Two weeks before her wedding Amy’s fiancé Matt disappears and no one knows where he is. Amy makes a missing persons report to the police and as their relationship appears perfect the only explanation is that something nefarious has happened to Matt.


Then the police get a call from a woman whose partner is missing. He didn’t live with her, he lived with his fiancé who he was planning to leave to be with her. Photos of the two of them together prove that this woman’s partner is Matt.

What has happened to Matt and who knows more than they are letting on?

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This book was OK. The only character I liked was the daughter and I found the plot rather predictable and was completely unsurprised by the ending. I did like the herbalist element and how this book demonstrates how easily one person can manipulate and gaslight another while creating the image of perfection even in the eyes of their victim.


I’m aware that there are people who have loved this book, but I have read much better books than this in the mystery/thriller genre.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this more but found that it just didn't give me the wow factor I was hoping for. Starting the book it moves along at a good pace and Amy planning her wedding to Matt and then e disappears 2 weeks before the wedding. Amy then finds out about Fiona who for her is the mistress but neither women know of each other until they both find Matt has vanished. Both women are keeping secrets, Matt is missing, and there are many mysterious unknowns but then the book falls off for me as it unfolds. I just didn't connect with it like I usually do and get into the story, some things were repetitive, and other things were suspenseful so it was a 50/50 for me. Thank you Netgalley for letting me have the chance to read it and review with my honest opinions.

A decent read, although I found the prose somewhat hard to follow in places which did make it lack the unputdownable factor that I crave in a thriller.

Lots of twists and turns, but lacked the execution for me.

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this advanced copy of this book.

Unfortunately I was hoping for an audio version as I am visually impaired and the version of this pdf means I am struggling to increase font to read

Therefore sadly I am unable to provide a review in this instance. So frustrated!

I look forward to an audio version as i was very excited as it looks great!

Sorry and thank you once again for the opportunity.

What a gripping thriller.

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

Wow! Talk about a roller coaster ride. This book was a bit all over the place and a Little hard to keep up. Personally, I love reading about weddings, but when the groom disappeared this book became about lies and deception, which I also enjoy. Then I was wondering who is who and why? I read this book in one sitting and quite enjoyed it. When I got to the end I felt a bit of whiplash. Overall this one was a 3.5 star for me.

An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.

I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed The Vow.... it kept my attention from start to finish.

The Vow has had some quite mixed reviews, and I know I’m easily pleased, however, I thought it was an engaging and compelling read. The plot was plausible with believable characters and it kept me guessing until the end. Who was involved, who could be trusted? Friends or foe?

Admittedly it’s not a fast paced, dynamic, jaw drop to the floor, heart pounding thriller, but it has all the elements of a great and intriguing read.

It’s written from the perspective of a number of POVs, which sometimes I find irritating however on this occasion Howells developed the storyline incredibly well sharing the thoughts, experiences and behaviour of the key characters.

Amy was a herbalist which I found quite interesting, especially when the language of the flowers and herbs was shared, the meaning.....

Excerpt:

She nods. ‘Maybe it explains why there’s such a clear story in the plant meanings. Deceit, pain, distrust, grief. Remembrance… It’s a memorial garden.’

There’s tragedy, a stupid mistake or was it intentional years ago? And you know that old saying ‘It’ll always come back to haunt you’, well on this occasion it did. Adding the gaslighting and deceit turned this into a good read and I couldn’t put it down.

I’ve given this 4 🌟 as it is repetitive in parts, understandably sometimes to get the past shared with all parties, however I feel this could have been dealt with in a more concise way.

Thank you Avon Books UK, NetGalley and Debbie Howells for this ARC provided in exchange for my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book overall but I felt it got a little confusing in the middle with extra elements that weren't needed for the story to be enjoyed. I liked that one of the main things I puzzled over and made so many guesses about was a red herring and not important at all.

Fantastic read!!!! I was really thrilled with this book. It was good from the beginning till the end. It was so hard to put down. I was able to read this book really fast because I wanted to find out what was going on. The was one mystery after another in this book with a very shocking ending. I did kind of guessed what was going on but I still wasn't for certain and kept second guessing myself. This book for me did not have any slow or boring parts at all. I highly recommend this book to thriller and mystery readers!

I really wanted to love this book but I found it hard going and I found I couldn’t finish it. The storyline didn’t hook me and hold my attention.

Many thanks to netgalley and Debbie Howells for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

This was a great read. Kept me guessing until the very end. Very well written with great characters. I highly recommend this book.

The vow is a slow burn thriller with enough suspense to keep you entertained for the most part. the plot is interesting, the writing is fluid. however what kept me from fully enjoying the book was the MC. I couldn't agree with most of Amy's decisions, and I think she was very naive for someone her age and. I couldn't connect with her. Jess seemed more mature than her.

The vow is a slow burn thriller starting with an attractive opening, Amy is engaged to the love of her life, Matt. everything is going well until the fiancé disappears 2 weeks before their wedding. Amy is mystified when another woman also reports Matt missing.
I was really enjoying the book until the story started having an identity crisis.
First, I couldn't place the theme of witchcraft in the story. there were a lot of references to herbal medicine which I liked but I think was not developed in the same direction as the denouement.
Then the snippets from the past. I understand the author wanted to give a view of the past, but I didn't feel they were connected at all. I just felt annoyed every time one of them popped at the end of a chapter.
The writing was really fluid and enjoyable. the author did a great job researching everything about herbalism and the plot was most definitely interesting, however what kept me from fully enjoying the book was the MC. I couldn't agree with most of Amy's decisions, and I think she was very naive for someone her age. I couldn't connect with her. Jess seemed more mature than her.
Im giving this one 3 stars, but I liked the author's writing style and would love to read more from her in the future.

I really wanted to like The Vow. I enjoyed it up until roughly halfway through but I have to agree with other reviewers who say it unraveled past that point. There were too many plot inconsistencies and things that didn't make sense. The police investigation was laughable. The motives and actions of some of the characters were over the top and cringey. It was all in all quite juvenile and I hate to say that because the beginning was so promising.

Had the plot been given more time to mature and tighten up, this book could have been great because the author knows how to write brilliant prose. I flew through the book - her writing flowed effortlessly, and because of that, I am optimistic about future work by this author.

2.5*

This story is surprising. Clues to the truth are there from the beginning, masked by the twisty plot full of lies, secrets and untrustworthy, characters. A significant but disguised plot thread illuminates the final chilling, suspenseful chapters in this compelling fusion of domestic suspense and revenge fiction.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A gripping tale which fizzes to an unremarkable end.

Two weeks before their wedding, Amy's fiancé Matt disappears. Amy reports Matt to the police as a missing person. However, as the investigation gets underway, it becomes clear that Matt has been living a double life. As Amy's life starts to unravel, she becomes the focus of police enquiries.

Told from a number of different viewpoints, there is some repetition of events within the narrative. The pacing is good and there is palpable tension within the story. This tension is lost towards the end as it becomes obvious to the reader, if not to the police, what is actually happening.

As in many thrillers, the ending is rather rushed and implausible and a final section of explanation is rather unnecessary and jarring. A disappointing end to an otherwise exciting story.

The Vow had an interesting premise, but it got watered down by the end. It felt too similar to another book I recently read so this kind of destroyed my interest in this one. The plot wasn't that predictable as I thought it would be, but by the middle the characters felt a bit off and not like themselves. I still somewhat enjoyed this book, even though it didn't fully meet my expectations.

The Vow is a suspenseful read that follows Amy, engaged to Matt. When Matt disappears, we find out he's involved with another woman. Is she the reason for the disappearance? What's really going on?

A promising and captivating plot line and the story held a lot of potential at the beginning however towards the end I felt like it did not really hold up well together and ended up weak.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for a honest review.

This certainly kept me awake until the small hours. Could not put this one down. Kept me gripped to the end with a twist I did not see coming. I highly recommend this.