Thank you to Avon Books UK, Lorna Cook and NetGalley for a review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book set in two very different periods of time in Invermoray. The lives 0f Constance in 1940 and Kate in 2020 are very different but become interlinked.

This was actually the first book I had read by Lorna Cook, I had purchased her debut novel The Forgotten Village last summer but hadn't read it yet (an oversight I quickly rectified after reading this). Lorna won the Romantic Novelists' Association's (RNA) prestigious Joan Hessayon Award for The Forgotten Village. I enjoyed The Forgotten Village but must admit that I prefer The Forbidden Promise.

Constance is a young woman wanting to break free of the restrictions of her parents and pre war society. Kate is escaping life in London and hopes to help a family save their home. Both face major life changes.

A great book to get lost in. This is one of my favourite books of 2020

I really enjoyed this dual time line story, romance with a little touch of mystery.
1940 in the Scottish highlands, Constance observes a plane crashing into the loch. Her following actions has consequences, which she could never have foreseen.
2019 Kate accepts a position at Invermoray to turn an old family house into a B and B after a uncomfortable experience in her previous PR job.
As soon as I started this book, I knew it would be one I’d enjoy. It had a gentleness about it and a hint of hidden stories. One of my favourite romance types are where two people clash but don’t recognise that they are attracted to each other, so I was a happy reader with this book. Although I personally felt that the small misunderstanding in the current time frame wasn’t really needed. Still, that was a minor quibble for a number of hours enjoyment.
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for a copy to read.

4.5 stars

Split between 2 timelines at Invermoray House in Scotland, The Forbidden Promise looks at the ripples of events across time. In 1940 the house was at peace while the world was at war, but as war ramps up, the members of the household start to feel the pressure of the war. On Constance’s 21st birthday, she is the only witness to a plane crash that leads her to make a promise to keep the downed pilot hidden. Her promise will bring about consequences she could not have imagined.

Sixty years later, Kate is hired to help the current owners reimagine the house into a bed and breakfast, but quickly learns that the task is larger than she was led to believe. Plagued by finances and a reluctant owner, she has her work cut out for her to turn the house into the beauty it once was. But as she works to market the house, she is intrigued by the secrets that seem to be hiding within the history of the house’s past residents.

The two stories wrap seamlessly around each other, building in similar paces. As Kate learns more about Constance and the house, readers get to see more and more about Constance and the events that would change the fate of the house so drastically.

I loved the role the house played in moving both storylines forward. Constance’s secret is hidden due to the circumstance of war, and as the house moves forward with war efforts, her attempts at keeping the pilot a secret become that much more difficult. Kate’s entire purpose for being in Scotland is the house, and her intrigue at the house’s history makes it easier for her to look past her initial challenges dealing with James.

I loved the way the romances unfolded as well. Both time periods have elements of romance and each builds as is appropriate for the time periods.

This is the first book I have read from the author, but I will be looking to pick up her first (previous) book soon. I loved the writing itself and look forward to more from Ms. Cook.

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Firstly, I would like to thank Avon Books UK for asking me to review this book and for asking me to be apart of the blog tour.
I was experimentally excited to read this after reading Lorna Cook's fantastic debut novel, The Forgotten Village. Again she had me hooked from the first page and I couldn't help but fall in love with this story.
The Forbidden Promise follows Constance in 1940 and Kate in 2020 little do they know that both their lives are intertwined. I love the way this story is told each couple of chapters moves from one time to the other but rest assured it is so easy to follow and keep up with, Lorna writes amazingly and has really captured the very essence of each era bringing them both to life. Constance has a secret and one that changes lives. The beginning of WW2 has started and Constance feels she is not doing enough, with a strict upbringing life is far from exciting despite the beautiful setting, that is until a spitfire crashes in the loch. Kate meanwhile is facing a new challenge and changes in her life, little by little a mystery emerges and it might just be one that could save the house. Their two stories begin to mirror one another and I could not help but be drawn to these two characters. Constance may be the favourite of the two although that is a tough choice, perhaps because I love the 1940s and WW2 but also her characetr really spoke to me.
An amazing story that captures the very essence of love, hopes and dreams in times of hardship.

Stunning story line set over two time lines that interact and resolve brilliantly at the end. Very satisfying read that I just could not put down
Can’t recommend it enough

A romantic, historical mystery set over two timelines. Interesting characters and setting. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I love the way this author tells a story; the way she pieces together memorable characters, stunning vistas and dual timeline stories with such ease. She always makes me want to travel to these distant locations. In this book, the past is 1940's Scotland; the eve of Constance's 21st birthday, where events take place that alter her and her family's lives forever. An event that leaves one dead, one jailed and one disinherited. In the present, Kate takes a job assisting in getting Invermoray House turned around from money pit to bead and breakfast.

Great story, I really liked both the past and the present stories, the characters were well written, the scenery lovely. Lorna Cook is quite quickly turning into one of my favourite authors.

An engaging and entertaining dual time line novel set in Scotland! Kate, in 2020, finds herself at the impressive Invermoray House where she's been hired to create a B&B. She finds a secret- that of Constance McLay. In 1940, Constance watches a plane crash into the loch and then rescues Matthew- who she hides because he has, well, an issue. Their love story twines along with the love that Kate finds with James. Nicely atmospheric with a great setting, this has a different take on the WWII novel. The characters are well drawn and the storytelling is strong. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved the story and loved the settings. Such a fantastic read that kept me wanting more. The crosses between the past and the present and how they tie in together have caught my interest for a while and this book did not disappoint.

I liked this one much better than the previous book I read by this author. Sweet and interesting dual love stories. Fun!

This is my first book by Lorna Cook and wow I wasn’t disappointed. At first the going between 1940 and 2020 I did find frustrating as I was more hooked into 1940 but that did change and I couldn’t put the book down. A love story yes but two different couples in two different ages with two different outcomes. The author keeps you hanging on until the very end in order to read the outcome of both decades. If you love romance with a bit of history and a bit of mystery you’ll love this book. Thanks Lorna and NetGalley.

A World II mystery lies waiting for the right Pandora to unlock its secret. A forbidden affair, allied by circumstances yet axised by heritage, Kate and Constance's stories intertwine despite eight decades spanning their existence. The women are poised at the cusp of their future if they dare to ensure their happiness.

Thank you to Netgalley for the early read. The story kept me guessing to discover the truth behind the ripped portrait, disinherited daughter and sequestered guest. As a door creaks opens, a locked door is revealed. Lorna Cook masterly crafts engaging plot twists to keep her readers from reaching forgone conclusions.

A historical mystery and a slow-burn modern romance. The romance is slow-burn only because the characters are immature and rubbish at talking to each other or thinking like adults rather than like schoolchildren. The historical mystery is more compelling, involving a downed pilot in Scotland and the daughter of the family that owns the estate on which he crashed, but both narratives drag somewhat until the reveals at the end. Not quite as good as the author's first book, but still not a bad read.

Very enjoyable historical romance, intertwining two stories and keeping the outcome unknown right until the end. I got caught up in the story telling, the setting and the likeable characters and was sorry when it ended. Will look forward to more from this author. Thank you.

This is a interesting love story that is actually two stories, past of 1940 and present day. I found the past story to be much more interesting then the present story. The present story seemed to drag on a bit.
There is romance, suspense and insight into what life was like in the 1940’s.
I would definitely recommend this book if you like reading historical romance. The characters are relatable though not always likable. All in all, it is a cute story that keeps you engaged enough to keep reading to find out what happens in the end. A story that makes you think about how the choices we make in life can cause many unexpected chain of events.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion and review.

Well written story with a slight twist at the end which I did not see coming! Believable, well constructed characters. I liked the way that the plot moved between the 2 timelines. Recommended.

This is a beautiful book to read. It’s set in wartime and the present. A house In Scotland by a Loch, with characters from the war time to the present, what’s not to like! Would thoroughly recommend.

I love books set in Scotland and hope to one day visit there, myself. When I heard about this book from a fellow reviewer, I knew I had to read it! I am so glad I did. Lorna Cook did a beautiful job on the story that unfolds around Invermoray house on a Scottish Loch. This book tells the story of two different but connected generations, one during WWII and one in current time. Each story has romance, secrets to unravel and tragedy.

I found The Forbidden Promise to be well written and the characters to be realistic and relatable. I was very interested and pulled into both story lines. Invermoray house and the surroundings sound beautiful making this another book that has encouraged me to plan a trip to Scotland!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and Lorna Cook for the ARC of The Forbidden Promise in exchange for my honest review.

It is 1940 and in the highlands its Constance's 21st birthday and she escapes her party fed up with everything.
Suddenly a spitfire crashes into the Loch in front of the house. Constance dives in and rescues the pilot and then she hides him.in an old cottage. He is disillusioned with the war and doesn't want to return so she hides him.

Fast forward to 2020. Kate arrives at the house employed to turn it into a luxury B&B. She stumbles on a picture of Constance and her brother but why is her name scribbled out of the family bible. What had happened here and to the family?

Can Kate solve the mystery and find her own happiness?

This one was more romance than Historical Fiction, but still a has a bit of a mystery to it. It takes us on a journey of two timelines-1940 and 2020.

I enjoyed Constance's story in 1940 the most. She witnesses a pilot crashing into a lake on the property of her parents. She rescues him and must hide his secrets.

Kate's story takes place in 2020. She takes a job in a B&B and discovers some interesting background and connections to the 1949 story.

I feel the story could have been a bit shorter and some dialogue seemed cliche. In the end, I did enjoy it and it was an "escape" type of read. Predictable, but has a bit of mystery angle too.