Sweet Promise

Cindy Johnson and Turk Johnson fall in love on a beautiful Caribbean island. The machinations of an overprotective brother and an overzealous manager drive them apart, but not before their love is consummated. A chance meeting three years later stirs up buried secrets, opens old wounds and rekindles a love thought lost. Layle Giusto's "Sweet Promise" asks the question: Which is the stronger emotion love or revenge? The book resists the urge to be predictable. As a result, the reader continues to root for the triumph of true love -- despite time and adversity -- to the final pages. As in all of Ms. Giusto's books, the main characters are New Yorkers, a lot not generally described in sentences that include the words "tender" and "heartwarming." The author pulls it off with the help of a wide-eyed little boy.