An Easter Promise: A Springtime Love Story

Rory & Jack, Book 2

By: Ali Ryecart

Narrated by: Dan Calley

Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

It’s time to meet the family...

Rory Kincaid’s in a spin. He’s leaving his London life to spend Easter deep in the countryside with boyfriend Jack De Lacy and Jack’s wealthy, aristocratic family. Rory’s under pressure to make a good impression, but with no class, connections, or money, he’s not so sure he’ll be welcomed with open arms - especially when they find out how he and Jack met.

But will the family want to meet Rory?

Jack’s convinced his family will love Rory as much as he does, but it’s not the plain sailing he thought it would be. With their age-old traditions, it’s not long before Rory’s presence is sending ripples through the calm waters of the De Lacys' settled, rural life.

It’s a testing time for Rory and Jack. Can they convince Jack’s family that two men from opposite sides of the class barrier can be not only who the other wants, but needs?

Note: This book contains a village fete bake-off for the coveted golden ribbon, a cuddliest pet competition, and the undying devotion of a dog called Badger. An Easter Promise is a short novel.

©2019 AE Ryecart (P)2020 AE Ryecart

Growth

I’m loving this series and seeing how the characters are growing both individually and as a couple. Dan’s narration also continues to be superb.

A love story continnued

In this the second book of Jack and Rory we revisit them when they’ve been together a few months. Because of this there’s a slightly higher heat level in this book which felt natural since they’re now an established couple. I love how their love has grown and matured, they now know each other better and you really get the feel of how their love has deepened.

The whole book takes place at Jack’s family home and things aren’t as smooth with Jack’s parents as he expected, especially his mother is uncertain about his relationship with Rory. I like how she’s not a villain, she’s a worried mother who wants what’s best for her albeit grown up child, but we also get to see how hurt Jack is by this. Rory’s hurt too, but I think it’s worse for Jack since he had other expectations and thought his mother would love Rory right away.

We’re treated to a delightful glimpse of English village life with the quirks of a traditional village fête arrange by Jack’s family. I loved the cuddlies animal contest, and of course the baking contest. This book is filled with mouth watering baked goods and if there is ever a Rory Kinkaid Cook Book I’ll definitely be buying it!

While it’s not necessary to have read the first book about Jack and Rory, A Kiss Before Christmas, I strongly recommend that you do, since it provides their background in more detail than is given in this book.

Dan Calley does a good job narrating again, Jack’s and Rory’s voices are great, but I was especially impressed with his voices for the females, not every male narrator are good at those, but Mr Calley nailed them.

Loved this so much I listened twice!

Further adventures of Jack and Rory... and what adventures they are!

Easter week and Jack and Rory are off to spend it with family. Jack's family (who just happen to be the aristocratic Lord and Lady De Lacy) and the first time Rory is meeting them.

"Nothing to be worried about, they will love you", is Jack's mantra. Rory is not so sure but he has faced tougher challenges in life. Plus he has Jack beside him, so how bad can the visit go?

Well...

A furry new friend, a early morning grilling over tea and fry up, last minute entry of gooey brownies for the county best in bake, judging the best cuddly pet, a new business venture AND a hunt for someone more precious then a basket of eggs. PHEW...who knew country life was so exciting?!?

Once again AE Ryecart has brought Jack and Rory's story alive with humor and a touch of drama along with some naughty too. Jack's family is stubborn, feisty and throughly wonderful. Rory shines with his growing confidence in himself and in their relationship, making me love both them both so much!

Dan Calley is amazing as always! He brings the perfect amount steel to Diana's (Jack's mother) voice, she is one fierce woman.

It is defiantly worth listening to again and again!

An Easter Visit

An Easter Promise is the second book in the Rory and Jack series, a contemporary romance that takes place right after the first book. Rory and Jack are now an established couple who have found happiness with each other, but now Rory will finally meet Jack’s wealthy family. Meeting the family is always nerve wracking for anyone, but Rory also struggles with feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. However, despite all the ups and downs that Rory and Jack experience during their visit, they still have a solid and strong relationship that’s full of tenderness and sweetness.

The audiobook was narrated by Dan Calley who narrated the first book in the series. Dan has a wonderful voice and did a really great job with the performance of this audiobook. I really enjoyed listening to this book and the audiobook production was well done.

A quick listen!

I love this short, quick Easter visit with Rory and Jack.

I absolutely recommend listening to this in the series order for maximum enjoyment.

The narration was smooth, flawless and on point.

I definitely enjoyed this short!

A nice follow up story

This is basically the British version of "meeting the parents", which is interesting. I bought this audio-book along with A Kiss Before Christmas and the final tale Christmas Wedding, because I wanted to finish the 3-novella series. It's worthwhile to first read or listen to A Kiss before Christmas to truly appreciate Jack and Rory's relationship as it is reflected in this novella along with growth in their characters.
I also love the fun little nod to Bake Off, Ali Ryecart should definitely do a series centered on professional baking at some point; it's in demand right now as a concept.

The fairy tale continues

I love this series, the stories are such a brilliant combination of struggle and triumph. Rory is sweet, but in this second installment of their story we learn that he is no pushover. Jack is the one who's out of control, so desperate to protect Rory that he nearly can't think straight - but his willingness to listen to Rory, to see things from his perspective, is entirely endearing.

Dan Calley's performance is top-notch. Jack and Rory have distinct voices, as do the other members of the cast. His Lady Diana is spot on, conveying her attitude without being silly or smug. I appreciated that even as Dan narrated (as Lady Diana) a ridiculous story of Christmas Eve gone awry, he let the characters' words and actions provide the comedy without attempting to infuse any of his own. This was just one example of his neutral approach to narration, letting the book shine on its own merits, that enhanced and elevated the story beyond just being "read".