Making Promises

Keeping Promise Rock, Book 2

By: Amy Lane

Narrated by: Paul Morey

All Shane Perkins ever wanted to be was a hero. But after a career-shattering decision to go down fighting, Shane comes home from the hospital to four empty walls, a pile of money, and a burning desire for someone to miss him the next time he gets hurt in the line of duty. He ends up an officer in the small town of Levee Oaks, and, addicted to the promise of family, he makes an effort to reconcile with his flighty, troubled sister. Kimmy makes her living as a dancer, and her partner steals Shane's breath at first sight.

Mikhail Vasilyovitch Bayul dances like an angel, but his past is less than heavenly. Since he left Russia, he's made only two promises: to stay off the streets and stay clean, and to take his mother someplace beautiful before she dies. Making promises to anybody else is completely out of the question - but then, Mikhail has never met anybody like Shane. Earnest, brave, and self-deprecating, Shane seems to speak Mikhail's language, and no one is more surprised than Mikhail to find that keeping promises is Shane's best talent of all.

©2010 Amy Lane (P)2012 Amy Lane

Another Amazing Story!!

I applaud Amy Lane for keeping the story going. Time to buy the next book!

One of my favorite couples of ALL TIME!

Paul Morey absolutely OWNS this!

Book 2 in the Keeping Promise Series is every bit as good as book one – it may be my favorite in the series, and it is certainly my favorite couple of the series.

Shane is a bi, hunky bear of a man, kind of a doofus, who constantly puts his faith in people who let him down. He almost dies when he’s outed in front of his police force by his no-good-a-hole-cowardly-double-crossing-“boyfriend”, given a ton of money when it’s found out WHY he was injured, but insists on still working in the dangerous field because he has a deep need to be needed.

Mikhail “Mickey” is an ex-rent boy from Russia who dances in the Renaissance Faire circuit with Shane’s twin, Kimmy. Mickey is cantankerous, cranky, snarky, and prickly – but underneath all that he has a huge heart and really only wants someone to love him.

Mickey does everything he can think of to keep Shane at arms length, but Shane has seen through the prickly exterior to the real man Mickey hides from the world and he’s smitten through and through.

Together the weather the storm of Mickey’s mother’s death, Shane’s innumerable injuries, tragedies at the Pulpit and Kimmy’s devastating break-up with her drug-dealing boyfriend.

In the end the ever doubtful Mickey must decide that he’s worthy of love and let Shane in, or risk losing him forever.

**

Mickey is one of my favorite Amy Lane characters of all time. He is so damn funny and snarky but sweet at the same time. He and Shane are so perfect together because Shane is just too good to be true and he needs some salty to counter all that sweet.

As we see in the later novels, Mickey and Shane make this amazing duo who just give and give and give and they end up being true pillars in the extended Pulpit family.

I also thought the smexy times between Shane and Mickey were some of the hottest in the series. That crazy Russian really knows how to push Shane’s buttons and vice versa.

Amy knows how to make us cry and for me the moment when Mickey eviscerates Shane in a ploy to keep himself from needing Shane’s help and love is it for me. It just gutted me how strong Shane was and how truly viscous Mickey was – BUT it made their reconnection so much sweeter by comparison. It was so REAL – don’t we hurt the ones we love the most because we know JUST how to get them where it hurts the most?

Audio

Paul Morey is my hero in this narration! He does this amazing Russian accent for Mickey that just turns my crank. He is perfect! When he does the growly voice of Deacon and the more crazy voice of Crick or the snippy voice of Jeff I just KNOW he understands and “gets” these characters. Even the girls, Kimmy and Benny sound great.

I make no bones about my devotion to the “Queen of Angst” and I think this is one her finest. This is one of the audio books that I listen to over and over because Paul Morey did such genius work.

Of course I give it 6 of 5 stars

Read the first book, first!

This book was particularly great in that half of the story's timeline is parallel to the previous book, thus adding a back/extra story to it. I just couldn't get into Shane as much as Deacon and Crick but I really loved the character of Micky. I know a person exactly like him. It was painful to watch (read) him. I have to say there were a bit too much of crap upon crap heaped upon them, but they prevailed and that's what I think counts. I am glad that Deacon doesn't have to worry about the next door anymore!
on to the next!

Good story. One I’ll listen to again.

Story was a good one, for sure. It’s a love story. With wonderful characters.

Narrator was truly amazing.

The only negative was in the production. Inserting that grating, annoying music between chapters was a very bad decision. Perhaps if the music decibels hadn’t exceeded the narration so much, it wouldn’t have been so invasive.

Loved it, what a great story!!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a great book! I could not put it down. Went through parts 1 and 2 now moving on to the third Bulletproof.

Just as good as the first!

If you're a fan of Amy Lane then you already know how well she writes love, pain, angst and redemption stories. This book is classic Amy Lane and it gave me all the feels! Shane is tall, deceptively imposing and has a heart of gold. Mikie is brash, outspoken and has this larger than life personality all wrapped up in a bite size package. The unlikely pair meet when Shane goes to visit his sister at a Ren Faire and the attraction is obvious, mutual, but Mikie fights it every step of the way. He's like one of the many cats Shane has adopted, but Mikie is most definitely feral. It takes a whole hell of a lot of cajoling, courting and everything shy of Shane using his handcuffs to cuff Mikie to the bed to get Mikie to stop long enough to realize that Shane is not like all those other guys. The big, generous cop that puts everyone he knows and loves before himself is Mikie's knight in a blue uniform with an almost constant set of broken ribs.

This was a long story but it kept my attention throughout. If I could have listened from start to finish without stopping, I definitely would have. Paul Morey is the most amazing narrator that ever lived. His voice is like honey slowly trickling down a rough, prickly tree branch, both scratching an itch and causing goosebumps. Every character had their own, distinct tone in the story and every iota of emotion that was written in the words pulled from Lane's brain was poured into the narration.

I'm sure you could start with this story as a stand alone, but listening to (or reading) the first book will give you the backstory of many of the secondary characters and, in my opinion, make this book that much better.

humm

Amy Lane always makes me cry. I Love it. This series is one of the best things going. characters are. some of the best around. Shane and Mickey are so fine they blow my mind!!!!!!!

If I had to choose a best friend? Mikhail.

What did you love best about Making Promises?

It would have to be Shane and Mikhail, they were such engaging characters just trying to forge a future together.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Making Promises?

It is hard to pick just one because there were many great moments in the book, but if I had to choose one, it would be Mikhail's mother preparing Shane for her own death.

Have you listened to any of Paul Morey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is one of his best performances, for narrative style as well as consistent characterizations.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Um, Mikhail's mother's death...

Another Journey to take...

The 2nd book in the Promise Rock series, I really enjoyed this book. I inadvertently read book 3 (Living Promises: Keeping Promise Rock) first but I don't think the reading order was too detrimental to the stories presented by Amy Lane. Learning of Shane's story, Mikhail's journey and the eventual joining was a delightful experience. Though maybe not as gut-wrenching as the first book, the story still evoked a mass of emotional responses and was still worth the read. I do recommend this book!

Thank you, Amy Lane.

Any additional comments?

I worried before I started this. Mainly because it's over fifteen hours long and after "Keeping Promise Rock" I honestly didn't know if I had it in me if this story took the same kinds of twists and turns. I swear - Amy Lane can rip out my heart like few others.

This story is beautiful in its simplicity. It's all about redemption, love, and, ultimately, finding home and family. I loved every aspect of this story. It touched a little piece of my soul, and I'm better for it.

Paul Morey's narration isn't perfect. He fumbles a little, and there are some flubs, but it doesn't matter. He makes this story come to life in a way that absolutely respects the source material and brings these characters beautifully into full bloom.

I loved it. Even when it was breaking my heart, I loved it. This will immediately go to my "favorites" shelf and I know I will listen to, and read, this again and again because this story made me feel good. Warm and happy and oh-so-grateful for what I have.

Thank you, Amy Lane. Thank you.

Highly Recommended.