GRR Reviews Through the Woods by Olivia Gaines

Jazzy had always had a thing with her neighbor boy, Justin. In fact, they made a promise to marry when they are fourteen. Twenty years later, she's an accomplished horror novelist, and he just returned to town to clear his head from job burnout and from his evil ex. Then they discovered that their grandparents may have had an unrequited love for each other during times when interracial couples are spat upon... Will they have their HEA, unlike their grandparents?

The plot was practically color-blind. I barely noticed that Jazzy was supposed to be black and Justin was supposed to be white. But really, unrequited love for like 20 years? It's sweet, but somehow, the plot was a bit lacking. The background "investigation" felt tacked-on.  3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride by Elle E Kay

Addison and Zachary had made a marriage pact in their teens. They were best friends and always together, but they did not know what life was ahead. Decades later, Zach is billionaire, and Addison is surprised to hear from Zach, shocked when he invoked the marriage pact. She was both thrilled that he remembered, and disbelief that he intended to marry her. But she agreed, and soon, her entire family and his friends are heading to his private island for a beach wedding. Then he sent off his entire staff for a paid cruise on a cruise ship he chartered, so he can spend some time alone with his new bride. Unfortunately, a tropical storm hit soon, and they have to cooperate to survive...

A billionaire and assistant who planned EVERYTHING except for a tropical storm... Hmmm... There's a bit of "everyone but you" feel. But the idea of being swept off one's feet has that bit of Cinderella feel to it, but not much else. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Her Marriage Pact with the Billionaire by Lucy McConnell

Ten Years ago, Quinton and Virginia promised, on graduation night, to marry each other if both are still single after ten years. Quinton became a successful amusement park engineer, designing roller coasters, while Virginia wandered the world doing philanthropic work, avoiding the pharmaceutical company founded by her father, and now, ran by her stepmother. But the time's up. Quinton never forgot Virginia's kiss, and Virginia promised to return after 10 years to take control of the company. The reunion was nice, but it's clear both have been changed. They got married as promised, but is there actually love, despite each's complications?

This one is not quite up to the author's standards. The threats to each are slow, shallow, and doesn't really complicate their respective love life directly.  Quinton is trying to fend off Chinese industrial spies and copycats only to see a betrayal from an unexpected source, while Virginia found herself integrating back into her father's company rebuffed by her stepmom, forcing her to take drastic measures.  But the marriage itself just has a lack of emotion to it, even as they second-guessed each other. 3/5

GRR Reviews The Soldier's Wedding by Karina Bliss

Dan survived his deployment to Afghanistan and is determined, upon his return, to marry his childhood friend Josephine "Jo", because they had a "binding contract" (scribbled on a beer coaster, while drunk) to marry. It doesn't matter that Jo didn't quite think of him "that way"... He's sure he can change her mind, but she has a secret... // Jo is busy taking care of her grandmother and growing her business. She also found out something about herself that she's still trying to come to terms with... which made her unsuitable for love, not even by Dan. But Dan can be VERY persuasive...

Surprisingly deeper than initial impressions, the initial tone was funny, but the mood turns somber once you get deeper into the story. Basically, Jo has a bit of a health scare. However, the mood is not totally a downer. The back-and-forth dance took a while, but that's what a romance does.

Category: Contemporary / Military

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Billion Dollar Baby by Imani King and Cherie Love

Billion Dollar Baby is a "weird will / promise to marry" novel that made little sense when considered in retrospect.

Braden and Adele promised when they were kids that they'd marry each other if they're still single by 30. Now both are 29. Braden refused money from his grandpa because it came with too many strings attached, but he's barely making do on his own little ranch. Adel left for the army, got trained as a medic, and only recently mustered out and is studying to be a veterinarian... and back in town. Braden and Adele came back together, and things are going great. Adele wanted a baby with Braden, and Braden wanted a baby with Adele... but there's this one thing... Braden can inherit 1 BILLION bucks from Grandpa if he can produce an heir. When Braden chose to NOT mention this to Adele... it ended up being the issue that tore them apart...

The decision process makes no sense. "I don't want to involve you in my family drama" is a poor excuse to not mention the billion bucks. What's she going to think when she found out? Hmmm? That you just wanted the billion bucks, right? The ending was a simple change of heart, not even much of a grand gesture. All in all it's just "meh".

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Man failed to disclose that he stands to inherit a billion bucks when he hooked up with his old crush who did want a child...

Tropes: promise to marry, reunion, weird will, want baby

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Love's Funny That Way by Pamela Burford

Love's Funny That Way is a contemporary romance that seems to make the FMC schizophrenic (with contradictory personality traits).

Raven Muldoon is a hypnotherapist by day and aspiring stand-up comic at night. Her three friends together formed a wedding ring pact way back when... They promised to get each other married if they aren't married by age 30. Raven was first in line, so they set Raven up with a good guy, Brent Radley. And Brent's nice, but seems to hold a bit of a double-standard when it comes to dating (he can fool around as long as he keeps it discreet, but she had to be exclusive). Things get worse when Raven found out that she connects far better with Brent's brother, Hunter, who's also the owner of the local comedy club. While Hunter's no saint, Hunter would NEVER try to get between his brother and "his" girl. But is Brent really that committed to Raven? And which way will Raven go if she had to choose?

I have a hard time accepting Raven's personality. A standup comic pretty much had to have a ton of guts, knowing anything he says can bomb and he can get booed off the stage at any moment. So why would Raven failed to find ANY guy and rely on her friends setting her up, and continue to date that loser when she knew she wanted someone else? This pseudo-triangle just doesn't work for me. But the angst about hiding and the threatened exposure was good. All in all, average.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Aspiring comic got setup on a date with nice guy, but found the guy's brother far more appealing... but will brother date her?

Tropes: disguise, promise to marry, sibling triangle, performer

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Promise to Marry (Promises Book 1) by Jessica Wood

Promise to Marry started out fine, but as the book went on, all the cracks started to show. Characters started to talk out of character. The book even ended on a cliffhanger which is a no-no complete with a twist that made me go "WTF?! Where in the **** did that come from?" But in a very BAD way, because it seriously came out of NOWHERE.

The premise is fine. A guy and a gal met young, became the best of friends, and even made a bet... If both of them are not married by 30, they will marry each other. However, in the present day, she's about to turn 30, and they are now so cold toward each other, there are frost bites because there has been some sort of betrayal...

The book has THREE major strikes against it.

1) Characters behaving out of character. The adults talk fine, but a lot of the stuff was a flashback to when they were kids... Except these 10-year-olds talk like adults and think like adults.

2) The book ends on a cliffhanger to make you buy the next few volumes.

3) Unfortunately, to explain this, I will have to spoil the story.

SPOILER WARNING

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

Apparently, the girl decided to make extra money by becoming a prostitute (!) while going to college (eek!) and one of her clients was the guy's dad. And the guy found out... very publicly. This twist/bomb was dropped literally in the final pages of this book with absolutely ZERO warning. The girl's circumstances don't seem to be poor enough to warrant selling herself, much less selling herself to someone she knew back in town?!?!?! This feels like the sort of plot-twist one would come up with by throwing a couple story dice (tm) without proper polishing!

Even without the three strikes, you basically have juxtaposing scenes of young innocent guy and gal vs. present-day cold and distant guy and gal neither of whom really want to talk about it. Lame.

All in all, this book is basically unreadable.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Cliffhanger book with children talking like adults and a twist that came out of nowhere just to set up the sequel... ARGH!!!!!

Tropes: childhood sweetheart, promise to marry betrayal, cliffhanger

Overall Rating:  1/5

GRR Review: A Cowboy to Remember by Barbara Ankrum

A Cowboy to Remember by Barbara Ankrum is a relatively cozy "contemporary western" romance where the characters simply didn't seem to have that much stake in their struggle, i.e. they aren't going after what they want with the want of a drowning man, so to speak.

Olivia and Jake promised very long time ago they'd marry each other if they were single by 30th birthday, but they went their separate ways. Olivia Canaday at 29 has a fear of riding horses after getting kicked by a horse that ended her equestrian career, which also leads to her bitter divorce with her husband. She turned into horse rescue / therapy horse / riding lesson business, as long as she didn't have to get on the saddle herself. Jake Lassen, at 29, had PTSD and survivor's guilt from his mission in Afghanistan when his chopper was shot down and several people were killed. Now both are back in Marietta, but will they go through with their promise? 

The only problem between them for them to fall in love was her bitter fight with her ex, who showed up for ONE scene (to ruin her birthday) and was basically chased out of town by Jake (with a couple complimentary knuckle sandwiches as a parting gift). Both characters also seem to have gotten over their trauma way too easily. Olivia got back on the horse when she had to do a demo (when her student caught a stomach flu) and Jake... He's a local helo pilot driving people around all day... really? PTSD doesn't affect that? Somehow I just don't feel them meeting or falling in love "much" even based on a decade old promise. The romance there just isn't that hot, but it may suit people who wanted a more cozy love rather than blazing hot love.  Consider this 2.5/5

Category: Contemporary; Western

Primary Plot: Horsewoman who can't ride a horse promised to marry an ex army helo pilot with PTSD; will they go through with the promise?

Overall Rating:  3/5 (rounded up from 2.5/5)