The Promise ('Burg, #5)

by Kristen Ashley

[leelu92]

After The Will, I held my breath and really hoped that I would love The Promise. I...did not love The Promise and it pains to me to say that. I ADORED At Peace, in fact, it is one of my all time favorite books. In preparation for this book, I re read At Peace and Games of The Heart and I fell even more in love with Joe, Vi and his girls.

I have to say that when we met Frankie and Benny in At Peace, I was not chomping at the bit to get to know them better. But I felt like there was a lot of material to wade through as far as the rift between Frankie and the Bianchis. In this book, we get nothing as far as the 7 year rift. We get a couple of conversations about it and a lot of "thinking" about it.

KA is really great at writing these scenes where there is an argument or a big issue that needs to addressed...THE BIG CONFLICT. Motorcycle Man is full of them. Fiery, passionate and heated conflicts where shit gets resolved in some way (usually by some hot sex). I mean, this family treated her like shit for 7 years and she just lets them off the hook? REALLY? I wanted more from Frankie (I know she had issues in her childhood that I guess...caused her to just let shit like that slide) but I wanted the big meaningful conversations. Sure, Benny had to work to get Frankie in a way, by letting her work out her issues and helping her out with some family stuff and some work stuff. And that was it. Stuff. I was bored.

I LOVED seeing Joe and Vi and the girls and that may have been my favorite part of the whole book. SPOILER LUCAS STARK. Totally huge highlight for me. Even though he was not around for long...his appearance was a highlight for me. I really wanted Kiera and Jasper Layne details...like really.

Benny was a KA alpha in his own way, I guess. But he certainly seemed like any other male character she has written...lots of "Babe." And hey, I found the whole KA Alpha speak attractive a couple of years ago and now... I think I'm over it. I can go back and read Brock, Max, Tack, Mike, Joe, Luke and LOVE them. Maybe my tastes are changing? Don't get me wrong, The Promise is a well-written book. Maybe a little on the long side and a tad too much inner dialogue but it's a good book.

My thing is, I know she can write a different character. Take the Fantasyland and the Ghosts and Reincarnation series- those characters are all quite unique and do not sound the same. So...why are we getting the same guy over and over? And I know that many, many readers are perfectly happy with that kind of thing. Me? I'm kinda bored with it and I know she can give more and I hope we see it in Merry's book and in the Fantasyland book she is writing right now. I want to LOVE a new KA book.