3.5 stars.

This is the story of Amy and Trent, two people from very different ends of the social spectrum. Amy had a rough childhood, and struggled to get by. But she's doing life, on her own terms. Then we have Trent, a trust-fund, seemingly spoiled and entitled young man. He works as a firefighter, which is his passion, and also helps run one of his family's bars. However, there is way more to Trent than first meets the eye. His family really controls him, and he feels obligated and beholden to them. Not all that deep down though, he's got a good heart, and he realizes his faults, and wants to be out from beneath his family's thumb. Amy and Trent start a mutually agreeable very casual relationship with an expiration date they both agree to. However, feelings get in the way, situations arise, and it gets complicated.

I struggled a bit throughout reading this, starting to skim, considering not finishing. But I did finish, and I'm truly glad I did.

After reading another book by this same author I had high expectations going into this one and yet throughout this one I found it to be a middle-of-the-road read that left me with an overall sense of “ugh”. The writing itself was alright, however I wasn’t feeling the progression of things between Trent and Amy, nor was I engaged by them. It seemed as if there were too many things going on in this storyline, not to mention lots of cliches.

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

As a reviewer, I’ve had a couple exciting things happen: approval for an ARC I didn’t think I’d get, snippet of my review appearing with the synopsis of a book in the author’s publication day email AND ON AMAZON (that was REALLY exciting!), and getting invited to read and review certain books also continues to make me feel special (a la Sally Fields “They like me! They really, really like me!). And because I really liked the first book in the Under the Pier series (Without Words), I was SO excited to get a copy of Without Promises - and I didn’t even have to submit a request, then cross my fingers!

However, my excitement was short lived. The thing I loved so much about Without Words is that it had all the typical plots and conflicts of the young adult romance genre, but without all the usual things that drive me bonkers (womanizing hero, innocent heroine, terrible childhoods and a serious lack of communication skills). Unfortunately, that was not the case this time.

Trent is your typical YA “hero” - totally hot, totally confident, totally commitment-phobic, and totally unimpressive to me. Seriously, why do authors think I’m going to be interested in a hero who says “I can have any woman I want, and I do”? Ugh. So starting out, I’m not really liking this hero.

Sorry, got sidetracked there.

Anyway, Trent is a firefighter, and also manages a bar that his father’s company owns. He’d much rather just be a firefighter, but is expected to eventually join his father at McNeil Inc. But until then, he’s happy with his footloose and fancy free life of independence.

Then he meets Amy. And for some reason, she catches his eye and won’t leave his thoughts. She’s smart, witty, and not the type he usually falls for. He’s able to talk her into getting together for coffee, but she’s starting medical school soon and isn’t interested in a relationship. They agree to a month-long fling. Nothing serious, just fun times hanging out. She doesn’t need - nor want - any distractions or complications.

But guess what?!?! She gets both!!!

I should probably confess that I’m not a fan of the “fling with an expiration date” trope. You have to spend too much time reading about how they are starting to have feelings for the other person, and there’s NO WAY the other person feels the same, and there’s NO WAY the relationship could continue. It rarely works for me, and it didn’t here.

However...between all the internal lamenting about how they didn’t want the relationship to end, was a story about a trust fund kid - who didn’t realize he had an entitlement mindset - realizing he wasn’t as grown up as he thought he was. Beneath his inflated ego persona, Trent is a good guy, who loves his family, and doesn’t want to let them down. By the end of the book, I didn’t dislike him as much as I did in the first chapters.

Trent’s relationship with Amy was still problematic for me though. I couldn’t ever figure out what it was about Amy that made him change his mindset from “relationships are terrible” to “she’s the only one I want for the rest of my life.” And if you can’t show me that, or help me understand it, it’s hard to redeem the hero in my eyes.

Overall, this was a decent story. It ended much stronger than it started. The writing was still good. On its own merit I may not have judged it so harshly, but compared to the first book in the series it fell short of my expectations. Fingers crossed the next book (if there is one...hopefully there is!) navigates away from the stereotypical plots and pitfalls, and gives us something unique and fresh.

* thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC/Entangled: Embrace for inviting me to review an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read and review this ARC, but unfortunately I have DNF'd this title. I tried many times to get through it, but in the end, I had to put it down. The characters just didn't do it for me. While I was empathetic to the issues Trent and Amy were dealing with, I also found myself annoyed with both of them more often than not. Combine that with the fact that I really did not like Trent's family, though I did empathize to a point with Elyse, it just made the read not that enjoyable for me.
I wanted to love this book as much as I loved Without Words, and I'm very thankful to have been invited to read it, but it just hit the wrongs buttons with me.
Thank you again for the opportunity.

Engaging story, I wasn't expecting the emotional level this story brings. My heart went out to Trent due to the conundrum he found himself experiencing. Amy's got her life plan already mapped out. Of course there's always going to be something that might have your plan taking a different route, and that's what we get here. I liked that we got to see all sides of Trent and Amy, flaws and all.

I tried so hard to like this book.
I'd previously read Without Words and loved it, so I was anticipating another solid read. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I got almost to the halfway point and nothing really HAPPENED. I didn't feel anything for either of the main characters.....the writing was decent but not compelling enough to keep my interest.

"Can I kiss you, Amy?" His voice was sandpaper. Fireman Trent, as his friends like to rib him, is not nervous around women. Never. He has game, maybe a bit of player. No commitment, light fun, everyone has a good time. Until Amy.

Amy has a lot on her plate. She is preparing to begin medical school, and trying to figure out a way to pay for it. Finding a good looking and charming guy at a bar is not on her "to do" list. Yet, there is Trent. The roommate of her sister's boyfriend. She can just have a fling, right? A little fun before the treacherous schedule of school starts.

Trent and Amy both think they can keep this light, but as things start to feel more than that, the situation gets complicated. Apparently, Trent comes from quite the wealthy, and judgemental, family. Trent's family obligations increase and Amy is thrown into situations she was not prepared to manage.

This story leads us through the ins and outs of complications, an undeniable attraction, and more. What a great addition to the Under the Boardwalk series by Delancey Stewart!

Without Promises is the follow up to Without Words, which I read last year and loved. When I finished it, I was wishing we could have gotten Dani's sister Amy's story which seemed to be going on at the same time as Dani;'s. I was happy to see this book featured Amy and Trent.

For the most part, I enjoyed the book. I didn't love it as much as I did the first one. I'm not sure I really felt the connection between Trent and Amy. Amy didn't feel as invested in the relationship or even the "fling" as Trent did. The one thing that I felt was missing was more back story on Amy. I know there was more of it in the first book but it has been a year since I read that one. Had there been more here, I might have understood her aloofness more. I mean we do get a little, but it wasn't enough for me. I felt like Trent grew the most out of the two. Even at the end I still felt like Amy could have moved on and been fine even though they got their HEA.

This it still an enjoyable romance. I would recommend it was well as the first one. I'm looking forward to seeing if Chad and Rebecca get a story as well. -Kari

Trent and Amy are opposites in all ways but one their determination to be what they want on their own terms. She comes from a sad childhood and is determined to become a doctor. He is a trust fund baby that chose to become a fireman.
Life changes for both of them when his father has a medical issue. New decisions have to be made on his part to alter the carefree life he is living in the moment. The affect this will have on them can go either way.
This was a story of determination and funding their way. I felt in a couple places the story was slow, however for the most part it held my attention and is a good read.


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

I have read one other book by this author so I thought I would try another since I liked the other one. This one he is a firefighter whom I adore. Trent has quite the story with you following every step. Then enters Amy and the story really gets under way with us getting to set back and soak it all in. The are interesting because they are not the same with having to see how they will go. This is no way predictable with emotions that will come your way. The flow is that you go from beginning to end in no time.

I loved the first, stand-alone book in this series, Without Words, so I had a feeling I would love Without Promises, too. I was right! (Can I trademark that as my tagline?) Trent is charming and sexy, and I adore his and Amy’s chemistry. There is something real and relatable about their characters that makes it easy to fall into their love story. They try to keep things light and easy and just have a fling because both are in major transition career-wise, but neither can deny that something special is happening between them. Without Promises is a charming, sexy romance with an emotional and interesting storyline and a sigh-worthy happy-every-after.

ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written.

I received an ARC of this story in return for an honest review.

This is the first work by this author that I have read and the second book in this series. At times I felt there was assumed knowledge and perhaps I would have got more from the story if I'd read the earlier book?

I liked Amy well enough - she seems a more fully formed person than the "hero". Trent seems to have been cruising through life largely supported financially by his parents - he came across as a nice, very spoiled, immature guy. Probably someone you'd like hanging out with but not an obvious romantic interest!

Although the story was fine, by the end of the story I wanted to tell the characters to go away and grow up a little before settling down.

Trent McNeil has never wanted to run his family's company, but he's been groomed to take over for his dad for years, even though he's been enjoying his time as a firefighter. With time getting closer to his father retiring, Trent finds his life taking a turn for the better when he meets Amy Hodge. However, they're complete opposites and his family aren't the easiest to please. Will Trent be able to convince Amy to take a chance on him or will they go their separate ways because they're too different?

This was a fantastic and riveting second book Ms. Stewart has delivered for her Under the Pier series where I absolutely loved the main characters, but with the secondary ones Trent's mother had me cursing her because she's a total witch; and the dialogue drew me in immediately, as the heroine is resilient and brave when it comes to how she meets Trent because she's normally not so outgoing. Will Trent be able to win Amy over, especially when she won’t have time for a relationship once she starts medical school?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories, especially that of the heroine because she's been through so much and she's finally turned her life around to be working her way to becoming a doctor. Moreover, the heroine is resilient and courageous with everything she faces when it comes to Trent's family. I also liked how kind and caring she was towards Trent's sister and how she would do anything to help someone that needs her. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine was the close relationship she shared with her sister and that they would do anything for each other, which was proven by what her sister was willing to sacrifice to help Amy achieve her dream of becoming of doctor without having to worry about how she was going to pay for medical school.

While the hero, I felt sorry for him when it comes to expectations and the persistent pressure his parents put on him to settle down and do right by his family. Why doesn't he stand up to his parents, especially his mother? Furthermore, the hero is confident, determined to do what's right by family after things that happen and I liked how tenacious he was to win the heroine over. Will he be able to win her over when his mother is such an interfering witch that thinks she knows what's best for her son?

Overall, Ms. Stewart has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was strong; the romance was wonderful and had me liking these two together; and the ending had me worried because of what happens, but made me completely happy because there's no way Trent can let Amy get away from him a second time. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up nicely, as the hero is determined to not let the heroine go because he wants her forever. I would recommend Without Promises by Delancey Stewart, if you enjoy the opposites attract trope or books by authors Cary Hart, Kennedy Layne, Kelly Jamieson and Gina L. Maxwell.

3.5 stars

Without Promises is my third read by Delancey, and I can truly say that I enjoy her writing style. Without Promises was a good read, that was easy to get sucked in to. The stroy feels a bit like a rollercoaster, I was never really sure what was waiting around the next page, which kept the story from being unpredictable. Both Amy and Trent were rather complex and had several issues to work out throughout the story.

Overall this was an enjoyable story. The only issue I had was that I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I felt like they were fully developed, there was just something about them that I was unable to really feel anything towards either of them. Regardless of the lack of connection, I still enjoyed the story.

I didn’t think I would like Trent but I did. He was a little bit of a womanizer but he was very respectful. I liked that when he first saw Amy he thought she was way out his league which was a new perspective for a hero to have to me. I liked Amy too. She was attracted to Trent but she wasn’t all over him. It was a very realistic attraction which I liked. Amy was intent on keeping it casual with Trent but I felt their relationship was anything but that. They went on dates and were very couply(I know I made that up) but I mean they didn’t even get intimate until a few weeks of being together. I liked that their relationship progressed that way.

I loved that Trent really grew up. He liked to think he was independent by working as a firefighter while his parents wanted him to be in the family business but he was still very much tied to his family financially. I liked how he dealt with all of his family issues including his mother and relying on his family so much. I think Trent was scared of failure which is why he didn’t want to be in the family business. Amy had a few issues stemming from a bad childhood but she really needed Trent to help her let loose a little. This book was low drama except for Trent’s family but it worked for me. Overall I did like this book. The ending was a bit of a surprise to me after all that had happened but it worked.

I absolutely loved this book. Trent was a man who was living life the way he wanted to and didn't care what anyone else thought, especially his parents. Amy wss a woman who had her future planned out and vowed not to let anyone get too close. Sparks fly as soon as they meet and eventually Trent gets Amy to agree to go out with him..
Although they both say they can't and don't want to have a serious relationship, they sort of start out add friends. They take longer than either expected to do the deed, something always seems to get in their way. Just when things are good between them, his awful parents, especially his mom, interfere, and Amy believes all her worst fears are coming true.
They both end up b wanting something more, but don't want to risk losing the other. When a medical emergency occurs, can they find a way to be happy? Will his parents ever come around? Are they way too different to make it the day distance? Is Trent ready to step up and be the man his family needs him to be?
Not only were Trent and Amy wonderful characters but I loved his sister, his ex, his friend, and her sister. All around great characters and story made this a book I couldn't put down. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

This was an enjoyable read. As with other books I've read by this author I really enjoyed the writing style, character development, and story pace. The biggest difference with this book is the characters. I liked them but I didn't love them. Trent comes across as this strong alpha firefighting bartender but when it comes to his family he has no backbone. Amy is a woman with a plan but she seems to lack the self confidence to pull it off. Still I found I enjoyed the overall story and I couldn't help but cheer for Trent and Amy to find their way. I would recommend this one.

This story features a hero, Trent, whose devotion to the heroine, Amy, and confidence in their relationship is endearing; as the story progressed, I thought that his youth and insecurities could be attractive but also kind of annoying. Trent’s indecisiveness in regard to the professional options was definitely annoying, although he ended up working things out nicely and neatly. But the honesty and sweetness were very appealing in a Beta-hero-way.
Yet, I found this story a bit lackluster and felt almost no connection to the characters. They spent a lot of time engaged in mundane things or family related events. Perhaps the youth and some of the hero characteristics and issues might appeal to younger readers, but I never quite warmed up to his character.
I hoped I would see more of Rob, from “Without Words”, a story I’ve enjoyed much more, but I had no luck with that. I would trade Trent’s meddling family for a little more of Rob (with Dani, Amy’s sister).
So, I felt no great enthusiasm about this story, although there’s no problem with the writing (dual first person point of view, not my favorite).

**I received a copy of Without Promises from Net Galley in exchange for a honest and voluntary review**

Without Promises by Delancey Stewart is a companion book to Without Words. Since I've read both now this book can be read as a stand alone but Rob and Dani are featured in this story as well as Trent's firefighter friends. Although I loved Without Words, Promises takes a bit to warm up to because of his rich family can be rather snooty.

Amy Hodge has a plan with her life, finish her job as a pharmaceutical rep and relax before starting medical school. When she goes out with her sister and friend, Amber clubbing little does she know that we she meets the bartender or FT Trent they will end up pretend engaged next. I really liked the back story of Amy and her sister Dani and living in their Nan's house, it was Trent's family that I grew to dislike a lot. Can Amy and Trent take their fake engagement and build a relationship that will lead to love?

Trent McNeil is your typical trust fund adult rebelling against his father the only way he knows by being a firefighter and refusing to take over for his father when he retires. But McNeil properties own quite a few hotels, restaurants and the bar that Trent works as a bartender on his off nights. When he meets Amy he proposes a coffee date with a possible second one. But when his mother pushes him to meet an old girlfriend who now works for his father, he states that Amy is his fiance'. When his father suffers a heart attack he'll have to put aside differences with his parents and learn to take over the business. Can he convince Amy that he really loves her when she walks away?

There is a side story with Trent's sister Elyse that will bring everyone together when she has a health scare as contacts Amy not her brother or parents. When all is said and done I'd give Without Promises a 3.9 star rating.

Trent the firefighter by day, bartender by night running a club his wealthy father owns. Hot Spot it is and it's there where he meets Amy and he can't take his eyes off her. She's different. He's completely enamored. She gives him her business card, he calls her. They have a coffee date which leads to more dates and them getting closer. She lives with her sister Dani, in the house their Gran left them. The girls didn't have the best childhood and Amy is particular. Dani spends most of her time with Rob (read book one), Amy's on her way to med school, leaving little time for much else. Her friend Amber is a cardiac surgeon and advisor, it's she who encourages Amy to get out there and have some fun, something Amy has always denied herself. So she takes the leap with Trent, defines relatively that when she starts school she won't have time, so this is short term and Trent had already said he doesn't do relationships. However it's exactly what he's in and what he wants from her.
Trent's wealthy family plays a huge role in this story and I'm not going into the details only to say that at one point Trent so angry at a meal spills out that he and Amy are engaged. Which sends his flipping witch of a mother into orbit. His father is quite pleased. He's got a younger sister who is ignored by both parents and Trent is too busy too, so they try to include her in some things. She's a typical 16 year old with a boulder of a chip on her shoulder.
There are a couple of incidents that transpire in the book that send Amy running, with very good reason and she breaks things off with Trent. He's one miserable man after that, and it takes another series of events and a voice from someone unexpected to show Trent where he needs to suck it up and set some boundaries with his mother first and foremost and then his father. Then go after Amy.
This is a very busy book, the kind you feel like you're on a ride that's spinning faster and you can't get off. I'm not sure what I really felt about Trent. Amy I did like. Amy had her past issues but she was upfront about them and they were in the past. She lived in the present and I liked that about her. Her realistic view and attitude had me right on board with her. Trent came from a different world, even though he took a job as a firefighter, when he was called back to the family business, he went.
The man didn't put all that money where his mouth was, I think that was my problem with him.
All in all a good read. Makes me wonder who's up next.

**advanced copy from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**