What do you think?
Rate this book
Promise Me #1
Promise Me
When young widow Sarelle McGarran finds the vampire Danial Racklan unconscious and hurt in her woods, intuitive concern quickly becomes passionate love. Together Danial and Sar work to overcome their own past heartbreaks, their vastly different lifestyles, and Danial's relentless enemies. Yet Danial needs more; an Oath of forever. But can Sar give Danial his greatest desire?
233 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Tara Fox Hall
75 books451 followersTara Fox Hall’s writing credits include nonfiction, horror, suspense, erotica, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She also coauthored the essay “The Allure of the Serial Killer,” published in Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone: Being and Killing (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). Her first full-length action-adventure novel, Lash, published in April 2012. Her vampire series begins in June 2012, with the 1st novel Promise Me. Tara divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 4, 2012
Originally published at Reading Reality
The interesting thing about Tara Fox Hall's Promise Me series is that the story of Danial and Sar points out one of the underlying problems of a relationship between vampires and humans--the power is always unequal.
You know that old saying that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? Well, it's true. Think of Eric and Sookie if you need another example.
It's not that things start out badly, it's that these two people have very, very different expectations. Sar expects equality. And trust. Although it's terrific being swept off her feet, she knows that it won't necessarily last. She's a young widow because her husband died in a climbing accident. She knows all too well that life can change in an instant.
But Danial seems perfect. And perfectly overwhelming. Except that he's a vampire. He tells her exactly whatever she wants to hear in order to get what he wants. A lifelong pledge of loyalty from her. The length of her life, of course, not his.
The only problem is that her love for Danial is based on the lies he has told her, and not on the truth. Because he only tells her the truth when he has no choice.
The reader knows their relationship is doomed. The questions are how long it will take Sarelle to figure it out, and how badly Danial will react when she does. And just how deep a hole Sarelle will dig herself before she starts having to dig herself out.
Escape Rating B-: I was glad that this wasn't the typical vampire romance, although it started out that way. Danial seemed perfect to Sarelle, and she kept buying into it. Every time he did something that should have sent her running for the hills, she forgave him. Even worse, she got in deeper. She should have known better, and the warning signs were all there.
Of course, if she'd listened to her better self, there wouldn't be a story.
The interesting thing about Tara Fox Hall's Promise Me series is that the story of Danial and Sar points out one of the underlying problems of a relationship between vampires and humans--the power is always unequal.
You know that old saying that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? Well, it's true. Think of Eric and Sookie if you need another example.
It's not that things start out badly, it's that these two people have very, very different expectations. Sar expects equality. And trust. Although it's terrific being swept off her feet, she knows that it won't necessarily last. She's a young widow because her husband died in a climbing accident. She knows all too well that life can change in an instant.
But Danial seems perfect. And perfectly overwhelming. Except that he's a vampire. He tells her exactly whatever she wants to hear in order to get what he wants. A lifelong pledge of loyalty from her. The length of her life, of course, not his.
The only problem is that her love for Danial is based on the lies he has told her, and not on the truth. Because he only tells her the truth when he has no choice.
The reader knows their relationship is doomed. The questions are how long it will take Sarelle to figure it out, and how badly Danial will react when she does. And just how deep a hole Sarelle will dig herself before she starts having to dig herself out.
Escape Rating B-: I was glad that this wasn't the typical vampire romance, although it started out that way. Danial seemed perfect to Sarelle, and she kept buying into it. Every time he did something that should have sent her running for the hills, she forgave him. Even worse, she got in deeper. She should have known better, and the warning signs were all there.
Of course, if she'd listened to her better self, there wouldn't be a story.
January 22, 2018
I thought I was going to DNF this one, but then at 15% or so I could not stop reading. I don't really care for any of the characters so I am not sure what it was. I did not know whether I could trust Daniel or not. This is a love triangle, but written well.
I paid $.99 for this one and it was worth it.
The heroine is a widow who lives in the woods. She saves a vampire and from there the story begins.
I paid $.99 for this one and it was worth it.
The heroine is a widow who lives in the woods. She saves a vampire and from there the story begins.
Want to read
July 25, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (7/25/2020)! 🎁
August 26, 2015
Review of a Really BAD Vampire Book
“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. — Marcus Tullius Cicero
What must it be like, to be born in 1601, a destitute dirt farmer, desperately trying to feed a wife and child? Completely illiterate, superstitious, held under the thumb of the rich, little more than a slave. Then, to find oneself suddenly immortal, seen as a demon, unclean, a monster in god’s eyes and those of your family. To make connections, fall in love, only to see the object of your affections wither and die time after time. To exist the next 200 years in the same crushing poverty and ignorance, until the world begins to turn, and opportunity begins to appear. And four hundred seventy five years later, to exist in a world completely at odds with the one you knew for so long. A world of cars and planes and space exploration. A world where intelligent, educated women are not inclined to take any crap from the men who used to rule their worlds completely?
“With some bitterness, he wondered why he was fighting so hard to survive. His life had been pointless for the last half century. Modern books and novels talked about how fun it was being a creature of the night’ so romantic and glamorous. What a crock of s**t.”
Four hundred seventy five years. Only to wind up poisoned, sprawled on the side of an isolated quarry road, alone. Well, until Sarelle comes along, with her front end loader, and her two dogs, Ghost and Darkness, to load him up and carry him to her basement. Well, she thought he was just a human . . . until she saw his teeth the next morning. Hum. A real live vampire. Sar is a kind woman, the type of woman who rescues animals off the side of the road at her own peril. So, she feeds him. But she swears she won’t be like all the silly little girls out there. She is, after all, a grown woman, over thirty and a widow. She will feed him, give him a place to stay, then send this vampire, whose truck is loaded down with silenced handguns and sniper rifles, on his way. She won’t be some stupid fan girl, fainting and squealing at the thought of a sexy vampire.
Until she is.
Part way through the story began to lose coherence. From a good start, the author begins to throw in unnecessary plot points willy-nilly, as if she had lots of ideas she suddenly decided she wanted to explore. Humor disappears and histrionics ensue. There were flashes of story line that appeared, and then just as suddenly disappeared, like a shark flashing by under the surface of the water. It became somewhat of an overwrought mess of genre-specific tropes, with no real point at all. Contiguous to the breakdown of the story line, character personalities began to devolve, and distressing mannerisms and dissociative personality disorders began to appear where there were previously none. Sar goes from being a strong, capable woman, maybe not willing, but fully capable of blowing away an intruder with her own handgun, to a fluttery mess, standing around twisting her hands while her lover fights off a demon, intent on murdering them both, all the while said lover is screaming for her to run. “You might need me!” Yeah. Not so much, when all you can do is stand there and hop from foot to foot and whimper. Pft. Of course, in a lot of ways, Danial isn’t any better – just saying, “Watch out for other vampires at the party,” not, “If my brother the King of the Vampires demands to kiss you, turn him down because . . .” is just plain stupid. Secrets and lies. Lies and secrets. So, don’t get mad at her when you don’t give any real guidance, just vague generalities! Again, pft.
There are some really well-written parts, especially as we learn more about Danial’s history, from a poor peasant in rural Spain to well-off security company owner in modern day America. But the rest of the story broke down for me, for all the reasons listed above and more. I don’t normally read vampire novels, but the thought of a human woman who could stand up to the supernatural world and be strong was appealing – though the whiny, schizoid mess that began to appear two days later put paid to those expectations. It wound up being typical ‘sparkly vampire’ tropism. I checked into the others in the series, and the whole hysterical, overwrought mess turns into every bad romance novel stupid trope in the book. Bah. Not recommended. There are MUCH better series out there!
I received this book from ReadingAlley.com in exchange for a realistic review. All thoughts are my own. All thoughts are my own.
“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. — Marcus Tullius Cicero
What must it be like, to be born in 1601, a destitute dirt farmer, desperately trying to feed a wife and child? Completely illiterate, superstitious, held under the thumb of the rich, little more than a slave. Then, to find oneself suddenly immortal, seen as a demon, unclean, a monster in god’s eyes and those of your family. To make connections, fall in love, only to see the object of your affections wither and die time after time. To exist the next 200 years in the same crushing poverty and ignorance, until the world begins to turn, and opportunity begins to appear. And four hundred seventy five years later, to exist in a world completely at odds with the one you knew for so long. A world of cars and planes and space exploration. A world where intelligent, educated women are not inclined to take any crap from the men who used to rule their worlds completely?
“With some bitterness, he wondered why he was fighting so hard to survive. His life had been pointless for the last half century. Modern books and novels talked about how fun it was being a creature of the night’ so romantic and glamorous. What a crock of s**t.”
Four hundred seventy five years. Only to wind up poisoned, sprawled on the side of an isolated quarry road, alone. Well, until Sarelle comes along, with her front end loader, and her two dogs, Ghost and Darkness, to load him up and carry him to her basement. Well, she thought he was just a human . . . until she saw his teeth the next morning. Hum. A real live vampire. Sar is a kind woman, the type of woman who rescues animals off the side of the road at her own peril. So, she feeds him. But she swears she won’t be like all the silly little girls out there. She is, after all, a grown woman, over thirty and a widow. She will feed him, give him a place to stay, then send this vampire, whose truck is loaded down with silenced handguns and sniper rifles, on his way. She won’t be some stupid fan girl, fainting and squealing at the thought of a sexy vampire.
Until she is.
Part way through the story began to lose coherence. From a good start, the author begins to throw in unnecessary plot points willy-nilly, as if she had lots of ideas she suddenly decided she wanted to explore. Humor disappears and histrionics ensue. There were flashes of story line that appeared, and then just as suddenly disappeared, like a shark flashing by under the surface of the water. It became somewhat of an overwrought mess of genre-specific tropes, with no real point at all. Contiguous to the breakdown of the story line, character personalities began to devolve, and distressing mannerisms and dissociative personality disorders began to appear where there were previously none. Sar goes from being a strong, capable woman, maybe not willing, but fully capable of blowing away an intruder with her own handgun, to a fluttery mess, standing around twisting her hands while her lover fights off a demon, intent on murdering them both, all the while said lover is screaming for her to run. “You might need me!” Yeah. Not so much, when all you can do is stand there and hop from foot to foot and whimper. Pft. Of course, in a lot of ways, Danial isn’t any better – just saying, “Watch out for other vampires at the party,” not, “If my brother the King of the Vampires demands to kiss you, turn him down because . . .” is just plain stupid. Secrets and lies. Lies and secrets. So, don’t get mad at her when you don’t give any real guidance, just vague generalities! Again, pft.
There are some really well-written parts, especially as we learn more about Danial’s history, from a poor peasant in rural Spain to well-off security company owner in modern day America. But the rest of the story broke down for me, for all the reasons listed above and more. I don’t normally read vampire novels, but the thought of a human woman who could stand up to the supernatural world and be strong was appealing – though the whiny, schizoid mess that began to appear two days later put paid to those expectations. It wound up being typical ‘sparkly vampire’ tropism. I checked into the others in the series, and the whole hysterical, overwrought mess turns into every bad romance novel stupid trope in the book. Bah. Not recommended. There are MUCH better series out there!
I received this book from ReadingAlley.com in exchange for a realistic review. All thoughts are my own. All thoughts are my own.
August 14, 2012
Promise Me is a story full of romance, intrigue, mystery and lots of hot Vampires and Weres. Ms. Hall writes an appealing story that has something for everyone. This story had me hooked from the beginning and begging for more once it ended.
Sarelle is a young widow living by herself except for her precious pets. One night she spots something outside and it was an injured and dying Danial. When most women would run and call for help, Sarelle decides to rescue Danial herself. With quick thinking she is able to get him into her basement guestroom. When she cleans Danial up she notices that he is Vampire. This should scare Sar but thanks to Vampire movie popularity, which she is a fan of, she is not scared. Instead decides to feed him her blood. I think that this starts the creation of the bond that Sar and Danial latter form. Danial finally wakes up grateful for the help and drawn to the woman who risked her well-being to save him. He wants to pursue this attraction that they both seem to have but he also needs to track down the one who tried to kill him and protect Sar from that person. Sar's life changed from simple to complex the moment she dragged Danial into her basement. Now she has a Vampire lover in her bed and his Were body guards surrounding her house. It becomes too much when a enemy of Danial's holds Sar hostage and fills her head with a warped sense of truth. Sar wants to believe that Danial would never hurt her but the fact that the barely know each other is playing against them. Danial saves her but it is a hard road to save their relationship after all the things she heard and they had some truth to them. The journey has only just begun when Sar meets Devlin the Ruler of The States. He and Danial have a past and he has his sights set on Sar. Danial will do what he has to to protect Sar, even take on his own brother. Sar and Danial realize that there relationship is not perfect but they are meant to be with each other.
Theo is one of my favorite characters. He's a Cougar. He can be a bit annoying and at times you think that he hates Sar but you find out that all that brooding and harshness is because he fears that he will lose his role as BFF to Danial to Sar. I guess you could see how that would happen. He does spend an awful lot of time with Sar instead of Theo. I think that most of his insecurities come from the fact that he was alone in the wild for so long before Danial found him. Towards the end of the book I think Sar and Theo came to an understanding, when he had to save her from being kidnapped.
Devlin is one you love to hate. I know he comes off as the bad guy but anyone who know me knows I have a soft spot for the bad boys. I can't help it. I don't think Devlin is all bad. He and Danial have a complicated past. One that they try to keep hidden to protect Danial. Devlin's feelings toward Danial are because of a woman named Annabelle whom Danial stole away. I think that they are coming to terms with it, or I hope they do. I hope that Devlin is more of the books.
I liked how the author played on the fact that Vampires are so popular now. She wrote it where Sar really was not that scared to have one in her house. How many of us can say that we would not be a little excited to find a Vampire? It is kinda funny because in previous books when the female found out that the man was a Vampire or creature of the night she screamed and ran in the opposite direction. Now it seems that we squeal and run in their direction. :)
Overall I loved the book and author's telling of this story. It was easy to follow and well written. I can't wait for the next in the series to be released because I want to know what will happen next for Sar and Danial.
Sarelle is a young widow living by herself except for her precious pets. One night she spots something outside and it was an injured and dying Danial. When most women would run and call for help, Sarelle decides to rescue Danial herself. With quick thinking she is able to get him into her basement guestroom. When she cleans Danial up she notices that he is Vampire. This should scare Sar but thanks to Vampire movie popularity, which she is a fan of, she is not scared. Instead decides to feed him her blood. I think that this starts the creation of the bond that Sar and Danial latter form. Danial finally wakes up grateful for the help and drawn to the woman who risked her well-being to save him. He wants to pursue this attraction that they both seem to have but he also needs to track down the one who tried to kill him and protect Sar from that person. Sar's life changed from simple to complex the moment she dragged Danial into her basement. Now she has a Vampire lover in her bed and his Were body guards surrounding her house. It becomes too much when a enemy of Danial's holds Sar hostage and fills her head with a warped sense of truth. Sar wants to believe that Danial would never hurt her but the fact that the barely know each other is playing against them. Danial saves her but it is a hard road to save their relationship after all the things she heard and they had some truth to them. The journey has only just begun when Sar meets Devlin the Ruler of The States. He and Danial have a past and he has his sights set on Sar. Danial will do what he has to to protect Sar, even take on his own brother. Sar and Danial realize that there relationship is not perfect but they are meant to be with each other.
Theo is one of my favorite characters. He's a Cougar. He can be a bit annoying and at times you think that he hates Sar but you find out that all that brooding and harshness is because he fears that he will lose his role as BFF to Danial to Sar. I guess you could see how that would happen. He does spend an awful lot of time with Sar instead of Theo. I think that most of his insecurities come from the fact that he was alone in the wild for so long before Danial found him. Towards the end of the book I think Sar and Theo came to an understanding, when he had to save her from being kidnapped.
Devlin is one you love to hate. I know he comes off as the bad guy but anyone who know me knows I have a soft spot for the bad boys. I can't help it. I don't think Devlin is all bad. He and Danial have a complicated past. One that they try to keep hidden to protect Danial. Devlin's feelings toward Danial are because of a woman named Annabelle whom Danial stole away. I think that they are coming to terms with it, or I hope they do. I hope that Devlin is more of the books.
I liked how the author played on the fact that Vampires are so popular now. She wrote it where Sar really was not that scared to have one in her house. How many of us can say that we would not be a little excited to find a Vampire? It is kinda funny because in previous books when the female found out that the man was a Vampire or creature of the night she screamed and ran in the opposite direction. Now it seems that we squeal and run in their direction. :)
Overall I loved the book and author's telling of this story. It was easy to follow and well written. I can't wait for the next in the series to be released because I want to know what will happen next for Sar and Danial.
July 2, 2012
Hold onto your hats -- I’m about to gush.
I loved every minute of Promise Me; I could not put it down. Tara Fox Hall has such a gift for phrasing, dialogue, and character development -- every story I read from her imagination is a real treat. Promise Me is no exception.
Hall delivers a heady, involving mix of sizzle, action, romance, and pragmatism. Her writing is like a good bottle of wine, in which every sip changes ever so slightly after the cork is popped, opening and pleasing your palate with a subtle variation in body, flavour, and kick. And like a good bottle of wine, all I want is more.
Her characters are real, complex, human (even the supernatural ones), and I rooted for Sarelle (that woman has incredible lady-balls!) while Danial, Terian, and Theo were giving her a hard time. Sarelle reminds me a little of Snow White, actually: she ingratiates herself to Danial’s men by baking them pies, insists on doing chores instead of being taken care of, and is welcomed into a home of mostly men. My only wish is that Sarelle might have tried to look for bolt cutters in her well-equipped barn to try prying the collar -- excuse me, choker -- well, I’d better not say more to avoid spoilers!
The action scenes inPromise Me are clear and dynamic, and the love-making is simply beautiful, carrying me away with the language and imagery -- hot, but not unnecessarily graphic. It’s what a romance novel should be. Such detail is provided in the settings and sensory descriptions that it’s easy to tell what Hall loves in her own environment, both in home and outdoors.
I would love to see, one day, a catalogue of some sort outlining the creatures in the world of Promise Me, Lash, “Partners”, and “Night Music”. Hall has defined the boundaries of each were’s, vampire’s, and faery’s existence with logic and realism. She could be the next Spiderwick! I would also love to read a back story about Theo and Neoline. Hall is very good at fleshing out tragic love stories, showing how the hero moves on, damaged but alive, finding new purpose. It called me to pause and wonder how this story would work out...
And if a movie could ever be made of Promise Me, it would be amazing to sign Matthew McConaughey as Devlin...
I loved every minute of Promise Me; I could not put it down. Tara Fox Hall has such a gift for phrasing, dialogue, and character development -- every story I read from her imagination is a real treat. Promise Me is no exception.
Hall delivers a heady, involving mix of sizzle, action, romance, and pragmatism. Her writing is like a good bottle of wine, in which every sip changes ever so slightly after the cork is popped, opening and pleasing your palate with a subtle variation in body, flavour, and kick. And like a good bottle of wine, all I want is more.
Her characters are real, complex, human (even the supernatural ones), and I rooted for Sarelle (that woman has incredible lady-balls!) while Danial, Terian, and Theo were giving her a hard time. Sarelle reminds me a little of Snow White, actually: she ingratiates herself to Danial’s men by baking them pies, insists on doing chores instead of being taken care of, and is welcomed into a home of mostly men. My only wish is that Sarelle might have tried to look for bolt cutters in her well-equipped barn to try prying the collar -- excuse me, choker -- well, I’d better not say more to avoid spoilers!
The action scenes inPromise Me are clear and dynamic, and the love-making is simply beautiful, carrying me away with the language and imagery -- hot, but not unnecessarily graphic. It’s what a romance novel should be. Such detail is provided in the settings and sensory descriptions that it’s easy to tell what Hall loves in her own environment, both in home and outdoors.
I would love to see, one day, a catalogue of some sort outlining the creatures in the world of Promise Me, Lash, “Partners”, and “Night Music”. Hall has defined the boundaries of each were’s, vampire’s, and faery’s existence with logic and realism. She could be the next Spiderwick! I would also love to read a back story about Theo and Neoline. Hall is very good at fleshing out tragic love stories, showing how the hero moves on, damaged but alive, finding new purpose. It called me to pause and wonder how this story would work out...
And if a movie could ever be made of Promise Me, it would be amazing to sign Matthew McConaughey as Devlin...
June 30, 2013
Promise Me, the first book by Tara Fox Hall, in the series was excellent. It kept my attention and I hated to put it down when I had other things to do. I really loved this book and can’t wait to read the next books in the series.
Promise Me follows Sarelle McGarran when she meets Danial Racklan and falls in love with him. He is near death, she saves his life but becomes his blood donor and that is her first encounter with him He doesn’t tell her the truth about many things, including his past and when she finds out, she is tore between being mad and loving him. He puts her in danger but he has people guard her house including Theo, his best friend. Her house is taken over by a murder trying to get back at Danial for killing his brother. When the conflict, Danial proves his love for Sarelle. She feels guilty about making love to him since she’s only known him for a short time. He shares her feelings of love and puts spells on his shirt and collar he gives her. The collar means she is his Forever lover but she cannot take it off and doesn’t want to commit to forever. She is taken to his Halloween party to show her off and trouble ensues. Read more of this fascinating story to find out what happens next.
The book is a real attention grabber right from the beginning. Ms. Hall writes in such a manner that the book is relatable for the reader and is easy to read. The book is followed by four books in the series and the fourth book just came out. She has many books that are published by Melange Books. The book is excellent and I definitely would recommend it to others with a grade of A++. There isn’t a better book that I’ve read recently and I read a lot. The book was fantastic and awesome! Thanks Ms. Hall for a great read that was inspiring and makes me want to be a better Author.
Promise Me follows Sarelle McGarran when she meets Danial Racklan and falls in love with him. He is near death, she saves his life but becomes his blood donor and that is her first encounter with him He doesn’t tell her the truth about many things, including his past and when she finds out, she is tore between being mad and loving him. He puts her in danger but he has people guard her house including Theo, his best friend. Her house is taken over by a murder trying to get back at Danial for killing his brother. When the conflict, Danial proves his love for Sarelle. She feels guilty about making love to him since she’s only known him for a short time. He shares her feelings of love and puts spells on his shirt and collar he gives her. The collar means she is his Forever lover but she cannot take it off and doesn’t want to commit to forever. She is taken to his Halloween party to show her off and trouble ensues. Read more of this fascinating story to find out what happens next.
The book is a real attention grabber right from the beginning. Ms. Hall writes in such a manner that the book is relatable for the reader and is easy to read. The book is followed by four books in the series and the fourth book just came out. She has many books that are published by Melange Books. The book is excellent and I definitely would recommend it to others with a grade of A++. There isn’t a better book that I’ve read recently and I read a lot. The book was fantastic and awesome! Thanks Ms. Hall for a great read that was inspiring and makes me want to be a better Author.
June 7, 2012
Thrilling, Captivating and Utterly Dangerous
Danial, Tara Fox Hall's vampire hero, is every girl's dream lover. Despite being centuries old, he has never lost his human qualities, and Sarelle, recently widowed, is completely enthralled by his charms.
The story opens when Sarelle finds him, badly injured and at the point of death, lying near her house. She is unable to resist helping any wounded creature, so she hides him and nurses him back to life. But loving a vampire is not easy. Danial makes demands upon her that go far beyond those of a human lover. Living with him exposes her to enormous dangers. If she commits to him the rest of her life will be lived on a knife-edge. If she gives him her oath there is no going back. A vampire oath is forever.
This is a very exciting story. The pace never falters and the suspense holds right to the end. A difficult book to put down and one which has you thinking about it long after you finish reading it.
'Promise Me' is the best vampire novel I have ever read. I sincerely hope it is the first of a series because I am already addicted.
Danial, Tara Fox Hall's vampire hero, is every girl's dream lover. Despite being centuries old, he has never lost his human qualities, and Sarelle, recently widowed, is completely enthralled by his charms.
The story opens when Sarelle finds him, badly injured and at the point of death, lying near her house. She is unable to resist helping any wounded creature, so she hides him and nurses him back to life. But loving a vampire is not easy. Danial makes demands upon her that go far beyond those of a human lover. Living with him exposes her to enormous dangers. If she commits to him the rest of her life will be lived on a knife-edge. If she gives him her oath there is no going back. A vampire oath is forever.
This is a very exciting story. The pace never falters and the suspense holds right to the end. A difficult book to put down and one which has you thinking about it long after you finish reading it.
'Promise Me' is the best vampire novel I have ever read. I sincerely hope it is the first of a series because I am already addicted.
November 22, 2013
I wrote this book first, before all others. If you like vampires, I strongly recommend you give my vampire world a try.
Here is also a snippet from Night Owl Reviews' review of Promise Me (4 stars):
Firstly, this is a very engrossing story. The action is nonstop and there's really no good place to pause and put the book down. Danial and Sar's growing passion and romance is only part of the story, but a very steamy part of it. The evolving plot and fascinating secondary characters add quite a punch to the mixture. If paranormal romance is your thing, this would be a nice addition to your collection and the beginning of a complex and sexy series.
To see the complete review at NOR, click the below link:
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Re...
Here is also a snippet from Night Owl Reviews' review of Promise Me (4 stars):
Firstly, this is a very engrossing story. The action is nonstop and there's really no good place to pause and put the book down. Danial and Sar's growing passion and romance is only part of the story, but a very steamy part of it. The evolving plot and fascinating secondary characters add quite a punch to the mixture. If paranormal romance is your thing, this would be a nice addition to your collection and the beginning of a complex and sexy series.
To see the complete review at NOR, click the below link:
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Re...
July 6, 2012
I loved this book! The characters are so 3-dimensional and complex. And not just the main characters, but the side characters are engaging and have depth as well. Whenever a character is missing from the scene, you can’t wait until the next scene where you get to see them again. The story and the characters are slowly built up so you feel like you know them. The vampire and shifter lore are both very cool and different, as we slowly find out things about how things work in their world. I can’t wait to read more of this story!
July 8, 2012
Promise Me by Tara Fox Hall is a standout! An original take on the vampire/human romance genre with lots of killer characters thrown into the mix. I found Sar to be a captivating heroine and Danial equally charming. I love the fact that Sar has a backbone and she's willing to use it. I could definitely feel the heat between Sar and Danial. However, she has equally intriguing relationships with some of the other characters. I look forward to reading what happens next to these fiery characters!!
August 1, 2012
I loved this book. It's a vampire romance with a twist. It also has other supernatural creatures in it as well. The main character Sar is a down to earth woman that saves a vampire (unknowingly). I found the first person POV to be a great way to tell this story. The descriptions are great and the characters unique. I couldn't put this book down. I would recommend it.
June 25, 2012
looks amazing can't wait 2 read it also the guy is hot so major plus....
July 3, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. The characters have the ability to be real. I can't wait for the next book to be released.
October 29, 2012
Loved it!!! Anyone know if another book similar to this series??
August 2, 2012
As a fan of stories with strong female characters, I was pleasantly entertained by Promise Me. Tara Fox Hall delivers a significantly strong female protagonist, Sarelle (Sar), in a story that often runs the risk of coming off ridiculous. But Ms. Hall refused to allow Sar to become the traditional Victorian heroine in a typical vampire romance. She defined her protagonist as an independent woman with strong ideals and a gritty determination to face life after tragedy with a penchant for taking care of herself all on her own. Sar’s husband’s death hasn’t so much isolated her on their rural farm as it has given her the opportunity to reassess her life and get back to the basics, primarily around her pets. That is, until Danial, an enterprising vampire with dangerous business practices, comes into her life. After that, Sar experiences what appears to be the typical whirlwind romance with a creature of the night. There, the allusion that Promise Me will be another rehash of the expected storyline in vampire romances ends.
Sar not only questions her growing love for Danial, but doubts it. There’s no questioning that a practical woman in the same situation would have reservations about giving her heart over to an immortal being who feeds on the blood of others, and Sar has those qualms in spades. Her caution tempers her carelessness and makes her question her actions, even to the point where she challenges Danial on a routine basis about his life, his business, and his political ties to the vampire community. At the same time, being a simple woman in a menial blue-collar job, she is overwhelmed by Danial’s cosmopolitan lifestyle and is soon swept away by the glamour and opulence he offers.
Ms. Hall’s penchant for ending chapters with a cliffhanger is an engaging technique to tease readers into staying up late through the night. She keeps this story going with several threads of intrigue, including a threat against Danial’s life by a demon and a political conspiracy developing between Danial and a higher-ranking vampire ruler. Sar factors into all of these storylines, playing a significant part in their development. She shows her mettle in saving Danial’s life, although each event provides her with more clues about Danial’s more nefarious side.
Ms. Hall did a wonderful job establishing Sar as an independent woman, if not a borderline feminist without the annoying machismo. However, I found Sar’s concession to be “collared” by Danial to be a bit disappointing to her personality and somewhat out of character. Throughout the story, Sar exhibits a singular presence of identity and strength of individuality; however, she allows Danial to claim her solely as his own—and not in a romantic sense of monogamy. His idea of putting a pretty choker around Sar’s neck is to claim her so no other vampire may have her—or human either. In accepting this choker, she agrees to give herself solely to Danial, although the promise is not reciprocated. Danial proves arrogant and displays typical male snobbery with excuses of having to feed from other humans to stay alive, although he makes transparent excuses why those humans are always female and include a sexual connection. Unfortunately, although Sar has trouble with this, she goes along with it. I found this somewhat disconcerting for her character.
It was entertaining the way Ms. Hall transformed Sar from the country-bumpkin woman to a lady of means. As Sar allows herself to become integrated into Danial’s life, she acquires a more sophisticated sense of style and composure. Whether it was intentional or not, at this point, Sar wavers in her strength of conviction. She becomes more quizzical about Danial’s lifestyle, sometimes consenting to his questionable practices and lifestyles, while bunking other aspects of it. Her lead position in Danial’s “harem” brings her closer to Danial’s trusted bodyguard, Theo. A relationship develops between them, driving a wedge into Sar’s unequivocal love for Danial. This was one of the most pleasing aspects of the story, again, tearing it away from being the typical vampire romance. That Theo is not a vampire is only icing on the cake.
A drawback for the story is the overabundance of instructional or “lecture” style dialogue in the discussions that went on about Danial being a vampire. Ms. Hall endeavored to explain her vampire lore by using Danial telling Sar about it. However, these discussions bordered too much on the style of an interview that they detracted from the developing intimacy between Sar and Danial, especially at the infancy of their relationship. I would have liked to have seen a more subtle exposure involving time and practical application rather than such a concise discussion on matters regarding vampire physiology and practices.
Overall, Promise Me is worth the read for fans of the genre who are looking for a deviation of the typical “immortal giving up immortality for a mere human” storyline. It is refreshing to see honest human flaws in even the much-loved vampire monster women swoon over. Promise Me will give gushing women second thoughts about giving themselves over completely to a creature of the night.
Sar not only questions her growing love for Danial, but doubts it. There’s no questioning that a practical woman in the same situation would have reservations about giving her heart over to an immortal being who feeds on the blood of others, and Sar has those qualms in spades. Her caution tempers her carelessness and makes her question her actions, even to the point where she challenges Danial on a routine basis about his life, his business, and his political ties to the vampire community. At the same time, being a simple woman in a menial blue-collar job, she is overwhelmed by Danial’s cosmopolitan lifestyle and is soon swept away by the glamour and opulence he offers.
Ms. Hall’s penchant for ending chapters with a cliffhanger is an engaging technique to tease readers into staying up late through the night. She keeps this story going with several threads of intrigue, including a threat against Danial’s life by a demon and a political conspiracy developing between Danial and a higher-ranking vampire ruler. Sar factors into all of these storylines, playing a significant part in their development. She shows her mettle in saving Danial’s life, although each event provides her with more clues about Danial’s more nefarious side.
Ms. Hall did a wonderful job establishing Sar as an independent woman, if not a borderline feminist without the annoying machismo. However, I found Sar’s concession to be “collared” by Danial to be a bit disappointing to her personality and somewhat out of character. Throughout the story, Sar exhibits a singular presence of identity and strength of individuality; however, she allows Danial to claim her solely as his own—and not in a romantic sense of monogamy. His idea of putting a pretty choker around Sar’s neck is to claim her so no other vampire may have her—or human either. In accepting this choker, she agrees to give herself solely to Danial, although the promise is not reciprocated. Danial proves arrogant and displays typical male snobbery with excuses of having to feed from other humans to stay alive, although he makes transparent excuses why those humans are always female and include a sexual connection. Unfortunately, although Sar has trouble with this, she goes along with it. I found this somewhat disconcerting for her character.
It was entertaining the way Ms. Hall transformed Sar from the country-bumpkin woman to a lady of means. As Sar allows herself to become integrated into Danial’s life, she acquires a more sophisticated sense of style and composure. Whether it was intentional or not, at this point, Sar wavers in her strength of conviction. She becomes more quizzical about Danial’s lifestyle, sometimes consenting to his questionable practices and lifestyles, while bunking other aspects of it. Her lead position in Danial’s “harem” brings her closer to Danial’s trusted bodyguard, Theo. A relationship develops between them, driving a wedge into Sar’s unequivocal love for Danial. This was one of the most pleasing aspects of the story, again, tearing it away from being the typical vampire romance. That Theo is not a vampire is only icing on the cake.
A drawback for the story is the overabundance of instructional or “lecture” style dialogue in the discussions that went on about Danial being a vampire. Ms. Hall endeavored to explain her vampire lore by using Danial telling Sar about it. However, these discussions bordered too much on the style of an interview that they detracted from the developing intimacy between Sar and Danial, especially at the infancy of their relationship. I would have liked to have seen a more subtle exposure involving time and practical application rather than such a concise discussion on matters regarding vampire physiology and practices.
Overall, Promise Me is worth the read for fans of the genre who are looking for a deviation of the typical “immortal giving up immortality for a mere human” storyline. It is refreshing to see honest human flaws in even the much-loved vampire monster women swoon over. Promise Me will give gushing women second thoughts about giving themselves over completely to a creature of the night.
March 4, 2016
The dangers and benefits of rescuing a wounded vampire
3.75 stars
“Promise Me” by Tara Fox Hall is the first book in the ‘Promise Me’ series and follows widow Sarelle (Sar) McGarran as her life is changed when she elects to rescue an injured male one night. Discovering that Danial is a vampire is her introduction to a world that has were-animals, complicated rules, and rapidly multiplying mysteries, and she is constantly challenged to leave her safe boundaries and put her trust in the male who is an enigma in a violent and dangerous society. The question is whether she is putting her trust in the wrong person.
There are so many contributions to the paranormal genre that it becomes difficult to distinguish oneself from the masses but I feel that this author did a nice job of presenting unique elements that help this story stand out. The gradual revelation of Danial’s support system and the society that he is part of add nice twists to the story and provide threads that will (hopefully) be better delineated in future stories.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good connection with Sarelle, even though I was quite intrigued at first by her familiarity with firearms and heavy machinery and her atypical job…although I still am not sure whether she is hands-on or if it is primarily a secretarial position. The tragedy of her background is lightly touched upon at several points in the story but I don’t even know much about the event that made her a widow, save that it shouldn’t have happened.
The relationship that develops with Danial is uncomfortable for me, as the sacrifices seem one-sided and the stakes keep getting higher without concrete evidence of emotional reciprocity. The story is intriguing enough that I was anxious to keep reading, but I kept feeling disappointed that nothing was quite explained enough for me, so that I was still puzzled and wondering about various beings’ motivations.
I read this story because I was intrigued by the description for the third story in the series and there was a strong suggestion that one start from the beginning. At this point, I am going to take a breather and read a different genre while I decide whether I am in the mood for more dark, angsty, convoluted paranormal stories that are only briefly lightened by mundane tasks such as teaching were-foxes how to make pies or playing with mundane dogs and cats. I think this story has a lot of potential and will appeal to those who like darker paranormal stories with lots of angst and drama but one shouldn’t expect a light, airy happy-ever-after ending, at least not yet!
A copy of this book was provided to me from the author/publisher through Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 stars
“Promise Me” by Tara Fox Hall is the first book in the ‘Promise Me’ series and follows widow Sarelle (Sar) McGarran as her life is changed when she elects to rescue an injured male one night. Discovering that Danial is a vampire is her introduction to a world that has were-animals, complicated rules, and rapidly multiplying mysteries, and she is constantly challenged to leave her safe boundaries and put her trust in the male who is an enigma in a violent and dangerous society. The question is whether she is putting her trust in the wrong person.
There are so many contributions to the paranormal genre that it becomes difficult to distinguish oneself from the masses but I feel that this author did a nice job of presenting unique elements that help this story stand out. The gradual revelation of Danial’s support system and the society that he is part of add nice twists to the story and provide threads that will (hopefully) be better delineated in future stories.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good connection with Sarelle, even though I was quite intrigued at first by her familiarity with firearms and heavy machinery and her atypical job…although I still am not sure whether she is hands-on or if it is primarily a secretarial position. The tragedy of her background is lightly touched upon at several points in the story but I don’t even know much about the event that made her a widow, save that it shouldn’t have happened.
The relationship that develops with Danial is uncomfortable for me, as the sacrifices seem one-sided and the stakes keep getting higher without concrete evidence of emotional reciprocity. The story is intriguing enough that I was anxious to keep reading, but I kept feeling disappointed that nothing was quite explained enough for me, so that I was still puzzled and wondering about various beings’ motivations.
I read this story because I was intrigued by the description for the third story in the series and there was a strong suggestion that one start from the beginning. At this point, I am going to take a breather and read a different genre while I decide whether I am in the mood for more dark, angsty, convoluted paranormal stories that are only briefly lightened by mundane tasks such as teaching were-foxes how to make pies or playing with mundane dogs and cats. I think this story has a lot of potential and will appeal to those who like darker paranormal stories with lots of angst and drama but one shouldn’t expect a light, airy happy-ever-after ending, at least not yet!
A copy of this book was provided to me from the author/publisher through Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2012
If you want to see more of my reviews, check out my blog @ Moosubi Reviews!
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Rating Clarification: 4 / 5
After reading Lash , a weresnake novel by the same author that I may be referencing throughout the review, I prepared myself for another dark, gritty, and graphic book. To my relief (well, kind of), there wasn’t as much alcohol or violence in this book than in Lash. Nevertheless, I definitely enjoyed this novel!
One of the reasons why this novel was so different from what I expected is because of the change in the protagonist. While Lash’s protagonist was a male were-snake named Tryst, Promise Me’s heroine is a human woman named Sar who happened to save a vampire from death. However, Sar was no less brave or strong – she kicked butt! She showed everyone that no one should underestimate a woman – especially one that can shoot a gun and isn’t afraid to use it. Throughout the book, she stands up for herself as well as for others, and definitely wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. I admired her for her constant tenacity, as well as her openness about her emotions. She’s just overall a great character!
The side characters also added to the story. I especially loved Theo – it would be great to have an older brother or friend like him! His small banter with Sar was pretty entertaining, and the actions of what he would do to protect Sar or to support Danial demonstrated true loyalty. The small tidbits about other characters such as Cia or the rest of the werefoxes felt like it brought me closer to Sar, as well as her new life and family.
The plot however, is what is probably this book’s downfall. Although the characters were great, the plot probably dragged out and was fairly predictable. It wasn’t that bad per se – it’s just that it wasn’t as intricate as Hall’s characters were.
Overall, Promise Me is a pretty well written urban fantasy book, with a strong heroine supported by some amazing side characters. If you’re looking for a plot with twists and turns, or grittiness, I would suggest Lash instead – the plot is more engaging. However, if you value character development and are looking for an adult novel, this book would be for you.
(On a side note, if you’ve read Hall’s other novel Lash, you’ll see some re-occurrences of characters. Doesn’t the name “Danial” speak out to you?)
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Rating Clarification: 4 / 5
After reading Lash , a weresnake novel by the same author that I may be referencing throughout the review, I prepared myself for another dark, gritty, and graphic book. To my relief (well, kind of), there wasn’t as much alcohol or violence in this book than in Lash. Nevertheless, I definitely enjoyed this novel!
One of the reasons why this novel was so different from what I expected is because of the change in the protagonist. While Lash’s protagonist was a male were-snake named Tryst, Promise Me’s heroine is a human woman named Sar who happened to save a vampire from death. However, Sar was no less brave or strong – she kicked butt! She showed everyone that no one should underestimate a woman – especially one that can shoot a gun and isn’t afraid to use it. Throughout the book, she stands up for herself as well as for others, and definitely wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. I admired her for her constant tenacity, as well as her openness about her emotions. She’s just overall a great character!
The side characters also added to the story. I especially loved Theo – it would be great to have an older brother or friend like him! His small banter with Sar was pretty entertaining, and the actions of what he would do to protect Sar or to support Danial demonstrated true loyalty. The small tidbits about other characters such as Cia or the rest of the werefoxes felt like it brought me closer to Sar, as well as her new life and family.
The plot however, is what is probably this book’s downfall. Although the characters were great, the plot probably dragged out and was fairly predictable. It wasn’t that bad per se – it’s just that it wasn’t as intricate as Hall’s characters were.
Overall, Promise Me is a pretty well written urban fantasy book, with a strong heroine supported by some amazing side characters. If you’re looking for a plot with twists and turns, or grittiness, I would suggest Lash instead – the plot is more engaging. However, if you value character development and are looking for an adult novel, this book would be for you.
(On a side note, if you’ve read Hall’s other novel Lash, you’ll see some re-occurrences of characters. Doesn’t the name “Danial” speak out to you?)
March 25, 2013
2.5 stars - okay plus. Sar rescues dying vampire Danial, who tried to leave a ‘hook’ in Sar as a thank you gift but instead becomes intrigued by the woman whose dreams he can’t feed from and who see him more or less for himself and not for some agenda associated with having a vampire lover.
I had a hard time getting into Promise Me - I put it down three times until finally at about 50% I got more invested in the widowed Sar and the odd turn her life takes when her isolated life suddenly is populated by vampire Daniel and his supernatural minions (and enemies). However, I never really bought the romance between Sar and Danial. Initially, it just seemed so bloodless (no pun intended) - they just sort of ‘decide’ to have a relationship and actually that part of the story is pretty much 'talk' and not 'show.' Sar tells of conversations and such where they form a connection but dialog between Sar and Danial doesn't really convey that - so I think that might be why the relationship felt kind of sterile to me.
I did like that stuff keeps happening around Sar, and that sort of offsets the day to day minutia of Sar's life in the beginning, but I never felt like there was a real thrust to the whole story. One thing that struck me is that quite often there was some type of foreshadowing on the order of 'that was before tragedy stuck', and I’d expect someone to die or something tragic to happen and it never came (one of the foxes did get a broken neck, but that was easily fixed - I was expecting the fox girl to die since she finally got her guy through the power of pie:)
Even though there was less of them, I liked Theo –Daniel’s right hand man - and the demon guy better than Danial, I don't know if that is due to the fact that I am not wild about vamps, or that both of these other ‘men’ just had more in the way of real conversations with Sar. I did like Sar though - even though in reality, her way of dealing with strange supernatural men shows a lack of self preservation - I thought that the scene with the spider in the bathtub, really showed her nature.
Even though I ended up pretty lukewarm on the whole about Promise Me, I was sort of curious about what came next for Sar. So I did sample the next book, but I would have probably put the book on price drop watch since the next book is on the pricey side for an indie read, but a friend (the same one who gifted Promise Me to me) put a copy of Broken Promises in my path and I did read the next book which I liked much better than Promise Me.
This was a gift, in exchange for a review
I had a hard time getting into Promise Me - I put it down three times until finally at about 50% I got more invested in the widowed Sar and the odd turn her life takes when her isolated life suddenly is populated by vampire Daniel and his supernatural minions (and enemies). However, I never really bought the romance between Sar and Danial. Initially, it just seemed so bloodless (no pun intended) - they just sort of ‘decide’ to have a relationship and actually that part of the story is pretty much 'talk' and not 'show.' Sar tells of conversations and such where they form a connection but dialog between Sar and Danial doesn't really convey that - so I think that might be why the relationship felt kind of sterile to me.
I did like that stuff keeps happening around Sar, and that sort of offsets the day to day minutia of Sar's life in the beginning, but I never felt like there was a real thrust to the whole story. One thing that struck me is that quite often there was some type of foreshadowing on the order of 'that was before tragedy stuck', and I’d expect someone to die or something tragic to happen and it never came (one of the foxes did get a broken neck, but that was easily fixed - I was expecting the fox girl to die since she finally got her guy through the power of pie:)
Even though there was less of them, I liked Theo –Daniel’s right hand man - and the demon guy better than Danial, I don't know if that is due to the fact that I am not wild about vamps, or that both of these other ‘men’ just had more in the way of real conversations with Sar. I did like Sar though - even though in reality, her way of dealing with strange supernatural men shows a lack of self preservation - I thought that the scene with the spider in the bathtub, really showed her nature.
Even though I ended up pretty lukewarm on the whole about Promise Me, I was sort of curious about what came next for Sar. So I did sample the next book, but I would have probably put the book on price drop watch since the next book is on the pricey side for an indie read, but a friend (the same one who gifted Promise Me to me) put a copy of Broken Promises in my path and I did read the next book which I liked much better than Promise Me.
This was a gift, in exchange for a review
July 7, 2016
Sexy vampire, interesting world
Sar, a single woman looking for love, happens upon a sexy, unconscious man and decides to keep him safe and sheltered before a rainstorm. She soon realizes he might not be human and instead of running away, decides to help him by giving him what she thinks he needs… blood. When Danial finally heals enough to wake, the attraction between them is palpable.
From here the story strolls along while we learn a lot about Sar and her home life, including the fact that she’s adamant about taking good care of her dogs and cats. We also slowly learn more about who Danial is, little by little, and eventually also meet his friends.
There are a lot of good elements in ‘Promise Me’ by Tara Fox Hall. A sexy, almost 500 yr old vampire, were-animals that Sar eventually becomes friends and sometimes frenemies with, a crazy half demon, and other mayhem. All are interesting characters, and the bits and pieces we learn about how vampires and other creatures fit into the world makes things intriguing and keeps you guessing what’s going to happen next.
Overall though, I had trouble feeling the connection between Sar and Danial. It felt like they quickly jumped into a daily grind of a relationship full of off-and-on fights without much romance, or at least much that we got to see for ourselves for a lot of the book. I also wasn’t always sure what the main driving plot was, or what many of the character’s motivations were because it seemed like their moods changed without notice in order to provide tension to the story. Combined with some typos and a good amount of missing or incorrect punctuation, I’m only comfortable giving this story 2 stars.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Sar, a single woman looking for love, happens upon a sexy, unconscious man and decides to keep him safe and sheltered before a rainstorm. She soon realizes he might not be human and instead of running away, decides to help him by giving him what she thinks he needs… blood. When Danial finally heals enough to wake, the attraction between them is palpable.
From here the story strolls along while we learn a lot about Sar and her home life, including the fact that she’s adamant about taking good care of her dogs and cats. We also slowly learn more about who Danial is, little by little, and eventually also meet his friends.
There are a lot of good elements in ‘Promise Me’ by Tara Fox Hall. A sexy, almost 500 yr old vampire, were-animals that Sar eventually becomes friends and sometimes frenemies with, a crazy half demon, and other mayhem. All are interesting characters, and the bits and pieces we learn about how vampires and other creatures fit into the world makes things intriguing and keeps you guessing what’s going to happen next.
Overall though, I had trouble feeling the connection between Sar and Danial. It felt like they quickly jumped into a daily grind of a relationship full of off-and-on fights without much romance, or at least much that we got to see for ourselves for a lot of the book. I also wasn’t always sure what the main driving plot was, or what many of the character’s motivations were because it seemed like their moods changed without notice in order to provide tension to the story. Combined with some typos and a good amount of missing or incorrect punctuation, I’m only comfortable giving this story 2 stars.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2012
Promise Me by Tara Fox Hall is not your usual sort of paranormal romance. Apart from the prologue which is presented in the third person, the story is narrated by Sarelle McGarran, Sar for short, a young widow who lives alone with an assortment of dogs and cats. She is a strong woman, coping with her grief and getting on with her life in a resourceful way. Discovering a wounded vampire, Danial, nearby one evening, she takes him in and very matter-of-factly lets him feed off her to ensure he lives. The two are attracted to each other, and Sar is thus pulled into Danial’s world where he is threatened, so suddenly she is surrounded by werewolf guards (one of which, Theo, is a fascinating character) and meets the menacing Vampire Ruler of the United States, Devlin. But is taking the Oath of Forever with Danial a step too far even for this courageous heroine?
There are plenty of unanswered questions but this is the first of a series and so this technique ensures we’ll want to read the next book to improve our understanding of people and events. Thoughtful, steady Sar is what makes the book both unusual and very appealing. She takes finding a vampire calmly in her stride and generally copes with everything that’s thrown at her now that her simple life has suddenly become complicated in the extreme, however unpleasant it may be. But she’s not cold and readers can’t help but like and admire her. This is a cleverly thought out and well written book by an imaginative and talented author.
There are plenty of unanswered questions but this is the first of a series and so this technique ensures we’ll want to read the next book to improve our understanding of people and events. Thoughtful, steady Sar is what makes the book both unusual and very appealing. She takes finding a vampire calmly in her stride and generally copes with everything that’s thrown at her now that her simple life has suddenly become complicated in the extreme, however unpleasant it may be. But she’s not cold and readers can’t help but like and admire her. This is a cleverly thought out and well written book by an imaginative and talented author.
July 28, 2015
Twisted Tale
Promise Me is the first book in the Promise Me series by Tara Fox Hall.
This book is a twisted tale where you are not really sure who is good and who is bad. The beginning of the story leaves you wanting to know more. At the end of the first chapter, I was excited to see how this book would turn out. The author did a good job of drawing the reader in to her world. She did a great job of making it very realistic. The pace of the story was a bit slow at some points and fast is others. The main characters and the secondary characters were fascinating and enjoyable. I liked that Sarelle was a complicated character who lived by her own set of values and did not seem to deviate from them.
The point of view stayed with Sarelle all the way through the book. At times, I would have liked to see Danial’s point of view it might have made it easier to like him. The main conflict of the story is getting to know Danial and all the other creatures that Sarelle did not know existed until meeting him. The conflict kept the story moving. The level of conflict is perfect anymore and it would have detracted from the overall storyline. The dialogue between the characters was honest and unique. The characters voice matched not only the setting but fit their overall personality. The ending was a bit predictable but the story is interesting with all the secondary characters and the twists and turns. I hope we get to see these characters again in the future.
** Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Promise Me is the first book in the Promise Me series by Tara Fox Hall.
This book is a twisted tale where you are not really sure who is good and who is bad. The beginning of the story leaves you wanting to know more. At the end of the first chapter, I was excited to see how this book would turn out. The author did a good job of drawing the reader in to her world. She did a great job of making it very realistic. The pace of the story was a bit slow at some points and fast is others. The main characters and the secondary characters were fascinating and enjoyable. I liked that Sarelle was a complicated character who lived by her own set of values and did not seem to deviate from them.
The point of view stayed with Sarelle all the way through the book. At times, I would have liked to see Danial’s point of view it might have made it easier to like him. The main conflict of the story is getting to know Danial and all the other creatures that Sarelle did not know existed until meeting him. The conflict kept the story moving. The level of conflict is perfect anymore and it would have detracted from the overall storyline. The dialogue between the characters was honest and unique. The characters voice matched not only the setting but fit their overall personality. The ending was a bit predictable but the story is interesting with all the secondary characters and the twists and turns. I hope we get to see these characters again in the future.
** Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2015
Who can you really trust?
Sarelle (Sar) finds Daniel, a vampire, unconscious on her property and takes him into her house and saves Daniel from an attempt on his life by an unknown assailant. Despite Daniel’s controlling nature and unascertained past, Sar falls in love with him and all the entanglement that comes with being with a vampire. There are some side characters that are shape-shifters that are in play in this book. There is also a different type of character in the story that I thought was very creative on the part of the author.
Sar is a beautiful person, inside and out, with such a deep compassion towards all living things. One thing that really disappointed me is when the book starts off, Sar is a very strong independent woman who speaks her mind. Sar was always saying, “if you have something to say, say it!”, and towards the end of the book, she loses some of that.Yes, I understand that we all want to be loved and provided for but at what cost?
I am a big fan of True Blood, the Twilight Books, and I have read some other vampire books that I absolutely loved. But this one just felt like it was dragging on and was difficult to hold my attention.
This is the first book out of ten in the series, but after reading about the next books in the series, I may just have to read on as it sounds like the other books in the series are better. Right now without reading the other books in the series, I would give it 2.5 out of 4 fangs.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Sarelle (Sar) finds Daniel, a vampire, unconscious on her property and takes him into her house and saves Daniel from an attempt on his life by an unknown assailant. Despite Daniel’s controlling nature and unascertained past, Sar falls in love with him and all the entanglement that comes with being with a vampire. There are some side characters that are shape-shifters that are in play in this book. There is also a different type of character in the story that I thought was very creative on the part of the author.
Sar is a beautiful person, inside and out, with such a deep compassion towards all living things. One thing that really disappointed me is when the book starts off, Sar is a very strong independent woman who speaks her mind. Sar was always saying, “if you have something to say, say it!”, and towards the end of the book, she loses some of that.Yes, I understand that we all want to be loved and provided for but at what cost?
I am a big fan of True Blood, the Twilight Books, and I have read some other vampire books that I absolutely loved. But this one just felt like it was dragging on and was difficult to hold my attention.
This is the first book out of ten in the series, but after reading about the next books in the series, I may just have to read on as it sounds like the other books in the series are better. Right now without reading the other books in the series, I would give it 2.5 out of 4 fangs.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2012
Sarelle McGarran, Sar to her friends, is recently widowed. She lives alone in a rural area with her dogs and cats until one night she sees a truck on her neighbor’s property . When she follows the truck, she finds Danial badly wounded and takes him to her house. While there she discovers he is a vampire but she still helps him heal. Once Danial wakes up the sparks start flying and Sar and Danial each test the boundaries of the other as their attraction grows.
While this book did not keep me on the edge of my seat there were some interesting twists to vampire society and the vampire/human relationship. I did find it a little off-putting that Sar accepted that Danial was a vampire without much effort. After she discovers he is a vamp, she almost forces him to bite her when he is unconscious, then accepts that he almost kills her and then spends the next night watching television with him. That is a little too unbelievable even for fiction.
Aside from the prologue, the whole book is told from Sar’s perspective so there is a lot that is unknown. We get bits and pieces about the king of the vampires, Devlin, but Sar doesn’t know all that much about him since Danial doesn’t share. I would have liked to have learned more about Danial too. Fox Hall left many questions about him unanswered and I would like to think there is a sequel in the future so we can find out what will happen with Sar and Danial.
While this book did not keep me on the edge of my seat there were some interesting twists to vampire society and the vampire/human relationship. I did find it a little off-putting that Sar accepted that Danial was a vampire without much effort. After she discovers he is a vamp, she almost forces him to bite her when he is unconscious, then accepts that he almost kills her and then spends the next night watching television with him. That is a little too unbelievable even for fiction.
Aside from the prologue, the whole book is told from Sar’s perspective so there is a lot that is unknown. We get bits and pieces about the king of the vampires, Devlin, but Sar doesn’t know all that much about him since Danial doesn’t share. I would have liked to have learned more about Danial too. Fox Hall left many questions about him unanswered and I would like to think there is a sequel in the future so we can find out what will happen with Sar and Danial.
December 16, 2015
“Promise Me”: Great Start For a Paranormal Vampire Series
I received this book via ReadingAlley. One of the first things I noticed about the first book in this intriguing series was the uniqueness of both main characters. Sar, the heroine, reminded me of a strong, prairie woman living alone on the outskirts of civilization. Her brave, no-nonsense attitude extended to a near self-sacrifice and nearly made identifying with her impossible, but Fox Hall’s mastery of character development kept my eyes glued to my Kindle and eager to learn what would happen next.
Like others in the sub-genre, Danial, the hero, is sexy, handsome, and intelligent, but his character is taken into relatively uncharted territory when we learn that he is a relatively young vampire with a “day” job! I enjoyed reading this paranormal romance and look forward to reading more in the series.
There were a few formatting glitches in the PDF for Kindle conversion, but nothing overly jarring, and I certainly do not blame the author for that. As “Promise Me” progressed, several major supporting characters were introduced, adding other dimensions to Danial and Sar’s relationship. Overall, the story is well-written, the characters are unique and likable, and despite a few scenes in which the emotions felt a bit rushed, the story flowed nicely, offering just enough information to make me want to read more. I recommend this story to readers who are willing to wait for their “happy-ever-after” (HEA).
I received this book via ReadingAlley. One of the first things I noticed about the first book in this intriguing series was the uniqueness of both main characters. Sar, the heroine, reminded me of a strong, prairie woman living alone on the outskirts of civilization. Her brave, no-nonsense attitude extended to a near self-sacrifice and nearly made identifying with her impossible, but Fox Hall’s mastery of character development kept my eyes glued to my Kindle and eager to learn what would happen next.
Like others in the sub-genre, Danial, the hero, is sexy, handsome, and intelligent, but his character is taken into relatively uncharted territory when we learn that he is a relatively young vampire with a “day” job! I enjoyed reading this paranormal romance and look forward to reading more in the series.
There were a few formatting glitches in the PDF for Kindle conversion, but nothing overly jarring, and I certainly do not blame the author for that. As “Promise Me” progressed, several major supporting characters were introduced, adding other dimensions to Danial and Sar’s relationship. Overall, the story is well-written, the characters are unique and likable, and despite a few scenes in which the emotions felt a bit rushed, the story flowed nicely, offering just enough information to make me want to read more. I recommend this story to readers who are willing to wait for their “happy-ever-after” (HEA).
May 7, 2015
Promise Me; is a four point five star read. The story line is intriguing from the very first paragraph, to the very end. Daniel is the first character we met and there is something about the way he is described that makes you got to find out more about him. Then we meet Sarelle his savior, so to speak, and you start to think what kind of women would save a vampire knowingly, so the intrigue just got deeper.
The over-all development of the characters is very good and there are holes in there, that are slowly filled as the story progresses and with this being the first book in a series, I know they will be filled in as the series goes on.
From the very start, you can feel the connection between them and start to wonder just how fast they will realize it themselves, so the romantic development is just right for this story.
The flow, the dialogue all was very realistic, and makes you want more. I’m so looking forward to reading the rest of this series. Yes I would recommend this book to others.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
The over-all development of the characters is very good and there are holes in there, that are slowly filled as the story progresses and with this being the first book in a series, I know they will be filled in as the series goes on.
From the very start, you can feel the connection between them and start to wonder just how fast they will realize it themselves, so the romantic development is just right for this story.
The flow, the dialogue all was very realistic, and makes you want more. I’m so looking forward to reading the rest of this series. Yes I would recommend this book to others.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2016
Sarelle, a recently widowed woman, finds Danial, a half-dead man, on the edge of her property. She can't just leave him there, so she brings him into her garage, where she finds out he is a vampire. She nurses him back to life. She wants the storybook vampire romance, but finds out the real deal is much more dangerous.
Wowza! What an exciting story. There was excitement right from the beginning when Danial ends up on Sar's property, and continues all the way up to the end of the book (a cliffhanger by the way!) It is a quick read, because the story is so exciting. The characters all seem very real, and you really feel for them! This was a really great love story. The romance unfolds, and is completely believable, but the story is so much more than that. There is a kidnapping, an attempted seduction, jealousy, some gun fights, and murder for hire. I would love to continue this story with Sar and Daniel, or even read about the back stories of some of the other characters like Terrian or Theo. Cross your fingers for book 2.
Wowza! What an exciting story. There was excitement right from the beginning when Danial ends up on Sar's property, and continues all the way up to the end of the book (a cliffhanger by the way!) It is a quick read, because the story is so exciting. The characters all seem very real, and you really feel for them! This was a really great love story. The romance unfolds, and is completely believable, but the story is so much more than that. There is a kidnapping, an attempted seduction, jealousy, some gun fights, and murder for hire. I would love to continue this story with Sar and Daniel, or even read about the back stories of some of the other characters like Terrian or Theo. Cross your fingers for book 2.
July 11, 2012
Tara has written an enchanting story. I stopped reading only when my eyes grew heavy and quickly picked it up to finish reading the book the following day, as the written words were spellbinding. Danial and Sar are a couple you want to see work through their differences, and when they seem to have something new happens. I can't give Tara a five star review but give it a four and a half stars because the story is so well written and captivating. PROMISE ME left me wanting more questions answered but that's what an author needs to do to make you want to read the next book, and that's exactly what I will be doing. I'm hooked and look forward to reading BROKEN PROMISE to get some answers and to escape to a beautifully written world where vampires, werefoxes and other mythical creatures reside among humans.
June 18, 2016
This was a well-written book, with interesting vampire and were characters.
The human heroine - Sarelle - was likeable, and realistic in her simplicity and common sense. Even when she did questionable things, she came to logical conclusions, which I appreciated. The hero - Danial was a charming enigma, who constantly had me guessing about him to the end.
I really enjoyed 'Promise Me' and am looking forward to reading more of the series. While I'm assuming that the surly but very likeable Theo will have his story told, I'm really hoping to read about Terian - the lonely, misunderstood half-demon, as he was a really fascinating character.
News flash: After reading the synopsis for the rest of the series, it looks like everything devolves into an outrageous soap opera. I won't be reading them. Plus - with the exception of a handful of authors, I hate loooong drawn-out series.
The human heroine - Sarelle - was likeable, and realistic in her simplicity and common sense. Even when she did questionable things, she came to logical conclusions, which I appreciated. The hero - Danial was a charming enigma, who constantly had me guessing about him to the end.
I really enjoyed 'Promise Me' and am looking forward to reading more of the series. While I'm assuming that the surly but very likeable Theo will have his story told, I'm really hoping to read about Terian - the lonely, misunderstood half-demon, as he was a really fascinating character.
News flash: After reading the synopsis for the rest of the series, it looks like everything devolves into an outrageous soap opera. I won't be reading them. Plus - with the exception of a handful of authors, I hate loooong drawn-out series.
November 15, 2016
Rollercoaster ride
Very interesting, well written vampire novel. The couple spend more time fighting for their relationship than they do romancing. Sarelle is a very compassionate character and definitely not gun shy but she kept making the same mistake over and over in an effort to remain independent. Danial is a domineering vampire but he shows a lot of patience when dealing with this head-strong woman. His life is a dangerous one and his way of feeding his blood hunger is....odd to say the least but unique. This is not a quickie so make sure you have lots of time to read it because when you get started it will pull you into the mysteries of their world leaving you yearning to know what can happen next. Not sure exactly what is up with Theo but I'm sure the author will deal with him, lol.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Very interesting, well written vampire novel. The couple spend more time fighting for their relationship than they do romancing. Sarelle is a very compassionate character and definitely not gun shy but she kept making the same mistake over and over in an effort to remain independent. Danial is a domineering vampire but he shows a lot of patience when dealing with this head-strong woman. His life is a dangerous one and his way of feeding his blood hunger is....odd to say the least but unique. This is not a quickie so make sure you have lots of time to read it because when you get started it will pull you into the mysteries of their world leaving you yearning to know what can happen next. Not sure exactly what is up with Theo but I'm sure the author will deal with him, lol.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews