Sara Cate’s Sinful Manor series is back, this time with Promise Me, a second chance MM romance set in the same magnificent Barclay Manor. The first book in the series, Keep Me, was a truly incredible read, following the eldest Barclay brother, Killian. With the second book, readers get his younger brother Declan’s story, one that vacillates between heartache and joy.
Barclay Manor, a historic estate owned by the Barclay family, now hosts weddings, much to the chagrin of its primary resident, Declan Barclay.
Sick of his complaining, his siblings make him a wager. His sister Anna is in charge of the weddings, and if he can handle her job for one whole week, without shouting at anyone, that wedding will be the last hosted at the manor, and he can have his house back.
Unfortunately for Declan, that one wedding happens to be for his former best friend and the love of his life, Colin Shelby. Colin tore Declan’s heart out seven years ago, and he’s never been the same since.
Declan has seven days to win Colin back, but that would mean letting his family down, and what if that’s not what Colin really wants? Stopping this wedding would risk everything, but Declan can’t just let Colin go.
He was supposed to have a beautiful, uneventful wedding this week. Instead, he’s up in his ex–best friend’s attic, where we once had a very passionate lovemaking session followed by the fight of the century. None of this must be easy on him.
Declan and Colin started out as college roommates, so they built a friendship first, and the reader gets to see that growth. It makes the relationship feel so real and grounded. I adore these characters, and their development is the pillar of this book.
It’s the details that make this relationship stand out. Declan calls Colin “Shakespeare,” and it just hits so perfectly. It’s part teasing, part adoring, and sometimes sardonic. It’s perfect. Throughout the story, Declan’s dry humor is a delight to read, and Colin’s range of emotions, from adoration to frustration to anguish, is spectacular.
“Well, let’s see. The blood sacrifice is at four, orgy is at six, and then at eight, we’re driving all of the cars into the loch. So you’re just in time.”
Promise Me is kinky in a natural, authentic way that matches these characters beautifully. The spice builds over time, in a way that is a little reminiscent of Heated Rivalry, but with more development, more angst, and more overt kink.
This book is, without a doubt, a page turner. I read the entire first half during a single toddler nap. The dual timelines, past and present, serve to give the story depth, but also keep it moving in a way that is very engaging.
Promise Me is fundamentally a book about growth and healing, with such a sweet ending that tied this story up perfectly. It is a book that is all at once tender and lovely, kinky and passionate, but also a touch melancholy. It’s a heady combination, and I can’t wait to see what Sara Cate does next with the Sinful Manor series.
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