After initially struggling to get into the book and saying I "would give it one more night" I found myself enjoying every chapter more and more. As another reviewer said the main character was so cold that I failed to warm to the book. When her character improved slightly the book followed suite!

There are lots of twists and turns which as a reader I did not always see coming. I particularly liked Venetia's character. I hope there will be another book in the series following Josephine and Maggie.

I haven't read the first book in the series and can confirm that this title can be read as a standalone book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for allowing me to read and review a preview copy.

A beautiful, immersive read set against the background of WW1 . Interesting to read Charlotte's struggle against society's view of a woman's role and see her character development. Perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a strong woman protagonist. A thoroughly enjoyable and well written story.

The Broken Vow is set in Wales during WW1 and is the follow-up to The Gilded Cage, which I have not read but will seek out.
Charlotte Fitznorton, a young woman from a privileged background initially decides to turn her family home Plas Norton into a convalescent home for soldiers for her own gain. Her fiancee Eustace has been injured. What follows is a transformation of Charlotte's character, for the better.
This was an enjoyable read, the relationship between Charlotte & Rosamund was beautifully written. I loved that Charlotte came to understand her stepmother eventually.
I look forward to more from the Fitznortons.

Charlotte decides to open her family home for soldiers suffering from shell shock. It was also so her intended Eustace can recover from the horrors of war.
I didn’t really care too much for Charlotte in the beginning of the book. She seemed rather spoiled.
She gets more likable as the story progresses.
It was a nice story

What an absorbing and inspiring novel by Luisa A. Jones! The Broken Vow latched on to my heart from page one and squeezed out every emotion imaginable with its incredible character developments, fast paced drama and nail-biting plot. The setting, of course, was unforgettable, too, as we are taken back to Charlotte’s stately childhood home. I loved Luisa’s first instalment of this series so was anxious to read the second and she certainly delivered above and beyond my expectations. I became totally invested in this stunning story right from the Eleanor Roosevelt quote: “A woman is like a tea bag. You can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” What a brilliant line and so fitting for this novel!

Once I started The Broken Vow, I could not put it down and read even while I was eating! It is incredibly captivating to see the transformation of Charlotte who started as a spoiled self-centred young woman but eventually becomes a responsible and selfless one. Admirable strengths begin to surface when she is put in some difficult situations. Her development is astonishing—considering she is only nineteen years old and quite inexperienced in many areas of mundane life activities. But she is a fast learner and once she discovers her passions, she is able to throw herself into the challenges and accomplish some impressive things.

Charlotte’s relationship with the men in her life is an interesting study. She grew up without her mother so her father was everything to her. She felt safe in his presence (ironically the opposite experience for Rosamund—his wife). Charlotte is engaged to Eustace but she does not really know him well. Currently he is off fighting the war so she is alone, biding her time when she can marry this man of title picked out by her father before his passing. Her father is her idol and her loss of him is immense. Every move she makes initially is to gain and keep his approval—even after he is gone. During the interim, she lives with her aunt in London, rather than with ‘sour-faced Rosamund,’ her stepmother. Charlotte once revelled in her father’s ‘growing dislike for his wife.’ She felt Rosamund was taking precious time away from her. She wanted to continue to be the centre of her father’s attentions. It is a very negative description of Charlotte but this is how she was at the beginning—until life started throwing her some serious curve balls and then she begins to change and see things differently—even her opinion of Rosamund— a woman loved by many.

Charlotte’s wonderful friend Venetia is an incredibly positive force in this story with her upfront predictions, comments and criticisms. I loved her spiels on the importance of women’s voices, their intelligence, entitlement to sharing power and to bring about important changes. Venetia is a force of change herself and gets Charlotte to look at her own actions and motives. In many ways, she becomes Charlotte’s conscience. Then there is Venetia’s cousin Doctor Harvard who comes to visit and shakes up Charlotte’s world and emotions. He offers her a different perspective, appreciates her progress and makes her feel more like a productive human being. He is a product of high society and working society due to his parents’ backgrounds. But he leans to his common roots with his desire to save the helpless and offer assistance to the poor. When Charlotte decides to turn her home into a place for soldiers to convalesce, due to her fiancé Eustace and his injury, it is here she begins to learn what it means to help others and be useful in society. This provides her with some much needed self-fulfilment and purpose in helping the victims of war in her home. Charlotte and Doctor Harvard do some wonderful work together for the soldiers. What he prescribes for the 'shell shocked' men is brilliant and quite a different approach than what was normally taken back then.

I must add it is of help to read book one of the series. And why wouldn’t you as Luisa’s writing is phenomenal and her first book is as captivating as the second! You will learn of Rosamund’s early days, her difficult marriage to Charlotte’s father and its effects on her. You will also get a clear picture of what she was dealing with in trying to rear his challenging child. The child who adored her father to the point of never seeing or believing he could do anything wrong. Not to mention her exasperating desire to please him at her own expense. Charlotte is quite a different person in book one and to some extent, still similar at the start of book two but once she is thrown into some hot water, she begins to grow and we love her by the end.

There are some great victories in this novel but also some deeply sad and unfortunate events. I was moved by it all at both spectrums. The characters are so real I felt as if I knew these people by the end of the story. I had tears for some and smiles for others. There is so much to discuss about The Broken Vow (including what this title means) but I must cease and just say, get this novel and read it! It will melt your heart, break it and restore it, too. There is so much love flowing by the end you will feel uplifted.

Beautiful writing, captivating drama, incredible depth and exciting progress. In closing I will quote a line from Venetia that haunted Charlotte. It gave her the grit and confidence she needed to charge forward into change. “The biggest problem with women, my dear, is how vastly they underestimate themselves.” Wise words and something to remember! This novel makes a positive statement on the power of women, what they can do when given a chance and when they believe in themselves and start to value their contributions. An absolute must read for 2024! Cannot wait for the next one! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in Wales during WWI, Charlotte Fitznorton’s father, Sir Lucien, has just died and her fiancé, Eustace, has enlisted to fight in France. When Eustace returns suffering from ‘shell shock’, Charlotte resolves to turn her family residence into a convalescent home for mentally injured soldiers. Charlotte soon becomes aware that she has to decide just what she wants from life. Is Eustace the be all and end all?

I really enjoyed this gripping and beautifully written historical novel. It’s a story mostly about the part women played during the first world war, how they put their best foot forward and survived, starting to change the way the world works. Even though Charlotte comes across as an overindulged and vain young lady at first, I liked her and she develops into a kind and caring individual. I also particularly liked Venetia, she’s a strong and feisty character and plays an integral role. I could easily visualise her striding around Plas Norton! It’s quite an emotional tale and shows love in all its forms. I haven’t read the previous book, The Gilded Cage, but can confirm The Broken Vow can be read as a stand alone. However, I will be reading The Gilded Cage as I am eager to find out how it all begins. I can highly recommend The Broken Vow - it’s an engaging and captivating read. Ideal for historical fiction fans.

A book that takes you on a journey of discovery to new avenues of self awareness. I hadn’t read the first book but you can read this as stand alone book.

Charlotte is everything you can think of a spoiled person who does not treat people who are working for her properly. She is engaged to Eustace who is fighting in France. Eustace gets shell shocked and Charlotte decides to open up her house for the shell shocked soldiers. This is where Charlotte changes for the better.

The author has researched how soldiers behaved when they were shell shocked and also how people reacted to them thinking they were cowards.

A well written book. Would recommend the book.

The book portrays the daily lives of women during the war. The main character, Charlotte Fitznorton, undergoes a major transformation from the beginning to the end of the book! A transformation for the much better. I loved it! I couldn't stop reading!

The Broken Vow
By Luisa A Jones
Publication date: 22 January 2024

Charlotte’s engagement to Eustace is hanging by a thread when he returns from the Western Front with shell-shock. So she takes action and converts Plas Norton, her family seat in Wales, into a hospital for traumatised officers. At the same time, Charlotte is faced with the moral dilemma of caring for her baby sister.

This book is a real page turner with vivid characters and a well-balanced plot. It is carefully researched; I don’t think I’ve ever come across such a clear depiction of shell-shock.

Whilst this book follows on from The Gilded Cage, the reader does not need to have read the previous one. It was a bold move from Luisa A Jones, however, to take one of the least likeable characters of the earlier book and put her front and centre in The Broken Vow. This gamble really pays off: I was gripped by the change in Charlotte’s character as she moves from the spoiled naïve heiress into a caring, knowledgeable young woman.

The depictions of working-class life should not be overlooked either, as the author takes us on the next steps with the Cadwalader family.

The book is a highly recommended five-star triumph.

Impeccable research done for this book, Great characters as in the first book. Highly recommended as a stand alone but both books were very well written and kept my interest to the end

The Broken Vow is a beautiful, well-written historical novel featuring strong female characters who break the mold of what society, at that time, expected from them, reminding us of the intense struggle women faced throughout history. The character development of Charlotte throughout the story was impressive and very enjoyable.

The Broken Vow by Luisa A. Jones is a compelling and beautifully crafted historical novel that transports readers to the tumultuous times of post-war Britain. The author masterfully paints the portrait of Charlotte Fitznorton, a character whose journey of self-discovery and resilience is both inspiring and deeply moving. While I haven't read the first book in the series, I didn't find that to be a problem. I completely enjoyed this story!

Charlotte's story is one of expectation versus reality, as she navigates the complex web of societal norms, family duty, and personal ambition. Born into luxury and privilege, she quickly learns that life's path is seldom straightforward or predictable. Her engagement to Eustace Chadwycke, a promising match on the surface, becomes a mirror reflecting the shattered dreams and harsh truths of a world recovering from the ravages of war. When Charlotte opens a healing home for recovering soldiers she gets more than she bargains for in more ways than one.

I have to say that although I enjoyed the first Fitznortons book, I liked this one so much better, I think in the main because it provided a different slant on the First World War. My grandfather worked with shell-shocked patients after the war so I also have a natural affinity with the subject matter.

When her fiancé, Eustace, suffers from shell-shock, in order to help him Charlotte Fitznorton decides to open her family’s Welsh home as a hospital for officers who’ve been brought back from the front with the condition. She imagines it will take little more than a few kind words and some chivvying up to put them back on their feet, but she is very much mistaken. Under the guidance of her suffragette cousin Venetia, Charlotte begins to change from a spoilt brat to a thoughtful young woman with a social conscience.

It's one of the biggest arcs of character growth I have read in a very long time, and so ambitious to undertake. Yet it works, and the subplots around it make the book all the more rewarding.

I loved this! It was so good to be back among familiar characters from book one, even though this is a standalone novel. Charlotte is a complex figure and I liked the way her character developed across the two books. The Broken Vow is beautifully written, and the research around the first World War impeccable.

The Broken Vow
by Luisa A. Jones
Pub Date: 22 Jan 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Born into luxury, Charlotte Fitznorton has always known a life filled with lavish parties and a line of suitors, all part of a future neatly laid out for her by her father, Sir Lucien. She is to marry well and continue the line at Plas Norton, the family seat. When Eustace Chadwycke – son of a viscount – proposes just before leaving to fight in France, it seems Charlotte’s destiny is perfectly falling into place.

Then, tragedy strikes. Her father dies unexpectedly, and her future hangs in the balance – threatened by the surprise pregnancy of her hated stepmother, Rosamund. News of Eustace, returning from the war broken by its horrors, leaves Charlotte fearing her engagement may be as fragile as her inheritance.

Determined to at least save her impending marriage, Charlotte pours her energy into turning Plas Norton into a healing place for Eustace and other war-weary soldiers. But small-minded townspeople, a bossy head nurse, and her newborn baby sister's arrival push Charlotte to her limits.

Just as hope is slipping through her fingers, a mysterious stranger arrives at Plas Norton. This newcomer holds the power to upend everything Charlotte has fought to preserve. Will she have the strength to protect her legacy, or could this unexpected visitor awaken a desire in Charlotte for a different life altogether?

During WWI a young spoiled woman needs to grow up after the dead of her father. What path will she choose, the one that her father chose for her or will she become a woman happy with her own choices?
After finishing this story I discovered it was part of a series. I hope it has another story in this series because the end isn’t totally satisfying.
I enjoyed the story and characters.

This book has a prequel written about Rosamund, Charlotte's stepmother. That book was awesome! I was hoping that Rosamund would find happiness. This book is about Charlotte. I am glad to see Charlotte maturing. She had been a spoilt wealthy child, very self-centered. I loved this book. Maybe there will be a sequel about Josephine? I was disappointed when the book ended. I look forward to reading more from this author. I have not been disappointed in reading her works. I received this book courtesy of Netgalley.com.

A great story of different women and how WW1 changed their lives and view of the world. I loved how the characters changed through the book and were influenced by circumstances. Really strong story.

The Broken Vow
By: Luisa A. Jones

5 Stars

When I first started this book, I was unaware it was the second in the series. Upon finding this out, I went back to read the first, just to have ALL the info and I loved it, which made this second book, The Broken Vow, easy to fall in love with too. You meet Charlotte in the first book as a young and spoiled child. In this book, her father is gone, left with only her stepmother and her aunt, and with a future on the edge of changing at any time. War is raging, and when her fiancée is injured, Charlotte decides she needs some changes now in her life.

I have to admit. At first, I didn't love Charlotte. This second book really showed her growth and made this book an amazing story to add to the first. I loved all the characters, both the good and bad. They made this book. The storyline followed well behind the first book, and I found it easy to jump right in here and enjoy the stories continued telling. It was a story with pain, war, and grief, but it told me so much more. It told of forgiveness and bravery. It told of love and redemption. It was a well written and powerful story from start to finish.

I really look forward to reading more from this author. I absolutely loved these 2 books. It's hard to do justice to one without the other here. They were both great.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

After a slow start, I found myself warming to this book. The MC was profoundly irritating as a spoiled princess type figure but as the rigours of WW1 began to hit home she blossomed as a person. She grew to be much more considerate, aware and understanding of those around her, showing no little gumption in setting up a convalescent home. She even became aware of her welsh identity. There is a parallel story of a working class girl, maggie making good after suffering in a munitions factory explosion. All in all, a lovely read which exemplified class difference and criticised people who rest on their heritage alone.