The Promise by Kate Worth

When Jane Gray spots a young woman alone in a rough spot of town, she takes her under her wing and ends up sharing her home with her.  When the baby girl arrives a few months later, it becomes clear why the young woman was hiding but her death leaves Jane alone with the baby girl, Pip.  Jane raises Pip as her own as there is no clue as to the real identity of her birth mother. Five years pass and Jane knows she much provide for Pip's future as life can change in the blink of an eye.  Needing to set aside a large sum of money, she decides to sell the only valuable thing she has--a locket from Pip's birth mother.  Little does she know that when she attempts to sell the locket, she will be branded a thief as the owner of the locket is a duke!  Jane decides her best course of action is to try to explain how she came to own the locket straight to the duke and hopefully avoid the noose.  When the truth comes out about Pip's mother, Jane is afraid she is going to lose her forever.  After all, how can Jane, a baker, raise a duke's niece in the life necessary?  And why can't she stop thinking about the duke's brother, Finn?

Lord Fionnlagh Wallace, Finn, has never stopped looking for his missing sister, Maura, all these years that she has been gone.  Fearing the worst, he immediately takes a dislike to this plain woman who has Maura's locket.  How dare she come into his home and try to pass off a child as his niece?  It quickly becomes clear how wrong he is and together with his family, they try to come up with a plan to envelope Pip into her new family without excluding the woman who raised her.  Nevertheless, society always sticks their nose in where it doesn't belong and soon a scandal is threatening to erupt and Finn comes up with a solution that should please everyone. As Jane can not bear to lose Pip, she agrees and hopes for happy marriage with the man that has captured her attention.  Finn also has hopes for uncovering the passion he knows is hiding underneath the quiet face of Jane but it seems they will never find the time to be together alone.  With the revelations about Janes past also coming to light, it soon becomes clear that all their lives are in danger.  Will Jane and Finn be able to survive and confess the true nature of their hearts?

For a debut novel I was impressed.  I loved how the story unfolded...it starts off well with Maura's encounter and never lets go.  I enjoyed Jane's take charge attitude and her deep love and devotion to Pip. The hints about Jane's past are dropped at a pace that you just keep reading because you can't wait to see what will happen next.  The details are tragic and life changing and sure to have your heart racing at the end.  The villain is just nasty and a person that has no heart.  Finn is a charming rake, used to having woman fall all over him so he finds it a bit of a puzzle as to why he can't stop thinking about Jane and her gentle, loving ways...so different from the woman he usually enjoys.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more romance bloom earlier on for this couple, I think it was about half way through the book before they shared their first kiss and longer for them to share their hot love scene.  But even though the romance is a bit quieter than I usually prefer, the story just captivated me.  Right from the beginning where you will be going 'no!' to each new twist and turn and delicious revelation, you will be held within the lovely world Kate Worth has created.  The accepting, loving family, the charming Pip, the vile villain, the charming Finn and the strength of Jane, along with an eye for detail, all blend together beautifully.  Like she states on the cover, this is a love story and for me it was emphasis on the story with the love woven in and I know I am eager for her next novel to see what new delights she comes up with!  Recommended for fans of reunion stories with a strong family base, fleshed out secondary characters, great details and a romance that takes its time to bloom but it is perfect when it does.  4 stars

Review copy provided by the author, thank you because I may have overlooked this one and it deserves to be looked at!!