My Review of I Promise You by Mary A. Felkins

 I read and wrote this review for Clean Fiction Magazine so it's longer than my typical reviews.  

Th

I is award-winning book is for the lover of gourmet food and romance to spice up your life in a clean way, of course. The pages are full of amazing sounding dishes to delight the pallet. The author uses metaphors of cooking and food throughout, making your mouth water. She added a recipe to spice up the end of the book, but don’t go there before you read this sweet and savory dished up romance.

I love the cute artwork decorating each chapter’s breaks. The story opens with the mention of Bryan J. Carlyle, a heartthrob celebrity chef, but in the point of view of Adelyn Ormond, teacher of fifth-grade students. She discovers that the principal of the elementary school, where she teaches, asks her to make a special request of a well-known man—who jilted her at the altar on her wedding day, at the saying of the vows and you guessed it—Chef Bryan Carlyle—the one man who she never wants to see again.

Adelyn’s heart broke that day when he left her, wearing a designer wedding dress, standing with the minister in front of hundreds of people, and walking out of her life. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I’ll just say they both had been wounded in their pasts and those things developed their sensitivities to right and wrong, just and unjust, and truth and lies.

As a schoolteacher, Adelyn learns that there are various students who don’t know from where or when their next meal will come. Way too often, growling stomachs and glassy sleepy eyes meet her as she tries to teach them. She knows full stomachs make children learn better, and she determines to do something about it on a personal level as well as on a grand scale—hence—Chef Carlyle.

On the flip side, Chef Carlyle has want for nothing, living in an upscale neighborhood in New Orleans, ownership of a booked-up swanky restaurant, a fine cooking school, and a cooking show where he dazzles his audience, preparing his signature dishes. That is until the world uncovered that he left his betrothed at the church. Now, his audience is shrinking and his agent is breathing down his neck to bring the ratings up.

Mishaps on the set and smaller crowds in attendance causes Bryan to flub shows and seems to be losing his edge, making him face another lecture from his agent.

Behind the restaurant, a unique encounter brings him face to face with those in need and it so happens that they are the same children that Adelyn desires to help. God brought them together to see eye-to-eye on the needs of others. Bryan is faced with a problem of his own when his past comes into his realm of fantastic sauces and spicy Cajun dishes.

The climax is a fundraising event to garner large donations of unperishable food and money for the underfed. Adelyn is the one in charge of the huge undertaking and Bryan is the special feature chef, a sort of poster child, to bring in the media and sizable crowds.

Enter sickness, misunderstandings, and snafus.

Through it all, God takes them on a quest to face issues and learn from them.

Sparks fly between them, but no worries as this is a clean romance with a strong Christian message. 

I give this 5 stars.

Buy 

 Buy Clean Fiction Magazine