I really enjoy reading Lucy Diamond so was excited to read her latest in exchange for an honest review.

It didn’t disappoint. We meet Zoe and Dan at the supermarket. Zoe has been recently widowed and Dan is her husband’s brother. Whilst the book is about loss, family and friendship it’s not a sad story. Although Zoe and Dan both have inner turmoil over Patrick’s death. Dan was the last person to see Patrick and Zoe blames him for his death.

The story follows Dan when he realises that Patrick’s family needs him, so as an accountant, he sets up a spend sheet of good deeds he can do for Zoe and her 3 children. This is his promise to his brother after feeling so awful about the night Patrick dies.. As he becomes closer to the family, he realises what he has been missing not keeping in touch for a good few years and he creates a bond with Ethan, Gabe and Bea. However, all is not as it seems when we discover Patrick has been holding all these secrets. As the story unfolds you find more about Patrick and his life.

There are some interesting side characters namely Rosemary, one of Patrick’s ‘problem’ tenants, who Dan befriends.

I am not an avid reader of Lucy Diamond’s books, but I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this as I really enjoyed this. It is a five-star read.
Dan’s brother Patrick dies suddenly after drowning in a river. Dan blames himself for his death as just before, they argued after a night out and they went their separate ways. Patrick never returned home. He leaves his wife Zoe, kids Ethan, Gabe and Bea. Zoe blames Dan for the death of her husband. So instead, over going on a 3 month overseas trip he tries to write his wrongs and fill the gap that Patrick left behind. He sets out a plan and promises Zoe that he will help with the kids and the family business. Patrick was a landlord for some properties, so Dan decides to check on them and helps with the accounts.
The Promise by Lucy Diamond is about love and loss and the aftermath after someone you love dies and getting over it. But also, secrets that they had, and you never know truly who one is until they are gone. You sometimes put someone high on a pedestal and they are different to what you think they are. Also, this is about death and grief, but this is not a depressing story. I was so engrossed by the story with the characters and the storyline I read it in a day. I loved it.

I'm torn. On the one hand, I really enjoyed this book, it held my attention, certainly had its fair share of drama and a number of interesting characters. However, there is something about the pace of the story that didn't quite fit with the subject matter for me which is why I've gone for 3 stars instead of 4, although it was close.

We follow Dan, who has just lost his brother and starts to focus on helping pick up the pieces for those around him, especially his sister in law Zoe and his nieces and nephews. He embarks on a plan to help keep everyone moving forward and to try an atone for the past, unravelling his brothers secrets and also making a few mistakes of his own. Dan was my favourite character, a genuinely good guy, just trying to do the right thing.

A lot of emotional topics are covered in this. I won't name them all as it will give some important plot indicators away but obviously grief is a main focus and how people react to and manage it differently.

I try to suspend reality when I read, where possible, but whilst I really enjoyed this, the timing and conclusion niggles me a little.

Released on the 18th February 2021.

Thank you to @netgalley and @panmacmillan for the opportunity to review.

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Another great book was hooked from the start.
Two brothers fall out after a night in the pub. One doesn't return home and is found dead the next day.
Dan the brother feels guilty and offers to help the sister in law with the kids but starts to unravel things his brother has done.
There is a happy ending.

I adored this book. Heartbreaking start to it, but shows how the things that happen to us and change our approach to life. Beautifully written, loved the characters. Another great Lucy Diamond book - another author who I have read since her first published work. Thank you for letting me review this book

A family is torn apart and devastated when Patrick is found dead leaving his wife Zoe and brother Dan feeling particularly wretched as they had both argued with Patrick the day he disappeared. Dan tries to support Zoe and sort through Patrick s business affairs . Realisation dawns on Dan that his rival brother , the seemingly perfect Patrick is not all that he appeared on the surface. This is about trying to make amends and also come to terms with his own life and try to support his sister in law.
It is an easy read and some elements predictable

A new author for me as a change from my psychological thrillers but even though it was well written it wasn't for me. I found it hard to get into the story line but this is purely my opinion with it being a different genre to what I usually read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I love Lucy Diamond’s books and was so pleased when I received this one. I’ve read almost all of her books and enjoyed them all. This one was no exception it was a little different from her others but still very enjoyable. I read it very quickly as I couldn’t put it down. She always delivers!!!!
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is a great read but difficult to review without giving anything away. The characters are believable and well described. Family dynamics are at the heart of the story and I can totally sympathise with Daniel's belief that he isn't the best loved son. Most of the characters have their own doubts at different times but they work through them. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoy this authors books and this was no exception, fantastic storyline, great characters. Loved it.

This book explores the idea of truth and lies and how well we know our own family. A tale that brings you into the dsyfunctional spiral of families and the flaws of humans but at the heart love is what gets people through those tough times. An enjoyable read.

I immediately fell in love with this book. The characters were easy to get to know and was like hanging out with a group of friends. The focuses on bereavement and the process around this was well documented. Loss and love from different points of view was explored with great detail, such as wife, brother and children. Grief brings a variety of feelings and these were well written into the book. I love the way Lucy writes, it’s easy to follow and the storyline was one that a lot could relate to. I look forward to reading Lucy’s other books. I’m so glad to have had the chance to read this book. I read it over two days as I couldn’t put it down.

This story is about family, love, loss and devastating secrets. I have read nearly all of Lucy Diamond’s books. I have preferred some of the others but this is still a good read. This feels like a believable emotional story. There is a lot to it and in places it was definitely a page turner.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Another brilliant book from Lucy Diamond. She writes about real people and I always find myself sympathising with all of them in some way, even the ones who don't always make the right decisions. It was lovely to hear the voice of Dan as well as the female characters.

I really enjoyed this book. It is essentially a story about love in all its guises; sibling love and rivalry; marital love and infidelity; family love; friendship and romantic love.
It is a beautifully written and plotted story, with excellent characterisation of all the main players. It describes the awful ripples that spread out to encompass an entire family in misery, when someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly.
Dan, brother of the departed Patrick and Patrick’s wife Zoe, mother of his three bereft children, struggle to cope with the huge hole he left behind, and the mystery of his death. As Dan gradually uncovers facts that indicate his elder brother was not quite the paragon that everyone believed him to be, Dan is thrown into turmoil as he tries to protect Zoe, and does his best to fill the hole left by Patrick.
His somewhat misguided efforts meet with mixed results. Dan has to confront some blunt truths about himself in the process.
The narrative is immersive, and never flags. No words are wasted. I was sorry to leave Dan and his family behind at the end of the book. Lucy Diamond triumphs once again with this moving and thought-provoking story.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Such a beautiful yet hard-hitting story. You may love someone and think you know them, but their death can show you a whole different truth about this person.

A resounding 5 stars. I got totally immersed in this book with all it's ups and downs giving an emotional read with a perfect mix of sadness, joy and an unexpected sprinkling of humour. The well developed characters were perfectly depicted as they dealt with the aftermath of an unexpected death with all the secrets that were thrown up. I have read books from Lucy Diamond in the past and I put this one as one of her best. Very moving and an excellent read.

I'm normally a strictly psychological thriller kind of reader, but during these strange times, I've been enjoying lighter read, and Lucy Diamond’s novels are just what is needed. This book was no exception, dealing with families and all their intricacies. Really enjoyable read.

Highly recommended.

Dan and his brother Patrick have a falling out after a drunken night. Both men go their seperate ways home only Patrick never makes it and is found dead in the river.

Zoe his wife has 3 children to look after whilst coping with her own grief. She is also dealing with feelings of guilt as they both had an argument prior to his leaving the house that fateful evening.
Dan is also struggling with his own guilt as he also argued with his brother on that nite.

This warm gentle story looks at how Dan tries to support Zoe, using this as a means to ease his guilt. He learns a huge amount during this time, not always getting everything right but the relationships with not only his nieces and nephews but also his parents develop into something very warming.

It is apparent that Patrick kept a number of secrets, not least the fact that he had another daughter from a hidden relationship. Dan initially feels responsible for making right his brothers wrongs. However an unexpected relationship blossoms for Dan and finally enables him to feel at peace with his brother.

A lovely read, tackling complex relationships hindered by grief.

I’m a big fan of Lucy Diamond’s novels and this book is one her best.
It follows Zoe and Dan after the death of Patrick, husband and brother respectively and how they cope with the aftermath of his unexpected death. It was a brilliant read especially as secrets and truths come out. Highly recommend