A lovely, heartwarming read. Lou is a delightful protagonist and there is a great cast of characters. Recommended.

Queen Jill reigns supreme over the feel-good fiction genre and she is on top form with her latest irresistible, engrossing and enjoyable new novel, Promise Me.

With her perfect job and lovely flat, Lou thought she had it all – until it all went pear-shaped. Now unemployed and homeless, Lou has to start all over again and her fresh start takes her all the way to a tiny Cotswolds village that is far removed from the life she had once mapped out for herself. Working for a curmudgeonly octogenarian called Edgar might not exactly have been part of her career plan, but when she discovers that he is about to make a promise that nobody could possibly ignore, Lou decides to stick around and secretly vows to help him fall in love with life again.

Lou is not looking to fall in love herself, however, when she meets charming and charismatic Remy, she quickly realizes that keeping this handsome charmer at arm’s length might be harder than she had initially thought. Lou has been burnt before and she is not about to go through all that pain and heartache again. But will her stubborn resolve to keep her heart under lock and key end up costing her a lifetime of happiness? Is she ready to turn her back on love? Or will her new home end up giving her everything she had always wanted which she had long given up on?

A new novel by Jill Mansell is always a major cause of celebration for me and with Promise Me, she has once again outdone herself with a warm, witty and wonderful read that effortlessly touches the heart and tickles the funny bone. Promise Me is a spellbinding tale of new beginnings, second chances, healing from the past and falling in love told in Jill Mansell’s inimitable style that will satisfy her legion of readers and delight new fans,

An outstanding page-turner romantics everywhere will adore, Promise Me is the absolutely superb new novel from Jill Mansell’s outstanding pen.

This was a great read. Cosy and comforting from beginning to end! JM's books are all about escapism and this book was no different.

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

I absolutely loved this book, although it had me shedding tears of sadness as well as happiness.
Lou is such a lovely character, despite her troubled past, and if anyone can cheer miserable Edgar up it's her. I loved how she helped this frail and unhappy old man, and the introduction of Captain Oates was just brilliant.
With many strong characters intertwined such as hot Remy and his singing brother Sammy, it makes for a great read.

I love a book, that you can't put down as you are invested in the characters lives and just want to know how everything turns out.. The start of the book was a bit strange for me as Lou's husband had the same name as mine........
Lou has come to a cross roads in her working life and ends back living in her childhood town where she works for a wonderful grumpy old man. The characters are lovely and the book blends together well. A lovely story with some wonderful twists and turns.

Excellent. After reading this I can see why everyone raves about Jill Mansell's books.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. A wonderfully well written book, as always by Jill Mansell

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy of this book. I have read all of Jill’s books so was super excited to have an early copy. I loved this book and is one of Jill’s best in my opinion. I loved the characters in the book and was so invested in what would happen to them. The story moved me to tears in some places and I really think it is worthy of the 4 stars I have given it. Would highly recommend!

The characters in this book drew me in from the very first pages. Lou with her kind heart and downright awful luck and Edgar, the most crotchety old man, with just a hint of something more under the surface, had me rooting for their friendship to grow almost instantly!
The book is so multi-layered, with so many different stories and characters to keep you absolutely absorbed and interested, I simply could not put it down.
The setting is just idyllic, the gorgeous house, the village and community, they add add that special something that allows the plot to completely immerse you in the story.
I loved that this wasn't just a love story, it was about friendship, relationships and most importantly, Edgar and him searching for someone to just keep him company and get to know him. I admit I sobbed, laughed and went through all the emotions reading this. Absolutely a heart warming ( and breaking) must read!

I received an advance copy of Promise Me by Jill Mansell from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I love anything written by Jill Mansell and found this book to be such a touching story about friendship. She has a way of drawing you in and making you love the characters she writes about. This will for sure be a book I recommend to all my friends and family.

When visiting her old friend Sammy, in the Cotswolds village of Foxwell, Lou encounters grumpy octogenarian Edgar and comes to his assistance. His house is huge and it’s obvious he can’t cope on his own, but none of his previous helpers have stayed the course. Edgar takes a shine to Lou and offers her a job, but she is already happily employed caring for a woman with MS. Edgar continues to pester Lou, not taking no for an answer, so when she unexpectedly finds herself without a job or anywhere to live, she reluctantly takes Edgar up on his offer. She now tries to introduce Edgar into the community with mixed results, but everything changes when he meets rescue dog Captain Oates.
I have read and enjoyed all of Jill Mansell’s books over the years, and Promise Me is no exception. The places she writes about feel real, and despite everyone knowing each other’s business, Foxwell came across as an attractive village. There are several storylines woven together which add depth to the narrative, so the romance is only part of the story. The characters are well drawn and mostly likeable with the exception of Della and her children – they were so selfish and greedy I really hoped they would get their comeuppance. Sammy’s story is interesting too, as he comes up against the full force of the music industry and the media. You know you are going to get a happy ending, but it takes skillful writing to make it happen. Once again, Jill Mansell has written a heart-warming tale that will keep you up long into the night as you read just one more chapter. Thanks to Headline Review and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

You can’t go wrong with a Jill Mansell book, this proved it. Great book, I would definitely recommend it.

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

When Lou loses her job and her home, she makes the decision to move in with grumpy old Edgar and become his carer/companion who has made a promise that seems hard to refuse. As her bond with Edgar grows, she also finds new friends and romantic interests. When Edgar misunderstands a comment she has made, Lou's future is thrown into turmoil until she realises where her heart is.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for a chance to read this.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and only the second one I’ve tried from the author. The first one I struggled with but this one I really loved!

It’s a beautiful heart warming story that does not fail to take you on an emotional roller coaster throughout with plenty of tears, fun and laughter.

We meet Lou whose life changes overnight and via a chance encounter with Edgar an grumpy 80 year old she has an opportunity she can’t say no to. Without spoiling anything, what happens explores their relationship and often with have you shaking your head or in spouts of laughter. Especially with Captain Oates!

Jill Mansell style of writing flowed really well and it was so easy to flip between the side stories.

You absolutely cannot go wrong with any book by Jill Mansell, this one certainly did not disappoint. I was engrossed from the start and it held my attention. There was a little bit of a lull about half way but I put that down to lack of time to read. I didn’t particularly like some of the characters but that is the idea but I really liked Lou, Sammy and Remy. Would recommend

Lou had a beautiful life and a well paid job until everything ended up. It happens to many those years and it used to happen before our generation as well. As usual, there are victims and survivors, and moments when one realises what really matters in life, and especially who. In Lou´s case, she is a fighter that is brought by fate in a little quaint village in the Cotswolds where she is longing for a better life and maybe a new romance too.

Jill Mansell´s latest Promise Me, branded as ´the heart warming novel of 2023´ is fully in sync with the expectations. Complex interactions between characters, heartwarming characters and situations, good hearts at work, overall an empathic ambiance embracing the reader to enjoy and feel good and see life in a kinder way.

What I really loved in this book, that I devoured during one long weekend read, are the good hearted characters. They naturally behave as good humans and this angle makes for me ´feelgood fiction´ a refuge and source of solace when there is too much - equally human - negativity in humans and situations.

Promise Me promises a story that may be predictable still unpredictably kind packed with beautiful stories. Worth reading it when feeling down or just looking for a good read, with a quiet touch of the Cotswolds and heartwarming romance.

My thanks to NetGalley and Headline Publishing for a copy of “Promise Me “ for an honest review.

As a long time fan of Jill Mansell”s books I was really thrilled to get an advance copy of her latest release..
Her books are always well written and engaging , with relatable characters and a satisfying ending.
I really think this is one of her best , so far, I found the story very touching and heartwarming.
Highly recommended

Thoroughly entertaining from start to finish! Warm and cosy but with a bit of a bite. Entertaining plot-lines and characters makes this a must read. Highly recommended read and a trip back to Foxwell in the future would be appreciated!

Thank you Netgalley

I really enjoyed Jill's books always! A great lighthearted read. An unlikely friendship develops with a nice twist!