Rating: 5 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella
“No one’s going to hand us our ‘happy ever after.”
A Ring and a Promise is a sweet story of hidden love that slowly emerges over time due to both men making hard decisions. It centers on the clandestine love life of two military men, Cary and Owen. Not only are they military, but in different branches, making the possibility of their being deployed or stationed together a rare and almost non-existent event.
Cary is the first to come to the realization that he is in love with his best friend, with Owen coming round much more slowly. This short novella really centers on a span of years, and their brief, hot sexual encounters that occur with rare frequency. As they spend more and more time apart they realize how much they mean to each other.
I really enjoyed this story, the tenderness, the growing respect and need for each other was so carefully mapped out by the author. Even though this was a short novella, it packed an incredible emotional punch, one that left me on the edge of my seat to see if these two men could make a relationship work. Distance, the military taboo against same sex relationships, and their own insecurities gave an edge to the story that kept it from tipping over into just a sappy, sex-filled romp.
The characters were well drawn and so very likeable. The glimpses of their families was a nice touch, It lent an air of familiarity to these men, a “realness” that really allowed them to take up a place in your heart.
Devon Rhodes offers up a sweet story of love that overcomes a great deal of obstacles in order to find its way home. I highly recommend A Ring and a Promise!
