| Title | : | A Promise to Protect (Men of Valor #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0373445180 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780373445189 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2012 |
A Promise to Protect (Men of Valor #1) Reviews
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2.5ish stars?
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3.5 stars
An easy read, though several times I felt like I didn't quite believe what was going on. I definitely feel like her more recent writing is more polished, but I enjoyed it anyway. -
I always enjoy a story when it features SEALs, so I was pretty sure I'd like this...as long as it wasn't corny, as some can be. I thought the author did a great job of showing the toughness of SEALs and also their kind caring side. Tristan, Ashley's brother, was a great character and I'm looking forward to reading his story in
SEAL Under Siege. If you like suspense stories featuring SEALs you should enjoy this story too. -
This book started off with Ashley talking to her brother Tristan on her cell phone before he left on a Seal mission. During the conversation someone almost ran Ashley over. Over protective brother called his best friend Matt to visit Ashley and find out who was behind Ashley’s near miss. The threats continued, and Matt was there to help Ashley. There was more friendship in this book than romance. Both Ashley and Matt both had things they had to work out before they could get together. Matt grew up in foster care, and thought he was no man for Ashley. Ashley was in an abusive relationship before and was scared of ever getting close to another man. The friendship was sweet. I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was annoying at times to have Ashley’s nose, or forehead wrinkled. Over all this was a very entertaining book.
Sample from chapter 9
She licked her lips again and pushed to her tiptoes until their lips met. He dropped one of his arms from her shoulder to her waist and moved the other so that he cupped the back of her neck, his fingers plunging into her hair. Without a thought she lifted her hand to his cheek, his morning stubble in stark contrast with the curls at her fingertips. He leaned into her touch, scratching her chin with his whiskers but never letting go. With shaking fingers, she grabbed the soft cotton of his shirt for support. And when her breath was completely gone, she pulled back and buried her face in the middle of his chest, avoiding any chance at eye contact. What had she just done? That was stupid. But the zing still on her lips and prickles down her spine didn’t feel stupid. They felt like a warm robe on a cool morning. Like a cozy blanket in the front of a roaring fire. Like she’d once dreamed it would. Actually it was better than her sixteen year old dream. This was real. The man that she’d had a crush on then, held her now and provided all of his protection. -
Another wonderful book by Liz Johnson! This author really knows how to write books that I love to read! I first met these two main characters when I read SEAL Under Siege (which actually comes after A Promise to Protect). I enjoyed that book so much that I knew I needed to read this one, too, and see how they got together!
The hero of A Promise to Protect is Matt Waterstone, a Navy SEAL. He is obviously a strong male lead, but the author is also able to write him as a strong character who has vulnerability stemming from his upbringing. And I love that he is a strong Christian man. Ashley Sawyer, the female lead in this book, is no weak female, either. She is a strong and capable woman who has overcome violence in her past and is now helping other women escape abusive situations.
I love books where the characters knew each other earlier in life, and when they meet again years later, one or both of them wake up to the fact that the other person is pretty amazing! That is the case with this book and it just works so well. Ashley is not the little teenage girl Matt used to know years earlier when he would visit with his best friend, Ashley’s older brother. The relationship that develops between these two is just so sweet. Loved it from start to finish!
You can read this review on my blog at:
http://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.co... -
Review on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RNA5E5VH...
Review on my blog:
http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
A Promise to Protect was a great read! I liked it from the beginning and the book just kept continuing to get better as I read! I loved the characters - especially Matt, although Ashley and her brother Tristan were also favorites. I particularly liked how protective Tristan was and found myself chuckling a few times from things he did. ;)
The mystery was very good. I actually didn't guess who the culprit was and found myself surprised when it became known what was really going on. The romance was sweet and I liked how the book had an epilogue so it didn't seem like things were rushed.
After reading A Promise to Protect, I now plan on going back and reading some of Liz Johnson's previous books (especially The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn)... because if they are as good as this one, I know I'll like them. :)
I definitely recommend A Promise to Protect if you like suspenseful romance books - it's a great one.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.* -
A Promise to Protect by Liz Johnson is a story about a who woman is attacked and stalked by an unknown assailant. Ashley Sawyer runs a shelter for abused women and she is devoted to what she does. When someone attacks her, her brother's friend Matt, takes it upon himself to protect her and try to find out who is after her. In the process he starts to fall for her but thinks that her brother will not find him good enough for Ashley so he keeps his growing feelings to himself. He made a promise to protect so he tries to put these feelings on the back burner. Ashley on the other hand is resistant at first to accept Matt's help but she also starts to have feelings for him. This story is filled with suspense as the person/s after her continue to torment her. The main characters are very likable and the story line is one that could happen to any woman. Liz Johnson's story's are sweet without being sappy and still keep the element of suspense. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
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Perfect! Liz Johnson sure knows how to keep me on the edge of my seat while developing a sizzling romance. Matt is my kind of hero--kind, protective, and not over-bearing. I found Ashley very relatable and sympathetic. I wanted her to fall for Matt and keep her "girls" safe.
The twists and turns kept the pace lively, and I got teary-eyed a few times toward the end. When I did read the final words, I sighed and smiled, satisfied with the way everything turned out. I'll be reading more by this talented author! -
This is not something, I would normally read, as it is from the Love Inspired Suspense line, and I am not religious. But for some reason, Mills & Boon (who publish Harlequin's catalogue here in Austalia) like to throw a couple of Love Inspired book into the Intrigue line every now and then, meaning those of us who subscribe to it don't actually get the Intrigue books we think we're paying for. But anyway....
Matt Waterstone is a SEAL recovering from a minor leg injury and he's asked by best buddy Tristan to check on Tristan's sister, Ashley Sawyer, who has just received a threatening note. When Matt gets to the women's shelter that Ashley works at, the threats and attacks escalate, and he immediately swears to always protect her. It seems the threats are related to a girl Ashley assisted in finding another shelter to stay in. Matt and Ashley work together to get to the bottom of things.
It actually wasn't too bad as far as these things go. It's all very demure, with Matt and Ashley sharing only sweet kisses, and the suspense element is handled well. In regards to the religious content, it's to the author's credit that I didn't feel preached at....but it's just not my thing. There's no other way around it. And the big theme that seems to run through this book is that it's okay to be weak sometimes, because God can be strong for you. Indeed, we get this bizarre commentary from Ashley:
"You reminded me what it felt like to really rely on someone else. To let down my guard long enough to remember that when I'm weak, God is strong. And sometimes when we really need help, He sends Navy SEALS to the rescue."
I mean, did I really just read that? If you pray hard enough, God will deploy SEALs to rescue you from human traffickers? And religious aspect aside, it's an attitude that bothers me in some romantic suspense, where the heroine believes that everything will be hunky dory because a man will always be there to look after her and protect her. Never a guarantee in life, romantic fantasy or not! I prefer a heroine who is strong, but knows when to seek assistance, which is the type you usually get in Intrigue. Not someone who waits for an external party - a man, higher power, whatever - to step in and keep things in order.
When looking at my 2 star rating, keep in mind I'm not the target audience! I read it because I'd already paid for it as part of a subscription to a completely different line. This was otherwise well-paced and did maintain some levels of suspense. Those looking for hot romance should look elsewhere, though!
Points off for Ashley's older brother, Tristan, who is the tropey "No one is good enough for my sister and all men should stay away from her" type. That is just SUPER CREEPY and gross. -
"Tristan is the closest thing I have to a brother. He's worried about you, and so am I. Let me help."
Fear flicked through Ashley's eyes as she whispered, "Someone almost ran me over."
"Tristan said something about a letter," Matt pressed.
Ashley nodded. "When I got home that day, there was an anonymous note saying that someone wanted hsi property back."
His gut clenched. What kind of jerk threatened a bettered women's shelter? "Listen, I'm in town for a few days. Let me look into things."
She smiled up at him. "Thanks, but I got the note more than a week ago. If there was any danger, something else would have happened by now."
As they reached her car, her smile died. He didn't have to ask if she still thought the threat had passed as she took in the smashed windshield of her coupe. Tucked under a wiper blade, the person responsible for the mess had left a clear message.
If I don't get what's mine, you'll get what's yours. (pg. 18).
In the latest suspense romance novel from Liz Johnson, A Promise to Protect involves Matt Waterstone, a Navy SEAL who is recovering from an injury who takes on an investigation and protection of his best friend's sister, Ashley is almost run over. Since she took over helping women find safety and refuge at Lil's Place, a battered women's shelter this is her first time that the threat levels for her personal safety have taken on a different meaning.
It seems that helping a young Asian woman, named Joy seems to be the only link in helping both Matt and Ashley uncover who is behind a string of increasingly violent threats against Ashley. While she thinks its no more threatening than ex-boyfriends or husbands she has dealt with in the past, these threats are now involving the personal safety of the women and children in the shelter unless Ashley returns Joy. Even the local small town police don't seem to have enough resources to help locate the person responsible and when a lady who aided Joy turns up missing, Ashley and Matt know that this threat is personal and it won't stop until Joy is returned or Ashley is made to pay for her intervention.
I received A Promise To Protect compliments of Liz Johnson and Harlequin's Love Inspired Series for my honest review. This is perfect to take along in your purse to read anywhere, but trust me once you get started, you'll be hooked until you reach the final page. Liz does just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat with enough suspense to keep you frantically turning pages hoping to find out just what happens, both to solving the threat to Ashley and to seeing if the romantic tension between Matt and Ashley connects with true love for them both. I easily rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion and can't wait for more from Liz in the future. The Love Inspired series from Harlequin is geared to the Christian Romance reader and is one I am certain you will enjoy. -
I've read two of Liz Johnson's other novels before, and I have to say that each new one I read is so much better than the last. Given how good the first one was this last one was excellent. The story was exciting and emotional. Trying to protect women in a shelter has to be a difficult enough job, but add in the fact that one of the women was saved from something much darker than an abusive partner and it makes the job of protecting these women and their children that much more difficult - and dangerous. Even with the help of Matt protecting these women may be more than Ashley can handle.
Ashley was a good character. She wasn't just strong for herself she was strong for the many many women she's been entrusted to protect. Ashley runs a women's shelter and gives so much of herself to these women that once the story really started going I kept thinking "how much more can she give." But Ashley never even thinks twice about doing what's needed to protect the women in the shelter. Matt was also a pretty good character. He was the strength Ashley needed to keep herself going and keep her shelter safe. Even when things get a little out of hand Matt seems to always have a plan. He was the cool, calm, and collected type.
The writing was really good. Even when I realized just how dark the evil Ashley was trying to protect the women from really was I didn't feel like the story was dark. Liz Johnson has a way of writing that keeps things from getting too dark and depressing. Not that the story was happy and sunshine, but the story never really jumps too deep into the horrid crimes that are being committed So even though you're aware of what is going on, it's not the kind of story that pulls you into that same dark place. I think it's a great feat to be able to write about something so horrible without having to go too dark with the writing and still be able to convey the seriousness of what is going on. It made this a great book to read. It was exciting enough that I didn't want to put it down, but it wasn't depressing to where I had to put it down to get my head out of where the book was going. It was a bery perfect balance.
Overall it was a great read. It had great characters, a good romance, and an awesome story. -
Title: A PROMISE TO PROTECT
Author: Liz Johnson
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
December 2012
ISBN: 978-0-373-44518-9
Genre: Romantic suspense
Ashley Sawyer manages a battered women’s shelter, and she’s used to threatening notes from the ex-husbands, ex-boyfriends, or soon-to-be exes. But she is not used to someone trying to run her over, bashing her windshield on her car in, and demanding his property be put back where she found it. The local police are no help. The threats are too vague, and it might be all coincidence.
Navy SEAL Matt Waterstone takes it more seriously. Ashley is his best friend’s sister, and he promised to check on her and keep her safe. Matt is frustrated when Ashley doesn’t seem to take the threats seriously enough, but even more frustrating is the cavalier attitude of the police chief.
When Ashley falls prey to a more sinister crime than she realizes, Matt could be the only way to survive. . .
A PROMISE TO PROTECT is the fourth suspense I’ve read by Ms. Johnson and they keep getting better. The threat is there from the beginning and it keeps being built on and built on until the tension is almost palatable.
Ashley is a realistic heroine, friendly, outgoing, and caring, the perfect characteristics for someone who works with women who’d been abused. Matt is struggling with his own war injuries, is rather closed-mouthed, and focused, true to form for the Navy SEALs I’ve known. If you are looking for a good suspense, then A PROMISE TO PROTECT will be something to consider. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $5.75. 224 pages. -
I enjoy Liz Johnson's books a lot. She tells well-crafted tales that keep you guessing with a perfect amount of faith and God included. The storyline and characters seem real and relatable. The story moves quickly making the book hard to put down. Very real story of battered women and human trafficking which apparently happens more than people realize. Loved the protectiveness of both Matt and Tristian. I can relate to the desire of Ashley to be strong on her own and her understanding that the best way to be strong is to be strong in her love and trust in the Lord to take care of her.
I read the books in the series out of order by reading Tristian's story in Seal Under Siege first. After "meeting" Ashley in that book, I had to go back to read her story in A Promise to Protect. This was another fast moving hard to put down mystery from Liz Johnson. Really hope there will be more books in this series about the SEALs of Team FIFTEEN as I would love to read the stories of Willie G and Zach. -
If there is one author that comes to mind when someone needs a recommendation for Inspirational Romance, Liz Johnson is usually the one I mention.
Each character in this story compliments the other in such a good way that it pushes this story into great. I loved Matt in this story. He was the perfect hero for Ashley. Each book that this author writes, gets better in the character department each time. Her writing is growing and the story proves it.
Suspense is also great in this book. It flowed at a perfect pace and kept me interested up until the end. Guessing the outcome of this book was not something I even tried to do while reading it because I was enjoying the story too much to even try and skip ahead.
Even if you are not a big reader of inspirational, this romantic suspense will fit right in with romance readers. -
I loved the premise of this novel, which surrounded an injured Navy Seal doing his best friend a favor while he was on assignment. The fact that Matt knew Ashley (best friend Tristan's little sister) made their escalating knowledge of each other and chemistry work. My biggest problems with this story were the twists. I saw the human trafficking angle from the beginning, so watching Matt try to figure it out was more frustrating than engaging. Also, Tristan's reaction to Matt and Ashley falling for each other felt forced; I get him not thinking that anyone was good enough for his sister, but extending that to a man who had literally saved his life seemed like a stretch.
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Loved this story. Human trafficking stories are always tragic. I enjoyed watching the development of a relationship between Matthew and Ashley. Though they have known and loved each other for years, they don't know they love each other and that there is any chance of a relationship between them. Ashley trusts no man and wants to keep it that way. But Matt just stays under her skin and she can't shake what is there.
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When I first opened the envelope, I was uncertain about this book as it's published by Harlequin but since the book was also promoted as Inspirational I decided to give it a chance and I'm glad I did. A Promise to Protect is part of the Love Inspired Suspense line and it's truly both. The love story was clean cut but touching and the suspense kept me wanting to read more. This is not the same Harlequin of the 80s.
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i won this book on goodreads and i did enjoy it very much. i thought the plot kept my intrest and i realy did care about the charecters and rooted for the best outcome. it was a quick read, it only took me a few hours. which was good as i like that kind of book when i am between larger novels. if you pick this book up you will not be dissapointed.
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Great read! Interesting story!
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A good love story. Makes you think about your own weaknesses. Loved it
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A Promise to Protect by Liz Johnson is a chilling page-turner filled with heart. Have you ever struggled with falling head over heels for a fictional hero? Trust me--Matt Watersone is one of those.
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Awesome
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The main characters were great--flawed, and believable.
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I love these Christian romance novels. They're not amazing literature and they're not supposed to be. They're great stories that include faith, which is a big deal to me.
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I found this story a little weak but it was ok over all.
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Another great mystery romance with the navy seals by Liz Johnson. This time with Matt as the designated protector of Tristan's sister Ashley as they try to stay one step ahead of human traffickers.
