Book Review: Deceptive Promises by Amber Miller

A touching love story with a dash of adventure awaits you in Deceptive Promises (Delaware Brides Series #3) by Amber Miller.

Margret Scott finds herself attracted to enigmatic and charming Samuel Lowe. It does tax her heart, however, that she must keep him a secret from her family. Samuel's duties have him working for both sides in the war between the colonists and the British soldiers, and Margret is not always sure where Samuel's loyalties lie.

As her interest in the political environment surrounding New Castle increases, Margret continues to secretly meet with Samuel when he can briefly escape from his posts. He promises Margret can trust him, and she promises him that she does. But can deceptive promises be trusted? Can a relationship built on such uncertainty survive?

In the third book of the Delaware Brides Series, Miller sets this love story against the backdrop of the American Revolution. As with Quills & Promises before it, the pains of a growing nation during a time of war play a large role in the development of the story. In this book, however, I find that Miller did an even finer job of relaying the events of the day through dialogue, internal thought, and narrative than she did in the previous installment.

Miller's strength has always been her characters, and that is no different in Deceptive Promises. Marget, whose mind was once filled with fashions coming over from England, gains an interest in current events and the war efforts due to her secretive relationship with Samuel. On the other hand, Samuel, finds himself fighting his desire to be with Margret while performing his duties. And while Samuel knows where his loyalties lie, his actions sometimes leave Margret feeling uncertain, making it impossible for her to admit her growing fondness for Samuel to her family. If she can't understand him, how could they?

The Delaware Brides Series follows three generations of the same family. Had I known that at the onset, I would have purchased all three books together and read them in order. However, since these all read well as stand-alones, you'll miss nothing if you read them out of order. Some of the main characters in the first novella, play minor roles in the second, and some of those also appear in the third, so even though the love stories are isolated, it's nice to follow along with the family's history.

My one tiny criticism is that I don't care for the cover art of this book. The woman on the front cover appears much older than Margret would be for the story. We meet her at age fifteen, and though years pass during this story, the cover woman's look appears too old. In addition, her eyes are closed, as if awaiting Samuel's kiss, and it just gives her this air of swooning, which didn't seem to match Margret's overall personality, especially as things progressed throughout the story.

That aside, if you want to be drawn into a touching inspirational love story set during the American Revolution, Deceptive Promises by Amber Miller is the book for you.

Note: The Delaware Brides Series has recently been repackaged by the publisher and is now sold as a three-in-one story collection titled, Liberty's Promise (Romancing America). The author's name has also been updated to Amber Miller Stockton, to reflect her married name. This three-in-one is available at a suggested retail price of $7.97.


Title: Deceptive Promises
Author: Amber Miller
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc HP #823
ISBN-10: 1602601895
ISBN-13: 978-1602601895
SRP: $4.95