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Last Promise

(The McBride Brothers #3)

Scarlett Dunn (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 101 ratings · 24 reviews

The heart always finds a home...

For British heiress Mary Ann Hardwicke, the Wild West is the perfect place to make her own life and escape the stifling privilege of an arranged marriage. Hard at work proving her independence, it's little wonder she has no time for handsome cowboy Luke McBride. No matter that he somehow understands the freedom she so badly needs—how could ...more

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Paperback, 352 pages

Published April 26th 2016 by Zebra

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· 101 ratings · 24 reviews

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Mar 17, 2016 Sissy's Romance Book Review rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley, trt, series

I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
This is the last book in "The McBride Brothers" series by Scarlett Dunn.
This was a very sweet all around good book to read.
This is the story of Mary Ann Hardwicke a British heiress and Luke McBride who is a cowboy. Mary Ann leave home to come to the Wild West to start a new life and leave a arranged marriage. Mary Ann is fighting for her freedom and Luke is just wanting to have fun. But their attraction is st ...more

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Mar 15, 2016 Dee/ bookworm rated it really liked it

publisher description: For British heiress Mary Ann Hardwicke, the Wild West is the perfect place to make her own life and escape the stifling privilege of an arranged marriage. Hard at work proving her independence, it's little wonder she has no time for handsome cowboy Luke McBride. No matter that he somehow understands the freedom she so badly needs—how could she trust such a wild spirit, much less find a way to love him?

Like the broncs he busts, Luke doesn’t see himself settling down in on ...more

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Mar 12, 2016 Sonya Heaney rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-romance, north-american-historical-fiction

Very confused about this book. It head-hops all over the place, even into the minds of random people on the street.

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Jul 01, 2017 Nina rated it it was amazing

This book is the third in the series of The McBride Brothers.

A young woman leaves England after learning her father is going to force her into a marriage with a man she does not love, travels to the Wyoming to her uncle in hopes of living her life there.

But she meets a man, falls in love and now her father is coming for her to force her to return to England and marry.

Loads of action, bar fights, gun battles, great characters, fast paced all by a author new to me. Loved it. Good clean read.

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Jul 26, 2017 Michelle rated it did not like it

Shelves: historical, romance, adult, wish-i-had-not-wasted-the-time, western

I enjoyed the previous books in this series and was expecting another good read. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. Luke came across as a shallow womanizer. If it had been set in Mary Ann's native England he would have been considered a rake. But he didn't have any character development that redeemed him. He seemed to like Mary Ann mostly because she was so beautiful. ...more

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Dec 04, 2019 Jan St Clair rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Really enjoyed this series!

Really enjoyed this series by Scarlett Dunn! If you enjoy Christian fiction in the western days of long ago you will love this series. Make sure to read these in order!

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Jan 24, 2021 Shannon rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 27, 2016 Bec rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-magic-reviews

4.5 Stars

There's nothing more Mary Ann Hardwicke wants than to escape being married to someone she doesn't love, so she decides to flee before the wedding. She's determined to make a life for herself away from her stifling parents, and what better way than to put an ocean between them. But just when she's starting to find what it means to be independent, and possibly falling in love for the first time, her past catches up with her and it's not about to let her go. Unless the new man in her life
4.5 Stars

There's nothing more Mary Ann Hardwicke wants than to escape being married to someone she doesn't love, so she decides to flee before the wedding. She's determined to make a life for herself away from her stifling parents, and what better way than to put an ocean between them. But just when she's starting to find what it means to be independent, and possibly falling in love for the first time, her past catches up with her and it's not about to let her go. Unless the new man in her life can convince her father that he's just as worthy as the man she's being forced to marry.

Luke McBride never lacks for female company, so why is it that he can't get the new woman in town out of his head. She's definitely going to be a challenge, considering the first time they meet, she doesn't bother giving him her time of day. But if there's one thing Luke doesn't shy away from it's a challenge. However, when he learns the truth of why she's escaped her home to come to America, he's determined not to fall any deeper than he already has for her, because he believes a future for them is impossible. Then again, what if it isn't?

I haven't read any of Ms. Dunn's books before, but I'm so delighted to have finally been introduced to her writing, because I've got to say that this book was a wonderful read. Right from the beginning, I was drawn into this fast-paced story by both the main characters, but more so from the moment the heroine and hero met, as Luke is such a flirt and isn't used to women ignoring him. So, I was eager to discover how he won Mary Ann over.

The dialogue was well-written, and Luke was determined to prove to the heroine that he wanted her like he hadn't wanted any woman ever before. Mary Ann had me smiling a lot throughout this story, because just when I thought she was going to give him a chance, the hero managed to do something that totally turned her off him. Moreover, the dialogue was also intense due to the main characters back stories, what happened with Luke's friend and the heroine, the difficulties the heroine had with her overbearing father, and then there were the obstacles this couple faced. Mostly, how were they going to be together when the heroine was betrothed to another man.

Both characters were compelling, and I liked them both immediately the moment they were introduced in this story. Mary Ann is strong, brave, and independent. Travelling all the way from Britain to America must have been daunting, yet it felt the heroine saw it as more of an adventure; the start of a new life for her, depending on what her father would do if he discovered where she was. But what I liked most about the heroine was how determined she was to take care of herself. The way she was determined to work and run her own store. Yet, at the same time, it was nice that she had a family member that was willing to help her out.

While Luke, he's confident, hard-working, and would do anything for those that need it. He's also determined to find out what happened to his friend that had him missing for three months. Once he learned what happened to him, there was no doubt that he would investigate why someone would want to hurt him and his friend? Then there's the confidence he possesses that believed he could get the heroine to give him a chance. Yet, what I liked most about him was his relationship with his family. He loved his nephews, and it seemed they were the only ones that could brighten his day when he wasn't having a good one.

Overall, Ms. Dunn has penned a sweet romance where the secondary characters help both main characters realize that love isn't easy, and if Luke wants it bad enough than he has to be willing to go after it no matter what he has to face when he finally confronts her father. The ending wrapped this story up nicely, as Mary Ann was back where she belonged. I would recommend Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn, if you enjoy reads where the heroine is determined to escape being married to someone she doesn't love, and ends up finding the love of her life on her journey.
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Apr 01, 2016 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1800-s, chick-literature, christian-action-adventure, christian-fiction, christian-western-romance, historical-fiction, romance-fiction, western-fiction

Perhaps my favorite novels are those that combine two different genres into one unforgettable story as Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn. This is the last novel in the McBride Brothers trilogy and highlights the final romance of Luke McBride, one of three brothers running the McBride Cattle Ranch. While his other brothers have found true love on the frontier, the last thing on Luke's mind is marriage. He loves the wild and single lifestyle and being graced with great looks and charisma, he has no pr Perhaps my favorite novels are those that combine two different genres into one unforgettable story as Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn. This is the last novel in the McBride Brothers trilogy and highlights the final romance of Luke McBride, one of three brothers running the McBride Cattle Ranch. While his other brothers have found true love on the frontier, the last thing on Luke's mind is marriage. He loves the wild and single lifestyle and being graced with great looks and charisma, he has no problem finding suitable companionship in Promise, Wyoming especially with the soiled doves at the saloon in town. He only problem is convincing them, he is not ready to settle down and get married. He loves his life just fine.

Mary Ann Hardwicke is leaving her life behind in England where her father has all but made up his mind about her. He believes that her recent encounter with Edmund Stafford has left her compromised and thus the need for her to wed. But that isn't what happened, she was trying to get away from him and her dressed ripped when he wouldn't release her. Now her only hope to get some much need perspective from her controlling father is to leave west and stay with her Uncle George who owns a hotel in Promise, Wyoming. She just never expected to see such differences in cultures between being a future heiress in England and learning to make her own way out West.

When the two collide, Mary Ann's opinion of Luke is just what she sees, a man who is what she has read about, a pistolier, and she has made her mind, she isn't going to have anything to do with him, especially when he makes promises to the women he escorts around time to show them a good time. Luke is about to lose his senses when a beautiful woman arrives from the stage and literally takes his breath away with her beauty and poise. He just never expected a fight to happen right in front of her as one of the drunken men stumbled out of the saloon and right into one the women he was escorting to lunch. He just never expected to defend his own honor as well as hers. Now he will stop at nothing to turn her head and make her see a side of him that no one else but his family does or die trying.

I received Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn compliments of Zebra Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free eBook in exchange for my honest and personal evaluation of the book. What I love most about Mary Ann is that she is strong and determined. She is never the victim even though technically she is in regards to the situation with Edmund. She forms opinions quickly and is surprised to learn that she is not as effective in her character judgment as she thought. This make the story believable and had me inhale it one sitting. I love the chemistry between her and Luke and find myself relating to her quite a bit. I had hoped she might have more ground to stand on when her father discovers her instead of being forced back to England, but it doesn't end there. This is like a western fairy tale and I loved it. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars. ...more

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May 06, 2016 Sydney Hancock rated it really liked it

4 Stars!

Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn is the third book in the McBride Brothers trilogy, but can be read easily as a standalone as I did. I had no difficulty following the story without reading the first two. Set in the Wild West, Last Promise is a story of privileged aristocrat falling for a wild cowboy when they couldn’t have been more different and with all the odds against them.

Luke McBride is the definitive ladies’ man. All the single ladies want to catch him, and he just wants to get under 4 Stars!

Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn is the third book in the McBride Brothers trilogy, but can be read easily as a standalone as I did. I had no difficulty following the story without reading the first two. Set in the Wild West, Last Promise is a story of privileged aristocrat falling for a wild cowboy when they couldn’t have been more different and with all the odds against them.

Luke McBride is the definitive ladies’ man. All the single ladies want to catch him, and he just wants to get under their petticoats. He’s a flirt and knows it. Women wanted to be seen with him and other men wanted to be him.

“No one could deny Luke McBride was a charmer, and he had a full calendar of Friday night dinner dates to prove it. Women loved him, and there wasn’t a man who didn’t envy his carefree approach to life.”

Enter Mary Ann Hardwicke, an aristocrat fleeing from a forced marriage in England and sparks fly. Mary Ann has fled to her maternal Uncle, who owns a hotel, in the hopes of starting a new life away from her father who is forcing the marriage. The first time she sets eyes on Luke McBride, he is in a brawl with another cowboy. She is less than impressed and wants nothing to do with him, believing him to be a ruffian.

Women don’t snub Luke. Ever. Mary Ann is the first and leaves a lasting impression. Luke begins to rethink his whole philosophy of life and women after meeting Mary Ann. All the while, Mary Ann is determined to carve out a new life and be successful in her endeavors. The last thing she has on her mind is a new man in her life. She is a strong woman in a time where women were seen as weak and needed to be taken care of.

This story has it all- love, intrigue, murder, characters we love to hate, and a glimpse into the lives of those in the Wild West. It is very developed, with multiple storylines that all weave together. It is a slow burn, and very apt to the times that it is set in. The hottest the story gets is kissing and talking scenes with the saloon wh*res.

My one dislike was that it jumped from multiple character’s viewpoints which made it a little difficult to follow. I had to reread passages a few times to try to figure out who was thinking/saying what part. I’m all for multiple perspectives, but multiple viewpoints on one page without any indication or warning makes it hard to follow.

With that being said, this was still a good story. I gave it 4 stars and not 5 only because of the multiple perspective aspect. Luke and Mary Ann came from different worlds but beat the odds to be together. This really was a good read, full of detail and with a well written storyline to boot. A slow burn, with a hint of romance and a cowboy. Who doesn’t love a cowboy? No one that’s who. Read it for yourself and enjoy Luke and Mary Ann’s story just as I did. You won’t regret it.

ARC provided to Books Need TLC for an honest review
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Apr 13, 2016 Sandra_d rated it it was amazing

Mary Ann Hardwicke is fleeing England and the horrid man her father insists she marry, deciding that Promise, Wyoming is the right place to hide since her uncle owns a hotel and restaurant in town. With just a few steps down from the stagecoach, Mary Ann was introduced to life in the Wild West, and her first impression of the dusty cowboy who started the brawl was most definitely not positive. Luke McBride loves women. All women. He calls on the single women in town apparently as often as the so Mary Ann Hardwicke is fleeing England and the horrid man her father insists she marry, deciding that Promise, Wyoming is the right place to hide since her uncle owns a hotel and restaurant in town. With just a few steps down from the stagecoach, Mary Ann was introduced to life in the Wild West, and her first impression of the dusty cowboy who started the brawl was most definitely not positive. Luke McBride loves women. All women. He calls on the single women in town apparently as often as the soiled doves who live above the saloon. With the classic McBride physique and looks, and eyes that sparkle with humor and mischief, he is never at a loss for a date, and has never met a woman who didn’t want him. That changes when a beautiful woman wearing a captivating shade of pink exits the stagecoach and apparently witnesses him brawl with the town drunk who insulted one of the beauties he was escorting to lunch. Finding the stunning British woman staring at him, Luke nods and touches his Stetson in greeting, but she turned for the hotel, handing Luke his first rebuff from a female since, well, ever. And so begins this wonderful addition to the McBride brothers series.

I very much enjoyed this book and thought it was the perfect conclusion to the McBride series (of which the entire series I highly, highly recommend). Mary Ann is a strong character who seeks to live her life on her terms while adjusting to everything new in her adopted hometown. She is confident in her skills and abilities, knows what she wants, and does not want, and strong enough to put the handsome Luke in his place (even though she isn’t always right). Luke is a man who knows what he likes and isn’t afraid to admit it, until the intriguing Mary Ann gets under his skin. He works hard, plays hard, and is the kind of guy everyone wants to know. There was humor, heartache, tension, and love a-plenty, and it all came together in a very engaging, thoroughly entertaining book.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with an ARC, from which this review is based, in exchange for an honest review.
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Nov 07, 2016 Angel Hatfield rated it really liked it

Women loved Luke and men envied his carefree approach to life. Luke’s motto was simple: he loved to laugh and horses, and women. Luke had returned to Wyoming one year ago. Luke had made a lot of money when he was traveling around the country busting horses. Also some silver mining. There had been a lady on the recent stagecoach with a pink hat that Luke knew his two sister in laws would love and he would bet a beautiful woman wore that hat. Up close he knew he was right but the woman snubbed him ...more

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Apr 11, 2016 Karen rated it really liked it

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley exchange for an honest review

Summary:

For British heiress Mary Ann Hardwicke, the Wild West is the perfect place to make her own life and escape the stifling privilege of an arranged marriage. Hard at work proving her independence, it's little wonder she has no time for handsome cowboy Luke McBride. No matter that he somehow understands the freedom she so badly needs—how could she trust such a wild spirit, much less find a way to love him?

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Apr 28, 2016 Miriam rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, series, western

Mary Ann and Luke are polar opposites and accurate depictions of the places they're from. She's refined and dignified, prim and proper. Raised in England, how could she be any less as an heiress? He's as wild as the country around him, as unbroken as the broncs are when he first receives them. But like those magnificent animals, there lies a heart of loyalty beneath the rough exterior. It's a matter of finding it.

It was amusing that Luke saw Mary Ann as a challenge simply because she rebuffed hi ...more

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Apr 30, 2016 Melissa Morr rated it it was amazing

Last Promise was a delightful, clean romance, once in awhile you just want to pick up a book that you are not afraid when your child, mother or grandmother picks it up this was that book. What wasn't there to love about this book, it had the small town atmosphere, where everyone knows everyone; family, who loved to razz each other but there when needed, a little suspense, & a little laughs, especially when it came to Luke's twin nephews Cade & Cody almost everything that came out of their mouths ...more

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Mar 24, 2016 Ellen White rated it liked it

This story shows the wild side of the Wild West. When this opens with the doves from saloon on the balcony.
We meet Luke, who knows each one by name, and yet couldn't decide which he preferred curvy or thin. His brothers, even had women flock to them. But, unlike his brothers he didn't run from the ladies,he ran to them.
Even Sally, may appear prim and proper but she was full of shenanigans.
What is the town like ?
Then comes Mary Ann, a heiress, wanting to be independent. Escaping the stifling arr ...more

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Apr 12, 2016 Becky rated it it was ok

It's not often I will read a book that I just can't recommend. But I just can't recommend this one. Scarlett Dunn has used the romance formula to build her plot and it is almost predictable.

Mary Ann is about to be married off to someone who turns her stomach simply because her father needs the money. She leaves home in England to go to Wyoming and her uncle George. There she meets Luke McBride who is known for his womanizing, but he falls in love with her. Her father shows up and convinces her ...more

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Mar 11, 2016 Beth Erin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: faithfully-bookish

Look for the full review on Faithfully Bookish 4/26.

I want to like this story. The cover drew me in and I was intrigued by the story teaser. Mary Ann is a brave lady for traveling so far to protect herself. I loved the way she dove into hard work for the first time in her life, Wyoming was a giant leap from her luxurious life in England.
Last Promise had a good storyline and complex characters but that one glaring issue really spoiled it in my opinion. For a clean romance, this story was fine bu ...more

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Mar 22, 2016 Karen Turner rated it it was amazing

Mary Ann, an heiress from England, leaves a pre-arranged marriage she wants nothing to do with. She heads to America, where she has an Uncle in Wyoming. She meets interesting people along the way and begins to fall in love with the country. I received this book in the goodreads giveaway. Really enjoyed the book.Will read the other two books in the McBride series.

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Jul 26, 2016 Susan Schild rated it it was amazing

Exciting story, with a heroine you'll admire, men that do the right thing and an uplifting inspirational thread. Mary Ann was a believable and endearing character as she tried to get away from her father’s control and make a life for herself. Luke was a charmer turned one man woman. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
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May 05, 2016 Sandra rated it really liked it

This is my first time reading Scarlett Dunn and all I can say is that love her writing! This book is absolutely lovely to read, it's a clean wild west romance story. Mary Ann and Luke are the perfect example if two different worlds coming together. I definitely enjoyed reading their love story. ...more

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Mar 19, 2016 Heather rated it it was amazing

I loved everything from the mystry to the fighting the romance to the surprise ending and would defenetly recemend her books to a friend and I look forward to reading more of her books as I have just recently heard of her through goodreads as I won this book through them Thank U Good reads!!

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