MIRA, $12.00, ISBN 1-55166-613-8
Contemporary Romance, 2000

What a colossal waste of time and money. Return to Promise tells of a marriage falling apart and righting itself again at the end. But since this is a romance, we can’t alienate some readers who may object to real reasons why a couple drift apart, right? So, we can’t have financial problems, infidelity, stupid in-laws (old people must be dotty and fun according to this author), or any credible reason that would make me accept why a couple would drift apart so easily.

So instead, we have Jane Peterson screaming at her husband Cal incessantly because (a) he takes part in a rodeo behind her back, and (b) he is too chicken-shit to tell her that he has an intimate dinner with an ex while Jane was away.

Minor misunderstandings that can be cleared up in a moment, of course, if these two morons practice “emotional honesty” that TV woman Barbara De Angelis always preaches about. He can’t tell her, she won’t listen, and I scream at them, “Just freaking kill each other and let the story end!”

I have no patience for bickering kids who break up and get back together again for the most trivial of reasons.

The author wants to write a “cute” reconciliation story. Too bad no one thinks to inform her that only Sweet Valley High brats can do this break-up-today-back-together-again-tomorrow nonsense nowadays and get away with it.