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Promises: An Austen-Inspired Romance Kindle Edition

by Wendi Sotis (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 287 ratings
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Adapting characters from Jane Austen's much loved tale, this novel takes Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy on a much different journey than Austen did in Pride and Prejudice.

Through their fathers' friendship, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet as children. Over the years, their feelings for each other grow and they promise themselves to each other, but unfortunate circumstances and interfering family members seek to keep them apart.

Will misunderstandings and mistaken impressions divide Elizabeth and William forever?
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  1. Print length
    436 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    June 29, 2011
  5. File size
    2538 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"'Promises' by Wendi Sotis is heartwarming, spellbinding and wonderfully passionate ... The plot development is fascinating and riveting"
- 5 stars - Sylvia H. for Readers Favorite

"'Promises' is a beautiful love story ... a well-written story that puts a spin on a classic"
- 5 stars - Kristie I. for Readers Favorite

About the Author

Wendi Sotis, the author of two novels and several short stories taking Jane Austen's beloved characters on journeys in new directions, graduated from Adelphi University with a degree in psychology. Sotis resides on Long Island, New York, with her husband, triplets and two guinea pigs.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0058TTUNG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (June 29, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 29, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2538 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 436 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 287 ratings

About the author

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Wendi Sotis

Wendi Sotis

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Wendi Sotis lives on Long Island, NY, with her husband and triplets. Years ago, while searching for Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view, she became thoroughly enamored with Jane Austen Fan Fiction or JAFF. In early 2010, she dreamed an idea for a story and hasn’t stopped writing since.

The Marriage Pact, and some of her works-in-progress, have branched away to Regency Romance and Contemporary Romantic Mysteries, but Wendi will also continue bringing Darcy and Lizzy together again and again in an unusual manner.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
287 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Candy @ So little time...
5.0 out of 5 stars So little time...so much to read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2012
Verified Purchase
"Promises" is a "Pride and Prejudice" variation and one that I would rank up there in my favorites!

Elizabeth and Darcy meet in London at a bookstore, she is 9 and he is 15. It turns out their fathers went to school together and were very good friends. The years go by before they meet again, when Darcy and his father stop for a brief visit to Longbourn. When Elizabeth is 16, her and Mr. Bennet go to Pemberley for a visit. It is during this time, Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love. They want to become engaged but Mr. Bennet wants them to wait until Liz turns 17. They promise to wait and Elizabeth and her father return to Longbourn. Soon after they leave, the older Mr. Darcy dies in a carriage accident. Darcy's family, who dislike the Bennets, try to keep them apart. They are a devious group and want control of Pemberley. Will Elizabeth and Darcy be able to overcome the misunderstandings and obstacles before them, to keep the promises they made to each other?

I wasn't sure how I would like this story, the idea of Elizabeth and Darcy knowing each other as children didn't really appeal to me. I mean, where's the mystery of discovery, of the chase, the mutual dislike? Since they don't see each other much, they are more like acquaintances, not playmates. The friction at the beginning of the relationship is not there, but with all the misunderstandings there is still plenty later in the story!

I did enjoy seeing Elizabeth as a little girl. She is so cute climbing trees and being curious about the world around her. Darcy was amused by her and a little surprised at times.

I like Mrs. Bennet's sense of loyalty in this story. She stands by Elizabeth, not wanting her to be hurt. She also starts seeing how silly her youngest daughters behave. Her turn around is wonderful to see! At the same time she retains her nerves and boisterous ways.

I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to anguish. The beginning of the book starts out nicely and moves right along. In the middle there is some anguish and I had to read through it quickly because I have a hard time with that. It ends lovely, just the way I like.
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Sophia Rose
4.0 out of 5 stars What if Darcy and Lizzy Meet as Children
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2012
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This is a Pride and Prejudice variation tale. That 'what if' was that Darcy and Elizabeth met while they were young and that their fathers were dear friends. This earlier meeting does take away a few of those classic moments like when Darcy sticks his foot in his mouth both at the Meryton Assembly and Hunsford, but it by no means removes all miscommunication and disastrous assumptions from harming their story.

Darcy is fifteen and Elizabeth nine when he encounters her in a bookshop just after the death of his mother. They strike up a conversation that is the beginning of an unusual friendship. Elizabeth is no ordinary young girl in that she has perfect recall of anything she has read or any conversation she has participated in. This gift makes her an intellectual giant for her age and gives her maturity beyond her young years. She is also rather a tomboy. These traits do not repel the young Darcy, but only intrigue the painfully shy grieving young man.
Over the next few years, they meet a handful of times until the day Darcy comes home from his Grand Tour after finishing university. Elizabeth and Mr. Bennett are visiting Pemberley and it is shortly after that when Darcy encounters the grown sixteen year old Elizabeth. Elizabeth while out walking startles Darcy's horse and he takes a fall that causes him injury. In the process of tending to him, Elizabeth twists her ankle. With neither of them able to get back to the house, they must wait for rescue. It is during the hours of waiting that love is born and grows.
Unfortunately for the young pair of lovers, they are not given permission to become engaged, but are told they must wait the eight months until Lizzy's seventeenth birthday. Promises are made and they part. And that is when the plot thickens with many forces affecting their well-laid plans for happiness and I stop so that I do not spoil it for you.

The storyline was very engaging and I was very intrigued to find out how it could all possibly come together satisfactorily. The book is told from multiple points of view and even in journal format. I found the changes easy to follow. Pacing dragged a little at times for me, but I think that was because I was so impatient when Darcy and Lizzy were parted and I was so upset for both of them. In a way, that slower pace was how frustrated the characters must have felt through that time too.
The plot wove in and out of the original P&P plot line so there were familiar things and refreshing new ones. The romance was tender and passionate rather than steamy.

Speaking of characters, I liked the way they were written though they were different from the Austen characters to some extent. There is a sense where the characters are recognizable, but then they are Wendi Sotis' own creations. My big enjoyment was having the character of George Darcy, Darcy's father, through much of the book. I enjoyed seeing what the family was like before. I was also intrigued by the villains of the piece. They were so 'love to hate' types.

Nice enjoyable read for those who love sweet romance and Austen!
5 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet Romance!
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2013
Verified Purchase
This sweet book has turned out to be another favorite of mine, having re-read portions of the book more than once. I love the pure, innocent love of the young couple when they were re-united at Pemberley when Elizabeth was sixteen. It actually brought to mind an image of Romeo and Juliet. Unlike Shakespeare, however, the two fathers are fine with the engagement, they just want them to wait until Elizabeth is seventeen before they marry. Their continued devotion to one another throughout their separation is very sweet, even with no letters making it either way. While the complete lack of correspondence could be considered a bit far-fetched I think the author offers up a plausible reason for this with the interference from Darcy's relatives (you have to have an evil villain or two, after all, right?). Even though no letters made it her way, Elizabeth had no doubt that Darcy would come for her on her birthday. It was just so sad when he didn't, due to the unfortunate fire at Pemberley! My one complaint with the storyline is Darcy's stubborn pride in not allowing Fitzwilliam to seek out Elizabeth and explain to her why Darcy hadn't come. It is very Darcy-like to not want her to take pity on him, but I don't like that he instead allows her to believe she has been forsaken. I do love the scene when they become reconciled to each other, when Elizabeth finds a sleeping Darcy in the library. The fact that Darcy has been sketching portraits of Elizabeth is very romantic, and I love that he has kept a diary during their separation that is written to her, and which he gives to her after their engagement. It is very romantic and satisfying to have them resolve their differences.

Wonderful story - thank you Ms. Sotis!
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Top reviews from other countries

Marie
4.0 out of 5 stars What could go wrong?
Reviewed in Canada on June 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
I loved meeting the younger versions of Darcy and Elizabeth and having the elder Mr. Darcy in the early part of the story. In the writing, young Elizabeth does come off as a bit of a braggart. She matures nicely. Accidents, death and plots take over for some time (my poor nerves!) If it wasn’t for their bad luck, ODC wouldn’t have had much luck at all until the last part of the story. Good thing I don’t believe in luck. Well written, well thought out storyline. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good story
Reviewed in Australia on December 8, 2017
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I liked this story a lot ODC meet at a much younger age and their relationship evolves
Younger Lizzy was very cute
Darcy's relatives where very bad
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martha
5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet variation
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2013
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This was a good holiday read. A sweet plot with our favourite characters. It's a nice change to be able to read something without any smut.
One person found this helpful
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Borderer
3.0 out of 5 stars Too lovie dovie to be Austen
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2014
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Disappointing story, slow pace and I must admit to skipping large portions of the too lengthy scenes of mutual admiration between Elizabeth and Darcy. The book suffered from missing out the contributions of some of the original characters e.I. Mr Collins, Charlotte, and in particular Wickham (who is only referred to briefly). As a previously review stated it my suffice for a 'holiday read' but not for serious Austen enthusiasts.
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Eureka
2.0 out of 5 stars Another mishmash!.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2019
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The plot is nigh invisible and the story line hardly believable! I found a degree of enjoyment in a speed read but not enough to recommend the book.
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