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Sullivan's Promise

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Member Reviews

This is the latest book in the Bitter Creek series and features Victoria and Ryan's story. They meet, have a red hot one night stand and end up conceiving a child. Victoria panics and leaves the boy with Ryan for the first 6 months due to things that happened in her past. Ryan is bitter and when Vic tries to come back it takes a long time for him to forgive her. There are a lot of other couples in the book that have been in previous Bitter Creek stories so I would start with the first in the series. Enjoyable second chance romance.

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Great story - or should I say stories? This book tells the story of Vick and Rye while tying up loose ends from other of the "King's Brats" series. Joan did a great job of bringing all the characters together without making the reader feel like they missed something if they haven't read any of the other books. There are so many ending details that it's hard to describe this story without giving spoilers - so, I'm going to only mention the main characters.

Rye sees people and situations only as black and white...NO lie can be good and NO mistake can be corrected. Because of this, he has a difficult time accepting that Vick could love her son - since she walked away at his birth. Much of the story deals with things that happen to make him realize that maybe tolerance of other's mistakes and flaws isn't necessarily a bad thing. The mauling of his brother by a grizzly brings him face to face with the reality of the world and when he finds that people he loves aren't perfect, he begins to understand.

Vick realized her mistake and returned to Montana to try to be a mother to her child - one weekend a month - within six months. The story does skip to five years later with Vick working hard to show Rye she cares about the boy and wants more time. The mauling brings her into her son's home to care for him while Rye's brother, Mike, is in the hospital. This brings her under closer scrutiny by Rye and also brings them to acknowledge there is still chemistry and deeper feelings between them.

Joan takes the story around to other Greyhawk sisters and their match ups with the Flynn brothers at about this point. The feud between the Flynn's and the Greyhawk's has just about reached its end with the families intermarrying but the oldest of each group are trying to finish it completely. That's story #2. Joan manages to carry the reader through both stories without skipping a beat or dragging out the tales. The flow of the book is excellent and while I'm sorry to see this group settled...I can't wait to see where she goes from here. She leaves one character "unsettled" but he is hiding out for now. Good Job!

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Vick and Ryan had a one night stand that resulted in a child. At the time, Vick didn’t think that she was prepared to be a mother, so she gave Ryan full custody with minimal visitation rights for herself. Six months later, she realized that she had made a mistake. Five years later, she made a permanent move to a property adjacent to Ryan’s family’s ranch. For a long time, Ryan thought that all ha felt for Vick was hate, but there is a fine line between love and hate. As expected, they eventually admit that they love each other and get their HEA. The book provides a goos deal of follow-up on the couples from the three earlier books in the series, so it may not function well as a stand-alone book. However, for those who read the earlier books, it brought welcomed closure.

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I laughed and cried so hard as I read this wonderful book. There is so much going on that I never had a chance to get bored. What a fantastic ending!!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

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Sullivan’s Promise, a second chance contemporary romance tells the story of Victoria “Vick” Grayhawk, the youngest of the King’s Brats. Years ago, she made a huge mistake giving up her son Cody. Now, she wants him back. First, she must persuade Ryan Sullivan, who is determined to keep Vick at arm’s length, that leaving their son behind was something she regrets.

In the foregone conclusion to the Bitter Creek series written by Joan Johnston. Just wasn’t what I hoped for. The story dragged, and the chemistry between Ryan and Vick just wasn’t there. I was more interested in the wrapping up of Matt and Jennie storyline than the two main characters. Being a mother myself, I just couldn’t see how Vick could give birth and then hand her child over. Then five years later, after the baby can almost take care of himself, she regrets giving up that child. I just didn’t by it. I think this may be the reason I find this story rates only 3/5 stars.

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I thought this book was really well written. I enjoyed the level of detail and the interactions among the main and secondary characters. I think this is just a personal reaction but I had such a hard time warming up to Victoria. As a mother, I couldn't relate to her just walking away from her baby. Then she shows up six months later and she's all pushy about visitation and wanting to be in Cody's life. The book then jumps five years to the opening chapter where it is mentioned that she's voluntarily lived out-of-state for five years and only seen Cody one weekend per month. I had a really hard time getting past all that. If that sort of thing doesn't bother you, I think you'll really enjoy this book.

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Sullivan's Promise tells the story of Montana rancher Ryan Sullivan & the mother of his 5-yr old son, Victoria "Vick" Grayhawk, a conservation expert in the grizzly bear. This is the first book by Joan Johnson that I have read and I'm finding myself eager to go back and read the previous books in The Bitter Creek series about the battling Flynn and Grayhawk families.

Certain in her decision to avoid parenthood to the baby conceived during a chance encounter with a stranger, Vick gave up custody of her infant son to his father only to regret her impulsive decision. Now 5 yrs later, she has made the best of the one weekend a month visit Ryan must allow her according to the terms of the custody agreement. Ryan doesn't trust her.

These are 2 people who love each other and must learn to trust each other when a bear attack throws Ryan's carefully ordered world into chaos. I enjoyed Ryan and Vick's emotional Journey back to each other through revelation of decades old family secrets. Their story was beautiful. It got a little bit confusing, however, when we got updates on two other of her siblings and there problematic love affairs with their significant others. Ryan & Vick's story got I interrupted for her brother Matt & his lady & for her sister Leah & her husband Aiden. 

Despite that, I recommend  Sullivan's Promise and give it a solid 4-star rating.

Update after reading Surrender I'm upping my rating to a 5. I thoroughly enjoyed Sullivan's Promise.

Arc provided by Net Galley.

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I was lucky to receive an ARC from one of my favorite romance authors through Netgalley. I have been a huge fan of the Bitter Creek novels. Sullivan’s Promise is high up on my favorites as the story of the family and those around them continue. Victoria Grayhawk and Ryan Sullivan share a son from a one-night stand. Victoria, scared, made a bad choice and has had to suffer the consequences of not being able to see her son as much as she’d like. Rye has not let her forget her bad choice either. Due to unforeseen circumstances they are thrown together, really close. Is Rye who he thought he was ‘it’s a small world’ is all I can say. I love Joan’s characters. Even when they make stupid decisions, somehow, I still like them, that is a gift that Joan has. There is so much going on in this book. I don’t think any of Joan’s books have just one love story…it’s like getting a bonus. You can read this as a stand alone but give yourself a gift and get the whole shebang…you won’t regret it! I hate to tell you how many times I have re-read some of these books, I might start over until the next book comes out! Mike Sullivan has GOT to have his story! PLEASE JOAN!

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Too little, too late. Where has she been for six months?

In five years, they apparently have never changed the custody arrangements. Sad.

Holy crapper. What a time to find this stuff out!

Buh-bye, Sherry.

Heck, staying over at his mom's house must be like going to a day spa for Cody. But it's nice that their parenting styles complement each other.

Where did you go, Matt?

Grow some balls, Leah.

Dying in the tub would be tragic. But isn't she dirty now, since she hugged him?

Aw come on, man!

Sorry, Pete.

I don't know why he should tell her every little thing he does for Cody. Shouldn't she ask?

Nate is still wonderful.

Poor Robin.

I'm sorry you had to do that, Lexie.

Leah needs therapy.

I'm glad she was finally able to get Ryan's trust. But she's not psychic, man!

It's Mike's turn.

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I have been waiting a long time for this book, and it was worth it. Sullivan's Promise wraps up a long time series by Joan Johnston. This book answers a long of questions I had from reading previous books in the series. It is one again well researched, and gives some background on the behaviors of grizzly bears and humans. This book was set in Montana, Wyoming, and Texas. Family, love, love lost are all through this book and at the end it all comes together in a way that makes the reader very happy. Throughout this book, I laughed, cried, was angry, and ended being very very happy. I will miss the families in this series, but will be reading it again.

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SULLIVAN'S PROMISE by Joan Johnston was a sweet read on a second chance romance! Joan Johnston is a wonderful storyteller and she makes you feel as though you're right there with the families she writes about! I really felt for Mike and want a happy ending for him (hint).

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