Jared Thomas has lived his whole life in the small mountain town of Coda, Colorado. He can't imagine living anywhere else. Unfortunately, the only ...
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May 10, 2011
Heather M.
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6 comments
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(8 people liked it)
May 23, 2010
Eyre
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Jared lives in the town where he grew up and runs the hardware store that he and his brother inherited from their father. He's instantly attracted to Matt, the new police officer in town, but Matt insists that he is straight. As the two build a strong friendship, Jared falls in love, and Matt has to come to terms with his feelings for the other man.
This is one of the best books I've read in a while. Sexton's has created characters with whom the reader cannot help but connect More...
This is one of the best books I've read in a while. Sexton's has created characters with whom the reader cannot help but connect More...
9 comments
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(13 people liked it)
Aug 26, 2011
Jen
rated it:
Jared is a man who has just about given up on love. There are no other gay men even close to his age in the small Colorado town of Coda, where he lives. But he can't imagine living anywhere else. He runs a family business with his brother and sister-in-law. His family is close and he loves his surroundings.
But when Matt walks into his shop for the first time, Jared's blood heats up. The two men hit it off quickly, becoming fast friends. Unfortunately, Matt is straight. But t More...
But when Matt walks into his shop for the first time, Jared's blood heats up. The two men hit it off quickly, becoming fast friends. Unfortunately, Matt is straight. But t More...
4 comments
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(5 people liked it)
May 17, 2011
DarienMoya
rated it:
^^PROMISING YOU A VERY GOOD READ!^^
4.5
I really enjoyed Promises, it was such a feel good story, and it’s a book for beginners to the M/M genre. It’s romantic and sweet without all the dick in ass, there is that but just not as crude as I just wrote it.
The book begins with Jared telling you how he meets his best friend and lover Matt. It’s definitely a gay for you story, with Matt being completely straight through out his life. Their relati More...
4.5
I really enjoyed Promises, it was such a feel good story, and it’s a book for beginners to the M/M genre. It’s romantic and sweet without all the dick in ass, there is that but just not as crude as I just wrote it.
The book begins with Jared telling you how he meets his best friend and lover Matt. It’s definitely a gay for you story, with Matt being completely straight through out his life. Their relati More...
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(5 people liked it)
Oct 27, 2010
Harper
rated it: 
Sweet romance, likable characters. The sex scenes were hot, but not overly graphic. Sexton has a good style and I thought she handled Matt’s fear and hesitation about coming out of the closet in a very realistic manner. Overall I enjoyed it and I plan on reading the rest of the books in the series. Also, I really like the cover for this one! I think it's pretty and represents the story well.
2 comments
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(6 people liked it)
Feb 19, 2011
Chris
rated it:
4.5 stars. Very good m/m romance about two guys, one gay and one not, in a small Colorado town who become close friends – this was all about letting your fears constrain your life and how good it can feel when you finally stop doing so. Recommended.
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(4 people liked it)
Aug 14, 2010
Tara
rated it:
I liked it.
Jared Thomas a gay man living in a small Colorado town has gotten pretty used to his life. He works with his brother and sister-in-law at the store that was left to them by their father, even though he has a teaching degree. He has pretty much given up on dating since his little town doesn't have any options... in short he is lonely, but he has gotten used to it. Matt Richards moved to town, he is a police officer, handsome, straight, and just as lonely as Jared. The s More...
Jared Thomas a gay man living in a small Colorado town has gotten pretty used to his life. He works with his brother and sister-in-law at the store that was left to them by their father, even though he has a teaching degree. He has pretty much given up on dating since his little town doesn't have any options... in short he is lonely, but he has gotten used to it. Matt Richards moved to town, he is a police officer, handsome, straight, and just as lonely as Jared. The s More...
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Aug 12, 2010
ElaineY
rated it:
1ST REVIEW January 21, 2010
I did comment that Matt's dallying with Cherie worried me somewhat as I don't like my protags to suffer that kind of emotional torture. Thankfully, Jared is a very generous, understanding man and wears unrequited love like it was his first Armani suit. Thankfully - again! - Matt, shackled to his closet, doesn't drag his ball-and-chain with him too long. Of course there are the inevitable mixed signals but they're what make these books fun for me. Provided the aut More...
I did comment that Matt's dallying with Cherie worried me somewhat as I don't like my protags to suffer that kind of emotional torture. Thankfully, Jared is a very generous, understanding man and wears unrequited love like it was his first Armani suit. Thankfully - again! - Matt, shackled to his closet, doesn't drag his ball-and-chain with him too long. Of course there are the inevitable mixed signals but they're what make these books fun for me. Provided the aut More...
8 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Feb 01, 2010
Kris
rated it:
Terrific character and relationship development, including a lovely building up of attraction - both sexual and emotional - between the two protags. It might also sound strange, but it was also good to get a story that lasted so long time wise - it takes place over a year. It made everything all the more believable and therefore engaging and enjoyable.
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(3 people liked it)
Feb 23, 2010
Apparently this is the classic “gay for you” story: best friend Jared falls for hunky cop Matt who for the love of the man, decided that being gay is not so bad after all… but it’s not so simple, and in the end, it’s quite the wrong description.
First of all, at the beginning of the story Matt is not in the picture and Jared is living like a monk in a small town in Colorado. It’s the town where he was born and where his family, mother, brother and a sister in law he loves dearly, sti More...
First of all, at the beginning of the story Matt is not in the picture and Jared is living like a monk in a small town in Colorado. It’s the town where he was born and where his family, mother, brother and a sister in law he loves dearly, sti More...
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 31, 2011
Bubbles.. Dane
rated it: 
I liked this story... very well written
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jan 04, 2011
Stacey Jo
rated it:
WOW! What a fabulous book! OMG! This one had it all and earned one of my stingy and closely held 5 star ratings. It was so true to life, with the dilemmas that one would face with coming out, dealing with being gay in a career that is not open or accepting of that lifestyle, dealing with life in a small town. There was a good bit of angst but it wasn't overdrawn. The supporting characters were very likeable, the main characters were very loveable. I've read Strawberries for Dessert so I loved ge
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Aug 24, 2011
Brei
rated it:
Promises by Marie Sexton is about an early 30’s man living in a small town named Coda Colorado, he is one of two gay men in town, the second being his old high school band teacher which is also 30 years older than him. Jared lives a life full of family and love, but doesn’t have anyone to share it with, and is dealing with a lack of a real physical relationship. Matt just moved to Coda and meets Jared, Matt has always pushed the feelings he’s had towards men down and not dealing with them, ins
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Jun 09, 2011
chanceofbooks
rated it:
This is one of the rare few books where five stars just isn't enough. Certain books stand out in my reading life as forever changing who I am as a reader and what I expect from books, what genres I read, and which authors I autobuy with rapid intensity. The rarest of the rare do all three--my first Suzanne Brockmann (The Unsung Hero), Julia Spencer Fleming (In the Bleak Midwinter), Julia Quinn (When He Was Wicked), Karen Marie Moning (Dark Fever), Lorelei James (Slow Ride) and now Marie Sexton.
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 15, 2011
Lesley
rated it:
This is a wonderful story of a budding romance between Jared, who is out, but afraid to make waves, and Matt, a deeply closeted policeman who eventually learns to come to terms with his attraction to men. As their relationship develops, both men confront their fears -- Jared learns that he can participate in the community and follow his dreams of becoming a schoolteachers, while Matt learns to confront his overbearing father, whose homophobia has kept him in the closet all these years.
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Nov 02, 2010
Jaele
rated it:
I just re-read this book so that I can read the sequels that have come out over this past year. I have to say that it was as enjoyable the second time around as it was the first.
Marie Sexton is a fantastic author who brings a richness to her characters and an almost lyrical tone to her plot/events. The story takes its time. The couple gets to know each other, feelings grow, mistakes are made, and the romance of it all is obvious. Anyone who may shy away from a more dramatic story More...
Marie Sexton is a fantastic author who brings a richness to her characters and an almost lyrical tone to her plot/events. The story takes its time. The couple gets to know each other, feelings grow, mistakes are made, and the romance of it all is obvious. Anyone who may shy away from a more dramatic story More...
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Aug 23, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
Actually, a 4 1/2 rating.
This isn't a gay-for-you story; in the author's words, it's an out-for-you tale, a sensitive evocation of the growth of love between two men and how each comes to terms with what living gay in a small Colorado community will mean for them.
Jared has accepted his sexual preferences and lives openly gay. His life, however, is painfully lonely--he has no real opportunity to form a relationship in a town where the only other gay is grandfather-aged, s More...
This isn't a gay-for-you story; in the author's words, it's an out-for-you tale, a sensitive evocation of the growth of love between two men and how each comes to terms with what living gay in a small Colorado community will mean for them.
Jared has accepted his sexual preferences and lives openly gay. His life, however, is painfully lonely--he has no real opportunity to form a relationship in a town where the only other gay is grandfather-aged, s More...
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(1 person liked it)
Apr 12, 2010
Ralph
rated it:
I can't even begin to describe this one so I'm "borrowing" Dreamspinner's summary…
Jared Thomas has lived his whole life in the small mountain town of Coda, Colorado. He can't imagine living anywhere else. Unfortunately, the only other gay man in town is twice his age and used to be his teacher, so Jared is resigned to spending his life alone.
Until Matt Richards walks into his life, that is. Matt has just been hired by the Coda Police Department, and he and Jared imme More...
Jared Thomas has lived his whole life in the small mountain town of Coda, Colorado. He can't imagine living anywhere else. Unfortunately, the only other gay man in town is twice his age and used to be his teacher, so Jared is resigned to spending his life alone.
Until Matt Richards walks into his life, that is. Matt has just been hired by the Coda Police Department, and he and Jared imme More...
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(2 people liked it)
Mar 12, 2010
Roxie
rated it:
This is definitely a read for those people that will watch a movie/tv show and pair all the male leads up together because it makes it more interesting; and this book kind of reads like that.
First of all, its in 1st person which doesn't bother me, but i know some people don't like it so there's your warning. It's a very cute read though, it's a bromance gone romance.
Things that annoyed me though;
- The death in the book, it was like no one cared, and i don't think the death nee More...
First of all, its in 1st person which doesn't bother me, but i know some people don't like it so there's your warning. It's a very cute read though, it's a bromance gone romance.
Things that annoyed me though;
- The death in the book, it was like no one cared, and i don't think the death nee More...
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(1 person liked it)
Feb 23, 2010
Elizabeth
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Jan 11, 2010
Betryal
rated it:
Michael's review pretty much nailed it on the head with his review about this story and frankly I couldn't agree with him more. Jared had more patients than I ever would have. Dealing with a closet case like Matt that's so deep with the door locked I wouldn't have had the patience for and after going back to Cherie several times to deny deny deny what he's really feeling I would have told him not to come back, but it's fiction and that's the way it goes and the way this story is written.
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 01, 2011
Shira
rated it:
This was a sweet and enjoyable read with a wonderful build up to some very sexy lovemaking. Well-written, good dialogue, and a gentle story that will make you smile. Part of an interrelated series of books, including: Strawberries for Dessert And don't you bet that I'll be reading them all (although they don't need to be read in order)!
<spoiler>
Jared still lives in the small town where he grew up and, in spite of his teaching degree, he continues to work at his family's s More...
<spoiler>
Jared still lives in the small town where he grew up and, in spite of his teaching degree, he continues to work at his family's s More...
Aug 27, 2011
Camilla ~ ♥ Team Qhuay!♥ ~
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Jun 12, 2011
Lily
rated it:
A wonderfully written 'friends to lovers' theme, interesting and well drawn characters and the emotional impact of falling in love in the 'fish bowl' atmosphere of a small town made this a highly entertaining story. I really liked the protags, the supporting casts is interesting and the fact that the relationship spanned about a year and wasn't rushed as often happens added to my enjoyment.
*Reread in order to read the entire Coda series. I enjoyed it as much the second time around.*
*Reread in order to read the entire Coda series. I enjoyed it as much the second time around.*
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Jan 25, 2012
♡KarLynP♡
rated it:
Wow, this one did NOT disappoint! I read very few m/m romances, but compared to the many m/f ones I’ve read, this was a WINNER.
Promises is told through Jared’s point of view as he meets and falls in love with Matt, a person he believes will never be more than just his great friend. We get a wonderful glimpse into the lives of two people who must come to terms with their own identities, desires and expectations before they can truly love and be happy. This story really grabbed me More...
Promises is told through Jared’s point of view as he meets and falls in love with Matt, a person he believes will never be more than just his great friend. We get a wonderful glimpse into the lives of two people who must come to terms with their own identities, desires and expectations before they can truly love and be happy. This story really grabbed me More...
11 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Jan 22, 2010
Kassa
rated it:
Promises is an engaging romance that features solid characters, good writing, and a tension filled relationship without overwhelming angst. The story is a classic friends turned lovers but instead of being a “gay for you. ” This allows both characters to develop a friendship first that is then the foundation for the men to explore their attraction. Their path isn’t always easy and outside factors affects the men as much as their own fears and issues. The best aspect of this story is that it felt
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(8 people liked it)
Jan 09, 2010
Michael
rated it:
Promises tells the story of two lonely people who have caused their own solitude. It’s not a totally stifling solitude; both the main characters are very active and socially healthy individual. It’s the type of loneliness that happens when people put up barriers in their own lives.
Both characters are in their own sort of closet. Matt is a classic closet case, placed there by pressures from family and society. He’s already been giving serious thought to where he is in his life and More...
Both characters are in their own sort of closet. Matt is a classic closet case, placed there by pressures from family and society. He’s already been giving serious thought to where he is in his life and More...
6 comments
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(13 people liked it)
Jul 11, 2011
Ronna
rated it:
3.5 stars rounded up.
This was a good, quick romance. Promises is about 2 men, one who is gay and one who didn't know he was gay, turning friendship into something more. The openly gay man is reserved, because while he knows he is gay, it's still not something he is 100% comfortable with outside of his inner circle. On the other hand, the seemingly straight man, once he has come to terms with the fact he is gay, has no problem letting everyone know it. There was a lot of heart and More...
This was a good, quick romance. Promises is about 2 men, one who is gay and one who didn't know he was gay, turning friendship into something more. The openly gay man is reserved, because while he knows he is gay, it's still not something he is 100% comfortable with outside of his inner circle. On the other hand, the seemingly straight man, once he has come to terms with the fact he is gay, has no problem letting everyone know it. There was a lot of heart and More...
Feb 01, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
Promises is a charming story about coming out, taking risks and falling in love. Loaded with much angst and bike riding, it was a very cool read.
Jared is out in his small town, but aware well aware that he is not always accepted as a part of his community. Initially it does not color his actions, but in the latter parts of the book it does provide a bone of contention between Matt and Jared as they try and make what they have together work. Matt has never been with another man in a l More...
Jared is out in his small town, but aware well aware that he is not always accepted as a part of his community. Initially it does not color his actions, but in the latter parts of the book it does provide a bone of contention between Matt and Jared as they try and make what they have together work. Matt has never been with another man in a l More...
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