A Lover's Vow (Grangers #3) by Brenda Jackson

A Lover's Vow is the third and the final book in the The Grangers series. If you're unfamiliar with The Grangers you'll want to start at the beginning with A Brother's Promise as there is a mystery regarding who killed their mother. This mystery drives the story line and ties the three books together. I've enjoyed this series immensely and I'm so happy to say that A Lover's Vow did not disappoint! In fact, I'm inclined to say that this was the best of the three. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by this. Sometimes you can anticipate a character throughout a series only to find that character fizzles once he or she gets a book of their own. No fizzle here!

I can be a bit long-winded so let me just jump into my review:



The Good
Let me start off by saying how much I loved the cover of this book. Sometimes I feel like African-American romance novels don't get the best covers, but that wasn't the case with A Lover's Vow. This image of Dalton doesn't quite mesh with the Dalton that I imagine, but goodness!! What a pretty man! In general, I like everything about this cover - from the color and color tone to the models. It all just blends so harmoniously. Love. It.

Dalton - Dalton is so amazingly unlike his brothers. It's one of the things that I like about this series. He isn't just a mirror image of his siblings, he's a fleshed out character who has a great deal of depth. First of all, he's amazingly spoiled. As the youngest of the family he was closest to his mother and knows things that no one else does. He's good looking, likes older women, and has spent years being a boy-toy to women in Europe. He's used to getting women without trying and is happy with the life he's created for himself. Yet, he's so much more than that also. He's the wealthiest of the brothers, as he's made wise choices and investments that have expanded his wealth beyond anything that his brothers have accomplished. He is also a man with many secrets and there's the suggestion that he may be a bit dangerous as well. To his brothers however, he is very much viewed as a spoiled and annoying kid brother who hasn't quite grown up. That's a lot of background on a character, but it's all of the reasons why I love him so much. He's perfectly imperfect and a bit of a brat.

Jules - Jules is a private investigator whose sister is married to one of Dalton's brothers (Book 1). She's smart, tough, and knows what she wants. She isn't going to be used or treated like an object by anyone. She's a strong female character that's written right! She isn't stubborn for the heck of it, or reckless just because she has something to prove. Jules is high on my list of favorite female characters of all time!

Jules and Dalton- At the start of the book these two honestly can't stand each other. They're oil and water. They first meet in a previous book and the animosity between them is alive and thriving. Beneath that animosity there is also a good deal of lust, but neither Dalton or Jules is ready to own up to it. The best parts of this book are when these two are bubbling with sexual tension yet at each others throats.

The Family - I liked seeing other members of the ever extending Granger family. I particularly like Jules father and his blind girlfriend Mona. I wouldn't have minded reading a separate story about these two. I have a feeling that there was a lot of story that could have been told.

The Bad
Since this is a romance book, it isn't a spoiler to say these two eventually end up together. The problem for me surfaces when Dalton decided he was in love with Jules. This man talked so much trash about love and his brothers getting married that his relatively easy about face just didn't do it for me. In my opinion it would have taken more than great sex to make a man like Dalton want to settle down, so his feelings just felt out of character and a little too... cliche.

Shepard Granger - This character felt like a kingpin to me. I mean really, how does this man, who was convicted of murder, hold so much power while in prison? Because he's a good listener? Offers sage advice? He's likable?? I guess it's possible, at least on television its portrayed that way - but then isn't it the bad guys who have the power in prison? Beats me really, but it made him feel a little sleazy and like a villain even though he isn't supposed to be.

Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book and despite the problems that I had with certain aspects of it, I'm giving it a 5 out of 5 rating. At the end of the day it's about how much I enjoyed reading a book and I enjoyed the heck out of reading this one! I was entertained and thoroughly engrossed from start to finish.

*I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Rating: 5 out of 5
Published: May 1, 2015
Length: 411 pages
Available: