Andrew’s Promise by Nic Starr

Andrew’s Promise by Nic Starr is the sequel to Charlie’s Hero in which we follow Andrew’s story of love lost and found again.  While it can be read as a stand alone book, you will get a much better understanding of the characters if you read Charlie’s Hero first.  Read my review of Charlie’s Hero or just dive right in to Andrew’s story.  I received one copy of this book at no charge from the author in exchange for my honest review.  This post contains affiliate links.

Andrew’s Promise by Nic Starr

Purchase Link:  Amazon

Title:          Andrew’s Promise
Series:       Heroes Book 2
Author:   Nic Starr
Publisher:   Dreamspinner Press; 1 edition (August 12, 2015)
ASIN:    B0139AAXFO
Format/Length:    1823 KB/200 pages
Genre:       M/M, Contemporary
Heat Rating:  3
Star Rating:    4

About the Author:  To learn more about the author you can check out her website or follow along on Facebook or Twitter.

Andrew’s Promise Blurb: Young mechanic Andrew Campbell’s life couldn’t be better. He is about to restore a Ford Mustang with his dad before heading off on the ultimate cross-country road trip with his best friend, Tanner McKenzie.

But tragedy strikes, and Andrew’s life is shattered. Worried his family will be torn apart if he doesn’t step in, Andrew makes a tough choice between following his heart and doing what he needs to do to protect his little brother.

When Andrew pushes Tanner away, Tanner heads off on the planned trip alone. Once Tanner leaves town, his life takes a different path, and it’s ten years before he returns. Now a firefighter, he’s never forgotten his first love, and no one has ever taken Andrew’s place in his heart. He’s determined to see if Andrew feels the same way. He just hopes Andrew’s excited to see him, hopes that he’s available—and finally out—after all this time.

They might not have been ready to deal with emerging feelings years ago, but now might be the time for their second chance at love.

My Review:

At the end of Charlie’s Hero, you have been given a first impression of Andrew that is maybe not so great.  For a lot of the book he seemed angry and possibly homophobic.  Things take a turn at the very end of Charlie’s Hero and you are left wondering who Andrew really is.  Andrew’s Promise will help explain what drives him and shows you a rediscovery of a love lost many years ago.

Andrew’s Promise begins several years before Charlie’s Hero takes place.  The author paints a picture of an amazingly happy family.  Andrew is incredibly close to both his brother and his father and life is a bowl of cherries. He and his best friend Tanner are planning a long road trip and things couldn’t be more perfect.  Tragic events have Andrew’s life taking a turn for the worse and while trying to recover the pieces, Andrew pushes Tanner away.

Ten years later, Tanner returns to see if he can make something of the first love he left behind.  This rekindling of the relationship between Andrew and Tanner makes up the second half of the book and picks up right where Charlie’s Hero left off.

I really like the way that the author told this story.  Rather than random flashbacks, the book itself is divided into two time periods.  This allowed for so much more of Andrew’s past story to be portrayed.  Everything was so perfect for Andrew at the beginning of Andrew’s Promise.  His family loved him, his friendship with Tanner was so close….and a bit confusing to Andrew since he really just thought they were friends. His grief when tragedy struck and his realization that Tanner could be so much more than just a friend really tugged at my heartstrings.  After reading this portion of the story, you really understand how he became the man he is in Charlie’s Hero.

Andrew’s Promise is told from both characters points of view.  I think I got to know Andrew a bit better than Tanner but the author does a good job of giving you a glimpse into each character’s inner thoughts and feelings.  Tanner was devastated by Andrew’ rejected but was determined to find out if they could recapture what they once lost.  It isn’t easy sailing…they have a lot of lost time to make up for and things are strained a bit at first.  Thankfully, they actually manage to talk things out and take those first hesitant steps towards rekindling their feelings.

The major conflict in Andrew’s Promise is really Andrew’s coming out.  He has omitted any mention of his sexuality for a long time and is worried how that will effect his relationship with his brother.  Nic is gay….and Andrew is worried that his omission all these years will cause Nic to hate him.  There is a fair amount of angst and stress about it but things work out nicely and Andrew gets his happily ever after.

The chemistry between Andrew and Tanner is pretty hot and I am a huge fan of the ‘friends to lovers’ idea.  There is a nice balance of camaraderie and friendship, along with passion and angst and true love forever.  The secondary characters were well developed and I think I see another book in the future for a couple of them!

If I could have made one change in this story I think I would have liked MORE of Andrew and Tanner in the present time.  Not less of them in the past, because you really need that to see who Andrew truly is.  But, I think I would have liked to see them spend more time getting to know you after their 10 year separation.

Overall, though, Andrew’s Promise is a wonderful story that helps explain who Andrew really is and lets the reader follow along as he falls back in love with his best friend.