Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me allow to receive an e-copy of the book. This review is solely my own opinion.

This is my first book by Driscoll. This book I felt moved slow in the beginning and the story was told from multiple points of view. The storyline does pick up midway through the novel and does have the thriller fell with the ending twist. I felt it was overall a good read.

The Promise is a story of three adult women who bonded at boarding school and share a "terrible secret". I put that in quotes because the secret just isn't that terrible and isnt that secret to the reader who can see it coming early on, so the big reveal is anticlimactic. However, the tale has several subsequent plot twists, which do surprise the reader to varying degrees and make the story enjoyable. Unfortunately, those plot twists come too late in the story. I almost stopped reading this book several times because I felt strung along to the point of boredom and eventually didn't care about the characters at all. Toward the end of the story, the book redeems itself by picking up the pace and making it interesting. But because the story plodded on forever, and then had numerous plot twists revealed in rapid succession, the end of the book felt thrown together. I didn't love this book. I didn't hate it. I just thought it was very middle of the road. If I had it to do over again, I would not waste my time. I have read some of the author's other books and thought they were better.

This was an enjoyable read, that I read quickly. But once again, as with so many of these reveal/secrets books, I found that as soon as I was finished, the book already started fading from my mind. This makes the review hard to write, even though I liked the book while reading it.

It sounds like a criticism but I don't think it is really - or at least, it's not meant to be. Not every book is meant to be a life-changing experience or a deep revelation; many books are meant to entertain, and this one assuredly did do that. I think it is simply that this is a genre that I read quickly and for enjoyment, rather than one I obsess over or have to ponder during and/or after I read it. That's a marvelous reason to read and why I enjoy this type of story - the books are escapes and engaging and I get pulled in quickly and then find myself expelled as soon as the drama winds up.

It doesn't lend itself to brilliant reviews afterwards, though...

Don't misunderstand or think I'm lukewarm - there was good character development here, with some twists I didn't anticipate (although most I did), and the pages flipped by in a flurry. It was a solid entry in the genre and Driscoll has a very engaging and easy to read style that pulls you in quite thoroughly - and then allows you to leave gracefully once it's all finished.

I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not read anything else by Teresa Driscoll, but have seen a lot of reviews on at least her last book, so I decided to request this one. It is about three girls who were in boarding school together. You know right away that something happened, something that was very bad, but the girls vowed to never tell about. The story is told in two times - back when they were in boarding school and present day. In the present day story line, the school is about to be closed so the now women are worried that their secret will be discovered. The first part of the book kind of dragged, somehow the build up and the background story didn't move very fast and I found myself just wanting them to get on with it already! ;) But at about the halfway point in the book, as parts and pieces started to fall into place, I got very interested and enjoyed reading how everything unfolded and was surprised by some parts. Overall, a good book with more layers than I expected.

The idea of this book and the fact that the girls are keeping this secret and promise for decades is promising, but the fact is that I found this book lack luster. There were so many odd side stories and in the end the "promise" that came out was just "meh". I do thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this though.

I found this book a little slow at the beginning but once you get into it there are lots of twists and turns. It’s the story of three young girls at boarding school who all make a promise not realising the effect it would have on their adult lives. Definitely worth sticking with I really enjoyed it once I got into it.

Carole, Beth and Sal have been best friends since they were un boarding school together. At the age of 14 a traumatic even happened that catapulted the girls to making a promise. A promise that has haunted them throughout their lives. The decisions they make, the relationships they have are all tinged with the darkness of that event. Now years later the school is going to be grazed to the ground and the secret, the promise, the love and loyalty the women have towards each other will be put to the test.
A whirlwind of a read. Impossible to put down. Loved everything about it!

I am a big fan of Teresa's previous books and was looking forward to reading this. Whilst the setting of the boarding school and the close relationships of the women worked well, the twists were not impactful or unexpected. I kept reading toning there must be a great twist coming. Unfortunately the lack of an extra twist made this book an enjoyable read but easily forgettable

At just fourteen years old, Beth, Sally and Carol make a pact to keep a secret. A secret of what they did while attending school at the Covent of St. Colman A secret that they are sure will destroy their chances of ever being happy.

Now, nearly thirty years later, Beth and Sally are the only two who keep in touch- never speaking of what happened while they were in school. Except, the unthinkable happens, St. Colman is being shut-down and the land around it will soon be developed. Terror takes hold as the two women struggle to figure out what to do and whether they should try contact Carol about what may be happening and what it could mean to their lives. However, it seems that someone already knows about the secret that they buried when they were younger. But, who is it? Is it Carol trying to scare them away from telling the police? Or, is it someone else who is threatening them?

“The Promise” by Teresa Driscoll did a stunning job of bringing to light the secrets that we often keep for fear of what others will think of us. Especially, secrets from when we were younger. This story caused me to stop and think about what would have happened if the girls had communicated what was going on, asked for help from an adult and hadn’t had to carry the burden of their decision for the last thirty years. Would their lives have been different? Would they each have struggled internally as much as they each did?

Furthermore, “The Promise” brought to light how profuse mental illness is in the world. It laid the groundwork for those struggling or who know someone who struggles with mental illness, to understand that it is not something that can be helped; that a lot of times, there is an underlying issue that has caused the pain the person is experiencing. Inside this book there were a lot of areas involved mental illness that were covered from depression, eating disorders, drug addiction, alcoholism, etc. So thank you Teresa Driscoll for bringing these to the attention of your readers.

Because there was a multitude of situations that were covered in this 314 page novel, I did feel that the author packed too much in. There was a plethora of story lines to follow and I found it difficult to keep track of who was dealing with what or I was left feeling that one characters story was rushed due to all that was unfolding. However, that is the only downside that I found to this novel. Otherwise, it was an artfully told story.

Thank you to Teresa Driscoll, Thomas & Mercer Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of “The Promise”.

I'm an avid thriller/psychological thriller reader, so I jumped on this one. It has a great write up and I was intrigued by it. Unfortunately I think this is an "amateur thriller" book. I definitely felt disappointed by the "twists" and "turns." I also think the book started out in one direction and then went elsewhere just to throw off the reader. I think this is a decent book for a newbie to the genre, but I was let down by it.

Took me a little while to get into this book, but I was glad that I'd persevered. I haven't read anything by Teresa Driscoll before, so a new author for me. The story centres around three girls who promise to keep a secret from their school days. Problems arise when their old school is being demolished and Beth and Sally need to locate Carol before their secret is discovered. Interesting characters and the quest to find Carol was good but not as gripping as I thought it might have been. That said, I found it an interesting read, slightly drawn out in places and and not quite the psychological thriller I was expecting!

I was very excited to read The Promise after finishing Teresa Driscoll's "I Am Watching You" last month. However, I found that this book failed to deliver the thrill I was hoping to gain. While I enjoyed the alternating timelines, I felt as if the the author went a bit overboard with the secondary characters and attempted plot twists. I also found the ending a bit maddening being as I invested so much time into this book. Overall, this book left me disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in return for an honest review.

This is my first Teresa Driscoll novel and it definitely won't be my last! I really enjoyed her writing style and found this book anything but predictable. That is a MUST in thrillers for me. I hate predicting the ending halfway through the book and being right. That did not happen here.

The book is told mainly from Beth's perspective (occasionally thought Carol, Sally, and Matthew) and I liked that format. I also liked how the book showed that things that happen in our past really affect our thoughts and actions as adults.

The only negative for me was that it did take a little while for me to get into the story. I was definitely happy I stuck with it!

I recieved an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley. I am a fan of british authors. I think they do the psychological supense/thriller genre just about the best. This is my first novel written by Teresa Driscoll. I had The Friend on my to read list so I was previously interested in checking out this author. This novel offered some good plot twists and overall I really liked it. I probably would have read it fairly quickly but I had a book on hold at the library that came in. I had to interrupt my progress with this one to take advantage of my loan on the other book. Otherwise I think it would have been a brisk read for me.

I hadn't read Teresa Driscoll before so wasn't sure what to expect.
I wasn't disappointed.
Believable characters and great character developments throughout.
The story unfolds at a gentle pace until the final third, when all the threads come together.
This leads to a roller-coaster and very enjoyable final act.

3 girls - Beth, Sally and Carol - promise to keep a secret from their years together in school. It is now years later and they find out that the school is being torn down. Will their secret now be revealed? This book is told from Beth's point of view in the present and past, as well as Carol's journal, and Matthew, a private detective Beth and Sally have hired to help them find Carol. There were parts of this book I enjoyed, but other parts that didn't care for.

I thought the revelation at the end was kind of ho-hum and nothing that exciting. I also didn't really understand why Matthew's point of view was in the story - after reading it, it seems like it was just taking up space because his view really didn't offer anything to this book. Overall, it was ok and just another way to express that friends and family aren't always what they seem to be.

3.5 stars

This is a well-written tightly woven novel about three woman who met at boarding school and make a promise that was meant to be kept until their death. However, the secret they thought they hid so many years ago on the school grounds threatens to be revealed when the school is slated to be torn down so Beth and Sally must find Carol to decide what they should do before their secret is uncovered.

This novel is told from various viewpoints throughout different times in the three girls' lives without a pattern. Beth seems to be the 'main' character with Sally, Carol and Matthew taking up a few less chapters. I wish honestly that the author had focused more on Sally as she was my favorite and I felt more interesting but I understand why the choices were made.

There are a few twists here and there, some I guessed way before they were revealed, some I hadn't.

It wasn't as twisty as other novels of this nature but it was a solid entry into the mystery/thriller genre. I think some parts dragged it down a bit (Carol's diary entries were a bore for me) but others were good (the Hogwarts lover in me liked the 'before' boarding school stories).

I recommend this book to any fans of her work or for the milder types of thrillers without as much gore or sex that some have.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC novel in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this one although difficult subject matter to read while pregnant. Love the jumps in timeline to help tie everything together and the suspense throughout. Not a typically psychological thriller with numerous twists however. Now I need to read Driscolls backlist.

Very interesting plot. Book about young girls and joint promises.
Well developed storyline.
Looking forward to the next book by this author.

As someone who reads a whole lot of crime / thriller/ mystery novels, it takes quite a lot to really surprise me or really wow me anymore. While The Promise followed the formula of a good thriller novel; secret buried in the past, turmoil in the present and then a big reveal, and while some elements were predictable, I still really enjoyed reading it.

I tend to really enjoy stories which are set in boarding schools or other places where characters must band together and form close bonds. This is so well done in The Promise , all the uncertainty of being away from home and the strict environment of the Catholic school with the nuns and the girls own troubled home lives enhances the story and brings it all together.

The novel is told from the perspective of Beth, Sally, Carol and Matthew. While the life changing secret the women keep tears Carol away from Beth and Sally, the latter two cling to each other and remain close friends. One of my favourite things about this novel would have to be the depiction of friendship and how strong it can be. Even after so much time and distance, it was quite heartwarming to see a portrayal of friendship which was so vital and central to the plot. It felt believable that these three women would form such an unbreakable bond and the flashbacks to when they were young teens in boarding school were very sweet too.

For fans of a relentless, fast paced thriller this would probably not be the best choice, however if you enjoy a slow burn thriller then definitely pick this one up. There were times when I just wanted to find out what the deep dark secret was and perhaps because of the slow pacing, it felt kind of anti climactic for me when it was finally revealed. There was another element to the reveal though which did catch me off guard however and was indeed shocking.

Once the shocking subject of the titular ‘promise’ is revealed, it’s easy to understand why the characters chose to keep what they did a secret and why it has haunted them for such a long time after. The characters are clearly traumatised after which they go on to be adults dealing with this repressed trauma, all resulting in different coping mechanisms.

Overall, I’m glad to have read this novel and look forward to reading any other of Driscolls novels, if this story was anything to go by, it will definitely be a thrilling journey. Perhaps another of her novels will prove to be more gripping for me and result in a higher rating – either way, an enjoyable read with dark twists and turns.