Forbidden Promises. Synthia Williams. 2020. HQN Books. 270 pages. [Source: Personal copy.]
This book was drama with a capital D. What else could it be, with one sister silently in love with her sister’s ex-husband?
India is the baby of the Robidoux clan, a family whose legacy is rooted in a successful and long-lasting tobacco company. Family loyalty is held above all else and has dictated the lives of generations. India thought she’d escaped some of the weight of familial obligation by touring as an orchestra’s violinist, and is dismayed when a brief trip home turns into campaigning for her brother’s senate run.
Further complicating things is having to share space with a man she’s loved — or lusted after — from afar, including while he was married to her older sister. Travis and India have chemistry that’s difficult to hide, both on a personal and physical level, and India finds herself in a constant struggle of whether to prioritize her sister’s feelings and family’s reputation or pursue what could be her true love.
Despite India being the heroine of this story, the adjacent characters’ depth shows as well. Older sister Elaina is portrayed as cold and career-focused, but it’s clear she is smarting from loss that has been kept close to her heart. Byron, a cherished son with political ambitions seems poised to put his campaign above his own needs. And their patriarch, a widow who rules his family with an iron fist, has to come to terms with alienating his family when he doesn’t consider his own actions.
I found myself constantly frustrated while reading this book simply because the sense of duty runs so heavily through each of the characters’ stories. For those who dare step outside the confines of what their families expect of them, there’s hell to pay with the family patriarch. This was particularly acute for India and Travis, and while I wasn’t sure I wanted them together, I wanted them to show the fortitude to put themselves first. But this is largely what made the story interesting — would they capitulate to the sense of moral and familial obligation or would they follow their own compass?
This was my first book from Synthia Williams and I was impressed with the complexities of this story. I never sided entirely with any one character, and often found myself at odds with their decisions. But for me, I appreciated that nothing was too predictable. There were a couple of twists that I wasn’t expecting and enjoyed seeing how they impacted the characters motivations. I recommend this book and am already looking forward to its follow-ups.
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