Thursday, May 31, 2007

Promises Linger by Sarah McCarty

COPYRIGHT: 2004
PAGES: 349
SETTING: Historical - American West
TYPE: Straight Romance
SERIES: 1st book in the Promises series
SENSUALITY: Burning Hot (yes!)

REASON FOR READING:
KarenS reviewed Promises Prevail and loved it, but she recommended I start with the first in the series. I'm glad I did since most of the characters in the series are introduced here.

SUMMARY:
1868 Wyoming Territory

Elizabeth Coyote will do anything, anything at all, to save the ranch she loves, including marrying Asa MacIntyre, a broad shouldered, lean hipped silver eyed gunslinger with a ruthless reputation for getting the job done.

Asa dreams of a place of his own, a wife, and the respect that comes with both. Marrying Elizabeth may have started as a means to an end, but nothing in Asa's wildest dreams prepares him for the excitement of unleashing the carnal woman beneath his wife's prim and proper exterior.
THOUGHTS / OPINION:
This was my first book by Sarah McCarty and I was impressed. This book was just the ticket and pushed all my buttons (the good ones). I love westerns and well written erotic love scenes and the marriage of convenience storyline is one of my favorites. Although not perfect, it was a very enjoyable read.

Asa MacIntyre was a wonderful hero, sweet, funny, and very sexy. And very protective of Elizabeth. But Elizabeth was harder to warm up to. She was an independent strong character who knows what she wants and goes out and gets it, but on the other hand I found her rather humorless and prickly or maybe it was just that she was too serious. Asa loved to tease her, but most of the time she was clueless. Asa had a difficult childhood with a prostitute mother but he wasn't scarred by it and had a good sense of humor with a determination to live his dream of a wife and home. He wants a complete marriage but she want to maintain a cool distance. Elizabeth was raised by a brutal father and her skittishness is understandable but I still thought she was a bit annoying. Although their chemistry is hot, she takes quite a long time to admit that she loves him.

Asa and Elizabeth work together to save their ranch from foreclosure. Asa believes her old friend is trying to sabatoge the ranch but Elizabeth has a hard time believing it. The mystery around the sabatoge was just enough to keep the story moving along.

PL had a good plot, great character development, and some very erotic love scenes. The sex on horseback scene is worth the price of the book alone. Now gotta dig out Promises Keep from my TBR mountain. After that Promises Prevail.

GRADE: B+

7 comments:

Kristie (J) said...

I've started a couple of the Promises books and read Mac's Law. The problem I have with her and a few other erotic writers is a n a l sex is SUCH a turn off for me, I have a hard time getting past it. I've heard such good things about the Promises books I should give them another try.

ReneeW said...

Kristie: Hmmm, yeah, that can bother me sometimes too. But this time, not so much. I think there was only one such scene and it didn't stand out in my mind. I liked how this book was different than some erotic romances that have sex scene after sex scene strung together with no real plot. The plot here was interesting and I came to care about the characters.

Karen Scott said...

I'm glad you liked this one Renee! As for the anal scenes, well I have to confess, I don't remember them at all, but that may be because I have a habit of pretending they're not happening, and skip right over them.

Promises Prevail is still my fave, I think you'll like the heroine better. She's not the usual type of heroine that I like, but even I found her endearing.

ReneeW said...

Karen: Yes, I probably skipped over that scene and that's why it doesn't stand out in my mind. I like what you're saying about the heroine on PP. I'm looking forward to reading it. But gotta read PK first, since I'm sorta OCD about reading series in order.

CindyS said...

It's a good thing my local bookstores are having a sale this weekend!

I have stayed away from erotica because the stuff I have read is silly (Secrets Anth/Brava(I guess that would be romantica) but if you like McCarty then I'm willing to give her a try - doesn't sound like any threesomes are involved (I can't buy into a HEA with that cause I've never heard of one) and I'll skip the anal ;)

CindyS

Tara Marie said...

Ditto :D

I knew if I waited you'd review this one so I wouldn't have to.

I liked how this book was different than some erotic romances that have sex scene after sex scene strung together with no real plot.

I totally agree, this actually had a plot and followable storyline, rather nice for erotic romance.

ReneeW said...

Cindy: I think you will like McCarty... no three-ways, and you can skip over the anal stuff. Too much erotic romance out there is way too annoying and over the top stupid and sometimes creepy.

Tara: I wondered if you were waiting for me :) It was pretty good and I'm looking forward to the rest.

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