Damon Knight was adamant-there was no way he was ever getting married. He would never allow any woman the opportunity to take away his free will. Besides, he had never met one that he felt even a remote connection to. So when his car broke down leaving him stranded, pilot and flight school owner Angelica Swift was the last thing he expected. All Damon wanted was Angel. In his bed and in his life.

Angelica Swift was fiercely independent-experience had taught her to keep things to herself. But sometimes this secret she carried felt terribly heavy with no one to share it with. When she met Damon, she hoped he might be that one person she could trust. The one to share her burden with. The one who wouldn't leave her when he found out.

After she saved his life when the pilot on their Cessna plane suffered a heart attack mid-flight, Damon trusted Angel with his heart and his life. When an emergency landing was required on the next flight they were on together as well, Angel admitted, at least to herself, that she needed him in her life. He was already in her heart. So when Damon found out that the secret Angel had been keeping was a brain tumor, he rushed to the hospital in time for her surgery. He promised to be there when she woke up, and she promised to come back to him. When Angel woke up and didn't remember him, Damon was devastated. Angel knew she had promised someone something important, she just couldn't remember what it was. It was up to Damon to guide his angel back, and he wouldn't give up. After all, he had given his heart to her for safekeeping.

Promise Me is an enchanting story of love being stronger than all else. Angel's dilemma of not knowing what, but knowing she had lost something precious brought me to tears. And Damon's devotion to her was nothing less than beautiful. That these two were meant to be together could be felt from their very first meeting across a crowded dance floor. I honestly felt like I was right there with them, watching them as they found their way to each other.

Promise Me proves that Vanessa DeHart is destined to be one of the great authors of our generation. Her characters are memorable, and the stories believably endearing. I know I will be looking for more from Ms. DeHart in the future!

Reviewed by Tracy Atencio
© June 2004