Far from Destined

Promise Me, Book 3

By: Carrie Ann Ryan

Narrated by: Emma Wilder, Jason Clarke

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Carrie Ann Ryan continues her sexy new contemporary stand-alone series with a broken heart and the shattered soul that can heal them both.

Macon Brady remembers every moment he lay on the ground, a bullet in his chest, his life bleeding out with each pulse. Yet his nightmares aren’t the only thing keeping him up at night.

Dakota Bristol left her ex with nothing but the clothes on her back and her child in her arms. She’s been hurt before and wants nothing to do with the shadows in Macon’s eyes. The problem? Her son loves him, and the more time she spends with the man, the more she’s afraid she’ll come to love him just as much.

Danger always comes back to haunt those who run. It was a lesson Dakota learned before. Now, it might be the man she refuses to fall for who makes the greatest sacrifice of all.

©2020 Carrie Ann Ryan (P)2020 Carrie Ann Ryan

A great romantic suspense!

This one is my favorite of the series, I loved Dakota and Macon. Dakota is a single mom to Joshua, who ran away from an abusive ex and Macon has been messed up from what happened in book one of the series. They both start off wanting to have nothing to do with each other but Joshua takes a liking to Macon. I love how the group comes together to offer Dakota when her past comes back for her and how Macon will do anything to protect Dakota and Joshua. Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder were great at bringing to life these characters. This is another page turning suspense from Carrie and I enjoyed ever moment.

Macon and Dakota

I've been looking forward to Macon's story if you've read or listened to the earlier books you will already know that he feels drawn to Dakota and already has a strong bond with her son Joshua. In this book, he gets his chance to finally get close to her but will he break through her walls?

This is the third instalment in the Promise Me series, part of the Montgomery Ink universe. Dakota's one of four single friends who have made a pact to set each other up on blind dates, All of them has difficult pasts which only make you more hopeful that they will in fact find their HEA and this time it's her turn to be fixed up.

Macon's having a hard time mentally recovering from being shot when he tried to save Hazel from her crazy ex-husband (Forever Only Once). He has nightmares remembering every moment from that terrible time, laying on the ground, a bullet in his chest, bleeding out expecting to die. His way of coping is to box but he knows he can't keep doing it because one day he'll get hurt or hurt someone else.

Dakota's story is one of pulling herself up from nothing, she had terrible parents and an ex who abused her. He ended up in prison and she was left with only the clothes on her back and the child she was carrying. She’s determined to never need a man again and is fighting to keep Macon at a distance. But how can she do that when her son loves him? Plus the more time she spends with him the more she finds herself falling in love with him too.

But when danger threatens her and Joshua it's Macon, the man she keeps telling herself she doesn't love, who's prepared to go to any lengths to keep the two people he loves safe. This story is an emotional one as both Macon and Dakota fight their own demons while trying to put on a brave front for Joshua. My heart was breaking especially when Macon opened up to Dakota and she didn't back away. I loved how their bond grew, how Joshua became the glue who helped hold all the pieces together! I loved how Mama Cat and her four babies were woven into the tale, you just knew they had a home!

The narration of this book by Emma Wilder and Jason Clarke is perfection personified, they bring every character and every emotion to life beautifully.

I was given this book as a gift and am voluntarily writing my review.

Amazing read

Omg what can I say this story tore me apart and spit me back together. Dakota and Macon Holy smokes talk about i didn't want it to end. The way this story unfolded it was really really well done. Carrie Ann Ryan just wrecked me hard-core with this one. I love it so much.
Narrators: Both Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder made this story sound absolutely amazing to listen too. I love both their voices. They absolutely killed it with narration and I recommend to either pick up the book or audio and give it a listen or read because it's one of my favorites of 2020.

Road to healing for Macon & Dakota

Macon silently suffers from PTSD after having been shot. Though surrounded by friends and family he struggles to discuss the nightmare that still haunts him, his only real outlet has been taking to fighting in the ring. Dakota is a single mother hiding from the mistake of her past, an ex who wants nothing more than to upend Dakota's life. Macon and Dakota have struggled to be cordial with one another but only because each is so stuck in their own thoughts. They struggle to communicate and usually end up with misunderstanding and hurt feelings. Dakota agrees to one blind date, as per the Pact Sisters, and much to her dismay, Macon shows up as her date. This is the beginning of what both agree is needed for them to become friends, neither willing to admit they want more. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, esp. as Macon and Dakota grew closer, and when things began to fall apart for Dakota, seeing his family and their friends pull together to support not only her but them was heartwarming. Jason Clarke and Dakota did a great job with the narration. I absolutely loved Emma's kid's voice.

great listen... but

it was a great stro g family, friendship ties, but I wish the male characters would have each had different narrative voices make it more individual and I also feel but really dont know how to explain it tthat the relationships in each book moved fast with not alot of background or introduction kinds.

Romantic suspenseful

I loved this book. It had romance and suspense. Great characters including an adorable little boy. It has a HEA.

Far from Destined has all the feels

Macon and Dakota are wonderful. Loved how Joshua steals quite a few scenes 😉. Carrie Ann Ryan has written another wonderful story. Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder are AMAZEBALLS! This story had it all. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Heartwarming frenemies to lovers story!

Another engaging, heartwarming addition to the Promise Me series, combining romance, finding family, and a dash of suspense in one great read. I was especially intrigued by Macon, who is still struggling to cope with the aftermath of being shot and nearly dying. He hides his pain from his family, not wanting them to know how much he’s still hurting and how lost he feels, and handling some of his frustration in a way he knows would worry them further. Dakota has managed to get away from a violent ex and has built a wonderful new life for herself and her little boy, Joshua. She senses some of the darkness in Macon and is initially afraid to trust him because of it, even though they both feel drawn to each other. There’s also the added complication of the bond that builds between Macon and Joshua, which is why Dakota wants to keep her distance, though it also lures her towards Macon even more. I loved seeing Dakota and Macon grow closer and try to navigate their newfound feelings for each other. I also liked how all the Brady’s and Dakota’s friends rallied around them to offer support and nudged them in the right direction. Tension levels rise when the danger from Dakota’s past forces its way into her present, forcing Dakota and Macon to confront their worst nightmare. Everything works out, of course, but it was still a thrilling, riveting ride, getting at that HEA.

Narration: I love dual narrations, and Emma Wilder’s and Jason Clarke’s voices match just beautifully. Emma Wilder’s take on Dakota felt spot on to me, and she brought just the right amount of emotion to her performance. Jason Clarke’s warm, deep voice was perfect for Macon and an absolute joy to listen to. They both did amazing with the pacing of the story as well as the voices for the secondary characters.

This series just gets better and better

I really enjoyed this title. This series just seems to get better and better. The performance and narration was excellent. I can't wait for the next boo;

Good addition to this series

In this third addition of this series we get Macon and Dakota's story. Where it can be read as a standalone story, it would be helpful to read the other books in the series so that one is more familiar with the supporting characters and previous events that are referenced in this book.

So we get a deeper understanding of Macon and how his life has changed after being the victim of a shooting. He has anger issues and PTSD with a side of nightmares that he is working through with the assistance of a therapist and through boxing. He has had feelings for Dakota and her son Joshua but has not pursued them.

In this book we also learn more about Dakota and her troubled past and her fierce determination to be as independent as possible. We were able to get a better understanding of her as a person and her determination not rely on others as she has been let down by others in the past that were supposed to be caretakers for her and ended up abandoning her in the end. We also see her realistic struggles with juggling being a single parent and business owner that are relatable to.

Both of these characters were well written characters that one can relate to. They both have a strong support system that they at times refused to utilize. At times, I could sympathize with Dakota's feelings that others were taking over her life while at the same time I wanted to yell at her that there was nothing wrong with accepting help from others. I also liked the close dynamic of Macon's family. Where they have their sibling issues, it was a great support for Macon. I enjoyed the return of the characters from the previous books in the series as they do play important intertwining rolls for both main characters.

The plot of this story moved along well and kept me interested to see what would happen next. It was at times action packed and showed the high emotions of the situations that the characters have experienced in the past and present.

In the audio version of this book, the narrators Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder did a great job bringing this book to life. The pair made this book entertaining listening experience.

Overall, this was a good book and a good addition to this series that I would recommend to others.