Content Warning: death, grief, foster care

Likes:

+ Lia (Amelia) is grieving. The love of her life has died and she doesn’t know how to go on. Being an Army brat, she’s attended more schools than most kids but now at this new school she has to deal with new changes, new friends and her grief.

+ I thought this was such a heart-warming story because of how close Beck and Lia’s mom’s were close throughout their lives (soulmates) and that’s how Beck and Lia had been in each other’s lives since birth. The story portrays the different people feeling grief, not only Lia, and I like that. Her grief is painful and relatable. I also love how this story starts with a fortune teller and her mother. And it really questions what happens when the plans you’ve made are destroyed and how you get back up and forge a new plan and path.

+ Lia is not only dealing with grief. It is her senior year, so she has some hard decisions to make about her plans after high school. But she does try hard to make friends, and she meets a really good group of girls who support her immediately. She even finds her heart opening to someone new, who is really a great guy. I love that even through all the pain, she is ready to live her life again.

+ The romance is slow and sweet! There are flashbacks about her relationship with Beck, but her new relationship with Isaiah is so different and I love that for her. I like how he gives her space. Isaiah has had a hard upbringing too and foster care is a topic discussed in this book. These two broken people come together and it’s a wonderful love story.

Dislikes:

~ I’m not a fan of flashbacks but I like how this showed how young and sweet Beck and Lia’s love is but also was flawed in hindsight.

~ Lia’s relationship with her parents is strained but I can understand why because grieve is a chaotic place to be. I just wish she let her mom in more, but I get it. I totally get it.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story. I like how it takes a look at young love and grief. My heart broke for Lia because I can relate to her story – how do you move on when the plans for your future is destroyed in one moment? It’s a hard journey and Lia’s story reflects how sometimes it’s bittersweet but also how there is hope for the future, and there is more life and love to give and receive if you are open to it.

This book was incredible! I loved the stories of Lia, Beck, and Isaiah. It was beautiful and brave and told marvelously. I loved the Graham’s, I loved the Byrne’s, and I especially loved them together. This story was magical and left me feeling an emotional hangover after I was finished. Those are the best kind of stories!

Super cute young adult/teen love story! Some heartbreak and loss, but lots of love! Highly recommend!!

Oh my goodness. This book was a rollercoaster. I felt all the feels and the portrayal of such profound grief was so deep. I found this book well-written and the characters so dynamic. Lia as a main character felt so real, even if she annoyed me at times. I liked that even when she acted a little self-centered, she was self-aware enough to realize it and apologize. Overall, this book almost made me cry (a difficult feat) and was amazing. Definitely worth the read when it comes out!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy!

Book:
EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU by Katy Upperman

Review:
4.5⭐
EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU is an emotionally rivetting novel that follows Lia as she navigates life after a tragic loss. It's always been Lia and Beck---soulmates---but when Beck dies Lia is left to pick up the pieces. As she struggles to move on, she must put herself first and learn to live...learn to love.
Goodness. This book was heartbreaking and a tearjerker, but I couldn't get enough. The description is what first drew me in. Having never read a book by this author, I didn't know what to expect---what was found in EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU was that out of a movie(one where life goes well, the it doesn't and no one knows if it will again.)
I loved how this story was told with present chapters and through the years---having a sense of who they were added a depth to the story. It made more sad to see how Lia and Beck were before, especially coupled with the hours leading up to his death.
EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU took me on a roller coaster. I was heartbroken, almost brought to tears from both laughter and sadness. There were even times where I was mad because how could such a tragedy take place? Overall, I found that the ending was well-rounded and I loved how it connected to tidbits in the actual story.

First book by this author, but felt like this fell more into a category of YA and not adult fiction. So, I felt disappointed reading while waiting for larger themes.

This poignant young adult novel centers on Amelia (Lia) as she navigates her life after her once-certain future is shattered.

Reeling from the loss of her boyfriend Beck, Lia struggles to redefine her identity and find a way to move forward. Can she overcome the heartbreak of losing her soulmate, or will she remain trapped in solitude?

The narrative offers a raw and honest exploration of love, grief, and the confusion that often accompanies loss. Told through alternating timelines, the story is written in an easy to understand way with enough world building and character development that draw you into Lia’s journey.

Overall, this was a captivating read, filled with emotional depth as it explores themes of love, loss, and the struggle to find one’s way after tragedy. I would highly recommend to readers who enjoy stories that feel grounded in real life.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback

Rating: 4.2 rounded to 4.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amazing YA book by this author. Lia & Beck were close family friends, and grew up together. When they were in high school they started dating and fell deeply in love. But tragedy strikes, and leaves Lia devastated. At the beginning of her senior year, Lia’s family moves away and she is forced to start over, without Beck. A heart breaking story of love, loss, and moving on. All the feels. Highly recommend this book! It is released in January 2025. Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this amazing ARC.
#booksbyashleynicole

Delightfully nuanced book perfect for fans of teen romance and drama. Delightfully nuanced book perfect for fans of teen romance and drama.

Everything I Promised You by new to me author K. Upperman, published by Sourcebooks, is a raw and gritty read. A story that did a number on me, stayed with me after finishing the book for some time now.
A story of grief and acceptance.
What comes after heartbreak? Lia and Beck. Despite army life orbiting them in and out of each other’s worlds, Lia knows they are destined to be together. It’s more than their friendship. When Lia’s mom was a teen, a fortune teller said her daughter would fall in love with her best friend’s son. Lia and Beck were always meant to be. Or so they thought.When tragedy steals one away, the other one is devastated. Is there room in the broken heart for life, new love?
A stunning story, deeply emotional, that gives all the feels, I recommend the book.

Katy Upperman’s Everything I Promised You is a deeply moving exploration of love, loss, and the fragile process of healing. From the very first page, readers are drawn into Lia and Beck’s world, where friendship evolves into something more profound and meaningful. Their bond, shaped by the constant movement of army life, feels destined—solidified by a fortune that promised they were meant to be.

But when tragedy strikes and Beck is taken away, Lia is left shattered, questioning not only her future but also her identity. The novel gracefully portrays her grief and her battle to find a new path in a life that no longer includes the person she believed was her soulmate. Katy skillfully captures Lia's emotional turmoil, making her struggle to understand herself in the wake of loss feel deeply personal and authentic.

Katy’s writing is tender, yet filled with quiet strength, perfectly reflecting the complexities of moving forward after heartbreak. Lia’s journey of self-discovery and learning to live beyond a foretold fate is captivating, a reminder that life doesn’t always go as planned, but there is hope and renewal in unexpected places.

Everything I Promised You is a beautifully written story about resilience, the power of love, and finding light in the darkest moments. It’s a novel that will resonate with anyone who has faced loss or found themselves wondering where to go next. Katy’s heartfelt storytelling offers both comfort and inspiration, making this book a must-read.