Lisa DaleReseñas

Main character Thea is best friends with the Sorenson brothers Garrett and Jonathan and she dates Garrett only to end up marrying Jonathan, which pulls the family apart. Fast forward years later and they are divorcing and Garrett is back in the picture to help
Jonathan get back on his feet, but can't fight his feelings for Thea. Feelings that Thea also has for him. I can understand how some people wouldn't exactly care for that type of story line, but it was soooo good. There was a ton of tension and the author made it so I was rooting for Garrett and Thea. I will definitely be checking out some of her other books.

so i skipped around a lot with this book and read like parts of the past and parts of the present and different narratives. i am not done but i am going to say i don't like it because i have not finished it. i like parts but i must not like it enough to actually finish the book. Well i finished it. i t got a lil better towards the end but not by much. i'll try another book by her. i think i just did not like the characters actions so i did not like the book.

so i liked this book. why the spine said it was a romance i don't know, guess it sells easier and is shorter than women's fiction. at first the main character really annoyed me and was unlikeable but apparently that's how she affects everyone at first. then i did not like her cuz she reminded me of me until the end when she actually falls in love since that has never happened to me.

so i skipped around a lot with this book and read like parts of the past and parts of the present and different narratives. i am not done but i am going to say i don't like it because i have not finished it. i like parts but i must not like it enough to actually finish the book. Well i finished it. i t got a lil better towards the end but not by much. i'll try another book by her. i think i just did not like the characters actions so i did not like the book.

so i liked this book. why the spine said it was a romance i don't know, guess it sells easier and is shorter than women's fiction. at first the main character really annoyed me and was unlikeable but apparently that's how she affects everyone at first. then i did not like her cuz she reminded me of me until the end when she actually falls in love since that has never happened to me.

so i liked this book. why the spine said it was a romance i don't know, guess it sells easier and is shorter than women's fiction. at first the main character really annoyed me and was unlikeable but apparently that's how she affects everyone at first. then i did not like her cuz she reminded me of me until the end when she actually falls in love since that has never happened to me.

so i skipped around a lot with this book and read like parts of the past and parts of the present and different narratives. i am not done but i am going to say i don't like it because i have not finished it. i like parts but i must not like it enough to actually finish the book. Well i finished it. i t got a lil better towards the end but not by much. i'll try another book by her. i think i just did not like the characters actions so i did not like the book.

so i liked this book. why the spine said it was a romance i don't know, guess it sells easier and is shorter than women's fiction. at first the main character really annoyed me and was unlikeable but apparently that's how she affects everyone at first. then i did not like her cuz she reminded me of me until the end when she actually falls in love since that has never happened to me.

so i liked this book. why the spine said it was a romance i don't know, guess it sells easier and is shorter than women's fiction. at first the main character really annoyed me and was unlikeable but apparently that's how she affects everyone at first. then i did not like her cuz she reminded me of me until the end when she actually falls in love since that has never happened to me.

so i skipped around a lot with this book and read like parts of the past and parts of the present and different narratives. i am not done but i am going to say i don't like it because i have not finished it. i like parts but i must not like it enough to actually finish the book. Well i finished it. i t got a lil better towards the end but not by much. i'll try another book by her. i think i just did not like the characters actions so i did not like the book.

so i skipped around a lot with this book and read like parts of the past and parts of the present and different narratives. i am not done but i am going to say i don't like it because i have not finished it. i like parts but i must not like it enough to actually finish the book. Well i finished it. i t got a lil better towards the end but not by much. i'll try another book by her. i think i just did not like the characters actions so i did not like the book.

I don't usually read the softer romance; softer being the lovey dovey baby kind of romance, so I wasn't one hundred percent sure what rating to give this book. I don't like giving bad reviews but, I have to be honest here or nothing I ever review can be trusted, and like everything else, its all about individual preferences. Anyway, I had to force myself to get even 3/4 of the way through this book. I don't get how two people who are supposed to be best friends can't talk to each other about anything and everything. I think the sister (Karin) in this story is a selfish (insert curse word for female dog here) and all she does is think about how she feels, not about how anyone else feels. Also, how in the world does Eli just "decide" that he is going to go after Lana right after he gets his butt kicked by Lana's baby daddy. Nothing made sense to me and the whole time I was reading this book, I honestly wished I wasn't. On that note...the reason for my undecided rating was because I don't think I like this sort of genre to begin with so maybe I am allowing that to color my opinion just a little bit. I don't know. It is what it is. This book did have one redeeming quality...it had beautiful alliterations, very beautiful and creative.

What a surprise! This is my first Lisa Dale book and I was not disappointed!

Arlen went to jail for a crime he did not committ, Lauren was the prosecutor that helped send him there. Nine years later, when his innonence is proven and he is released, Lauren is overwhelmed by the need to apologize for her part in his conviction. Will, while struggling with his own issues, is the only friend Arlen has while he struggles to re-adjust after his release. He is also the buffer between Arlen and Lauren as they try to figure out how to move forward after this tradegy.

It's a story of forgiveness, healing, second chances, romance and so much more! I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone but this is a great read! So many different aspects of each part of the story and each one of them interesting. This would be an excellent book club read!

Nine years ago, Lauren Matthews prosecuted the case of a lifetime. But her error in judgment sent an innocent man to prison for a long time. Now Arlen Fieldstone has finally been released, and Lauren has only one thing on her mind: asking forgiveness. How can she make up for nine years of his life? Summary BPL

Great concept! Mediocre execution. Some good, gritty details and certainly scope for important observations on forgiveness. Unfortunately, the book deteriorated into a formulaic romance.

6.5 out of 10½

This is the story of a young woman, Adele, who leaves New York City after an embarrassing episode. She moves to her deceased mother's cabin in rural Pennsylvania. There she meets her neighbors, Al and Beatrice, their teenage granddaughter, Kayleigh and Jay, the love interest. As the story unfolds, Adele has many unanswered questions about her mother who she was estranged from at the time of her death. She goes to Beatrice (her mother’s friend) and an aunt for answers but they aren’t as forthcoming with information as she would like. At the same time, Adele tries to help Kayleigh who is struggling and has her own issues with her mom. This is all happening as she tentatively builds a relationship with Jay.
I bought this book used and not knowing the author's name, I had low expectations. I loved it and it’s a keeper for me! It is technically a contemporary romance but it has other elements, making it more chick lit. Overall, I thought the characters were well developed and their actions rang true. It kept my interest with various twists and turns as Adele tries to better understand her childhood and relationship with her mother.

Lauren Matthews is a successful attorney. Her career is definitely on the right track as she's being considered for partner at her firm. Everything else is slightly off-kilter including her physical health. Arlen Fieldstone was and is an innocent man. Wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn't commit, he spent nine long years in prison...nearly one-third of his life. He has been exonerated and released but all that he's known is gone. Will Farris is an antiques dealer and good friend to Arlen, but he knows that there is something missing from his life. Lauren, Arlen and Will are the key characters in A Promise of Safekeeping by Lisa Dale.

The Arlen Fieldstone conviction made Lauren Matthews career. She was sure that he had committed the crime and has felt no guilt or worry about the case until he was vindicated, proved innocent and released. The pressing weight of the role she played in his conviction sends Lauren to Virginia to apologize. She knows that an apology won't really help but she knows she doesn't really have a choice in this matter. The big question confronting her at this point is if the apology is for her sake or truly for Arlen?

Upon her arrival in Virginia she encounters Will Farris. Will has given Arlen a place to stay and is the only childhood friend of Arlen's that is still in the picture and it helps that Will has always believed in Arlen's innocence. Lauren and Will begin to build a friendship that quickly turns to a budding romance, but they both have secrets they're keeping from one another. Can they trust one another with their deepest and darkest fears and create a lasting relationship?

Arlen has spent nine years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. During that time, his mother died, he lost his childhood home, his wife divorced him and he's also lost his marital home. The only thing he has left is his friendship with Will. Arlen no longer feels comfortable with all of his new found freedom and is having an extremely difficult time adjusting to being out of prison. Will tries to help him by giving him a place to live and offering him money for hours he spends working in Will's shop but he needs more. Arlen needs to find the quiet confidence he had as a young man and try to rebuild his life, but more than anything he wants his life and wife back.

A Promise of Safekeeping is classified as a story of redemption and that it is, but it's also a story of second chances. While Arlen, Lauren and Will face their second chances in life, they must also decide what exactly they want from themselves and others. Their characters were well-developed so that it was easy to understand their fears and hopes. The story doesn't go too in-depth into many of the issues touched upon but they are discussed in an clear and open manner: such as Lauren's brother's mental illness or Will and his problems (I cannot disclose what his problem without spoiling the storyline but it is integral to the story line and quite timely). I enjoyed reading the story and even though it deals with some weight issues, I felt it did so in a manner that was respectful and responsible without being dark and gloomy.½

A PROMISE OF SAFEKEEPING by Lisa Dale is a wonderful,charming contemporary romance set in present day Richmond Virgina.It is an emotional story of second chances,ex-convicts,the justice system, hope,wrongful conviction, redemption, forgiveness,secrets,love,romance,female lawyers,hoarding,and nine years of a lost life. This is the story of Lauren Matthews,prosecuted and who made an error in judgement that cost Arlen Fieldstone,nine years of his life,and Will Farris,friend of Arlen and who has a secret no one can know especially Lauren. A must read for any one who enjoys a charming,emotional story of three people who lives collide and who needs forgiveness,hope,second chances and love. Received for review from the publisher. Details can be found at Berkley Publishing Group Group,published by the Penguin Group and My Book Addiction Reviews.

Reviewer: Valerie
Stories about summertime and first loves always bring me back to my teen years – before the life you think you’ll have actually starts, for real. I recently read the young adult trilogy by Jenny Han (book one is The Summer I Turned Pretty), which was fantastic and I wanted something to read along those lines again...I was not disappointed in Slow Dancing on Price’s Pier.

I really enjoyed the small town feeling of this book and Thea’s “coffee columns” from the local newspaper found at the beginning of each chapter. Thea’s connection with her parents and heritage lives on as she waits on customers in her coffee shop. The loss of her marriage to Jonathan and the comfortable life she had takes a toll on her as she questions all her decisions from the past fifteen years and confronts feelings she thought were long gone. The ambivalence and stress placed on the family that Thea loves so much is simply too much for her to bear at times and there were several times when I teared up.

While I like the writing style in this story, it’s not for everyone. As you find out about Thea and Jonathan’s marriage, you also read flashbacks to when they were younger. You find out how Thea, Jonathan, and Garret, his brother, were always together like peas in a pod. As you read about how their daughter acts out her feelings of anger and uncertainty as they separate and then divorce, you read flashbacks explaining how Thea and Garret were involved – before he was arrested. While Jonathan was the son his family considered “a disappointment,” I enjoyed reading how he started to discover who he was and what HE wanted, instead of settling for the type of love he would not receive from Thea. I wasn’t sure of Garret’s character and his intentions, but by the end of the story he had stolen my heart too.

A brutally honest story of what happens when you love one boy and consider the other a friend. A definite beach read, especially for those folks who like stories that wonder “What if I had...?”

Quote: “But sometime near daybreak, before the sun appeared, his sleepy brain began to realize that he was not only dreaming of Thea’s soft breathing and the feel of her body against his, he was with her. She still loved him. And he knew: the bliss of reality far outweighed the joy of his dreams.” Page 294.

I thought this book was a great read. It pulled me in from the first page and had me wanting to know how it ended. I thought I hd the ending figured out & it had an unexpected twist.

If you're looking for an unpredictable romance, this is the book for you. I was captivated from page one. This is one of those 'can't put down' books, so make sure you have time to read it when you start.

This was my first book of Lisa Dale's, and I can tell you that it won't be my last! Lisa Dale's writing style is beautiful and the characters in this book are very believable - they seem so real. You get to know each of them on a personal level and you feel as if you've known them forever. I felt like I was right there with Lana, experiencing everything that she experienced throughout the book. My heart hurt for Eli but was filled with so much hope too. I honestly didn't like Karin (Lana's sister) at first, but throughout the book, I began to understand her pain and suffering, and by the end, I came to like her.

This is a very real, moving, and compelling story. I recommend this book to anyone who is a romance fan.

My Thoughts

Complicated family relationships entangled with an even more complicated love interest kept me reading to see how Lana would resolve her mostly self-imposed problems. This book is definitely character driven, and while romance is not the focal issue, it’s an important part of the whole.

While beta males are not my favorite, Eli proves his manly worth by his unswerving devotion to Lana. Lana, on the other hand, sometimes infuriated me with her torturous treatment of Eli. I must confess that I didn’t like Lana’s character much in the beginning, but as the author drew me through this story with skill and feeling, I began to understand the reasons for Lana’s character. In the end, I still wanted to choke her, but more out of concern than dislike.

Added to this mix is the strong supporting cast of other characters that make this a strong family drama. I wouldn’t consider this a light read. It will give you plenty of points for reflection.

Favorite Quote

He let his hand fall, the ring along with it, and he leaned forward to kiss her shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me yes or no.”

“You mean, ever?”

“For as long as you love me, the invitation stands.”

Between the Pages Review http://www.betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/
Rating: 3.5/5

I thank Hatchett Book Group for providing me this review copy.