Cybil Roe gave her heart away thirteen years ago only to have it wind up shattered. With painstaking determination, she has rebuilt her life into something to be proud of today. Yet all her future plans are upended when the only man she has ever loved returns to Echo Springs. Nor does it help that he seems bound and determined to draw her back into his life. Cybil vows to stay away from him, no … no matter what seeing him all the time does to her resolve.
Miles Keaton wiped the dust of his hometown off his shoes years ago, never expecting that life would lead him back to the place where he had begun. Coming home to Echo Springs, to Cybil, to start a new law practice and a new life is a risk he never thought he’d take. She hates him – with good reason. Years ago, he walked away when she needed him the most. But now is he back, and intends to argue the case of his life, one more important than any he has debated in a courtroom, because she is the one woman he cannot live without.
Can Miles convince Cybil to take a second chance on him, or will a secret she has kept all these years destroy any future they might have?
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I really enjoyed the first book in this series and couldn’t wait for the second. The author has been very lucky with her cover choices. They are always so cute. Makes you want to read the stories within. At least that’s how I got started on her.
I’m not always a fan of second chance romance because I feel like, been there done that, but sometimes they work. I think what helps this one is that they’ve both grown so much since they were together. The author does a great job of not rushing them back into a relationship.
It might have taken them a bit to get over their past but that’s what I liked about the story. People grow and change and sometimes it takes a while to learn new things about someone.
Cybil has great friends and family that help her figure out how she feels and will stand behind her whatever she choices. I liked their friendships.
I really also liked Miles too. He had his reasons for doing what he did and how he ended things with Cybil. I might now have totally agreed with them but understood his feels. I did like how even though he went on with his life he could never stop caring about her or forget her. She was his one and only.
This is a sweet romance with so many likable characters. I think you’ll really enjoy this fun town. I know I’m looking forward to more books in this series.
The Promise Kept by Maggie Mae Gallagher is book two in the Echo Springs series and it’s also a second chance romance, which happens to be my second favorite romance trope (after friends to lovers). So The Promise Kept has a lot going for it in my eyes.
Before I get into the romance, I want to talk about the relationship between Cybil, her sister, Tessa, and their friend, Abby… it was wonderful. I wish every woman had a group of friends like this. And the geek/nerd in me loved that Tessa is involved with comics and conventions. I’ll be looking forward to Tessa’s love story when it comes out. Miles with his guy friends was a great dynamic too. I felt like Gallagher really shone with these friendships.
And the dates that Cybil went on were great… funny and horrific at the same time. I wish more date scenarios would have been included and some of the repetition of not telling Miles about the promise she made as a teen, over 13 years ago, would have been taken away. Then I feel like the book would have been pretty perfect. The other reason why the promise was too much for me, besides the repetition, was when it did finally come out, people got angry, something happened, and then the book was over. For me, I would rather have had the fall out from the promise last longer, at least there would have been more reason for the repetition with Cybil trying to get back into Miles’ good graces.
And speaking of trying to get in good, all the things that Miles did to try and woo Cybil were wonderful. That’s what I want to read about in a romance book, all the sweet and funny things that happen between a couple.
Even with all the repetition, don’t let that keep you from reading The Promise Kept. There were a lot of great moments in the book along with the touching friendships, and some very steamy scenes!
This is my first time reading something by this author and it won’t be my last. It’s a charming and touching second chance romance. It’s the second book of the Echo Springs series. Cybil and Miles were together years ago and then he walked out of her life and broke her heart. He’s back in town now and wants to win her back, but Cybil is understandably hesitant to trust him. Despite their pain and hurt they are soulmates and their love for each other is beautiful. There were some interesting twists that kept me turning the pages and made for an intriguing story. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book two of the Echo Springs series and centres around two main characters, Cybil Roe and Miles Keaton. Cybil has finally starting to get what she wanted from life, having just opened up her own yoga studio in town a couple of months ago, but still works doing shifts at the local bar each week. It wasn’t what she thought she might be doing when she was in her final year of high school and couldn’t wait to get out of the small town as soon as she graduated. An accident changed everything for her back then and she was left to look after her younger sister. Miles was brought up in Echo Springs and left to go to college. He met someone during his first year of college, back in town, on the day of his father’s funeral, and they became very close, that summer. She broke up with him some months later, after events in her life changed dramatically and he always regrets not having stuck around to try and help her more.
Now he has his chance, as he takes over the office of the small law firm in town, when the owner retires and also buys out the rest of the building as part of the deal. He has three rented apartments on the top floor and a yoga studio on the floor above his office. He has had enough of working ninety hour weeks and burning himself out in a big law firm, and now his mother has retired, he wants to be closer to home. There is another important reason and that is the woman he has loved fro over thirteen years. He has never forgotten her and seeing her each time he came back to town has made his decision to return even easier. What he doesn’t know is that she made a promise to someone, back then, and still hasn’t broken it. She acts as if she hates him every time they pass each other, but he is the only man she has ever loved. She vows to keep clear of him and not let him back into her heart, but he is determined to give their relationship another go. She can’t, because of the promise she made all those years ago.
A story of a young couple who fell in love and something happened. Maybe they were too young to stick together at the time, but one of them was persuaded to follow a different path, so they’ll never know! He has to win her back and will do everything he can to get her back, even paying for a date with her in the local charity auction. They have sizzling chemistry together still, but one of them can’t commit to a future, when their past is still holding them back. A lovely love story of both young and more mature love, where distance and time haven’t dimmed their feelings for each other. Friends and family will have to help them realise that the past is the past and they need to live for the here and now! Lovely story and well told. It was a quick, easy read, as the characters kept you involved the whole way through. I really enjoyed it. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Had Potential Fell a Little Flat
The bones of this story are perfectly fine, but I thought the execution of the plot and the characters fell flat. The author had an angsty present storyline with a deep and twisty backstory—which I usually love—but parts of this simply jarred me because they didn’t seem to go with each other. At the very start of the book, the heroine is very forthright about her sensual interests and lack of real-world intimacy with varying explicit thoughts and mental discussion of her “girly bits.” That might have been okay once or twice, but I felt it got old pretty fast. The way she describes the hero when she first sees him again just seems so shallow, and I never like a heroine who is shallow. It seemed a very strange juxtaposition with the sad and at times heartbreaking story. Perhaps the author was trying to liven up a sad story, I think there are better ways to have done so. All in all, I found a book a little off-putting because of this.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Entertaining read. Good dialogue and situations to keep you turning to the next page. Great characters and story that keeps you hooked until the last page! Love small town romance! Good read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Heartwarming and emotional journey filled with intriguing and engaging charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists, memorable turns and a sweetly thrilling second chance at forever. Great reading!
I liked this story but it seemed longer than it needed to be. Cybil and Miles have a history and he wants to rekindle their relationship but she has a secret promise that she can’t share with him. Both characters are relatable and interesting. The story is interesting but there are some people whose exclusion would have made the book better. Not too much sex, especially in the beginning with a few light-hearted moments made this book an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
There are plenty of feels in this book as we learn of the story between Cybil and Miles, we slowly learn they were way more than just a fling but there are still secrets that need to come out. Cybil and Miles dance around each other a bit although Miles is determined to let Cybil know how he feels so between that and the banter between friends has plenty of laughs, head shaking, anger and heartache along with hope and happiness. There were a couple of times where I did skim read due to some pages not really being needed and wanting to get to the good stuff, however that doesn’t detract from the great read it is and I can’t wait for the next book!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cybil and Miles were together as teens but things ended badly. Years later they are once again in the same small town. This story has a lot of angsts in it. It ends HEA but the journey is kinda sad. If you like melancholy books this is written well.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Second chance for romance and a future bring a good tale in this second Echo Springs book. This was a new to me author and enjoyed her characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cybil needs a date. Desperately. There’s a man shortage in Echo Springs. But oh hell no – anyone but Miles. He just bought a law practice and building, and her yoga studio is on the second floor. They have history. Boy, do they have history! And he wants her back. It’s gonna be a long and bumpy road. Cybil made a promise years ago, and keeps it. Until it threatens her happiness with Miles. I read this book in one day, unable to put it down for a moment. After I was finished, I felt like my heart had been ripped out, stomped on, then pieced back together – need tissues for this one. Cybil and Miles’ past was so tough, but I never saw some of the twists in their story coming. But for every sad moment, there were happy times between these friends and their families.
Much like the first book, I love the quotes from Old Man Turner’s Journal. Each quote is just perfect for the chapter, and for life in general. My favorites…
“If you leave your past unresolved, be prepared to have it wallop you when you least expect it.”
“Life can rip holes in your heart, but don’t let that be a reason to love.”
“In the end, it’s the love we’ve forsaken, and the chances not taken that we regret.”
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The second book in the Echo Springs series a well written story that takes you through two different time periods thirteen years ago and the present time. A promise tore these two apart and Miles Keaton never knew what the love of his life Cybil Roe went through back then. This is their second chance with its twists and turns. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Emotional rollercoaster.
From the first page I was stuck to my chair. Putting down this book is very painful option.
The anxiety, the expectation and the promise. The love they have and never lost.
After thirteen years apart is time to face each other again.
Between this we have some laughter thrown to the mix.
Gus, the cat and Great Dane who thinks that he is a lapdog .
It’s a delightful romance with scorching heat. Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved this second chance romance with Cybil and Miles who were sweethearts when she was a high school senior and he a second year college student. They share one hot summer together which ended in a tragic way and they parted ways. Thirteen years later he moved back to Echo Springs to set up a law practice and buys the building the same building where Cybil has her yoga studio. As they continue to run into each other it is hard to deny the feelings they have for each other even when she tries to turn him away. This has some heartbreak but some really sweet moments and I love the characters. Hope the next book is Tessa and Jacob’s story.
There’s so much about this book you’ll love. The characters are wonderful, realistic and easy to like. The story line is captivating, heartwarming, well written and has surprises, twists and turns. The location in this story is described so well, you feel like you’re there and easily becomes the type of place you want to visit. A great romantic read you won’t want to miss out on so grab your copy today, open the cover and escape your everyday life for a bit.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Thirteen years of hating someone, only to have them move back into the area, is hard. The characters were fantastic and the locale was perfect. Love series that include bits and pieces of books behind and ahead, so it all blends. The hatred, then on talking terms, then… Good flow and nice surprises, while the backstories come out to deepen the scenario. Blessings do happen when you root for the underdog. Will definitely be reading more of this series shortly.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Promise Kept is the second book in the Echo Springs series, but could be read alone. Cybil and Miles have an intense and tragic past, but now Miles is back in Echo Springs, with his eyes and heart set on winning back Cybil into his life. She’s not as easy to win as he anticipated, so he needs to patiently win her trust and love again. But Cybil is keeping secrets. Will these secrets be enough to tear these soul mates apart again, forever?
I think one of my favorite parts of reading books written by Ms. Gallagher is how easily I can visualize everything that she writes. The emotions, I feel like I’m the one experiencing them. All of the details that she provides just paints a picture in my mind that makes me feel like I’m right there, BFFs with the main characters, living them as they do in the story! This book weaves a tale that sucked me in right from the very beginning! There’s secrets and so much longing between Cybil and Myles and you are dying to learn everything while being completely drawn to the romance that slowly starts to build and escalate. I loved having Old Man Turner’s journal back in this book, too! Cybil tries so hard to prove herself and is so lonely at times, but I loved her inner strength, her integrity, and her big heart. She had to make some really tough decisions, then and now, that effected more than just her. Myles is so determined, patient, and understanding, and I loved that he was able to adjust his plans and thinking to fit what Cybil needed. I loved them together. Their enemies vibe quickly turned to friendship and love and I never wanted to finish reading this book! This was such a fabulous addition to this series and I am looking forward to more!
This is Miles and Cybil’s story. A story of true, deep love ithat was almost lost years ago. One secret broke the relationship but not the love. Now Miles has returned home and Cybil does not want to see him. Too much water has gone under that bridge and it hurts just to know he’s in town much less to see him and have to talk to him. Unfortunately, her best friend is married to his best friend and more importantly Miles came home for Cybil. He needs to figure out how to fix whatever is going on in her head so they can have their love once more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. As I’ve said before, I always give honest reviews whether people appreciate them or not.
This is the second story of the Echo Springs series by Maggie Mae Gallagher. Hopefully you all have read the first book, The Fixer Upper, before you began this one. This story begins with Cybil Roe having a super hot dream when she’s actually being awakened by Gus, her sister’s cat. Cybil is a yoga instructor in Echo Springs. When she gets to work, her landlord tells her he’s sold the building, his law practice and is retiring. Who did he sell to? Miles Keaton! Talk about being thrown for a loop! Miles is Cybil’s ex from way back and she’s completely dismayed with the situation. Miles had been working as an attorney in Denver and decided he was tired of the hours, etc. He was also quietly hoping to have a chance to get back together with Cybil.
Cybil has been signed up for online dating site. She’s now desperate to find a man that might actually make her forget about Miles… Can I just say that her dating life through that site is horrible? Not only that, but she’s working tons of hours, not just at her business but at a local bar as well. Oh! I forgot to mention that this book is set in November, just before Thanksgiving and all the different holidays. That means snow storms in Colorado, celebrations with family and all the other things that come with that time of year. In case you were wondering, Abby and Nate from the Fixer Upper are featured somewhat in this story and we certainly see Cybil’s sister Tessa as well.
As with the first book, many chapters begin with a quote from Old Man Turner. We somewhat alternate with present day and then thirteen years before. This story is intense and emotional. Okay, it also has some very funny moments too, so don’t think this is a downer. As I’m certain Old Man Turner said something like this, second chances at love aren’t very easy or smooth. Cybil is a straight shooter so when the dating site men lied to her about their looks or ages she sure wasn’t going to just accept that. When she makes promises, she keeps them, even if they hurt her more than anything. Miles has no idea Cybil made some kind of promise that is keeping her from accepting him, but he’s willing to work for her. Yes, this is a HEA story, but Ms. Gallagher gives us the whole story, past and present. Wow! I loved the first story so much that I pre-ordered this one when it came up on Amazon. Totally worth it!