Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was story about a blended family and the child minder next door. Its a mystery and a story about guilt and redemption. I really enjoyed this book , it was well written , easy to read , descriptive and one could feel the pain in the evolving story. Read this book you will enjoy it.

Jessica’s Promise by Jill Child’s is narrated through Angie and Teresa’s POVs. Angie is retired and she loves looking after kids. She was delighted when her new neighbor, Teresa, asked her to look after her two girls, Fran and Jessica. Angie’s babysitting seems a little unorthodox though. Her make believe room and rules that include secrecy all had me a little concerned. On the other hand, Teresa is a working mom who is trying to excel at her new job at the salon. She doesn’t seem to have a great connection with the two girls.

The story moves at a slow, steady pace as readers are introduced to the characters. There were hints about Angie having secrets and this made me curious to find out what these secrets were. There were also secrets in Teresa’s life and especially her marriage. At the same time, there was drama at her workplace that made me eager to know how everything would work out. The pace started moving faster when Jessica went missing. The secrets started coming out fast. There was a mysterious narrator who I just couldn’t figure out until the end. This helped in upping the suspense in the story.

I do like missing persons’ mysteries and that is what I was expecting when I picked up this book. I guess the pace felt a little slower for me because it took quite a while, almost half the book, before anyone went missing. In addition, I didn’t like any of the adults in this story. Fran and Jessica were adorable but I couldn’t relate much with Teresa or Angie thought I felt sorry for them at some point. Fans of character-driven domestic noirs are likely to enjoy this one more.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I did not enjoy this book. Teresa did not even have a bond of any kind with 3 year old Jessica and at the beginning of the book said "I wish I had gone ahead with the appointment at the clinic and never had her." I was done.

This tense story is a pacy domestic drama with a psychological thriller twist.

When new neighbours move into the recently renovated house next to Angie she becomes excited that there are two children, 3year old Jessica and her step sister 11 year old Fran. The woman of the house is Teresa who is desperate to be the perfect Mum whilst juggling a full time job as a manageress at a local hair salon. With child care an issue Teresa quickly enlists the help of Angie, a stranger whom she doesn’t know anything about or indeed her dark secret. This arrangement soon adds to her stress as it appears the girls adore Angie and are complete angels when in her care. Also Teresa’s husband Craig starts staying out late and acting oddly, is he having an affair?

I loved both characters of Angie and Teresa and empathised with them both even though I must admit I did suspect them amongst others when little Jessica disappears from her bed in the middle of the night. The investigation into tracing Jessica’s whereabouts uncovers more secrets and no one escapes suspicion.

The short chapter’s kept me wanting more in this tense emotional read. Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the digital copy, these are my own opinions of Jessica’s Promise.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* This book held me absolutely spellbound from the first to last word. The book switches between the perspectives of busy working mother of two, Teresa and her child-minder, Angie. Angie looks after little Jessica and her sister Fran every day, whilst Teresa is busy managing a beauty salon. Angie seems to have a magical way with children, but all is not quite right... There are hints of a mystery in her past. One morning, Teresa goes into Jessica's room, only to found that she is not there. Where could she be? All around her fall under suspicion. A thoroughly engaging read.

Teresa’s heart stops when she enters her daughter’s bedroom to find that her sweet, trusting little girl is gone.

Teresa can’t bear to think who would snatch a terrified three-year-old from her mother in the middle of the night, but all the signs point to someone close to home. Hasn’t Jessica’s stepfather been acting a little oddly? Or is it, as Teresa is beginning to fear, something to do with Angie, her daughter’s babysitter who lives next door...?

On top of that her husband Craig is out late at night and being secretive. Teresa is also having trouble with a woman she works with. So much is going on. Their neighbor Angie watches the girls and there is just something not right with her and what secret is she keeping.

As the book goes on things will come to light and then you just keep shaking your head.

This is a story of two different women, Angie and Teresa. Teresa and her family move next door to Angie. Teresa had a hectic job and so Angie, who lives on her own, becomes the childminder for Fran, aged 11 and Jessica, aged 3. You realise early on that Angie is hiding something. Teresa starts losing control of her life as she suspects her partner is having an affair and her children are becoming closer to Angie than to her. Then one morning Teresa finds that Jessica is not in her bed and appears to be missing. The nightmare then begins, with more secrets being revealed with plenty of twists and turns along the way. A gripping psychological thriller, well written with interesting characters. An enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was really good. Its all about our main character Theresa and her three year old daughter Jessica. Theresa and her family move into a new home only to find that their neighbour is a little weird thankfully though she takes to the girls instantly. When Theresa goes back to work who better to watch her daughter and step daughter Fran, then the kind neighbour Angie. The girls love her, but why does this stranger have it so easy
looking after then when their own mother is having so many problems? Theresa is stressed about work, the new baby sitter, then fact that her husband is having an affair, and spiraling when all of a sudden Jessica goes missing. I really liked the characters in this story while they were all very different you could really see what they were dealing with and I found them all easy to relate to. I also really enjoyed the mystery behind this book every page
had me guessing what happened and every chapter had me changing my mind on what I thought I knew. Great mystery. This book is on that shouldn't be missed if you like thrillers with lots of drama in them.

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It was definitely a book that kept you thinking! I would definitely recommend this book to fellow readers. Thank you!

Enjoyed this emotional, well-written book. Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy.

Imagine looking into your child’s room to find them gone…
You can’t really, can you? Well, not that you ‘can’t’, you ‘won’t’. It’s not something I would like to think about either, so I can’t even begin to imagine what went through Teresa’s mind when she was faced with the situation no other parent would want to face. Her daughter was gone.

Where? Why? Who?

Teresa is at her wit’s end trying to work out who would want to take her daughter, trying to tick off names in her head who she might consider to be the ‘suspect’. I tried not to be judgemental of a decision which Teresa made as it cost her dearly as I know that everyone makes mistakes. Personally though, I can’t quite understand why she didn’t give the decision more thought but, like I say, who am I to judge, especially as that soon became irrelevant.

Jill Childs never fails to play bat and ball with my emotions and my nerves, telling a story which kept my on the edge of my seat and gripped from the very beginning. I loved how multi-layered all of the characters in this book were – it was very clear that this author had taken great care with the theme of the book, creating characters that were able to showcase the domestic, highly suspenseful parts of the book in all their glory.

‘Jessica’s Promise’ is an extremely intense read which is guaranteed to grip your emotions tightly until the very last page.

Riveting! Troubling! Emotional!

This was a brilliant fast-paced domestic drama! I love these emotional domestic thrillers full of twists and turns and secrets.... the kind of book that keeps you turning those pages and leaves you in tears in the middle of the night... this book did all these things and so much more! This is a book that will make you check on your kids a few times while reading, so make sure they are home... A book that also will make you question, who is watching my kids? Thankfully my kids are of an age where they are no longer being babysat, but I think I’d have a hard time dropping my kids off at the babysitter after reading this one!

Theresa along with her three-year-old daughter Jessica, 11-year-old stepdaughter Fran and her husband Craig move to a new house... there new next-door neighbor Angie seems a bit eccentric, but the girls take to her right away, especially Jessica... when Theresa goes back to work as a salon manager she chooses to have Angie watch the kids.... but how well does she know Angie? Soon enough we find out Angie has a dark secret, but what is it? And why is it that Theresa struggles with her daughter Jessica‘s behavior and Angie handles it like a champ? And what is Craig up to after work? Theresa’s life seems to be spiraling out of control and then Jessica goes missing! Who took Jessica? And why?

With a neighborhood of suspects, this book made me suspicious of everybody... you knew the culprit was someone close, but why did they take Jessica and where was she? The chapters from the point of view of the culprit were downright chilling! Both Theresa and Angie were well developed characters and I had sympathy for both of them... although I do have to admit I was suspicious of both of them at some point during the book...

A compelling story full of all the twists and turns you love in a thriller... with an ending that I never thought of, but it made complete sense.... The short chapters in this book made it a quick satisfying read... strongly encourage you to pick this one up if you are a fan of emotional domestic thrillers with a plethora of suspects...

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

The writing is clear, concise and completely engaging. The plot is cleverly written, your mind is awash with theories, suspicions, and ideas. The characters are flawed but show great emotion, you find yourself pitying and despising them all at the same time.

The author has tremendous insight into the mind of a young child, she describes a beautiful make believe world and she shows how an adult can truly engage a child through play.

I found myself feeling guilty for possibly having a misconception about someone who could be innocent, then the anger would flood back and questions stabbed away at my poor frazzled brain. The ending surprised me and the loose ends tied up well.

If you like domestic thrillers, emotion-packed drama, and a gripping storyline, this book is definitely for you.

When Teresa and Craig move into a new house, they get a new sitter, someone to care for their daughters. Teresa is the mother of three-year-old Jessica, and Craig is the father of eleven-year-old Fran. This blended family started off rocky and things just never quite balanced. When Teresa finds a new job managing a salon, she is blessed to find this sitter, Angie. Or is she? Right away there is cause for concern. Angie is a lonely woman who has spent years caring for other people's children. Teresa takes this at face value and blindly hands the children over to Angie.

I am struggling to determine how I feel about this book. Let's start off by saying that it is indeed a much like a terrific psychological thriller. The emotions and suspense are there, on the line, throughout every page. So, I was definitely caught up in the story. Why am I uncertain then? It is about the characters. Let's start with Angie. It is revealed from the very beginning that she has a past, which makes her unreliable to me. She also says and does things very early in the story that caused me to raise my eyebrows. Then there is Theresa, a bad mother, simply said. Craig was almost a nonentity, but had his own secrets.

Were there characters that I could connect with? Of course, Jessica and Fran. Who couldn't love a delicate young child? Fran was more of a challenge, but her motivations are explored rather well. So there is a balance here.

I needed things to work out between Jessica, her parents, and even Angie. But, and this is without adding spoilers of any sort, I was very interested in the goings on in this story and was really hopeful for a good ending. The conclusion left me a bit dry, a bit concerned even for some of the characters, but we see a resolution of sort for at least one character.

When I think of Jill Childs' previous book, Gracie's Secret, I can clearly remember how I felt. I did wonder if, due to her excellent writing skills, if similar feelings would have been rekindled. I would say, yes, Jill Childs is a very effective writer. Perhaps she wanted us readers to develop certain feelings as we read the story. If so, then she has done a fine job. She indeed snatched me up, front and center, and made me pay attention. Even so, I never would have guessed who the responsible party was in this story regarding the twist that occurred. Well done. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! There is no other word for this book. It is emotional and thrilling and just plain amazing! I cannot wait to read more of the writer's books in the future!

I came across this author by accident. I just loved the cover of her previous book "Gracie's Secret". I know you Shouldn't judge a book by its cover But this one I did and I am so glad I did, as it's not something I read.

So when Jill Childs latest book "Jessica's Promise" became available I had to request it to read.
WoW, what another beautiful cover and tells so many stories. But this book was just beautifully written throughout and had you gripped from the first few pages.

Teresa and Craig move into a newly refurbished house with their 2 daughters; Fran who is 11 years old from Craigs previous marriage and Jessica who is 3 years old who is Teresa's daughter. This house belonged to a old lady called Mrs. Matthews. Angie their new neighbour introduces herself to them over the garden fence and tells them she is a childminder and is here to help if they need help with the childcare. Theresa and Craig is in Full time jobs and are juggling childcare. Angie becomes Fra's and Jessica's childminder.

I loved all the Characters within this book especially Angie, who has the kindest heart ever and wants to help out her new neighbours but is hiding a tragic secret.

This book is a easy read and will keep you guessing right till the end. I just loved this book and the last few chapters will keep on your toes.

However, I didn't get the title of this book. or how it related to the story?.........."Jessica's Promise?" I think the title this book could of been called something else.

Big Thank you to Jill Childs the Author, Bookouture and Netgalley for a ARC for a honest review.

Another 5 Star read from me.........

Absolutely brilliant! A poignant, touching and thrilling take from an amazing writer. Tense and pacy, and yet written with heart. A truly stunning tale.

Jessica’s Promise
Jill Childs
File Size: 1964 KB
Print Length: 294 pages
Publisher: Bookouture (September 12, 2018)
Publication Date: September 12, 2018

We research things every day of our lives. The best restaurant for a family. The best movie showing at the theater. The most inexpensive place to shop for good quality items. So why don’t we spend that much time if not more researching the people to whom we entrust our children.

Teresa and Craig move in next door to Angie and Angie couldn’t be more thrilled when she discovers Teresa and Craig have two children. Angie loves children and has spent her entire life loving others children as her own. So, when Teresa asks Angie to care for 3-year-old Jessica and 11-year-old Fran she is a bit apprehensive at first but decides she shouldn’t have troubles caring for them. They spend may days together playing make believe, visiting the park and doing lots of fun things. Then one day Jessica is found missing from her bed. Everything is in turmoil and all are fearful of the secrets they keep. Will Jessica be found alive and well or will Angie face another devastating tragedy?

The characters are well drawn out and their stories are real. Each of their tragedies are developed well and realistically. The story is definitely captivating and suspenseful. The author does a good job of drawing out the characters pain. Very good writing makes a good read. Having said this, however, there are a few things I took offense to in this book. I understand the book is meant to be a suspense/thriller read but I found one of Angie’s rules to be too creepy even for this kind of novel. “Everything is a secret” seemed very inappropriate. When the officers see her rules and question her about them, they seem less than concerned. The characters should have shown more concern. I’m assuming the author wanted to throw a red herring in there to distract us from the real kidnapper but this seemed a bit contrived. Another issue I had was the relationship between Teresa and Jessica. I think the abuse Jessica endured at the hands of her mother could have been handled a bit differently. Teresa’s anger was way too instant with no build up to an explosion. This should have been developed differently in the story.

4 out of 5 stars

Thanks for reading.

Michele


https://michelescozycorner.blogspot.com/

Depending one where you look this one up Jessica’s Promise by Jill Childs is being listed as a psychological thriller or a domestic drama, I would lean more towards the drama or perhaps a bit of contemporary suspense. No matter how you want to classify it though the missing child element is definitely one that easily compels a reader.

Angie is retired and has had plenty of time to watch the work going on in the house next to her over the months and now it seems she will be getting new neighbors. As Angie introduces herself to her new neighbors she is blown away by how much little three year old Jessica reminds her of her own daughter at that age.

Teresa and her new husband have moved their blended family into the house next to Angie. When things get hectic with her new job Teresa turns to Angie for help watching the children while she’s at work. Both girls seem to enjoy spending time at Angie’s and things seem to be going well when Jessica turns up missing one morning.

Jessica’s Promise being a story of a missing child was sure to grab my attention but I also enjoyed the way the author took time to build the characters and all of their flaws before the investigation began. The story is one that will keep a reader guessing as all the layers of secrets are exposed and surprise surprise, I did not guess the end. With an ease to the flow of the story and plenty of twists I do believe this one will be one most readers enjoy.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It drew me in very early on and kept my interest throughout. Full of twists, turns and secrets and characters you love to hate.