The Promise by Lucy Diamond was an incredibly emotional book. I fancied a change from all the thrillers I've been reading and what an excellent choice this was. I have read a few titles by this author and in my opinion this tops them all. I loved it.

I read the kindle version and could not put it down, cliched as it may sound! I couldn't wait for bedtime so I could read again!

The Promise is about love and loss, and how the people left behind try to wade through the grief and learn to live with the new reality. There are shocking secrets exposed, and high emotions to contend with. Dan is the main character and after his brother Patrick dies suddenly, following an argument, Dan blames himself, as does Patrick's wife Zoe. Dan wants to do all he can to ease this sense of guilt and helplessness and things dont always pan out as expected.

The characters were brilliantly developed and you could feel real empathy for them. IThe author does well to put each persons thinking across in a way that makes you sympathetic to them, even if, had you heard the story from the other side, you may not have done.

An emotional, yet lovely book and I am so glad I chose to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dan's brother passed away suddenly, leaving a gaping hole in the life of Dan, his sister in law, niece and nephews and his parents.  The loss has also left Dan with more than a little guilt.  When he sees how much his sister in law, Zoe, is struggling, he makes a vow to help her rebuild her life.  Dan comes up with a plan to be the best stand in he can be fore his brother, but this isn't anywhere near as simple as it sounds.  As Dan delves further into Patrick's life he starts to discover secrets, and faces the ultimate difficult question:-does he tell the truth and risk the fragile happiness he is helping to build, or does he try and keep the secrets and hope nobody ever finds out?

This is the second book I've read by Lucy Diamond and I've enjoyed both of them so I'll definitely be on the look out for more.

I was a bit unsure what to expect with this one as the plot line and topics sounded quite different from the other one I've read.  I needn't have worried though, it left me with very similar feelings despite being a very different plot.

I warmed to Dan very easily.  Although he seems not to have been there for his family so much in recent years he really strives hard to change that when they need him most.  He seems like a guy who is trying to do his best, but doesn't always get it right.  I also thought Diamond did a great job with her depiction of Patrick, the dead brother who was an awesome husband and dad but turns out to have had a less nice side too.

Throughout the book we get a wonderfully written portrayal of grief and how it affects people differently.  We see the various characters working through their emotions, and slowly trying to adjust to their lives as they are now.  One of my favourite parts of the book though is that Diamond tackles the concept of trying to reconcile two very different sides of someone that you thought you knew entirely, and how that can be even harder after that person has passed.  I loved that she showed Zoe struggling to put these two versions of her husband together, rather than ignoring the new information (or worse, ignoring the man she had known).

All in all it's a book that left me feeling warm and comforted.  Despite tackling some darker topics it is done with respect and humility, and just the right touch of humour along the way.  It was very much an easy read, and has cemented Lucy Diamond as an author I'll look out for in future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Macmillan for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

They both thought that they were the reason that Patrick didn’t come home that night.

Zoe had an argument before Patrick left for the Pub and when Patrick gave his Brother, Dan, some unwanted news, Dan uninvited Patrick to a planned sleep over at his place.

Patrick had secrets; secrets that weren’t discovered until after he was buried.

The Promise is the first book I have read by Lucy Diamond and I loved all the characters, the way they interacted with each other, and how their secrets unravelled as the story developed. Once I started reading The Promise, I couldn’t put it down, and I look forward to exploring Lucy Diamonds other novels too.

I have read and enjoyed Lucy Diamond's books in the past but unfortunately, this one was spoiled by missing letters and words which made it difficult to read and I had to give up on it.

I have enjoyed Lucy Diamond's earlier books but unfortunately this one didn't download properly and I was unable to read it

A dramatic start to this book got me hooked straight away as I just wanted to know what had happened. The story unfolds and tells of grief and regret from different family members view points. It wasn’t what I expected but the book did a good job of exploring grief and guilt and family relationships.

Will start by saying I am a big Lucy Diamond fan and this book did not disappoint.
Loved the story line , characters were good. Just shows that you should never try anyone other than yourself

Another excellent novel by Lucy Diamond which makes for severe addictive reading, be warned 'The Promise' is completely unputdownable! The story follows the reverberations amongst a group of people following the sudden inexplicable (accidental???) death of Patrick mainly seen from his brother's (Dan's) POV, with glimpses into Zoe (Patrick's wife) and Lydia's viewpoints. In this novel Diamond displays deft management of pace, dialogue, place but even more emphatically characterisation. All her characters, including Patrick (whose character we piece together through everyone's different experience and opinion of him as the novel progresses) are complex, fully rounded, intriguing and very true to life. At times devastatingly tragic and yet simultaneously full of hope, this is a novel about grief, the transmutation of love following loss and how we need to come to terms with our shortcomings, as well as others, and learn to forgive ourselves and others in order to thrive. A beautiful story whose gentle message of hope is kind and full of promise.

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book or the characters, but they really grew on me and I found it an enjoyable reading experience that was different from a lot of the other books I read.

The book explores grief in a sensitive and original way. I particularly appreciate the interactions with the children and the family dynamics were very realistic and well-drawn.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Promise in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of Lucy Diamond and this latest publication had me completely hooked from the first page.

Dan’s brother Patrick dies suddenly leaving behind wife Zoe with three young children, all heartbroken, lost and vulnerable. Dan decides to make a promise to himself and do whatever he can to help the family. He takes over Patrick’s business commitments, spends time with the children and tries to ease the burden of grief that his sister in law is left with.

The circumstances around the sudden death are not revealed straight away and you also get a distinct feeling that Dan is feeling guilty and is trying to make amends by reaching out. The secrecy element also becomes more prominent when he finds that his brother is not the perfect family man, that everyone seems to think he is.

I loved the dynamic between Dan and his nephews and niece. It felt clear to me that he had been somewhat overlooked by family and friends as the least popular brother and that Patrick had been put on a pedestal by those close to him. Should Dan reveal the truth and his brother’s secrets or let the true facts die with him?

The book is about loss and how it can affect people in different ways. Far from being morbid or desperately sad there are warm, loving and kind moments especially from the younger cast members. Dan doesn’t get everything right but you really feel that his heart is in the right place and that he is far too hard on himself. I enjoyed the slow reveal , the charming and relatable characters and the uncomplicated, well written plot.

I enjoyed this read about a bereaved family and the fall out from the death of Patrick Sheppard. Patrick was Zoe's husband and they had three children, ranging in age from 14-6. Dan, Patrick's brother feels guilty over his death as well as grieving, as they had an argument on the night of the death that led to Patrick walking home alone. Dan has wallowed in his grief and guilt for weeks now until a chance meeting with Zoe prompts him to get more involved with his niece and nephews, and Patrick's business as a landlord with several flats. Dan makes some discoveries that throw light on Patrick's life and raise questions. By the end lives and relationships are changed, and we also discover just what did happen on that fateful night. #netgalley #thepromise

A wonderfully written book of love,loss and utter betrayal.
Patrick is the big brother always the golden boy to his parents, his wife, his children, his friends and his brother Dan until a cold night when they had had a few pints and were supposed to go back to Dan’s to stay over an in the morning cut down an old sycamore tree cos Patrick knew about this stuff Dan worked in an office and was about to go half way round the world with a colleague a few days later. But a row that started in the pub tumbled out onto the pathway and ended with Dan shouting you are not welcome at my house go home to your wife
Dan had no idea that would be the last time he saw his brother whose body was found in the Thames days later
Dan didn’t go on the trip and was left with a family deep in grief and a brother who left too many secrets how was he meant to sort all this out?.

Soul searching true to life read!
Zoe has lost her husband leaving her to bring up her 3 children alone, Dan, her husbands brother, makes a promise to try and help in anyway he can.
Unfortunately a few devastating secrets emerge rocking Dan & Zoe’s world, is he doing all he can and to what cost to him?
The way it’s written is like I’m going through hell with them.
Very compassionately written with a well thought out ending tying everything up nicely.

Dan's brother Patrick has just died and he was thr last person to see him alive, having let him walk off after an accident.
Dan throws himself in to taking on as many of Patrick's tasks as he can to take pressure off of Patrick's wife, Zoe.
He sounds time doing stuff with his 2 nephews and niece, takes over landlord duties on the properties that Patrick rented out, sorts the finances and makes more of an effort to visit his parents.
Along the way, Dan uncovers more and more secrets about Patrick and his life and realises that perhaps he wasn't the perfect man that he was being portrayed to be.

Alot of this book was quite unhappy - Dan trying to rebuild his relationship with his family members, whilst also partly being blamed for his brothers death.
He can't seem to catch a break, regardless of trying to help out.
I liked that it picked up a bit more in the last quarter, giving it a much more enjoyable ending.

Loved loved loved this book. A totally emotion filled uplifting read with loveable believable characters. I love all of Lucy Diamond’s book but this has to be my favourite so far. Simply a great read, nothing else can be said. You can get the blurb from the description but this is so worth reading.

After an argument one night, even though Patrick was supposed to spend the night at his brother’s Dan, they both go their separate ways, only Patrick never returns home. In an awful accident he drawns in a river, leaving behind not only his brother and parents, but also wife Zoe and three children, Ethan, Gabe and Bea. All are devastated. Until one day Dan, still blaming himself for Patrick’s death, decides it’s time to help Zoe and take charge of his brother’s affairs. Patrick has run his own business in property rental and so Dan starts to help not only with babysitting, but also with the accounts and other errands. However, soon, Dan discovers a secret that Patrick left behind, a secret that can destroy many lives. Dan has to weigh up his options and decide what to do: keep it to himself or tell Zoe and break her heart once again.

The story, different than usually, is told from the male character point of view and I think the author has pulled it off really well. Dan was a reliable narrator and I fall for him and his loss immediately. There was sincerity in him and all he wanted was to repair all the mistakes, to help and I think he was honest in all he was doing. I must admit that sometimes I was annoyed with Zoe at being so short with him – yes, I could understand her, I would probably also explode – but he really didn’t mean anything wrong. I loved him so much for trying so hard, even if he did make mistakes – well, who doesn’t make them, he was at least so determined to make amends and to help all involved.

The moments when Dan and Zoe started to realise that Patrick wasn’t perhaps as perfect as they thought him to be were probably the most poignant and moving. The author so brilliantly captured all their feelings, their disbelief, denial and anger. It’s never easy to get the grips after learning such things, and even more so when the person in question is already dead – just imagine how many questions you may have that never will be answered – and hats off to Lucy Diamond for writing it in such a moving way. The shock after first placing Patrick on a pedestal and then him falling from grace was palpable. Also, the secrets that only start to come to light may truly change our opinions about the person that is no more – it’s sad but true that actually you often simply don’t know who one is until they are gone. I liked how the author has dealt with the reactions of family, exploring all kinds of feelings and emotions, going deep into their heads.

I had some problems with getting into the book but the more I read the easier it was to connect with, the pace was quicker and there were more things happening, with changes and surprises coming our way. Then there was the mystery about Patrick’s death that kept me hooked to the pages, as I really wanted to know what has really happened – and well, let me tell you, this was the perfect finishing touch, rounding the book in a beautiful and poignant way.

„The Promise“ is a poignant and thought – provoking story about grief, love and loss. Yes, it does sound serious but the story has never been depressing. Sad – yes, but not in an overwhelming way, the author has brilliantly balanced all the feelings and emotions, because next to sadness there is laughter, warmth, compassion and hope. It is another winner from Lucy Diamond, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book and in particular the journey Dan went on. It was very relatable and easy to read.

There were parts of the story that I found were a little unrealistic but once you move past those I loved the main message.

The ending was particularly well done in my opinion, it wrapped everything up beautifully.

5 stars

This was a book about one family grieving for the unexpected loss of a loved one and the things they got right and in some cases very wrong, whilst trying to adjust to life without their loved one.
The emotions flowed from the pages and really made me really feel for the family at such a difficult time.
The story took quite a few unexpected twists, which made this a very engaging read.
Highly recommended.

The Promise had me hooked and I found myself thinking about the characters at times throughout my day, excited to find another 5 minutes to be able to read a bit more!
The characters in this incredibly well written story are loveable and before you realise, it’s like their extended family. Lucy Diamond has successfully managed to write about death and grief, making mistakes and learning lessons, as well as discovering who you are, what’s important and love.
I’ve enjoyed Lucy Diamond stories but never quite as much as I have enjoyed The Promise. If you’re looking for a book that you’ll struggle to put down, has you cheering the characters on from the sideline and leaves you wanting more, then The Promise is for you.

Lucy Diamond never fails to disappoint and I’m always excited to read a new title from her! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The themes covered were a little different from the usual reads of Lucy Diamond but was very enjoyable.

The characters portrayed were beautiful and I really enjoyed Dan who following the death of his brother, uncovered many secrets taking care of the family leaving nothing unturned.
This was a beautiful heart wrenching read and I definitely recommend, a true emotional rollercoaster!