I actually think I read this book without breathing! Seriously I started it and could not put it down, so fast paced and gripping was the plot! Josie Parker is having a major struggle bringing up her two girls, Georgie and Marnie. She's trying to stay clear of the drugs but life has dragged her down to the very bottom and the draw of the escapism of just that one hit drags her back... Her descent back into addiction leaves her on her own, as her pimp, and all round Mr SuperBad man, Delray Anderton, throws her out of his fold - with no money and nowhere to turn she is forced to enter into a private arrangement with one of her clients which ends up with Josie in prison for murder and her girls taken into care. The plot will have you twisting, turning and screaming stop as your brain registers what is going on but there is no way out - you are hooked and you will not be able to put this book down until you have finished it!

Casey has created characters that you really should despise. My heart went out to Georgie and Marnie, neglected by their mother and left to fend for themselves while Josie was "entertaining" clients...you wanted to step into the pages of the book and rescue them from their plight and I found myself getting so angry at Josie for treating them this way. Yet Casey manages to turn your feelings right on their head and you realise that despite the surface neglect, underneath it all, Josie does care - she loves her girls and when she says everything she has done in life, she has done for them, the ultimate sacrifice. Sadly this story is true and it plays out in every city across our country - there are so many Josies, Georgies and Marnies out there and The Promise invites you to delve deeper than the tabloid headlines and see the person behind the label, to try to understand what might lead someone down the path that they take...we all have a choice...but for some the choice is more restricted than others. My heart wept for them all throughout this book, they engaged me. connected me and Casey brought them to life for me. Delray - not so much weeping for him - oh Casey what a badass man you created there - him and Lenny made my skin crawl throughout - he was so not the #BadGuy we all want to love! I would have liked to find out a bit more about Delray though - what was his back story and what had led him onto the path that he had chosen - he has a serious hold over a lot of people and I'd have liked just a little more of the behind the scenes on him.

The Promise takes you on a journey through addiction, prostitution, abuse and people trafficking - it is not a candyfloss read that's for sure but hopefully it will make people stop and think before they judge the lives that other people are forced to lead. It left me feeling like an emotional wreck, my heart was breaking for Josie and her girls and long after turning the last page I found myself hoping that they all come out the other end of this in one piece. It's a fast paced, gritty but brutal read - powerful and compelling, it will leave you begging for more! Warning - once you start this then batten down the hatches because you are going nowhere until you are done!

I am actually speechless after reading The promise. A fantastic storyline dealing with prostitution, murder and two innocent little girls stuck in the middle of it all just trying to survive. I was actually in tears for most of it. Loads of twists and shocks to keep you on the riveted until the last page. I am truly honoured to have been given the privilege by netgalley to preread it.

OMG what a read that was, I have read every one of Casey's books and this one is on par with her earlier books, Bloody amazing. The plot was well thought out, the characters are all real, they pull at your heart strings and make you feel like your there with them, they make you hate them with pure evilness, that Delray is one nasty piece of work. Had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.

Poor Jessie is just trying to look after her daughters but Daryl has Alteria motives. The girls are brought up around dugs, squalor, prostitution and even murder. Until one day Jessie makes a fatal mistake and her children are taken away. There they start another horrific battle in a children's home. Things just keep getting worse for Georgia and Marine as there lives spiral out of control. The poor girls haven't had a good start in life.

This was one hell of a rollercoaster ride, I've never read a book before where I can feel my heart beating fast, the ending was just pure class, loved every minute of it.

Josie ,Marnie and Georgia are the characters along side a host of others you will love . The story is gripping and has twists along the way. A real page turner and exceptional storyline. Could not put it down !!! Well done once again can't wait for the next one .

This is my first ever review as I only found NetGalley yesterday and I wasted no time in requesting The Promise and was elated to be chosen to read it! I loved this book! I am a new kindle convert and this book was so engrossing I have done the sum total of. nothing except be glued to this book today, taking each small opportunity I had to read a bit more (even staying in the car when Husband went into supermarket) as I was eager to find out what happened but also didn't want it to end! The characters are very believable and credible and they are complex and diverse, drawing you in to get to know them and their stories. A tale of family love and cruel pain, of addiction and misery, of hope and despair, beautiful and heartbreaking too. I would very highly recommend and urge friends to read this book!!!

I am giving a StandING ocation. Gripping emotionally, left me no where to hide from the emotions and they were raw and demanded to be dealt with. A very twisty turn novel and an amazing author to keep an eye on!

Brilliant! This author is so amazing, taking us on a thrilling, mind boggling, edge of the seat ride. i enjoyed every minute of it. I am so glad to have discovered this author. She never fails to deliver! This is a fabulous, unputdownable story! Cannot recommend it enough!