Escaping Promises

The Barrington Collection Book 2

Fiction - Thriller - General
132 Pages
Reviewed on 11/24/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Shrabastee Chakraborty for Readers' Favorite

Escaping Promises, a novel by S.M. Grady, is a part of The Barrington Collection. This book highlights the story of Brandi and Emery, two characters who made appearances in previous books. Nevertheless, this novel serves as a standalone. Brandi has gotten used to a quiet and contented life at Barrington. Her chance meeting with Emery has turned into a committed relationship. However, even after a considerable time passes following their engagement, Brandi is reluctant to plan the wedding. Why does she keep postponing the date? Why, on the arrival of a letter from her mother, does she decide to break up with Emery? What terrible secrets lie hidden in her past?

The short length belied the lasting effect the book had on me. S.M. Grady knows how to tell a story that will keep her readers engaged. Instead of investing in extraneous detail, she dove right into the storyline from page one. As the story progressed, she unraveled the chilling secrets one by one. Brandi’s traumatic experiences with an obsessed ex-boyfriend left me horrified. When this person appeared again to haunt her, I waited with bated breath to find out if she could escape his relentless pursuit. With an unhinged stalker on the prowl and a top-secret organization leading a manhunt, this book is a perfect example of a page-turner that I finished in a single sitting. I recommend Escaping Promises to anyone who appreciates a fast-paced thriller. Grady certainly got me interested in reading other books from The Barrington Collections.

Edith Wairimu

An exciting suspense novella featuring a teenager who is running from her traumatic past, Escaping Promises by S.M. Grady follows Brandi as she struggles to move on while she is still tied to what she left behind. With Emery, Brandi could let her guard down. For once in a long time, she chooses to be happy and follow her heart. At first, everything goes well and Brandi enjoys the time they spend together until Emery proposes. Painful flashbacks flood Brandi’s mind after receiving an unnerving text from her mother. Once again, she has to uproot her life and begin anew. The thought of breaking things off with Emery crushes her but she knows she has no choice. Despite her carefully designed plan to remain hidden, her past finds her, but this time, she has Emery beside her.

In Escaping Promises, Grady crafts a complex protagonist with an intriguing past and a compelling story. As one of the main characters, Emery is also deftly developed. From the ominous text Brandi receives at the beginning to her realization that she and Emery may soon be parting, the story gripped me from the start. It moves swiftly, maintaining a feeling of tension as Brandi tries to flee from her dangerous ex-boyfriend. Other thrilling twists appear in the plot. Grady also does a great job of balancing the romance and suspense parts in the story. The second installment of The Barrington Collection series, Escaping Promises will leave readers longing for more of S.M. Grady’s work. It is an immersive story with unexpected twists that fans will enjoy.