ARC Review: Dark Promises by Winter Renshaw

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Standalone - Dark #2
Release - October 23, 2017
Genre - Contemporary Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5
Length - 252 pages

I have a secret …

I don’t care if you like me or not.

Insatiable lust for power and control runs thick in my veins. My father served as President of the United States of America—and his father before him. Montgomerys are born to lead and rule, to fear nothing and cower to no one, to make allegiances, not friends.

But I digress.

With a senate campaign about to launch and presidential aspirations at fever-pitch intensity, imagine my dismay when my strategist tells me I need to “settle down” with a “nice girl” in order to appeal to my constituents. Enter Rowan Aldridge, a head-turning stunner with a charm school walk, Jackie O. refinement, and a well-connected family.

She’s perfect.

So I’ll do what I have to do, make her believe what I need her to believe, and as soon as the campaign’s over and I’ve secured my senatorial seat, I’ll release my pretty little butterfly back into the wild.

But this isn’t about all of that.

This is what happens when a villain falls in love.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book is SUPER LIGHT on politics. Like ... extremely. All characters and parties are 100% fictitious and not based on anything you currently see on TV or read in the news. Promise!

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MY REVIEW

Who doesn’t love a great political romantic drama? I know that ever since the introduction of the show, Scandal, I’ve been intrigued with this particular trope. I’ve read quite a few novels in the genre and I’ll admit that not all of them have worked for me. Some were entirely too bogged down with political rhetoric, which diluted the romantic angle and caused the plot to get a bit sidetracked. But with Dark Promises , Winter Renshaw gave me a story that was not only centered around the romance of its characters, but it was funny, sexy and enchanting.

Keir was a charmer that didn’t even try to be charming. He was incredibly handsome, powerful, arrogant, and had a heart as cold as ice. He himself admitted to hurting people with absolutely no regard to their feelings. It just didn’t bother him. He didn’t care. He was also the youngest son to the President of the United States. As a renowned playboy, he earned a reputation of a manwhore who had no intention of EVER settling down. But now that he wants to run for the open senate seat, he’s got to project the proper image - repair his reputation and find the perfect someone to have on his arm. That’s where Rowan comes in. She’s perfect. She’s also a bit of political royalty, as her parents were the largest donors to Keir’s father’s campaign. But she’s in no rush to get into a relationship. As a matter of fact, she’s recently been dumped and isn’t interested in another politician, even a by-product of one. This story is about two people and how a ‘fake’ relationship can turn into real love.

These characters were very easy to like. They were hilarious, even when they probably weren’t trying to be. Although Keir could come across as unfeeling and uncaring, the author gave more than one glimpse into his sweet heart, one even he seemed to be unaware of. I loved the passion between Keir and Rowan, their symmetry, and the evolution of their relationship. I did expect more for them as an ending, but I enjoyed the heck out of their journey.