REVIEW: The Promise by Beth Wiseman (& a giveaway from the author!)

The Promise (a novel)
By Beth Wiseman
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Christian
Pages: 306
Buy at: Amazon, B&N, CBD
Add on: Goodreads
Find Beth at: website, Facebook, Twitter

Mallory’s search for happiness leads her to a faraway place. There she finds heartache, betrayal—and danger.

Mallory Hammond is determined that no one will stand in the way of her goal—to save a life. She had that chance years ago, and she failed to take it, leaving her adrift and in search of the real meaning of her life. Finally, she meets a man online from a volatile corner of the world who offers her the chance to find that purpose. But she will have to leave everyone she loves behind in order to take it.

Tate Webber has loved Mallory for many years. He understands that Mallory will never be happy with him until her deepest heart’s desire is satisfied. When Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her dreams, Tate begs her not to go but tries to give her the space she needs. Mallory embarks on her dangerous journey only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. And Mallory can only pray that she will make it out alive.

Inspired by actual events, The Promise is a riveting love story that asks the question: how far will we go for love?

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

My Thoughts:
Mallory Hammond had a chance to save her cousin’s life when she was seventeen years old, but impossible circumstances prevented her from doing so. Years later, she is still just as determined to keep the last promise she made to her cousin—that one day she would save a life. She receives the opportunity to do just that when her new online pal Abdul asks for her help to save his daughter’s life. She decides to travel to his village in Pakistan despite her family, friends, and boyfriend Tate’s warnings against it. What she finds is a very different culture and a very dangerous land. When she figures out that not all is as it seems, Mallory struggles to make it out alive and return to the man she loves.

I’m not sure what I was expecting going into The Promise, but I was very surprised to find that it wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be. Not saying that it’s a bad thing though! While the story set off a little slow, it soon gets really interesting. What I particularly liked—Mallory’s determination. While she was very naive, she was also extremely courageous to put everything at risk for what she believed in and I could applaud her for that. However, I thought that her and Tate’s relationship was not set up nor explored very well and they ended up being a couple I just couldn’t root for which was a bit of a disappointment for me. I’m a girl who likes a little romance! 😉 Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that this book really explored cultural differences, the American mindset, Islam, Christianity, and faith. It wasn’t one-sided or dimensional and made for a really thought-provoking read. I really appreciated the straight-forward and effortless writing style—this was my first experience with Beth Wiseman’s novels and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I give The Promise a rating of 3.5 stars, because while I really enjoyed it there were a couple things preventing me from fully connecting with the story. If you’re a fan of exciting, thought-provoking, different, and interesting novels then you probably want to check out The Promise. It’s a one-of-a-kind story I won’t be soon to forget!

**I received this book from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are completely my own.

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 In a daring new novel, Beth Wiseman jumps way outside the box. The Promise will take readers far away from Amish country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by actual events, this is the book Beth has been working toward for a long time.

Curious? Click here to read the reviews, and be sure to enter Beth’s Kindle HDX giveaway! One grand prize winner will receive:

♦ A Kindle Fire HDX
♦ ‘The Promise’ by Beth Wiseman

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced November 10th here.