Member Reviews

I am a fan Lucy Diamond's previous books and now of this one too. An easy read that will pull you in and grip you right to the end.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book and am very grateful to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review it. Dan is mourning the loss of his older brother Patrick believing he was somehow at fault as they argued on the night he died. Zoe, Patrick's wife and mother to his three children is also grieving and trying to cope with his death and the after effects. This book slowly reveals things we didn't know about Patrick, things which Dan begins to find out. He had to decide how to deal with Patrick's secrets and the fall out from them. Patrick had secrets but now he's gone, these secrets are coming to light. I loved the characters in this book and the way that they weren't initially who you thought they were. As the story unravels and secrets are revealed, I couldn't wait to see how it would play out. In parts this book is very emotional but it's also about family, friends and the choices we all make. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Was this review helpful?

A great book from Lucy diamond

Not the most upbeat but don’t let that put you off it’s a great story and will pull at your heartstrings

I don’t like to give much away in my reviews as it can waste a book for a new reader but Zoe who is the grieving widow of Patrick features trying to cope with being newly widowed and raising 3 kids

Dan who is Patrick’s brother is guilty due to a row the night before Patrick’s death

Patrick’s secrets start to come out and the book delves in to these characters and their lives

Worth a read

Was this review helpful?

I would recommend this to anyone who needs an easy book, that will cheer you up – it did just that for me when I was in a reading slump.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

An absolutely brilliant, page-turner of a read.
So realistic yet so gripping!
A difficult topic at times but handled so beautifully.

Was this review helpful?

When faced with the sudden death of his brother, Dan’s mission is clear. He puts together a project to help pick up the pieces and support his grieving sister-in-law Zoe, plus her young children. This is Dan’s promise - to ensure his family’s happiness, and to try and live up to the man his brother was..

Lucy diamond the author has written an enjoyable book . A first for me by this author but I would pick up books again by Lucy .

Was this review helpful?

As usual with Lucy Diamond books, this was a great read. I really connected to the characters and couldn't wait to find out what was happening.

Was this review helpful?

This was quite a different book where it felt like a women’s fiction, but the story was basically from the POV of Dan.

Author Lucy Diamond in her new tale had crafted characters who were trying to make sense of their lives post the death of Patrick, a loving husband, son, and brother. It took Dan some time, but he decided to pull up his socks and help his sister-in-law and the kids.

The story was interesting, as the death itself was shrouded in mystery. New secrets popped up about Patrick’s life which kept me involved in their lives. But it was not as emotional as I expected it to be.

The characters too could be better fleshed out. The book could do with a dash of happiness too. But overall the premise was novel, and it had some interesting elements to keep me hooked.

Was this review helpful?

What an emotional rollercoaster this book takes you on. As Dan and his sister in law Zoe each try to pick up the pieces after Dan's brother Patrick dies in unexplained circumstances, revelations, not all of the pleasant come to light. This story explores how there are many sides to all of us and how complex our relationships and interactions are with each other. I loved it and the writing is brilliant, but I definitely advise having tissues close by as if you can get through the whole book without crying, especially the end, which is an absolute killer, you're a better person than me.

Was this review helpful?

I would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and #NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for a fair, honest and frank review.

This is the first book I have read of Lucy Diamond and it will certainly not be the last. I absolutely loved this book. It was about finding yourself despite what is going on around you. It is about promises kept. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I loved the whole thing.

Was this review helpful?

Lucy Diamond’s latest novel The Promise is a moving tale of love, loss and secrets.

When Dan’s older brother Patrick dies, he channels his guilt and grief by stepping into Patrick’s shoes and trying to make the lives of his loved ones easier. In doing so, he unearths his brother’s secrets which could destroy his family further.

A sweet, relatable and hopeful story, well written with likeable characters. Lucy Diamond does not disappoint.

Was this review helpful?

I love books by Lucy diamond and this one was amazing as always. I would recommend this to anyone. Amazing read.

Was this review helpful?

I love Lucy Diamond's books and this one did not disappoint. Such an easy read that you get absolutely lost in the pages. Fantastic author, another masterpiece. Well done Lucy!

Was this review helpful?

A Sunday Times bestselling author has written another bestseller that you will love, I am sure. Secrets can tear a family apart and there are sure some big secrets going on here that come out when there is a death. What to do, who to tell, every question you would ask yourself is in this story and the way it is dealt with makes the whole thing feel so real. I enjoyed this as it still kept you hooked in to see what happened, well written story.

Was this review helpful?

When Dan loses his brother on a night out where he should have gone home along with him, he has a mass of emotions to deal with. He feels that he has to support Patricks heartbroken family. Emotions are running high and things don't run smoothly. Dan tries to approach his help in a clinical manner but as the book goes on, feelings are explored and a very difficult time for all of them is worked through. You get drawn in to the middle of their tough lives , hoping things would work out smoothly.

Was this review helpful?

A touching story about the fallout following the death of a family member, how it impacts each person deeply but in different ways. However, although grief features, and is sensitively handled, this is by no means a sad book, far from it, it’s an enjoyable story of family, love, loss, deception and lies, and rebuilding lives following the shock of each experience.
I enjoyed the book more than I thought I was going to. Interesting characters & story had me hooked from early on and I read it in a short amount of time. It made a nice change that this book was mainly, but not solely, focussed on a male character, as most books in this genre tend to have female leads (which I’m usually drawn towards, but this made a nice change); however, he shares the book with another two, female, main characters.
The death of a loved husband, dad, son and brother one night after a drunken row between the brothers has wide-reaching repercussions, and far beyond what the family could ever imagine. Dan’s brother, Patrick, was the golden boy son, the bossy but looked up to older brother, the perfect husband and father, as far as everyone knew. However, the twists and turns in the book soon show us that all was definitely not as it seemed and that Patrick was most certainly not the saintly man each family member thought he was, in fact, he was quite the opposite, his halo slips further and further down as more is exposed about him as the book progresses.
A really enjoyable story, well written and full of interest, as always with Lucy Diamond.

Was this review helpful?

Oh my goodness this book kept you guessing what was going to happen next.

It is about a families grief and how they can cope with it. There is romance and heartache in this book.

Dan is the younger brother and seems to want to help his sister in law and his nephews and niece. He takes over the running of his brother’s business which seems he wasn’t quite doing his job properly. He makes friends through this business.

The turn of events gives a interesting perspective on the book.

Well done very enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

Dan’s brother suddenly dies.
He leaves behind a wife , three children and a mum and dad.
Dan decides to step in to help his sister-in-law with his nephew’s and niece.
And also to help sort out Patrick’s business..
Dan feels guilty because Patrick was suppose to be staying at Dan’s but they had an argument and Patrick decided to walk home but he never made it.
This is a story of loss and how people deal with it.
Brilliant read
Thanks NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

This is an extremely poignant and thought provoking book.
It is full of strong characters, beautifully described and has a very strong plot full of twists and turns
This book is about love, loss, grief and family . A compelling read, in which the reader becomes emotionally involved
Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan, and Lucy Diamond for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

This was a BRILLIANT read. Had me gripped from the word go. I left my real life behind to join Zoe and her three children, together with brother-in-law Dan, to come to terms with the sudden death of Patrick, Zoe's husband, the children's father and Dan's older brother.
Except this isn't just a tale about loss and grief, it is full of high drama when secrets are exposed and dilemmas are faced. Is it important to hide details to spare more personal suffering or is it always wiser to share the truth?
Poor Dan is the one who unwittngly makes the discoveries and his unease snowballs from there. He becomes determined to do the right thing, initially from guilt, but very soon, from a place of genuine love, trying so hard to fill the gap Patrick has left. But Dan isn't the only one feeling guilty. There are others who wish things had been a bit different and yet there is hardly time to stop and think when a whole family is grieving and each person finds a different way to deal with their loss.
The novel is full of family life, of children struggling to make sense of their newly disrupted lives, of a mother now doing everything alone and Dan soldiering on with a secret which simply becomes too big to bear.
Will past events threaten to break bonds and add more distress, or will new friendships, love and righting a few wrongs make it possible to carry on?
Nothing is ever black and white and Lucy Diamond fills in all the variations of colour and shade in this family drama where joy can be borne from sorrow and a new landscape painted to incorporate the old but embrace the future.
I enjoyed this novel immensely and thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Ms Diamond's latest. Bring some colour back into your life by reading The Promise. It will tide you over until Spring is properly established!

Was this review helpful?