SEALed with a Promise

Excerpt from Chapter 1

Little Creek, Virginia

Funerals, yes. He'd pulled honor guard duty at too many of them. But in all his thirty-two years, Caleb "Do-Lord" Dulaude had never attended a wedding. In a surprise development, barely four months since the platoon's return from the 'Stan, Jax was getting married, and Do-Lord had to be the best man at one.

Mellow November sunshine trickled into his cubicle from the window in the hallway, and his stomach growled. He pushed back the cuff of his gray and tan desert camo BDU's to check his watch then rifled the pages of the etiquette book open on his desk to see if he
had a chance of finishing it in time to get some lunch.

His battered 2002 Bluejacket's Guide, a chief petty officer's bible, specified in detail how to render military honors at a funeral, but it hadn't helped much with a wedding. It said very little about his duties during the ceremony, only that he would be in charge of the arch of swords, which would take place outside the church. He figured there was a lot more to a wedding than that, especially among the upper-crust of North Carolina.

This book on etiquette was the third he'd read. In his palm pilot he had a twenty-six item list of his duties as best man. He wouldn't necessarily need to know all, but it was always the little things that got you killed. Since he had no idea which details would prove to be crucial, he ignored the rumbling of his stomach.

Harder to ignore were his boredom with what he read and the tiny niggle of fear that the two staves on which he had depended, feeding his mind's thirst for information and the engrossment of SEAL life, were failing him.

The tall white cake typically served at wedding receptions today was once the bride's cake, whereas the wedding cake was a fruitcake, filled with nuts…

"I looked for you in the NCO mess." Burly Master Chief Lon Swales, also dressed in camo, interrupted him. From the first, although he didn't take well to regulations,

Do-Lord had loved the Navy's prescribed dress code for every occasion. He always knew exactly what to wear in order not to draw attention to himself. "What are you missing lunch to read?"

Do-Lord slid the yellow highlighter through his fingers while he considered lying. His fellow SEALs accepted his reading mania. He had a paperback stashed in a pocket anytime he wasn't in combat gear—and a lot of times when he was. In desperation, after he'd exhausted all other printed matter, he'd even read paperback romances while in Afghanistan. Since pictures of scantily clad women were offensive to Muslims, the covers of many had been torn off, adding a new layer of meaning to the term "bodice ripper."

Everyone would really razz him, if they found out he'd moved on to etiquette books. On the other hand, the razzing would be worse if the guys learned he'd lied about reading up on etiquette.

"Emily Post. Research. Boning up for Jax's wedding."

The weathered skin around the Master Chief's eyes folded into deep crow's feet, and his lips quirked, but the expected teasing didn't come. Instead, with perfect seriousness, he asked, "Have you read Service Etiquette?"

"Swartz, Fourth Edition? Read it first. When I'm invited to the White House, I'll sho'nuff do you proud."

Lon chuckled at Do-Lord's tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that Service Etiquette covered protocol for every social occasion a person in the military could encounter, no matter how unlikely. "Stranger things have happened." He took a seat in the straight metal chair in front of Do-Lord's desk, and in an almost gentle voice he asked, "How's it going?"

"Tell you what…" Caleb let the sentence hang while he tossed the highlighter on the desk and rolled his desk chair back to stretch out his legs. "It's boring as hell, but it's not as bad as that outboard motor service manual you made us read during Hell Week."

Do-Lord saw with satisfaction he'd struck the right note with the Master Chief. Twelve years ago, Lon had been a BUD/S instructor to the class that included Jax, an ensign, and Do-Lord, except he hadn't earned his nickname yet.

"Hey, I was just trying to help you stay awake." Lon settled into his chair and hooked his thumbs over his belt, his innocent tone belied by a devilish grin.

"Yeah, right." During Hell Week the trainees were allowed a total of four hours sleep. During so-called rest periods, harsh consequences would descend on anyone who fell asleep and on all those near who allowed him to nod off. Listening while someone read aloud was bad enough, since few people did it well. Trying to stay alert while boring material was read aloud would turn their few minutes of respite into torture.

Lon's expression grew thoughtful, his eyes on a distant past. "Until that night I didn't think you were going to graduate. Some guys never get it that being a SEAL isn't about taking punishment, or endurance, or even being the best or the baddest."

Though fewer than twenty percent graduated from the toughest training in the world, it wasn't because instructors tried to wash a trainee out. They did, however, use any means to make a trainee aware of his weak areas and the need to overcome them. "You were doing your part, but that's all you were doing. For all the physical stuff we do, ultimately, making a SEAL is mental. A man must decide he's personally responsible for the success of the team and the welfare of every member. He has to find within himself whatever makes him able to do that. You were holding back, side-stepping opportunities for leadership, letting your boat crew not do as well as they might have, because you didn't like being noticed." Lon's eyes twinkled. "So we noticed you—a lot."

"That's why you handed me the manual to read aloud!" Until this moment, Dulaude had never suspected the instructors had intended to make him uncomfortable by singling him out. He shouted with laughter at the double irony. For Dulaude, being made to read was a "get out of jail free" card. Thinking only of himself, he had known exactly how Br'er Rabbit felt in the briar patch. He could easily pretend to mumble through it.

"Yup. We figured you'd be miserable trying to read aloud, and you'd make everybody else miserable." Lon chuckled in reminiscence.

But Dulaude had looked out at the faces of the men gathered in the mess hall at 3:00 a.m. Of a starting class of one hundred twenty-nine, around fifty red-eyed, battered men remained. More would quit before the night was over, because the pain, cold, and exhaustion would only get worse. White with fatigue, shoulders slumped, neither hopeful nor interested, longing only for sleep, they had watched him with faces set to endure.

Except for Jax. His eyes had been so bloodshot he looked like a creature from a horror movie, but still they lit with expectation. He seemed to think Dulaude intended to do something to keep them awake.

Dulaude had glanced down at the manual Chief Swales had stuffed in his hands. Gray print on flimsy gray paper, it was designed to blind any reader it didn't render comatose. However, Dulaude could read a page at a glance and had something close to eidetic memory. Up to now, he had concealed his reading ability as he had his real IQ. He had learned early that both made him stand out, and drawing the attention of authorities was never a good thing.

SEALed With A Promise features Jax’s best friend, Caleb “Do-Lord” Dulaude, a complicated man who has overcome tragedy and who now makes a point of playing down his frightening intellect with a smooth good ol’ boy demeanor. A nerd at heart who also believes in the existence of extra sensory perception among the SEALs, Do-Lord is hanging out at Jax’s wedding and planning his revenge against the man who destroyed his childhood, a powerful senator who just happens to be a guest at the wedding. And a very friendly acquaintance Pickett’s maid of honor, Emmie Caddington.

Like Do-Lord, Emmie is hiding her real self, despite the bright blue sling on her arm protecting her recently dislocated shoulder. The sling stands out because everything else about Emmie is meant to shift the eye away from her. A biology professor and child of missionaries, Emmie prefers invisibility to what she perceives as showing off, especially with her large breasts and rebellious intelligence. But once she corrals Do-Lord with an unusual request (to secretly switch a tier of the wedding cake to an identical one that is gluten-free), she inadvertently invites Do-Lord to notice her in a very visceral way.

I am not, as a rule, overly fond of revenge stories, in part because I think they generate artificial conflict between the protagonists for the purpose of drawing out the sexual tension. And I also dislike it when the heroine is used by the hero for his secret revenge. Fortunately, both Do-Lord and Emmie are so intelligent that Daughtridge does not insult them or the reader by keeping Emmie in the dark for long about Do-Lord’s intentions. Instead, once they are involved, he tells her everything, creating a nice alliance between them and a chance for their relationship to deepen. Because these are two characters with long-standing disguises, they need time to proceed through the different layers.

Still, there are some clichéd elements in SEALed With A Promise that threaten triteness. Senator Calhoun has a young daughter, who enchants Do-Lord and Emmie, and a subplot focused on her creates a lot of the book’s dramatic tension, which felt contrived and manipulative. Emmie also gets the standard girlie makeover early on, as she (not)shockingly realizes that her invisibility is really cowardice, not a bid to be taken seriously.

Still, it is nice to see two not traditionally beautiful characters appreciate each other fully, and it is especially nice to see a SEAL who is not mythologized as an alpha god. I did not like this book as much as the first, but I still enjoyed it overall. B-

Mary Margret Daughtridge has done it again with her second novel SEALed with a Promise. I read her debut novel SEALed with a Kiss last year after I won it from Book Binge and I fell in love with Jax and Pickett. Jax and Pickett are now getting married and Caleb "Do Lord" Delaude and Emmie Caddington are their best man and maid of honor respectively. After Caleb observes Jax and Pickett’s happiness with each other, he can’t help but feel a little jealousy he never thought to expect. He finds himself interested in Emmie even though she is a mousy, plain little thing. But after he aids her in a wedding cake switcheroo he discovers there are unique interesting layers to Emmie that captivate him.

There are so many things that I love about Ms. Daughtridge’s writing. First and foremost are her strong characters. The are fully fleshed out with lots of layers and depth. The reader is fully immersed in their heads. She completely walks you through their thought processes and learning how a SEAL thinks is absolutely fascinating. Caleb and Emmie are very smart and tend to think outside the box. For most of their lives they have felt like outliers in society. Emmie hasn’t had many relationships with men and is more logical when it comes to relationships. When she starts to feel attracted to Caleb she doesn’t even realize that is the emotion she is feeling. It is really great to read about her discovering this attraction and dealing with it.

I also love the sense of connection I get when I read the scenes with Emmie and her family or Caleb and his SEAL brothers. Daughtrigde is able to capture a family dinner perfectly. I can sense the chaos of so many different personalities together and the baggage that comes with being around family, the people who think they know you and yet sometimes don’t. You can sense the loyalty and love among these people too. The dialogue is fabulous. The characters actually TALK about their issues and it moves the story beautifully.

I did think the delivery with the ending was a little clunky compared to the rest of the story. The pacing and the passion all flowed so smoothly. Then when the big reveal happens at the end the book stumbled a bit. But this is just a tiny little detail in the big scheme of things. I really enjoyed reading SEALed with a Promise. It is a fun, clever and emotionally gripping story. Mary Margret Daughtridge is an author to keep on your radar.


It has been a very long time since I picked up romantic fiction that I truly enjoyed. Most stories are so formulaic, I know right where they are going by the end of the first page - sometimes even from the jacket copy.

Others are sexier adaptations of earlier works by Sandra Brown, Linda Howard and Nora Roberts, who were popular authors with Harlequin and Sillouhette. However, the extra sex doesn’t make up for cookie cutter characters, thin plots and nonexistent character development.

Mary Margret Daughtridge’s SEALs series immediately caught my interest. I love books that feature bad boys, or any sexy men from the military. This trend is fast overtaking my love of cops and federal agents.

I was lucky enough to interview Daughtridge about her series for Book Addict. Her talk of SEALs and their dedication to one another, their loyalty and honor struck a chord with me. When I got the review copy of SEALed with a Promise, I dived right in, wondering where this journey into covert Navy operators would lead me.

The journey led me to a fantastically fresh voice in romantic fiction - one that proves that original storytelling and deep character development truly make a great read.



In SEALed with a Promise - the second in the SEALs series - readers meet Caleb Delaude, a charming southerner who has a face for every occasion. No one knows the real him. Caleb is near burn out. When he is asked to be on the detail for a powerful senator who Caleb believes is his deadbeat father, the SEAL nearly kills the senator, rather than protecting him.

Caleb overcomes the urge - a mighty thing for him to do, since this man is indirectly responsible for his mother’s death. After the deployment, Caleb gets the news he is to be the best man for his commander’s wedding. (Read Jax and Pickett’s story in SEALed with a Kiss.)

There, he meets professor Emmie Caddington, the bride’s best friend and the bridesmaid. Emmie has been hiding all of her life. She blends in - the same as Caleb does, only in a neutral way that hides her sexy figure.

After a few fits and starts - with attraction running smoothly beneath the surface - they get together. Caleb learns that Emmie has a direct connection to the senator, and he plans to use that to get to the man. Thing is, he really likes Emmie, and doesn’t want to use her, but he needs access to the politician. He doesn’t expect to find the senator’s young daughter, Vicky, quite so charming - or fall so hard and fast for Emmie.

These two have some sexy fun, but must work through their own problems with the past before they can truly have a future.

It sounds heavy, but trust me, SEALed with a Promise is so much fun, you will laugh; you will cry; you will want to beat someone up; you will celebrate with joy when love prevails.

Daughtridge weaves a tale of two imperfect people you just cannot help but fall in love with. They have their flaws, but when they love, they do it wholeheartedly - and they are loyal to a fault. The author’s rich detail about southern lifestyle is so real, you can practically smell the magnolia and hear the drawling accents echo through your mind as you read.

The book is completely character-driven - something I don’t always like because it is done so poorly. Daughtridge creates amazing people in Caleb and Emmie, as well as other characters to add to the rich tapestry of the story. She is in their heads and under their skin, so readers feel every nuance of their courtship - the passion, the confusion, the tears.

I really enjoyed how Daughtridge included religion in this book. It wasn’t preachy and it added an extra layer for readers to peel away through the reading journey.

Daughtridge also has a knack for amazing prose. I found myself rereading some sentences because they were so eloquently written. The first eight chapters are really about the wedding cake. Seriously. And yet, Daughtridge weaves these details together so you get a picture of both Caleb and Emmie, their friends and family, and an amazing set up of what life is really like in the sleepy southern town. It is in no way boring - and sometimes a lot of fun.

This book isn’t one of the Sex-a-Minute reads that are common on the market today. However, Daughtridge’s subtle style is a more sexy in some respects that pages and pages of sex in unattainable positions. There is romance, yes, but there is so much more.

The book took turns I never expected with the plot and characters. I was never quite sure where Caleb and Emmie’s journey would end - or what they would learn from it. The ending was not exactly what I thought would happen. One of the peripheral characters caught my attention, and I figured would play a role in Caleb’s confrontation with his father. It doesn’t exactly happen that way, but Daughtridge’s ending fit with the overall unpredictable style of the book.

If you asked me to tell you exactly what it was about this book that made me love it, I could not tell you. It was the whole package, wrapped up in 360 pages of wonderful characters, great plot and an idea that I want to continue in future books.

If you want an easy, romantic read that might put a tear or two in your eyes, check out SEALed with a Promise. Romance fans will read it in one setting.



For most of his young life Navy SEAL Caleb Dulaude (aka Do Lord) was considered trailer trash, with only his mother there to look out for him when she wasn’t working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Caleb had always hoped that one day he’d be able to look after her the way she’d looked out for him. But when illness claims her at an early age, Caleb’s rage against the man who’d abandoned and ignored them both shapes the direction of his life. His SEAL training has turned him into a hardened and crafty warrior, and one day, Caleb vows, Senator Teague Calhoun, the rich and arrogant man who’d fathered him, would taste the full force of his forgotten son’s revenge.

Nobody really takes much notice of bookish and shy biology professor, Emmie Caddington - except Caleb. He finds himself drawn to her while attending his best friend’s wedding. When he discovers that Emmie has a close association with Senator Calhoun’s daughter, he can’t believe his good fortune and coldly vows to seduce Emmie to get closer to the Senator’s family. While flattered at the fine looking soldier’s attention, Emmie is no fool. She’s been burned before and senses that Caleb has ulterior motives. Despite his carefully orchestrated mission plan, Caleb begins to truly care for Emmie and her large circle of family and friends. It’s not long before he harbours doubts about his ability to follow through with his personal vendetta - not if it means losing the respect of the only woman he’ll ever love.

While not quite as character rich as Daughtridge’s debut novel (SEALed With a Kiss) SEALed With a Promise still packs a powerful punch as two emotionally needy souls find love, and in Caleb’s case must make a choice between exacting his revenge or offering forgiveness. This is another heartwarming and involving tale created by an author whose star is definitely on the rise.

I bought Mary Margret Daughtridge’s new book ‘SEALed with a Promise’ and wondered if it would draw me in as her first book had. To be a good judge, I reread my copy of ‘SEALed with a Kiss’. Yes, friends, Mary has brought real men to life. She starts with Caleb Dulaude, a HERO with a capital ‘H’, when we find him hot in the middle of an assassination attempt on a senator in Kandahar, Afghanistan. How he meets Emmie Caddington in North Carolina at the wedding of another SEAL pulls you into a love story with limitations and an undercurrent of revenge. Pulls and tugs on your heart will keep you reading chapter to chapter as Mary weaves characters who come to life amid southern values, old secrets, and normal family problems. ‘SEALed with a Promise’ is filled with people I love to report about the most…HEROES!



Having read and absolutely loved Ms. Daughtridge’s previous book, SEALed with a Kiss, I was really looking forward to this one and I have to say that I was not disappointed as SEALed with a Promise is a heartwarming story featuring two characters I couldn’t help but grow to love.

SEALed with a Kiss tells the story of Navy SEAL Caleb Delaude (also known as Do-Lord) and Professor Emmie Caddington. Caleb cannot believe his good fortune when he meets Emmie at their friends’ wedding and learns that she has a connection that could help him gain the revenge that has eaten him alive since childhood. But as he spends time with Emmie and gets to know her, his desire for revenge lessens as his desire for Emmie grows. But he worries what will happen when she learns the truth…

Ms. Daughtridge is definitely a gifted storyteller with the ability to create relatable and likeable characters complete with flaws and imperfections that you would expect to see in real life. I was drawn into the story and came to care about both characters as they worked through the doubts, insecurities, and other obstacles standing in their way.

Both Caleb and Emmie are fascinating characters who have been deeply affected by their pasts. Caleb’s past is part of what brings him and Emmie together as he intends to use her to help him in his revenge. I didn’t agree with his actions and motives for getting closer to Emmie at first and wasn’t sure he’d be able to redeem himself, but once we learned more about his story and he got to know Emmie and began to change and show his true nature, I came to understand him better and hope that these two would be able to work everything out.

As for Emmie, she is a fascinating heroine who is quite intelligent, but lacks the common knowledge that most females have and I found her, along with her little quirks, to be a breath of fresh air. She learns a lot and grows through her association with Caleb as does he. They are perfect for one another and I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow. The romance and relationship of the story is quite touching.

The overall plot with its various twists, turns, and coincidences is quite interesting. There were a few surprises that really enhanced the story, but there were also a couple of things that seemed a bit too coincidental to me (I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling the story). But despite this I believe that SEALed with a Promise is a wonderful and touching story about two characters who teach one another to see themselves and the world in an entirely new way all while falling in love. I eagerly anticipate Ms. Daughtridge’s next book!


I love a good “Men in Uniform” love story. Anything from firefighters to military men, but my favorite is definately Navy SEALs. I think what really draws me to them is their whole take charge, protective, and stubborn attitudes. Plus, I love the whole suspenseful plots in a lot of the stories I read.

At first I thought Caleb “Do-Lord” Delaude and Emmie Caddington were an odd match. Emmie was against everything Caleb is: a SEAL and Caleb thought Emmie was too “plain” for him and yet she intruged him, but once you got more into the story and found out more about each character they actually did have a few interesting things in common and it shows that opposites really do attract. Their love connection though seemed to be put on hold somewhat throughout the story until towards the end because Caleb was so full of guilt and anger and wanted revenge so the story tended to focus more on that aspect then the relationship itself.

The relationship between Caleb and Vicky (10 year old Senator Teague’s daughter), also known as “Little Bit” (the nickname Caleb gave her) interested me more then the actual love relationship between Caleb and Emmie. Caleb and Vicky are a lot alike, they are both strong-willed, determined, and brave. The fact that they both had Trypanophobia- a fear of needles- was interesting as well. I really liked how the author focused on and explained their phobia, it really showed me from the characters point of views how they felt about it and how Caleb helped Vicky to understand her phobia and not exactly over come it, but learn to face it and somewhat accept it. Some people tend to just brush aside phobias and think they are nothing to worry about or that they are not real, but they are very real. I actually live with someone who has Arachnophobia- a fear of spiders- and you truely don’t fully understand what they are going through unless you yourself are the one with the phobia.

In all, the story was a good read though the ending seemed somewhat rushed. If you enjoy a good ”Men in Uniform” story then I’d recommend you pick it up and give it a try.

Reviewer Comments: In his element, Caleb “Do-Lord” Delaude is one of the best SEALs in the team. He has the eye of the sniper, the ability to cover his tracks well, especially when he is trying to deceive his fellow SEALs. When not in action, Caleb if unsure is willing to read whatever he can to learn what needs to be done. He does have a secret goal and that is to kill Senator Teague Calhoun. Caleb knows that the Senator is his father and is angry he did nothing to help him when his mother died. His skills in social situations leave something to be desired.

Emelina (Emmie) Caddington is a professor in a College who is extremely conscious of her lack of skills in the flirtation area and often doesn’t realize when males are hitting on her. She has had relationships, well she thinks they were relationships, but it seems the males didn’t think so. At the wedding of her best friend, Emmie meets the best man Caleb and learns some very valuable lessons from her night with him. The next morning on a high, she overhears a conversation with some unflattering things about herself, which means not to trust him or other males again. Emmie asks one of her "adopted" sisters to help her with a makeover so she can be the love-them-and-leave-them type of girl. All the time she has a shoulder injury which makes many things difficult.

Naturally there are many other threads in this story concluding with how Caleb resolves the situation with his father but the focus is on the relationship between Caleb and Emmie and how these two supposed misfits get and fit together. Both Emmie and Caleb have backgrounds which makes them the people they are at this point in their story. I liked Emmie as she doesn’t have the confidence to deal with males and has body issues which may apply to many of us. Caleb, while the top SEAL and confident in his job, is also insecure when he meets Emmie and how to deal with her.

Another section in the story I liked was the way in which Emmie and Caleb swapped the wedding cake. Her friend has celiac disease so Emmie wanted her to be able to enjoy the cutting of the cake and had a new one made. Caleb calls in reinforcements and the military precision in which they changed the cake was very entertaining. There are other secondary characters who have their eccentricities and add flavour to the story.

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. 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 - she hates jocks/military but gives no solid reason NOR does she explain in any way why she changes her mind outside lust for mr. hero.

Yeah, but those are my only complaints and that’s saying a lot for a ‘SEAL’ book. It was a good tale, a touching and caring story with characters I loved and military without the suspense. Thumbs up and an B for you M.M.D.

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 be the woman she was meant to be.

Navy SEALS are the object of many women’s fantasies but through Ms. Daughtridge’s writing we get the opportunity to view these strong praiseworthy military men and understand that they’re individuals with feelings and needs. This story is beautifully written and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more writing from Ms. Daughtridge in the future – and will keep my fingers crossed for stories about some of the other SEALS we’ve gotten to know in these first two stories.

Well, first off who can resist a Navy SEAL? This was a cute romance and very enjoyable. I thought that the plot was very unique. and the story really caught my attention. The scenes between Caleb and Emmie was definitely not your usual romance novel interaction, but I did think that they played well. I did seem a bit jarring to have Caleb so focused on revenge at the beginning, although I found it comical how easily he lost his focus on revenge once he met Emmie. There were a few spots that I thought were a little slow, but for the most part the book moved right along. I read it in a day or so, and had no problem ’sticking with’ my reading. it’s definitely a good book to curl up with or to just escape the day to day with. I don’t think you’d be disappointed in picking this one up. Overall I thought this book was really fun and one that I’d definitely recommend.

SEAL, alpha male, genius Chief Petty Officer Caleb Dulaude aka “Do Lord” finds Emmie, his perfect ticket into high society where he needs to be to fulfill a promise made at age fifteen. As best man for his friend and commanding officer, he meets her and makes plans. Battle hardened, not averse to lying to complete a mission, yet having a unique integrity, Caleb makes an intriguing hero. He says he is an “Alabama cracker raised in a trailer located on the hind end of nowhere” which may be true but is far from who he really is at this time in his life. He learned to be tough, streetwise, and pragmatic at an early age. He came to believe in honor, accountability, trust, and pride through his training as a SEAL. The vulnerability, longings, and sensuousness that Ms. Daughtridge reveals about him along with his ability to be in two realities at the same time makes him even more complex. Yet, his obsession with Senator Teague Calhoun is the flaw that threatens to be his undoing.

The bridesmaid Emmie, ugly duckling among swans, is Caleb’s perfect ticket. Unassuming, academic, and an expert at fading into the background, she has a poor opinion of jocks “who have a sense of entitlement and are unwilling to take seriously anything that didn’t directly impact their own egos”—a category she feels the arrogant SEALs fit into. She has many facets to her personality that emerge as the story unfolds, facets that she is not aware of because of self-esteem issues that started when she was twelve years old. Her loyalty and willingness to go to any length to help those she loves is beautifully depicted by Ms. Daughtridge’s smooth, unobtrusive writing style. The metamorphosis of Emmie is amazing, the emotional, physical, and social change in Emmie lifts the spirit and makes one want to cheer. She is “priceless” in so many ways not the least of which is her sense of humor that astounds.

Mary Margret Daughtridge’s descriptions awaken the senses to a level that makes a reader gasp for breath and sigh with satisfactions. Primal and earthy at times, sensual, enchanting, and tender at others, the love scenes simmer, sizzle, and soar. The mirror scene is truly magically and tells so much about both Emmie and Caleb.

Some of the secondary characters such as Aunt Lilly Hale, Pickett, Grace, and Vicky add depth to the happenings in Sealed With A Promise. Family values, friends’ unswerving loyalty, and the innocence of children and their need to be protected from the self-serving actions of adults, all create sub-plots that stir the conscience and intensify the story as events force life changing decisions to be made by Emmie and Caleb.

Sealed With a Promise is beautifully written and tells a fantastic story that if full of intense emotions. EXCELLENT!

Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks Inc. for the opportunity to review this book!

I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I am so excited that Mary Margret will be stopping by to do a guest post and answer questions on April 13 so post them here or remember to stop by on the 13th to ask them then!

Description: Can the strength of her love temper his need for revenge?

Navy SEAL Caleb Delaude had a less-than-ideal childhood. His biological father abandoned his family at Caleb’s birth and left them to a life of poverty, refusing to help even as his mother lay dying. So when he is assigned to protect the powerful senator who he suspects is his father, his vicious grudge turns into a strong urge for revenge.

But then he meets biology professor Emmie Caddington, a close friend of the senator’s daughter. He thinks he’ll use her to spring the secret of his illegitimate birth on the senator’s unsuspecting family, but his interest in Emmie begins to get complicated.

He’s a SEAL 24/7, and that doesn’t leave much time for women or love. Her fascination with him finally makes him feel good about himself, but when the truth finally comes out, will their budding relationship be nothing more than a means to revenge… or is she the key to his salvation?

I’m not normally a fan of modern day romances but you throw in a Navy SEAL and I’m a sucker for it. I loved it that a plain, pea hen type of woman is the heroine of the book and actually has the man totally falling for her because of her personality and not her looks. Yes, a lot of romance books has the hero being kind to the wall flower but the heroine usually is a beauty herself. So this was a nice change. Do Lord (Caleb) is everything you could ask for in a guy. He’s considerate, strong, well read, kind to children…LOL pretty much what you would think of posting in a personal ad. But Emmie is the one that really caught my attention. I loved how when she was insulted by another SEAL that she doesn’t show him how much his comment hurt her and in fact makes over herself into a woman that would make him eat his words. The best part is that after the make over she realizes it’s not just to impress others but she is also happy with herself because she never realized she could look like that. I really hope whoever else reads this book they enjoy the characters and story as much as I did.

Format: eBook PDF

Dimensions
Length: 6.875 in
Width: 4.1875 in
Weight: 6.00 oz
Page Count: 384 pages