Bittersweet Promises - Carrie Ann Ryan

Bittersweet Promises

By Carrie Ann Ryan

  • Release Date: 2022-10-24
  • Genre: Contemporary Romance
Score: 4
4
From 826 Ratings

Description

New York Times Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan returns with the next generation of Montgomerys and a second chance romance bound in memory and heat.
Leif Montgomery fell hard for Brooke Alder in Paris when they were young, and he thought their fling was just an early taste of what life had in store for him.
But life had other plans, and he didn’t find that kind of love—or see Brooke’s face—for years. 
Until he visits his cousin’s house and sees who’s moved in next door.
They’ve both changed: she’s a struggling single mom, he’s running from a past he’s trying to hide while opening up a new tattoo shop. Yet the moment he sees her again, he knows she’s the one for him.
And with one look, Brooke knows that she can’t fight the desire that pulled them together before, despite the skeletons in both their closets.

Reviews

  • Great read

    5
    By Skiplayer1
    The characters were fantastic and the story was interesting and beautiful.
  • Better sweet Promises

    4
    By ThiaMar2
    Like reading about Brooke and Leif love story. And adorable Luke.
  • I love it

    5
    By yary1230
    In love with this
  • Second Chance Love

    4
    By Heameljon
    Leif Montgomery is done with dating. His cousin Lake set him up on a blind date but he felt no sparks. This has been the case with all the women he has dated recently. Instead, he decides he wants to focus solely on his business, Montgomery Ink Legacy. Leif is a talented tattoo artist but he has an artistic talent across many mediums, such as charcoal and clay. Montgomery Ink Legacy has only been open a year but he worries it won't live up to the reputation of his father's shop, Montgomery Ink. Brooke Adler is moving home to Denver with her five year old son Luke. After establishing herself as a successful professor at CalTech, she has taken an offer as a Physics professor at Denver State University. She is doing all on her own as her parents are both gone. Not to worry, her neighbor is Lake Montgomery. Lake is ready and willing to bring Brooke and Luke in to the Montgomery family fold with the help of Leif. Amazingly, this is not the first time Brooke and Leif have met. Ten years prior, when they were only 18, the pair had had a torrid affair while in Paris. They had promised to reconnect in the states but fate had other plans. Bittersweet Promises captured me from the very beginning and was difficult for me to put done. I completed it in one sitting. I could relate to Brooke, a single independent woman struggling to be successful in a male dominated world. It's hard for her to allow someone else to step in and do things for her. I enjoyed following Brooke and Leif's story and fell in love Brooke's five year old son Luke! With the Montgomery family, Carrie Ann Ryan has built my favorite kind of series, one in which you become familiar with a large circle of people who become like your friends and family. People you are excited to visit with each new installment. I can't wait to see where Montgomery Ink Legacy takes me.
  • Quite enjoyed this!!

    5
    By Rinsky13
    I quite enjoyed this! I wasn’t completely sure at first who this was about (though I guessed right!), but was ecstatic to find out it was Leif, Austin & Sierra’s son. I loved his story, I loved the OG Montgomery’s being around, and I look forward to what comes next. I will need a family tree to remember who goes with who though for future books, since it’s been so long lol. There’s a whole lotta Montgomery’s out there!
  • An absolutely FANTASTIC read!

    5
    By Cheryl SDS
    This is book 1 in the Montgomery Ink Legacy series and it features Leif, Austin’s and Sierra’s son, and Brooke, who’s from Leif’s past in Paris. These two seemed destined to be together. Across time and space, they meet again over 10 years later and all those feelings resurface again. Now she has a young son and a new job. Can she juggle all that and a Montgomery too? The past doesn’t always stay in the past for good…or bad. FANTASTIC STORY! I love reading about the next generation of Montgomerys. As amazing as the parents were, it’s nice to know that this next generation doesn’t have it all figured out yet. There was tremendous character growth and still more to come. Chapter 21 BLEW ME AWAY! I most definitely wasn’t expecting it and now I can’t wait for the next book!
  • Leif Montgomery is All Grown Up

    4
    By girlygirlmegs
    Leif Montgomery is all grown up, jumping 20 years after we first met him in Delicate Ink. Austin’s son has opened his own tattoo shop and is an artist. Unlike his dad, Leif an artist using various mediums, not just skin & tattooing. He has small business worries of closing and fears of failing as a legacy tattoo artist and not being enough. Brooke Adler is a single mom drawn back to the area she called home with her son Luke. She’s hopeful this is a step in their right direction for both her career and doing what is her for her son. Brooke & Leif previously met in Paris. We do not get the full details of their time together, but rather a snippets of some details of their time together. Personally I think these details would have made this story better since it’s a second Chance romance and we don’t know all the details of the initial relationship.
  • The next generation of Montgomerys is here!

    5
    By RowenaB10
    The next generation of Montgomerys starts off with a bang! Leif is all grown up and with his family surrounding him, his second chance at love story did not disappoint. Leif Montgomery and Brooke Alder first meeting in Paris gave them a path they both agreed on but ended differently. This is their story after they get an unexpected second chance, it had swoon worthy moments, high heat level and a family that surrounds them in love. I loved this first story of what looks to be a memorable series and I can’t wait for more!
  • Leif’s story - wonderful!

    5
    By KymReads1
    Oh my goodness! After all of the trials and tribulations Leif Montgomery has had in his life, his story - much anticipated btw - is finally here and Carrie Ann Ryan does not disappoint! Add in Brooke Alder, a smart, strong and sassy single mom from Leif’s past? An absolutely wonderful edition to the many Montgomery Ink stories! While not having seen one another since Paris many years ago, on Brooke’s move in- day to her new home in Colorado where she meets her new neighbor, Lake, who shows up? Leif! Turns out, Lake is Leif’s cousin…a small world. But there are misunderstandings for Brooke and Leif to work through from their past in Paris. And that’s only one of the challenges. Brooke is a very devoted single mom to a wonderful little boy, Luke, and a busy college professor/researcher in a very demanding scientific field (so very accurately portraying the plight of women in academia within the field of science IMHO), who doesn’t have a lot of spare time for socializing. While Lief does not have as many demands, his life is complicated, too. But the spark they felt in Paris? It hasn’t diminished a bit! Following how these two sort through the complications in their lives, both past and present, plus the delightful supporting characters, both Montgomery family members (including “honorary” members) and friends (May, Brooke’s nanny for her son, Luke), makes this a beautifully romantic story!
  • Worth the wait

    4
    By Fine pumpkin 511
    Yes! I love those Montgomery’s and now that the younger kids are all grown up I’m loving them even more. Leif and Brooke are everything together plus who would love sweet Luke. The story was entertaining to read along with keeping my attention throughout the book. These Montgomery Legacy books are going to be so much fun to read. Until next time y’all happy reading.