Michael Hillyard e Nancy McAllister são jovens exuberantes e unidos por um amor profundo. Ele é o único herdeiro de uma das maiores firmas de arquitetura dos Estados Unidos. Ela é de família pobre, criada num orfanato. Desejam se casar, mas a mãe dele, uma viúva que dirige com mão-de-ferro o império deixado pelo marido, é contra, e quer impor a união de seu filho com uma jovem de família importante. Michael insiste em tornar Nancy sua esposa. Mas o destino é cruel e implacável, e na noite da cerimônia o imprevisto acontece. Os anos passam, os dois seguem rumos diferentes, vivem em mundos separados, tornam-se desconhecidos um para o outro. Mas o símbolo de um vínculo eterno jamais foi esquecido. O segredo de uma promessa é uma história de amor comovente, um livro que se tornou sucesso no mundo inteiro, inspirado no filme de mesmo nome, visto por milhões de pessoas.

I may be one of the few readers who was never enchanted by Danielle Steel, but what the heck, I've always been a nonconformist. That being said, this book was the first of hers I read, and for some reason decided to try a few others before I came to my senses and stopped wasting my time.

The story overloads on SOS (soap opera silly). Michael, heir to his family's fortune and business and Nancy, a humble photographer, are in love, despite the disapproval of his cold, possessive mother. Their plans to marry are derailed when they get into a car accident that leaves Nancy faceless and almost costs her life, until Marion (Michael's mother) comes to the rescue, with medical and financial help, providing Nancy start a new life elsewhere and never contact Michael. Considering her condition, it's not surprising she agrees and who wouldn't?

What is surprising is that Nancy, knowing how much Marion disliked her and wanted her out of Michael's life, never suspected there'd be more to it. She foolishly assumed that Michael would just try to find her, because he'd never believe she'd dump him. Whereas, the evil Marion told Michael (and you can just hear the old time soap opera background music) that Nancy had died! Good Heavens!! What a wicked woman!!

I forgot how they arranged the "funeral": did they bury a wax corpse without a face or was she supposedly cremated? Then again, who cares?

Michael falls apart, takes solace in an affair with Wendy, a designer who works for him in the family business (today he'd be arrested!) but though his body's with Wendy, his heart and soul are still with "dead" Nancy.

Nancy, meanwhile, after recuperating and getting a new face, in a new city, with the help of Dr. Peter Gregson, and a new life as a photographer. changes her name to Marie and buries her love for Michael in her anger at the way he's treated her, not even bothering to find her. Maybe she should have called herself "Dumb Dora" instead, as it never seemed to cross her mind that there was more to the story. Considering how much Michael loved her, (and not knowing he thought she was dead) she should have known that if she never saw or heard from him that something was rotten in Denmark, and she'd forget her stupid promise and try and get in touch with him.

Now that would have made for a much better story, instead of stretching this whole thing out way too long. (It may not have that many pages, but it felt like reading "War and Peace".) Nancy/Marie rebounds to Peter, who's older, as well as her doctor (talk about unethical!) and can't make up his mind whether he loves her, considers her Galatea to his Pygmalion, or is still pining for his long lost love (can't remember what happened, but if she's lost on purpose I don't blame her a bit).

Next thing you know: the company needs a photographer, and guess who that'll be? What, you didn't guess Nancy/Marie, how could you be such a nincompoop! Why does Michael feel a certain vibe around her and why does she seem not to like him?

That plays out for a while, along with some other stuff, like Wendy, who found out soon enough that Michael would never commit to her, moving on with his best friend, Ben. (It must have been awkward when the three of them were together, considering they both saw her naked, but maybe I'm being a prude), and - will wonders never cease - Marion has a change of heart! She becomes a nice person, pretty unbelievable, after so many years being a stone cold bitch, but remember, this is La La Land.

That also explains George, Marion's right hand man who was her late husband's business partner, suddenly declaring his love for Marion, after keeping quiet about it for so long. Why he found her attractive I'll never know, but to each his own. That's another tired soap thing, someone being secretly in love with someone else, and never saying a word, just waiting patiently...yeah, right! He probably got a lot of action while he waited.

The biggest soap moment of them all was when Michael discovers Nancy's unfinished painting that he thought was lost for good, now finished and with Marie's signature! Yes, Marie is Nancy!!! (Can't you hear the organ music in the background?)

Next thing you know, they're back in each other's arms, and decide to pick up where they left of and get married right away!...........excuse me, I got a bit sick from sugar overdose.

No way would that happen in real life, no matter how much they loved each other, they'd need time to process it all, not run off and get married. And personally, I wish it had ended the way George said, when he told Marion (before the reunion) that they might find out the truth and decide to go their separate ways. I wish they had, as I found them to be an insipid couple, no spark or chemistry whatsoever. I would have liked to see them let go of the past, shake hands and move on.

No such luck. This being a romance, there must be the obligatory HEA, no matter how improbable or, in this case, unappealing.

If "The Promise" also meant expect to read a really good book, it sure didn't live up to it. ( )

This book starts out like a beautiful romance love story. Something goes terribly wrong and then you are introduced to a monster-in-law of a woman. What she does to save her son is unimaginable. ( )

The Promise by Danielle Steel
Michael Hillard and Nancy MacAllister are to be wed but the car accident prior to the wedding
leaves others to wonder if they will keep their vow. He is an architect and she is an artist.
His wealthy mother disapproves though...They will be separated but will it keep them apart?
He is appalled that his mother have a private eye find out about Nancy's past=like it was her fault who her parents turned out to be.
On their way to get married the car crashes and he's unconscious and she has lost her face. When his mother visits in the hospital she pays for
Peter to not only care for her in CA but to rebuild her face and life-away from Michael.
Going through face restorations she is not sure why Michael doesn't come to visit her. She doesn't know that his mother told him that she had died.
The book follows each of them as their new lifes begin...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )

Still my favorite Danielle Steele book - ever! ( )