The Spanish Promise

The Spanish Promise by Karen Swan is everything that I've come to expect from this wonderful author. A beautifully written past and present are woven seamlessly into a multigenerational tale that transports the reader back to the Spanish Civil War, and a familial fallout that still lingers in the Mendoza family in present day. Historical fiction and contemporary family drama meet in an intriguing saga that exposes decades old secrets.

Charlotte Fairfax, a wealth counsellor from London, has been summoned by the prominent Mendoza family as ninety-eight year old patriarch Carlos, at the end of his life, has ten million euro bequeathed to one Marina Quincy. The family, assuming that the woman is a former mistress of their father's, enlist the services of Charlotte to see Marina through the problems associated with sudden wealth. It soon becomes apparent, though, that this woman is not the named beneficiary, but it is in fact her ninety-eight year old grandmother who is the intended recipient, and she refuses to accept the windfall.

Alternating between the violent period of the Spanish Civil War and modern day Spain, the history of the Mendoza family is revealed, and we learn of a family that has been torn apart by war, and has remained estranged through several generations.

While researching this family history well above and beyond her job description, Charlotte must navigate her own personal crises, including abandoning her fiance in London, and ultimately questioning her own imminent nuptials.

I woud highly recommend this novel to anyone who has enjoyed Ms Swan's previous work. Historically detailed, with well-developed characters, and an intricate, yet accessible plot, this is the author at her very best. You will not be disappointed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC.

I’ve always been a big fan of Karen Swan novels. There are many qualities common to her stories that I love: A dual timeline, a strong female character in the historical timeline, and a bittersweet ending. All of these come into play in The Spanish Promise. As is usual for me, the timeline in the past was the most engaging and emotional. I actually wished we had seen more of Nene’s story and more about women in the war. It was fascinating how they were building bombs in the kitchen, then cleaning up and making dinner in the same room! In conflict the worst atrocities are always reserved for women and it was really difficult to read about the horrific fate they faced if caught. They were so incredibly brave to face not just death but a fate worse than death. The Spanish Promise introduced me to these heroes and this is a story that begs to be examined in more depth. Their stories deserve to be told and I’ll have to look into it more to see if there are other books written on the topic

The modern day storyline was compelling in so far as it referenced back to the historical but the other aspects were less engaging. I didn’t like or relate to the main character Charlotte at all. I found her selfish, mean and pretty well insufferable. There wasn’t enough growth in her throughout the course of the book to change my mind. Her love interest was slightly less awful but not at all memorable. I just put the book down and I truthfully can’t recall his name (note: his name is Nathan.) This part of the story wasn’t bad or anything, it just paled in comparison to excitement and raw emotion of the historical portions.

While the story set in the present day was not my favourite I did really enjoy the historical portions. I think that they were good enough to make up for the less moving parts and made this book totally worth reading. Karen Swan always manages to impress with her ability to depict kick-ass women in the past in a realistic and compassionate manner and to tell a darn fine story too!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

Without me walking by the book section at Costco back in November of 2017, I wouldn’t be here today. When I first saw the cover for The Christmas Secret, I knew that I had to read it. Every novel that Karen Swan has a beautiful cover that leaves you breathless, it sets the tone for the whole story.
The Spanish Promise is another sizzling summer novel from Globe and Mail bestselling author Karen Swan, set in the vibrant streets of Madrid.
Charlotte, a weather counsellor who knows from personal experience the complications that a sudden inheritance can bring, helps her clients navigate the emotional side effects of sudden wealth syndrome. When she is asked by Mateo Mendoza, heir to a huge Spanish estate, to fly to Madrid to help resolve an issue in his father’s will, she’s confident it will be straightforward. The timing isn’t great as Charlotte’s due to get married the following week, but once her client signs on the dotted line she can return to her life in London and her wedding, and live happily ever after. Marrying Stephen might not fill her with excitement, but she doesn’t want to live in the fast lane anymore – safe and predictable is good.
But Carlos Mendoza’s final bequest opens up a generation of secrets, and Charlotte finds herself compelled to unravel the mystery. As she digs deeper, Charlotte uncovers the story of a family divided by Spain’s Civil War, and of love affair the battle lines that ended in tragedy.
Karen Swan does a wonderful job of switching back and forward in the two different timelines that twist together to give us a beautiful story. I did have to read a couple of sections over again, cause I feel like the new information didn’t have enough information to it. It was quick and left some information out, but this was still a novel that I needed to know what would happen and how it would all end. Swan does a great job at making all the puzzle pieces come together in the last few chapters.
4.5/5 Stars for this novel.
Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for a copy of this novel for my review. I look forward to what else Karen Swan as for us next. You need to add this novel to your collection, out everywhere May 1st 2019.

The Spanish Promise by Karen Swan is a mystery, a family drama and a Spanish history lesson. Charlotte, a wealth advisor, is summoned to Madrid by Mateo Mendoza to sort out a problem with his father Carlos' estate. She plans to then quickly return to London for her wedding to Stephen. However, upon her arrival, she discovers that a resolution to the wealthy Mendoza issues will involve more than a few days of work. She will be required to investigate the Mendoza family history all the way back to the Spanish Civil War. While digging into their past, Charlotte stirs up an important and tragic segment of her own past, which complicates her stay in Madrid and threatens to delay her return to London at a crucial time. This novel, while addressing wealth and family troubles, also has secondary plots that keep the reader interested and focused. The final chapters are satisfying and unexpected. This will make a great summertime read. Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Karen Swan has done it again! This was another wonderful summer novel-- perfect for vacation, or perfect for whiling away the days wishing you were on vacation. I immensely enjoyed the alternating storylines; I think they were woven together perfectly. It's never truly summer until I get my hands on the new Karen Swan book, and this was no exception!

*Thank you to Pan MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The Sanish Promise is set in Spain during the late 1930's as well as present day.The story delivers an engaging family saga rich in romance,drama and mystery.I really enjoyed reading this book .
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.