I just loved this story. Edwin meets a little girl when he is just a boy but it is a connection that will last a lifetime. I liked the visual that played the entire time. Ms. Hobbes write so vividly I could see the town, the war, the house and most of all the tree. It was like watching a movie in my mind. I was transported to the dewy lawn under the Sycamore tree. Throughout the story I was torn on how it would end and I don't want to give it away but it ended just as it should. Which could mean different things to different readers. Definitely a must read! Watch out, you may find yourself looking up into the branches of a tree to see if someone is looking back.

📖REVIEW📖

Title: The Promise Tree
Author: Elisabeth Hobbes
Genre: Romance, General Fiction (Adult/YA)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Synopsis:
For Edwin Hope, it begins with a childhood dare and a forbidden tree. It begins with him falling … in more ways than one. Called home from his studies by the grandfather who has always hated him, eighteen-year-old Edwin is once again trapped in a house that is colder than the winds whipping across the fields. Seeking sanctuary, he escapes into the untamed beauty of the Peaks and meets a woman who sparks an old memory. A memory of the sycamore that broke him, and the little girl who saved him. Drusilla has had many acolytes over the centuries but none like Edwin. With the Great War looming and Edwin’s future uncertain, she knows the right thing to do is to set him free from her spell, but can she do so if it means breaking her own heart?


📖Review: (ARC) 4⭐️
So I really enjoyed this. It’s similar to Circe I found in terms of inspiration from Greek mythology/ fantasy/strong FMC.

There’s a beautiful romance that is very PG and heart warming. No spice if your searching for that. This book has the feel good effect but without some of the annoyance of obvious boy meets girl basic romance predictability.

I do really like the authors style and how she wove the characters together and created such a vibrant image of them. The descriptions of the seasons made me feel like I was the one experiencing them.

Definitely worth a read - it comes out on my mums birthday so will be getting her a copy!

📖Release 6th October 2023

*please note I received this ARC for free via NetGalley and independently decided to submit an honest review*

The Promise Tree by Elisabeth J. Hobbes

Called home from his studies by the grandfather who has always hated him, eighteen-year-old Edwin is once again trapped in a house that is colder than the winds whipping across the fields. Seeking sanctuary, he escapes into the untamed beauty of the Peaks and meets a woman who sparks an old memory. A memory of the sycamore that broke him, and the little girl who saved him.

Wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book , but although not a full on gasp a minute thriller , edge of your seat type of read , it was still very enjoyable. I felt I kind of floated through the chapters in an almost dream sense of feeling , evocative and at times ethereal .

"The Promise Tree" is a historical fantasy written by Elisabeth J. Hobbes.

The premises of this book fascinated me so much, which is why I started it with rather high expectations. However, along the way, in my opinion the story got lost and the result unfortunately did not satisfy me.

I liked the writing a lot! I found it evocative, lyrical and at times poetic, with pleasingly vivid and incisive descriptions. I was captivated by the depiction of these beautiful landscapes, so much so that I could imagine them clearly. I sensed poignant and melancholic undertones that absorbed me quite a bit. Seriously, as for the aesthetic side of the text (environments, appearance, etc...), I can only express compliments!

The plot, at least for the first part of the book, involved and convinced me. However, as I continued in the narrative, I began to feel a sense of slowness, of dragging, which at some moments really threatened to bore me. I am sorry, but I admit that I lost interest in the story, recovering it only at certain points toward the end.

The characters, main and secondary, unfortunately did not convince me. I do not know why, but I could not connect with them. I felt them somewhat detached, artificial, and this prevented me from appreciating them, feeling interest in them and in the present romance.

All in all, I found it a book with fascinating premises, with beautiful settings, that unfortunately did not convince me in its development.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I read the whole book but it really wasn’t my kind of story. A little too fanciful for me and though it was historical, it never really felt it. I didn’t get a sense of time and thought it could have been set in any particular time period, it wouldn’t have made much difference to the story.

I found it incredibly slow, and the only bit I enjoyed was when Edwin set off for war and the part after with his cousin’s stepsister Eleni. Eleni, along with his friend Robert brought a bit of life to the narrative and made it a bit more interesting. Sorry but it wasn't for me.