I just finished this novel, and really enjoyed it. There weren't many shocking twists, but the unfolding of the story worked well. It is a story of family, friendship, the way our choices impact not only our futures but have the ability to destroy others. I read it as more of a literary fiction than a suspense/thriller. It reminded me of the feeling I had as I was reading Little Fires Everywhere.

Amy is due to get married in two weeks but when her fiance Matt disappears she is left with no choice but to call the wedding off as the police investigation is underway. Meanwhile, Fiona also reports her missing partner, Matt, to the police. He was supposed to be moving in with her.

Amy refuses to believe that Matt has been living a double but police quickly prove this is the case and begin questioning both women. Where is Matt? And, who's version of events do the police believe?

The Vow, is a beautifully written domestic thriller told from the perspectives of Amy, Fiona and Amy's daughter Jess. The book, goes between the present day and the past, allowing us an insight into Amy's childhood.

The characters and the story of this book are so well developed. For example, Amy is a herbalist and it was evident Debbie did her research as within the story we what different herbs and flowers mean etc. I thought this was really well done as it gave so much depth to Amy's character and made her profession and passion come to life. Furthermore, it wasn't just the main characters who were well portrayed- so often in books minor characters get name dropped and it is hard to imagine them - but even minor characters were brought to life throughout this book.

The Vow sucked me in right from the start and I found it immensely gripping. Unfortunately, the book was a little predictable as I guessed the ending about half way through, but never the less I was still hooked and keen to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

I enjoyed this story very much, it is full of twists and turns that gave me whiplash there was so much going on. It started well and I was drawn into this story immediately and couldn't wait to see where it would lead me. Full of mystery, scandals, unsavoury characters it had everything that makes a psychological story a really good read.

Told from different four POV's it goes from the present and flits back to the past to find out all the dirty secrets that Amy and Fiona have kept to themselves over the years. Amy was, I thought, a slightly naive and gullible person who was wearing rose coloured glasses when it came to her fiance Matt. Fiona was a mystery that I was dying to find out more about, and Matt was just a sheep in wolf's clothing. Amy's daughter Jess was the only person that talked some sense in this story and was very level headed. and likeable.

I did revel in the way the author has written this story; she took me on a journey through many a twisted road. Just when I thought I had worked out what was going on she turned the whole lot upside down and I was back to square one, wondering what on earth was happening, It certainly kept me on my toes guessing right until the very end. For me, the only slight downside to the story was that I would have is that I felt the story lagged in the middle and was at times slightly repetitive but that being said I was mainly held captive all the way through and couldn't wait to find out what would happen.

This is definitely a recommended read!!

Amy Reid, an herbalist -also considered an alchemist- is due to marry the love of her life in barely a fortnight. They spent day and night preparing their wedding, writing their vows and thinking of their future together. Suddenly, Matthew -her fiancée- disappears leaving no trace behind and unleashes a series of events that will send Amy spiralling down her past. With Matt presumably dead, she is adamant that someone is framing her into a heinous crime.

Though written in a first-person narrator -with brief fragments as a kind of diary-, Mrs. Howells beautifully led us through a thrilling story. By the beginning of itself, you can sense the tension building up and every character becomes a suspect. It is not until almost the end of it, you can recognise who is behind everything that has been happening.

I liked the way Debbie intertwined her knowledge about plants with the story of Amy, it was really good to know that some flowers and herbs have a meaning behind. The way the tension built up almost immediately was another thing that made me not want to put it down, you could’ve nearly sense everything the main character felt.

It was for sure a terrific reading, I can’t stop thinking about how everything unravelled at last. It is, without doubt, one of the most thrilling books of this year so far.

I thank Debbie Howells, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic page turner. Amy is blissfully engaged to Matt. They are supposed to be getting married in two weeks when he disappears. As the mystery unravels we find out that Amy's life wasn't as good as she would have us, the readers, believe. Matt is controlling and abusive. When all this comes to light Amy is framed for his murder. Fiona, a childhood friend, is also implicated. Lots of twists and turns make you want to just sit and read this book.

A must read for any woman! Get your revenge and mystery through this tale of love and heart break. I couldn’t put it down!

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy, 3.5 *

Everything was perfect. And then her fiance disappeared…

This is a book about secrets, we all have them but some secrets should stay hidden. Amy plans to marry the man of her dreams Matt but is Matt all he appears to be. When he disappears another women claims he was supposed to be leaving Amy and moving in with her.

As the police delve into the past secrets and lies surface. This is a well written pacy book that kept me absorbed.

A Catalogue Of Bizarre Events.....
Compelling psychological suspense. A gripping read which follows our protagonist, Amy, who is struggling to make sense of a veritable catalogue of bizarre events. Twists and turns aplenty with a credible cast. Will Amy find the truth?

A really great read, picked it up and couldn't put it down, a great storyline, easy to follow and wrapped up to a satisfactory conclusion

The books keeps you guessing till the end! Lots of twists and turns and red herrings, keeping you turning the pages to find out what was going on.
With 2 weeks to go until her wedding, Amy’s fiancé goes missing. But why? And how are things connected? And what secrets is she keeping? Kept me mystified till close to the end.
Really well written and suspenseful.

That was a really riveting story! It was told from the perspective of three characters Amy, Fiona and Jess (Amy's daughter). Whilst Jess was an innocent caught up in the story, Amy and Fiona were the main focus of the story.

With you getting the chance to read the story from Amy's and Fiona's perspective, it was hard to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth!

You also got brief interludes going back to 1996 when Kimberley, a young girl, died because of an accident.

When Matt, who was supposed to get married to Amy disappears in the present, it leads to questions as to whether the two incidents are linked.

I can't say I really liked Amy or Fiona, although I did feel sorry for the way Matt treated Amy. Matt was a narcissistic pig and I hated him.

The only one I liked was Jess. She was brave, intelligent and really saw Matt for the kind of person he truly was. Amy was lucky to have a daughter like Jess.

I wasn't sure about the cops either. I felt they were way to harsh on Amy. I felt myself feeling sorry for her at times.

Just on a side note, I think this would have been a good book to read on the Pigeonhole app! I think my fellow readers would have had plenty to comment on whilst reading this!

Thank you to NetGalley, Debbie Howells and publisher Avon Books UK for the chance to read this book.

3 STARS

DANG what a soap opera of a read!! For Fans of Sandie Jones (The Half Sister, The Other Woman, The First Mistake), The Vow is an excellent domestic thriller for you!

When a bride finds out her soon-to-be-husband was planning on dumping her for another woman, the beginning of the story had me gripped by the reigns. And then, the groom ended up dead!! GASP!! 😱

It turns into a mystery of whodunnit. But slowly, the book loses its interest - almost like the author ran out of good ideas and lost interest in her characters. It got boring and mundane at times, so that’s why I’m giving this book 3 stars. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it. It had potential, but just didn’t deliver!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Debbie Howells for a review copy. This book will be published on October 15, 2020.

Really really enjoyed this book. Well written and the plot was brilliant. Author has done a fab job and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from them

Kill one man, and you are a murderer.

Amy's fiance disappears two weeks before their wedding. Already filled with worry and grief, Amy is being hit with yet another shocking discovery, her beloved Matt has been living a double life. And miles away, Matt's girlfriend Fiona is full of suspicion of Amy's involvement in Matt's disappearance.

Matt is not the only connection between Amy and Fiona. The two women have a wretched past, that both of them are trying to escape.

Great plot, I was very surprised by the turn of the events at the end. The dialogue felt a bit cheesy at times, but otherwise, it’s a smooth and entertaining read. Thank you NetGalley and Avon publisher for a free and advanced copy of the book.

If you love thrillers this book is for you.
Kept me guessing until the end.
Great characters & a very twisty plot.
Definitely recommend.

The Vow is a book that started off as a romantic prelude as Amy prepared to marry the man of her dreams. His disappearance two weeks before the big day, transformed the story into one of betrayal, deceit and confusion. Told from the point of three main characters, it had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged. I found Amy to be a little irritating, due to her ability to accept everything that was happening to her without really reacting. Daughter Jess’ narrative made up for this though as she was confident and self assured. Am enjoyable read - thank you to Netgalley for the chance to review.

Woah! This book was outstanding. I was hooked from the first page. Thanks @netgalley and @avon_books for an advanced copy.

I’ve finished watching Lucifer lately and was rooting for some good modern criminal fiction and I came across the synopsis of The Vow. I couldn’t sleep properly until I finished the book.

Synopsis:
Everything was perfect. And then her fiance disappeared…
‘Dazzling’ DAILY MAIL
‘A terrific new talent’ PETER JAMES
Two weeks before her wedding, a stranger stops Amy in the street and warns her she’s in danger. Then that night, Matt, her fiancé, doesn’t come home. Desperate, Amy calls the police – but when Matt fails to emerge, she’s forced to call off her wedding day.
Then another man is reported missing, by a woman called Fiona – a man meeting Matt’s description, who was about to leave his fiancée for her.  He was supposed to be moving in with her – but instead, he’s vanished.
Amy refuses to believe Fiona’s lover can be her Matt – but photos prove otherwise, and it soon becomes clear that Matt has been leading a double life. As the police dig deeper, two conflicting, yet equally plausible stories emerge from two women who allegedly have never met.
The wedding day never happened. But the funeral might.

Things I absolutely loved about this book:
1. Amy is totally unreliable , her thoughts will drive you crazy
2. Fiona’s simple one dimensional role.
3. The first half of the book is breathtaking, the storyline keeps getting better.
Now the things which made me a bit disappointed:
1. Some plot twists happened during the police investigation which sounded a bit unrealistic.
2. Fiona’s storyline at the end wasn’t up to the mark.
Apart from that this book is a good one. It comes out this October. So hurry up and add this to your fall tbr list.

A twisty thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed and explored and the plot flows nicely

Although we start off in the romantic genre, this book very quickly moves to psychological thriller with some nice twists and turns of the plot along the way. Just when you think you've guessed who the villain of the piece is and you've got it all worked out, it isn't quite as obvious as it appears and there are more victims than you think. I would have liked Amy to have been a little stronger and less accepting of blame and punishment but perhaps the writer intended to emphasise the wider impact of gaslighting which is becoming more exposed - the apparent perfect relationship can hide many secrets. I'd definitely read more by this writer.

I enjoyed this book as it kept me guessing until the very end and every time I thought I had sussed it I hadn't. The only thing I was unsure of was the apparent lack of police capability in carrying out the simplest of things, however putting that aside, this is a good book.