It's been awhile since I've read a book by Marina Adair but since I've loved everything I have read, I was excited for this one.

Hunter and Mackenzie were best friends until he's getting married to someone else. Then Mackenzie disappears. Three years later, Hunter is back home and single and trying to find this songwriting duo who is going to give him a push into stardom. When Hunter and Mackenzie find their way back into each other's lives, will they be able to find a way to stay there?

There were definitely some twists in this book that made me want to see how this was going to turn out. There were a lot of spots in this book that I felt like I was dropped into a series in the middle without any explanation of backstory and that kept me from connecting to the characters. I didn't love any of the side characters and some I thought were just placed there for drama.

*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

This book was recommended by my friend Lorelei at Lorelei's Lit Lair. I had not read Marina Adair before, but now I'm wanting to read more by her!

What a lovely story! I was completely involved in this story. It captivated me from the beginning. So much so that I finished it in one day!

I very much enjoyed the characters and was rooting for them the whole time. I enjoyed the realness, the messiness of the relationships, and loved that they eventually made the choice for their HEA!

I love everything that Marina Adair does. This book was a great read. Loved it from page one to the end. Must read book.

Promise Me You is my first book by Marina Adair, although I do have her Sugar, Georgia series on my TBR.

Summary:
Mackenzie Hart finally found a love like she writes about. Hunter Kane is charming, funny, and sweet. He’s also her best friend, an up-and-coming musician, and the catch of the town. Unfortunately, someone caught him before Mackenzie could make her move. Deciding to take some time to get over Hunter, start fresh, and focus on her career, three years pass before Mackenzie gets the shock of her life. She’s a pretty sought-after songwriter, and who should swagger back into her life but successful singer, Hunter Kane. Hunter never forgot the woman he foolishly left behind. He freely admits he made a mistake and is more than a little interested in reconnecting with his best friend and the woman who seems to make all his successes worthwhile. But Hunter broke Mackenzie’s heart, and she’s not the same woman he used to know. Both of their lives have changed drastically in their years apart, just in very different ways. But Hunter is determined to turn their shaky friendship into something much more. Is love enough to hold them together despite their completely different worlds?

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Promise Me You was a sweet friends-to-lovers romance between a country singer and a woman with special needs. The story is what caught my attention with this book, but it ended up being different than what I expected going into it. More emotional, and much more than a simple romance between two friends. I liked Mackenzie. My heart broke for her and what she went through with her mom, then turning around and having to go through it herself. She was realistic and likeable. She had a hard road and was terrified of the changes and adjustments she needed to make, but she always pulled through. Even if it was a shaky success, she succeeded. Hunter was just an okay hero. I think he really was a good guy and seemed to really care about Mackenzie, but seemingly only when she was front and center in his life. He also made some poor decisions and was a teensy bit self-centered. A few times, I just wanted to smack him upside the head. Together they shared a sweet romance. I didn’t really feel an overwhelming chemistry, though. I enjoyed a few of their scenes. Especially when Hunter would sit behind Mackenzie and they played together. Overall, it was just an okay book. I think I was hoping to see more romance and for the characters to show more growth. Instead, I felt that the romance took a backseat to Mackenzie’s situation instead of the romance including how she coped, how Hunter coped, and how they compromised together. That’s not to say that I didn’t find the situation interesting, but for a romance, the focus was a bit skewed. As for the growth, Hunter is really the one I wanted more from. There wasn’t a lot on his marriage or divorce or the reasons behind either. That made it hard to gauge just how far he turned around. I also wasn’t completely convinced his need for her songwriting wasn’t a big factor in his interest for Mackenzie. As I said, I enjoyed the blurb and pretty much the first third of the book, and the storyline had potential, but missed the mark a bit for me. I am very intrigued with the cousins, though, and could see this being a series. ♡

5 STARS FOR MACKENZIE AND HUNTER!! OMG, Marina Adair has done it again with this beautiful story. This book has all the feels from happy to sad and everything in between. Mackenzie and Hunter have a beautiful story to tell you and you need to hear it. Marina Adair is one of my favorite authors ever, her storytelling is phenomenal.

I'm such a fan of Marina Adair's writing, and she does not disappoint with Hunter and Mackenzie's story. The two drifted apart (meaning no contact) when he got married. He's now fresh from his divorce, and his band is struggling. He needs new music, and when he and Mackenzie were close, they made the best music.

Mackenzie's life has changed significantly. She was (is) in love with Hunter and it was heartbreaking when he didn't return those feelings.

I felt for both characters as they were reunited and navigated all of the changes in their relationship. They both faced challenges - she with major changes in her health, and he had to learn to not take over in helping with every single thing, and support her independence. She had to learn to trust him.

I loved this book and went through so many emotions reading it.

If you love second chance romance without instalove, Promise Me You is the book for you!. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Oh my, this was a great read. A second chance love story. She was the girl stuck in the best friend status of the Guy. She even makes it thru his soon to be wedding. Three years later He is older and wiser and newly divorced. Hunting for his best friend. She has moved on the best way she knew how. Can she let go of her fear of dependence and see the best thing that has ever happened to her?

A very emotional friends to lovers and second-chance story. Mackenzie is a talented songwriter and has been working with Hunter Kane and his band for a while. She and Hunter are friends and writing partners, but she wants more. Unfortunately, she's waited too long to tell him, and Hunter is about to marry another woman. Unable to handle the pain of seeing him with another woman, Mackenzie walks away from the celebrations and disappears.

Three years later, Hunter is divorced and the band is in trouble. Their last album tanked and Hunter is having trouble getting his songwriting mojo back. Their record label is threatening to drop them if he doesn't accept one of their suggested songwriters to help. The problem is that the songwriting duo that Hunter wants to team up with isn't cooperating. Hunter really irritated me in this scene, as he comes across as very arrogant. He's so certain that he can charm the writers that he wants that he refuses to consider any other option, even blackmailing his cousin into setting up a meeting.

What Hunter doesn't know is that the songwriting "duo" of Mack and Muttley is Mackenzie and her Seeing Eye dog. At the time of Hunter's wedding, she had just found out that she suffered from the same hereditary eye disease that her mother had had. The same disease that had made her mother dependent on Mackenzie and derailed her own plans. Mackenzie never wanted to be dependent on someone that way, but finding her way in her new reality has been harder than she expected. Brody works to convince her that it's time to face Hunter again, but Mackenzie is afraid of being caught up in Hunter's take charge personality and losing herself in the process.

I ached for Hunter when he found out the truth. He was stunned, confused, and angry. I was a bit angry at him for walking away without a word. His confrontation with Brody opened his eyes to what Mackenzie had been through, and it took him some time to process it. In spite of what Brody told him about her need for privacy, he was determined to get her back with him.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Hunter and Mackenzie. It started out rough because of the way that Hunter forced himself back into Mackenzie's life. I was pretty irritated with the way that he steam-rollered right over her objections. Some of those objections were just because she was afraid of leaving her comfort zone, but some of them were legitimate concerns. Hunter is one of those guys who has a Superman personality. If he sees something wrong, he wants to fix it. He also tends to assume responsibility for a lot of things, such as the band and everything that makes it a success. Mackenzie is most desperately afraid of being dependent on someone else, the way that her mom was dependent on her. I loved the ease with which they were able to resume their working relationship. Just being with Mackenzie again made Hunter able to get past the writer's block he'd been suffering from, mostly because she was the rudder that steered his thought processes.

Seeing Mackenzie again made Hunter finally admit to himself that he'd always had feelings for her. He had buried them before because of their age difference, and that he didn't want to screw up their working relationship. Now he's ready to do something about it, but he realizes that he has to get past all of Mackenzie's walls, especially her refusal to accept help. It was interesting to see his complex run up against her independence. Mackenzie also had a habit of holding herself back, lacking the confidence to believe that she can do it. I liked the confrontation between Mackenzie's sponsor and Hunter, as she laid out for him what Mackenzie's issues and challenges really were. I liked that he saw her point and made changes in his actions that would help Mackenzie the right way. I liked seeing the progress that she made, but it was still painfully slow.

Unfortunately, Hunter still has something of a blind spot when it comes to their relationship. He sees the progress they've made with their writing, and that she has made with her independence, in the context of their future as he sees it. The success of their collaboration propels the band to the next level, and he sees Mackenzie at his side through it all. It takes Brody pointing out that she may not see things the same way before Hunter gets a glimmer of the problems. At the same time, Hunter has pushed Mackenzie into an activity that she doesn't feel quite ready for, and it comes back to bite him in the butt. I ached so much for Mackenzie because of the fear she felt, and how overwhelmed she was by what happened around her. Those fears led her to push Hunter away. His pain at her words was intense, as was his anger at the way she refused to give them a chance.

It was satisfying to see his misery as he gave her the space she wanted. It was even more satisfying to see Brody point out to Hunter just how selfish he had been. I loved Hunter's "light bulb" moment as he finally saw the light. His timing in going after Mackenzie was perfect. She has spent the last week wallowing in her misery but was finally pulling herself together. Her realization that she had allowed herself to push Hunter away was eye-opening for her. What followed was a terrifying period of time that had my heart in my throat. I loved seeing her use the strength she didn't know she had to get through it, just in time for Hunter to find her. I loved the perfect combination of caring for her and supporting her that he showed. I was thrilled to see that they finally actually talked and listened to each other. The ending was fantastic and showed that they had finally found the balance that they needed.

Just beautiful book that loved
Was amazing characters are interesting to read about

I loved the ending so much

Loved this book! Marina Adair did a wonderful job writing this story, bringing about strong emotions on every page. This book was so heartbreaking but at the same time so uplifting with the struggles Mackenzie has had to go through & the heartbreak of losing her best friend & one love to someone else. Hunter had me cheering for him to finally realize what Mackenzie really means to him & to make things work both personally & professionally. The struggle of each day for Mackenzie was real & bringing to the forefront the difficulty of normalcy in the life of a disabled person, but also shows the difficulties that loved ones deal with also as we watch Hunter find his footing & growth in his love for Mackenzie. Truths finally come out as well as second chances both career & personal wise & it’s up to Hunter to prove to Mackenzie that he’s not going anywhere & can be someone she can lean on. The addition of the Hunter’s adorable niece, his supportive but harassing cousins & Muttley the service dog bring a fun, loving atmosphere to the story. Definitely recommend.

I have read eight different books from this author and this book was something totally different from all of her other books. Different in the describing of the women and the way her body reacted to her male friend and for some of the other descriptions that had not been in her other books. I must say it did not take away from the story and I think I know why she did it but you must read this story. First it starts out with Mackenzie Hart watching her best friend Hunter Kane go through the all of the steps of getting married except for the wedding. Mack and Hunter have a friendship that includes writing songs and playing music, but now Hunter is marrying a big time female country star and the big label he has signed on with wants him to also drop the band he is with. Mack just can’t tell him that she has been in love with him for years now and leaves that night. Three years later with his marriage over and his career looking like it might also be over. He fights with his manager who also is his cousin to meet with the song writing duo or Mac and Hunter. What he does not know is that Mac is Mackenzie and Mutt is Muttley is her Seeing Eye dog. Now you begin to see really how messed up Hunter is by the way he treats her that night, leaving her. Then not talking to her for days until he realizes his career and that of his band is at stake, he goes to her and her being blind is in a bind because he ends up moving in. they do write songs, and he does get his record but he really does not see or hear her. That is until the end when he is upset when she says no about going on a 16 month world tour. She cannot do it yet for reasons that are explained but he won’t listen. It is not until something happens that he opens his eyes. I think this is a good story from her side but also showing how he just wants a hit record and everything else is secondary until it is not. A good book with good characters.

This is the first novel I read with a physically disabled protagonist. Funny because I recently discovered Molly Burke on YouTube and in my mind’s cinema, I see her as Mackenzie and her dog as Muttley.

There’s one thing we both share and that’s having unrequited love with our best friends. Oh the pain of always placing them first before ourselves. As long as he is happy, then I am happy for him. I’d rather not risk our friendship and lose him. And it’s the same mentality Mackenzie had. So she kept her peace, as I did mine.

Thankfully for the both of us, her Hunter and mine are not complete idiots at all. LOL I normally favor the male character over the female in the stories I read but in this one, I am all for Mackenzie.

I read this in one night, I sacrificed sleep because the story is THAT good. I had a busy day at work after that but I cannot stop thinking about the damn book. When I got home, I read it again!

I had a really hard time rating this book. On the one hand it is super addicting and emotional with characters that jump off the page and wrap themselves around the heart. The beginning of the book was absolutely riveting and promised a 5 star read.

As things progressed, however, the questions with no answers given began piling up. And, by the end of the book, many of those threads were left hanging - which, in turn, left me frustrated and unsatisfied. SO many times I yearned for the communication between Hunter and Mackenzie to open up and deepen our understanding but nothing was said - at all! Topics like if Hunter knew Mac was in love with him, why he married the other woman and why the divorce, when did he realize his feelings for Mac went deeper than friendship - the list goes on. The biggest hole left unfilled, however, was the HUGE fact of how much he had hurt Mackenzie. Did he even realize it? Also, what about the child situation? SO much could have been done if the author would have taken the time to have her characters actually communicate!

As it stands, it is a gripping read that so easily could have been an all-time favorite that, unfortunately never hit the depth would have made it such.

“We’re still feeling each other out, seeing how we fit.”
“What if we don’t fit anymore?” she whispered.
“What if we fit better than before?”

When a book can make you ache, from the first page to the last, then you know it’s a good one. Promise Me You by Marina Adair was just such a story for me.

I’ve read and enjoyed several of Ms. Adair’s books, and she’s an author I look for when searching for something to read. Her style—feels laced with humor and heart—is one I can count on to keep me engaged, and Hunter + Mackenzie’s story was a wonderful example of that.

It’s a second chance-slash-friends-to-lovers romance, and nothing like I expected. You see, there’s a something about Mackenzie we don’t know . . . and it makes this book all the more interesting and unique. I’ll admit I’m left with a couple of unanswered questions, but when a book can keep a smile on my face from start to finish—while my emotions are simmering and my eyes just this side of watering, to boot—I can easily forgive that.

Especially if we see more of this couple in future books from this author. I’ll definitely be on the lookout!

“I’ve spent most of my life looking back. When I’m with you, all I want to do is move forward.”

A second chance book usually is only about finding you love each other after a first chance. But since neither told the other there feelings they both suffered. Years later the love has not changed but then there is a new factor she is going blind. One of the things that bound them was writing music so her losing her sight has implications all around. In the end, I have to say it did get slow in places and lots its rhythm. But I still liked it.
I was furnished a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review.

Mackenzie loves Hunter - he's her best friend and they write music together. But, Hunter marries someone else and Mackenzie pulls a disappearing act the day of the wedding rehearsal. Hunter doesn't know it, but Mackenzie is going blind from the same genetic cause as her mother did.

This is a sweet book about second chances. The connection between Mackenzie and Hunter was strong and I loved the vulnerability that he displayed. The blindness added a unique element to the book, but it wasn't something that overpowered the love story.

He was her greatest heartbreak. She was his biggest regret. When fate gives them a second chance will they let past mistakes ruin future happiness? Adair is the rarest of authors. She looks at love with a truthful heart and not a jaundiced eye. Promise Me You is not a watered down version of love's power, but a realistic one. Mackenzie waited too long and acted to late, which left her with a broken heart. Hunter is the one that got away. What happens when the boy that broke her heart becomes the man determined to heal it? Hunter and Mackenzie are juicy battle of hearts that left me an emotional wreck in the sweetest of ways.

2.5☆

What I liked:
The writing style
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I had a hard time staying interested in this book.

It’s a cute friends to lovers story that also feels a bit like a second chance romance. It’s a great example of how not speaking up about your feelings can make you miss valuable years with the person you love. It has a little steam and even more heart. I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.