Violet Promises | Marie Johnston
If you weren’t convinced after reading any of the Knights or Barrons books to move to Crocus Valley, North Dakota you will now. Do you think the Knights, Barrons or Dukes will mind me crashing at one of their places? This community that Marie has created is so perfect yet also so realistic- she does not shy away from the elements that make North Dakota so special and unique. Like the snow, cold, extreme heat, and the flat lands that blow like the dickens. However, these landscapes and elements also provide the most glorious sunrises, sunsets, and beautiful backdrop for building a life with the one you love.
Oh- Violet Duke I was not sure what I was going to think of you after seeing you as the stoic distant sister of sweet Lilly. But I am so happy readers get to know the real you Violet because you are simply amazing. One of the things that I always love about Marie’s heroines is how smart and fierce they are but Violet took it up a notch. She is really working on herself, and embracing new things and all the quirks that life throws at you. She saw the love that Lilly and Eliot shared and she knew that was what she longed for, and she threw caution to the wind (so unlike her) and let loose. Violet has an independent streak a few thousand miles long and it might have taken Evander a minute to figure it out, but he stood guard as Violet did things her way and realized life is better with the one you love. Also the Duke family….I love how you see your children- embrace them, love them, and let them be who they are. The Duke’s know that while Violet is an adult she still has some wing spreading to do but that doesn’t stop them from showing up.
Then there is the sweet stoic closed off Evander Barron. And in all honesty he has every right. Evander has been through it- he has been hurt time and time again by those that should love him the most. I love how Mrie has written complex family dynamics in the Barron family- and we get to witness them rewrite their history. They are definitely trying to fix the mistakes they made in the past, but the hurt is hard to forget. Evander is a guy that while close off and broody also loves so darn deep and with everything that he has- but doesn’t say it he shows it which is really the best way to receive love. Fresh out of the military, and trying to make his way in his hometown again. He spends one night with the amazing Violet and that turns his world upside down. So when all that he has dreamed of is right in his grasp he doesn’t give up, he digs in and works for the life that he has always dreamed of. One of the things I love most about Evander is he doesn’t stop showing up for the people that he loves- he shows Violet what kind of man he is and what kind of father he will be!
This was such a perfect way to start off the Dukes series, and I cannot wait for more of them! I love the family dynamics and their banter- but I also love how they show up for one another! If you are new to Marie this is a great place to start…but be warned you will want to go back and read the Knights and the Barron’s!
