Thank you Avon Books and Net Galley for an early copy of The Vow. Not so good. I so dislike giving a bad review but it took me forever to get through this book. It had a good plot BUT then what happened???? The ending was so far fetched, kind of ruined the book.

I'm not going to write a lot about this book other than to say it is absolutely superb and should not be missed by readers of psychological murder thrillers.
Whenever I start to read a book and the main character is a woman in her thirties (although Amy might have been over 40!) I dread the panic setting in and her job, life, family and friends all seem to crash or disappear as she wrestles with the problems or judgments thrown at her. (Notice I have not said challenges). This book does not proceed like that and I found myself thinking 'yes I can see how and why she reacted that way'
Brilliant and not to be missed

Matt comes into Amy’s life like a whirlwind and before she knows it they have booked their wedding. Jess, her grown up daughter is going to be a bridesmaid. When he goes missing two weeks before their wedding, Amy slowly begins to realise her fiancé is not the lovely caring man she thought he was but one who has been controlling every aspect of her life.

Jess is very wary of Matt and does not trust him or his motives.

Debbie Howell has written a well thought out and intelligent story. Her groundwork is meticulous and the way she collects all the bric-a-brac and arranges them into a glorious picture is a sight to behold (or in this case read).

What a fantastic, well written book, I loved every page and the story line was page turning which kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning.

I did wonder how the back story fitted in but all becomes clear as you read on.

I can thoroughly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for giving me the opportunity to read this great book, a very worthy five stars.

The story itself was good, the characters were enjoyable, but I wasn't a fan of the writing. The dialog fell flat to me, and there was a lot of "telling" instead of "showing." I would have liked more descriptive writing.

I loved the premise of this finding out your fiance has been living a double life with another woman as well as yourself. It is told in alternating perspectives from Amy the fiancee, her daughter Jess, and the other woman Fiona also interspersed with events from 1996 from an as yet unidentified narrator.

There was lots to like but also some areas where it didn't quite fulfil its potential. The story and suspense built steadily throughout, with lots going on with the present day and past flashbacks to keep interest high. It also wasn't obvious the way it was going to pan out or who to suspect. However, that said the second half of the book lost a bit of momentum and I felt slightly let down in the way it turned out. In the end there were a lot of threads that didn't come to anything eg Matt past love life, Cath and the mystery warning.

Most of the characters were really likable, particularly pragmatic, astute, loyal Jess and unreliable, contradictory Amy who will drive you crazy. I was disappointed with Fiona though as her character less developed and consequently quite one-dimensional. I would have liked a bit more about what happened to her in the end.

So, overall a bit mixed but definitely worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book and found that once I'd read the first chapter I couldn't put it down as I had to find out the answers.

Amy and Matt are planning to get married in a couple of weeks. Its going to be the winter wedding of their dreams. The venue is booked, invites out and the vows are written. But then Matt suddenly disappears and it quickly becomes apparent that he has been leading a double life of which Amy has no idea. Amy also has hidden secrets in her past too. I don't want to give anything further away as it will spoil the plot

I enjoyed that this story was told from multiple view points and I especially like hearing from Jess and found her side of the story to be very illuminating regarding Matt and her mother's relationship. The let down for me and why I've only given this 4 stars is the way the police procedurals were handled. WPC Page seems to have a split personality when one minute she appear to be on Amy's side and agreeing that Matt's behaviour was aggressive and the next chapter she is sharp with Amy and quite mean. Also the police allow Jess to do most of the leg work with the investigation which is really a little unbelievable.

There were some great twists in this tale and I really enjoyed the plant symbolism as well as the tales from the past events of 1996. I would definitely read work from this author in the future.

My thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this book very much - it kept me guessing right up to the end. I loved the character of Jess and her role in solving the mystery disappearance. A good read - recommended

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
A secret kept for years about a murder, leads to suicide and revenge -
Amy meets Matt, whom her daughter doesn't care for - but even so they decide to marry.
And then Matt doesn't return home. He is thought to have been murdered. Who? Why?
And another woman claims Matt never returned home - is he living a double life?
And this other woman - seriously - is this her childhood friend?
Grab this book to find all the secrets that lead to a startling conclusion!

A thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery. I loved the twists the tale took and could not put it down, It kept you guessing as to what was going on until the very end. I would willingly read more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book reading it within 24hrs.
It has lots of twists and turns and the questions keep coming!
I live a book that makes you think!
The story is about secrets, friendships and tragedy.
I am being careful what I say as I do t want to give anything away!
Just read it. You will enjoy it.

A very dark and twisted story of revenge.
All the characters are well thought out and provide enough detail for you to feel invested and want to go along with the story. You can empathise with the main character and also feel the anger and betrayal of them.
The whole story is believable enough to add to the tension.

What an amazing story! Starting with a mystery about a missing fiancé, Matt the perfect partner, I was curious to find out what had happened. Then hints start dropping and the story helter-skelters you into a real nail biting psychological thriller, with twists and turns a plenty, keeping you engrossed, desperate to put the clues together.
The characters were realistically portrayed with Amy, the main character, an experienced herbalist, trying desperately to find out what had happened to Matt. There were times when I was so involved I wanted to shake Amy to make her think! Her amazing daughter Jess, forever supporting her mother, reflected a genuinely strong relationship.
The introduction of the mysterious and self-confident Fiona adds yet another layer to the story.
Set in a village and around Brighton, effectively described and easily drawing me in, without me being aware of reading description, I found scenes effortlessly unfolding in my head.
The subtle pointers and hints leave you speculating and trying to untangle the threads which gradually reveal the complex plot.
I loved this book and was heavily emotionally involved sharing the feelings and confusion alongside the characters. I read late into the night to finish it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Amy and Matt are due to be married in a couple of weeks but he has mysteriously disappeared. Added to this he has been leading a secret double life.
However, some people are not who they say they are and another long buried secret jeopardises their freedom. This is a story about secrets, relationships, revenge and loyalty. Amy’s daughter Jess sets out to discover the truth but will the police believe her ?
This book had me hooked from beginning to end and I can’t wait to read more from Debbie Howells.

A new to me author and a first book is always exiting to read for me especially when I have no idea what to expect and I mostly go in blind.
I’m happy that I did choose this thriller because it was so worth it.
From the first chapter to the last, I was invested in this story and wanted to know more and especially why Max has disappeared.
So many secrets to unveil with each chapter and so many twists and turns that some were predictable and some very unexpected.
A great read for the suspense lovers.

Drew me in from the beginning.. then again a little for me. Enough little hints to know what's going on. Worth picking this one up

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for an early release of this book

A story that is intriguing and in a way is quite unique. A stranger stops Amy in the street and warns her she’s in danger. Amy’s fiancé Matt disappears days before their wedding, she’s forced to cancel the wedding, but then another woman reports a man missing whose description fits Matt it’s not until Amy see actual proof that it is Matt she believes it.

What follows is a story of deceit and revenge. This is a story where the past comes back to haunt you, or more likely bite you.
A suspenseful story with multiple POV. Here and there the writing sagged a little but overall a fairly good read definitely worth three stars.

Another book that keeps you guessing... In this thriller, if you pay close enough attention, you can pick up on little clues, but it will still leave you wondering, do I have the correct theory? This was very well written with the twists and turns. I loved that is had 4 different POV. I think
that is what threw me off at first. Well done. Ms. Howells.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Full of twists and turns and little pieces of information in a larger jigsaw. I love a book that has me changing my mind about who dunnit every chapter or two. Whizzed through this in a couple of sittings and I can’t wait to recommend it to my customers and friends! 5*

This book keeps you guessing until the end, although, eventually, the number of 'coincidences' slightly gives the game away. Well written.