ABOUT THE BOOK: Beth Crandall has known trauma. Kidnapped from her birth family when she was three, abandoned at a mall by her kidnapper a few months later, traumatic amnesia has prevented memories from plaguing her as she was adopted and ushered into a "normal" life. But a twist of fate reunited her with her birth family recently and now she's attempting to move forward in a way she couldn't before.
As a teenager, Beth's face was scarred in an attack at a group home where her best friend lived. Now Beth is seeing a plastic surgeon, Dr. Sam Benedict, so he can remove the scar. Sam volunteers his time to the foundation Kids Cause which sends doctors all over the world to help children. Sam, who came from an abusive home, feels children need to be listened to and fixed. He and Beth connect on a deep level from the first moment they meet.
Beth has believed a romantic relationship is impossible for her given her background. But during integration into her birth family and throughout a search for her teenage best friend, Sam remains by her side. He helps to heal more than the scar on her face. Neither of them realize that Beth's search for her friend with the help of psychic Gillian Bradley (continuing character from other SEARCH FOR LOVE books) will land them in a fight for their lives.
MY REVIEW:
The Wedding Promise by Karen Rose SmithMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Wedding Promise by Karen Rose Smith is a 2016 publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story is the much anticipated sequel to “Her Sister” and picks up soon after the Thaddeus family is reunited, at long last.
Beth Crandall discovers her birth family and is working to create a bond with them, and maintain the normal relationship with her adoptive parents. However, there are some past issues she is trying to resolve as well.
While in a group home, Beth was attacked, leaving her with a deep facial scar. But, she could have been killed, if not for her friend, Helen.
Beth’s first order of business is to see about having the scar fixed via plastic surgery, which is where she meets Dr. Sam Benedict. The chemistry between them glows immediately. But, before Beth can move forward with her life, she hopes to find Helen and reconnect with her, but sadly, Helen has fallen off the grid.
Enter, our old friend and psychic, Gillian Bradley, who agrees to help Beth locate her friend, while the entire Thaddeus family prepares for Max and Amanda’s remarriage, and Clare struggles to figure out how to approach her daughter’s dilemma and fit Joe into her life at the same time.
But, the main focus of this story is on Beth, as she begins to piece together her difficult past, cope with harrowing memories, build new family relationships, and learn to trust in her love for Sam.
A common thread in this story, is that of abuse. Sam comes from an abusive childhood, which has him fleeing from marriage and family, worried he could be like his father. Not only that, Helen, Beth’s old friend, also struggles with viscous cycle of domestic violence.
The author does a fine job of mingling difficult and emotional topics amid the family dramas and the love story between Sam and Beth. There is rapid character growth between the couple, but not without a lot of give and take and some deep soul searching. Sam is a complex character at times, but is a very good man, and I grew to like him a lot. Beth handles most of the emotional punches life has thrown her with grace and courage and is a character that shows quiet strength, despite her internal insecurities and fears. Not only that, she is wonderful influence on Clare, who continues to struggle with her extreme fear of failure.
There is also a bit of action and suspense toward the end as Sam, Beth, and Helen face danger, and must fight for their lives.
Yes, there is a lot of ground to cover in this book, but it never became too busy, or lost control. Everyone we met from “Her Sister” will experience peace and closure and hopefully years of happiness in their future.
I am so happy we got to touch base with the Thaddeus family again, and I loved how everything worked out for them. I do highly recommend reading “Her Sister” before starting this one, however, in order to get the full picture and understand more about the extended Thaddeus family dynamic, which is important to this story, but it’s not absolutely necessary, since the main focus of this story is on Beth.
Overall, I have enjoyed this arc in the “Search for Love” series. This is a nice, touching, and inspirational story, with well-drawn characters who are easy to relate to and grow fond of. I highly recommend this one to those who enjoy women’s fiction, or contemporary romance with strong family elements, and even to those who enjoy romantic suspense.
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Promise-Search-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B01DUNJCRK
MORE BOOKS IN 'SEARCH FOR LOVE' SERIES:
When Clare Thaddeus' sister was abducted, she was five and her family fell apart. Now, twenty-seven years later, there's a chance Lynnie could still be alive! Divorced parents, a rebellious daughter, and a devoted sister find their lives in turmoil once again. This time, will crisis tear them apart or will forgotten love knit them together once more? GET YOUR HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Her-Sister-Search-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B00BFFJ79YABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith was born in Pennsylvania. Although she was an only child, she remembers the bonds of an extended family. Family is a strong theme in her books and she suspects her childhood memories are the reason. In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband to be. They both began married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home-decorating business.
She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing relationship novels. Now she writes romances as well as mysteries full time. Her first book was published in 1992; her 80th novel will be published in 2013. A winner of New Jersey's Golden Leaf Award in Short Contemporary Romance, Colorado Romance Writers Award Of Excellence for short contemporary, as well as the Phoenix Desert Rose Chapter's Golden Quill for Traditional Romance, she has also been honored with Cataromance.com's award for Best Special Edition and Washington Romance Writers Career Achievement Award. Her romances have made both the USA TODAY list and the Amazon Romance and Contemporary Romance Bestseller lists.
She has written for Meteor/Kismet, Kensington, Silhouette and Harlequin. Readers can contact Karen through her website, on Facebook (Karen Rose Smith Author) and on Twitter @ Karenrosesmith. They can also follow her monthly e-zine IN TOUCH with KAREN ROSE SMITH which has the latest news about her books, recipes and contests.
