This reads effortlessly and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It gave me all the feels and I really had to hold back my tears at one point, which attests to how good this book was because you really have to hit it right to get me to cry. I just loved this story

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

A first time author for me... now I need to go back and read ALL the books! Milo and Tessa broke me and put me back together, just to break me again!! They both have such heartbreaking history...can they overcome that to have a happy ending?? Highly recommend!

(3.5★)

Milo Hendricks, a single dad, and Tessa McDaniels, a third grade teacher, are the main characters of A.L. Jackson's small town romance Promise Me Always.

When I learned that Milo had been married and was STILL in love with this dead woman, I knew I was going to have a hard time connecting with this novel. Like, when Milo would bring her up or think about her all the time, how did you expect me to think he was going to be happy with Tessa? I basically felt awful for Tesa the entire time since it was clear that she genuinely loved him.

In contrast to Milo, who was constantly grumpy, the kids were absolutely adorable and amazing. Also, this novel did manage to surprise me toward the end, just as things were about to get really intriguing.

I will admit, though, that the epilogue could have been much better. Like it was just so vague and open-ended.

In all, A.L. promised angst and we received more than enough of it—especially with plenty of swoon-worthy moments!

*Thank you to Valentine PR & Literary Management and to the author, A.L. Jackson, for providing me with this e-arc

4.5 stars! Have a box of tissues handy as this book is full of angst! I shed more than a few tears in this one. Especially when Milo interacted with his kids. I had to knock off half a star as I am not a fan of timid women. Tessa always seemed to be tiptoeing around which became annoying for me. She did show her strength in the end when she stood by Milo. I haven’t read this author before but I’m interested to read about the other characters in this book.

Tessa and Milo's story was just epic, and after finishing it yesterday I am still recovering from it. Boy is this book a punch to the gut, it's powerful, heartbreaking, raw and absolutely devastating. As I was reading it I was thinking that it is no wonder I have read just about all of Ms Jackson's books her writing is pure brilliance in it's ability to drag you into a story with it's teeth, and keep shaking you up to the last page.

The love stories in the Redemption Hills series have all been dark and angsty but the passion between the main two characters just off the charts and Promise Me Always is much of the same but way way more. Milos seems like a big teddy bear, so kind and protective of the ones he loves but the horrible things that have happened to him in his life, the wrong choices he has made even for what he thought were the right reasons are way more than anyone should have to live with. It is amazing that this broken man is still standing! Tessa is the perfect person for him, on the surface she is light, flirty and amusing but underneath she lives in pain and darkness with the choice she had to make to save someone she loves. She is loyal to her friends and loves the people close to her deeply.

When these two meet their souls recognise each other and want to be together but it is going to be a battle all the way to find happiness. Falling in love with Milo was easy for Tessa she knows she has found a home for her heart with him. For Milo it was not so easy, he has so much muck and mire to wade through and he does not want to take Tessa with him, but his heart and soul cannot resist her as hard as he tries, she is his sunshine in the darkness of his life.

Their struggle to find happiness is a journey that touched me deeply. There is evil all around them
from Milo's past, his children's grandmother and Tessa's ex and their fight is bloody and painful but with the help of their friends and their own strength they finally find what they are both looking for.

Whew make sure you have tissues handy when you read this story. It is definitely one of Amy's best of all time totally unforgettable.

Tessa and milo!! The amount of love I have for these two is insurmountable. They served. I loved how we get to know about their past and everything that made them who they’re. And their chemistry was off the charts hot. Undoubtedly it was the highlight of my month.

Promise Me Always by A.L. Jackson is book 4 in the Redemption Hill Series. This is the story of Milo Hendricks and Tessa McDaniels. I have read (and Loved!) the previous books so that did add to my enjoyment of this one but I did think it could be a standalone book. Tessa is a teacher and works with and is friends with Eden (her story was the first book 'Give Me a Reason'). Tessa has know heartbreak and is the one that people seem to gravitate to since she works to have a sunshine attitude but she knows pain. Milo feels that he doesn't deserve love and in my opinion pushes people away. But this book brings their story to light. I really enjoyed it and love the series!

Tessa McDaniels was introduced as Eden’s quirky but loving friend in Give Me a Reason. She became more prominent of a character as the series continued, until it was obvious she needed her own book. Tessa is a woman that is holding out for her “Ace”. Due to the situation she finds herself in after her brother is injured, Tessa doesn’t think she will ever find her Ace.

Milo Hendricks is a bouncer at Absolution. The head tough guy. But the head tough guy wasn’t really a tough guy at all. He’s a softie. Hard on the outside & gooey on the inside. It made for quite the contradiction. All Milo wants in his life is to get his kids back from their grandparents. After his wife died, Milo was certain that he had (and lost) his chance at happiness. Then he meets Tessa & all his thoughts go up in smoke.

After Tessa finds herself in an unimaginable situation, Milo is there to help her pick up the pieces. He is there for her when she feels like she has no one else. Even her gang of girlfriends and their families aren’t enough to make her less alone. Then Milo comes in & saves the day. The least she can do is help him get it kids back. Right? Because it’s a great idea to lie to everyone you love. I did have a hard time with that even though I understood.

This was definitely a friends-to-lovers book. It was so nice to see Milo & Tessa’s friendship grow into more. I loved both these characters. Milo was everything a tortured alpha hero should be. Tessa was a combination of sweet and spunky. They just fit. They fit from the very first page they came together.

It took me five long days to finish this book. ALJ generally tends to write angsty novels, but this one took angsty to a whole other level. Like I was feeling anxiety when I was reading this book. I felt relief when it was over because I just couldn’t take it anymore. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good book. It was a great book. It was just a lot. A lot of blame, self-hatred, grief, and love. It really did have everything that I usually love when I a read an ALJ.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.

5/5⭐️
3/5🔥


MF/dual POV/HEA/single dad/fake fiancé/slow burn/underground fighting/murder/violence/physical abuse(not btwn MCs)

This is book #4 of the Redemption Hills Series. Each book follows a different set of characters and can be read as a stand-alone but to get the most of the story it is suggested to read the books in order.

Tessa is the happiest, most selfless person you’ll ever meet. Her current relationship is extremely toxic (we see bits and pieces of it throughout the other books) but her friends don’t understand why she’s still with him when they can see how much she dreads it anytime he’s around. When the final straw breaks and she leaves him, having nowhere to go, Milo offers for her to stay with him until she can get on her feet. Promising to keep her safe from any backlash from her break up. After all, that’s what friends are for. But Milo has a lot more going on than she ever knew.

Milo is a bouncer at the club Absolution. The first time he ever saw Tessa he knew he was in trouble, but he kept his distance and remained strictly friends. When he finds her sitting outside the club alone, he brings her to his house to stay. Milo has a lot of his life that’s been hidden, and having Tessa in his space has opened up his whole life to her. Not to mention how intuitive she is, seeming like she can see straight through him. When she offers to be his fake fiancé to help him get his kids back, he knows he should say no but nothing is more important than his kids. With a past like his, he can only hope that it remain exactly that, in the past and that he can keep everything he holds dear safe.

I loved this book so much. I may even say it’s my favorite of the series. Almost 500 pages and I feel like I blinked and it was over. I loved Tessa in book one but definitely had questions about her and her situation. Here we get all the answers. I loved Tessa’s strength and determination. She constantly put her heart on the line and continuously laid it all out even though she knew it could be detrimental. Then there’s Milo, and I just… I don’t even know where to start with him. My heart hurt so bad for him. His past was dark and grim. He lived with so much guilt and grief and loss, which left him feeling like he never deserved anything good, let alone to be loved. And that just made me want to love him more. I loved how Tessa was all in. She saw all parts of Milo and made it obvious she wouldn’t walk away from him. This was definitely a story that shows finding love in the lowest and darkest of places is possible. I really enjoyed seeing both Milo and Tessa get their happily ever after.

It was slow to get into for me but once you get into it, you’re in for one hell of a ride. You get snippet of the past little by little and you just want to know more. Add to it tension build up, chemistry and it will give you an explosion when everything comes together. Tessa felt like the rock of this story and Milo had such a great development and change throughout the story I fell in love with them both.

I went through so many emotions in a short lapse of time, I felt invested in the love story but also what previously happened. And I can’t skip over the spice, it was hot I could’ve burned myself. The best part for me was those plot twists, I literally gasped out loud and it was one after the other I couldn’t put it down. If you’ve never read anything by this author I am telling you, grab this series you will love it. 💙

If I had to describe this in 5 words I would use: Love, angst, spice, dedication, loyalty.

~3.5 stars~

The chemistry between Tessa and Milo was truly off the charts. Tessa was sweet, generous, and selfless. Milo was also an enjoyable character, despite his brooding nature, with his protectiveness over Tessa and close relationship with his mom—one of my favorite characters. However, I was a bit confused and annoyed by how obstinate Milo was in his denial of his deeper feelings for Tessa when they were obviously perfect for one another. His worries over betraying his previous wife and not being good enough for Tessa eventually grew tiresome. However, his relationship with his children was adorably heartwarming, and I loved their interactions with Tessa. They appeared to make a beautiful family.

There were numerous antagonists in this book, and both emotional and physical danger seemed to come at Tessa and Milo from every angle. This led to quite a few darker moments, and there was also an incredible amount of sadness. Even though Milo and Tessa were able to achieve a measure of happiness, in some ways, I felt it was bittersweet. I hoped for better for Tessa, in particular. Thankfully, she had a wonderful sisterhood with her best friend, which brought some lightness and warmth to the book.

Overall, this was an emotionally wrought and romantic tale. I recommend it to those who enjoy dramatic, intense stories.

*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*

A completely random meeting will open the door to a new acquaintance... Hidden sides are being revealed and hidden feelings slowly overwhelm both of them...
She, the good friend, will offer a solution to all his problems... A fake engagement, a bit of acting, and finally a caring father will be with your children again...

But when they become a little more lively in the roles of the betrothed, the line of friendship begins to fade, passion overwhelms reason, hands go into an embrace and mouths meet halfway...

But just one step away from happiness, the past strikes with its secrets and threatens to destroy everything... Will these two characters finally manage to find their happy ending?

An interesting and emotional story about second chances and unplanned relationships. Well-built characters, enough tension, and amazing chemistry are more than enough to draw you in.
But if all that is seasoned with cute and emotional elements, then you know for sure that you won't put this book down until the very end.

An excellent choice for all those who love a great romance...

Milo is our hero in every way. Loving Tessa from afar, he will not let her be harmed. And Tessa realizes she feels the same. With a pretend engagement for the benefit of both, they soon realize their attraction goes deeper. I loved how Tessa felt towards Milo’s children and was so protective of them. And Milo, while still struggling with his past, was overcoming it with Tessa’s help. With some plot twists, and drama, Amy has written another best seller

I’m sure not many will agree with me, but I had a hard time getting into this story. A hard time relating to the characters. Honestly, I don’t feel the story got good until around the 75% completed portion.
Tessa and Milo just seemed to annoy me. Sadly. I wanted to like her… and him…
Loved the kids!
Not the story for me.

Mad, Mad Love for Tessa and Milo. Like everything A.L. Jackson writes, she took me out at the knees for this one.
Promise Me Always by A.L. Jackson left me awestruck. Book 4 in the Redemption Hills series we finally get to devour Milo and Tessa in this single dad, fake fiancé romance. Jackson had me sucked in from the start – I a little bit of angst and all the sexual tension. The chemistry in this book is captivating. You fall in love with these characters instantly.
I was lucky enough to listen to the audio for this book and I was blown away. We all know that Samantha Brentmoor is a top babe for me – her performance in the book left me shook. I felt every single emotion she poured into Tessa. The power and pain she portrayed for us was by far a top performance from her.
And of course, what is there not to say about Connor Crais. Broody, burly single dad Milo just trying to keep himself afloat. Connor gave us all of Milos strength, his guilt and his determination to make sure everyone in his life is taken care of.
My heart was left in Redemption Hills – Every book was just so much better than the one before it.
Side note Juni and Gage are adorable and I love them. (Juni please don’t break his heart!)

“And whoever you are in the darkest places in here? Whatever you’ve done? Whatever you’re prepared to do? I’ll stand by him, too.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

I requested this book from NetGalley on a whim. I wasn’t sure it was for me, but I’m glad I picked it up.

Tessa is a very cutesy woman who has had a few life struggles, but mostly losses. She’s a teacher of younger kids, but this isn’t really brought up a ton in the book.

Milo has experienced a lot of trauma in his life. Losing his wife, his kids, his soul basically. He’s just looking to get through to the next day, while also keeping an eye on Tessa.

This book is filled with a whirlwind of emotion and I wasn’t prepared but enjoyed it.

My biggest gripes are the wording structure when people are speaking, it’s strange to sum it up. It’s also a very looooong book and a lot of back and forth between the FMC and MMC.

All in all it was a good book.

When I started reading the story of Milo and Tessa, I didn’t expect to be so involved in it. There is a whole atmosphere around them, which overwhelms us and makes us want them to find peace.
Those two are broken in their own way and they tries to protect themselves and move forward differently, without suspecting that they have been linked from the beginning.
A sad, beautiful and poignant story. I was conquered from beginning to end, not expecting to experience so many emotions during my reading.

I finished this standalone romance story in one sitting, and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm actually looking forward to reading the previous books in this series. I really don't want to give anything away because this is a story that I feel is worth reading if you enjoy romance books. I not only enjoyed the main characters Tessa and Milo, but I enjoyed almost all of the side characters. I loved Tessa and Milo together, but I also enjoyed the glimpses of Milo's past with his wife Autumn. I think that when it came to Paula, she just wanted to hurt Milo as much as she was hurting, and I believe she did what she did for selfish reasons. Tessa and Milo came up with a plan that would in my opinion benefit them both but Milo's past refuses to stay in the past and threats and revenge are at the forefront. This story was sweet and funny, with heartfelt moments, love, loss, forgiveness and suspense. The ending of this story left me feeling happy with a smile on my face. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Fake relationship and forced proximity? Sign me up. I haven't read the rest of the books in this series but I do like AL Jackson as an author, and this book did not disappoint. Tessa is a fierce female MC, and I loved Milo. I enjoyed the chemistry between them and I do want to go back and read the other books in this series.