I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Another story about second chances and falling for the ones you don't want to.

This is the second book in this series about a small village in Alaska, and I did read the first book. To me, It was an ok read, but I didn’t really feel invested in the characters until close to the end of that book. However, this was a totally different read for me. The characters jumped out of the page from the first and by the time we got to the HEA, I was not only thoroughly invested in Damon, Astrid, and Connor, but in all the people of Deep River, as well as wanting to see what would happen next. It is a heartwarming story, well written with great dialogue, and everything i have come to expect from a Jackie Asheden book. I hope she brings on the next one soon!

Northern Exposure meets Hallmark

I found I rather liked Deep River Promise. Set in a small town in Alaska, Damon is so desperate to ditch and go back to LA. Astrid is the mayor with her son, Connor.
I liked how they had real problems and issues to deal with (Damon's aging mother, Caleb, Astrid's husband's death and her son Connor).

I feel like Jackie has found a fresh voice in this series (hey, I was an early reader) and found a niche that is just calling out to be turned into a Hallmark series or movie. Maybe Netflix?

Recommend.

*** I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

I love Alaska romances! This is the first book that I have read by Jackie Ashenden, and I don't think it'll be the last. The plot of this book feels like it would be one of a historical romance (but it's set in present times): town in trouble, group of alpha male heroes, and beautiful single mother in distress. The book follows Damon and Astrid (and her son Conner) as they work together to save Deep River. There's lots of drama and steamy scenes (in a library! What?!) This is a story of family, love, friendship, and trust. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a light, HEA vacation read.

Deep River Promise by Jackie Ashenden is the second book in the Alaska Homecoming series. This story was well written, and the characters were well developed and defined. This is Damon and Astrid’s story, as they both overcome the struggles with past life experiences, to accept their future life together. This was a long and frustrating struggle for both, but they tried to communicate well after a few missteps. They are both in the small Alaskan town of Deep River, and I was hoping for a bit more details of their surroundings, so I was a bit disappointed that the environment details were sparse. A few secondary characters were also introduced, as well as characters from the first book in this series. I found the pace of the story was perfect, and the story had a real draw for me.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy of the story in exchange for my honest review.

What a deeply moving story!

Damon has a promise to keep, even if it's twisting him every which way but loose. He needs to make sure that his late friend's son, Connor, is doing well, but Damon never counted on the intense attraction he'd share with Connor's mother, Astrid.

Both Damon and Astrid have secrets to hide and tragedies to get past, and I loved their sensual, emotionally-charged journey to their HEA. The writing is so beautiful, so vivid, you almost feel like you can visit Deep River on your next trip to Alaska. The characters are flawed and layered and so wonderfully developed.

I loved the final scenes and the sweet, tender HEA. I love how neither had to sacrifice anything that was important to them, how they were able to make it all work out for everyone in their families. I couldn't love this book more, and am really looking forward to reading more in this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Astrid more or less fled with her son Connor to the small Alaskan town of Deep River but now, five years later, she's more or less the single person keeping it alive. Caleb, whose family owned the land, dies, tragically in a plane crash but he's left the property to Damon, Zeke, and Silas, his partners in an aviation firm. Damon, whose own child died years ago, had promised Caleb he would keep an eye on Astrid and now he's fulfilling that. These two don't get along well to start- Astrid sees Damon as a threat- but Connor binds them. And, readers of this genre know that these two wounded people will help to heal one another and, best of all, that there will be an HEA. My quibble with this is that I'd hoped for more Alaskan atmospherics. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read for those looking for a sweet romance.

Classy guy.

He really should tell his friends about his mom.

Ooh, plot twist.

I'm tired just hearing about her day.

What happened to Ella?

Giving a boy beer?

I can't believe no one ever comforted him.

His poor mother.

DEEP RIVER PROMISE – Jackie Ashenden
Alaska Homecoming, Book 2
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-7282-1689-8
March 30, 2021
Contemporary Romance

Deep River, Alaska – Present Day

Damon Fitzgerald, along with his two best friends, have the responsibility of ensuring the legacy of their late friend, Caleb, who was killed in an accident. That legacy includes owning the town of Deep River. But Damon has the added responsibility of making sure that Caleb’s son—the child no one knew about—is taken care of. It helps that the child, Connor, and his mother, Astrid James, also live in Deep River. Now, how to approach her to let her know that he will be there for them? Using the ruse that he’s interested in tourism, he contacts Astrid, who happens to be the mayor. There’s a hitch, though, in Damon’s plans. Connor is protective of his mother and isn’t happy to have Damon around his mother.

Astrid has been raising Connor, now fifteen, on her own all these years and doesn’t need anyone’s help, especially Damon’s. After getting in a bind five years ago, she did allow Caleb to move her to Deep River, where she settled in and no one was aware of who Connor’s father is. The knowledge that Damon is in on the secret and was designated by Caleb to take care of her and Connor has her putting up a shield. Astrid has learned that the only people she can trust are herself and Connor. But Damon is persistent, though he can only be in town a couple of days. His mother has early onset of Alzheimer’s, and he needs to return to California to care for her. But in the few days that Damon is there, an attraction develops between him and Astrid. How will Connor react? Both Astrid and Damon feel there can’t be a relationship between them, yet there is this burning passion.

Damon is in Deep River reluctantly in DEEP RIVER PROMISE by Jackie Ashenden, the second book in her Alaska Homecoming series. Years ago, Caleb told Damon about the child he fathered and swore him to secrecy. Why? Because he felt embarrassed at literally abandoning Astrid and Connor. Yet, when she turned to him for help, he was there. But again, she couldn’t reveal Connor’s paternity, even though he looks a lot like Caleb. Damon just wants to make sure Astrid knows that he is there for her and Connor. Of course, being the independent person that she is, Astrid immediately brushes off the help. Torn between his responsibilities in Deep River and Los Angeles, Damon will have to work quickly. But the attraction that sparks between him and Astrid has him wondering if he could stay an extra day or two.

Keeping a secret is hard to do in Deep River, but it’s what Astrid and Damon will have to do. Caleb’s sister also lives there, yet she hasn’t figured out Connor’s paternity. The main focus Astrid has right now is bringing income to the town. That is why Damon is researching for potential sources. Of course, the time spent together only brings them closer…and more attracted to each other. How long will it be until Astrid and Damon are locking lips…and making love? Not that secret trysts can be kept under wraps in this small town. Will Damon leave town for good, or will he make plans to return? Can he make any kind of future in Deep River?

A sweet and sensual romance that is both funny and heartwarming, don’t miss DEEP RIVER PROMISE.

Patti Fischer

A sweet and pretty steamy small-town romance set in Alaska, with a “city boy” in contrast to a lot of other Alaskan romances I have read. Our main couple comes from two different pasts tragic and hard in different ways and strikes up an instant connection. Our main heroine is a single parent, and her fifteen-year-old kid is also a main character of the storyline. The main storyline of the book is around the small town and how to lure more tourists there to make the town more money and confronting your past and be able to move on from it. If I would have some complaints, I would say that the small-town aspects could have been a little better done, I missed some of the ingredients often found in these kinds of books. I think that the book could have benefited by having a larger supporting cast of towns people that makes me fall more in love with the town.

Overall, I had a pretty good time with the book. I was entertained and liked the main couple and even shed a few tears reding about them (but I do cry very easily). I would recommend it to people who wants a pretty steamy small-town romance.

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the electronic copy of Deep River Promise by Jackie Ashenden. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

Deep River Promise is a well written romance novel with engaging characters and an emotionally charged plot. The pacing pulled me in from the opening scene and kept me enmeshed until the last. After all, how does one resist a nude male on a balcony!

Astrid James is the heroine, and I became fully vested in her character right from the start. She has many aspects I most admire. She is a nurturer, and that comes through in her parenting of her fifteen-year-old son and how she manages the town of Deep River as the mayor.

Damon Fitzgerald is the yummy hero, and on his introduction, it’s clear he’s an extremely attractive male. He has some baggage from his youth that makes it difficult for him to have a meaningful relationship. While he’s not a player, he does keep tight control of his emotions. I enjoyed his back story and could understand his fears.

The romance between Astrid and Damon heats up fast and threatens to burn them up! The first sexual scene takes play in Astrid’s office. While I understood both the characters’ fears, I did experience some frustration with the hero. I had to do some deep thinking to fully accept why he was willing to let his past keep him so closed off. That is why I am not giving this book 5 Gold Crowns.

If you enjoy contemporary small-town romances, then you will love Deep River Promise as much as I did. The town folks stole my heart, especially Astrid’s son. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Ashenden, and I will certainly look at the first book in this enjoyable series. Happy reading!

Deep River Promise is the second novel is Jackie Ashenden's Alaska Homecoming series, and having enjoyed the first book in the series, I was eager to read this one too. As always with Ms. Ashenden's books, this was a well-written, deeply emotional romance that draws the reader in, not only to the story and its well-defined characters, but to the fragile and harsh beauty of the setting as well. Although this novel can be read as a standalone, I will strongly suggest that you read the first novel in this series, Come Home to Deep River, before reading this one, because so much of what happens in this novel and in Deep River is explained in greater detail in the first novel. I only had one small problem with this book, which is why I'm giving this novel 4.5 stars rather than 5.

A little background information first. One of owners of Deep River was Caleb West, who died in a plane crash in the previous novel. The West family actually owned all the land that comprised Deep River, leasing parcels out to those who needed the peace, serenity and isolation it provided. When his will was read, Caleb's sister had already told her brother early on that she didn't want him to pass ownership to her, so instead, Caleb left Deep River to his former military buddies, Damon, Silas and Zeke, with whom he founded Wild Alaska Aviation, based in Juneau, and, as we also learned in the last novel, Deep River is sitting on quite a large underground oil field, and its residents are being contacted to sell their homes and/or drilling rights off to the oil companies for a lot of money. But the town has voted to try to make money another way--by attracting tourists to the area, and not allowing the oil companies to establish a foothold in Deep River and despoil its pristine environment.

This novel opens with a rather hungover Damon Fitzgerald, waking up after being trapped in Deep River due to torrential rains for the past three days, preventing him from flying out. He's one of the owners and operators of Wild Alaska Aviation, and one of the men who inherited Deep River, but he plans to turn over his share to Silas, who has made Deep River his home, and no one has seen Zeke in weeks or has a clue where he is. Since the sun is out, Damon is sure he can fly back to Juneau, drop off his plane and return to L.A. which is where he needs to be, to care for his mother, who is experiencing early onset dementia, and currently being looked after by her part-time housekeeper. But his return to L.A. is going to be delayed, for a host of reasons.

There was a separate letter that Caleb had written to Damon at the time his will was being drafted, and it was quite a shock to learn that Caleb had a secret son, Connor, now 15 years old, and after Caleb impregnated his 17-year-old girlfriend, Astrid, he then deserted her to fend for herself and their child. Five years earlier, when Astrid realized she'd gotten into a verbally and emotionally abusive and controlling relationship with a man named Aidan, she contacted Caleb, who told her to get to Deep River, and she'd find a home there for her and their son--a son he never even met. She's also never divulged to Connor the name of the man who fathered him, and to top things off, she's recently been elected as the mayor of Deep River.

From the moment Astrid spots naked, hungover, Damon Fitzgerald, standing on the balcony of his room, her attraction to the gorgeous man is instantaneous, and since Damon is equally attracted to Astrid, who at first gives him the cold shoulder, we move from hello to insta-sex to insta-love way too quickly, 4 days in all, for a novel of this length, which is the problem I mentioned at the outset.

However, Damon is a compelling, decent, kind and understanding man, and just like Astrid, he's had a troubled past and has sworn off anything more than one-off hookups for years. It took me a while to get to l past Astrid's icy facade, which, at the outset was cold, rude, and rather snippy, but it wasn't long before I came to admire her strength, her deep love for her son, and her insight into Damon. Although Damon believes he keeps his pain well hidden, so too does Astrid. And let's not forget Connor, who at first believes Damon is an untrustworthy oil man, and feels it's his duty to protect both his town and his mother. All of these main characters are written with so much depth of emotion, so much backstory, so much pain and regret in their respective pasts, and they all keep so much of their angst, anger, and hurt locked away, yet they somehow can each sense exactly what the drives the others, and what they feel and need.

Deep River Promise delves heavily into doubt, regret, self-examination, self-recrimination, and matters of the heart with amazing delicacy. I found it an un-put-downable read, one that certainly tugged at my heartstrings, and gave me even more reasons to love reading and recommending the novels of Jackie Ashenden.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

awww. its a heartbreaking emotional story.. But as we know with Jackie we always get some off the charts hotness and chemistry that will help with the tears.

This was a sweet, well written and not overly cheesy story about finding love when you least expect it and second chances to get things right.
Damon is a good man. Kind, decent, confident, and maybe a tad overprotective but in a good way lol. He comes to Deep River after his best friend dies and in his will asks him to take care of some things that he left unfinished. So Damon heads to deep river to handle the things with every intention of going back to his life and his mother in LA, who is struggling with dementia.
Astrid and Connor are two of the things that Damon has to fix. His friend never acknowledged publicly that Connor was his son and that left both Connor and his mom hurt and rejected. Damon vows to fix that for them as well as improve the town’s economy as Cal, Damon’s friend, had owned it at the time of his death.
Damon doesn’t think he is worthy or capable of love after his tough childhood and a huge loss as an adult, but eventually he realizes that he’s not as tough and hard as he wants everyone, including himself to believe.
There was just enough steam to add to the story without it being gratuitous and I loved how Connor stood up for himself and gave of himself to the his mom and the people of his town even though he was just a teenager.
And I liked how the ending lead to what will hopefully be the next book in the series.
Thanks to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my review.

Sometimes I feel a bit like a damaged romance heroine when I open a book by a new-to-me author. You know the trope - she's been hurt by love before, and is wary of trying again. But eventually the hero hits the right notes with her, so she cautiously starts to trust and eventually love him. Reading Deep River Promise was like that; I stepped into the second book of a new series, unsure of what I would find. Yet with each page, the characters hit the right notes, and I could almost feel my shoulders unclench as I began to relax and enjoy it.

Damon Fitzgerald has come to the town of Deep River, Alaska, with a hidden agenda. Everyone in Deep River knows that he inherited a share of the town, along with two other army buddies, when their friend Caleb West died. As far as the town is aware, Damon is visiting in order to weigh in on potential tourist attractions for the town to develop before he leaves Alaska permanently and moves back to LA to be with his mom. What no one knows is that Caleb left behind a fifteen-year-old son, and he asked Damon to look out for the boy in the event of his death.

Astrid James was knocked up by Caleb as a teenager, at which point he told her he wasn't ready for the responsibility of a child and wouldn't be involved. Hurt but determined, Astrid committed to raising their son Connor on her own. She came to Caleb once ten years later asking for help, having just gotten out of an emotionally abusive relationship, and he was wise enough not to flake out a second time. Caleb offered her a place to stay in Deep River, but while he regretted his youthful mistake of abandoning her and their child, he was never able to fully set things right and acknowledge his son. Connor James grew up not knowing his father, even in the five years after he and Astrid moved to Deep River, and when the book opens Astrid is feeling more than a little guilty that her son will never have the chance to know him.

Damon walks straight into this messy family drama, but amazingly, is able to navigate the waters with ease, and without alerting the town to the relationship between Caleb West and Connor James. He first approaches Astrid directly, telling her he wanted to check in and lays out clearly the fact that Caleb left Damon a letter in his will in which he asked his friend to watch out for Connor. Astrid is wary of Damon's charming demeanor, but appreciates his honesty. She tells him that Connor doesn't know anything about his father, and assures Damon that she can take care of her son, so he is clear to move back to LA.

Damon, however, isn't so sure. He's noticed Connor following him around town and has a sense the teen wants to talk to him. Although Damon is pressed to get to LA, where his mother is struggling with early-onset dementia and needs help from a familiar face, he takes the time to pull Connor aside (with Astrid's permission). When Connor reluctantly lets slip that he knows Caleb was his dad, also via a letter mailed upon Caleb's death, Damon decides to stay in town an extra few days in case Connor wants to talk more.

In the midst of all of this, Damon and Astrid are also setting off sparks and trying to find a way to explore those sparks without making an issue of it. Neither of them is ready for a real relationship, but yet they continue to challenge and be drawn to each other. Eventually the pair decide to have a quick fling while Damon stays in town, but even as they say that, it's obvious something deeper is starting. Luckily, they're smart enough to acknowledge something special is going on, even as it doesn't change Damon's plans to leave.

I was very impressed by Damon's emotional intelligence. He never comes across as too-good-to-be-true; on the contrary, he has some blind spots in terms of his own mental/emotional health. But Damon's experience as the only child of a single mom makes it easy for him to understand Connor, and the fact that he was a teen father himself before losing his child to cancer gives him insight into Astrid's feelings as a parent. Just by calmly being himself, Damon is able to provide the peace and support both Connor and Astrid need at a difficult time. While I truly liked all of the characters, Damon's perfect balance of flawed and insightful stole the show.

I wish there was a grade to give between B+ and A-, because that's where Deep River Promise falls for me. There's such great development of both the romance and the family drama plots, it was an A all the way… until it couldn't stick the landing. Damon's short stay in Deep River is regularly discussed; he's only there for about a week, and in the first few days he doesn't even speak to Astrid. The romance rings true, even on the short timeline, but when Damon moves to tie everything up and reach his happily-ever-after, it feels rushed. It's obvious he and Astrid belong together, but I think a Happy For Now ending would have better suited the characters and the pace of the story.

Apart from that complaint, though, I don't have any negative things to say about Deep River Promise, so I will err on the side of optimism and call this book a DIK. It's a strong addition to the Alaska Homecoming series, and sure to be enjoyed by readers both new to and familiar with Ashenden's work. I know I for one will be re-reading this book!

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Jackie treats us to beautifully written story about family, friendship and love. A young boy becoming a man, a woman disappointed and let down, a man hurting and lost, find they can heal together as a family. If they open themselves to the possibility. Heart warming and entertaining beyond words, this one will go on your keep shelf.

4.5 stars.
“Deep River Promise”, by Jackie Ashenden (Sourcebooks Casablanca), is a fabulous, well written story about second chances, with wonderful multidimensional characters.
Damon is protective and tender, kind and decent; he has some alpha tendencies but not over the top, he just balances the right amount of virility, confidence, wittiness and smartness with a surprisingly gentleness and sensitivity (he’s amazing dealing with teenage Connor or the town residents and issues). The loneliness he hides is heartbreaking.
The emotional trauma and heartbreak he hides makes him such a complex hero, all that altruism and easy-going demeanor masking a void and an incommensurable bleakness.
Astrid is a strong woman with some vulnerabilities and lots of baggage. I loved watching her perform her duties as mayor.
I liked how the author wrote the palpable chemistry and desire between the main characters; it’s an instant attraction very convincing. The story is an exciting read about finding love when you’re not looking and certainly not expecting it at all.
I loved how they acknowledged, faced and tried to overcome their emotional baggage and their individual journeys towards overcoming past traumas.
The secondary characters add a lot to the story – Connor would be a fantastic adult hero - and the setting is full of charm and magic.

I am a fan of this author and usually read anything she writes. This was a good story that built on her previous book. Characters are relatable and the Alaskan location was, for me, unique.

Having loved the first book in this series, I was excited to read Damon and Astrid’s story. It’s a very satisfying, deeply emotional and at times profound story. Damon and Astrid have both suffered heartache and loss and are afraid to trust each other. Their chemistry just jumps off the page and there is almost an inevitability in the way they are drawn to one another. The underlying message, about the nature of love, is really quite beautiful and I found myself going back to reread and think about several passages. Although this book made me cry at times, at heart it’s a very uplifting book that leaves you feeling a little better about the world and your place within it.

I needed a couple tissues reading, Deep River Promise. I like the small town romance book.
It doesn't seem that Damon knows what he needs. He knows what he wants. He just had to get the two on the same page.