Broken Promises

Broken Promises is a quick and delightful historical romance with a bit of paranormal charm. The novella begins when, after twelve years of faithful attendance, John doesn’t show up for a yearly masquerade ball and his romantic rendezvous with Noel. Noel knows something must be wrong, and, concerned for John, seeks him out even though they promised never to do so. Will Noel find John? Will they reveal their feelings for each other? With secrets standing in their way, can Noel and John have a happily-ever-after?

The story takes place during the holiday season, and John and his sons embrace the magic of Christmas. Inspired by Noel's idyllic childhood memories of the holiday, John brings the joy of Christmas to his children and Noel. Sleigh rides, family dinners, games, and more help Noel see what her future could be like.

I enjoyed Noel and John’s story, and their love story is beautiful. Noel is a kind and loving woman with a complex past, and John is a perfect complement to her. They are both smart, giving, and sincere, and I love the way they feel about each other. There are reasons why Noel and Jack can’t be together, and they must face these obstacles before they can have a future. Ultimately, John and Noel (more Noel) must learn how to trust each other and open up to each other. This proves difficult since their relationship began with the promise of not asking questions and only living in the moment.

A sweet novella with likable characters and a wonderful love story, Broken Promises is a great read for people who like historical romance. I enjoyed how the novella unfolded, and the paranormal element is a heart-warming and touching addition to the story. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the author for a copy of the novella in exchange for my honest review.

Broken Promises is my first read from Peta Lee Rose. This is a very short novella, under 100 pages, but there was a lot of good character development and plot wrapped in a tiny package.

This is a second chance romance with older characters (never specifically stated, but given certain timelines, these characters are in their very late thirties, early forties.)

Two lonely and broken souls, Noel and John, have met once a year for twelve years at a masquerade / bacchanal. They form a deep connection on a personal and physical level, even though they vowed to keep personal details out of their liaison.

When John doesn't show up, Noel must find him. What ensues is unmasking of secrets and two good people finding a second chance at life and love. This was an emotional story, and the author did a good job with character development. There was a little bit of paranormal magic that added a bittersweet moment to the story. This is definitely a novella that left me wanting more. This was a big story to tell in so few pages, I'm excited to read other works by this author. There were a few friends of Noel's that the masquerade at the beginning that are screaming for their own books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this story. All opinions are my own.

This was a shorter story, a novella, but it has all the nuance, flavor and depth of a full length novel. It was very well written, but I don't want to give too much away. The heroine is at a masquerade. She attends once a year. It is one of those bacchanali that no body knows who their partner is and there is usually sexual congress going on. The heroine met the hero the first year she attended, he swept her off her feet. They agreed to exchange first names and no more. But since they met up every year they would, spend 24 hours together. She looked forward to this every year for 12 years. Her husband had passed and she did not question the hero's position. This year she went and he wasn't there. She was worried and had her friend ask the host, but he refused to give them information. A gypsy grabs her and tells her to trust the book. She goes to the folly where they always had their visit, but it was still empty. She slept there waiting for him and in the morning when she gets out of bed, a books falls at her feet. I am not going to tell anymore, because you need to read this story. It was such a well written and lovely story. The supporting characters are surprising and support the plots. There are no errors and it is a smooth, continuous read. I could not put it down even if I wanted to. 5 stars all the way. I wish I could give it more! This is definitely the story to read on a cold night. I recommend reading this book.