I absolutely adore Lucy Diamond, and this just deepened my love of her books. The storyline is just so lovely, Dan is just the most lovely character and you really find yourself rooting for him. It's emotional, funny and overall a really brilliant read.

The Promise by Lucy Diamond

Patrick Sheppard drowns in the River Thames, leaving behind his wife Zoe and three children, Ethan, Gabe and Bea. Patrick's brother Dan vows to help the grieving family with his spreadsheet of good deeds. Along the way he uncovers secrets about who Patrick really was.

Lucy Diamond never disappoints and this book was brilliant - excellent characters, some very important themes dealt with in poignant and sometimes funny ways. It was an absolute page turner and I had to stay up late to finish it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

There is no better accolade that I can give to a book than to say it kept me up at night! This was just such a book - a thoroughly addictive page turner that just wouldn't let me sleep. Just one more chapter I kept telling myself but the hours slipped by. The story, unusually, was told mostly by a male character, Dan, who was grieving the loss of his brother who died in mysterious circumstances. Yes, we know he drowned in the Thames but how and why that happened is a mystery kept until the end of the book. As Dan steps in to help his brother's wife and family cope with their business and the aftermath of his brother's death, he uncovers secrets that will have a devastating effect on everybody. Lies, deceit, mysteries, grief, blame and regret are all part and parcel of this fabulous book that had me hooked throughout. The ending tied everything up nicely and I can honestly say that I loved this book and can't wait to read more of this author's work. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre release copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

What can I say about this book??? I absolutely loved it. What a page turner!!
The story of Dan as he deals with the sudden death of his brother. While sorting his brother's paperwork, secrets are unearthed that turns his world upside down. I loved this story right to the last page. A brilliant ending which tied it all up perfectly. Best book I've read in a while and I read a lot of books. Def 5 stars!
#fantasticread
#secrets
#family
#pageturner
#highlyrecommend
<img src="https://www.netgalley.co.uk/badge/0a6d0da3f0a22a74392c01b241e08dbbe2940a09" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>

Heartwarming read. The observations of Dan and Zoe feeling their way through the layers of grief. This book has a comforting vibe and I always a enjoy a book that wraps up all the loose ends. A solid read and one you can sink into.

Thank you Netgalley

Great opening, it hooked me from the very beginning/
Perfect Patrick's death affected many people, especially his wife Zoe, his children Ethan, Gabe and Bea, and his brother Dan. As some normality returns, Dan tries to emulate his big brother and he tries to take responsibilty for Patrick's family and business. As Patrick's life is uncovered Dan discovers that Patrick was not the perfect person everyone thought he was..
Lucy Diamond has written an insightful novel which I could not put down.

I loved this book, having read I think all of Lucy Diamond's book, this is her best yet! I cried and laughed and felt the characters pain. Dan tries to make amends with his guilt by doing what he knows, making a spreadshseet! By ticking boxes he comes to reconnect with his late brothers family. This is a family tale that shows there are always two sides to a memory and we don't always see what others see and that no-one is perfect. Sometimes we think our family feels one way about us, when is fact they are just hiding behind their feelings. This book has family secrets that come out after Patrick has died and how the family left behind have to deal with them and each other. I curled up with this book and immediately felt at home, and it made me think of my own family with love. You will not be disappointed with this tale. Thank you Lucy Diamond, Macmillan and NetGalley for letting me read this. I will be definitely recommending this book.

What a way to start! A tragic death. A mysterious death. The story is filled with red herrings and curious events that get you thinking. Will it turn out to be what you first thought?
It’s also a tale of discovery and realisation but a bumpy journey to get there.
Enjoyable as Lucy Diamond’s books usually are. Very easy and pure escapism.

I love books by Lucy Diamond she has a talent of engaging the reader in the story and connecting them to the characters. The Promise was one such book , I enjoyed the storyline and felt like I personally knew the characters from the beginning.

Dan was a loveable character, who I really connected with. Picking up the pieces after his brother Patrick sudden death is a duty he was happy to undertake, he vows to support his sister in law Zoe and her three young children , but the secret he uncovered was more than he bargained for. The tough decision he was faced with, whether to tell the truth or hide the secret is one I was happy I didn’t have to make.

The book explores the fact that we never really know people even those we are very close too. Finding out secrets is heartbreaking when someone is alive but a while different matter when they are not. This book covered so many different issues grief, death, life, love, and seizing opportunities.

I would definitely recommend this thought provoking emotional book. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read and enjoy it.

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. But tying up loose ends brings a shocking secret to light, and calls into question everything Dan knew about his older brother. With more than just his promise on the line, Dan is faced with an ultimatum: Should he tell the truth and risk his family’s fragile happiness, or will his brother’s secrets end up becoming his own?

I love a new read from Diamond and the opportunity that comes with that; to get stuck into a new family, discovering their personalities and learning about their life stories. This read has the family dilemma that I have come to expect from Diamond but this is a lot more emotional. As the description states, we follow Dan in the aftermath of his brother's death and we see him attempt to pick up the pieces and rally around his sister-in-law and children. So yes this is a very emotional, tear-jerking read however it also comes with a lot of promise (no pun intended), hope and laughter. Ultimately this is a book about family, family secrets and their goings on.

Diamond's characters are very strong in this read; I particularly liked Dan and I loved seeing him take centre stage of the read. Dan is a very likeable, realistic character and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him. All of the characters have their strengths and all of them are realistic, which only heightens the emotions involved! I always enjoy getting to know a new family but getting to know one at such a fragile time felt special.

'The Promise' is another great read from Diamond and one I adored getting stuck into. Emotions run very high throughout and you will cry and laugh whilst reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy.

Another fab book by Lucy Diamond.
Dan's brother dies one night after an argument with with his wife and then his brother, leaving his wife and 3 kids with lots of unanswered questions. You dont find out how until the end of the book.
Dan is feeling guilty as he was the last one to see his brother alive so tries to help Zoe his brothers wife and kids by stepping into his brothers shoes. While helping out he finds out his brother wasnt quite the good guy his family thought he was !
Everything is going well at first but then things come to a head and all the secrets are out !
Definitely recommend, I couldn't put it down

Could not read due to letters missing from words time and time again, making it impossible to work out what the text was supposed to say. I will be buying this book to read though as I am a big Lucy Diamond fan.

How to make some sense when someone close to you dies, regrets, and hurt from from the past, secrets uncovered, the chaos unfurls. What you believed is not how it is at all........
Dan was out with is brother Patrick, they argue and Dan is left to pick up the pieces of his brothers life. His wife, his work and the family.
Cleverly written highlighting the complicated relationships and lives we weave. What is believed is not always true.
A story of grief, revelations, and life.
Great characters great read. Thought provoking and real.

Another fabulous book by Lucy Diamond, which follows the story of Dan, grieving after the unexpected death of his brother Patrick. How can he make it up to Patrick‘s wife Zoe and his children? This book is full of emotion, and full of love! The characters are so real, and I really felt for Dan because his intentions were good but they weren’t always received that way! Lucy Diamond has produced another wonderful saga and I absolutely loved it. 5*

I’ve read a lot of Lucy Diamond's books and I enjoy them so much, particularly when I want a break from my usual thriller/detective stories.

I found this a bit different from her usual upbeat romantic approach but I still found it a super read. I guess some might find it a little depressing due to the subject matter. I found it an easy read and found it grabbed hold of me and I couldn’t put it down.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review

A bit different to Lucy's normal books but I really enjoyed it.

When a Mum of 3 is suddenly left widowed her BIL steps in to help in the aftermath. Things aren't as straight forward as he thought though as he unravels secrets and does his best to help all parties!

I feel that the book dealt well with a difficult subject and I would recommend it!

A little bit of a slow start with this one, it's quite different from the author's previous work and I had concerns at first. It's a tricky subject and it's primarily from Dan's perspective, unfortunately he's not immediately likeable. But slowly as more is revealed, I found myself warming to him.
I enjoyed unravelling the plot; there were some great characters, and some interesting ideas.
I definitely will be recommending this.

Having read a few of Lucy diamonds books I was looking forward to reading more of her work and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed.
Zoe’s husband Patrick went out to meet his brother for a few drinks one night then he disappeared never to be seen again. After a few days his body is found in the Thames he had drowned and there was no suspicious circumstances.
Zoe was left inconsolable with her three children Ethan Gabe and Bea Patrick’s brother Dan was having a hard time dealing with it too as he was the last person to see him and everyone is looking at him to blame for the accident including himself.
A few weeks after the funeral Dan pops round to offer help to Zoe to maybe fill in the gaps left by Patrick’s absence and although Zoe was initially reluctant she soon realised that she couldn’t manage everything by herself and soon Dan was doing more and more to lighten her load and give her the time to grieve for Patrick.
But as Dan was going through the paperwork for Patrick’s business in order to send his Vat returns some things didn’t make sense and Dan had to investigate to find the answers - what had Patrick been playing at ?
A sad and emotional book but well worth reading.

Dan and his elder brother Patrick had had a huge row the night the latter died, leaving him, Dan, swarming in self-guilt ever since. Patrick is survived by his wife, Zoe, three young children and his adoring parents. However, as the months pass, Dan gets more involved in his brother's family matters and begins to unravel a secret that Patrick has taken to his grave. How will the family react to this secret, having not even fully recovered from the over-bearing loss of their dutiful son/husband/father? Can Dan find it in himself to help redeem his brother in his death? A story of love, loss, forgiveness, and moving on.

-----------------

I'm not going to lie, this was not the book I was expecting to read. The blurb had me sold on a story of a grieving family coming together after the death of a loved one, instead, I read pages and pages of accusations, guilt-trips and sarcasm (!!!) with a dash of betrayal on the side. The secret wasn't as much of a shocker as was the storyline of Dan and his family - he seemed like this guy who would rather wallow in his insecurities than buckle up, Zoe preferred being cold, whingey and ungrateful than give Dan a chance to prove his merit (not that he made a convincing case for himself), the kids were just... okay, and Patrick was the dumbest idiot I've seen in a book. All other side characters fleeted about rather than have their own presence; I suppose, you can't really help it when the main characters are developed rather poorly. All in all, it was a hodgepodge that was difficult to read (was it the loose dialogues or inadequate editing, I can't be certain).

Thank you Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book from Lucy Diamond. Following the death of his brother Dan embarks on a mission to be Patrick and step into his shoes by helping lots of people including Patrick’s family. Easy to read and not cheesy. It was difficult to read in places because of it being an early copy, for a review, so some letters weren’t in place. However that said I loved it. It’s not a sad book despite the storyline but one of family, loved d friends. Thanks NetGalley and Lucy Diamond.