Series: Firefly Lake #3
Publication Date: 19th August 2025
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fic
3.5 Stars
One Liner: Low-stakes and sweet
Terri Rhodes and her husband had a whirlwind marriage and moved to Firefly Lake. As time passed, Jon’s legal practice and Terri’s work as an ER nurse made them guests in their own home. Terri yearns to connect with Jon as before work, and an unexpected tragedy changed their lives.
Jon knows his wife is unhappy, and so is he, but he isn’t willing to talk about it. But when Terri left, Jon was desperate to do anything to bring her back and worried if it was too late. With help from his new Supper Club friends, he hopes to win Terri back no matter what.
The story comes in the third-person POVs of Terri and Jon.
My Thoughts:
When I requested the book, I wasn’t aware that this was the third in a series. Not a problem when I know I’m jumping into a series, but I do like to know it in advance.
A Table for Two and A Perfect Pairing are the first two books, and it’s clear that I would have enjoyed this more if I had read at least one of them. This book is possibly the last in the series, so it divides the attention between the main couple and the side characters.
The writing is easy to read, like very easy to read, with light-hearted dialogue and basic descriptions. I could finish the book in 1.5 days, so that tells you something.
The main characters are likable. They are in love with each other but are going through a tough phase. The MMC has a lot of suppressed trauma to unpack, which he does eventually, since he loves his wife.
The main side characters were delightful (not a surprise since they featured as leads in the previous books). The others were nice too. In fact, we don’t have villains here. Just some nosy and overbearing people who also learn to tone down by the end.
Based on the first 50%, this was a 4-star read. However, the plot lost its momentum in the second half. It still had interesting moments, but I felt like it became a bit too easy despite the triggers.
Food is a strong theme, and there are a couple of recipes at the end for those who want to try. I appreciate this (obviously), though it’s not my kind (doesn’t matter; any food works in books). That said, I’d love a recipe for the 7Up cake. It sounds interesting! I remember there was a trend, maybe, of using soda water in some cakes. Will have to look it up again.
There’s some open-door romance and spice, but not in detail. Maybe 1.5 on the scale. My favorite is that there’s no unwanted drama. While it does make the book too sweet, it also sticks to the core theme of a couple in love trying to find their way back to each other. It's assuring when the characters confidently state they love their partners with all their hearts and are learning to show it.
To summarize, A Promise of Forever is a sweet, hopeful, and heartwarming read set in a typical small town where the gossip mill works overtime. Rounding it up since the book made me smile.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the eARC.
#NetGalley #APromiseOfForever
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TW: premature birth and death of the baby
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