Thank you so much for the ARC of The Forbidden Promise by Lorna Cook. I read this in two days and stayed up way past my bedtime both nights to read. Historical fiction set in Scotland in 1940 and travels back to the present day throughout. There's mystery and romance. I could not put this down.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this story of two timelines. One set in the 40s and the other, present day in the same home: Invermoray House. Matthew and Constance‘s storyline was very interesting and at times suspenseful, wondering how their relationship would fare. I found the descriptions of the ghillie cottage as well as of Invermoray House were written so beautifully, it made me want to book a night at both! In the present day storyline, Kate and James are working so diligently to open Invermoray House as essentially a B&B, all while fighting feelings for one another.

Overall, I’m rating this book 4 stars. I enjoyed the setting descriptions and character development.

The Forbidden Promise by Lorna Cook came as a pleasant surprise to me. Set in my own backyard of the Moray Firth in north east Scotland, it tells two stories linked by one house. One takes place in 1940 and the other today and both feature young women struggling to find their places in the world. I thought both of them were well developed and came off the page. It is true that some of the story turns on well-worn plot devices but these are handled lightly. In fact my only real quibble with the book is the dreadful rendering of how the author hears the local accent - interestingly only used by two of the characters. That was off-putting and perhaps needs to be edited out of the final version at the same time as one or two facts are checked.

I was given an advance copy of Lorna Cook’s 1st book The Forgotten Village and really enjoyed it, so I was happy to see her second book available for advance review. I think I loved this book even better than the first one.

The story takes place at a Scottish country house called Invermoray, (what a great name). The book is a dual time line taking place in 1940 and present time. In 1940 Constance is celebrating her 21st birthday with a grand party. She feels it is a bit in bad taste with the war going on but her parents insist. While taking a much needed breather from the party and her brother’s odious friend, she witnesses a plane crash into the Loch. She rescues the pilot, Matthew and offers him sanctuary in the Ghillie’s cottage. What happens next is the mystery on the story.

In modern times Kate is hired by Liz to help turn Invermoray house into a bed and breakfast. Kate does not realize that the house is in a lot of debt and that Liz’s son James has come home to assist, he is less than pleased to have Kate come into what he feels is his territory. Kate is determined to make a success of the venture she was hired to do, despite James’ attitude. While working to save the house, Kate stumbles on the mystery of Constance and Matthew. What happened all those years ago and why is no one willing to tell the story?

This was a great dual time story that addresses some of the parts of war that is not often discussed, namely that not every soldier was eager to give his life for country, no matter what the expectations of the time are. I really enjoyed this book it has my favorites, dual time periods, a period house, and a mystery. I would like to think Avon books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I read The Forgotten Village and loved it so was very keen to read this. ?It didn't disappoint!

It was two romance stories rolled into one with a stunning Scottish house called , Invermoray on the banks of a loch at its core.
One story is set in the present day when there is a PR exec trying to get the house back to its former glory in looks and style and turn it into a hot destination the war years we see a fighter plane crash land not far from the house and the young girl who lives there goes to save the pilot.

The stories are both very well evoked but it's the setting that links the two stories and glistens like that loch. The waters are deep and mysterious that's for sure. Both compelling stories I was intrigued to see how things would all pan out and I was immersed into a world of mystery across the ages. The house and location are glorious!

There's a lot to discover in this novel and it's one to read over a long weekend wrapped iup in a tartan blanket with a hot chocolate and a scottie dog shortbread to hand.

I recommend this book, it will give you hours of enjoyment.

2 stories in the same house years apart. From the minute I started the book I was drawn in and could not put it down. I love the way the author writes, it flowed well. I could just imagine the characters set In Scotland in the beautiful scenery.

Although it’s not difficult to see where this story is heading, it’s absolutely fine, as it’s a throughly enjoyable time getting there. Cook’s writing makes it easy for the reader to submerge themselves into the world of novel. In this book, we have two narratives and time periods, the modern day and during World War Two. I enjoyed the modern day story and the two leads a little more than the 1940s story, but that’s just a personal preference. Both storylines meld together seamlessly though and I really enjoyed moving back and forth as the stories progressed. The setting is a large country house in Scotland where both narratives merge; I loved seeing the house and estate in both these times and the changes it faced. I really enjoyed the two love stories and how both couples faced great challenges and odds.

Overall, both joined to create a tragic and satisfying story of love, passion, betrayal, misunderstandings and grief.

I would recommend this book and will definitely read more by this author.

This is a gentle story reminding me of Rosamund Pilcher. A pleasant read which I can recommmend but I have to say that it is very predictable. I was able to plan out the book from the early stages and was completely accurate - even to the outcomes of minor characters in the story.
The twist which is revealed in the last 10% of the book was also predictable.

This was a dual timeline story. It was a gentle read and I found that I preferred the parts of the book that were set in the 1940s. There was more drama and mystery and tension. Overall I really enjoyed reading it and found myself getting through it pretty rapidly!

After a brilliant first novel one is always a bit worried that the next one may disappoint, but this second novel from Lorna Cook simply confirms her growing reputation as an exciting new talent. The timeline is once again 1940 and present day, but the setting this time is an ancestral pile in the Scottish Highlands. The property is in need of restoration and reinvention, and in the process a fascinating tale from the wartime era emerges with some very unexpected plot twists. The characters are strongly drawn and I found I just had to keep reading!

I read one of Lorna Cook’s books a few months ago, so I was very excited to see this one on Net Galley. The book takes place in Scotland at a beautiful estate called Invermoray. This book is told in present day by Kate, who has been hired for her PR experience to revitalize the estate and turn it into a travel destination, and in the fall of 1940, the thick of WWII by Constance the daughter of the estate owner. On the evening of her 21st birthday, Constance witnesses a Spitfire crash into the loch. She jumps in to help the struggling pilot. What happens that evening has a tragic affect on the next two generations of the family. I felt that the story started a bit slowly due to introducing and familiarizing the reader with the characters. The story begins to move along quite quickly and is a page turner. There is a completely unexpected twist that caught this reader completely by surprise. I highly recommend this book to fans of the author, historical fiction or mysteries. I have but one complaint, the use of the phrase ‘these ones’, which is not only grammatically incorrect, but not a slang that would be used in such a higher classed setting. Hopefully the editors will correct this. Thank you to Net Galley for the pleasure of reviewing this book.

Well written. Great character development and plot with many twists and turns. I really like how the author braided the two stories together. There was great suspense, just enough romance and interesting subject matter (WW2). The only way I saw this book could have been improved upon was when Kate finds there isn’t enough money to pay her so she decides she will leave, and there was no development on why she changed her mind. The next chapter just informs you she is staying. It was abrupt and lost some of the tension. Otherwise this is an excellent book that I highly recommend.

Constance is celebrating her 21st birthday at her home, Invermoray House in Scotland in 1940. She thinks the excess is not appropriate during the war, but her parents can afford things on the black market. When Henry, her brother Douglas's friend in the RAF, makes inappropriate advances, Constance leaves the house to sit in the sark by the loch. As she sits, an airplane crashes into the lock.. Realizing the pilot, Matthew, must be in the submerged plane, she goes into the loch to help him out. Constance then takes him to an estate cottage near the loch. So begins the lies, the plans to keep Matthew hidden, and eventually Constance and Matthew falling in love. Things take a decisive turn for the worse when Matthew is discovered.

Kate is a modern woman who works in public relations. She has been fired from her job because of accusations by a client of inappropriate advances. In fact, it was the client who made the advances. She applies for several jobs and is hired by Liz, the current owner of Invermoray House, to turn the manor house into a money-making bed-&-breakfast for tourists. Kate arrives to find that Liz's son, James, has left his job to help his mother and he is not happy that Kate is there. In addition, Invermoray House is deep in debt.. She is looking for something like Loch Ness to draw tourists to the manor house. Instead of an imaginary monster, a story about a plane crash and drowning is uncovered. Kate finds herself feeling at home in Ivermoray House and attracted to James.

While this is not Christian fiction (there is a lot of drinking, a little profanity, and some sex [not explicit]), the story of both Kate and Constance is compelling. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon books for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Having read lorna's first book which is BRILLIANT I knew that this was going to be something special, and being set in the beautiful Scottish highlands even more so.
In a forbidden promise lorna has set centre stage with such amazing strong characters and slowly and emotionally works her magic to unfold a truly majestic heart wrenching tale of three generations of one family between the 1940's and today full of love and loss and sheer determination this really is a superb work of art.
I really can't praise this book enough.
This is one SPECTACULARIFIC book.

A beautiful drama. Really enjoyed the well developed characters and a fascinating storyline that make this a must read. Highly recommended.

A lifetime of Happiness

Two romance stories, one in WWII and one in current life. Both stories connected to a house called Invermoray on the Scottish Loch.

The year was 1940, the war between Britain and Germany had just begun. This is the story of a house called Invermoray where Douglas a young British pilot and his younger sister Constance lived with their parents. This is where it all begins. Douglas's friend Henry, his sister Constance, and a downed Pilot in the loch named Matthew. The story is about a love affair, secrets reviewed and a tragic death. The story ends with a banishment from Invermoray, a disinheritance, and a happy ever after.

The year is 1999, and James and his mother have inherited Invermoray and decided to turn it into a bed and breakfast. they have hired a young lady from London named Kate to help with this project. Not only do James and Kate discover the mystery behind the airplane they find in the loch, but they actually meet the daughter of Constance. In all this they discover their own forever happiness.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was well written and the characters were realistic and believable. I was very vested in both storylines and had a hard time putting the book down. The house and the surroundings sound so beautiful.

I recommend this book, it will give you hours of enjoyment.

Thanks to Lorna Cook, Avon Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance copy of this book

Kate plans to turn an old estate called Invermoray into a boutique hotel, but there are plenty of problems with the house. It needs a lot of rehab and it also seems to have a dark past. A young woman who lived in the house during the second world war, Constance, is not spoken of in the village. She has in effect, been eradicated from the house’s history. But why? Kate sets out to solve an 80 year old mystery and to restore Constance’s good name