Last year I had the pleasure of reading TJ Bennett's The Legacy, so when her new romance, The Promise, made its way to my bedside table I couldn't have been happier.

Set in Spain in the 16th century, we meet an unlikely character by the name of Gunter Behaim, a German soldier in the employ of Emperor Charles V. A man with secrets to keep, he finds himself under the spell of a close friend's fiance, Alonsa Garcia de Aranjuez.

With Martin near death, Gunter finds himself promising to take Martin's place as Alonsa's husband. Gunter had vowed to never love again after the loss of his first love, but Martin had sacrificed his life to save him so there was no way to refuse. It was a debt to be repaid.

It also secretly pleased Gunter to think of having his way with Alonsa. It'd been all he could do to keep his hands off of her out of respect for Martin. No woman had ever affected him the way she had and now he would be free to act on his desires. But could he risk his heart again?

Alonsa Garcia de Aranjuez learned as a young woman that love can be dangerous. Over the years she lost many men she loved to a curse set on her by her first love. Upon the death of Martin she vowed to never allow another man to love her. No more could die from this curse. She would live alone in a loveless life. She would join a convent to keep herself, and any men who might approach her, safe.

What she didn't count on was Martin dying and leaving her in the presence of Gunter Behaim. A more seductive man she knew she would never meet. Against her better judgement, she wanted his touch more than any other man, including Martin. But when Alonsa discovers that Martin forced Gunter to promise to wed her, she knew she had to run away as fast as she could.

Would it be possible for him to have this passion for her, for them to share the feelings they did for one another and to not have them turn into love? She couldn't allow Gunter to love her since it would mean his death from the curse. But how would she resist him and how could she keep him from loving her?

TJ Bennett provides us with an unusual time period for this lusty little romance in The Promise. Spain is not often the backdrop for such adventures and certainly not with a character that hails from Germany.

The descriptions and characterizations in this book are rich, the plot is interesting enough and the sexual tension between the lead characters makes this a surprisingly sexy read.

If you're looking for a good beach story for the summer, or a sizzler to warm up your winter, pick up a copy of TJ Bennett's The Promise. It's a delightful book. 
 
Reviewed By Sabine Maurier
© July 2009