A brilliant book
Even though it was heart wrenching it was such an incredible read
Make sure you have the tissues ready
Thanks NetGalley

I found A Sister’s Promise to be a really gripping novel. It’s not the first I’ve reviewed by Caroline Finnerty, as I enjoyed The Last Days of Us.

I absolutely couldn’t wait to review A Sister’s Promise, and chose it as my book number 2 for the Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon October 2022

I was gripped by Penny and Willow’s life from the start. I’m half Irish, and was fascinated by their life change of moving from Ireland to Australia. I was eager to learn more about Australian life. I liked Laura too. Caroline Finnerty writes about family relationships, lifes ups and downs as well as children so well.

I really liked Willow’s character too, she’s cute, and Penny is a great mum to her. Penny is so strong and a fighter and I noticed that in Willow too, and how united and resilient they are. I just wanted to hug them and Laura, I wanted to be there for them.

Fortunately, Caroline Finnerty’s writing style made me feel as if I was “in” the story with them.

I felt truly emotionally invested throughout the whole novel, and was eager to find out what happened next.

A Sister’s Promise was just as heartbreaking and true-to-life as The Last Days of Us. I am hoping to review more books by Caroline Finnerty in the future.

Thanks to Caroline Finnerty, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 sparkling stars

Just love how this author writes..,,, It’s a great easy read, perfect for a holiday, a rainy Sunday or any other time you just want to escape.
Ultimately the book is about love and healing, and left me feeling satisfied, definitely worth a read.

This is a story of 2 sisters who have not be in contact for many years. The story started with Penny who lives in Australia, struggle to take care of her small daughter Willow after she fled from her abusive husband. To make thing worst, she discover that she have cancer. She realise that she have no support and she can’t let Willow to go back to her husband. With no alternative available, she did the only that she can think of, she went home and seek her estranged sister for help.

Laura live a more comfortable wife and have a lovely home. From the perspective of an outsider, she may have it all but with her 2 adult children, she become increasingly notice the fragility of her marriage. Being betrayed before, she discover that her husband is having an affair. She asked him to leave and determine to face the future alone. Until she found her long lost sister appeared at her doorstep together with her niece.

Both Laura and Penny have their own flawed and the way they mend back their relationship is fascinating to read. They had different challenges and truly love the way they pulled thru together. It showed to the reader how precious family unit is. Overall, it is an emotional book to me that had me sobbing hard at the end of the story.

*review post scheduled to be posted on 15/3/23*

This book was fantastic! It was definitely a tearjerker and very emotional, and one that was easy to fly through the pages. The characters were relatable and little Willow was just the best. The author presents us with estranged sisters who are reunited after several years apart, both who are struggling with some pretty big life issues and with more to come. I don’t want to have any spoilers but please note that there are some topics that could be hard for some to read about. The book is definitely a tear jerker for anyone, but it could be harder and worse for others. The sisters have realistic relationships with ups and downs, pain and forgiveness, but the bonds between them grow stronger as life continues to throw curveballs at them, bringing them all closer. This was so easy to read, so easy to feel attached to the characters and story, so easy to pick up and not put down again. This author is so talented and I can’t wait to read another book by her!

A Sister's Promise is a fast paced story with a slow start. The reader soon becomes hooked as the drama unfolds before their eyes.

Finnerty has created an interesting and engaging plot by using vivid imagery and research into sensitive subject matters such as domestic violence, cancer and dementia. There are scenes and flashbacks that can be very upsetting especially in relation to the fact that there is a baby involved however, it is important to see the impact that domestic violence has on people and the extensive and sometimes daunting process of treatment cancer patients face. The writing style is easy to follow with a good mixture of description and dialogue, yet I did notice some repetition with some of the viewpoints and that there were some small typos.
The character development of A Sister's Promise gives the reader an insight to each individual character with a brief look at their background story. The characters are relatable and it is very easy to form connections and bonds with them…

Penny has changed from having a life filled with fun to having a small contracted job, working for the Sullivan family as a housekeeper, while her daughter is at school. Penny is struggling financially and has to prioritise which bill to pay from a pile of final demands. With her weekly pay not lasting and never ending cycles of worry and responsibilities Penny feels that the only person who matters to her is her precious 4 year old daughter, Willow. When Penny receives the life changing news that she has terminal cancer she has no other option than to turn to her estranged sibling, Laura…

Laura has 2 children, Ella and Josh, who have grown up and are attending university. Laura is struggling to adjust to their leap of independence and missed having a purpose, hating how quiet and tidy life has become. After 21 years of marriage Laura and her husband, Hugh have drifted apart, and when Hugh is once again caught cheating he has moved out, leaving Laura to think about where her life is leading her. When Penny turns up holding her daughter, her world takes another turn….

I would suggest reading A Sister's Promise to people who enjoy reading women's fiction, as it is an emotive character driven story about relationships, family and forgiveness as the reader witnesses a heart-felt reunion that leaves its mark in more ways than one.

Love this author Caroline Finnerty . The heartbreak of the story where 2 sisters fall out and lose contact for many years amd only reunite when a health crisis hits. So sad so we'll written can't wait for the next book from this author

A Sister's Promise by Caroline Finnerty was a beautifully written book and I just fell in love with the way Caroline writes, especially as I found it written from the heart. This book was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time and a joy to read. You will need tissues and a lot of them. A Sister's Promise was a brilliant page turner and I would recommend this book. I loved it.

I am a huge fan of this author and I was delighted to read and review this gorgeous book.

As always, the author combines a completely compelling family drama with completely relatable characters and it makes for a book that is so hard to put down.

The story is told from both of the sisters’ points of view and it’s so sad to see how they fell out in the past, when they used to be so close as children.

I liked both of them as characters and I was particularly fond of little Willow, Penny’s daughter.

This is a totally engrossing read and found myself completely drawn into the story. The themes of family and of love are very strong in this book and the story flows beautifully.

I can’t say too much about why Penny comes home, or what follows this but, like real life, it’s heart-breaking and also has many beautiful and uplifting moments.

This is a book that held me captivated and engrossed but that also broke my heart. It’s really moving and poignant, but it’s all so sensitively written.

An absolutely gorgeous and emotional read, I can’t recommend it enough, just be prepared to shed some tears.

Heartwarming, emotional, a testament to the power of love and family bonds; this is a novel not to be missed!

Caroline Finnerty is a master of the genre. Heart-wrenching family drama, delivered in a wholly accessible way that leaves the reader warming to all of the characters as if they are family and requiring plentiful tissues as the narrative unfolds.

A Sister’s Promise is no exception. From the delightful four-year-old Willow to strong-willed Ella and equally determined Penny, it is impossible not to be drawn into their lives, their troubles and their fierce sense of family loyalty.

There are multiple elements to the book; domestic violence, estrangement, pregnancy, extra-marital affairs and terminal illness, yet despite the seriousness of the content, the overriding theme is one of the power of love and family ties to conquer all adversity.

A truly stunning book which had me weeping in the final chapters but which is nevertheless inspiring in equal measure.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

Equally heartwarming and heartbreaking, it was so beautifully written and thought-provoking. The emotion in this was pitched perfectly and the characters were so relatable and genuine. I love this book so much even though it was an emotional read. @bookandtonic @carolinefinnerty

What an emotional story - heartwarming and heart breaking ! So sensitively written, there arent enough stars for what this book deserves. I can't recommend it highly enough but trust me, you will need tissues
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

A Sisters Promise by Caroline Finnerty
Sisters Laura and Penny were once close, bonded together after the early death of their mother. Laura always had her younger sister's back until one day, everything changed, and Penny disappeared.
Twenty years later, Laura finds herself alone and at a crossroads in her life, questioning her marriage and future.
When Penny turns up on Laura's doorstep late one stormy night, holding the hand of a shivering little girl, Laura is immediately suspicious of her sister's motives. Just what does Penny want, and who is this little girl?
Can the sisters find it within their hearts to forgive and unite before it's too late?
A Sister's Promise is an extraordinarily passionate, emotional and moving story. The characters are clear and vividly drawn I felt an immediate connection to them.
The story is about the bond, the support and unconditional love of family members in times of necessity.
A well-written heartbreaking, compelling read
I am happy to recommend this book.
I want to thank publishers Boldwood Books, author Caroline Finnerty and Rachel's Random Resources for a place on the tour and a copy to read and review.

A “heartbreaking read” said the publishers – and my goodness, they really meant it, didn’t they? My personal preference, I must admit, is for books that make me smile – this one had me opening a second box of tissues, and by the end I felt I’d done several rounds with Mike Tyson. So, I’m going to be honest and admit it perhaps wasn’t quite the right book for me – but I could certainly appreciate the superb way the highly emotional content was handled, and the author writes quite beautifully.

This is the story of two sisters, long estranged. Laura has a comfortable life, and a lovely rural home – paid for by her husband’s successful construction business – where she’s happily brought up her two now-adult children. With the thinking time afforded by her newly empty nest, she’s become increasingly aware of the fragility of her marriage, and the fact that they don’t communicate any more: discovering he’s having an affair, she demands that he leaves and faces the future alone. Neither of them tell the children – that will be better face-to-face, when they come home from university for Christmas.

Sister Penny has been living in Australia, having cut herself from the family after a rather wild youth and an incident – not uncovered until later in the story – that made her feel there was no way back. With her young child Willow, she’s fled from an abusive partner and lives in fear of him discovering their whereabouts – but being mother to her daughter brings her real happiness, their relationship considerably closer than most. A personal health crisis – concerning enough in itself – makes her realise she has no support network when things go wrong, and Social Services are clearly trying to find the child’s father. So she runs – and appears on Laura’s doorstep in Ireland, in a wild storm and in the dead of night, needing the support of family.

The sisters need to rebuild their relationship – one step forward, two backwards at times – but things are easier because of the presence of Willow, and the clear depth of the love between mother and daughter. Laura’s own children are less welcoming – they didn’t even know their mother had a sister, and when they find she’s also failed to tell them about the disintegration of her marriage things become increasingly fraught. But this all largely becomes insignificant when compared with the situation Penny is facing… totally heartbreaking, and I’ll say no more lest I spoil the story.

There was a lot I really enjoyed about this book. Laura and Penny are both very real people, flawed in their own different ways, and their slow return to the closeness of childhood was fascinating to watch and impeccably handled. Four-year-old Willow is beautifully drawn – I’m not always a fan of reproducing child-speak, but felt it really worked here – and she’s very much central to the unfolding story and its sometimes rather harrowing emotional content. And I really enjoyed the focus on family, and the strength both women were able to find within themselves and from each other – yes, it’s an exceptionally sad story, but rather uplifting too. At first, I wasn’t too sure about the ending – but the more I thought about it (this is a book that left its mark, and I thought about it for days…) it was most definitely the right one. And the book certainly isn’t all gloom and despondency – it’s filled with warmth and love, and there are plenty of moments of joy.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I most certainly would – but do stock up on the tissues. While it wasn’t entirely the book for me, I’d certainly like to read more from its very talented author – I might just be more prepared next time for the emotional journey.

Penny is given a devastating cancer diagnosis and has to figure out how to take care of herself and her 4 year old daughter Willow with no friends or family living near her in Australia. She hasn't been home to Ireland in over 20 years and she left on not great terms with her sister and father. When she shows up on her sister's doorstep in the middle of a rain storm, she has no idea just how much she needed to come home.

The narration alternates between Laura and Penny's POVs and leaves very little for the reader to be unclear about. Both sisters have complex histories and storylines, but they are unraveled slowly and in a way that was neither predictable nor abrupt. I love how Finnerty was able to to tie in so many ideas and problems including: teen (actually 20 year old) pregnancy, domestic violence, loss of a parent at a young age, grief, infidelity, addiction vs sobriety, miscarriage, cancer, and much more. That being said, the story was actually quite light and easy to read until the last few chapters. Without spoiling anything too important to the story, grief and loss are a major part of the book, especially near the end, but the love of family and the importance of second chances are also messages shared throughout the story and especially near the end.

Thanks to Rachel and Boldwood Books for giving me the chance to read and voluntarily review this touching story! #booktour

What a heartwrenching beautifully written story. It has left my heart shattered and I'm sobbing uncontrollably. Warning before you start this make sure you have a box of tissues handy. Sister's Penny and Laura once had an unshakeable bond until one day everything changes and Penny disappears. Twenty years later Penny is knocking on Laura's door and she has a little girl with her. Penny has a devestating secret that tests their bond. From the very first sentence of this I knew I was going to love it I just didn't realise how much. I read it extra slowly because I didn't want to miss a single word. I felt really sorry for Laura as I think she is truly an inspiring human. I loved four year old Willow and how Caroline wrote the way she spoke it was very cute and made me adore her. The sisters bond was fabulous to watch and is unbreakable. There are not enough stars in the world to rate this book. There was not a single thing I didn't like. It is just perfect.

A beautiful and emotional read, but extremely sad, so better have some tissues handy. Estranged sisters reunites and a lot od secrets come in the open. Definitely a page turner even though the double POV can be a bit repetitive. But the story is so good that it doesn't even matters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for this ARC.

What an emotional read that will keep you turning the pages. Estranged sisters reunite after a rift twenty years ago. Sister, Penny with her four year daughter shows up on her older sister, Laura's doorstep after receiving devastating news. Laura is also going through a crisis in her life, but once a sister is always a sister. A wonderful journey of forgiveness between the sisters. Fair warning, have your box of tissues handy!

This book should firstly come with a warning for anyone going to read it, that you will need lots and lots of tissues as you will cry big ugly tears . This is one of those books that you will just fall in love with the story and most of the characters immediately . I absolutely adored reading this book but as said previously it’s a tear jerker . As soon as I started this book I honestly couldn’t put it down and just wanted to keep on reading even through the tears. This is a story of relationships, family and being there in times of need . I really can’t recommend this book highly enough and I will most certainly be reading more books from this author. A brilliant but at times heartbreaking read . All the stars for this one

What exactly makes you a woman? Is it your heart? Your body? Your spirit? This book still has me pondering this question. Would I still feel like a woman if something physical changed?

Penny and her little girl Willow live in Australia and when something happens she returns to Ireland to see if her sister Laura remembers a promise they made to each other as kids.
Laura has problems of her own to deal with and seeing her estranged sister is a bit of a shock. At first Laura comes across as cold and almost heartless, but quickly steps up and becomes one of favourite characters.

The characters were so well developed and even the unlikeable ones at the beginning grew and developed into loveable, unforgettable characters by the end.

Lots of pieces hit hard and so close to home and it was an absolute heartbreaking book that had me sobbing into my tea and aching for all the characters in it. So keep your tissues close by!

Thank you netgalley and boldwood books for the arc copy in exchange for my honest opinions.