Amy is engaged to Matt and is busy putting the final touches to their wedding in two weeks time. Then one day she gets a call from Matt saying he will be late home - but then never arrives. As the police investigate him as a missing person, Amy starts learning that he was not the man she thought he was. He was cheating on her with Fiona, but Fiona hasn't seen him either.

As the evidence starts to stack up against Amy, her daughter Jess is determined to find out the truth - little realising just what that truth is.

The story is a slow starter and is a bit repetitive but it soon picks up pace as each character tells their tale with their twists and turns as the links start to reveal themselves. A good read overall

In two weeks time, Amy will marry the man she loves. That is until he she learns he's gone missing. As she tries to figure out what's going on, she realises she knew nothing about him. Suddenly her life begins to unravel in a way she would have never expected.

I had no idea what this book was about when I dove in and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be a bit of a thriller. Debbie Howells weaved in the plot twists so well that I was never 100% certain of which way the book was going to go. The characters were well written as I didn't know who to trust and that is a pretty perfect set up for a thriller. If you're interested in herbs, plants and gardens, they play an important role in this book and I now feel like this is an area I need to look into. All in all, a good thriller that kept me turning the pages.

Everything was perfect. And then her fiance disappeared…

Amy and Matt appear to have the perfect relationship and in two weeks time it will be their wedding day. Whilst out delivering to a client in Brighton, Amy is stopped by a random woman, claiming Amy doesn't know who Matt really is and warning her that she is in grave danger, she immediately dismisses her ranting behaviour, certain the woman doesn't know what she's talking about, but later that night Matt doesn't come home and when he's still not back the next morning Amy is forced to call the police to report him missing. When another man, fitting Matt's description, is also reported missing by a woman called Fiona, Amy refuses to believe that it's her Matt, he wouldn't do this to her, would he? As the police dig deeper it emerges that he's been living a double life, but that isn't the only thing that's been kept secret and when it's all revealed the lies will have far reaching consequences on many lives. The big question is, will they find Matt and is he still alive?

The story is told from three perspectives; Amy, Fiona and Jess in the present day, with a few snippets from an unknown person going back to 1996, it's a tale of love, obsession, secrets and lies. I was definitely Team Amy and refused to believe that she was anything but innocent in Matt's disappearance and was really rooting for her and the truth to be uncovered. I didn't like Matt at all, with his controlling behaviour and I didn't care much for Fiona either. It's a well crafted plot that draws the reader in from the first page and keeps you hooked till the end. The author tells the story so seamlessly with the right amount of mystery and intrigue to keep you wanting more, this is the first book I've read by Howells, devouring it in less than a day, but it won't be the last. A fabulous read which I highly recommend.

I'd like to thank Avon Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Everything was perfect. And then her fiance disappeared…
The story begins 2 weeks before the wedding. We are introduced to Amy, fiancée and soon to be wife of Matt. She owns her own business, her own house in the country, has a daughter and generally appears to have her life together – her wedding soon to be the topper on that cake.
However, Amy is stopped in the street and given a strange warning about Matt, telling her that her life is in danger, which understandably unnerves her. Matt is then strange with her on the phone later in the day, telling her he’ll be out at dinner with a client from oversees. He never returns. Amy is understandably hurt, worried, confused. Where is the love of her life? Is he safe? She is paranoid and unsettled, smelling strange smells in her home and wondering more about the stranger in the street. She calls the police, waiting eagerly for her partner to return. That is until she discovers that there was no dinner with a client, that he wasnt where he was saying her was, and that another woman just reported him missing. A woman who claims that Matt is in fact HER Partner. Matt has been living a double life.
Well this book honestly had me captured. It’s fast paced, so many stories entwined, twists, turns, shocking moments. It’s very much on the same wave as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Where is Matt? What has happened to him? Is he hurt, is he missing, or has he got cold feet? Who is this other woman?
I enjoyed that the book is written from different character perspectives of women and we get to understand more about them from each other’s perceptions of the other. Amy who felt her life was perfect for example, is seen to be naive and under coercive control from her daughter’s eyes. All is not as Amy wishes to see. Matt is a gaslighting dick who she should want to be clear of regardless. Amy believes that everything must be her fault.
Theres bouquets of flowers wrapped in human blood, dead neighbours, dirty secrets, life long held grudges and deadly potions. Theres so much action, and so many options for who could have done it…not that we even truly understand what ‘it’ is until the final hour.
The negatives in my opinion (as someone who puts on true crime stories to fall asleep to and who spent most of their teenage years watching law and order SVU..) are that the police interviews and their conversations held with Amy and others are completely unbelievable. There is no way that British Police officers would behave in that way, speak the way that they did or give as much away to a potential suspect as they did. There is also a piece of evidence used much later to convict someone of something, and I also don’t believe that that particular ‘exhibit A’ would have even ended up in court. The CPS rarely choose to pursue convictions even with paramount evidence. It unfortunately just felt a lot like artistic license and took away a little bit from the fun of the book for me. I also felt that there was some holes in the story that we never found out, the story lulled in the middle and I wanted a little bit more character development from the other woman, but it’s forgiven due to the ending.
I’ve read enough thrillers to have guessed it, but it was still a well formed story line, a great thriller and the characters were well developed and so made a really entertaining read.

CAN’T PUT IT DOWN RATING: 3.5/5

I honestly think this is a very well written thriller. It’s pacey, exciting and full of shock, horror, twists and secrets. The only reason it has scored 3.5 for me is because of the unrealistic police scenes and interviews and a couple of plot holes. Otherwise this is a thriller with real promise, and one which is sure to excite and entertain thousands of readers when it is released on 15th October 2020!

Thanks to Avon books and net galley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for my unbiased review

I'm torn here on a 4.5 star rating, on whether to give it a 5 or a 4. I'm going with a 4 on due to not being completely blown away (and my stupid high standards).

That being said though, this was a superb book. The first quarter was it's weakest but it did draw you in, I thought a few times that I'd sussed it really early on but boy was I wrong.

As I read on I got more and more pulled into the story line, the webs of lies, the hidden links, I certainly did not guess the ending.

I was satisfied to a point with the ending, but I LOVE a book with absolutely no loose ends at all!

I enjoyed this...it was a fast moving rollercoaster of a read...never entirely sure of the outcome until it is finally revealed. Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me an ARC of The Vow by Debbie Howells in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. Strong start, but lost it towards the end like the author didn't know where to go with the story.

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise is intriguing, and the book starts off strong - however, I found the writing sloppy and repetitive, and found it hard to get invested. There were also a few too many points where belief had to be suspended to keep the plot chugging onward. This was an okay read for me, but not anything to get excited about.

Matt was clearly a rat- he left both Amy and Fiona more or less at the altar- at more or less the same time! But now he's disappeared (of course he has) and lots of secrets are about to spill out. This is told alternately by Amy, her daughter Jess, and Fiona. It moves back and forth between the present and the 1990s. There's more to all of these people (except maybe Jess) than meets the eye at first. It's twisty and sometimes a little out there but the writing is good and you will be entertained. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

The Vow is Wow, this is one of those books that you cannot put down.... kept me awake to continue reading into the night..... loved it and found that there were twists and turns along the way...

It makes you look at relationships and how there are sometimes more to a person than face value... it is mind blowing

It is worth a read and should be in the top ten.... Richard and Judy this is one for the book club !!!!!!

Must read thriller hooked from page 1. There was so much suspense throughout couldn't put this down. 5 stars.
Story of a double life, danger, entrigue

Descriptive writing style and the different narrators had me hooked from Page 1, and I couldn’t put it down. What happens when a fiancée goes missing just 2 weeks before your wedding and your world starts falling apart. Second-time bride Amy is excited for her upcoming wedding to Matt, until he goes missing and strange things start happening to her, She reports him missing, and a few days later, so does another woman, his Partner! They don’t know about each other...or do they? Just as you are getting comfortable with the storyline of missing Matt, and you are vested which She Said/She Said, a new twist comes into play and everyone is in trouble. Add a determined daughter and a few minor characters and the book will have you hook, line and sinker!

Enjoyed this fast paced thriller by a new author for me. I look forward to reading her again. Thanks to Ms. Howells, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!

This book was okay, but didn't really grip me. I found it to be quite repetitive in places, and the police were odd sometimes. .I am afraid it really didn't keep my interest .I hope other readers will enjoy it more than I did.

Although this novel contains a few too many of the tropes of contemporary psychological thrillers, it is an enjoyable read, well written and with interesting characters. The theme of the central character having their life turned upside down by unexpected discoveries with inevitable twists and turns along the way has been somewhat overdone recently but Debbie Howells keeps the reader onside by keeping the theme fresh.

Amy’s finance, Matt, suddenly disappears two weeks before their wedding. Earlier the same day Amy is approached by a stranger who tells Amy that Matt is not the person she thinks he is and that she is in danger. I'm still not sure who that stranger was other than a plot device to add mystery and intrigue early on.

Amy reports Matt’s disappearance to the police who seem to take it seriously even though he’s only been missing about 20 hours at this point, .A day or so later Amy discovers that Matt has been reported missing by another woman who claims that Matt was about to leave Amy for her.

And so the twists being. I had a hard time believing some of the things that the police did and they seemed to switch their opinion of Amy from victim to perpetrator and v.v. for no great reason. There were too many things that the police did, or didn’t do, that didn’t add up and I felt the text needs an expert in police procedural matters to make it credible. I also had a problem with Amy’s therapist disclosing details of their private therapy sessions. Amy had been with Matt a couple of years and yet was only going to meet his parents at the wedding and hadn't even spoken to them or even knew their address other than they lived in Edinburgh. Her daughter, Jess, was not keen on Matt from the beginning but didn't search Matt's Facebook profile and history until days after his disappearance. She then creates a montage of images on the wall of her university room like you see in TV crime dramas!

Amy is a herbalist and at one point her character was decimated by the police as she had mock orange, anemone, marigolds, narcissi, lavender, aconites and yellow hyacinths in the garden which apparently represent deceit, forsakenness, pain and grief, egotism, distrust, poisonous word and jealousy. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at this passage as these are all such common plants in many gardens for no other reason than being popular in the UK.

It was a good story that kept me reading as I wanted to know what had really happened but there were too many places where I had to suspend belief that something would have really happened. 3.5 stars.

With thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great premise to a book of two different women reporting the same man missing, a man they both claim was their partner. It is a page-turner with lots of twists and unreliable narrators and will keep you gripped. It does require a suspension of belief but as an escapist read, it certainly works.

This was an entertaining book. It was told from multiple points of view, as a mysterious disappearance unfolds. It kept me guessing about what was really going on. I enjoyed this book.

All night she thinks they are just pre-wedding jitters, but when Matt still isn’t home the next morning, she knows it is a sign of what is ahead. With just two weeks to go until the big day, why would he do this to her? It is so uncharacteristic of him not to return home from his business meeting; even more so that he does’t show up for work the next day, nor the one after that. A visit from the detective takes Amy's fear to the next level. Another woman has reported her fiancée missing too? He fits Matt’s description. What are the chances? Matt’s passport and clothes are still in the drawers. She even finds a copy of the endearing wedding vow he’s written. Surely he isn’t planning on leaving! Then her worst fear is realized. Surveillance cameras pick up evidence that Matt could be leading a double life.

This well-crafted, immensely gripping thriller will have you second-guessing each character and madly flipping pages. Told from 3 alternating perspectives (Amy, Fiona, and Amy’s daughter, Jess) a story of sorrow, manipulation and revenge emerges. As the plot unravels, you’ll be reminded that things aren’t always as they seem and the past has a way of catching up with us. Howell’s engaging storyline will have you identifying, empathizing, and believing in one character so fiercely only to swiftly shred your hypothesis to pieces in the next chapter. You’ll be constantly second-guessing the reliability of each character’s actions and sweating with heart palpitations as the relentless detectives attempt to get at the truth.

The success of the author's writing, I believe, is three-fold. Firstly, she lives in a village near Steyning, England. In fact, during one interview for Sussex Life, she reveals that she lives “in a small cottage up a very quiet lane”. Knowing rural country village life herself, makes her character’s actions and social interactions come to life. Secondly, Howells is able to draw on her previous career as the owner of a thriving wedding floristry business. Knowing the names and secret languages of the flowers would help the author describe the country gardens and build up to Amy’s livelihood. Finally, the author is able to successfully get into the character’s minds and what motivated them as a result of her university studies in psychology. There is no doubt in my mind that this helped Howells adeptly write about bizarre behavior and make the interview process so believable. The culminating effect is a mystery masterpiece.

You’ll have to pick up a copy of this book on October 15, 2020 and decide for yourself: Which one of these women do you believe? What happened to Matt? Is there a wedding or a funeral?

Thank you to Debbie Howells, Netgalley and Avon Books for gifting me this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book starts with introducing the reader to Amy and Matt who are due to be married in two weeks. Amy seems over the moon as she has been alone for some time with her daughter, who has recently left for university.
As the story progresses we learn that Matt may have been living a doubly life and things may not have been as harmonious as portrayed. When he fails to come home after a work meeting Amy is forced to contact the police to report him missing.
We learn that he has been having a relationship with a local solicitor, Fiona and the story is told from her point of view, alongside that of Amy and her daughter Jess.
I was drawn to the book initially by the fabulous cover and the blurb made it look like an interesting read. It was very suspenseful and the characters were well written and there was a connection to the past that I kept guessing at and was wrong several times.
It was a tense thriller but also a story about relationships and manipulation and the love of a daughter for her mum and her confidence that she was the innocent party.
I would definitely recommend this book and will be looking forward to reading others by the author.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Recap: Amy’s wedding date is weeks away, she and Matt have written their vows and finalizing plans. Until one day, Matt doesn’t come home. Amy reports his disappearance to the police, and later learns that Matt hasn’t been completely honest. Amy learns that another woman has also reported him missing, and he has been living a double life.

As we meet other characters, we learn that Amy and Matt’s relationship wasn’t as great as Amy portrayed it. Could Amy have snapped and harmed Matt during one of their blowups?

Sweettea: This was my type of twisty thriller - quick start, unreliable narrators, secrets and lies being exposed, connections to past and present...! Ahh, the plot keeps thickening.

There were so many new surprises and plot twists throughout that kept me guessing and wanting to know what would happen next. I had a suspicion of how this would end, but it was a fun ride getting there. I loved how more stories were introduced and unfolded as the story went on, and the connections to past and present.

What I didn’t like was how everyone referred to Amy as unstable, or erratic when she gave natural responses to upsetting news or encounters. That was so annoying because it happened often.

As someone who’s been burnt out on thrillers lately, this one was a really nice surprise!