This is a new to me author, but I will definitely read more of her books.

I do love a good and funny historical romance novel with imperfect characters who don’t always make the best choices, but that is what makes it a good and interesting book. I don’t care for perfect characters, I want flawed ones because you can relate to them and turn them more real.

Margaret and Lord Williams made me laugh and at times I wanted to knock their heads together.

If you enjoyed that scene in the Pride & Prejudice series, where mr Darcy dives into the lake, then you will love this book. I certainly did.

I had a hard time liking the characters. I disliked all of them but Alice until halfway through the book. They improved by the end, but still, I did not love them. I thought the character's motivations were messed up.

This is the first book that I've read by this author, but definitely will not be the last!
I loved the characters and felt an immediate connection to the story.
Margaret, having gone through a heartbreaking break up, is not looking for a love match while attending a house party given by a friend of the family. She meets two cousins, Lord Williams and Mr. Northam. She decides the latter is the better bet as he is a rake and she will not fall for him. Lord Williams, on the other hand, stirs feelings that she is uncomfortable with.
Margaret pursues Mr. Northam as he is the "safe" suitor that she is looking for, to the aggravation of Lord Williams.
Through misunderstandings and family illness Margaret fights her attraction to Lord Williams, Gregory. These two will go through much before finding their "Happily Ever After".
I highly recommend the purchase of this story to find out how it all turns out. You will not be disappointed!
Thanks to Leah Garriott, Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me this advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is a fun spin on a romance. The characters are likable, the story is different enough to be interesting but still with the familiarity desired in a good clean romance. I'll definitely be looking for more stories by Leah Garriott!

What a delightful novel! I thoroughly enjoyed Leah Garriott's story of a young woman who wants to secure a husband who will let her live a peaceful life as she will let him live as he likes. She doesn't want to risk her heart after having it stomped on by a fiancé. No, an arrangement that doesn't involve romantic love but instead offers security seems the pathway to a content life. She has that in mind when she and her brother attend a house party that is really a matchmaking party. She meets Lord Williams and Mr. Northam - cousins who vie for her attentions which tests her resolve about what she wants in a marriage. Promised is filled with humor, drama, sparkling characters and settings that drew me in. I enjoyed it all and can't wait to see what Leah Garriott writes next. I think Promised will appeal to fans of Jane Austen and romantic regency novels.

I received a copy from Net Galley. This book was incredible. I haven't read a proper romance that was written so beautifully in a long time. Leah had a very unique way for you to feel what the characters were feeling and to keep the book intriguing. I highly recommend this book a a 2020 read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3066793744

I absolutely LOVE this book! It is incredibly charming, romantic, witty, and lovely! Every time I picked up "Promised", I felt like I was whisked back in time to the Regency Era.

Throughout the book, I felt extremely connected to the characters, and could feel what they were feeling and going through. Ms. Garriott writes in a way that all of the characters' interactions felt extremely real and authentic, vivid, and beautifully true to the era as well as to their individual personalities. I found myself laughing at times, almost in tears at some moments, squealing with delight at others, and could not wait to see how everything turned out chapter after chapter. I also found myself really cheering for the characters to find their happiness. It is an absolutely heartwarming book. And the title “Promised” comes to have quite a few different meanings throughout the novel as well.

If you love Regency romance, romance novels, and / or historical fiction, I HIGHLY recommend this book! I did not want to put it down, nor did I want it to end! The only reason I found myself putting this book down was because I had to be up early the next morning! And I really want to dance the Waltz!! :)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC of this novel! I absolutely loved it!

This book definitely caught my interest and held it. As Regency romances go, it was one of the best I’ve read in some time. I adored the characters, the plot kept me wondering as it kept going in unforeseen directions, and the ending left me sighing in contentment.

Margaret , the protagonist, had such a strong voice and it was easy to love her and understand her perspective. From the very beginning there is an intricate plot that unfolds and not until the climax do you (and Margaret) understand how everything connects. There was such a great flow to her story, and she really grew as a character as she learned to open her heart up and let go of what she thinks is best. I liked her relationship with her brother and sister- teasing and fun and so very real.

Enter Gregory, and goodness things sure do get interesting. I loved his character and how good he was, faults and all. The chemistry between him and Margaret created wonderful tension throughout the book, while still staying true to being a clean romance read.

Definitely a great book, I hope to read more from this author in the future.

One of my verrrrry favorite things as a reader is discovering a new author with a pitch-perfect writing voice...and I found that in this novel. I loooooved the writing! The first-person perspective is fresh and witty, the banter and romance is swoony and the characters are so likable. I look forward to reading more from Leah Garriott!

*Book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Promised by Leah Garriott is the best romance novel I have read in a long time. Margaret Brinton is a woman who has been hurt by love and thinks she has figured out a plan to avoid further hurt in the future. However, Gregory Williams has differnt plans for her. Garriott creates a depth of character with Margaret that allows you to feel Margarets pain and hope in equal measure. Wonderful debut novel! Garriott will most be added to my must read list in the future.

Promised ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Margaret Brinton keeps her promises, and the one she is most determined to keep is the promise to protect her heart...

Warwickshire, England, 1812

Fooled by love once before, Margaret vows never to be played the fool again. To keep her vow, she attends a notorious match-making party intent on securing the perfect marital match:  a union of convenience to someone who could never affect her heart. She discovers a man who exceeds all her hopes in the handsome and obliging rake, Mr. Northam. 

There's only one problem. His meddling cousin, Lord Williams, won't leave Margaret alone. Condescending and high-handed, Lord Williams lectures and insults her. When she refuses to give heed to his counsel, he single-handedly ruins Margaret's chances for making a good match--to his cousin or anyone else. With no reason to remain at the party, Margaret returns home to discover her father has promised her hand in marriage--to Lord Williams.

Under no conditions will Margaret consent to marrying such an odious man. Yet as Lord Williams inserts himself into her everyday life, interrupting her family games and following her on morning walks, winning the good opinion of her siblings and proving himself intelligent and even kind, Margaret is forced to realize that Lord Williams is exactly the man she'd hoped to marry before she'd learned how much love hurt. When paths diverge and her time with Lord Williams ends, Margaret is faced with her ultimate choice: keep the promises that protect her or break free of them for one more chance at love. Either way, she fears her heart will

Honestly I loved this book for its innocence. So many HR books these days delve into the erotic, which is ok too. Reading this was so very refreshing, laugh out loud funny, and at times irritating. Thoroughly enjoyable change of pace.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley, Leah Garriott and Shadow Mountain Publishing.

This was a really enjoyable HR read. It had beautiful dialogue and the author was fantastic at drawing a picture of the time period of the book. This is definitely a romance story but has ZERO heat, even for HR storytelling this one was chaste. I did enjoy it though and look forward to more from this author.

After having a previous romance end in heartbreak Margaret has decided to remove her heart from the equation and have a marriage of convenience only. She thinks she finds the perfect suitor only to have his (handsome of course!) cousin keep getting in the way! Margaret has to decide between protecting her heart of allowing Lord Williams in. This is a fun and sweet regency romance!

Promised is a lovely and delightful book. It includes all the charm of a clean regency romance; fun and witty characters, beautiful scenery, and a fun, twisting plot. I could not put this down! It was good to the last page! I can't wait for more from Leah Garriott.

"Promised" is the lovely debut novel by Leah Garriott. Once bitten, twice shy Margaret Brinton decides to secure her future by attending a matchmaking house party. Her plans for a marriage of convenience with Fredrick Northam are quickly thwarted by his cousin, Lord Gregory Williams.

Lord Williams's original intention for his proposal was not clear to me and when it's finally revealed, it was an unwelcome surprise. However, the last part of the book is SO romantic and heartfelt that this 4-star read becomes a 5 for me.

The characters are delightful. There is humor as well, from Margaret falling off a wall, to Mr. Lundell's acknowledgement of his "odor".

Garriott's prose flows nicely with few grammatical errors. In addition, this novel is clean. The recurring lake theme is moving. I am always on the lookout for quality Regency Romance authors, and Garriott is a wonderful new one. I look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC of this enjoyable novel.

I enjoyed this book, which is quite similar to Pride and Predjudice. At first I had a hard time liking Margaret, the main character. She was just a bit to immature at the beginning. As the book progressed and she grew, she became more likeable. I particularly enjoyed her relationship with her older brother. I found this relationship refreshing - often the brotherly relationship is with a neighbor who either ends up being the love interest, or just the best friend next door, which I don't think is always that realistic, especially for the time period.

The love story was sweet, although perhaps a little questionable in its resolution.

All of my misgivings aside, I had trouble putting this book down, which is why it earns 4 stars. I look forward to reading more by this author.

#Promised #NetGalley

Pride and Prejudice with a twist. I cannot tell you what an honor it was to read this phenomenal book! It was so good! This is definitely one of my favorites this year. While I do like Austen, this book has easier ebb and flow. I think this a book is one you can read again and again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a fair review. The ideas and thoughts are my own.

3 1/2 elevated to 4.

There was something about Margaret didn't settle well with me in the beginning. She was rude and too prickly, and I couldn't relate to the motivations for her behavior, and for the interaction with her family and friends.

Gregory, or Sir Williams, is another one whose motivations are unclear. I think it would have helped the story greatly to have two POVs instead of one in 1st person.

The story is well written and it spurred my interest to see everything resolved. The historical setting was well done and the cast of secondary characters was a good addition.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I was interested in the description of the book and thought the cover was lovely. Garriott's debut novel was really fun. I loved how it starts at a match-matching party.

Margaret has given up on love and is set to a loveless, marriage of convenience, knowing she won't be hurt again. She has her sights set on the rake Mr. Northam. He checks every item off of her list but his cousin, Lord Williams won't let her. Williams thinks he knows what's best for Margaret and one thing you only need to learn once is never tell a strong woman she can't do something, because she will see to it if its her last breath.

The enemies to lovers romance was sweet and perfect. Everything wrapped up nicely and the story came around full circle. I loved the fun moments between Williams and Margaret. It reminded me of "The Princess Diaries 2" where Anne Hathway's character says "I loathe you" to Chris Pine. I could see Margaret doing that in a heartbeat.

I received an ebook from the publisher thanks to Net Galley to give this honest review. This book will perfectly fit into the proper romance line.

I could not put this book down! I could understand Margaret's need to guard her heart and yet wanted her to open up again at the same time. This book has all the tug and pull you want from a Regency romance and Lord William's is everything you want in the male lead. The first time Margaret calls him by his given name will give you chills. This books made me smile, laugh, and feel for the despairing situations Margaret must go through to secure the love she never thought she'd want a chance at again. This is the kind of book you want a digital and physical copy of. Thank you for such a beautiful novel Leah Garriott