This book is a psychological thriller.

There are many twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and wondering when The Promise will be revealed. There are some surprises that were especially shocking and others that were disturbing.

I think the author did a commendable job of keeping suspense going until the end of the book. I can see how this book became a best seller. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read that I highly recommend to all who love a mystery that they can’t solve.

This started out very intriguing and interesting, but I found myself wanting the story to end by the time I was halfway through the book. It's not that it doesn't flow or that the characters aren't interesting, it felt repetitive and boring. I wanted so much to like this book before I read it, but it ultimately did not thrill me or provide enough mystery for me.

This was one of those books that was really slow moving. I felt like giving up on it several times, but I kept reading. I kept hoping for some suspense, drama or action. The first half of the books sets up the relationship between three women in their late 30s that went to boarding school together as teens. Two of the women Sally and Beth are still close friends, while Carol has distanced herself emotionally and geographically from them. The reader knows that something happened at boarding school that led to a secret they all just keep... a Promise to one another. You are finally let in on the secret two thirds of the way into the book. Two thirds of a book as spent setting it up., this definitely should have been trimmed down. The action and suspense did not kick in until about 85% into the book. I read up to this point wanting to give up on the book, I waited for an ending that was suspenseful, but not worth reading through the first drab two thirds of the book.

As far as psychological thrillers go, this will be a slightly slower read for some. I think if you get attached to the characters you will enjoy this thriller.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

I really enjoy Teresa Driscoll’s writing. Although I was hoping for a more poignant a-ha moment when you find out the dark secret between Beth, Sally and Carol. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a sad one. But I was just under the impression it was going to be bigger and badder. I will say I had the “bad guy” wrong in this one. I did figure it out towards the end, but my first guess was simply wrong. This book kept my interest throughout and I did like it. I would give it a solid 3.5 stars. The writing was solid and the storyline was good. I’m looking forward to reading Teresa’s next book

you'll know already I'm a big fan or Teresa Driscoll, and jump for her books every time and so I was thrilled to see this on Netgalley. The promise is slightly different to her other books, with a backward and forward between past and present that included a spellbinding love story. It has a definite creep out factor, as we follow a group who had a traumatic childhood event. The pacing was good for me, definitely a slow build, and I'll be honest, I was just relieved we were given a boarding school story thst didn't have evil nuns in it! Very enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

In THE PROMISE by Teresa Driscoll, we know that there is a horrific secret, that the three main characters, promised to keep during their boarding school days that involves a death. The story is told through their three perspectives and flashback between their childhood and the present. It was a slow burn. But a solid mystery with underlying stories of love, family, and friendships. However, the ending did seem a bit rushed.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for my free e-galley.

I really enjoyed this tense read. It had plenty of twists and turns and kept me up reading late into the night as I couldn't wait to get to the end of this novel Three friends, Beth, Sally and Carol have a secret that they swear they will take to the grave, that they will never share with another living soul. It involves their part in an incident that took place in their boarding school when they were just 14 years old. Years later their school grounds are being torn apart and the three girls fear that their secret will be unearthed. They have drifted, Carol in particular and their friendship isn't as it used to be but the girls are terrified that the promise they made many years before will come to light. Beth's voice is the one we hear most often although the story is told from the perspective of other characters from time to time. It worked well and the voice of others added to the telling in my opinion. It was a good read, one I"d recommend.

The Promise by Teresa Driscoll centres around three friends, a promise made decades before, and their relationships, past and present. Following the lives of Beth, Sally, and Carol as they meet at a Catholic boarding school and become best friends. However, something bad takes place when the girls are fourteen and they each make a promise to never reveal what happened and the parts they played in this traumatic event. This memory and holding in the secret of what happened tortures the girls throughout their lives. When they are 38, their old boarding school grounds are going to be torn apart, with the chance of their secret being revealed.

Beth is happily married to Adam and has two sons. She is terrified that she could lose her husband, along with her sons, if Adam discovers her secret. Sally turned to drinking, many years ago, in an effort to forget what the girls did so long ago. Carol has dropped off the map, no longer keeping in contact with her mom, Beth, or Sally and Beth is desperate to contact Carol, so they can either make plans to do "something" about their secret or be freed from their promise.

What will happen to the promise?

I love a good mystery or thriller and am always happy to dive into more. As much as I love such books, I find I love those that follow detectives – be it police officers or private investigators – a lot more than I enjoy domestic thrillers. There have been some domestic thrillers I have really enjoyed, and due to this I continue to read them.

At first, I thought The Promise was going to be one such book, a domestic thriller I would love. There was so much potential with this one, and I was eager to see how it played out. The book certainly had me gripped throughout, and I was constantly thinking up new ideas of how things would come together, but it didn’t quite wow me in the way I had hoped.

In fact, the reason this is a rounded down three-point-five-star rating is because the ending felt rushed. There was so much introduced, and I fear many of the elements were not given the amount of attention I would have liked them to receive. I’m sure many will be okay with this, but with the topics involved in this book I needed more.

All in all, an addictive read despite the ending feeling a wee bit rushed for my liking.

Multiple POV, dual-timeline. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it as much as the first (I’m Watching You).
Plenty of twists and turns weave their way through this story of shared history and secrets. Although certain plot points were predictable, others were not and overall it was an enjoyable read.

The only part that left me wondering was if the Matthew in this is the Matthew in I’m Watching You!
ARC from NetGalley.

With thank to Net galley for allowing me to review this book.
The Promise by Teresa Driscoll is a good book that is steady paced book

Didn't enjoy this one. Seemed to drag, writing ok but didnt "grab me and I was very disappointed because I wanted to like it.
3 stars

This one wasn't for me unfortunately. These sorts of books are a let down recently. I need to be more selective in what I request going forward.

A gripping psychological thriller in which three young girls share a secret they swear to take to the grave. No one must ever find out what they know. Two of them have tried to put it all behind them, but are forced to track down the third before all their secrets are revealed and will ruin their lives. Someone is watching and will stop at nothing to reveal their wrongdoing. Who is it, and what lengths will they go to to protect their secrets?

Stereotypical mystery/psychological thriller with not very likable characters and no real conclusion.

This book wasn’t what I expected but it was a nice surprise. Very interesting premise. I love all of Driscoll’s books.

I loved this so much.

Most of the time, when a plot relies on secrets, they're pretty predictable. Not so in "The Promise" , which throws so many twists at you it leaves you giddy.

Such a great read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

A Promise Like a Curse

Sometimes things happen to teen girl friends that bring them closer together, forming a bond that the passage of time can't break. Sometimes, the source of that bond can become a curse on that friendship. This is a story of that kind of bond.

The girls of this story are all grown now, each with their own lives, each with varying amounts of success in the world. They've kept their promises, but it's cost them dearly. The secret they hide is revealed in pieces to the reader in flashbacks, adding a foundation to events in the present that cause each of them to doubt the other as tragedy seems only a breath away.

I was compelled to identify with these girls, despite having little in common with them. The writer has deep understanding of human nature and the capability to write a believable, suspenseful mystery that touched my heart deeply. I look forward to reading more of her books.