Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I did not like this book that much. The story felt a bit unbelievable to me and the characters were way too blah.

I've had this book for years, I still haven't, unfortunately, got to it, so this is a placeholder review to reduce my shelf for my own sanity, but will replace this if I ever get to the book

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions are entirely my own.

Honestly? It was a fun read but it felt kind of all over the place. There were quite a few nice moments but that's all it is. I think the author could've made it a much better book if she decided to add another 100 pages. I get it, Ava's story came to a close for her but there were still so many unanswered questions and random plotlines that made this book definitely a bit meh for me. Also, the timeline was very weird with gaps consisting of days, weeks or even months. Plus, I really don't get why we were supposed to root for Ava and this Joseph character when we know absolutely nothing about him? All we know is that he's a developer and he lives in Sillicon Valley and he grew up with Ava and they have a weird thing about squids. It was an OK read but not even a cute love story and all the characters felt really flat and one dimensional. I won't be recommending this book any time soon.

Ava has been raises by her Grandmother, Maggie when her mother Scarlet left Ireland to start a music career in the United States. Ava runs her flower shop and visits Maggie at the nursing home when she is gifted a large rundown home in need of a lot of love. She discovers it is from her mother, Scarlet. I enjoyed the story of rebuilding relationships and maintaining friendships but I think it needed one or two more chapters to tie up all the strings of the story. This is the first book I've read by Sharon Dempsey and she is an author I'll look for in the future. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

This book has the makings of a good story, But I just don’t feel that the author followed through. There were so many good things about this book but there are also some bad things about this book. All in all, I really don’t feel that much even happened in the book and just when it was going to get good, maybe, it was over. I didn’t really care for most of the characters, I did like Ava. I may check out another book by this author in the future if it sounds good.

3 women of 3 generation

Grandmom Maggie, absentee mother Scarlett, daughter Ava

3 best friends

Ava, Niamh, Cal

3 boyfriends (not at the same time)

Finlay, Ben, Joseph

A Posy of Promises by author Sharon Dempsey was full of potential in premise, lacking in delivery, at least for me. The book started with Ava inheriting a mansion and then went on to show her relationship with the grandmother in a Nursing Care , followed by breakup with boyfriend Finlay. Her two best friends rallied around her in support, went to a bar, boogied the night away, followed by a horizontal cha-cha-cha with Ben.

Ava's mother Scarlett made an appearance after decades of being a non-show, and the 3 women tried to recreate a new relationship with each other. Ava was fun and sweet, and she pretty much got along with everyone including her boss Hazel (Ben's mom)

The story had humor, romance, change in outlook, makeover written in its scenes; it read more like a chick-lit than a women's fiction. For me, it lacked genuine emotions, I didn't laugh or cry. There was no slow building of emotions between the mother daughter; I wanted to see that intense bond of love.

The book was a nice read but left me cold and unfeeling.

P. S Joseph was the international (USA) texting friend maybe boyfriend (when he flew down to Belfast)

So I have just finished reading Posy of Promises and I have to say I just don't get it. I feel like every aspect of the book is unfinished and you are left wondering how it all ends. Hopefully there will be a second part and then perhaps I can give a better review.

Really enjoyed the book. I just wish there was more to it. The story feels incomplete. I couldn't believe when I got to the last page, there were so many loose ends and it just seemed to end. I loved reading about Ava and her friends. I have so many questions.

Ava was raised by her grandmother, Maggie, in Belfast while her mom pursued a singing career in America. Scarlett (Ava's mom) was in and out of Ava's life until she was about five years old. Ava works in a florist shop and has somehow inherited an old dilapidated house. Maggie's health has declined and she's living in a nursing home. Scarlett finally returns home to Ava's surprise.

I do recommend the book. It was a cute story. I just wish it was longer. It was no surprise who Ava was going to end up with, but what happened to Finlay and Hazel's son? I loved all the characters, especailly Hazel and Niamh. Wasn't a fan of Scarlett. I hope there's a second book to follow up on the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and the author, Sharon Dempsey, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

I was intrigued by the blurb for this book and I think that the cover is lovely and very in keeping with the book!

I really enjoyed the story and I thought that Ava was a brilliant character, very well developed and I instantly liked her. The book really did make me think about some of the relationships we have.

The book has a great ending, I was genuinely a bit saddened when it finished as I had really enjoyed the story and wanted to carry on being in their lives!

It is only a short read at 194 pages (according to Goodreads) but there is a lot of story contained in those pages and I have to say I loved it - five stars from me, very highly recommended!

Sharon Dempsey has a lovely descriptive writing style that easily sets the scene making sure the reader feels a part of the story. In this story Ava has to contend with quite a few things especially as her once cosy life changes dramatically. From a relationship breaking down, secrets from the past resurfacing and the health of her gran in decline just being a few situations.

With lots of family drama, friendships and a dash of romance A Posy of Promises certainly entertains. It is a relatively short story but I loved how Ava basically came to life as the story progressed. Ava is instantly likeable and even though she isn't necessarily the most adventurous I easily became attached to her character. I also enjoyed her friendship with Niamh it was a great contrast to have as they were pretty much opposites in personality!

There is a warmth to the story that shines through as I got to know Ava and discover her past. It felt like I just got a taster of her life and I would be interested to see what happens next!

Perfect for grabbing a cup of tea and maybe even some chocolate A Posy of Promises will keep you entertained with warmth, love and friendships!

Four stars from me!

With thanks to Sarah at Bloodhound Books for my copy

We start this book with Ava Connors considering the property of ninety seven Mount Pleasant Square, where she was brought up by her grandmother, now in a home following a stoke. Ava had considered selling the house but is re-thinking as she goes over all the possibilities of it as somewhere for her, Ava, to settle. I loved that she was left the property while her grandmother was still alive, and that she didn’t know who had left it to her-a nice little pile of questions and secrets were already beginning to materialise!

I quickly settled into beautiful descriptions and ‘put you right there’ settings of Belfast, and the nicely timed unravelling of secrets via a letter that her grandmother had written, among other things. This book had a lighter feel to it than the cover, or indeed the genre implied (for me, I can be very judgy in that regard!) and I was happy that there were a few smiles along the way. I also loved when we started getting another side to the story. For me the thing I ached for was a mixture of who the mystery benefactor was, and also why her mother, the aptly named Scarlett, hadn’t been there when she was growing up. These things-the pieces of the puzzle you didn’t know, and the way they were linked up, as well as the near miss type scenarios, where you weren’t sure if certain characters would even meet, were done excellently and I found myself actually nervous at so many points! All in all such an enjoyable book, where I loved moving slightly outside my comfort zone and I look forward to book 2 in the trilogy to see where it goes next!

Thanks so much to Sarah at Bloodhound Books and to Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

What a wonderful tale! And, best of all, it's first in a trilogy .. so two more to look forward to with eager anticipation.

Ava Connor is very happy with her life; living with the grandmother who raised her, working in a job she loves and sharing her down time with a long term boyfriend. Then Finlay dumps her, her beloved Gran's health is on a downward spiral and, out of the blue, she is bequeathed a rather large house, but has no idea from whom. Being content with her lot in life, Ava is thrown by these events. What will she do with her good fortune? How could Finn break it off when her gran, Maggie, is so ill? And will she ever find out where this house fits into things?

This is a grand read, full of warmth. So much going on with beautifully created characters and a well-spun tale that drew me in so quickly. The characters are so true to life, I would expect to bump into any of them should I visit Belfast. I was more than happy to drink in all the details and quite sad to reach the final page. Roll on book two!

My thanks to publishers Bombshell Books / Bookouture for approving my request via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

I am incredibly torn with my opinion of 'A Posy of Promises' as, whilst there was a lot of the book I thoroughly enjoyed, there were a couple of parts which didn't shine as  brightly as the others.

Ava Connors is the type of person I would regard as having a 'safe personality'. Instead of going out of her comfort zone, she makes her decisions based on reliability and safety aspect of it. For example, Niamh (Ava's best friend) would drop everything without thinking about the logistics, just so that she could to go to a different country, whereas Ava would spend weeks deliberating the decision. Both personalities are fine and each to their own, but Ava refuses to let her guard down and get swept away by something daring or different, including in her relationship with long-term boyfriend, Finlay. For Ava the relationship is safe, just right, and plain sailing. For Finlay however, he believes that Ava is holding a part of herself back, refusing to make a commitment to him and the relationship in fear of not being in control should it all go wrong. I guess you can see her logic, but then I guess you can also see where Finlay is coming from.

With Ava being the way that she is, it has meant that she has stayed in the town that she group in, not having the urge to fly her wings - unlike her mother that is. There are a lot of skeletons that come out of the closet as the story progresses, especially where Ava and her family are concerned. But, the thing I struggled with the most was the way the storyline went off on a tangent when in the middle of explaining something else, completely changing the direction of the story and making me feel as though I was reading several parts from several different books. It felt a little too mismatched for me, so when I could tell the storyline was going to become deep and meaningful, the mismatch vibe took me away from that emotion, focusing my attention on something else.

I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the book, because I did - it was a gentle and cosy read which gave me a lot of food for thought. I just would have preferred the storyline to be a bit more consistent.

I think the definition of the word 'entitlement' is rife throughout the book, and not in a bad way! 'A Posy of Promises' highlighted the fact that, just because you're linked by blood, it can mean diddly squat unless you're actually there in person. If you don't make the effort or you walk off when the going gets tough, how can you be entitled to just slot back into the family as though you had never left?

I really liked Ava as she stuck to her guns and stayed true to herself. Just because others thought she was 'boring', it doesn't mean that she actually was boring, she was just used to doing things in a certain way. I think the author has done a fantastic job in bringing the truth about different personalities to the heart of the book.

I don’t think I was the right audience for this book. The only word I can think of to describe it is “nice” but for me it lacked depth. Nothing really stood out for me.

Being a massive fan of programmes like Grand Designs. I instantly fell in love with the house that Ava inherits and had so many visions and ideas of what the house should look like. I'm not sure whether Ava would agree but it was lovely to fantasise about inheriting a house like that and what I would do with it myself.

Ava is such a wonderful character. I warmed to her from the off and by the end she felt like one of my friends. In fact there are many wonderful characters in this book. From Hazel, Ava's boss, to her wonderful friend Niamh and her childhood friend Joseph, they were all great and I would love to see more of them.

This was such a wonderful story. There are lots of things going on in Ava's life with her beloved grandma being in a home, the house, her love life and to top it all her mother, but it all slots in so lovely making this a mesmerizing read. 

A Posy Of Promises is a gentle and beautiful story that took hold of me and wouldn't let go. I finished it in one day as I was so invested in Ava's life and was quite melancholy when I reached the end as I wasn't ready to say good bye to the characters. An enchanting and heartwarming story with characters that will stay with me for quite a while. Loved it.

A Posy of Promises by Sharon Dempsey is a great summer read!
Ava has been bequeathed a large mansion that needs much renovation. Who left her this mansion?
Finlay had recently broken up with Ava. "...you just don't light up for me." After being together 8 years, she was content being herself.was dumbfounded - yet she did realize that. Also, Ava had other things on her mind - should she keep the mansion with its many needed renovations, o r sell it?
She chats via email with an old friend, Joseph, who now lives in San Francisco - a long way from her home in Belfast. She calls Joseph and asks his opinion on the mansion.
Also, Ava spends a lot of her time visiting her grandma who literally raised Ava. Her grandma had 2 strokes, already, and was 86 years old. Ava clung to the woman who raised her. Ava's mom had run off to make good in America when Ava was a baby. Didn't Scarlett (Ava's mom) care enough to even check up on her once in awhile? After all, Ava found out that the mansion was meant to be for Ava and her grandma to live in.
Since Finlay's rejection, Ava goes "out on the town" and ends up sleeping with Ben Dale - her employer's son.
Oh, oh! And to make things worse, Ava left a necklace in Hazel's (her boss) bed the night she spent with Ben.
Ava is worried she will lose her job if Hazel finds out she slept with Ben.
Scarlett returns to Belfast, sees the mansion in disrepair, and wants to see Ava. Scarlett and Ava meet up and have a stormy, albeit, encounter that lasts throughout the story. Scarlett tells Ava that she is limiting herself, and to afraid of any change. Instead of continuing to pine for Finlay, Ava now looks forward to a visit from Joseph...
Definitely a place for a sequel!!! Fast, interesting, read. Recommend! Many thanks to Bloodhound and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I enjoyed this and wizzed through it really quickly. It’s a nice easy read that flows well. The characters and dialogue feel real, but it doesn’t seem like this is the end of the story. Fully expecting a sequel!

Ava's life is thrown into disarray when her longterm boyfriend splits up with her and she inherits a house from an anonymous benefactor. As she is forced to reassess her life we laugh, cry and hope with her throughout the novel. Although sadly I felt this book was rushed at times, with some situations not being fully explored. And I found some chapters didn't flow seamlessly on from one another; occasionally I had to flick back to check I hadn't skipped a bit. Overall the novel is a good story that in my opinion could benefit from some extra chapters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

Sharon Dempsey's A Posy of Promises is a delightful novel with characters readers will care about. I enjoyed my visit to Belfast.