well.

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I'm a big fan of Jamie beck and this second novel in the series does not disappoint . Claire is trying to live a simple life while still struggling with PTSD for years. She has loved Logan for so long, but is afraid to be hurt and let go of her fears. Logan eventually shows her life is meant to be lived and not hide behind her past. lobe s this story and can't wait to read more

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I know the story addressed some heavy topics (PTSD and cancer) but I wish there was a bit more humor in them. Claire was way too rigid and negative for my MFC. Even in her places she felt safe she was rigid. I really liked Logan and how he tried to work things out with Claire and Peyton plus try to help Claire. I liked Peyton more than Claire even with what Peyton did.

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This romance was very different from what I usually read. Mainly I think, because the character have very petty reactions throughout the book. Usually heroes act the way you know you should. Claire and Logan were very much average people, doing and saying dumb or hurtful things at times.
There was something very compelling in the writing that kept me reading. I really enjoyed the small town feel as well as Claire's issues and fears to branch out.
I didn't like Logan's view of love and romance. He ended up changing his tune but it was super late and I didn't really buy it. I felt like Claire was right, Logan was great just not great for her.

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What an interesting story! It explores quite a few really intriguing threads that one doesn’t often see.

First - there is Claire’s psychologically debilitating fear of going anywhere outside her structured community after a random shooting left her partially diabled. At first glance this many seem kind of silly but as the story progresses and one sees the smothering worry her parents push on her plus the sympathetic enabling everyone else in the community gives her, her condition is completley understandable. (I have actually known people like this with a lot less reasons to be so, so I know it is something very real, as well.)

Then, there is the storyline of her best friend who betrayed Claire by stealing and then running off with the man Claire is in love with - then, shows up later wanting to be friends again. How does one climb that trust mountain after something so deeply damaging? Making it even harder to judge right from wrong is the fact that the friend is back because she is dealing with a health crises that same boyfriend left her for. Hmmm....

The tie that binds the entire story together is Logan, the brother of Claire’s ex-friend and longtime crush of Claires. He loves his sister and desperately wants to help her gain forgiveness so she can be at peace and enjoy her life again.

The problem with the story for me, is Logan. I had a REALLY hard time liking him. Throughout the entire book it seemed every.single.thing he did for Claire was done for purely selfish purposes. Even those things that helped her grow was always wrapped up in an end-game for him. Because of this, I never could buy into his feelings being real.

That, plus the horribly abrupt resolution and end (man, after everything, we NEED to see more of his feelings and change!!) keeps this beautiful journey of a read from attaining the 5 star it should have deserved.

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A one-sided teenage crush, a theme I usually enjoy, turns slowly into adult passion in this well-written “The Promise of Us”, by Jamie Beck.
The author pairs an insecure heroine, something I like too, struggling with physical and psychological limitations, with an easygoing, charming and self-confident, yet kind, hero. She’s the one who stayed (for various, serious reasons), he’s the one who left, the adventurer.
For some reason I cannot pinpoint, I never warmed up to or cared that much about what happened to Claire, although her character is well drawn, and the depiction of her insecurities, fears and shyness quite convincing (sometimes I felt embarrassed for her); and it’s refreshing to have a female with baggage, who isn’t a cookie-cutter character. But perhaps the story delved too much into her character growth and inner world. (And I really found weird the naming of the cane.)
There’s a lot going on with both characters’ families and friends and an interesting involvement of their professions in the plotline.

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Another great installment in the Sanctuary Sound series. Enjoyed the story -- connected to the characters -- enjoyed the writing style. Can't wait for Book 3!

Thank you #netgalley and #montlakeromance for the eARC.

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4 1/2 stars.
This is such a heartwarming series and I really enjoyed this second book. It is beautifully written and the characters are well though out and deeply developed. Each time I read a Jamie Beck book I lover her style even more. There is no fluff here, it is all real emotion and situations. It is Claire’s turn to hopefully find everything she wasn’t sure she could ever hope for. After living through a traumatic mass shooting at age 15, she was left with the constant reminder of what she lost that day. She gets around just fine physically with the aid if her trusty cane Rosie, but emotionally and mentally she is clearly not fine. In fact she and her family are all suffering from PTSD even all these years later and that is keeping her from truly living her life to it's fullest potential. Something like that never goes away, people just learn ways to cope and live with it. Claire’s character is amazing and strong and very real. And once Logan re-enters her life we see a beautiful albeit slow transformation take place with her like a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly finally ready to fly again. Logan is bringing out the Claire that has been tucked neatly away since her trauma but along with that comes so much doubt as well. But with Logan also comes some harsh reality of what is both happening to her once best friend Peyton, Logan's sister, and dealing with Peyton's betrayal at the same time.
I was in their corner from the get-go and was so completely satisfied with the ending. Wonderful story.

Thank you to Netgalley/Publisher for this ARC.

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This is book 2 in the series - I haven't read the first but I don't think that mattered too much.

This is the story of Claire and Logan. They grew up in town and she always had a crush on him - but his sister Peyton ran off with Claire's boyfriend so now she has no time for anyone from that family.

An emotional read, a story of forgiveness and moving on.

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Received a cooy of the book through netgalley.
Excellent read,characters seem so real,good build up of relationships throughtout the book.A book that keeps you interested in the characters.Loved the author can not wait to read the third book in the series,to find out what happens next,you do not have to read all the seties each book is self explaniterly.

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A good story has the ability to engage your emotions; to make you think about it and grapple with it long after the last word is read. I had to wait a couple days before posting this review because I didn't want the emotion stirred up by the characters and their choices to affect my opinions of the book.

Claire is a survivor. She suffered huge loss due to a random shooting that ended her professional tennis career. Ever since the shooting she's lived a safe, quiet, comfortable life. That safety didn't keep her from losing the man she thought she would marry, however, when he ran off with one of her best friends.

Logan is horrified at his sister's behavior. She ran off with Claire's boyfriend, but now that she's ill and in need of him, he can't help but hope to mend fences between the childhood friends. What he discovers along the way is that his life of wanderlust and, well...lust...might not lead to the fulfillment he's really looking for.

Jamie Beck spins a wonderful tale of growth and forgiveness. I struggled with the way Claire chose to live and the influence of her parents. I was so frustrated that she didn't pursue therapy even after recognizing her limitations. But her fighting spirit and relentless pursuit of improvement made me adore her despite her shortcomings--Claire was real. Logan was as flawed as was Claire. He was manipulative and selfish and selfless and kind altogether. The flawed main characters made this story so very engaging and frustrating and good. Well written and realistic, I enjoyed Jamie Beck's latest offering.

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If you are looking for a suspenseful , action packed story, this one might not be for you. But if you are looking for a story that is thought provoking , and at times heartbreaking but also heartwarming, this one is definitely for you.
The story centers around Claire McKenna and her physical , mental , and emotional struggles after a mall shooting in her teen years, that left her with devastating injuries and put an end to her potential tennis career .
She is also dealing with the betrayal of one of her best friends. A betrayal that once again puts her in the spotlight of her hometown and one she wishes would disappear.
Enter the world traveling photographer, Logan Prescott, the brother of her betraying friend and also the one she’s crushed on since her youth, and you have a very complex storyline.
But aside from all the interpersonal drama, the story is really about life, losses, crushed hopes, and moving on. Some families, in order to protect us from further pain, will hinder our growth, and instead instill fear of what’s beyond our comfort zone. Other families, might try to fit us in a mold that is far from whom we are, as is the case for Logan. Even Peyton, the secondary character who is Logan’s sister and the one that betrayed Claire, has had to face death and a future she never envisioned.
A complex , engaging storyline filled with complex and imperfect characters. Slower paced than what I am used too, but not less thoughtful.
Kudos to the author for this thought provoking book.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

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This is book 2 in the series but I did not read book 1, it does stand alone and I easily followed the story even though I did not read book 1. I really LOVED Claire. She is a sad character but aso one who is very strong and she is a fighter I absolutely loved her character and she is why I kept reading this story.

Logan is the male lead and he is also the brother of Claire's former best friend Peyton, who stole Claire;s boyfriend and has only returned home because she has breast Cancer. Logan is only back in town to try and help Peyton and to help get Claire to forgive him.

I HATED Logan. HATED!!! I have not hated a male character as much in a LONG time. I found him manipulative and yes he made Claire face her fears but he did it in a way that was manipulative and mean and he lusted for her but not in a long term way. He is a bt of a playboy and he has no intention of chnaging and so I felt he played lots of games with Caire's heart.

This story was well written and I really liked Claire, I even liked Peyton. I just hated how Logan manipulated poor Claire and how she let him play head games with him.

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I really Love Jamie Beck books. They are deep and thoughtful and have a range of situations that make you think. This one was sweet as Claire was stuck being safe after being shot at a mall years ago. Peyton comes to town to recover from breast cancer and her brother Logan comes with her. He tries to intervene to have them be friends again and also pushes Claire out of her comfort zone. It was wonderful to see the progress each of these people made separately and together. Another very good book

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Second in the Sanctuary Sound Series. The author does a wonderful job transitioning from Book 1 to Book 2 with informing the read of what happened previously. You do not need to read the first book to enjoy this one, but why wouldn’t you?!

This Series follows three bffs from childhood (Steffi, Claire, Peyton) later in their lives. This book is Claire’s time to find love. Living with an crippling injury from a traumatic shooting, has left Claire and her family with PTSD. She shuts herself off from others and the outside world, until her old crush, Logan, comes back to her town to help his sister, Peyton who is dealing with a health crisis. Claire and Peyton have their own issues that need to be resolved.

Ms. Beck did a great job showing how one persons horrific event alters those around her. When our loved one suffers, we all suffer and try to overcompensate for them. PTSD is crippling and debilitating and the author does a wonderful job shedding light on this situation.

Ms. Beck gives us a teaser of the third book, which will focus Peyton. I look forward to reading this one (although I must admit I was hoping for a different love interest), but I can’t wait to see where it will go.

Thanks to Ms. Beck, Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is my own.

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This is the second book in the Sanctuary Sound series that centers around three women, Steffi, Claire and Peyton, aka the Lavender Lane League. All three women have suffered through loss and trauma. This books centers around Claire and Peyton’s brother Logan. Claire was an up and coming tennis player, when she was caught up in a mass shooting at the age of fifteen. Now fifteen years later, she has mostly recovered from the physical wounds, but has not really gotten past the emotional damage. To make matters worse, Claire’s fiancée Todd left her and ran off with Peyton about a year ago. Claire is still angry with Peyton, even after Todd dumped Peyton when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Logan loves his sister Peyton, and has put his life on hold to help her through her cancer treatment. He sees how Peyton is suffering with both her treatments and her guilt about ruining her friendship with one of her best friends. He decides he needs to get Claire forgive Peyton. He dangles a big decorating in front of Claire, that will go a long way to help her struggling company. Claire takes the job, despite her reservations about interacting with Peyton and her lingering childhood crush on Logan. I loved how both characters grew, and the relationship developed organically. I cannot wait to see how the author tells Peyton’s story, as everyone, but Logan was team Claire. Should be interesting. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

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Claire has a heartwarming story of dealing with a physical tragedy and then being dealt an emotional blow that becomes tragic. She's been left behind by not only a boyfriend, but the childhood/lifelong friend he left her for. The story unfolds with Claire mentally stuck in a limbo she is too fearful to ever recognize she's allowed herself to stay in- she is afraid of crowds, venturing out, and off feeling anything like she did for Todd.

Claire's childhood crush is Logan- who happens to be brother to the backstabbing friend. This journey is not an easy one for either Claire or Logan as they soon discover they have a connection and passion that cannot be ignored. While it's easy to see what other's shortcomings or faults might be, it's not so easy to understand or admit your own problems. Claire and Logan each on a journey of discovery about each other, but more so of themselves.

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