The Wedding Promise

Angel Island #2

by Thomas Kinkade, Katherine Spencer

From the New York Times bestselling authors of the Cape Light novels comes the story of an island where anything is possible.

The Inn at Angel Island is officially open for business, and owner Liza Martin has booked her first major event-a June wedding. Jennifer, the bride, met her fiancé on the island when they were teenagers, and she's always dreamed of being married at the Inn. Liza wants to make sure that Jennifer has a perfect wedding day, but she soon notices tension between the bride and groom and begins to What good is the most spectacular setting or cake if the love between the couple isn't as beautiful and strong?

Liza is hoping everything will come together, but on the day of the wedding a storm rolls in-and the groom is nowhere to be found. Everything is going wrong, and Liza realizes that it will take nothing short of a miracle to make this wedding a success. Then again, if you have faith and love, Angel Island is just the sort of place where miracles can happen.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Christian Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Christian

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Thomas Kinkade was known as the "Painter of Light." His works, although spurned by the secular art establishment, were very popular with Christians and many others.

Reviews

[Singlecatladyreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found The Wedding Promise in a library stand in my neighborhood. Despite being free, I still paid too much for this lack-luster-ass story. The best character is the dead aunt, Elizabeth, from whom Liza inherited the Inn at Angel Island. We hear about the aunt's personality and deeds through Liza's memories and stories of her from the inn's past guests. You miss Elizabeth, even though you haven't met her. If the rest of the characters had gotten the same treatment, I might have connected with them, but unfortunately, all of their traits were told, not shown, so we have to take the authors' word for it that they're cool too.
The story wants us to root for a romance between Liza and Daniel, the handyman, but they hardly have enough scenes together to show any chemistry. Their conversations aren't deep or thought-provoking because both purposefully don't share any information about themselves or their past. So we, the readers, don't know them, and they don't know each other. Sounds like the making of a great relationship.
The bride and groom are no better. Their only characteristic is that they've been in love since high school, and their communication skills still haven't reached puberty. Despite being in premarital counseling, they don't seriously discuss the possible changes that could come with marriage, so at the first bump in the road, the groom literally runs away. And to be honest, for his sake and for the bride, I hoped he'd stay away so they could both grow up and try again when they're adults. The characters in this story– in this town– don't need a miracle. They need to act like adults, get a real premarital counselor, and learn how to create some real drama to make an interesting (excitement is too much to hope for) story.
https://singlecatladyreads.com/the-we...

[Trinity Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wedding Promise by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer is a very, very excellent book.
Liza takes over an Inn on Angel Island that her Aunt and Uncle use to run. They have passed away, so Liza and her brother could sell the Inn or run it. They decided to run it. That was what Book 1 The Inn at Angel Island was about. It was a super book also. In this book The Wedding Promise two young people fell in love in this area and thought it would be wonderful to be married at the Inn. Liza is very new at the Inn business and had never done a wedding, besides the Inn needs a lot of repairs. So we find out how the wedding was planned, how some repairs were made and saw the love of the young couple and also a sweet story of Liza and her favorite handy man.
This book is so well written and it is really high quality work. I enjoyed it completely and wanted the story to continue, but it ended at a fantastic place. Can’t wait for book 3, hopefully there will be one.
Dreams, secrets, sadness, joy and miracles all happen in The Wedding Promise.
I also always love Thomas’ art work on the cover of their books. Fantastic painter and author. I’m very pleased with his work and fine attention to detail. This book is definitely a keeper. I love to see this book on my book shelf. I highly recommend The Wedding Promise and wish I could give it more than 5 stars.


Thanks to Berkley/NAL Publicity, Penguin Group for the review copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liza Martin has reopened The Inn on Angel Island after doing some remodeling and updating to the old building which she and her brother inherited from their Aunt Elizabeth. Jennifer Bennet shows up one morning and tells Liza that she and her fiance, Kyle, want to have their wedding at the inn. They had met on the beach in that location when they were teenagers. Aunt Elizabeth had welcomed them to her porch with lemonade and cookies and told them that she had hosted many weddings so their decision had been made many years ago. Liza tries to explain she has only recently started renting rooms and is definitely not in a position to take on an event like a wedding, especially on short notice.
Daniel and Liza's relationship is progressing beyond friendship until suddenly Daniel pulls away as he tells her they should stop seeing one another. Liza is devastated. She has no idea why this is happening. She tries to understand Daniel's desire for privacy and keeping secrets. Luckily, she has all the wedding details to help sort out and to keep her busy even as her heart is breaking.

[Nicole]

Liza is slowly learning how to run and inn and how expensive it to can be to maintain a historic building. As she continues to renovate the rooms and update the many parts of the inn a young woman visits begging her to host a wedding. Unsure what to say Liza explains the inn is not up to hosting a large wedding and she thinks it best to pass on the opportunity. However the young woman refuses to give up and Liza soon finds herself learning how to host a wedding while continuing to update the inn.

A slow paced story with light hearted moments and exactly what I need with my mental state right now. The writing continues to be consistent and the characters hold true to who they are. I like that the island seems to just fix problems for people and makes the reader believe miracles can happen. I do plan on continuing the series I just have to catch up on some other library books I have checked out first.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in this series did not disappoint. I am enjoying Liza's growth as an innkeeper. Through her guests and the island itself, Liza finds the life she was made to live. In this story, she learns to be patient as she plans a wedding at the inn. Her relationship with Daniel continues to grow and we wonder what is his secret. Other guests come and go in between the wedding drama and she takes them in stride (in the first book, all guests provided challenge for her). With God's help, we can tackle anything and He will bring us through His will. On to the third story in the series ...

[Kaylee Sears · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series so far, even though I'm only 2/5 done with it. Unfortunately, my life is super busy now so it did take me a while to get through. That's the only reason though! I think Liza's thinking is a little flawed, but I also know these books are PG, so I wouldn't really expect it to be any different. I kinda wish they would make this into a miniseries, just because I would love to have visualization for people like Claire and Daniel.

[Marietta Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked that some of the Cape Light characters were in this book.
Liza (with Claire's help) is now running her aunt's inn on Angle Island. A young couple wants to use the inn as their wedding venue. Liza has never tackled a project this big before. What started out to be a small wedding has mushroomed, thanks to the bride's mother. Besides the growing wedding, the young couple also encounter personal obstacles to work through before saying " I do".

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how crazy things are, sometimes they can still end perfectly. Many times, God wants us to do something we definitely don't want to do, but when we do it, we know that it was a good thing. i liked how things went for Jennifer and Kyle, and also Daniel and Liza.

[Sharon Haylock · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice light read with a touch of romance, nostalgia & Christianity and a few life lessons. A good holiday read with a few characters, one plot & simple. I don't always want to draw out a four page family tree of multiple generations & timelines.

[Dee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story with life lessons.

[Megan Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, just super cheesy. Not my type of book.

[Lynn Schaufelberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Loved the setting, the characters, the plot left me in enough suspense that I finished the book in a week. It was just the feel good easy breezy summer reading I was looking for.

[Debbie Hoppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute romantic story but it left so much out that it became too predictable.

[Karen Hermansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Thomas Kincade & Katherine Spencer books.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Thomas Kincaid book I have read. I found it to be an uplifting romance. I did not realize he had written any books and will definitely look for more Cape Light and Angel Island titles to read. I fell in love with all the characters and the New England setting. I felt like I was right there With Liza at the Inn she is renovating and took over from her grandmother.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second in the Angel island series By Thomas Kinkade and kathryn Spence. It did not disappoint and was an enjoyable read.

He brought in some of our favorites from his Cape Light series. I enjoy hearing about those character as that series has come down to a Christmas book only each year.

This book is about a young couple who wants to get married at the Inn, that was so prominent in the first book. Liza, who took over the Bed and Breakfast after her aunt died, reluctantly tries hosting the wedding of Jennifer and Kyle. Of course a lot of the regulars from book one are here in book 2, along with mother of the bride issues, Liza's own romance problems, and some great Christian truth thrown in.

A very enjoyable read.

[Regina Spiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Liza continues transforming her inn on Angel Island, she is approached by an excited couple who knew her Aunt Elizabeth and wish to be married outside the inn in the gardens. But Liza has never put on a wedding and isn't sure she can handle the job, especially with the inn still being in disrepair. Her friend Claire and Daniel, the local carpenter and handyman, encourage Liza with the promise that her aunt would have been thrilled to accommodate the young, romantic couple. When Daniel asks Liza out on a date, she hopes that this handsome, funny man will continue to stay in her life.

A sweet, easy read with some of our favorite characters from the town of Cape Light combined with a few miracles thrown in for good measure.

[Connie]

I just love the Thomas Kinkade/Katherine Spencer books. I have read all of them. I would call their titles light Christian romances with a focus on the geography of coastal New England. The two series are: Cape Light and Angel Island.

New England, and especially the coast, have always been favorites of mine so I enjoy most titles that are set in these areas.

I happen to be Jewish rather than Christian, but I do read lots of Christian fiction, especially historical fiction, because the plots, characters and settings are universal in appeal in my opinion.

I am now looking forward to the next Angel Island title after enjoying "The Wedding Promise" so much. Normally, one title is released per year.

[April Suter · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Kinkade and Spencer's second book returning to Angel Island, Liza is working to get her inn up and running. She has lots of help (with construction) from the handsome Daniel and of course Claire, the angel-like cook/housekeeper/wise advsior. Liza gets her first wedding scheduled at the inn and is thrilled to be like her aunt who ran the inn for so many years and hosted wedddings. But is the inn ready for a wedding or is Liza ready to deal with the bride's mother and the stress of having a "perfect" wedding?
If you enjoy the Cape Light series this book (and series) is a must also.
294 pages

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could rate this among all the others in the Cape Light/Angel Inn series, it would get four stars. But if I'm being honest, because it is such a light, almost fluff read, I can't do it. I enjoyed it and read it as quickly as I could because I was enjoying the story so much. Was a bit disappointed with the climactic event that occurred toward the end because it felt so cheesy-unrealistic, but that is to be expected in a series whose goal is to tie most of their stories up in a neat little bow to make the reader feel good. I finished this one as I do all the others- anxious to read the next.

[Allan67 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book read to the wife. She loves to be read to, she always has. Reading is one of the few things that we can do together

We both thought that this was a so-so book. The wedding planning details were boring and dragged along for much of the book, but finally after some drama, the wedding happened. Then there was some last minute drama with Liza and her carpenter friend that felt like it was thrown in to complete the book. There is a third book in the series, but I'm not sure that we will be reading it just yet. Maybe nest month - maybe.

[Trish Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

For as much as my husband teases me about reading books written by Thomas Kinkade, this was a fun, light read. It didn’t have as much about the mysterious guardian angels as the first book, which was a bit disappointing, but the story of Liza coming into her own as an innkeeper was nice.

I also liked the story of the bride and groom. It showed how easy it is for misunderstandings to arise as two people are learning how to communicate with each other and make decisions as a couple.

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the Angel Island series. While I don't feel there's as much depth as his Cape Light series there are characters that cross over between both series which makes it interesting. It was fun to reconnect with some of the characters. There was a lot of conflict, anxiety and secrets but in the end there were 2 very nice happily ever afters. I look forward to continuing to read future books set on Angel Island.

[Kassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers a very important topic that often crumbles in a marriage...communication, especially on our own thoughts and feelings about difficult decisions. You see both leading couples struggling with simple communication with each other, because no one wants to hurt anyone else's feelings. I'm only giving this three stars, because I really did expect more from Thomas Kinkade. The book flowed okay, but there times I just felt as if I didn't connect with the characters very well.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay story. Liza inherits an Inn from her aunt and is trying to restore it. Meanwhile, Jennifer and Kyle want to be married in the inn. Liza panics because she feels the inn isn't ready but as time goes by, things work out and the wedding is planned. A storm blows in, the groom is missing, and the wedding guests are soaked. A lot of communication is key to this story. Liza and Daniel have to communicate too.

[K.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall an enjoyable read. It was clean and uplifting. But I think the author did miss out on some possible twists and turns at the end of the novel that could have related more to the "miraculous" history of the island. The ending seemed a little too contrived and unspectacular. But there's such a shortage of clean romance that I'd recommend this series and the "Cape Light" series to others.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked to have seen a little more romance in this story. I think that more could have been done with the history of the inn; Liza and Daniel could have had a more interesting relationship if they had worked on the inn together and created a little chemistry. Overall, it was a good book that was also an easy read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading "The Wedding Promise" by Thomas Kinkade & Katherine Spencer. I look forward to reading "The Inn at Angel Island" and "A Wandering Heart". I might read this book again after reading "The Inn at Angel Island" since it's the first book in the Angel Island series.

[Ilovereading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very inspirationally beautiful and uplifting write. I loved the chaste incorporation and how the sweet romance budded slowly yet determinedly. The whole review is available at icysweetness.webs.com so go ahead and visit to see the review!

[Deann Doolittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these books! Wish I could live there for real. Or at least visit the inn for a couple of nights. Needed to hear some of what Pastor Ben said to the young couple about marriage and use it for my own marriage. Can't wait to read the next one.