The Promise of a Gentleman (The Cousins of Aristocracy Book 1)

Emma Fitzsimmons is an orphaned young lady attending a rather prestigious boarding school, taking accounting classes at night, and volunteering her spare time at a children’s orphanage. Her roommate at school, Christina Todd, is a 16 year-old girl from a well-to-do family. She and Emily get along because Christina is unlike so many of the privileged girls they go to school with. After two years of rooming together Emily finally meets Christina’s brother/guardian, Thomas Wellingham. There is an instant spark between the two that they both try to deny but a cast of characters become the force that finally makes them realize what they both truly want. 

“The Promise of a Gentleman” is a smoothly written but extremely long first book of a series. Ms. Sande has a cast of characters that rivals any Shakespearean play for having so many! There is a wonderful theme throughout the entire book that centers on the thought that love does not care whether someone is rich or poor but that it flourishes whereever fate leads it. However, the love scenes are tedious and seem to go on for longer than necessary. At times, it becomes very confusing as to which character is being described in the scene. With so many characters, side scenes and back stories “The Promise…” tends to get lost in itself. Taking the book and giving each couple their own uninterrupted story would make this reading experience one readers would come back for time after time. 

Mary-Nancy Smith