Isabeau fully intends to rule once her father no longer can. She considers herself an able, independent woman and has no intention of letting some rake, regardless of his royal bastard status, seduce her like a servant. But Kendrick makes her feel desire that she never expected, or wanted. She hates him for it, and for treating her so lightly. When England declares war, with Kendrick at the forefront, Isabeau see her opportunity for revenge. She plans to capture him, and ransom him; but first, she'll have her revenge by making him feel the same unfulfilled desire he caused her. And in doing so, Kendrick swears he'll make Isabeau regret it.

Desire's Promise was a good medieval romance. It reminded me, somewhat, of Johanna Lindsey's Prisoner of My Desire. The characters, unfortunately, were not as human or enjoyable enough to make me want to reread the book. Isabeau, though she occasionally had good reasons, was stubborn to the point of silliness. She kept her negative opinion of Kendrick far longer than I thought reasonable. All in all, she was a rather immature character most of the time. But there were glimpses of a woman in her that would've made a truly great and memorable heroine, which is one reason why I'd chance reading another of this author's books. Kendrick also had many faults, including being a complete and utter jerk. Long after I thought he'd wise up, he was still insisting on punishing Isabeau to make her give in to his demands; at the beginning, it was seduction and the end, commitment. He forced her into a servant's position and was an unbearable boar, with the notable exceptions of when he was trying to convince Isabeau, pleasantly, to trust him. He did, in some ways, redeem himself. In trying to convince her, Kendrick revealed a much softer, kinder side; a hero worth wishing for. The story in Desire's Promise never lacked in any way, it was actually fairly good, I just didn't enjoy the characters. But for those who love a medieval romance, and don't mind a bickering couple, Desire's Promise is definitely something to pick up.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Tara Black
August 6, 2004