"Stunning combination of Time Travel and Romantic Suspense"
Dee Davis took the paranormal romance world by storm in
2000 with her debut novel EVERYTHING IN ITS TIME, which
garnered P.E.A.R.L nominations for Best Time Travel and
Best New Author. Her popularity has only grown as she
subsequently found her niche in the world of romantic
suspense. Ms. Davis combines the two talents in THE
PROMISE which promises to be another winner. The best day of Cara Reynolds' life exploded into a
nightmare on a treacherous mountain road in Colorado. It
was her sixteenth birthday, and she had felt truly loved.
Her mother had even given her the heirloom silver locket
that had been passed down through the women in her family
for generations. Now she was lying in the snow, thrown
clear of the wreckage of her parent's car, remaining
conscious long enough to witness the fire that engulfed
their vehicle and the truck that had struck it head on. Nineteen year old Michael McPherson had recently laid claim
to his own homestead. If he was to make a success of his
ranch, he would have to find a way to keep his cattle from
wandering away. He ponders his future as he searches for
strays in the snow covered hills. Would
he find ever find a special love like the one his parents
shared? His mother was so sure that there was a perfect
woman for every man, and that his was just waiting to for
him to find her. Discovering a snow covered mound, Michael fears the worst,
but when he brushes away the crust he finds not a dead cow,
but a lovely young woman who is injured but very much
alive. The sight touches his heart and Michael begins to
wonder if his mother hadn't been right after all. The
inclement weather prevents them from searching for her
parents, or from seeking shelter in the town. Michael takes
Cara to an abandoned mine to keep her warm and safe while
they wait out the storm. He had saved her life. It would be
nine long years before she could return the favor. Cara wakes to find Michael gone, but the steadily burning
fire is a promise of his intent to return. She is overjoyed
to hear her name being called. It takes a moment to realize
that it is not Michael's voice she is hearing but her
grandfather's. She would later be told that the man who
haunted her dreams was a figment of her trauma afflicted
mind. Still she'd gone back to look for him, to no avail.
At last she'd been forced to agree with her doctor's
assessment. --- Michael had returned to the mine filled
with hopes for the future, only to find the beautiful girl
gone. He'd never forgotten her. Like Cara he'd gone back
often, hoping to find her. NINE YEARS LATER San Juan Mountains, Colorado, 1888 It is no surprise that when Michael is critically wounded
by a sniper's bullet, he takes refuge in the very same mine
he where he had once saved Cara's life. As he slumps
against the walls of the tunnel, memories assail him. Just
when he fears he will not live to see another day, he hears
someone moving inside the mine. His savior is a woman. In
the light of day he recognizes her, his dream woman...Cara. San Juan Mountains, Colorado, present day Left alone in the world, Cara had earned her way as a
gifted painter. She'd come back to the abandoned mine to
let go of the dream and make her peace with the place, when
she stumbled upon the him. Seeing the extent of his
injuries she knew that he needed immediate care and
struggled to get him to her cabin. It was hard to believe
he was real, but the fact brought only joy. What magic had
brought her to him just when he needed her most? In her
home Michael noticed one of Cara's watercolors.
Titled "Lovers Reunion", it depicted the two figures
entwined at the entrance to his mine. Joy suffused him, she
had not forgotten him! It was not until he noticed the date
at the bottom that he realized the implications. Could it
be possible? Had they been separated all those years
ago...by
time itself? Suspense comes in when villains of both past and present
covet the silver recovered by Michael's father in another
family owned mine called The Promise. The mine had been the
source of short-lived joy and long-lived grief. Michael's
mother had disappeared along with the silver. Though it was
thought she'd run off with it and a handsome young
muleskinner, her fate had never actually been determined.
When Michael and Cara discover evidence of a threat to the
rest of his family, Michael knows he must go back. But how?
He couldn't live with himself if he didn't try, but could
he bear to live without Cara again? Could they ever be
together when he had obligations in the past, and she
belonged in the future? THE PROMISE is a timeless love story, filled with an
abundance of colorful side characters who only enrich this
gripping romantic suspense. The reader will love watching
Michael's younger brother Patrick become his own as man,
and Loralee, an honest working woman with a heart of gold,
turn her luck around. The villains are as devious as they
come, and of course the commitment between Michael and Cara
is a testament to love that transcends all obstacles put in
its path. I promise you'll want to put this book on your
keeper shelf. Copyright © 2002
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted October 8, 2002
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