Sandy M’s review of Colters’ Promise (Colters’ Legacy, Book 4) by Maya Banks
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by Berkley 5 Jun 12
I was so excited to get this latest installment of Maya Banks’ Colter family. I’ve enjoyed reading about this unique family since the first book. Not many authors are able to give readers a balanced read with romance, the erotic, and a good storyline, but not so the case with this Colters’ Legacy series from Ms. Banks. Each book has been thoroughly enjoyable to read, and it’s nice to know there’s more to come.
In this book we get a wrap-up for each part of the Colter family that we’ve met in previous books. The nucleus of the family is Holly. Woman, lover, wife, mother. She and her husbands, Adam, Ryan, and Ethan, are older in this book. Their children are grown and married, homes of their own. But I really like their relationship at this point. It’s more mature, but their love and hunger for each other has never waned in the intervening years.
Callie, their daughter, is happily married to Max, but with a phone call from his sister, Lauren, Max has been out of town helping his sibling out, and Callie has no idea what’s going on. When he returns home, she finds a different Max than the one who left. He seems distant, pulling away from their relationship that Callie needs, his Dominant to her submissive. When he tells her what he found during his visit with Lauren, she’s as appalled and angry over her sister-in-law’s situation as Max was and still is. Because family means everything to the Colters, Callie insists they bring Lauren to the mountain where she can heal. And she has a heart to heart with her husband to let him know how much she needs him and their very special connection to one another.
A visit to her doctor confirms Lily’s fears – she’s pregnant. The loss of her child in a previous marriage still haunts her and she’s not sure she can go through that again. But Sean, Dillon, and Michael need to know. Lily just needs a little time to process the news first. Her husbands know something is wrong, but Lily isn’t forthcoming with her concerns. Is she tired of sharing her life with them? Has it all become too much? When Lily realizes the fear her silence has caused, and even though she botches the way she wants to tell the men, her news is most welcome indeed. But the guys also realize it’s going to be an emotional time for Lily, and their tenderness with her is very touching.
What truly makes this story is the little details and family. Holly wants to learn to cook to present her family with Thanksgiving dinner. It’s Lily who teaches her in secret. The way they handle their husbands during this time is priceless, and those men know something is up but they go along with their wives for the upcoming fun. Lauren also benefits being with the Colter family. It’s Holly who breaks through to her, making her realize there’s no room in her life for shame or blame. The way these men revere their women is wonderful to read. The way the family sticks together, no matter what, warms the heart. Then there’s scorching those love scenes. You feel the love and passion ooze off the pages when these characters share themselves with one another.
The Colters have something to offer every reader out there. Maya Banks has created a family of characters who will be remembered long after the last page is read, long after another dozen or two other books have been read. Take the time to get to know them. They will happily welcome you into the family.
Grade: A
Summary:
When it came to overcoming the odds of a tragic past, Lily was determined to move on. The three Colter brothers helped her do it. They taught her new ways to love, new dreams to share, and offered her a new life that she never thought possible. Now is a time for celebration, and what better way than with a long-awaited family reunion, a homecoming that will bring together the entire Colter family and a few surprises no one anticipated.
But first, there’s still something from Lily’s past she still needs to reconcile—even when all the while she is holding close to her heart a new-found secret that will change her future, forever enrich the Colter legacy, and make every promise come true.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
Colters’ Gift – April 2013
To be honest, I was actually disappointed in Colters’ Promise. Was this supposed to be an epilogue to the series or just a way of introducing Lauren to ensure another book in the series? Sometimes it is better to have a definitive final book for a series and in my opinion the Colter’s books should have ended with Colters’ Daughter.
I see from the review that there is another book due out next year. I can’t imagine what else there is to write about them so I guess I will be giving Colters’ Gift a miss.
That’s too bad you were disappointed in this, ShellBell. I love these characters, so I’ll keep reading no matter what. Well, unless it’s just a bad book, but I’m not anticipating that! I think this was just a catch-up story, what the characters are doing now, all a little older and have been together for a while. And if Colters’ Gift is Lauren’s story, that’s fine with me. After her ordeal in this book, I’d like to see her HEA.