Book Talk
THE LAST PROMISE
Reading ‘The Last Promise’ by Richard Paul Evans is like being led blindfolded into a flower shop. The result is an unexpectedly sweet burst, and increasingly emotional reaction, triggered by your senses. Written eight years after his acclaimed novel, "The Christmas Box," this is the perfect summer read for hopeless romantics and travelers alike.
Evans opens the book with a writer, Ross, amidst the stunning countryside of Tuscany, a scene he paints vividly. Even those who have never been there will be able to close their eyes and imagine the picturesque landscape of a beautiful, centuries old Italian city with its ruins and ancient architecture. At poolside at a villa, a strikingly lovely woman is asked her favorite romance story. She responds poignantly, "Mine."
Eliana, a fellow American, is in residence, as is Ross, at the villa owned by her husband’s family. What they share is sadness. She burdened with an absent, abusive spouse and ill child, and he running from a mysterious past. Though the question does not seem will they fall in love, but when and how, you’ll still find yourself rooting for these tender moments as the delicate seed of love finds its way through the barren soil of loneliness and need to the light of fulfillment.
As in any good romance novel, there are hardships and setbacks, leaving the outcome uncertain. Regardless, Evans offers a sweet, twisty tale of hope tapping into the longing we’ve all no doubt felt at least once to run off to a faraway land to discover the heights of love.
"The Last Promise" may not contain enough suspense and tragedy to have you gripping your seat, but it will leave you sitting close to the edge, and savoring, certainly, the sweet aroma of love lost and found. Review by Aimee Curzio