Cover Image: Deep River Promise

Deep River Promise

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Member Reviews

**My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

Its always worth picking up a book by this author. The story telling is always well written, characters are well fleshed out and grow as the story goes on and you get a little bit of spice and a good developing relationship.

Astrid is a single mum of a teenager along with being the town mayor and librarian of a small town called Deep River. She is a strong person, because life has been hard for her and she has had no choice but to step up and look after herself and her son.

Damon is a military man who is only in Deep River on a promise from a fallen friend. He two has his scars, but with Astrid, something makes his give them up in order that he can help her, however he longer believes that he is capable of giving someone else the love they would need in a relationship.

Both find something special with each other and they help each other in many ways, however it is not until the end that Damon makes a discovery of his own that changes everything for him.

I really liked seeing the interconnected characters and their relationships to the main characters and glad that Damon finally figured out what he really wanted.

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Kept wanting to see this story pikc up, but it kept up a humdrum, borderline boring rhythm throughout that just felt like everything had checked out without even getting started. Felt zero chemistry between the leads, the teenage son was annoying and the whole parenting angle felt weird and just not at all realistic... Just felt too forced and contrived to really be enjoyable, sadly

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Two wounded hearts come together in Ashenden’s latest. Trust is a major plot point and it is fun to watch both characters let go of old hurts to become the people they are meant to be.
3.5 stars

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Complementary copy given for my honest review and opinion. Great romance that was raw and pure with good character building.

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This was just a cute small town romance set in Deep River, Alaska! Need I say more considering I'm a huge Alaska anything lover! I love how Damon was trying to protect Astrid and Connor from himself when in reality he needed them as much as they needed him. Such a cute story.

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Deep River Promise was a fantastic small town romance set in Alaska between a single mom and an outsider who just inherited the town.

After one of his best friends dies in a plane crash, Damon Fitzgerald finds himself one of the new owners of a small Alaskan town along with two of his friends. Needing to get back to LA, Damon's plan is to spend as little time in Deep River as possible. His first order of business is to keep a promise to his late friend and check in on the man's son. Unfortunately for Damon, the boy's mom happens to be Deep River's mayor and she instantly dislikes him. Astrid James didn't want to be mayor of Deep River, but now that she has the job she intends to do right by the town and her son. When Damon shows up, Astrid finds herself falling for a man who has no intention of making Deep River his home.

Astrid grew up in Deep River before leaving as a teenager after her son Connor was born. After a relationship gone bad five years ago, Astrid returned to Deep River with Connor to start a new life there. Astrid initially comes across a bit cold, but it quickly becomes clear she acts that way to protect herself. Damon by all appearances is a man without a care in the world who flits from place to place avoiding commitment along the way. In reality, Damon is hiding a lot of pain from his past as well as the fact his mother is showing early signs of dementia. Damon's backstory was heartbreaking and completely unexpected based on how he acts when we first meet him.

Astrid and Damon's relationship gets off to a slow start due to Astrid's protectiveness over her son and the fact Damon has no intention of sticking around in Deep River. Their attraction however is instantaneous and the pair's chemistry is fantastic. There's an excellent scene between the two in the town library that was steamy and overall very well done. Astrid and Damon had significant obstacles to overcome in order to make their relationship work and I enjoyed watching the pair work through those issues. I thought the ending was well done though I did get a bit annoyed at Connor for interfering in the situation, but that could simply be because I mostly dislike kids in romance novels.

Overall Deep River Promise was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, That Deep River Feeling.

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This was an enjoyable romance with a hero learning to open his heart and a heroine learning to trust again. Both characters have suffered in the past and come together to move on in the name of love. This novel has a nice balance of heat, likeable characters, and overall charm. While this is the second book in a series, it works as a standalone and does enough to fill a new reader in on what they missed. Deep River is a small Alaskan town filled with the charm of residents caring about the fate of the town and each other. An epilogue sets up the next book and the romance in this one was sweet enough to make me want to revisit Deep River.

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3 1/2 Stars
Deep River Promise is the second book in the Alaska Homecoming series. I haven't read the first book so I didn't get everything they were referencing that had happened previously but I also feel that the story is still fleshed out enough to be a standalone.
Damon has arrived in Deep River, Alaska after finding himself the new owner of the town with his two buddies after their friend, Caleb died and left it to them. But he has other business in town which is to look out for his buddies son, Conner who has never known who his father is. Astrid is Conner's mother and also happens to be the mayor of Deep River. She arrived in Deep River five years ago after escaping a toxic relationship and loves the town dearly. Astrid and Damon are attracted to each other off the bat but a past full of hurt is keeping them from fighting for what they really need.
I usually love a small town romance especially one set in Alaska but this one just didn't suck me in as much. Its missing more involvement of the small town characters that add an extra element to these types of books. It's a little steamy but not really too much more than a scene or so. I enjoyed the main characters growth but I don't know how much I believed in their romance.
Its still a easy, enjoyable read if you like an Alaska romance.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my complimentary eARC copy.

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Deep River Promise (Alaska Homecoming #2). By Jackie Ashenden. 2021. Sourcebooks Casablanca (ARC eBook).

When one of his friends died, Damon Fitzgerald found himself one of three new owners of the town of Deep River, Alaska. But Damon has another piece of business to do in Deep River other than signing off on ownership and getting the heck out of dodge. He has a promise to deliver on—which brings him to Deep River’s mayor and librarian, Astrid James. Book 2 never really grabbed me like Book 1 did. Both Damon and Astrid have old hurts needing to be healed and that bonds them together. But they are both mild-mannered people, leaving a lot to be desired for on dynamics. And while the overarching story revolving around the fate of the town was still around, there was not enough activity from the townspeople on that front either. Overall a tender romance, but not memorable.

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Deep River Promise was a great follow up to Come Home to Deep River. Damon Fitzgerald is another one of our Alaskan pilots that ends up in Deep River to take care of a promise to his deceased friend. That involves a conversation with Astrid James the town mayor and her son. Damon has no desire to stay in Alaska. He has responsibilities back in California and as much as Astrid and her son intrigue him, his mother takes precedence. Astrid just wants a safe and peaceful life for her and her son and that is exactly what she found in Deep River. She doesn't need or want Damon sticking his nose her their lives no matter what his reasons are. Well these two have an attraction that is off the charts and things are going to change no matter how much they fight it! As always Ms. Ashenden's books are well written and full of interesting characters that had me glued to the pages! The books in the Alaska Homecoming series each stand alone however there is an underlying story that is carrying throughout so I definitely recommend reading them in order to get the most out of this deeply emotional series.

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This book follows the story of single-mom Astrid, her teenage son Connor, and outside Damon in their small town in Alaska.

The story takes place over the course of a week and draws you in so fast!! Its a quick read, super sweet and also a bit steamyyy. If you’re a fan of small-town romances, single-mom romances, or romances in general I highly suggest this book!!

The writing was good, the characters had nice background stories and were interesting to read about and overall the plot was interesting!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own.

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This is the second book in the Alaska Homecoming series. This is a heartwarming romance that will suck you in from the beginning. All the characters are great and you will love them from the start. Jackie Ashenden knows how to write great love stories that keep you wanting more. I can’t wait for the third book!

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So Deep River is still shooked about the oil, new owners, and very determined to bring more business in. Astrid the mayor has her hand full and her son is not helping her. So when she meets Damon everything in her life changes. The story is soo good, enjoyable, and heartwarming. I really enjoyed reading how to souls connect and heal each other and how love is born. Both Astrid and Damon great personalities and easy to love. And their story yet again so good so amazing. Highly recommended read.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

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This was a 4 stars read for me. Love the characters, love the place, love the romance. Everything was great.

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DEEP RIVER PROMISE is the second instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult ALASKA HOMECOMING romance series focusing on three friends who inherited the small town of Deep River, Alaska when their best friend died in a place crash. This is bush pilot Damon Fitzgerald, and Deep River Mayor and librarian Astrid James’ story line. DEEP RIVER PROMISE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: Thirteen years earlier Silas Quinn (Home to Deep River 1), along with his best friend Caleb West, swore never to return to Deep River but with Caleb’s death came the ownership of the town of Deep River, owned by the West family for close to one hundred years, now passed on to our hero Damon, and his friends Silas and Zeke.


Told from dual third person perspective (Damon and Astrid) DEEP RIVER PROMISE follows Damon Fitzgerald as he endeavors to come to terms with partial ownership of the small town of Deep River, Alaska but Deep River sits on a field of oil, a field of which the Big Oil companies are hoping to own. In an effort to strengthen the town, and bring in some much need tourism and money, Damon Fitzgerald, along with his best friend Silas Quinn, and the town’s Mayor Astrid James, begin to ferret out a number of possibilities but Damon never expected to lose his heart to the town and the woman with whom he would fall in love. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Astrid and Damon, and the potential fall-out as Damon struggles with demons from the past, and an ailing mother back home in Los Angeles, California.

Astrid James is a single mother to thirteen year old Connor James but Astrid’s secret is about to be exposed with the arrival of Damon Fitzgerald, a man who stirs something deep within our story line heroine. Having loved and lost, and loved and lost again, Astrid ‘ran’ to Deep River, Alaska, a town with too many memories but a town that has accepted Astrid, and the boy that she loves. Damon Fitzgerald never wanted to own Deep River, Alaska, and is preparing to walk away once a plan has been put into action to save a town that meant much to his former best friend but Damon never expected to meet a feisty, single mother, a woman who isn’t afraid to call Damon out on his excuses and fears. After his death, Caleb’s request meant Damon had a responsibility, a responsibility that now included Astrid and her fifteen year old son, Connor.

The relationship between Damon and Astrid is one of immediate attraction but Damon’s time in Deep River comes with an expiry date, and Damon refuses to hang around for the long haul. Falling in love was never on the agenda but Astrid, and her son Connor, made it difficult for Damon to walk away. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Silas Quinn and his girlfriend Hope Dawson; Astrid’s son Connor; Caleb’s sister Morgan West; as well as ferry operator Kevin Anderson; general store owner Malcolm Cooper; tourism operator Sandy; and wannabe luxury motel owner Mike Flint. Zeke and Morgan’s story line is next.

DEEP RIVER PROMISE is a story of family, betrayal, loss and love; a story of survival and reflection; promises and happily ever after. The premise is inspiring; the romance is spirited and heart breaking; the characters are sassy, determined and lost.


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Damon arrives in Deep River determined to handover control of the company he's built with his three buddies and inheritance of Deep River a small Alaskan town to his buddy Silas.  He just wants to get things done and be on his way to Los Angeles to care for his ailing mother.  Oh! he did have one other agenda item and that's the one that's going to derail all his best laid plans.
Astrid is the mayor of the town and a friend of Caleb West. Unbeknownst to the townspeople her son Connor is actually Caleb's son which is why Caleb had given her the opportunity to settle in Deep River. Damon is the only other person who's aware of this fact and has in fact been charged by his friend to look out for the son that Caleb never acknowledged. I loved watching the sparks fly between Damon and Astrid and my heart went out to Connor who's struggling to make sense of everything after he found out that Caleb was his father.
Poor Damon, he's pulled between his mother and his sense of responsibility for Connor and his attraction to Astrid. He makes the trek to his plan but finds he cannot leave and comes back every time. Despite all his resistance he ends up creating the plans to help the citizens of Deep River find ways to enrich the towns and create income so they can resist the lure of the oil companies who want to drill in their town now that oil has been discovered.
The third buddy Zeke has been out of pocket so far. I can't wait for him to show up and the town of Deep River to do its magic on him.

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Damon and Astrid's story was a sweet, emotional yet steamy small-town romance. I enjoyed the range of emotions the author bright to the page and mix of elements that made up the story. Unfortunately, I didn't know this was the second book in a series so I felt a little bit lost in the beginning and like a missed an important part of the story. However, as the story progressed the author explained everything that had happened previously.

Both Damon and Astrid were great characters to get to know. They each had a past that affected the way they lived their lives now and how they related to others. Astrid was guarded and didn't trust easily, while Damon dealt with grief and loss that led him to keep most people at arm's length. Neither Damon nor Astrid are looking to fall in love, but try as they might, they soon find themselves unequivocally attracted to each other and developing feelings...all within a week or so. And herein lies my only problem with the story.

Although Damon and Astrid's chemistry couldn't be denied (and holy-moley, was it explosive!) I can't help but think that their connection got lost in the shuffle of all the sex they were having. Was it non-existing? No, it was there and growing with each candid and heartfelt moment they shared. Unfortunately, it was not enough for me to be sold on Damon's grand gesture at the end.

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Deep River Promise is an entertaining and well written romance. Loved the plot, character dynamics and the Alaskan setting. Very good read.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Alaska Homecoming by Jackie Ashenden so I was looking forward to reading Deep River Promise. It did not disappoint. The ending of the first book heavily hinted where the next book was headed with Damon Fitzgerald. It is not so much of a homecoming for him as it becomes finding home.

Deep River is as unique an Alaskan town as the people who live there are. Damon has no idea what he is facing as he arrives there. For his part, he does adapt with grace and dignity even as he is planning on leaving as soon as is possible. His interactions with many of the residents including one teenager is wonderful. He’s a hero who doesn’t even know that he is. Astrid James is just as complexed. She’s not looking for love especially with an outsider. Sometimes what we need is the one thing we were never expecting to find. An appealing story with a down-to-earth hero and heroine who deserve love.

Without a doubt my favorite series by Jackie Ashenden.

4.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I enjoyed this book very much. As with all of Jackie Ashenden's books it is very well written with captivating characters and a storyline that grabs your attention from the very first page. The story takes place in a small Alaskan town with Damon working hard to get out of town as soon as possible and Astrid embracing her new home town with all she has. Obviously their attraction makes things difficult but are they willing to take a chance?? You will want to grab a copy and see. I highly recommend it.

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