I Promise You

by Ilsa Madden-Mills

 

Released – 12 October 2020

 

Available Now!
Amazon  |  Paperback

 

 

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Blurb

Dillon McQueen: Babe. I promise. You want me.
Serena Jensen: Um, who are you?

There’s a legend at Waylon University: the first girl you kiss freshman year at the bonfire party is the one you’ll never forget. She’ll crawl under your skin and never leave. She’ll spark a passion so fierce you’ll burn the world down to possess her.

You might even put a ring on it.

As in all things with fate, timing is everything. That kiss can go horribly wrong. She might run in the opposite direction. And boy, did Serena run.

Dillon is Waylon’s hotshot quarterback with something to prove. All he wants is to graduate and make it to the NFL. What he doesn’t need is to finally meet the mystery girl he kissed at the bonfire freshman year. Isn’t it enough that she’s haunted his dreams for more than a thousand nights?

Fate laughs in his face when he runs into the quirky girl at the Piggly Wiggly. Surrounded by his entourage, he’s got all the Oreos in his cart; she gets revenge by buying every six-pack of his favorite beer.

Obviously, that legend is a curse. She’s not his type. She hates him. Worst of all, how can she not remember him when she left a Serena-shaped hole in his heart for the past three years?

So why can’t he stop trying to win her?

Will this quarterback score the girl or make the biggest fumble of his life?

Find I Promise You on GOODREADS

 

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Review

4.5 “Dandelion” stars!

There’s a legend at Waylon University: the first girl you kiss freshman year at the bonfire party is the one you’ll never forget. 

We are back at Waylon University with Dillon McQueen. He doesn’t believe the legend per se but he is superstitious, especially when he comes to football, so he is determined to keep his lips to himself. However, as he scans the crowd at the bonfire, he is immediately hypnotized by a dancing beauty with champagne eyes and a dandelion tattoo at the nape of her neck. Something comes over him and he can’t stop himself from taking a single kiss that will inevitably change his life.

I love the premise of this story! I knew it would be funny and sweet with just the right amount of angst to keep us invested and turning pages, and it did not disappoint. It gives us a beautiful slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, and I loved it!

I adore Dillon. He’s known as the hot, confident quarterback who loves to party; however, he is so much more than what meets the eye. He is sensitive and has suffered an imaginable loss that broke apart his life and left him feeling alone and vulnerable with nothing but football to keep him afloat.

Serena has experienced her own tragedies that have shaped her into the woman she is today. She’s unique and strong and knows who she is. She puts family first, doesn’t have time for games. and definitely does not want to have her heart broken again.

Dillon and Serena are fantastic together. They start out on the wrong foot but there is something that clicks when they in the same vicinity as one another. Dillon pursues Serena hard and I love that she doesn’t just fall in his bed like all the other woman at Waylon want to do. They take their time to get to know each other, and I enjoyed the banter and fun they have together. Dillon isn’t used to being turned down and I love that Serena can give as good as she gets. He is shy and nervous when it comes to her, and there are times he jumbles all of the words, and it is so endearing. Just like Dillon, Serena can’t help but feel the connection between them, and her past brings up insecurities that make her real and relatable.

The sexual tension is there from the start and they let it build until it is too much to contain. They finally combust and it is hot. Yet, it’s so much more than just the physical attraction and I loved seeing them open up to one another. They have their fears and vulnerabilities but they take a chance, and I loved the connection they share and how natural it all felt.

How is it possible that our planet continues to spin with billions of people, yet it feels as if we are alone in this moment?

There isn’t a lot of angst and it’s not until we approach the end when there’s a moment that could break everything they’ve become. I was worried how it would all play out, and though it’s frustrating at times, I didn’t fault either of them for the way things went down. It was emotional and heartbreaking but I had faith that they would find their way back to each other. Just are just too good together to end up apart.

Overall, I Promise You is another wonderful romance that is full of heartache, healing, and so much love. It was so good to be back at Waylon University with Dillon and Serena, and the epilogue is the icing on the cake. I loved that we get glimpses of the other guys from I Bet You, I Dare You, and I Hate You. I love the Waylon crew and I want more!!

*ARC generously provided by the author*

 

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The Hook Up