The Promise...Review

About the book:
For the last five months, Tom Anderson has been without a job, a fact he's been hiding from his wife Jean--and everyone else. He leaves each morning, pretending nothing has changed, and spends his disheartening day rotating through coffee shops and the library, using their wifi to search job listings online. The stress of keeping this secret is beginning to put serious strain on his marriage.

But Tom's not the only one hiding something. Jean Anderson has a secret of her own--one that will seriously complicate their situation. Will the promises they made on their wedding day hold firm?


Combining the literary talents of Dan Walsh and the relationship expertise of Gary Smalley, The Restoration Series pulls back the curtain of a family that has laid their foundation on shifting sand, but is slowly rediscovering genuine love and the power of forgiveness.

When I was offered this book to review, it was not clearly pitched to me as being part of a series.  I wish it had been. It's the second in The Restoration Series and I think it picks up right after the first book, which I have not read. I think the books should be read in order.

The formula for The Promise seems to be very similar, as near as I can tell, to the first book, The Dance.   That formula includes a difficult marriage, reconciliation and renewed faith in God.  While this book picked up towards the end, I just didn't like the characters.  Perhaps if I had connected with them in The Dance, it would have been better.  I did appreciate that the story addressed the idea that we carry our childhood issues with us and that unless a conscious decision is made to change, we tend to parent the way we were parented and we treat our marriages the way we observed in our own parents, family, etc.  I appreciated that the Anderson men learned to make those determined changes.

I have loved the previous Dan Walsh books I've read.  This one, however, was disappointing. My opinion is only one, though and there are many other more positive reviews and you can see some at Book Critiques, Radiant Light, and Found a Christian by His Grace.

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Thanks to Lanette at Baker Publishing for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Dan Walsh here.  You can learn more about Gary Smalley here. You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 9/13

* *
2/5 Stars

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