I’d like to thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Promise of Forever’ written by Brooke Harris in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Dee and her school friends take part in their school’s Gaeltacht and cross on the ferry to an island off the coast of Donegal. She meets the three O’Connell boys, Seany, Fionn and Oisin, one she loves, one she marries and one who dies. It takes just three weeks for Dee’s life to change forever.

‘The Promise of Forever’ is a heartbreaking story that’s divided into five parts and span the years from 2000 to 2015. The characters are perfectly portrayed, the relationship between Dee and Fionn tender and loving, and the island community closeknit and friendly. This is a novel that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading although I needed a constant supply of tissues, and give my thanks to the author for letting me read her wonderful story that will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

Absolutely LOVED this book! This book took me thru a roller coaster ride of emotions. The characters were so well written I found myself emotionally attached to them.

Over the span of 20 years, we follow the coming-of-age love story between Dee and Fionn. Brooke Harris does an amazing job showing the struggles and hardships of entering adulthood and the dramatic transition between your college years and adult years. This really stuck with me as a reader because I am current college student about to graduate and take on the real world, so I appreciated being able to relate to these characters and their relationships with one another. I found myself in happy and sad tears throughout the whole story, and I was itching to find out what was going to happen next in Dee and Fionn's story. My only wish was that there was more character development in the beginning so we could really see how much Dee and Fionn cared for one another.
Although I was disappointed with the ending, I keep reminding myself that life is not always a happy ending and I appreciate Harris being honest and real with these characters lives.

A lovestory set mostly in Ireland . Dee is sent from Dublin to a Co Donegal island before her leaving certificate to help her Irish language. She and her friend socialize with the local boys and make long lasting friendships. The story is told from the viewpoint of Dee and one of the island boys, Fionn over a period of them growing up and into their adult lives.
It was a good and interesting read and certainly kept me engaged throughout. Emotions were dealt with quite well and several scenes were recognisable and well described. Because the book is told at different stages in the characters lives, their circumstances have changed along the way, not too much detail, good in some ways but in others it left me asking questions.
I enjoyed this book though and thank Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for a review

The Promise of Forever by Brooke Harris is about young love, tragedies that keep them apart, and another chance. There is language and sensitive scenes in the story but the plot line is good.

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own.

🌊🛥Ill fate leads to devastating heartbreak😩

What a hauntingly beautiful and doom-driven story! Fionn, the boy who keeps getting knocked back, was a wonderful character, cursed by events out of his control and his staunch loyalty to his family. And it was especially poignant because their story starts out so hopeful: teenagers Fionn and Dee finding each other during summer holidays on a small Irish coastal island and who had hope that they could make their relationship last past the vacation's end. Tragedy and bad timing strike to pull them apart but the love remains.

This book evokes so much emotion and sadness, but I could not stop reading. Really well done👍.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

While this book was moving and touching, I only liked it. I know my patrons will enjoy it though so I still will recommend my library purchase it for circulation purposes. And I will definitely be interested to hear their feedback as well.

“the boy with the boats has finally broken my heart.”


i tiptoed a little out my comfort-reading-zone with this book, and I finished it in one sitting. if i were to describe it, it would be akin to the Irish version of 'normal people' but with a tragic ending. years of anguish, heartbreak, grief, and life-altering moments were interwoven into a nuanced patchwork that sewed this beautifully elegiac storyline. it oscillated between family drama, well-hidden secrets and betrayal. the plot line also provided a graceful depiction of how to handle the aftermath of losing loved and cherished ones. but to my opinion, the best aspect of the book was the way it tragically portrayed the famous cursed line of 'right person at the wrong time' and all the what-it-in-betweens of finding true love.

“the sea is a thief. a murderer. a villain. i will never forgive.”


~•~
many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange of an honest review.

The synapsis of this book was very intriguing, but unfortunately the book didn't work as well for me as I had hoped. The author is based in Ireland and I think a large barrier to fully enjoying the story came from trying to figure out the terminology and locations. The locations were not well described and I had trouble visualizing the setting. There were words and phrases that I'm not used to and had to figure out what it meant. The book jumps around a lot and it was a bit difficult to keep track of. The story is more character driven and I do prefer more of a plot.

It is a very emotional and heartbreaking story that is quite moving and I think many will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Promise of Forever by Brooke Harris is one of those stories that really claws at your heart with its gut wrenching loss. Events leave its victims’ families with unrecoverable trauma and pain. This story centres around a community of fishermen with its fierce reality of a hard life on the sea. It is something I can relate to, since I also come from such a family (from the other side of the Atlantic on east coast Canada) so I understand the dangers of this livelihood. Storms and exhaustion often go hand in hand along with shipwrecks and drownings. In The Promise of Forever, the worst thing imaginable happens to two persons that leave Fionn and his family shattered and scarred forever.

The Promise of Forever is told from two perspectives: Dee’s and Fionn’s which allows us to empathise and see first-hand how the dire events affect each one of them. The novel is set mostly in Ireland – on an island off Donegal but Dublin has centre stage for awhile when Dee and her best friend move and work there in radio. Dee, though, later is scouted for a host position on a London TV show. She takes the offer and the next portion of her life in the big city ascends to some lofty heights. Friendships change, surprise romantic relationships occur and things don’t always go as planned or hoped. But Dee’s connection to Fionn never loosens or lightens. The story reveals that over twenty years their love for each other remains, even though there is a lot that divides them. Many factors keep them apart, some of which will be chopped on the guillotine of life and death.

I don’t want to rehash the story, as it is one you must read and experience with the turning of its pages. I can say it is a novel that you must prepare yourself to read—in that it is quite an emotional journey— so keep your tissues close. There are small victories that will make you smile but mostly it is not a novel that will leave you feeling uplifted. Rather it will make you stare at the cold hard facts of some people’s lives who seem to never get a break or become lost in their own losses. And how it affects those around them. In this way, the novel paints quite a stark reality for these fictional families. Some would say that is how real life is for many. True. I must add, there are some stunning descriptions of the seascape and a deep love for an Irish island. But events happen here that show how scars sometimes never fade in the psyche and may return to haunt the dreams of those who have experienced the reaper’s hand.

One other observation: the Charles Dickens quote from Great Expectations at the start of the novel could have easily been the words of Fionn and his love, relationship and history with Dee: ‘I loved her against reason, against promise, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.’ For this line sums up the heart of this story in a nutshell. Yes, there are little offshoots or plot branches that cover the supporting characters and their journeys but The Promise of Forever is primarily about Dee and Fionn: a tragic tale that takes some unexpected turns—including unfavourable ones. The author has done well covering emotional trauma as I really felt the negative effects of the characters’ loss, sadness and despair. In many ways, it is a modern tragedy like Great Expectations. This story of multiple conflicts and hard-hitting resolutions shook and broke my heart many times.

Although shattered by this tale, I was also mesmerised by the Irish island. The atmosphere is haunting and familiar as it reminds me of my childhood home with the smell of the salt on the breeze and the lobster traps and nets in the barn. Brooke has captured the spirit of a solitary place, the agony of its residents and pushed the limits of our emotional response. So be prepared to have a box of tissues close by as you're truly going to need them! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced reader copy of “The Promise of Forever” by Brooke Harris.

This is story takes place in Ireland and London and the description of the island off of Donegal where much of the story takes place, is lusciously written and transported me to the time and place described. Her portrayal of the community of people on the island was beautiful-it made me want to meet them.

The story between Dee and the O’Connell boys is heart breaking, emotional, devastating and magical and so, so good. I now plan on reading Ms. Harris’s other stories set in Ireland.

This book follows Dee and Fionn from when they met on the small island of Cloch Bheag where she goes to a Gealtacht for the summer. This book follows their lives from that summer to the present day. A brilliant book that will make you laugh and cry!

I was totally engrossed in this book from start to finish, There were chapters where I had a huge lump in my throat from trying not to cry and yet other parts where I smiled at the antics of the young. There was always something stopping Dee and Fionn from being together but would their love for each other conquer all. It's not often I can say that I lived a book but I totally did with this one

This book spanned an entire lifetime of the characters, which was great. But, there was absolutely zero depth to any character. All surface level, just words telling the story. Good enough story but with no depth of characters whatsoever.

This is an Irish novel about first love and lasting friendships. Told from two different points of view, Dee and Fionn, it's a coming of age novel that spans twenty years.
It is a well written compelling story of family, friendship, love and loss and it will appeal to readers of this genre.

My first Irish fiction! I enjoyed it, I think what the author did to the characters was mean though but it was great to grow up with them and go through their successes, sadnesses and problems. I look forward to reading another

Wow. This book is such a heart-breaker. A powerful and gripping exploration of love, loss and coming of age, it kept on surprising me all the way through. I loved the characters and felt fully immersed in their struggles and the ups and downs of their lives. The Promise of Forever will, I’m sure, stay with me for a long time.
Thank you for my free ARC. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find this book on Goodreads but I will be happy to post a review there when it’s possible to do so.

What a beautiful story of friendship and love. I felt connected to Dee and Fionn immediately and could not wait to hear how their love story unfolded. It was never picture perfect. It was also rarely the right time, but it always felt real. I adored the setting in Ireland and loved how the author included so many pieces of Irish culture. I loved this book and cannot wait for it to come out.

A heart-breaking coming-of-age novel. beautifully written, Harris conjures up her settings so evocatively and skillfully that it really immerses you into the novel.
This covers a huge amount of themes and complexities of relationships: family, friends, first love and it's deftly done, without ever being mawkish or sentimental.
I didn't enjoy the last part of the book, I thought some of the situations were a bit heavy-handed but overall the novel was heartbreaking and will stay with me for a long time.

Complicated characters, love and loss, Ireland setting… the book is great and it’s a beautifully written story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I’m still thinking about the characters and their choices.