An intriguing story set during the Gilded Age, A Lady's Promise is a historical romance with plenty of heart-wrenching scenes. It featured an engaging cast of characters, and a sweet romance, though once again, not without its heartbreaking moments. A quick read for those looking for a historical romance with a sweet plot.

This was my first book from Ranee S. Clark, but it won't be my last. I thought it was sweet, fun, and very well-written. Consider me a fan!

A Lady's Promise by Raneé S. Clark is a sweet historical romance that I was so excited to read. It had everyone you would want in a regency era fiction.

A Lady's Promise by Raneé S. Clark got my attention because of this beautiful book cover.
Then I read the blurb and just HAD to read it! 😉

Isabella De Vries is in need of a husband this season... and good thing that there's the old family friend Preston Baxter.
He's really sick and helping Isabella could be the solution for his problems.
But does Isabella really agree to his propositions? And what kind of plans does Preston's brother, Prince, have?

So, at first I thought this story would be a love triangle - but it's not. Everyone who don't like them? You can totally read this book!

A Lady's Promise put me in a really special kind of mood.
The whole story isn't a fast one and there aren't any ups and downs. Nothing too loud.
Yeah, I'd describe this love story as a quiet one. But this book isn't just about love. It's a story about family, loss and growth.
I really liked it.
I liked how Isabella cares for Preston and tries to bring the brothers back together.
And... how the relationship between her and Prince developed.
Can't tell you too much, but I liked the ending of this book.

Thanks to Covenant Communications and Raneé S. Clark for this ARC via NetGalley (Read Now category)
This is my honest review in my own words.

DNF at 50%

A proposed marriage of convenience, a terminal illness, a brother disinherited, and a young lady caught in the middle.

I think it's a case of "it's me, not you", but I decided to give up on this after reading half of the book and I still had no interest in finishing it. It's not poorly written, but it is very slow-moving and I wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle aspect. I wasn't even sure how I was <i>supposed</i> to be feeling about it, given the circumstances.

Maybe if I can get my hands on a physical copy, I might try finishing it, but for right now, it's a pass from me.

This is a mesmerizing journey through a world of social expectations, familial obligations, and the unpredictable nature of the heart. The delicate dance between the characters keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning pages to discover the fate of Isabella, Preston, and Prince. In the end, the novel delivers not only a captivating love story but also a poignant exploration of the human capacity for change and redemption.

Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Raneé S. Clark has written a sweet historical romance with her release of A Lady's Promise. I thought it was a good read and am giving it four stars.

This is a heartbreaking, yet heartwarming tale. Isabella is pretty much rescued from a horrible, loveless marriage by her friend, Preston. Sadly, it's not a love match, either, but it's at least a safe match. She knows going in to it, that it will not last, since Preston is sick and will die soon. She is wary of his younger brother, Prince, but only because Preston has warned her about him. As she gets to know Prince, though, she doesn't see what she was warned about. As Preston gets sicker, Isabella gets to know Prince much better, and forges a friendship with him.

This story was entertaining and was one that I didn't want to put down.

Oh I truly enjoyed this story! I just wasn’t sure how it would all work out and I love that in a book! Loved the characters and the whole dilemma!

Wonderful story to read - I recommend that you add to your list. Happy reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely

Isabella De Vries is a brilliantly clever orphaned heroine with a penchant for invention and philanthropy, and she soon finds herself engaged to her father’s protege Preston Baxter. Preston, however, has a contentious relationship with his half-brother Prince Baxter, and has an ulterior motive for marrying Isabella when he knows that he is dying -- he can keep his fortune out of Prince’s reckless hands. A Lady’s Promise follows Isabella and Preston’s engagement as his illness worsens, but Prince’s business and courtship endeavors continue to intersect with Isabella as his future sister-in-law and as someone with similar do-good instincts. Readers will find themselves immersed in the many family dynamics of this novel, from Isabella’s close De Vries extended family to the strange relationship between Prince, Preston, and Prince’s deceased mother and the new bonds between Isabella, Preston, and Prince. Clark’s characters are the center of the story, clearly, and the characters are multifaceted and complex individuals with unique qualities, quirks, and emotions. Much in the vein of The Gilded Age television show, A Lady’s Promise is a compelling piece of historical fiction set in late nineteenth century America with a fascinatingly complex cast of characters.

I thought this was a sweet romance. I liked how through the things Isabella and Prince went through they found themselves and were able to find things that bring lasting happiness. I liked how their romance begins with friendship and then as they help Preston and mourn his death it becomes more. I liked seeing the characters grow. I also thought it was a sweet story.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

I did enjoy this book.
I thought the plot was unique and interesting and I loved most of the characters. I did think Preston was kinda mean, but I guess I understand why.
I also thought it was not very likely that Prince (not my favorite name) would change his ways that quickly.
I did enjoy the book and I thought it was entertaining and it had a great ending!

Love transcends all in this beautifully written story. In A Lady’s Promise, Raneé S. Clark weaves an emotional drama of heartache and love that will linger on in your thoughts long after the story ends.

Isabella delights as a heroine in 1895 New York, with her unladylike interest in engineering and her desire to make the lives of those around her more comfortable. Her desire to comfort those she cares about is shown in her relationship with Preston, as she agrees to marry him in name only, during his final days. Though it is Preston’s brother Prince, who lives up to his name, that captures Isabella’s heart. Will they ever see their happily-ever-after? What will happen to Preston’s fortune? You will have to read this very intriguing heartfelt story to find out, and it is definitely going to be one that you will be glad you did.

Thank you Covenant Communications for allowing me to read an arc copy via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Wow! An amazing story of love, forgiveness, friendship, and so much more. Unique and inviting, you'll feel like part of the family as you follow the adventures of Isabella through love, loss, and life.

This was a first time read for me by this author and I enjoyed it very much. Historical romance is my genre of choice and I typically read Regency romances. I very rarely read anything in the Gilded Age era, but I am glad I picked this one up. At first glance, this seems like it may have a love triangle, but if you don't like that sort of story you will be glad to know that's not what this was. Isabella has had four unsuccessful Seasons and after becoming orphaned, all she wants is to find a husband and begin her life. Her good friend Preston believes they can mutually benefit from a marriage of convenience. Isabella would gain the protection of a husband. Preston is dying and he doesn't want his inheritance to go to the hands of his wastrel brother, Prince. By marrying Isabella, he can ensure that doesn't happen. But Prince gets suspicious and begins to charm Isabella to find out what is going on. He never expected, however, to fall in love with her. Their path to a happy ending is not easy and is blocked by challenges. Despite Prince's feelings towards his older brother, I really liked seeing Isabella's loyalty to Preston.
This was a very sweet, heartwarming, and enjoyable story and I was engrossed in the story from start to finish. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing their relationships evolve. A lovely story I am happy to have had the opportunity to read.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Isabella and Preston enter into an engagement of convenience so that at Preston’s death he can leave his fortune to her instead of his extravagant brother Prince. When his health takes a turn for the worse, Isabella tries to help Preston reconcile with his brother before it’s too late. This was a beautifully written story full of caring for others and finding your path.

I loved the time period of this book. Set in the gilded age in NYC, I was entranced to read on. Although I found some of it slow at time, I quite liked the subtle growing affection that happens between our main characters. Things took different turns than I might have expected, but I actually didn't mind that. It kept me going and on my toes, eager to find out how they get their HEA.
I quite enjoyed this book, and think many will enjoy it as well. With clean romance that anyone can read without blushing, this is a book for all.

I was captivated by the story and characters. While the cover made me expect something similar to Bridgerton, this book surprised me with its depth and excellent characterisation. Not that I dislike Bridgerton - but this book ended up ousting all my doubts. Probably one of the best historical fiction books I've read thus far!

A Lady’s Promise by Ranee S. Clark is a sweet love story in New York during the Gilded Age.
Isabella is in need of a husband. Preston, her long-time friend, offers to marry her in name only so she will be taken care of for life. The other piece to the story is that Preston is dying and does not have much time. Before he dies, he wants to see his estranged brother, Prince, mature and make wise choices. This story is full of understanding how past hurts impact relationships and that many times, there is more to the situation than originally thought or understood. Each character has a lot to learn about the past and moving on. Grief and forgiveness are explored. I was a little nervous about a love triangle involving brothers, but it is actually not like that. I enjoyed how all the relationships played out in the end.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.