Claire and Logan are my favorite couple in the Sanctuary Sound series! Their love story was beautifully written and I loved seeing the personal growth of both characters throughout their journey.

This is the second book in the Sanctuary Sound series and I can't believe I'm just now discovering this author and series!

This series is set in a sleepy little town in Connecticut but don't let that description deceive you.  The town has a lot going for it including some strong (aka wealthy) families that have made a mark on the town and created an atmosphere that brings everyone in the town together.  There are many times where I read that certain characters were loved, well regarded, and respected which reflects a tight-knit community as well.  Claire was a rising tennis star in her youth until a tragic event turned her world upside down.  She fought hard to get to where she is now and had the love and support of her family and friends.  But even friends can turn on you as she discovered with her friend Peyton.  But perhaps Claire will realize that Peyton did her a favor in the end.

This book hits on many truths that we all experience in life.  Friendships will be tested, love will open our eyes, and maturity will create new experiences.  Claire has been wrapped in bubble wrap ever since the tragic accident and it is very obvious how her parents still treat her like a small child and discourage her from experiencing life.  I think is primarily her mother and it is to be expected as she nearly lost her only child and it would be devastating should anything happen to Claire.  I wondered if Claire would stand up to her parents and spread her wings a bit more to experience life and the world around her.  Thankfully she has the assistance of Logan, Peyton's brother and Claire's longtime crush.  Granted, her relationship with Logan isn't perfect as they are opposites but as they say, opposites attract.  Plus they realize that they balance each other out.  It takes time for this realization, but it does happen.

I felt for Peyton as she is going through treatments for breast cancer.  As a survivor, I know how hard it can be to live through that experience.  It isn't one that I would wish on anyone.  I think it humbled Peyton as well and she understood some of what Claire experienced during their teens.

This is also a story about forgiveness.  While many times we might think that a person's actions are unforgivable, it is hard to hold onto that much hatred.

Overall I enjoyed this story and my feelings for the different characters evolved as they did throughout the journey.  We give this 4 paws up.

The Promise of Us was an terrific read. It is all about healing, forgiving and moving forward. How can you not love Logan and Claire together. Even with Claire fighting everything at the beginning you could feel the sparks build. Unspoken childhood crushes going on. Claire is so strong even when she doesn't see it. I love how Logan pushes her out of her comfort zone. Seeing Claire grow and change throughout The Promise of Us is such a beautiful thing. Even Logan changed through this one. Claire has such a big heart when it comes to trying to reaccept Peyton into her life again. This series is getting better and better. I'm so looking forward to Peyton's story if that is where Jamie Beck is leading us. If you haven't read the Sanctuary Sound series yet then you need to start and get to know Claire, Ryan, Logan, Peyton and Steffi now.

I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like Jamie Beck's style of writing and characters and I should just do us both a favour and stop requesting ARCs.

Claire McKenna had a promising future as a tennis player until a random shooting left her with a pronounced limp. She and her family have retreated inwards, afraid to leave their home town of Sanctuary Sound. Claire has her book club and her family and her struggling renovating/decorating business with her best friend Steffi.

Then Claire's childhood crush Logan Prescott returns to town with his sister Peyton in tow. Peyton ran off with Claire's boyfriend/fiance but he dumped her when she got cancer. Now the two of them are back in town demanding that Claire forgives and forgets. Logan tries to manipulate Claire into speaking to Peyton by playing on her childhood crush (which he knew all about) and bribing her to decorate his New York apartment. Logan is everything Claire is not, he's a free agent who travels the world taking award winning photographs of tragedy and injustice. Unlike Claire, although his family is the wealthiest in Sanctuary Sound they are not close and he has been estranged from his father for many years.

I reread some of my reviews of Jamie Beck's other books to understand what I did (or didn't like) about them and unfortunately the same complaints arise in this book. There's just so much angst: shootings; cancer; family divisions; fear of travelling; old rivalries. As a reader I was just drowning in angst. Also, in most of my review I found the 'hero' to be completely unlikable and I felt the same way with Logan. He bullied and manipulated Claire into everything, he shamelessly leveraged her childhood crush and forced her to do things she was not comfortable with. I honestly wonder if a psychologist read this book what their views would be of the impact of his behaviour on Claire's mental health.

Through Logan's brute force interventions (accompanied by Claire's crying and panic attacks no less) Claire starts to break down some of the barriers which she and her parents have imposed on her life, to make small changes. Heck she even agrees to speak civilly to Peyton and makes other concessions. But listen to what Steffi says about him:
Just promise me you aren’t expecting Logan to make the kinds of personal changes for you that you’ve attempted for him this past month. As much as he must like you, he’s a charming wanderer who likes his life as it is.
Yes, that's right, Logan isn't willing to make a single change to his behaviour, his attitude or his outlook on life.

Logan is just a spoilt, petulant manchild
“he destroyed her self-esteem, and now, because I won’t make false promises, she’s got her guard up.” He was pouting. Pouting never looked good on anyone, but he couldn’t help it. Disappointment had him in a tight grip. “I get that she got hurt, but people date and break up all the time. Ryan and Steffi are the exception, not the rule. Just because a relationship doesn’t lead to a diamond ring doesn’t make it a mistake. But even if she were willing to roll the dice, my loyalty to you is also a problem. Apparently, she can do the forgive part, but not the forget.”
Claire foresees that Logan's loyalty to his sister could be a stumbling block to their fledgling relationship when she still feels incredibly betrayed that one of her best friends would steal her boyfriend? How unreasonable!

But don't let me vent all my ire on Logan. Claire is a thirty-something year old woman who allows her parents to call her EVERY day and curb her freedom by urging her not to travel, even to the neighbouring town, not to drive at night, not to go into unusual neighbourhoods, not to go on a yacht cruise on the river. She has all this pent up resentment and anger at Peyton but she lets it slide because she has a crush on Logan. She talks a big talk but when it actually comes down to it Claire falls for Logan's pretty cheesy lines and just does whatever he tells her to.

Finally, 320 pages and really nothing happened, just endless talking and friends interfering and telling everyone else what to do (or not to do). It always amazes me that all these characters have so much insight into everyone else's lives but absolutely none into their own.

So there you have it, yet another gibbering rant, if you loved Jamie Beck's other books then I am sure you will enjoy this latest novel. Unfortunately I don't appear to have learned that her style fo writing isn't for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I lost count of the number of times my heart ached for Claire. I could understand the things that were holding her back, but I could also see those things weren’t healthy. And the awareness Claire starts to have about her situation and her anxiety is the most gut-wrenching thing of all.

There are a few times I’m not so happy with Logan, but it’s very obvious that he’s never trying to be a bully or even truly manipulate anyone out of ill intent. He wants to see everyone he cares for living their lives to the fullest and finding happiness. Of course, he thinks he knows best. Those are the times he gets himself into hot water…with me and some of the other characters.

It beautiful to see the connection between Logan and Claire before Logan even realizes what is happening on a deeper level. In fact, before Claire even truly sees this isn’t just her lifelong crush rearing its head and it’s not her imagination that there are feelings developing with them both.

Claire helps Logan to see that he’s putting up walls with his parents so much that he can’t see any good anymore. Not only that, but those walls are actually holding him back from finding true contentment in his life. So, although Logan does a lot to help Claire, she does just as much for him.

Another Jamie Beck book I didn’t want to put down. And still so much between these friends I want to see happen. We get a bit more of Logan’s sister/Claire’s former bestie Peyton this go around. I’m starting to see that she may be redeemable. I’m interested to get her side of the story on a more intimate level. What was she thinking, feeling, hoping for the outcome to be?

This book was well written- gave all the emotions of heartbreak and connections! I loved Claire and Logan. The story makes you realize how being honest with those you care about really helps you and those you live on all situations. Claire has always been drawn to Logan since they were kids. Now they are working through to see how they get to happy in life and an it be together.

Claire has been harboring a crush on Logan since they were kids. And Logan has somewhere enjoyed that fact. But now things have changed and to some extent the reason is his sister. Logan will do anything to convince Claire to forgive his sick sister, her childhood friend.
Claire knows Logan is trying to win her forgiveness for his sister, but her business needs push her to accept the job to renovate his apartment.
When Claire’s boyfriend dumped her for her childhood friend, she survived. But if she lets Logan in, she might not be able to bear the fallout. Is she ready for the risk ?
The promise of us is a heartbreaking and at the same time a heartwarming read. I found Logan and Claire to be perfect for each other, the way they understand and help each other overcome their fears. I found the book to be thought provoking and engaging, something not found commonly in this genre.

The thing with Jamie Beck’s “Sanctuary Sound” books so far, they come with complex characters who got chip on their shoulder. They didn’t come across as easily likable people, just like Claire and Logan in “The Promise of Us.” I wasn’t particularly pleased with Claire in the previous book but found her a tad tolerable here ...because Logan was way WAY more annoying for me.

Much of the history of long time friendship between these characters was being revealed in the first book. This second entry tacked on with Claire and Logan. And I gathered Logan had been pretty much a manipulative boy on the get go, in the name of friendship or because he cared and whatever, but manipulative nonetheless. This was a quality adult Logan owned up to, thinking: what’s a bit manipulation for the greater good (as in, if it could achieve whatever I wanted). He bloody knew what Claire felt and wanted but he relentlessly forged ahead with his own agenda BECAUSE HE KNEW BETTER THAN HER. [image error]

As for Claire, her insight warmed me up to her. Here’s a woman who went through hell literally and still strove to be independent. Her one weakness - unfortunately - was Logan, he could flummox her just by being there, much less smile or talk to her. So I applauded her when she stood her ground to him for a chance; and only shifted later on after much well thought out musing ...and compassion.

What I’m trying to say is, “The Promise of Us” felt real in the sense that life might not be easy to weave through. Often times compromises needed to be made for people (Claire and Logan) to be together. Overall for me it’s a difficult reading as I constantly gritted my teeth over the character’s antics. It didn’t discount the positive points the book delivered, but Logan ...I just can’t!!! Honestly, considering the last couple of people of the (former) gang left and the way (the story) went in this second installment, I’m slightly apprehensive over the next book. Well, I guess we shall just wait and see...


Advanced copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Love helped Claire stop playing it safe!

Claire McKenna was used to playing it safe after being shot in a local mall ruining her chances to compete at the national level in tennis. Claire and her best friend Steffi Lockwood created an interior design company that only did local work because she was concerned about going out of her comfort zone. Photographer Logan Prescott returned to Sanctuary Sound to help his sister Payton, recovering from breast cancer. Claire had been best friends with Payton and Steffi until Claire’s ex-boyfriend had dropped her and taken up with Payton. Logan wanted Claire to decorate his New York City condo but she refused because she didn’t travel.

Claire was so used to playing it safe even though she had a scrapbook when she was young of all the places she wanted to visit. Logan had traveled all over the world with his photography and realized he still wanted Claire but until everything was settled, that wasn’t going to happen.

The Promise of Us by Jamie Beck is a little bit about recovery from traumatic thing for both Claire and Payton and finding love with someone that you have known for a long time. Claire overcame her fear and Logan helped her to grown and become the person she needed to be.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We meet Claire and Logan in the first book in this series. I have to say I was not a big fan of Claire at all. I realize that she had something very tragic happen to her in her past but she behaved like her world ended and everyone in it owed her something. Reading Claire and Logan’s story changed my mind about her. I began to like her and understand her more than I did in the first book. I thought that Logan coming back into her life gave Claire more to hope for. For me this story was a very emotional read. It covered a lot of issues that. It was also for me a great romance story too. A story of two people who really were not looking for each other found something in each other that made them feel again. This story made me cry, laugh and smile. I am looking forward to reading more by this author. Thanks Net Galley. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.

This may be book 2 in The Sanctuary Sound Series but as I haven’t read book one I can certainly say this book can be read as a stand-alone but I will say I do now want to read the first book in this series as soon as time permits.
Claire and Logan have known each other since childhood in fact they have crushed in each other for many years but Peyton who was Claire’s best friend and Logan’s sister put an end to any friendship when she ran off with Claire’s boyfriend. Claire is trying to build her design business and she is finding it hard in the small town she lives in to expand but is she prepared to take the lifeline Logan throws her way by asking her to redesign his condo in NYC or will she let the past ruin her future.
This book is a very emotional read, it has characters you will fall in love with as well as characters you wil hate until you get to know them and for me that’s what I loved, I enjoyed the journey this author took me on and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

This was a new-to-me author and a good introduction. Although book #2 in the series, I did not feel that I was missing anything by not having read the first book. There is enough of a catch-up to fill me in, without getting bogged down in repeating the whole story.

I enjoyed reading about Claire and her friends and family. Her not-quite-agoraphobia was an interesting twist on the genre, and I can see the real strength of character she posses for having worked through such a painful moment in her past. Her quiet determination to continue working past her lingering fears and towards her goals was encouraging and inspiring. And I appreciated the frank acceptance of her stress eating habit.

I didn't enjoy Logan as much. He was just so cavalier towards Claire's feelings, and had been even when they were teenagers. Yes, he bought chocolate for stressful situations, and he was good at distracting her from panic attacks. But he never really put himself in her place, never tried to understand where she was coming from. All he focused on was what HE wanted, for his sister, for himself, and for Claire.

I was also disappointed in the fade to black first time together, after such a huge build-up to that moment. Not that every book has to be explicit, but the precursors seemed to be leading to steam, so I admit to being let down.

None of this affected my enjoyment of the story, though. The writing was strong, the characters interesting, and the pacing was good. I connected with Claire's emotions and liked that the story didn't fall into the same old tropes that most romances tend to stick to. I even appreciated that the ending wasn't wrapped up in a paragraph, and that both parties needed to make concessions. I look forward to reading more by this author.

The Promise of Us is the second book in Sanctuary Sound series and a great addition. When I received an invitation from the publisher, via Net-Galley, to read and review, I eagerly accepted since I have enjoyed a great many of Ms. Beck’s novels, including the first book in this series. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Promise of Us from the first page to the last. Ms. Beck’s writing is emotional and pulled at my heartstrings a lot. The plot is realistic and kept me flipping the pages on my Kindle, breathlessly waiting for what would come next.

Claire McKenna’s character has many facets, making her a fascinating heroine. She’d lost a promising tennis career when she was shot as a teenager, leaving her with a limp. Since that time, she’s lived so cautiously, she’s missed out on the joy of living freely. To add insult to injury, one of her best friends stole the man she’d been in love with. Now, that friend, Peyton, has cancer, and others in her circle want her to forgive and forget. Her struggle with doing so shows a great deal on conflict, making the story very emotionally-charged, especially when Peyton’s brother is one of the individuals who wants her to move past her hurts. She’d had a crush on Logan since they were children.

Logan Prescott is an intriguing hero. He’s shied away from any kind of emotional commitment, preferring to have friends with benefits. He has a troubled relationship with both his parents, and that has a great deal to do with his unwillingness to form a lasting attachment. With Claire, he’s unable to remain superficial. That threatens all his well-laid plans as a carefree playboy who travels the world as a free lance photographer. I became enmeshed in his struggles and truly wanted his to realize that his feelings for Claire would change him for the good.

This is a friends to lovers romance, and the long standing friendship between Claire and Logan enhanced the story. The love scenes are well-written, focusing on the emotion and instead of the actual physical act. I love this. Their struggles to find their way to each other moved me greatly, and I was thrilled when they found their happy ending.

If you enjoy an emotionally-charged romance with enthralling characters, then you will love The Promise of Us as much as I did. I look forward to other books in this fantastic new series. Happy reading!

WOW!!! This story definitely has all the feels!! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Claire and Logan’s story in The Promise of You by the talented Jamie Beck, book two in her Sanctuary Sound series. An opposites attract love story that looks at the struggles and fears a person surviving a brutal and senseless attack by a gunman endures as well as being able to forgive a friend, now recovering from cancer, for earlier digressions that hurt you badly. Ms. Beck tackled difficult topics with sensitivity and this incredible story tugged at my heartstrings and emotions and is one of my top reads this year. Claire and Logan discovered way more about themselves as they connect and challenge each other. For Claire this is a dream come true, having always crushed on Logan despite Logan pushing his own agenda. Logan wanted Claire to forgive his sister as well as overcome the fears that keep her from living a full life. A life Claire once dreamed of having. Logan discovered how lonely his life truly was as well as the cravings he had for a real home and to be loved.

Ms. Beck writes to the soul; the soul of her characters as well as the readers. This wonderful and amazing tale was emotional, and moving, filled with sexual chemistry, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is must read. I totally loved these characters and didn’t want to put this book down. I highly recommend this book to other readers and look forward to Ms. Beck’s next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This was a pretty light read. However, the characters were a little dull to me. A lot of time was spent inside of the main character's mind and I somehow still didn't feel connected to her story. The insecurity of Claire drove me crazy at times.

Claire's a magnet for tough times and the story line felt a big morbid and deprecating to me, even with the pseudo happy ending. However, I do appreciate the fact that the book is not about the perfect girl next door looking for love. Rather. 5here are real issues, both mentally and physically, that people will be able to resonate with.

This eARC was provided by NetGalley and Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review.

This book didn't work for me- at all. I had issues with the characters from the beginning of the story and had to push myself to get to 30% at that point I set the book aside. It was too much of a struggle.
Logan wasn't at all likable for me, his manipulation and attitude toward Claire troubled me. Claire had her own set of problems she was dealing with and her comfort zone was going to her parents house. I totally got that. It's not until a little later how much you see her mother in particular enable Claire's fear of crowds, cities and anyplace where Claire isn't in control. Or her mother for that matter. Dad isn't quite as bad. A quick history on Claire which you can read from the blurb is that she was shot during a random shooting in a city ending a career in tennis. After lengthy rehab, she still walks with a cane. Next we have her best friend Steffi, who is in the middle now between Claire and Logan's sister Peyton. The three were once best friends until Peyton slept with Claire's fiance. Peyton is living back at home because she has breast cancer and going through treatment and Logan returned home to help Peyton. Their parents have more money than sense or caring. Logan continually pushed Peyton and his own agenda on Claire making her uncomfortable to say the least. Claire has no intention of forgiving her for what she's done and if she decides to do so, it will be on her own terms, not Logans. Or anyone else. End of story. Unlikeable characters and a lacking plot are dealbreakers for me.
I did pick the book back up a couple times. Once again struggling with the lack of story and finally skimmed to the end. Which for me was blah.
This just wasn't a book for me.

arc from NetGalley and Montlake for an honest review.

I love jamie beck and i loved the trauma aspect of this book. Living in a small town i can relate to all the little details of knowing everbody and loving your little home

The Promise of Us by Jamie Beck a four-star read that shows promise. This had the bones of being a really great story and I’m sure for some people it will be, but for me it was just missing something, I think it was just one- or two-character flaws that got me. So, I’m also sure so many people whom they didn’t annoy will give it five-glowing stars as it is a great story. Claire has a great story and it need to be heard, it is told with a dignity and passion that will surprise you. It’s touching and compelling reading that makes this into a better story than it would have been otherwise.

Claire's world has gotten small since she was shot. Almost too small. But then, Logan comes back to town- the guy she had a terrible crush on in high school- but he's with his sister Peyton, who was just rotten to Claire. Claire's business is in trouble, Peyton's recovering from cancer, and Logan, well Logan has both money and a desire to make things right. This is as much about friendship as it is a romance. It also touches on some serious themes (unusual in this genre) but does so responsibly. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A HEA.

This is another great novel in this series. Claire has led an extra cautious life ever since a bullet wound took away her sense of security. She has made her life in her small Connecticut hometown, not venturing far from the town. She's gone into business with her best friend, but they need extra funds and her former best friend's brother Logan could be the answer to their financial troubles.

Logan is back in town to help his sister who is fighting cancer. He's a photographer who loves traveling the world, and he just happens to need help renovating his condo in NYC - that's where Claire can come in. First she needs to learn to be friends with him again (and maybe look past the major crush she's had on Logan since...forever.) Then she needs to get past the fact he really wants Claire and his sister to be friends once again.

She agrees to help, and they begin exploring a romantic relationship, with her fully understanding he won't stay in their small town forever. But will she be able to venture further out?

This book is so real and heartwarming and a little bit heartbreaking in parts. I loved it.