Keeping Promise Rock

Oh, but this book was amazing! I don't know how I've missed this series until now as the Author and the Narrator are both favorites for me. Better late than never has never been more true!

Crick (Carrick) and Deacon are childhood friends, the closest thing to family either of them have aside from Deacon's father, Parish. As they grow from boys to teenagers and eventually become men their ever evolving relationship becomes something so much more than just friends, family, lovers. Through thick and thin, to hell and back, Crick and Deacon do the best they can to keep their heads above water and stay true to who they are as both individuals and a couple.

What I truly enjoyed most about this story was the fact that these two men are far from perfect and Lane captured that perfect imperfection beautifully. They don't always say the right thing or make the right choice but regardless, they are there for each other and they build their own fantastically flawed family that is stronger than super glue.

What can I say about Sean Crisden that hasn't already been said? The man is such a sensational narrator with an arsenal of tones, nuances and inflections at his disposal. It's not just his ability to voice so many characters and make sure everyone has their own tone, he puts the emotions the character is feeling into the words and takes the story to another level.

If you're a fan of the Author or Narrator this one is a no brainer. Such a great book!

As you know already, with the approval of Dreamspinner Press, we’re reviewing previously published books. We continue with Amy Lane‘s, Keeping Promise Rock contemporary romance series.

Oh my, what a read!

I can’t help it; when it comes to sappy romance, I’m a goner. Well, in this case, the sappy was me. I cried several times during the book. It wasn’t always a sad cry.

The only thing I didn’t like was the prologue. So if you’re like me, and you don’t like that after the prologue, in the first chapter, they go back in time, then I advise you to skip it. You won’t lose much.
The story, after the prologue, starts when Crick, our MC, at the age of 9, meets Deacon the son of Parish, the owner of The Pulpit. It was love at first sight. First the ranch, then the horses, and then Deacon. In less than 5 minutes.

Crick’s domestic situation is troubled. His alcoholic step-dad calls him the Mex-kid. He’s radical-religious white trash. But Crick wants to learn how to ride a horse. So Parish offers him a deal. He’ll come Saturday to Sunday to help out at the ranch, and in return, Deacon will teach him how to ride a horse. That is how Crick earns himself a new caring family.

Years pass by, and Crick finds himself in more trouble than necessary. Deacon is always there to help him get through the rough times. The hero worship slash idolization of Deacon during Crick’s teenage years turns into flaming desire and unconditional love.
But when Crick thinks he has it all, life has other plans.

Deacon knows, from the very first meeting that Crick is it for him. So he waits patiently for the years to pass by and finally claims what’s his, Crick. Deacon is an introvert. You may say the epitome of introversion. The only person who can penetrate his walls is Crick. Deacon knows that Crick is meant to be more than a farm boy. He keeps telling Crick to go, spread his wings and fly. But Crick is waiting on everyone to push him out of their life, so he takes it in the wrong way, and in that spare of a moment, Crick does the unthinkable and enrols into the army.

I loved both MC’s. I fall in love with Deacon’s kindness I related to his responsibility, to his character. Crick’s outgoing behaviour, and his unconditional worship for Deacon took my breath away.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Wonderful job Amy Lane!

Deacon and Crick have a beautiful love for each other but Crick impulses almost cost them their happiness and the bond as a family. It is a great book and love the rest of the friends.

I've got a few things to say before my review. One, I had to wait until I re-read 'Keeping Promise Rock' before writing my review. I was way too emotional and could not have ever made any coherent sense before. Two, there will be no spoilers in my review - there will be quotes, but no spoilers. And, three, if you're an Amy Lane fan, which I am, it's physically and emotionally impossible not to completely love this book.
The very first thing I noticed about 'Keeping Promise Rock' was the sheer joy that Crick discovered at The Pulpit and simply being in Deacon's presence. It's unreal to imagine you will find the love of your life at the age of eight. \"He was never going to start looking at girls. And he would probably love Deacon Winters truly and deeply for the rest of his entire life, in the way that most men loved their wives. And someday, because Deacon thought he was honest, he would have to take his balls in one hand and his heart in the other and tell Deacon himself.\"
The second thing I noticed was the unbelievable genius of a writer that Amy Lane is. The rhythm of the words, the flow of the story all were immediately apparent within the first couple of pages. For me, it's a rare thing to fall as hard for the author as I fall for the characters.
Carrick Francis, or Crick, is a character whom I really related to in a number of ways. His absolute unbending surety that he will never be good enough for Deacon. His sometimes extreme cluelessness to the subtle hints of body language and speech. His decisions based entirely on emotion. Crick always seemed to be living completely in his own mind, totally unaware of what was going on around him. And then, wham, here he comes with observations seemingly out of the blue. He's simple but complex, easy but hard, but always, always, always he is honest with Deacon. Best of all, he's sarcastic and snarky which makes him very entertaining.
Deacon Winters is quiet, shy, loyal, loving, hard working, compassionate, and Crick's hero. But, Deacon knows he's not a hero. He has weaknesses just like everyone else but he's so afraid of the day that Crick discovers that. Because Deacon has loved Crick for a long time and they are all the two of them really have left in the world and Deacon couldn't stand it if Crick left. It's hard to live up to someone else's idea of you. Much like Crick, Deacon has no idea of his own worth to the people who love him. He's constantly surprised that they do. \"'Do you ever want to kiss me, Deacon' he asked, and Deacon could tell he'd rehearsed the speech, trying to make it sound sexy and seductive, but what it sounded was uncertain and wanting. Deacon thought that the second combination was probably the one that did him in for good. 'All the damned time', he muttered.\"
The passion and unlimited love that Crick and Deacon share is almost overwhelming in places. And, I'm not just talking about sex, although it's very, very hot. I'm talking about everything - life and love. Crick and Deacon simply imbue everything with that same passion and love.
It's not just the main characters who are amazing, either. Deacon's best friend Jon, Deacon's high-school girlfriend, Amy, Crick's little sister, Benny, Crick's driver in Iraq, Lisa and Crick's combat buddy, Andrew (Private Blood-loss). Each character, in their own right, brings so much to the story it's incredible. The family that Deacon and Crick create is so strong and so very loving it brought tears to my eyes more than once.
Now we all know that Ms Lane is the Queen of Angst, correct? And nowhere does she show it as much as in this book. The letters and the texts back and forth for two years from Deacon and Crick. The levee flooding, the rattlesnakes, Deacon fighting with God and Comet dying are just small examples. Because it isn't so much that everything in the book is angst-driven. It's more that the way the author writes angst leaves you breathless and wrung-out with emotion. It's so beautiful and poetic.
I don't have enough room to ever be able to write an appropriate review of 'Keeping Promise Rock'. I hope that what I've written above isn't just a rambling mess because I really tried. Just know that this is one of the most fantastic books ever written and I can't get enough of Amy Lane's stories.

My review from Leontine's Book Realm: KEEPING PROMISE ROCK is a heart rendering coming of age m/m romance that follows the lives of Carrick “Crick” James Francis and Deacon Winter. It is a story of finding your own kind of family, of making mistakes and accepting the consequences but above all it is the evolving love two men share that tugged at my heart strings. Amy Lane took my in to the lives of Crick and Deacon, how they shared their youth, their teenage years and their twenties together. How a young innocent crush from Crick grew in to a burning, gut-deep love and finds it answered by the one and only man who owned his heart for so many years.
The lives of Crick and Deacon are hectic with ups and downs and rife with their emotions which made this story so captivating in its sincerity. This story doesn’t get sugar coated yet there is room for tender, loving and fun filled moments as well. At first the story is mostly told from Crick’s point of view and gave me a close connection to him and his budding love for the 5 years older Deacon. The innocence is very much present but Crick’s life is all but innocent, he has to take care of his younger sisters, his step-dad is an a**hole of the first order and a mother who doesn’t care. Later on the point of views blend from both Crick as well as Deacon’s side giving a more balanced and rounded storytelling.
Amy Lane begins this story with an attention grabbing chapter where events unfolds for Crick and ends with a cliffhanger. After that first chapter I was transported back in time to meet a young Crick on another life altering day. The first part of KPR I was pining for Deacon to acknowledge Crick’s emotions for him, we all remember how intense a first love can be. A look, a touch, a smile of that person can make your day and Deacon is a teenager who is just likable. He doesn’t come across as a goody two shoe but still is so charming, responsible and smart. He doesn’t open up to many but when he does I knew it was a profound moment, knowing that this person truly mattered to him. From the beginning Crick and Deacon have a connection that only grows and strengthens with the bitter sweet and the emotionally intense events unfolding throughout their lives. Crick is impulsive, energetic and loyal which doesn’t change much in the course of the years. It is his impulsive nature that tears him and Deacon apart.
Because KPR entails about 15 years and quite a lot of pages Amy Lane can really go in-depth with the character development and romance. The passion between Crick and Deacon is hot but the emphasis lies on the romantic development. There are homophobic issues, a teen-age pregnancy, alcoholism, losing friends and a war, all these more serious themes pass the venue and are just the bigger issues. At the heart it is the love between Deacon and Crick that swept me off my feet. Neither one if perfect, both make mistakes but it makes the love become all the more real. I connected to both because the story is so intimate, the characters are laid bare with all their strengths and flaws keeping no secrets from the reader. I was with them every step of the way to a happily ever after that became the culmination of all that Deacon and Crick wanted. Each other, family and the one place they called home, The Pulpit.
Separate and together the secondary characters; Crick’s sister Benny, friends Amy, Jon, Andrew etc cetera created a unit, a support system, a family. All their lives entwine within the larger picture and I held each dear to my heart. Amy Lane knows how to make her characters go through deep valleys but she provides a small group that will keep you going in the darkest hours. Love and friendship is something that encompasses a maelstrom of feelings and I couldn’t stop reading. There aren’t many stories where my notes are half a notebook page but KPR was one of those novels that I started and couldn’t put down, the characters and the narrating just kept pulling me back again and again.
KEEPING PROMISE ROCK is a story that inevitable draws you in to the lives of many colorful characters but Crick and Deacon are the center of it. The gripping events that they shared with me made a lasting impression and this is one of those m/m stories that will never leave my shelves. I want the chance to revisit them…