Promises

Coda #1

by Marie Sexton

Jared Thomas has lived his whole life in the small mountain town of Coda, Colorado. He can't imagine living anywhere else. Unfortunately, the only other gay man in town is twice his age and used to be his teacher, so Jared is resigned to spending his life alone.

Until Matt Richards walks into his life, that is. Matt has just been hired by the Coda Police Department, and he and Jared immediately become friends. Matt claims he is straight, but for Jared, having a sexy friend like Matt is way too tempting. Facing Matt-s affair with a local woman, his disapproving family, and harassment from Matt-s co-workers, Jared fears they'll never find a way to be together-if he can even convince Matt to try.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, Gay For You, LGBT, Gay

228 pages, ebook

First published January 7, 2010

About the author

Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

The absolute best way to stay up-to-date on my books is by joining my FB group. You can view livestreams about Oestend, Coda, and the Heretic Doms Club. I also give away books on a regular basis. NO DRAMA ALLOWED!!


Or, you might want to check out these pages:

Coda: Which book do I read first?

Find a book by trope or heat level.


Visit my website/blog at http://www.MarieSexton.net

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who stayed up until 3 am to finish this story last night??

----->ME<------

Who has regrets?

::crickets::

Not me, because this book rocked the F-ing house!!!!

Why haven't I read this book before now? WHY?! Why haven't I read Marie Sexton before now?! Why?! I think Mama just found a new crack because this book made me want to one-click the entire Promises series at 3:30 am.

The characters? Amazing. The chemistry? Amazing. The whole book? Amazing.

These are the types of contemporary romances that I love to read. I can't even get into a critical review of this book right now because all I see when I think of this book are rainbows and hearts floating around my head. And penises. They are there too.

I feel sorry for whatever book comes after this one. I might hate it on principle just because it isn't "Promises".

[Julio Genao · Rating 1 out of 5]

loathed.



loathed it.

my copy is highlighted-to-shit-and-back with all the horrendous things this book is trying to say.

i'm livid.

book: j'deteste.

j'defuckingteste!

why?

i'll tell you.

because you, book, do not speak truth.

you take bits and bobs of shit you've seen on the internet and turn it into an embarrassing hash of pseudo-psychological justification for absolute dafuqery.

the ideas you promote, little booky-wook, are toxic and offensive.

because you demonstrate a profound disrespect for the nature of my sexuality for the sake of getting your goddamned rocks off infantilizing a fucking muscly copper by way of suggesting his latent homosexuality is akin to multiple personality disorder.

which is insulting as fuck, given that i paid good money for you to not-make-me-feel-like-a-goddamned-dancing-gay-monkey.

do you even read yourself sometimes, book?

huh? do you?

no?

check out my status updates, then.

because i simply cannot with you right now.

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still love Matt & Jared!

----Original Review of 2nd Ed. June 2019-----
I first read Promises about 6 years ago. It's one of the first M/M romance books I remember reading, and through Jared and Matt, I fell in love with a whole new genre. I haven't looked back.

Not long ago, I saw that a 2nd edition was being published with a prequel that takes us back to Jared's college days, so I happily bought the new edition.

Visiting with Jared & Matt again was like getting to visit 2 old friends. No matter how long you've been apart, you just fall into a rhythm.

The prequel, Meant to Be was wonderful. Cole plays a big role in that story and how I've missed these boys!

Now that I have reread Promises, I want to reread the rest!

**Note added**
I've read some other reviews that called Promises a GFY, but it didn't read that way to me at all. Not even back in 2013 when I read it for the first time. I read Matt as a closeted bisexual in denial. Matt had experienced same-sex attraction before, more than once. He never let himself act on it though. He figured it was fleeting, and convinced himself it wasn't really attraction, afterall. I suspect the largest reason was because of his raging homophobic prick of a father. No matter how awful his father was, Matt didn't want to be disowned. Anyway, that's my $0.02.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** SWEET,SEXY M/M STORY ***

OH,I REALLY enjoyed this...Story of Jared and Matt..

JARED



MATT




Jared has lived in a small town in Colorado all his life.He is openly Gay but lonely,and while the residents of the town know this he doesn't openly flaunt it and prefers to live in a Bubble,concentrating on work and his family.....

All that changes when Matt moves into town as a new Cop.They form a friendship and while Jared is honest about his sexuality..Matt is not,insisting that he's straight.Jared is very attracted to Matt but he struggles with his feelings...he pushes Jared away,ignores him for weeks and even dates a women....

This is a lovely story of two men falling in love and the obstacles they face along the way.I just ADORED these two as a couple.A bit of Angst,steamy sex,great secondary characters ( I loved Lizzy ),just a really GOOD M/M book.

I WILL DEFINITELY BE READING MORE OF THIS SERIES..

LOVED IT !!!!

[Exina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Story
Jared Thomas lives in the small town of Coda, Colorado. He is openly gay but very withdrawn. He has no friends, except his sister-in-law, Lizzy. He is resigned to live his life alone, but suffers from being so lonely.

Matt Richards just moved into town. He is adamant about being straight. He explains the fact that he has never been committed to any woman by preferring to be independent and autonomous. The truth is that he has never felt satisfied being with a woman. So he just gave up dating, and settled for being a bachelor. What he keeps hidden is that he was attracted to men before but always ignored or suppressed it. When he meets Jared, denying is not an option anymore.



The conflicts of the story revolve around the issues of being out or staying in the closet, struggling with homophobia, denial, unrequited love, and later relationship problems.



Jared is kind of pseudo-out. He is really self-conscious and thinks the whole world is against him just because he is gay. He can live with that, but being seen with a man by his side, being openly in a relationship is too much for him, and he panics.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You think I haven’t noticed that suddenly we can’t even go out to eat anymore? Sure, you’re fine with being gay, but only because you live your life in a fucking bubble! As soon as it comes down to actually facing people, you bury your head in the sand. You said this was what you wanted, but now you’re the one who can’t face it!”

The story is a complicated maze of feelings and conflicts. It left me puzzling over it for days. Is it real that Matt is so deep in denial that in one moment he touches Jared passionately and in the other moment he abhors being touched by him? Is it real that when his dreams finally come true, Jared is unwilling to be out with Matt in public? It was so unexpected.

The Romance
Truly wonderful: a solid friendship slowly turning into love.

The Characters
Debatable and ambiguous, but maybe for that very reason they are believable.



The Plot
The formation of Jared and Matt’s friendship and the slow development of their feelings for each other make the love story engaging. But Jared’s turnaround put me off a little of enjoying it.

The murder of that girl was totally exaggerated, unnecessary and superficially depicted. I felt the same about Jared’s self-sacrifice too, plus it was melodramatic.

Writing Style
Captivating, a really unputdownable book. It triggered all kinds of feelings in me: mainly amusement, but it also made me laugh out loud, cry and even rage. There was not a moment when this story didn’t provoke any feelings.



Erotica
Emotional and sweet but I missed the steam. Here and there it was awkward, a bit weird: Matt seemed to be oblivious about basic things.

All in all
The novel’s shortcomings are compensated with great writing style and humor, making it a really enjoyable read! Recommended!

My favorite quotes.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this one did NOT disappoint! I read very few m/m romances, but compared to the many m/f ones I’ve read, this was a WINNER.

Promises is told through Jared’s point of view as he meets and falls in love with Matt, a person he believes will never be more than just his great friend. We get a wonderful glimpse into the lives of two people who must come to terms with their own identities, desires and expectations before they can truly love and be happy. This story really grabbed me and I hated to put it down!

While Jared is openly gay, he chooses not to subject people around him with a constant reminder of his lifestyle. For example, he always dreamed of becoming a teacher but ultimately chose against it to avoid the likely confrontation of bigoted parents. Matt, on the other hand, suppresses his desires for men and tells himself they are not real urges. He lacks interest in women, but won’t admit to himself that it has any significance. While these two share many common interests and quickly create a tight bond of friendship, Matt insists he is straight to keep the relationship platonic. But despite the emotional denial, much is brewing beneath the surface. These two need to face the truth of what is really happening between them, or lose each other forever.

This was a WONDERFUL romance story that delivered on so many levels. Both Matt and Jared were great characters, I just loved them. I loved how the story unfolded over many months as it gave so much credibility and believability to the romance. Both Matt and Jared had much to learn from each other. The author did a wonderful job of conveying the heart and soul of these two guys, and when things progress from friends to lovers I held my breath in places. And when the heat finally turns up, it got dang HOT! Bottom line, I knew this relationship wasn’t going to be easy and I could see many of the obstacles in front of them, but in the end I fully believed in this romance, loved these guys to pieces, and have no doubt they’ll get their HEA. Hope you enjoy it too!

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 “I just want to touch you a little more.” stars.

“I wish I could stop thinking about you. I wish I didn't miss you so much.”

Jared was born and raised in Coda, only leaving to go to college. His whole family lives in Coda, his mum, brother and his sister in law. He was always more attracted to guys than girls, and over time, he realised that he was gay. While at college he got a degree in teaching. But instead of becoming a teacher, he opted out and works at his family's automobile shop. And then in walks Matt, wanting to buy their jeep, and they have an instant connection.

Jared works at the family's hardware turned automobile shop, where he is a co-owner with his brother, Brian, and sister in law, Lizzy. Jared has a degree in teaching, but doesn't want to act on it due to the stigma of being a gay teacher. But it's a good job he isn't a teacher, or he would have never of met Matt. Lizzy is selling her jeep in preparation for the arrival of their first child, it's parked outside of their shop. Matt has a new job at the Coda police department, but he needs a car. He spots a Jeep for sale outside of an automobile shop... He goes in and meets Jared. They hit it off; instant friends. But it can never be more than friends, even though Jared wants it to be, afterall, Matt's not gay, or so he tells himself...

I am quickly becoming addicted to audio-books, and because I'm going to a different college this year, I have a two hour drive each way. Perfect. 12 hours a week of audio-books, I can finally work through my to-read list, but with audio instead.

However, as much much fun as audio-books are, I had difficulty with this one. When it started, I thought there was two perspectives. And two perspectives would be really hard to keep up with in an audio-book, it's hard enough to just read a book with two. Also, the darn narrator was terrible; he used the same tone with minute variations for everything, and all the characters sounded the same! There were also no pauses between scenes, so I felt like it was skipping all the freaking time. He also got a few words jumbled up... and I didn't like his accent that much. I knocked off a few points (.5) for that because if a book had typo's I would reduce the rating also, they're practically the same thing. I could reduce it more though, but I really enjoy just closing my eyes, not paying attention to anything else, and just listening to the story.

I have also listened to Hot Head by Damon Suede, and I, by far, preferred Promises. But they have the same rating, because of the poor audio of Promises. I think Promises would have been a 4.75-5 if I had of read it myself.

I didn't read the blurb, because I think blurbs just spoil the story. I like either going in knowing everything or knowing nothing. And so everything that happened was a surprise (well... sortof a surprise, I knew they would end up together etc.), like I didn't know that he was a cop until I was told in the story.

The first scene we see, is where Matt and Jared meet- Matt wants to buy Lizzy's (Jared's sister in law) car. Jared is instantly attracted to him, and I can definitely tell why!
He was probably in his early thirties... just over six feet tall, with military-short black hair and a couple of days’ worth of dark stubble on his cheeks... Broad shoulders and big arms showed he worked out. He was gorgeous... a touch of green in those steel- gray eyes... yum.

I really hate insta-love. And thank ducks I haven't come across any insta-love in M/M. Without insta-love, their relationship can grow and prosper, and I really enjoyed the slow development of Matt and Jared's relationship. They're just so cute! (Even before they were in a relationship!)
I laughed. “You’re right. In fact, it’s going to be so cold tonight, our only hope for survival is for you to share my bag.” He laughed a little at that, too, but then he pulled his shirt off, and it was all I could do not to stare.

I also enjoy realism in my stories, where I believe that they can actually happen (not necessarily for me, but for someone. Unfortunately this can't happen for me though, because I'm not a gay man. *sad face*... *fingers crossed* for my next life though.) The only things I thought were mother f*cking stupid was where Cherie's ex-husband murdered Cherie and wrecked Matt's apartment and Jared's house, and then shot Jared. Like W.T.F man?

I was actually out with my friend while I was listening to Promises, and I snorted. A lot. She just kept looking at me like I was crazy. But I told her that “It's OK, I'm not crazy.” I don't think she believed me, though.
He gave me the pseudo-grin as he handed me a cup of [coffee].
“What’s so funny?” I asked him.
“You talk in your sleep.”
Oh shit! Of course, I knew that I sometimes talked while dreaming, and I tried to sound very casual as I asked, “What did I say?” I was hoping like hell it hadn't been about him.
“You said, ‘let me follow it’, and I asked ‘follow what?’, and you said, ‘the trail’.”
I turned away so he couldn't see me turning red and said, “I was dreaming about mountain biking.”

When they're actually together, it's f*cking adorable!
I grabbed his hips and pulled him over to me. I kissed his stomach first, as he had done to me. The trail of hair leading down from his navel was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. I remembered that night in the tent, months before, when I had been so turned on by the thought of it. Tonight I actually did follow it, first with my fingertips, and then with my lips and tongue.

Oh, almost forgot (yeah right, I did not forget.), and their sex scenes... mmm...
As soon as my body closed around the head of his shaft, his eyes closed, and I felt him shudder. With a groan low in his chest, he pushed the rest of the way in, not hard enough to hurt exactly, but I was glad it wasn't my first time. Then he froze and seemed to be holding his breath as he said, “Oh Jesus, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” It felt wonderful, actually. I was already arching into him, amazed at how well we seemed to fit together. I realised how close I was to coming already.
“Oh my God, that feels incredible,” he said. He was holding perfectly still yet trembling with the effort of it.
“For me too. Jesus, Matt, I need you to move. I can’t hang on much longer.”
“If I move an inch, I’m going to come.”
“I think that’s the point.”

I wanted to punch Matt's dad's lights out though. Bigoted idiot.

I didn't like when Matt didn't talk to Jared for near two months though, hence the other .25 drop in my rating.

I loved the humour that was encompassed in all of it. The plot was simple and yet great.

A simply beautiful story, which I most certainly recommend.

[Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read** · Rating 4 out of 5]

**11/12/18 - Well, unfortunately, this book doesn't hold up over time. I'd probably rate it maybe around 3 stars now. Though to be fair, it probably didn't help that the narrator...how shall I put this....sucked. His regular voice was so much better than whatever the hell he was trying to do with Jared. And his dialogue was a big pile of cheese. It was so bad.

I'm going to leave my original rating becuase I want to remember happier times.

**11/2/18 - Re-read via audiobook because it was on sale. I gotta say, I'm a little nervous here. I read this book years ago, and it's almost 9 years old. I really enjoyed it at the time, but I don't know if it'll hold up over time. Guess I'll see.



********************************************

**4.25 stars**

I've been on a lucky streak lately, this is another one that just hit the spot.



Such an exquisitely sweet book. Matt and Jared's story is perfect for those beginning to read M/M. Decent steam. A little angst. Lots of love. Fantastic characters. Great banter.

And there was sweet swoon all over the place.



Off to check out more by this author.

[Nick Pageant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Hot cop meets shy, quiet guy. GFY ensues. Marie Sexton is one of the best.

[εllε · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't change a single thing in this book. So heartwarming and so beautifully written. So romantic and very fast paced.

I'm finding myself reading more and more MM books. I still like FM books, but these have less BS. Females tend to be so melodramatic....

This book has been on my TR shelf since forever and I finally found the time to read it. I like how there isn't an insta lust situation ( well, there is, but only from one of the MCs and it wasn't annoying.) I like how the things develop between Matt and Jared, I like when the things go slow and steady. It heightens so much the anticipation. And when they both collided, it was glorious . Steamy and sweet.

There was angst, and a bit of drama, but it helped in understanding how the characters felt and their inner war and thoughts and feelings. Never did it complicate the things or created room for misunderstandings.

I couldn't help but like Jared a bit more. He looks so fragile, so lonely. He broke my heart..

“I couldn’t believe how lonely I was. I tried to comfort myself with the thought that my life was now just as it had been for years before he arrived. It hadn’t seemed that bad back then. But now I felt crushed."

Seeing him together with Matt and being happy made my day. I just love the books where a straight is converted. So good :)

Another thing I loved about this book was the environment the author chose to place the story and the characters. A gay man, in a small city where he is judged and prejudiced by many, waiting for a change. Waiting for a Prince Charming. It's almost like a fairytale.

Recommended to all mm lovers.

[* Meli Mel * · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥♥♥ 4 "I PROMISE" STARS ♥♥♥

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Finally, she took a deep breath and said, “Jared, let me say two things, and then I’ll never mention this ugly incident again.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No, you don’t. The first is this: you can’t control what others think. The only thing you can control is yourself. Some people will look down on you for your choices in life, no matter what they are. You can’t do anything about that. The only thing you can do is decide how to live your own life. And to hell with everybody else."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Promises takes place in a small town of Coda, Colorado. Here is where Jared Thomas resides. He is an openly gay man, in a town where acceptance is not very common, at least when is comes to most of the men. Jared has given up his dreams of teaching because of it. He works in his family's instead. One day he meets Matt Richards, the newly hired police officer, when he shows up interested in Lizzie's (his brother's wife) car, that has a 'for sale' sign on it. From that moment on, they have been pretty much inseperable. Jared wants more, but Matt firmly states that he is not gay.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

I went to him, put my arms around him, and kissed him, just barely. “Matt, this is what I want. I do want you here with me. It’s not just about sex. I’m crazy about you, and there’s nothing I want more than for us to be together.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●�� ●  ●  ●

The whole story was told in Jared's Pov. I really liked him from the start. He seemed comfortable being himself but he still kept himself in a bubble to protect himself from getting hurt by the people surrounding him that could judge him. I was saddened by his loneliness. All he really had was his wonderful family and the mountains to keep him company. I really wanted him to loosen up a bit because he could be a bit uptight at times. Matt slowly got him to not care and live freely. But otherwise, he was intelligent, sweet and caring. I fell for him by the all the adorkable ways in which he would crush on Matt.

●  ●  ●�� ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

“Whatever this is with me and you, it’s so much more, and I can’t make it go away.”

“Matt, why does it have to go away?”

“I’m so confused, Jared. Even now, all I can think about is how much I want to touch you. And I just have no idea what to do about it.”

“I do, Matt. I know exactly what to do about it. Come in the bedroom with me and let me show you what we can do about it.” I leaned in and kissed him, just barely brushing my lips against his. “Please, Matt? Trust me. Please don’t turn away from this.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

I thought Matt was awesome. But I will admit I was confused by him at times. Forget the closet, he was locked in a safe sealed nice and tight. He kept saying he was not gay, but there were so many times I thought he had to be. And it was for good reason, he just didn't want to admit it to himself. I really wished we would have gotten his pov at certain times. I wanted to know what he was feeling. Jared gets him to slowly accept his desires and not feel shame. Which is what he felt thanks to the asshole of his drunkard father. Matt was a fun character, a little lost at times but when he does something, he gives it his all.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

“What’s so funny?” I asked him.

“You talk in your sleep.”

Oh shit! Of course, I knew that I sometimes talked while dreaming, and I tried to sound very casual as I asked, “What did I say?” I was hoping like hell it hadn’t been about him.

“You said, ‘let me follow it’, and I asked ‘follow what?’, and you said, ‘the trail’.”

I turned away so he couldn’t see me turning red and said, “I was dreaming about mountain biking.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

I LOVED they two characters together. The banter between them, how comfortable they were with each other, just pretty much their chemistry. I would giggle at how Jared seemed to love Matt's happy trail, or how Matt found comfort in tugging slightly on Jared's curly locks. They were so freaking adorable. I wanted them to be that way forever and it seems that they agreed. It was so cute how they didn't want to ever be apart. I loved how supportive Jared's family was, but so angry at how much of a bigoted arse Matt's father was. I really felt for him, it's no wonder he didn't want to come out. I am so glad that they had each other when things got tough. They are seriously a great couple. Oh and I forgot, they love to cuddle! *sigh*

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

“Say it for me.”
“You’re heavy.”
“No.”
“You’re a manipulative bastard.”
“No.” He was laughing.
“You’re right.”
He gave one hard tug on my hair. “That’s not it either.”
“I love you?”
He sighed contentedly. “That’s the one.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Overall, it was a really sweet book, maybe a bit too sweet at times, but still I managed to love it. The ending was really heart warming and cute. I wish it would have continued, I enjoyed these characters that much. A great read and I loved the pace in which everything occured. I definitely recommend it. It's also great for those starting in the genre.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dip into M/M now and again. Hadn’t read anything by this author before but will definitely be checking out more of her story.

Two great guys, one is gay, the other is not, or so he thinks. Friendship, laughter, tears, family, parents, siblings, small-town living …. It has it all.








And Matt’s Dad… what a fucking asstwat he was

"Because your Dad’s an angry, belligerent, antagonistic asshole."


I often wonder how I would react if my own kids came home and told me they were Gay, I hope I would be accepting, I think I would be…


OK, one of the guys has shaggy, blonde curly hair, but I could not find a nice picture like that so forgive me. Don't think you will mind the 2 that i picked anyway.

[Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

hanging on to that 3 stars by the skin of its teeth...

Promises is fine.
It's a decent-enough read.
Maybe a good M/M cherry-popper for those curious.

I'm not certain I was a big fan, however. It grew on me at times and totally turned me off at times. I feel almost like Sexton treats her readers w/ white gloves and is very careful not to offend. (BTW, would it kill her to use a conjunction? Her writing style is sometimes so choppy)

I liked Jared and the side characters (his family). I even liked Matt (sometimes). I was happy that this didn't actually turn out to be a true GFY, but rather a coming out story for Matt. And I really liked that it was friendship that brought them together.

I did, however, find Matt's leading-on of Jared a bit irritating. And I found his freak-out, Jared's "door mat" mentality, and Jared's fears and insecurities grind on me at times.

Still, their love for each other was sweet and I was happy to see them together...

[✦❋Arianna✦❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jared lived in Coda, Colorado all his live. He’s gay and his lonely; he doesn’t have a partner because there’s only one gay man in this small town, who’s thirty years older than him. Everybody in town knows he’s gay, most of them accepting him. He doesn’t trust people not to hurt him, that’s way he doesn’t use his degree in physics to teach. Instead, he works at his family store with his brother and his sister in law.

Matt is new in town. He was just hired by the Coda PD and he’s straight. Jared and Matt meet when Matt wants to buy a car and he’s interested in Jared’s sister in law car. They become friends very fast, but Jared soon wants more. He’s attracted to Matt, he can’t help himself, but Matt is not gay…at least he claims he isn’t.

“Whatever this is with me and you, it’s so much more, and I can’t make it go away.”

Matt is really gay, but he doesn’t know yet. He’s buried deep in the closet. He doesn’t want to be gay, he doesn’t admit because it doesn’t seems right, because it’s not normal. He doesn’t want to admit he’s attracted to Jared.



Everything changes between them when Jared risk their friendship and kiss Matt. He tries to convince himself that he’s not gay dating a woman and not talking with Jared for weeks...

“I’m so confused, Jared. Even now, all I can think about is how much I want to touch you.”

Will Jared convince Matt to give them a chance? Will Matt accept who he is in order to be happy?

Told from Jared’s POV, Promises is a sweet story, low in angst and drama, heartwarming and heartbreaking at times.

I really liked both Jared and Matt, even if I found Matt frustrating a few times. I liked how their relationship progressed from friends to lovers. They are sweet and caring together, supportive and protective. Both of them are struggling with their decisions – Jared to be out with someone and Matt to be out of the closet, fact that I really loved. I loved Matt when he wanted to make things easier for Jared and for them as a couple. I also liked how he grew up and not only accepted who he is, but he stands for Jared and their love.

Thee sex scenes between them are hot, intense and sweet at the same time. Also, the side characters in this book are great, especially Lizzy, Jared’s sister in law.

Overall, Promises was a good story with a sweet storyline, lovable characters and good enough writing.

“Matt, this is what I want. I do want you here with me. It’s not just about sex. I’m crazy about you, and there’s nothing I want more than for us to be together.”

[Ingie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ½ Stars - nice about important topics such as homophobia and to stand up for who you are - then it was two lovely men who fell in love, yummy and cute...

Another nice, romantic novel about two rather ordinary men from Ms Sexton. I like the mood in her books and her style. It's usually pretty close to a everyday life and I feel cozy and good reading about it. As another friend said - when the last page is read, I sit there with a smile and am happy. So it was even this time with this rather short (about 200 pages) but very nicely told love story.

"... The only thing you can control is yourself. Some people will look down on you for your choices in life, no matter what they are. You can't do anything about that. The only thing you can do is decide how to live your own life. And to hell with everybody else."

Jared approaches the 30-year mark and are alone. In the small Colorado town, Coda isn't there many openly gay men and Jared have almost given up even trying to find someone to share his life with. He is "out of the closet" but since he lives alone, this is hardly anything that affects his life right now.

Then it happens suddenly - he meets the new cop Matt who just moved to Coda. Matt is a dream man and a full ten pointers and Jared can't take his eyes off him. Matt is a tall, fit, large, dark-haired guy. But unfortunately; he is straight, but single anyway. Matt is also keen to build new friendships and the two guys start hanging out.

Jared's feelings and attraction for Matt increasing every passing day. He tries not to feel emotions that are impossible to satisfy. It gets thicker and thicker in the air - it's getting steamy hot..

At times I was so angry. Around this guys was the fact so many homophobes. It was Matt's colleagues at the police station, his parents (especially his father) and a lot of other residents in Coda. These people did that John had confined his life long. He would rather not show his attraction and love for a man in front of others. An important topic, which was treated with dignity.

But foremost is this a wonderful nice love story. Stories about guys who do not know that they can love and be attracted to another guy is always a little extra cute to read. The scenes with the first gentle caresses, kisses and meeting in the bedroom, was really nicely told. I really liked both Jared and Matt, they were both strong but also sometimes weak men, so human. No alpha male just regular guys. All around them were also Jared's family and they were all, primarily his brother's wife, lovely characters.

Two lonely men finds each other and make big changes in their lives. They were happy in the end and I was soft in my legs and warm in my heart. Another cozy, soft-hearted and entertaining M/M romance from Ms Sexton.

I LIKE - a sweet feelgood!

~~~~~~~~

Hooray - freebie from Amazon, today August 14, 2013

[Heidi Cullinan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhhh, this book. Do you want the short version? Here: go buy it. Go read it.

It's some sort of long-term blue moon, I guess, because here is another first person narrative that I really enjoyed. I loved the characters. I loved the emotions. I loved the SETTING. We took a vacation last year which included Colorado twice, and it was all I could do not to get in the car and rush back there the whole time I was reading.

I think my favorite aspect of this was how flawed both the protagonists were: they were human. I love that Jared thought he knew who he was and had to learn otherwise. I love how Matt had to break down so many personal walls just to make his first real approaches to happiness. I love how by loving Jared he helped him see some of the own walls he'd made.

I also appreciated that Sexton addressed the subtle ways small towns can be biased. She managed to do so without making the residents into cartoons; it was real. And I loved how things were happily ever after, but not all resolved.

Well done, Marie.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️

It was a painful realization—so painful it took my breath away—discovering I was totally in love with this man who would never love me back.

Promises was a sweet friends to lovers/small town romance.
My favorite part was Matt slowly realizing he had feelings for his best friend — the casual touching, showing up at his house every other day, avoiding dates, lingering looks, playing with Jared’s hair — and Jared losing his mind over the mixed signals.

“I guess I just want to touch you.” One hand came off the counter, onto my hip. “I think”—he sounded amazed—“ I really like touching you.”

It was romantic, full of feels and passionate spice scenes. The drama was, well, dramatic, but it definitely kept things interesting.

“You make me happy,” he said, his voice full of amazement. “Happier than I’ve ever been. And I’m tired of running away from that.”

The only reason it isn’t a full five for me is the abrupt ending. It felt incomplete. It seems to be part of a series, with maybe more glimpses of them and some novellas, so I might be getting my satisfying ending in the future.

Other than that, I really loved the simple vibe of this romance and the writing.

“I promise.”

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Queer awakening
- Homophobia (internalized and non)
- Mentions of domestic abuse (not MCs)
- Shitty parent
- Use of the f slur
- Gun violence
- Injury
- Intimacy with OP before MCs get together (off page)
- Vers MCs
- Frotting

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good. I loved the way it was told, the first lines setting up the story... The whole thing started because of Lizzy’s Jeep. If it hadn’t been for that, I might not have met Matt. And maybe he wouldn’t have felt the need to prove himself. And maybe nobody would have been hurt... and THEN telling the story. This was good. Have I said that? My first from the author and so very long over due. Ugh.

I loved Jared and Matt through all the mess and confusion. I loved them becoming friends and Jared wanting more. I loved Matt's infatuation with Jared's hair and good lord, did it turn you on Matt because it turned me and Jared on. You know, that whole scene on Jared's birthday? Unf dude. Just UUUNNNFFF!

Goodness.

This made me want to move back to Colorado more than I do already. The mountains, the trails, the camping, the small town and the no snow on Christmas. It gave me a home sick kind of ache and filled me with want. I am sure as I continue with the series I will begin to shop for a house to uproot my family to get us out of the drought ridden high prices of Southern California and moving on to a Rocky Mountain High. Sigh. Sorry, went on a tangent trail there with memories and dreams of driving to Garden of the Gods.

Anyhoo... great story. Fantastic UST, memorable side characters *cough* Cole *cough* and a beautiful story of trusting that Matt is right, and that love always wins.

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️&#x1f3a7;&#x1f4da; Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread via Audio.

Audio...5 Stars. I'm so glad the audiobook was redone with John Solo as the narrator. 😍 Best decision ever! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽


Story 4.5 Stars

I enjoyed it more the 2nd time around.

[Buggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening Line: " The whole thing started because of Lizzy's Jeep."

This was a quick, easy and very enjoyable read that I had trouble putting down. I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to the gay-for-you romances anyway but this one was just perfect.

PROMISES is a slow burning romance but that just made it all the better because we get tons of sexual tension and character development. Watching these guys go from friends to lovers over an extended period of time felt realistic. The love scenes also seemed accurately portrayed, nothing gratuitous just for the sake of a sex scene and initially with lots of fumbling and uncertainty before they got down and went for it. I liked both Matt and Jared and really felt as if I’d gotten to know them both despite the fact that this is written exclusively form Jared’s POV. Matt is equally accessible here due to some great writing. Marie Sexton was a new author for me but I will definitely be looking for others in this series.

As I said this is told from Jared’s POV, he’s lived his whole life in a small Colorado town and while openly gay he doesn’t flaunt his status either. In fact one might say he’s even closeted refusing to become a teacher for fear of bigoted parents and jeering teens. Nope, Jared is content to while away his days in his family’s hardware store, meeting up a couple times a year with his fancy man to scratch the itch and never expecting anything to change. Well it does the day Matt Richards struts into the store. He’s just been hired by the local police department and the two strike an immediate friendship. Spending their weekend’s mountain biking, camping and watching football. Matt is straight and doesn’t care what the townsfolk are saying about them spending so much time together, he does however make a point of dating one of the towns flooziest women just to set things right.

Jared is of course in love with Matt from just about day one and wishes there could be more. On the other hand he doesn’t want to risk losing Matt’s friendship either, so he just puts all horny thoughts out of his mind (for the most part) And that’s when the sexual tension comes in; the meaningful looks, the light touches, the massages, the hand in the hair, the fact that he never wants to go home. Hmmm maybe Matt is willing to take this friendship to a whole other level?

Yeah this was super good, lots of complicated situations and interesting secondary characters and a just a great story. I was really rooting for these two because the odds were stacked against them. Funny in the end it was Jared who had the most issues with being in a committed gay relationship not his hetero partner. Bah, labels who needs them. Cheers.
286jb5

[Darien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio August 2019

The Narration: 3 Pants Off

Everyone sounded the same which made the story a little bland. Luckily, I’ve read it before and really like the characters.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

^^PROMISING YOU A VERY GOOD READ!^^

4.5

I really enjoyed Promises, it was such a feel good story, and it’s a book for beginners to the M/M genre. It’s romantic and sweet without all the dick in ass, there is that but just not as crude as I just wrote it.

The book begins with Jared telling you how he meets his best friend and lover Matt. It’s definitely a gay for you story, with Matt being completely straight through out his life. Their relationship is super sweet, and you can see the closeness they share as friends. It becomes clear to Matt, that what Jared feels goes far beyond friendship.

The small town they live in knows about Jared, and sorta accepts it. Matt is the new cop in town, and nothing says macho like COP. So he gets hated on because of whom his friend is. To make his life a little easier he hooks up with the towns 7/11, she’s always open for a little action. When a night of Matt doing a little experiment leads to him realizing a few things about himself, he runs away and avoids Jared. Their friendship is put the test, and Matt has hurt Jared in the worst way. A friend of Jared causes Matt to step up to plate and thus begins a relationship between the two friends.

This story is sweet and realistic, there is no quick “I like having sex with you so now I am gay”. There is a progression of feelings, and it’s wildly romantic. Jared and Matt are good together, and I just really enjoyed reading about them.

The book is soft when it comes to the erotic side, and can be enjoyed by those who don’t want the hardcore man on man. Seriously, sometimes these stories are just so good, but just not all the time. I loved Jared; he is sweet and just an easy character to like. Matt is super adorable, but at times in the book really pissed me off but in the end, he comes through.

Promises, is all that and a bag of chips.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3.5 Stars ***

The first in a series loved by many M/M romance fans, Promises was a story - equal parts sweet and frustrating - about two men who built their romantic relationship on a foundation of friendship.

That aspect, I loved.

In fact, I appreciated that both characters seemed to honestly struggle with their decisions - Matt with coming to terms with who he was, and Jared with being out and proud when he was in a relationship with someone who mattered. And I know it sounds weird to say, but I also appreciated that even once Matt and Jared had committed to their relationship, that the physical intimacy gave them some hiccups (both in terms of the mechanics and in terms of the psychological baggage that can come with it). Those elements gave the book some emotional depth and a sense of realism that you don't always find in romance novels.

However, as much as I enjoyed the book, I wasn't entirely blown away by it. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of someone's shitty, homophobic father being one of the biggest reasons that they repress who they are - especially when these men are grown ass adults. And good Lord! How many frigging books have I read now where one of the MCs gets shot at the end and there's a big, melodramatic scene made?! A lot. I'm over it. Some originality would be appreciated.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book.......It's a love story about two really lovely, although both lonely men, one openly gay and one who is really not sure about his sexuality........but he's 'Definitely not GAY'??!!

Jared, after gaining his degree in college returns to run the family store with his sister in-law in the small town of Coda. He has learned to live with being ostracized by some of the community for his sexuality.

Then one day in walks Matt, the new Police Officer in Coda.

What is refreshing about this book is how their relationship develops through months of genuine friendship........to the point where they both hate being apart. The character development is such that I felt I was there with them, dealing with their inner turmoil and the stigma of being gay in a small town, (friends, family, careers).

I will definitely be reading the next in the series:)

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Promises tells the story of two lonely people who have caused their own solitude. It’s not a totally stifling solitude; both the main characters are very active and socially healthy individual. It’s the type of loneliness that happens when people put up barriers in their own lives.

Both characters are in their own sort of closet. Matt is a classic closet case, placed there by pressures from family and society. He’s already been giving serious thought to where he is in his life and when he meets Jared it forces him to deal with what his true heart desires. Jared is openly gay but does his best to fly under the radar. When people whisper about him he ignores it. He knows what it means to live in a small town and be openly gay…even if you’re not what most people would consider “the stereotypical gay”. Jared’s closet is self-imposed for the most part. He ignores his teaching certification because he’s sure that nobody would want a gay teacher in a small town. He wants a man in his life so he won’t be lonely, but when he gets one will he be ready to actually be seen as a gay man in a relationship?

I enjoyed this book a lot. If it ends up not being on my 2010 Best MM Romance list then I’ll be shocked and a little excited…because that means I’m in for some pretty good reading this year.

There are plenty of sexually charged, tender and descriptive sex scenes in this book, but nothing overly graphic. Marie Sexton does an excellent job putting you in the moment. When a nervous first kiss is about to happen, when Jared is possibly going to make a pass that could be shot down, you feel the tension and hesitance.

There is drama in the book and what some would consider a “soapy” element, but it’s written well and the book flows quickly.

Matt’s slow progression from the closet and Jared’s saint like patience, as well as his own insecurities make both of these characters real, interesting and likeable. I know so many gay men like them.

I hope that Marie Sexton writes more books. I will not hesitate to purchase the next thing with her name on it.

5 very solid stars from me.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked both Matt and Jared and their story was interesting and engaging. This is the first story I've read by this author, and I I'm planning to read more of her books in the future. Matt is straight...or at least he believes he is. He's a cop that just moved to the small Colorado town of Coda. Matt grew up with an ex-Marine for a dad who always was on to him saying that he didn't do anything good enough and didn't hold up his "duty" to his family. Matt had tried dating girls but found it to be more trouble than it was worth and began to think that something must be wrong with him. Unfortunately for him, when he moved to a new town all the single women simply saw a new bachelor in town that was ripe for the picking and to make matters worse Matt's coworkers went overboard trying to set him up with dates. Then Matt met Jared. They started out as friends but that soon developed into something else. Not everyone is ready to accept their relationship, and of course, some people never will. but Matt and Jared cared for one another enough to work on finding a place for themselves together and received some support and acceptance from some unexpected people. Marie Sexton spends just the right amount of time on the events and the scenes, to make the story flow smoothly from beginning to end. She makes the characters seem believable and real.

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 stars....maybe even 4.5. There really wasn't anything I didn't like about this story. It was short, sweet and sexy!

Jared is one of two gay men living in Coda, Colorado. He's resigned himself to the fact that the odds of meeting someone are slim to none. He runs the auto parts/hardware store with his brother and sister-in-law.

When Matt walks in inquiring about a Jeep for sale, Jared sees a small glimmer of hope. But Matt isn't gay....nope, no way, no how, not happening.

Matt was buried deep in the closet gay...complete with double locks. There was NO getting him out. Didn't help that his dad was a complete ASS!

Jared and Matt become friends...they start spending more and more time together causing Matt to question his true feelings for Jared. It was like one step forward and two steps back for Jared and Matt. But Matt just needed to figure things out on his own time.

And once he did, he was all in. I loved Jared and Matt together. They were super sweet. There wasn't too much drama and angst in this book. And it was a slow build for their relationship but once they got together things were super HOT.

This is the perfect book if you're looking to dip your toes in the MM genre. It was a standalone with a HEA.

[Lenore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not half bad friends to lovers story. It felt a bit amateurish but the plot panned out all right and the main characters were fairly likable—most of the time at least. As for the secondary characters, Joseph, Matt's father, was overblown in my opinion and Dan, a caricature of a villain.

Other than that, Promises served its purpose as a fluffy, fairly uncomplicated romance. Entertaining.

I've decided to read these in order so, on to A to Z.

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, I really wasn't feeling this book. I really wanted to like the book, but I just couldn't get into it. I also didn't like the use of the "!" all the time. Like: “Great!” he said happily. “Let’s go get that beer I owe you!” I felt like they were yelling all the time. Oh and what's up with the blushing? They are both in their thirties, so why act like a teenager? Jared Thomas and Matt Richards connection? Yeah, I didn't feel that, specially not when love (which came too soon in the book, btw (not the timeline, but in the book)) entered the picture. Nor did I connect with the characters separately.

“The number of people who believe a thing has no bearing upon its truth.”

The book had no depth, no feeling. It just felt like you were following a series of events from the outside. Matt seemed mean, angry (and not in the broody, sexy kind of way) and weak. Jared seemed nice, open, just there kind of guy. I didn't feel anything for either character. And to be honest, it seemed so strange that the book went for Jared being open and Matt hiding to Matt being open and not afraid to show who he's with while Jared is hiding... Didn't seem right.

“Exactly. So let’s stay home.”
“Jared, that’s not the answer. We have to be together. We have to make them face it. Eventually it won’t seem like such a big deal to them anymore.”

I really liked Lizzy and Jared's Mom. I liked how protective they were over Jared, however, I didn't like how Brian acted. He didn't even speak up for his own brother when people called him “faggot”. A brother should protect, defend and always be at his side, but no, he just looked uncomfortable and with 'the classic deer-in-the-headlights look'. And I definitely didn't like how Matt let his father talk about Jared that way. Way to be a good boyfriend... Overall: I really wanted to like this book, as it was recommended, but I just couldn't. Perhaps it was because I was damn tired when I started the book...

“It means I should have realized what was going on. You’ve drawn a line, haven’t you? And I’m not supposed to cross it. And apparently that line is just outside the bedroom door!” Brian jumped up and grabbed whatever dishes were closest to him and took them into the kitchen. Mom and Lizzy didn’t move. Matt wasn’t done. “You talk a pretty good game, but the fact is, you’re still ashamed of who you are, and you’re ashamed to be with me!”

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - (Standalone?) Series, Book One
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Yes.
Favorite character? - Uhhh...good question.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - No.
Would I recommend this book/series? - No.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2 stars.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked this one, but didn't love it. I found the writing a little choppy and the characters (and storyline) a little cookie-cutter and undeveloped.

Jared is one of only two gay men living in a small Colorado town (the other one is twice his age). A teacher by training, Jared works at his family's auto-parts store. Enter Matt, a new police officer in town. Jared and Matt form a friendship. Jared is way into Matt, but Matt is straight...or so he says.

I got tired of Matt leading Jared on (he sure touched him an awful lot for being straight). And then once Matt and Jared got together, I found Jared's unwillngness to be out as a couple slightly unbelievable. He was openly gay, so why didn't he want to face the town and go to Matt's work functions? (There is an explanation given, sort of, but it didn't work for me.)

I also found the whole murder thing and Matt's mom's easy emotional turnaround trite. Sexton raises important issues, but she does it with white gloves and so the issues feel superficial; there's no real substance or depth here, and the characters don't feel three-dimensional. Matt's dad is a bad, homophobic alcoholic; Jared's SIL is cheerful and always supportive (she throws a lot of rolls around, too, which is weird for an adult), as is Jared's mom. Matt barely reacts to his ex-girlfriend's murder (he didn't love her, but he did sleep with her, so his reaction just feels completely bizarre, and the murder itself is brushed off with a shoulder shrug). Matt also leaps from the metaphorical closet - once he's out, he's OUT (in real life, things rarely work out that way).

I know all this seems like major criticism, so why the hell did I round up the book to 4 stars? Because the story made me smile nonetheless. Sexton writes well, and once Matt and Jared get together they are a sweet couple. They have a strong base of friendship, and I believed that their relationship would last.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this book today, and it was just as great as I remembered it being!
Two really likable MC's ,nice family ( well except for good old dad) and a quick peek at Cole! :)

Ok, I bought this one as an audiobook too, I still really like the story.