Arms of Promise

Walton’s chaste contemporary piles on the bathos, as willful Annabelle Madison struggles to make her own way as a professional dancer despite her Chicago DA father’s insistence that she move back home and pursue a sensible career. Worse than landlords and creditors breathing down her neck is the physical threat of a merciless gangster kingpin’s goons. He’s about to face Anna’s father in a life-or-death trial and has put out a contract on the DA’s family. Enter lifelong family friend Evan O’Riley, a former Army Ranger who’s tasked with guarding Anna even though she’s determined to dodge him at every turn. Walton shines at making both characters lovable through their interactions with children and family, but falls short when it comes to bringing Evan and Anna together. Despite obvious, highly charged sexual attraction, it seems like they’ll never find their way into each other’s arms. This one is for romance fans willing to overlook a few plot contrivances so they can read about an adorable couple. (BookLife)