PROMISE ME TONIGHT – Sara Lindsey
Weston Family Series – Book 1
Signet Eclipse
ISBN: 978-0-451-22937-3
February 2010
Historical Romance

London, England - 1797

Isabella Weston usually gets what she wants, and she wants James Sheffield. She’s loved him for as long as she can remember, and now that it’s the evening of her come-out ball, she’s intent on making him see the light. Or at least he’ll see her as anything other than his best friend’s kid sister. But what Isabella doesn’t count on is the passion she’ll feel when he gives her her first kiss behind the closed library door. The fact that they could be caught in a compromising situation only furthers her excitement, but it also affirms her affections for James. She’s in love, and it’s not a puppy love, but that of a grown woman.

James Sheffield has long considered the Weston family as his own, and he knows that they’ll always welcome him with open arms. But if he gets caught ruining Isabella, they’ll certainly have his head on a platter. He cannot ignore the intense fervor Izzie kisses him with and it’s not long before he’s under her spell and unable to get her out of his mind.

James's work with an orphanage in Ireland provides him with an excuse to flee, but the death of his grandfather brings him back to England once more, where he’s read the terms of the will. He’ll inherit the title of Earl of Dunston, but the lands and wealth to go along with that will only be his if he marries. Once again, his odious grandfather has outwitted him but, then and there, James decides that his bloodline will end with him.

Izzie’s solution to marry him is perfect for her and a nightmare for James. Not only will he not marry her, but he takes himself off and joins the Royal Navy just to get away from her. But what he doesn’t tell Izzie is the reason why—his deep feelings for her both excite and terrify him, but if he gets her pregnant, he’s afraid that he’ll lose her in childbirth just as he lost his own mother. In fact, he’s literally had nightmares about it.

Izzie, thinking only that James is being stubborn, takes matters into her own hands and figures out the best solution. But will forcing his hand result in her fondest desire, or will it cause a rift in their relationship, one that she holds dear to her heart?

In PROMISE ME TONIGHT, Izzie always seems to have a solution, no matter how harebrained it sounds. She’s not afraid to go after what she wants, but this sets up one of my biggest pet peeves in romance fiction—marriage traps. Even on paper, it doesn’t sound good. For me, this showed Izzie in a less-than-savory light, that of the manipulative, peevish young miss who must get her own way. Granted, she does grow up throughout the rest of PROMISE ME TONIGHT, but it’s only because she really has no choice. And I’ll stop there before I toss out any spoilers.

That said, I did enjoy PROMISE ME TONIGHT because of the Weston family. One of Isabella’s sisters and her brother will more than likely be featured characters in further Weston novels (one as early as June), but what I’d love to see is a book about their parents, Lord and Lady Weston, who obviously were fortunate enough to have a strong marriage. I giggled more than once when Lady Weston imparted some of her wisdom to her daughter in dealing with men and the joys of marriage.

While it may sound like a mixed bag for me, I can recommend PROMISE ME TONIGHT. It is a promising start to a series that I know many readers will enjoy.

Amy Cunningham