Sealed with a Promise

I read this as stand-alone, but there is another book (with another couple's story) that could be read previously. This is about Caleb, a Navy SEAL who has no family and wants to kill a man that happens to be a US Senator. He is best man at his first ever wedding (something I CAN believe if he's been overseas, has no friends outside Navy, etc) and can be found boning up on etiquette. I loved that in addition to being the rugged/strong/smart guy he is a bookworm. Crazy smart and trying to hide behind a country boy attitude. Afraid of needles. Sooo needing love by the right woman... in walks a very badly dressed Emmie. She's dislocated her shoulder and she is the maid of honor. She's gotta change out the wedding cake because the bride (her BFF) is allergic to all wheat products and her family didn't take her 'affliction' into consideration. She's the daughter of missionaries and she hates jocks and military guys. No real reason given, she just hates them. (that bugged me) Of course she calls the man that Caleb wants to destroy "uncle" and so he decides to get to the man through this pretty girl. (deep breath) so. I loved this book. I loved that they admit SEAL's don't get much time with family and that divorce rate is high. I love that the hero has weaknesses and also some fairly geeky tendencies (he spouts off what is in marzipan- to other SEALs). I love the intelligent Emmie who is a teacher to the core and realizes that she tries to hide behind her intellect so that she will float invisibly in a crowd. I LOVE that Caleb feels like Emmie is a magical being that only he can see. To everyone else she may seem plain, but he sees the beauty and wonder of her. The plot was good for me too- I liked a warrior tale set in USA with NO 'big bad' or 'major danger'. Just human emotions and relationships. I did not like the comments about him smelling her woman smell when her skirt rode up. I also DEFINITELY could have lived without the 'he did ___ and that was act of wanting her for only him.' talk. Ugh. He wants to be manly? cool. But I don't need it spelled out. Just have him help her out of car, put arm around her, etc. and move on. Don't. spell. it. out. My final could live without it is that he's got some second sight. Like he can see something happening in near future and react in time to effect outcome. (deer in road, how a mission will play out...) That would have been ok for me, except the author took it 1 step further when she has him + heroine + orgasm = them experiencing bright light and ability to sense what the other person is feeling. uh, what? Finally I hated that she 'hates jocks/military' but it's never explained and she never has real reason to change her mind other than getting hot for our hero. AH but my irks aside this was a delightful read. :)

Navy SEAL Caleb `Do-Lord' Dulaude approaches circumstances using logic, stealth and if need be raw brawn. However, none of those prepared him for the ordeal of being the best man in his comrade Jax's wedding - and so he's working his way through books on etiquette hoping to muddle his way through. Of course, just when he thinks he knows exactly how to behave and what's expected he meets the maid of honor and finds himself enchanted by the `mouse' who fades into the background. Emmie Caddington is extremely book smart and learned from an early age that it's safest for her to blend into the surroundings and let others standout. She wears ill-fitting clothing, no makeup and really doesn't have a whole lot of social skills. She was `adopted' into the Hale family when she went to college with Pickett and she has a special fondness for each member of the family. Her close friendship with Pickett is what incites her to enlist Caleb's assistance with her great cake swap plan. Because Pickett has celiac's disease which means she can't eat anything made with wheat flour - Emmie's determined that it be safe for Pickett to eat her own wedding cake and that means swapping it but with her arm in a sling it's impossible for her to carry out her plan. That's why she decides to enlist Caleb's help. At first Caleb doesn't want to have anything to do with swapping out the wedding cakes but then he sees a picture of a different Hale family wedding and recognizes one of the guests as the man he's had a personal vendetta against since childhood. If he agrees to help Emmie then he'll have an `in' to get to Calhoun and he certainly can't pass that up! Emmie may not be a raving beauty and her intelligence would be intimidating to a lesser man but Caleb sees a unique faelike beauty in her that is utterly irresistible. Since he possesses a high IQ himself he's able to hold his own in a conversation. There's no denying that there's a strong attraction between them but Emmie is very cautious about getting involved with Caleb. She's positive that he's using her for some reason and she's certain it has something to do with his intense interest in Calhoun. Will anything dissuade Caleb from his hatred of Calhoun? And how will his vendetta affect his foundling relationship with Emmie? SEALed WITH A PROMISE is the second book in Mary Margret Daughtridge SEALed series - and I have to tell you, this addition is just as delightful as SEALed WITH A KISS. The author infuses humor, realistic characters, emotion filled situations, and in some cases brutal honesty to create a storyline that's utterly captivating from beginning to end. I believe I fell in love with Caleb before the story even really began when it's revealed how he came by the nickname Do-Lord. He's a strong man with a vulnerable nature and a quirky sense of humor that strikes me as very sweet. Emmie has her own vulnerabilities and it's absolutely delightful to `watch' her come out of her shell and

This book started on rocky ground for me. It took me a while to care about the characters and their agendas. Caleb "Do-Lord" Delaude started out a little too revengeful for me. Emmie seemed to place so little value on herself and hid out from life. These two didn't seem compatible at all. Then I hit page 89 and couldn't put the book down. These two definitely fit each other and the chemistry that they share is HOT! I think this book is more than just a romance. The book is about overcoming childhoods that were less than perfect and accepting who we are and how we got there. Caleb is overcoming a childhood without a father or a stable mother. He had to grow up too quickly. Emmie is dealing with a feeling of being abandoned by her missionary parents. I thought the book was wonderful, despite the rocky beginning, and can't to read more by Mary Margret Daughtridge! www.thebookgirl.net

Caleb Dulaude grew up extremely poor and on the wrong side of the tracks. When he was finally old enough to understand about his father's abandonment of his mother when she was pregnant, Caleb instantly and emphatically promised himself over and over that somehow, someway his birth father would pay for his treatment of Caleb's beloved mother. Now a much heralded and medaled Navy SEAL, Caleb has learned everything that he needs to know to function in high society without anyone being the wiser. In town for the wedding of one of his comrades, Caleb meets Emmie Caddington. Attracted to her charming quirkiness, Caleb can not believe his luck when he finds out exactly who Emmie is. As luck would have it, Caleb's revenge might be happening sooner rather than later. Emmie was one tough cookie - that much is certain. Even knowing she was not the type of woman that would attract a Navy SEAL, much less one that would attract Caleb Dulaude, she forged ahead with their liaison. Her feelings of ineptitude did not stop her from exploring the budding relationship she and Caleb were having. Caleb grabbed my heart. I can still see a small boy yearning for his father's love and that same boy's heart break when realizing that the man he knows as his father refuses to acknowledge the life that he had a hand in creating. Mary Margret Daughtridge did an excellent job of getting the emotional aspects of SEALED WITH A PROMISE correct. I felt Caleb and Emmie's passion, laughed at their antics, and cried when their hearts were sad. Most of all, however, SEALED WITH A PROMISE is about acceptance and forgiveness. Both very hard to attain but when it happens, it is glorious. Don't miss SEALED WITH A PROMISE, I can't recommend it enough! ***Natalie S.***