The story starts at a fast pace, with Amy being stopped by someone warning her that she is in danger. She is due to be married to her fiancé Matt, and when he fails to turn up following a business meeting she becomes anxious. There are two parts to the story, the second part is told from Fiona’s viewpoint, who has also reported her partner, who matches Matt’s description, as missing.
This compelling story draws you in from the first page. Becoming anxious, Amy phones friends and business colleagues, asking whether they know Matt’s whereabouts, eventually reporting him missing to the police. As the story unfolds, Amy discovers that he has been leading a double life, cancels the wedding and tries to carry on with her life.
The book is skilfully plotted by the author, you feel that you have guessed who is responsible for Matt’s disappearance, but constantly question your decision, changing your mind as the story unfolds. Characters are believable and you feel empathy with Amy and her daughter Jess. But as Fiona's version of events is told, who do you believe?
An extraordinary set of circumstances leading to a thrilling, gripping storyline, and an unexpected conclusion. This is a book which I couldn’t put down until the last page. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher, for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. This story was interesting and engaging. It kept my interest from the first sentence. Poor Amy, a few weeks before her wedding her fiancée disappears. Now she has to let everybody know that the wedding is cancelled, not to mention her concerns for his safety. Is he alive? Has he lied to her? I can't imagine how this must feel. Thankfully she has a people around her for support and a career that she loves. I love gardening so I felt I had a few things in common with Amy's love for her garden. Great book!

This book was decent. It held my attention and kept me wondering about the missing fiance, Matt....at least it did for about the first half. After a while I started to lose interest and stop caring about what happened to him....it was a book I put down and honestly forgot I was reading for a while. I would try this author again in the future

Poor Amy, such a naive and trusting girl. She gives her heart to Matt, without any boundaries. It seems that her daughter Jess has more nous than her mother as she isnt happy with Matt at all, but she sees that her mother loves him.
When Matt disappears the story ramps up and soon it is obvious that he has been living two lives, one with Fiona. who is a very different type of woman. The plot has many turns and twist in it. I found it difficult to keep track of the different voices sometimes.
Altogether a dark and disturbing thriller, but weakened by the seemingly unhelpful police with whom i lost patience..
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy, it was an intriguing story.

The writing is solid and the storyline well thought through. I enjoyed the fact that we were told the story from the different characters points of view as it allowed the author to give us a lot more information.

However, I struggled to get in to this book with the first third feeling a bit slow, then by the halfway point I'd worked out what had happened and spent the rest waiting for a twist that never came.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
I really enjoyed this book, it was face paced and I was really intrigued by the storyline and how it would progress. The start of the book had me gripped and kept me guessing. I would recommend this book.

I loved the premise of this novel: Amy's finance disappears one day after leaving for work. Distraught, she calls the police after a strange woman alerts her that she has no idea who he "really" is. Later another woman, Fiona reports her partner missing and surprisingly it's the same Matt who was engaged to Amy. Of course there are conflicting stories and we don't know whose version of events to believe. Many surprises and twists to secrets that are generations old and come to light as we see the history between Amy and Fiona. A very satisfying read!

This came as a pleasant surprise when I felt a bit stuck with reading. It started off very unimpressively but actually drew me in nonetheless and then it was just a race until finish! It’s not a literary masterpiece but I can see it as a perfect summer thriller. I enjoyed the fact the main character is a herbalist - that was quite refreshing, and I loved all the little details about gardens and the stories they tell. What started off as a bit of an average page-turner revealed some more layers to it, was entertaining and HELD MY ATTENTION for long enough (which is no small achievement atm).

3.5 stars - a good quick read, but I predicted the ending at around the 82%, and turns out I was right. I loved the dual viewpoints of Amy vs Fiona, and how I wasn't sure who to believe there for awhile! The ending wrapped up nicely as well, with no loose ends.

#TakeTheVow #NetGalley

A missing person- two possible versions of the story that leads to the missing of the groom, none of which seem complete.

Things I like- without giving the story away, I would say that the gaslighting concept was demonstrated perfectly. The characters of Amy and Jess are fleshed out completely. The friends Cathy and Zoe also act believably. The history of herbals and the meanings of the herbs and flowers were explained beautifully. Absolutely loved that part!

However, the book wasn't thrilling enough- especially, in the middle. It could've been a much shorter and tighter story. There were a lot of repeated conversations between A&B, A&C, B&D, where the scenes are described in detail all over again. The police investigation is a joke - they seem to care very little about WHO the missing person is and their background. Same with the two suspects -until the suspects themselves revealed some things, the police didn't have a clue. Police investigation in the real world is a lot more thorough and precise than what was shown in this book.

A little slow moving for my taste and I kept checking the percentage of book left while I was reading it.

All in all, I like the book and the characters, but it could've been shorter.

Wow, a compelling read. So many twists and turns it kept me guessing right up to the end. Just when she should have been getting prepared for her wedding, our main character has her whole life turned upside down. Who can she trust? Is she all she seemed?
Definitely recommended and sure to keep you wondering and page turning.

An enjoyable read, I was drawn in from the start. The story was fast paced and a good read. For me the second half of the book did tail off a bit and the ending was slightly disappointing. But overall I enjoyed the book

Amy and Matt are getting married. Two weeks before the wedding, Matt goes missing. The story is told from three perspectives: Amy, Jess, and Fiona. This book immediately drew me in, with Amy’s narratives about herbs and gardening. Although the basic storyline is familiar, the author spins it so well that it felt fresh. It is a slow burn of a story, as secrets and vows unravel. Recommended.

Amy receives a strange call from her Fiancé Matt two weeks before their wedding and after their vows have been written. Matt disappears and Amy finds out that another woman, Fiona, is also claiming to be with Matt and that he was going to leave Amy for her. This is news to Amy!
A well written thriller with added events along the way that keep you guessing until the end. Is Matt who he says he is or is there a secret waiting to come out?
Jess, Amy's daughter, is a very strong character and she helps to find the way to the truth at the end.
An enjoyable read and one I would definitely recommend.

Just two weeks before their wedding, Amy’s fiancé Matt disappears. This is the beginning of a nightmare where she tries to work out what has happened to him.

The story is told alternately by Amy, her daughter Jess, and by the other woman. The first half of the story moves at a rapid pace and had me gripped. As more is revealed of Matt’s character, it appears that their perfect relationship was not what it appeared to be.

The second half of the story, told more from the perspective of the other woman in the story, left me feeling somewhat perplexed. I kept alternating between which one of them I thought was guilty. The pace of the story slowed here and although still interesting, it wasn’t unputdownable as it had been at the beginning. The police involvement didn’t feel quite as realistic at it could have been as the WPC had too comfortable a relationship with Amy’s daughter to be entirely believable.

The ending took me by surprise. It was neatly packaged and explained the doubts I had been experiencing earlier. This is an enjoyable read with an unexpected ending.

This started out to be a really promising read, gripping from the beginning. As we see Amy and Matt planning their wedding, only two weeks away. Putting the final touches on everything with their wedding planner, and just needing to sort out the final seating plan. Until one day Matt left for work and didn’t return. Where had he gone? Amy is frantic, calling everyone she can think of. Eventually reporting him missing to the police. But then another woman reports a man missing as well, it turns out that was Matt as well.

The story is told with flashbacks of the past, to Kimberley and Charlie and tragic events, jealousy, that changed lives forever. Then the present through the eyes of Amy a herbalist who earns her living making ointments and potions from plants and herbs she grows in her garden. Jess her daughter, and Fiona a lawyer and seemingly the other woman.

The story begins really well, with a strong plot that makes you wonder where is Matt? Is he dead or alive? But then about half way through, something just starts to flag a little with the plot. The police officers and their investigation is ridiculous, in fact they don’t really do an investigation, that’s all down to Jess, she is the only one who looks for any type of evidence as to what is going on. Which made the story become unbelievable to a certain extent. The fact that Amy is arrested for the murder of Matt, she has a useless lawyer who never says a word. The police officer WPC Page’s tone we are constantly told is ‘sharp’. There is also some repetition of the story from 1996 which didn’t give any new information, it was the same thing being told, which seemed a little unnecessary.

I liked Amy and Jess both likeable characters, Fiona was hard. But they were needed that way for the story.

Overall a good plot, I was just disappointed as to how the second half of the book went.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Avon for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Alriiiighhttt

This book really pulls you in starting from the beginning! Gotta suck to have been ditched two weeks before your wedding! You can't even get in touch of your fiance to talk about why he left you and where he even was. There is no information until Amy needs to call the police to report her fiance, Matt, missing.
Too bad there is another woman looking for Matt too. They have been a couple for a while now.
You think it couldn't get any worse; not getting married to your love because he left you and went missing. Now he also has a mistress as well!
Oh how much I wanted to sympathize with Amy! I couldn't imagine!!! Until the author starts to reveal little innocent Amy's past. The scandals, the lies, the deaths.
This is a middle of the road book. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. Just there and existed to me. I feel like it fell a tad flat somewhere and it lost its magical mojo.
Entertaining however I must say. I'll keep looking out for more books by you Ms. Howells. I am intrigued.

Thank you NetGalley for this read in exchange for an honest review!

Amy is due to marry Matt soon, but he suddenly goes missing. Around the same time, a woman named Fiona appears from the shadows to expose that Matt was due to leave his fiance soon to be with her. This leave Amy in an incomparable heartbroken position. Where is Matt, though? AHHH! I love thrilling books like this. SUCH a page turner, I couldn't put it down once I started. This is the perfect quarantine suspenseful mystery read!! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a copy of this book for an honest review.

The Vow by Debbie Howells

Not all is what is seems. As preparations are underway for Amy and Matt's wedding a series of events leading up to the groom's disappearance leads to more questions than answers and makes you wonder if we really know the people we are closest with.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Debbie Howells gets suspenseful thriller down to the very last detail. I highly recommend this page Turner!

4/5 Stars

Thank you #NetGalley and #avonbooksuk for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Vow is a twisty psychological thriller told from multiple perspectives, that has the reader constantly guessing who they can trust.

The story centres around Amy, a second- time bride, whose fiancé suddenly disappears 2 weeks before their wedding. After reporting him as missing to the police, her fear turns to horror when she discovers that the man she thought she knew was leading a double life. What follows is an unravelling of the past and secrets that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the atmosphere was creepy and pulled me in. There was something sinister about the alchemy aspect of the garden and there wasn't a single I wasn't questioning at some point.

On the one hand, I liked the red herrings the author threw in to keep the reader guessing, but when I reached the end of the story, I found myself reaching back and questioning why certain things were included.

I think this book was enhoyable but would have packed a bigger punch if it was about 50 pages shorter. There was some dialogue repetition that I didn't mind, but someone who reads a bit slower might have gotten hung up on.

Overall, this is a page turning read that would be great for fans of the Gone Girl-esque genre.