Laura’s Review of The Promise (The ‘Burg, #5) by Kristen Ashley

If you have read and enjoyed Cooper (Corps Security, #4) by Harper Sloan, Can’t Shake You (River Bend, #1) by Molly McLain, and The Next Best Thing (Gideon’s Cove, #2) by Kristan Higgins then you will LOVE this book!

Synopsis

               Since his brother’s death, Benny Bianchi has been nursing his grudge against the woman he thinks led to his brother’s downfall. He does this to bury the feelings he has for Francesca Concetti, his brother’s girl. But when Frankie takes a bullet while on the run with Benny’s cousin’s woman, Benny has to face those feelings.

            The problem is Frankie has decided she’s paid her penance. Penance she didn’t deserve to pay. She’s done with Benny and the Bianchi family. She’s starting a new life away from Chicago and her heartbreaking history.

                Benny has decided differently.

                But Frankie has more demons she’s battling. Demons Benny wants to help her face. But life has landed so many hard knocks on Frankie she’s terrified of believing in the promise of Benny Bianchi and the good life he’s offering.

              Frankie’s new life leads her to The ‘Burg, where Benny has ties, and she finds she not only hasn’t succeeded in getting away, she’s doesn’t want to.

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What I Loved

                I think the question really should be; what isn’t there to love when it comes to a Kristen Ashley novel?  The Promise takes place a couple weeks after At Peace (The ‘Burg, #2) leaves off.  Frankie risked her life to save Violet, by taking a bullet in the gut.  We meet up with Frankie again while recuperating in the hospital and doing everything she can to avoid the Bianchis.  For me this story was a little different because when you first meet Frankie in Violet and Cal’s story, you don’t exactly love her and going into this book I wasn’t quite sure what to think of her.  She didn’t come off as all warm and sharing, so it was nice to be able to see this other side of Frankie.  I have already thoroughly enjoyed Benny in At Peace, but now I fully in love with him.  He fulfills what every alpha-male, Kristen Ashley character is made to be; which is pure male testosterone.  Benny oozes sex appeal that cannot be denied by any woman and he is a man who knows what he wants and goes after it.  Benny is probably everything I have ever been looking for in a man, and he’s not even real. 

            This story is filled some very heart felt moments between Frankie and Benny, as Benny struggles to break all of Frankie’s walls that have built up over the years.  Of course there are some pretty hot sex scenes scattered in there as well, and trust me when I say they do NOT disappoint.  Of course like many Kristen Ashley books, there are parts that make you laugh out loud, while some other parts just make you down right blush.  There is one scene that you brought back my favorite Bad Boy Hot Bunch, Luke Stark and Roxie’s hilarious parents that had me giggling like a little girl.  It was good to see Luke again and there is even a mention of the Colorado Mountain series.  Such a great story, definitely another favorite of mine.

Not So Much

                I guess my only complaint is that as much as this being a typical Kristen Ashley book is a compliment it’s also a little bit of a con to me.  I feel like every single book of hers fits into this single mold, of the woman not willing to accept the love of the strong hot sexy man that is trying to give it while chaos erupts around them.  I love these books so much, but at the same time they are becoming too predictable, to the point where I just want to skip parts of the book to get to where I know exactly this story is going.  I would love to see more unpredictable Kristen Ashley stories, or story that doesn’t fit into that mold that is always there.

This Book Was…

                Great!  I was so excited to finally get to Benny and Frankie’s story, and watch these two fight and then fall madly in love with each other.   Of course this book wasn’t just filled with good parts there were definitely some sad parts, and then some very tense parts.  This was definitely a story a long time in the making, and I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better ending for Benny and Frankie.  It was so great to see Benny have a happily ever after, and it was just twenty times better that, that happy ending was with Frankie.  I cannot wait to jump into Merry and Cheryl’s story when it comes out, but of course this will be very bitter sweet since this one will be the last in this awesome series!