Two unforgiving lovers reunite for the sake of their child in this fiery contemporary romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Surrender. Facing the unexpected consequences of a life-altering night of passion with a cowboy she met in a Jackson Hole bar, and with her life committed to protecting endangered species, Victoria Grayhawk does what she believes is the right thing. She hunts … believes is the right thing. She hunts down the cowboy, seeking his agreement that their baby should be adopted by a loving family.
Montana rancher Ryan Sullivan has no intention of giving away his own flesh and blood, and takes their son to raise himself. When Vick realizes what a horrible mistake she’s made, and wants back into their child’s life, Rye remains inflexible—because once trust is lost there are no second chances—until an attack by one of the grizzlies Vick has spent her life protecting changes everything and Rye learns that sometimes love can heal all wounds.
“A riveting story of love, passion, and forgiveness.”—Fresh Fiction
The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE
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Victoria Grayhawk did what she believed was the right thing in approaching Ryan Sullivan about giving their baby up for adoption. Ryan has no intentions of giving away his own flesh and blood and takes their son to raise himself and when Vick realizes her mistake, he remains inflexible. When tragedy strikes and Ryan’s brother is hospitalized, Vick steps in to help and Ryan learns that sometimes love can heal all wounds.
‘Sullivan’s Promise is an emotionally gripping read that explores life realities and gives Ryan and Vick a second chance to get things right. The characters are strong, captivating and lots of sizzling chemistry that makes their life difficult during while they are trying to navigate their life choices. Their romance is quite emotional and the story actually has multiple couples’ stories happening that really shows all of life’s ups and downs and has readers experiencing a whole range of emotions right along with the characters.
The plot is steady to fast paced and keeps the suspense of this happily ever building throughout the story which a kind of complex tangle of family, friends and enemies. The connections between all these people and what their HEA’s depend on really engages readers as they want to get to know all of the characters and the whole dynamic of these interconnected families with some unexpected twists happening along the way.
This was my first book by Joan Johnston. It was also the 12th book in the Bitter Creek series. Could this stand alone if you haven’t read any of the prior books? Well, yeah, but if you’re like me you’ll enjoy it more if you’ve read some of the others first. I feel like needed to know more about the other characters in order to fully enjoy it. That being said, it was still an engaging story.
Rye Sullivan and Vick Grayhawk had a one night stand years ago that resulted in pregnancy. Vick didn’t want the baby, so Rye had sole custody of their little boy. Later Vick realized how much she loved the baby, but was given very little time to spend with their child; she wanted that to change. Vick rented a cabin close to Rye’s family’s ranch so she could participate more in Cody’s life. When Rye’s brother was seriously mauled by a bear and was near death, Rye decided to have Vick move into his home since his mother was at the hospital and couldn’t be home to watch Cody. Could their long-ago attraction overcome their issues and bring them back together?
I enjoyed the romance between Rye and Vick. They both were not always likeable, being bitter about the past and worried about their futures. That just made everything seem more real. They had to learn to get over what previously happened and learn to trust again. I would have enjoyed the story more if they were the lone couple; however, the three (four?) other couples took away too much focus from the leads. The pacing of their romance faltered a bit because the storyline was often interrupted by the others’ stories. Still, I liked the book and was really rooting for Rye, Vick and Cody to have a much-deserved happy ending.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
There’s a lot goin’ on in this book! Sullivan’s Promise is a standalone however characters from previous books (like the families of the hero and heroine) show up and I always like to know who they are. There is always room for more about them but this story is about Victoria Grayhawk (Vick) and Ryan Sullivan.
I won’t even try to talk about the plot because it is finely woven around three families. (You’ll meet the third family when you start to read.) It did sorta make me chuckle because who could think up the interactions of all of these people? Ms. Johnston did a great job laying out the story and it answered some questions that I had from previous books. Again, not a deal breaker if you haven’t read the previous books in the series.
I didn’t ever think that Vick got the short end of the stick with Ryan and their son. I was firmly in Ryan’s camp, although it seemed that no one else was. Vick certainly changed a lot over the course of the story (and before) but still, I’m not one to automatically give a break to the heroine just because. IMHO, she needed to work for it. And she does.
Ryan’s family also has some blows dealt to them and Ryan is left to work things out by himself…until Victoria helps guide him. They make a good team, if both can get past their own hurts, dreams, and trauma.
I enjoyed this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. The opinions expressed, above, are honest and my own.
It is all about family. Ryan Sullivan is the oldest son and takes the care of the family ranch seriously. He was raised that either things were true or false. There were no shades of grey. Imagine when that world comes crashing down. Can he stay true to how he was raised or will he bend. Victoria Greyhawk had such a crazy childhood. Her family was involved in a feud with the Flynn’s. She didn’t have a mother to seek council from, so she made a mistake. Now she is trying to make amends. She will pay whatever price she has to, to keep her family together.
Sullivan’s Promise is the last book of “King’s Brats” In A Bitter Creek series. Victoria Grayhawk meets Ryan Sullivan at a bar one night, and it ends of with having a one-night stand. Vick(Lexie) leaves back to Wyoming the next morning before Rye wakes up. She ends up pregnant after their little encounter. Then feeling unworthy to keep the baby, Vick hunts Ryan down to get him to sign away his rights so they could give their child up for adoption. But of course, things don’t go as plan. I really enjoyed this book with its twists and turns. It kept me riveted. I have read Joan Johnston books before and have always loved them. This one I read out of order, but I will definitely go back to read the first one of “King’s Brats”.
Sullivan’s Promise by Joan Johnston is part of a series; however, it is the first I read. Though this is noted as a standalone, I do feel there was some backstory to some of the characters I did not have. Even so, I enjoyed reading Ryan Sullivan and Victoria (Vick) Grayhawk’s story. After a night of passion, Vick knows she does not want the child they conceive and believes adoption is the right choice. However, Ryan is having none of it. Now she wants a second chance, but is it too late? She fights to be the mom she wants to be, but seems to always be on the outside looking in. But when tragedy strikes, she gets a chance she never imagined ever having again. I truly enjoyed reading Sullivan’s Promise by Joan Johnston. It was a book about family and second chances that was emotional and heartwarming. I am excited to go back and read more of this series.
Happy reading!
When I started reading Sullivan’s Promise, I was under the impression that it could be construed as a stand-alone book. The blurb states that it can (look above). Having finished the book, I ‘ll say that you need to read the other books before reading this one. There were parts of the book where I was left wondering what the heck was going on or why do people feel that way. I do not like feeling like that, and it factored into my rating.
The plotline was alright. The author did a fantastic job of taking a sensitive subject and showing both sides to it. She was able to explain what Vick went through without taking away from why Ryan was so upset. She also was able to show both sides of conservation. She was able to show the fine lines that ranchers have to walk when it came to protecting their land. My issue with the plotline was that it seemed like the author had to stretch it if that makes sense.
I wasn’t a fan of Ryan. I did admire him for stepping up. It was everything after that I didn’t like. He had a black and white view of the world. He was also unbendable with his opinions of people and events. His treatment of Vick is a great example. I get that he was mad, but she proved over and over that she was a devoted mother. But he refused to bend for five freaking years. That drove me nuts whenever it came up. What drove me nuts was that he wasn’t going to ask his mother about why he had a different blood type than her and his father. Instead, he stewed in it and made up scenarios in his head. Realistic but drove me up a wall.
I did like Vick. Her reactions to finding out that she was pregnant were realistic. She wasn’t happy about being pregnant. When she gave birth, she left the baby with Ryan. But, after six months, she decided she wanted a relationship with her son and got stonewalled by Ryan. I am not going to defend her actions. What she did was wrong. But, she wanted to make it right. Everything she did from that point forward was above board and honest. So, Ryan’s treatment of her was ridiculous. She was more patient than I would have been.
The romance between Vick and Ryan seemed forced. The sex scenes didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t get past Ryan’s treatment of Vick for the first half of the book. What irked me was that when Vick decided to start dating, Ryan ruined it for her. I wanted to pull my hair out at that point.
The last half of the book confused the heck out of me. Instead of being about Ryan and Vick, it was about their extended families, which confused the heck out of me. Other than Ryan’s parentage, I couldn’t understand why the other people were in the book. There were tie ins towards the end, but there were a few chapters where I was going “Why is this in the book? What does this have to do with Vick and Ryan’s story?” I did appreciate those updates, but I haven’t read the other books. So it annoyed me too.
The end of Sullivan’s Promise was your typical romance novel ending. Ryan and Vick’s storyline was wrapped up. It ended like I thought it would of. I did enjoy the epilogue. I liked seeing where Ryan and Vick were a few years later.
Would I have enjoyed Sullivan’s Promise more if I had read the other books in the series. Absolutely. I would have gotten a better grasp of the family dynamics.
Sullivan’s Promise – A Bitter Creek Novel
by Joan Johnston
WOW!!! I’m never disappointed in Joan Johnston’s writing. I first started reading her historical romance which I ADORED! And let me tell you her contemporary are just as intriguing. I loved, loved Rye and Vick’s story this was a couple that was brimming with passion. They have a love hate relationship some trust issues and a connection. They also have a son together, at first Vick wasn’t ready for motherhood figured adoption the safest way. But more than one situation arises that has Rye and Vick in close proximity and the spark turns into an inferno. I don’t want to give anything away this was a GEM of a book. I believe it can be read as a stand alone but I think that the whole picture to be had would be if the series was read from the beginning. Which I’m going to be doing ASAP! I highly recommend this!
I recieved a complimentary copy from the author via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
The final book in the King’s Brat/ “Awful” Flynn boys series intertwines the feuding Grayhawk and Flynn families more, exposes secrets and gives second chances to several first loves to be rekindled. Must be read in order to really keep up, the characters have been skillfully developed throughout the series. Aside from tying all loose ends together, some in unexpected ways, there is a riveting hunt for a marauding grizzly bear. Ends with HEA for most, but not all.
I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher as part of the author’s Review Crew. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I enjoyed this story. There are really several romances going on through the story with the main one between Rye and Vick. Rye and Vick had shared one night of passion and then Vick disappeared. She shows up later to tell Rye that she is pregnant and that she will give up all rights to their child. But, Vick changes her mind and Rye doesn’t like it. He has to give her visitation, but he doesn’t have to like it. Over the last 5 years, Vick has demonstrated that she can be a good mother, but Rye isn’t giving her more visitation. After his brother is mauled by a bear, he needs Vick’s help and she is so happy to spend more time with Cody. As she also spends more time with Rye, he is thinking he might have been wrong about her. Rye’s mother has been harboring a secret for years and it is pretty devastating to Rye. Too much is happening and he needs Vick’s support. Can Vick trust his about face or will he turn on her again?
This book to be seemed to be a long wait to get it – thought I really did enjoy the return to the characters and the story itself was very good – the ups and downs in the long road to a final HEA!
THIS is a story – totally unexpected storyline and you aren’t sure who you like and who you despise. The author completely had my attention when the story began because she presented an opposite view of an unexpected pregnancy. A strong woman who had plans for her life, Victoria Grayhawk never planned that a one night stand would result in a baby. The best solution was to give it up for adoption so she did the right thing and contacted the father to sign the papers. She never expected him to want the baby and only months later, she realized that she wanted to be a part of her child’s life if even only for a few days a month.
Ryan Sullivan would never allow a child of his to be raised by anyone who doesn’t want the child. He won’t budge on the visitation until a family emergency forces him to ask for her help.
A compelling story with an intriguing storyline not always considered in the world of romance writing. The HEA will happen but it will keep you reading past your bedtime!
I was provided an ARC by the publisher for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was promised or received for the review.
Victoria Grayhawk had made the biggest mistake of her life when she gave almost complete custody of her son to his father, Ryan Sullivan. She regretted that mistake within six months and was glad that her lawyer had insisted on some limited visitation. Her son is now five years old and even though she has purchased a cabin near Rye’s ranch, the visitations are no longer enough for her. Vick works diligently with resources to protect bears and when Rye’s brother is attacked, she knows that the bear must be found and killed. Rye also wants the bear eliminated before someone else is attacked. His family situation has become so involved that Rye has asked Vick to move in to his home to care for their son. Can he ever completely forgive Vick and give them a chance to heal and become a family? Victoria’s sibling has become more involved in the ongoing feud between her father and her husband’s father. The entire Grayhawk and Flynn family have issues that need solving. Will the two families be able to finally put the feud to rest? This was a wonderful “mini wrap up” and update in some ways to the continuing characters of Ms. Johnston’s “Bitter Creek” series, but I have no doubt that we will be hearing more about these characters that we have grown to love. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
This is the first book by Joan Johnston I’ve read and it was awesome! Although there were three stories being told throughout the book, everything flowed perfectly. The main story, however, focused on Rye Sullivan and Vick (Victoria) Grayhawk. After a night of passion, Vick shows up at Rye’s doorstep a few months later declaring she’s pregnant with his child. When she tells him she wants to give the baby up for adoption he refuses and brings little Cody home. Six months later Vick shows up on Rye’s doorstep once again to face an unforgiving father to tell him she made a horrible mistake and wants to be a part of her son’s life. Both Rye and Vick had hard lessons to learn and forgiveness to give before coming around full circle. This story was heart wrenching, loving, and laugh out loud funny at times, and two adorable little boys I immediately fell in love with! I can’t wait to read more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc of this book to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sullivan’s Promise was the last book in this series. Even though it is a stand alone book I would highly recommend reading the other books in the series to get the full back story. Rye and Vick are the main characters even though her sisters are featured. Vick gave up custody of their child Cody to Rye and six months later regretted the decision and came back to start her monthly visits with him. That is the prologue. Fast forward six years and she has moved to Montana to be closer to Cody, though Rye insists she can only visit once a month. Rye’s brother is attacked and almost killed by a bear and while he is in the hospital Rye asks Vick to move into the house to help with Cody because his mother has decided to stay at the hospital with his brother. Rye realizes his feelings for Vick have never changed but they both have a lot to overcome in the trust department. If you have already read the other books in this series you will be happy and surprised how this book ends.
In this final entry in the King’s Brats series, we finally get Vick and Ryan’s story. Well actually you get their story plus a few other romances as well. This book is best read as part of the series simply because there are so many characters who are interwoven into this story that readers have become invested in their lives over the years. So this final book was a good wrap up/catch up for everyone in the family. However, even though Joan Johnston did a great job wrapping up this series, she also set up a perfect lead in, hopefully, for Ryan’s brother Mike to get his own story.
Loved this trip back to Bitter Creek and all the amazing charters there… was a page-turning read that had me hooked from beginning to end and I was so happy to be along for the journey. A very heartwarming and entertaining reading experience.
You’ll lose yourself in this epic western romance!
At the heart of it, this book tells the story of the slow-building romance of Ryan (Rye) and Victoria (Vick/Lexie) as they figure out co-parenting after a fruitful one-night-stand. But as the latest in a long series, this story also deals with the generations-old feud between the Flynn and the Grayhawk families, connecting to the current romance with the revelation of a shocking secret.
Lexie has spent years trying to convince Rye that she’s atoned for her youthful mistake, but it takes a near-tragedy to wake Rye up to the passion and chemistry that he’s always known was there. Rye is slow to trust, slow to risk his heart, slow to take any chances with his son’s future. But eventually he finds his heart melting when it comes to young Cody’s mother.
This is epic storytelling at its finest, showing us the personal growth of the characters with a surprising depth of emotion. The addition of the extended families on both sides – all three, really – drives home the emotional impact of how romance is, at its core, the vehicle for building families generation after generation and its importance cannot be overstated. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Sometimes an unexpected encounter can change your life. That is what happened when Victoria Grayhawk and Ryan Sullivan had a one night stand after they met at a bar. Little Cody was born 9 months later and Vick just did not know what to do. She goes to Ryan because she wants the baby to be adopted by a devoted family. But Ryan wants to keep his son and will not allow that to happen and hasn’t another thought for Vick.
But when later Vick realizes she wants to spend more time with Cody, he pushes her away and until one day he needs her. This is a story of finding out what is important and fighting for it. Of learning to give and take and that everybody deserves a second chance.
An emotional story that encases a lot of the characters from prevous books in this series. You will be drawn in quickly and enjoy every word! Another great addition to the Bitter Creek saga!!
As always Joan Johnston does an awesome job of telling a story. Rye and Vick have a complicated relationship but need to raise a child together. She weaves a tale that intertwines two families together closer than they knew they were before. There are many secrets to be revealed and family members to catch up with. The family drama is ever present as everyone tries to figure out their place in the dynamic. You will love the wide mix of people and places she takes you on this trip that ends happily.