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"As you read my story, there is something I want you to understand. That in spite of all the pain—past, present and that still to come—I wouldn’t have done anything differently. Nor would I trade the time I had with him for anything—except for what, in the end, I traded it for."
Beth Cardall has a secret. For eighteen years, she has had no choice but to keep it to herself, but on Christmas Eve 2008, all that is about to change.
For Beth, 1989 was a year marked by tragedy. Her life was falling apart: her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was suffering from an unidentifiable illness; her marriage transformed from a seemingly happy and loving relationship to one full of betrayal and pain; her job at the dry cleaners was increasingly at risk; and she had lost any ability to trust, to hope, or to believe in herself. Then, on Christmas Day, as she rushed through a blizzard to the nearest 7-Eleven, Beth encountered Matthew, a strikingly handsome, mysterious stranger, who would single-handedly change the course of her life.
Who is this man, and how does he seem to know so much about her? He pursues her relentlessly, and only after she’s fallen deeply in love with him does she learn his incredible secret, changing the world as she knows it, as well as her own destiny.
From the New York Times bestselling author of the beloved classics The Christmas Box and The Christmas List comes a breathtaking story of the transcendent power of love.
Christmas comes but once a year and with it, as surely as store Santas, arrives a new holiday novel by Richard Paul Evans. This year's successor to The Christmas List, Grace, and The Gift is Promise Me, a bountiful package of good cheer and Christian love. Another novel of hope, faith, and personal redemption.
—Booklist
Richard Paul Evans is the #1 bestselling author of The Christmas Box. Each of his more than twenty novels has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list; there are more than seventeen million copies of his books in print. His books have been translated into more than twenty-four languages and several have been international bestsellers. He is the winner of the American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards for his children’s books, and the Romantic Times Best Women's Novel of the Year Award. Evans received the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award for his work helping abused children. Evans lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children.
MNicole
Posted July 29, 2010
This book pulled me in from the start and pulled at my heart strings as I started to care about the main character, Beth, and all she was going through. As a young Mom with a daughter I just kept reading and reading and wanted everything to be okay!! This story made my heart go leaping. Ah! You'll just have to read for yourself and see what I mean- don't want to give it away. What a brilliant twist. But can I just say that after reading this I MUST go traveling to my own dream destinations! I love books that make me want to live life to its fullest and this book did just that. Thank you Richard for another amazing story that stuck with me days and days after.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Karen_from_NC
Posted July 28, 2010
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Richard's books are always a treat for me. They are the kind of books that make you want to find a cosy corner with a comfortable chair and your blankie and just sit and drink the story in. They are always a great read but sometimes they leave me wanting more. Not this time. Promise Me hit all of my buttons, and it hit them hard. This time I had to read until I finished the book and I didn't let anything interrupt me. I can't comment on the story because I might ruin it for others. I will say it is excellent and probably my favorite. But I may need to go back and read some of his previous books just to make sure!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DGlad
Posted July 26, 2010
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I very enthusiastically loved PROMISE ME. I fell in love with the main character, Beth Cardall. Her life has a few twists and turns that at one point I even got goose bumps! I was so intrigued by the story, I couldn't put the book down. I was curious and interested right from the prologue. Promise Me is my all time favorite Richard Paul Evans book. I promise it will be yours.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ajay73
Posted October 9, 2010
good storyline
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Kajsa
Posted October 6, 2010
Every year I wait for October like it's Christmas...because that's when I buy an RPE book for myself, and decadently spoil myself while I read it! ;) This year Richard has outdone himself with one of the most moving books I've read. I became wrapped up in Beth and her life, immediately. I was shocked with her, angry and hurt for her. And then a miracle comes into her life...and well, the unfolding of that miracle is both surprising and profound. Like all RPE's books, Promise Me is about love, hope and redemption (intermingled with the readers laughter and tears). This book carries within its pages even more, a message and a promise to myself that I hope I will remember for the rest of my life. Amazing!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 29, 2010
This book is delightful start to finish. It grabs you right in the beginning, and they suspense and mystery that builds up kept me reading straight though the book. As Evans' books always are, this one is sweet and uplifting, but its twist is what really distinguishes it from the rest of his novels.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 27, 2010
"Promise Me" was a really beautiful love story. I was so happy and had such a great feeling at the end of the book. This is a page turner that you will not want to put down. I read it in about three hours. It is one of my favorite of Evans' last three or four books.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I felt this book was not as good as Evans others. Starts out with Beth, whose husband travels for work and discovers he has secrets. She kicks her husband to the curb and then faces a disaster when her daughter has an unexplained illness. Her husband returns but he is terminally ill with cancer and Beth steps up to the plate to be his caregiver in his final days. After he dies she still is dealing with her daughter’s illness and possibility of losing her job and her house until she meets Matthew and he diagnoses Charlotte’s illness and Beth slowly builds her trust in people again and reveals his true identity which was a little sad and not what I was expecting but a good story.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.TammyK1
Posted April 20, 2012
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Intriguing from the very start, I could not put this one down. WONDERFUL!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Evans delivers as usual. Unbelievable? Yes! Kind of shmaltzy? You bet. But it delivers hope, love and escape, all in his little gems of books. Short, but such an emotional, warm ride.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 6, 2012
Grat holiday read! Love the author!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BAMT
Posted April 16, 2011
It seems that halfway through writing this book the author got tired, gave up, mentally checked out, and believed that he could write any old dreck and people would love it. The utter lack of creativity in the second half of the book is stunning. I regret buying this book. Stay far, far away from this book. Warn your family and friends to stay away.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is an off-the-wall story with a very happy ending that I enjoyed immensely! I'm so glad I read this one because it had believable characters that I cared about in an unrealistic book that kept my interest all through it. I was impressed that the male author told the story primarily from Beth's point of view and could write about hardship without it being a depressing book. Promise Me deals with loss, marriage, love, hope and is a thought-provoking book. It presents the questions of how would your life be different if only this didn't happen and what would you do if you only had 10 months to live and money was no object? This is a fun read, in spite of a cheating husband, financial struggles and a mysterious disease that a 6-yr.-old has. It's a "Christmas Miracle" book about hope and promises, a quick-read that leaves you happy. I promise, you'll like this one if you are into fairy tales and time travel!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I have read a couple of this author's books and they have all been very heart warming. This one was especially enjoyable and had a twist that was unexpected. Loved this story and will be sure to share it with my family and friends.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged."Promise Me" by Christmas mega-author, Richard Paul Evans ("The Chirstmas Box," "The Christmas List") is one of those sentimental stories that a reader either devours or detests. It is touching, yet schmaltzy; miraculous, yet impossible; feel-good, yet cliche-ridden. The plot revolves around Beth Cardall, who is faced with an array of truly overwhelming problems. Infidelity. Unemployment. Foreclosure. Cancer. Who comes to save the day? A mysterious man, of course. For believers of love having the power to solve all of life's difficulties, this book is a validation. For skeptics who would roll their eyes at such a premise, this is not a work to venture into. "Promise Me" does not apologize for being a complete escape from reality because that's what it's meant to accomplish.
For those who love to curl up on a snow-filled Saturday and get lost in a "Lifetime" television movie, this is the book for you. It is melodramatic, full of impossible twists and turns that culminate in a saccharine-sweet, happy ending. A jaw-droppingly handsome man saves a helpless woman from all of her problems - financial, medical, etc. He saves the day leaving her breathless with gratitude and contentment. Without his aid, she would have succumbed to disastrous, life-altering consequences. But he is the one to take charge of the situation leaving her completely and irrevocably in love with him.
The true gem of the book is the unsung support team of Beth's female friends. They are constantly babysitting her daughter, covering her shifts at work or bringing over homemade casseroles for her oven. They are the ones in the trenches with her helping her battle through the problems that life keeps throwing at her door. While not as glamorous or romantic as being championed by a beyond-perfect suitor - the power of women helping women is undoubtedly the true source of strength for many who find themselves in tough situations without a man by their side.
Overall, indulge if you crave holiday fluff.
Gold Star Award Winner! 1989 was not a good year for Beth Cardall. The novel starts out in the present day when Beth gazes at two necklaces she received way back when, but has never worn. She always thought she had the good life. Though her husband traveled often for work, she thought he was loving and faithful. But when she was cleaning out his clothing pockets for a trip to the dry-cleaners (where she works), she found a note that hints that he has secrets. When she accuses Marc of infidelity, she's shocked to find out that it's true. She kicks Marc out and then has to face an unexplained illness with her daughter. Young Charlotte is getting thinner and thinner and can hardly keep food down. Through countless doctor and hospital trips, she is still undiagnosed. Marc returns to the picture, but this time terminally ill. He is diagnosed with cancer, and Beth is determined to make his final days comfortable. Soon, she's newly widowed, dealing with the mystery illness of Charlotte, and the looming possibility of losing her job and thus her house. It's on Christmas at the end of the year that she meets the mysterious Matthew. The story moves forward from meeting Matthew and how he slowly works his way into her and Charlotte's lives. Matthew seems to come from somewhere else. He miraculously diagnoses Charlotte's illness. He slowly builds up Beth's trust in people again, and in the end, he reveals his true identity, much to Beth's total shock and disbelief. It's at this point that I went "WOW" and didn't see it coming. It's not the holiday season without a Christmas story from Mr. Evans. I don't know how he does it, but each book I swear is better than the last. And this one really surprised me. I've never read one of his books where I didn't anticipate how it was going to end. But this one kept me guessing up until the final chapters. I loved it! It may have been a sad ending (in a way), but it was the right ending, and brought the story full circle, like it should. Whether PROMISE ME is your first foray into Mr. Evans' work, or a continued tradition, it will leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling like his works always do.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Richard Paul Evans delivers another wonderful romance that will suck you in immediately. Promise Me can easily be read in one sitting because once you start, you won't want to put it down. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book so much is because I could really relate to Beth. This would be the perfect present for your romance loving friend.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans is a story of one man's unfailing love. Although Beth Cardall's world rapidly disintegrates, an unexpected visitor brings hope to the darkness surrounding her. Beth meets Matthew at a 7-11 in a chance encounter. She's sure she's never met him before, but he seems to know so much about her. He keeps showing up and insisting on spending time with her; yet, Beth is reluctant to open her heart to him. Her daughter is plagued by an unknown sickness, she's grieving her late husband and his infidelity, and her financial problems seem to be mounting. Does she really need any more complications in her life? What she finds is that she does need Matthew - more than she could have imagined.
From the beginning of Promise Me, there is a delightful suspense due to a few carefully placed tidbits of information. As the story continues, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit into place. However, until the final, powerful twist, the reader is kept guessing about what some of those opening statements mean. Personally, I found the suspense delightful. It cultivated interest in the story and kept me turning the pages. I also liked the character of Matthew. I wouldn't consider him a stereotype, but he definitely falls into the "ideal man" category - handsome, understanding, faithful, loving, etc.
Another great read for Richard Paul Evans.
BevBT
Posted November 14, 2010
It was a little strange - especially when she was jealous and angry at him for spending time with her daughter in Italy . . . just felt a little creepy when reading it. I think if they hadn't been interested romantically, it would have been better. That part was weird. I also don't think his characters have much depth. The beginning part about her husband all happened so quickly that there was no real development. I didn't really like that either. It just had a really odd storyline.
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Posted November 4, 2010
That situation changed as I go to the last page of Promise Me. Evans once again proved why the New York Times loves him. Wait until you find out who Matthew is. I'd recommend that you also buy "When God Stopped Keeping Score." It is an intimate look at the power of God and forgiveness and one that everyone deserves to read. Buy it and find out why for yourself.
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Overview
"As you read my story, there is something I want you to understand. That in spite of all the pain—past, present and that still to come—I wouldn’t have done anything differently. Nor would I trade the time I had with him for anything—except for what, in the end, I traded it for."
Beth Cardall has a secret. For eighteen years, she has had no choice but to keep it to herself, but on Christmas Eve 2008, all that is about to change.
For Beth, 1989 was a year marked by tragedy. Her ...