Elena has spent the last twenty years thinking she would die when she turns thirty. Her best friend Rory comes to stay with her while his apartment is being renovated.
This was a nice predictable story. It’s easy to read and has a little mystery to it. It makes a good beach read

Argh I love Samantha Tongue books. And this one was dark and mysterious the start of it immediately made me want to read more and I had a brilliant time learning all about Elena.

Elena is on a mission. She's convinced that she's going to die shortly after she turns 30 in a few weeks. This propels her to take lost of risks and be more like her rookie, friend and colleague Rory.

Rory has some trauma from the past that makes him do many adventurous things. He needs this rush to "keep him alive". As he helps Elena navigate her new found goals, the two of them help each other with their hurts and issues to become more than friends.

This book was written well and did a great job of navigating through personal insecurities and quirks.

Such a lovely book. I don’t think this author knows how to write a dud! You can feel the warmth coming through the pages, and every book is like a comforting hug!
I really enjoyed the twist in this book, and loved the character arc of both Rory and Elena. I especially loved their friendship with their neighbour - that felt so authentic and just lovely.
Definitely another book to recommend to everybody!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was an enjoyable read, and I liked seeing Elena and Rory's relationship develop. The story was well-paced and revelations carefully made.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

Thank you Net Galley, Boldwood Books and Samantha Tonge for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is about Elena and Rory (written third person dual POV, which took some getting used to), two marketing colleagues who become friends when he moves in with her while his apartment is being remodeled.

Elena made a deal on her 10th birthday to save her mom's life by giving up her life on her 30th birthday. As her birthday looms, Elena, who is normally overly cautious, throws caution to the wind and starts doing all kinds of things that are out of character for her. As her friendship with Rory deepens, she shares her story with him and he shares personal information about himself that he hasn't told anybody at work.

This book started off slowly, but picked up about halfway through. This book is women's fiction and romance with magic elements. There are some otherworldly phenomena that occur and leave you wondering what will happen. As an avid reader, I thought I had it all figured out, but I was 100% wrong. It held my interest, but wasn't a quick read for me. I felt like I had to slog through about 60% of it before I really started to enjoy it. The remaining 40% was really good (solid 4 stars), it just took a while to get there.

Unfortunately this one was not for me. I wouldn't say there was anything wrong with the book itself I just wasn't pulled in

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Elena Swan is 29 and works for a biscuit company in Manchester, together with her friend and temporary housemate Rory Bunker. She is convinced that she will die on her 30th birthday because on her tenth birthday she made a pact with a fortune teller to swap her life for that of her mother who was critically ill in hospital. Her mother survived and since then Elena has been overcautious, not taking any risks. It's only when Rory moves in with his two stick insects Brandy and Snap a month before her birthday and she has three accidents that are near misses on her life that she starts living a little more until she goes too far and takes unnecessary risks while bungee jumping and driving too fast.

This beautiful story about complex characters is told in dual POV with Rory's part told through his quirky diary entries full of numbers of the day. We learn so much about both their families, backgrounds and childhood traumas. Rory does a lot of extreme sports but realises that there is a specific reason why, and Elena is a lot more adventurous and daring inside than her cautious actions make you believe.

I loved how they started looking after their elderly widowed neighbour Tahoor, bringing him out of his shell while not letting him get away with his old-fashioned views about the roles of men and women. Also, how sweet is it how attached Elena got to Brandy and Snap and even bought them a bigger tank! I also loved the short trip to Paris.

Rory is a lovely guy who does his best to help Elena with trying to find the old fortune teller and he is the one who finally figures out what's really going on. As MMC's go, he's a smasher. Elena's battling with a childhood promise makes her a bit irrational in the run-up to her fateful birthday, but she is a big book lover and therefore obviously a good person, and she had even me convinced about the concept of broken biscuits!

However, we were left waiting way too long to clear up some mysteries about ten year old Elena's night in the woods, Rory's Mum and where Elena goes when she disappears (although the latter is very cute).

Also, this is a British author writing a book in a British setting, so why is the most often used word in it "takeout"? Those people sure eat a lot of take-away!

This was my first book by Samantha Tonge but it won't be my last after she surprised me by incorporating mental health issues including OCD with knowledge and skill.

Altogether, this is an intelligent, life-affirming read for the cold season with a beautiful cover and great characters. Recommended.

4.25 stars

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great romcom!! This is a first for me by this author but will not be my last. It was such a cute story! The writing style is great and I loved the characters chemistry.

I DNF'd very quickly. I was interested in the premise, however it read like a middle-schoolers first foray into creative writing. I was shocked by the rudimentary approach and descriptions. A blueprint of the setting is not necessary and distracting.

I really enjoyed reading The Promise of Tomorrow by Samantha Tonge. This is a beautiful story told in the point of view of Elena and Rory who work together. When Elena was younger she made a deal that makes her believe that her life will end at the age of 30. I loved seeing Elena grow as a character. These characters are so well written and very lovable. I’m so happy with how it ended. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful story of Elena and Rory. They are best friends and work colleagues but are polar opposite personalities.......Elena is preparing to die before her 30th birthday (even though she isn't sick.......no spoilers given) and Rory is daredevil who tries every extreme sport known to man.

As the story progresses, we find out the history of both characters and what has made them become the people they are. Can they deal with the past and step into the future that awaits them?

Highly recommended.

4.25 ⭐️

Loveeeedddd this book. I’m 30, so I can definitely relate to what she was feeling. I somewhat did the same, lived my life as best as I could before I turned 30- a lot of self finding and facing things were scared of. So it definitely resonated me.

The Promise of Tomorrow by Samantha Tonge is a unique and engaging read. The story follows Elena, who made a mysterious promise years ago that she now fears will lead to her demise when she turns thirty. As her birthday approaches, she decides to live life to the fullest—falling in love, bungee jumping, and visiting Paris. The book alternates between Elena’s cautious approach and her friend Rory’s adventurous spirit, adding great depth to the story. I deeply resonated with Elena’s journey of overcoming her fears and chasing her dreams. Although I did find it a bit slow at the start but once things were being revealed I was intrigued. Samantha Tonge delivered a captivating and memorable story that’s both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

The Promise of Tomorrow is a heartwarming story about facing fears and finding hope. The story follows Elena who is haunted by a promise she made as a child and believes her life will end when she turns 30. As her birthday approaches, she decides to live life to the fullest and heads off to Paris with Rory, her co-worker turned housemate.

The characters feel relatable and real. Elena’s journey of personal growth, alongside Rory’s bold personality, keeps the story interesting and engaging.

This book is perfect for those who enjoy books about overcoming personal challenges, friendship, and embracing life’s uncertainties.

What a gorgeous romantic mystery. Elena and Rory are multilayered characters and their relationship is sweet and authentic. I desperately wanted their connection to flourish and for them to end up together.

The prose Is accomplished, the plot intelligent and a few twists in the narrative that are surprising yet feel believable.

I absolutely adored the book themes that were threaded throughout and thought this was a magical book.

This was my first book by Samantha Tonge and I will definitely look into her other works! I enjoyed the writing and the premises of the book. Aswell as the main plot and the characters. It was definitely an un usual story and it kept me intrigued to read further.
I enjoyed reading about the character own fears, and their own development. As well as learning to share your burden with others.
I think my only issue with this story was that i felt like there was no romance or tension in most of the book and then it just felt all quite rushed in the end. I think it was missing some of the buildup. Like yeah it was kinda there but i feel like it could have been more. Atleast more tension could have added to the story!

All in all I did truly enjoy this read and will recommended it to others.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

Samantha Tonge is one of my favourite authors and she never disappoints, I always grab her newest release as soon as I can. The Promise of Tomorrow is full of the wit and warmth that Tonge is known for in her writing. She writes about the human condition in such a realistic way. And although it is typical Tonge through and through this story is wholly original without missing her usual charm and style.

I loved the two main characters so much. Elena and Rory are co-workers and friends. Elena decides to give Rory her spare room while his home is undergoing renovations and a true friendship blossoms. We get chapters from each character's point of view. I learned their secrets, hopes, dreams and fears. I loved how complex these characters were and their backstories explain a lot. Their journey together was an interesting one and I love that they helped each other really come alive. Their trip to Paris was such fun and an interesting turn takes place in the story while they're there.

There was so much of myself in this book because I have a lot in common with Elena. Her grandmother lives in Canada in the province of Ontario and that's where I live. She's rereading the book Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and that's my very favourite book in the whole world and the only one I have reread a thousand times.

A lot of the book is emotional and even sad at times but ultimately it was heartwarming and it gave me all the feels and left me feeling very hopeful in the end.

I received a free copy of, The Promise of Tomorrow, by Samantha Tonge, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Elena made a promise when she was young and her mother was sick, that she would would risk her life at age 30, for her mother's. Now Elena is 29 and cant get the promise out of her mind, the anxiety she is feeling is overwhelming, she does not want to die yet. This was a seemly read.

Enjoyed this book. Was a very heartfelt story. I did find it a bit slow to get into but glad I persevered.Tha k you Net Galley