The Promise is a psychological thriller that didn't quite live up to its potential.
I found the characters simple and not well developed. The story line was good but
the lack of character depth distracted from the plot. I did enjoy the fast paced nature
of the book, just didn't quite cut if for me as a psychological thriller.

The Promise has a good hook, but doesn't quite hold on like I hoped. In fact, it took me a while to finish this one with it's slow pace and many jumps between characters and time. We finally get the full reveal on what brought about this dark promise at about 65% into the book, and from there the story does pick up some. In the end, most of these characters have a secret of one kind or another, the darkest of which being what started it all. At the end of the day, this one had potential, and it does live up to some of that, but the first half of the book moves too slow for my tastes, and it just didn't hold my interest enough for me to connect with these characters.

This book started out ok. There was suspense and mystery. Three friends made a promise to keep a secret. About halfway through, that secret is revealed. From that point, it seemed to me to be a slow decline. The secret turned into multiple secrets, each darker than the previous. It got to be too much going on and all at once. Oh well. On to the next!

Creepy, dark, powerful. Three words for a story about three women who, as school girls, made a promise to keep a secret. Years later, a lot has happened. Now there are more secrets, more with every chapter, it seems.

Teresa Driscoll seems to have found something of a niche with her style of writing. Things all start fairly low-key and low on drama. I find myself more curious than gripped... and then something else happens. Something that slots a dozen little pieces into place. Red herrings are brushed aside as sublimely subtle parts of the story connect and ramp up the tension. Suddenly the pages change from a steady read into a "one more page" story. It's clever and rewarding. It also gives the story an even greater emotional impact for Driscoll is happy to cover some pretty tough subjects. Trigger warnings aplenty for this book! However, Driscoll also tries to tie up loose ends to avoid too many "but what about...?" type questions. It gives the reader a chance to catch their breath from a hectic conclusion and offers a sense of resolution.

It's almost impossible to say more on the plot without delving into spoilers, but it's the normalcy of everything that makes it all so captivating. The characters are simple and relatable, they feel like people you could know, or pass in the street without thinking. Not just in terms of their background, but in the drama unfolding too. Nothing is outrageously far-fetched. The whole thing feels a little uneasy just because it's so comfortingly normal.

If you want action this won't quite hit the spot. If you want chilling, this could be the book for you. Just like being at school, the more you learn the more you want to know!

I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end from the amazing plot to the characters that capture you and enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. There was no taking this book away from.me until I was done. You would have had to pry it from my cold dead fingers. Happy reading!

I gave this a solid three. I'm a big fan of characters flashing back to things they did as teens, but this was just a tad slow for me. I skimmed over some parts. I was wanting more thrills, I guess. It was still a good read, just not a great one. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

Beth, Sally, and Carol met as teenagers and soon became the best of friends at boarding school, until something awful happened and Carol began to sever ties with them. Now, years later, Beth and Sally are on a mission to find Carol before a secret they promised to keep is revealed. Although this book is represented as a psychological thriller I think it would be better categorized as women's fiction. There really is no heart pounding suspense or shocking twists that one would expect from a psychological thriller. It is more an exploration of the relationship between the three girls and how the past shaped their future relationships with each other and their husbands.
3.5 stars

I did enjoy this book. I liked getting to know the characters and finding out what the secret these 14 year old girls had kept for so long. I did wonder at Beth's character and how she became depressed but then suddenly seemed to be well again. It was a fairly sad story in a way which shows how secrets can be so punishing and affect your life. It's much better to share with a trusted friend! I did like the ending even though it was a bit fairy tale!

Worth a read!

Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy.

A promise made that must be taken to the grave. Beth, Sally, and Carol have a dark secret. What risks are they willing to take to keep their promise?
This book follows characters on a winding trip that is sure to keep the readers guessing. I gave this 3 stars, the beginning was very slow for me. Once I got a little bit in it picked up and I couldn’t put the book down.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for the free arc. I found this book anti climatic. The dark secrets did not pay off for me as I found them to not be that big of a deal. I also did not care for the character of Beth and how she acted towards her friends.

This was an ok book but both slow and frankly a bit boring. The characters never seem quite complete nor believable and at times not even especially likable. The whole premise of a vow made during their teenage years seems strange and just not compelling as they age and move on with their adult lives and relationships.

Even the early scenes meant to move the plot along to today fall rather flat with frankly rather unpleasant and unappealing main characters who seemed totally uninteresting. The whole book felt this way - dull, bland and uninteresting.

The Promise really got to me. It is a mystery- what is the promise, who got hurt, why has it affected these 3 girls so much? But it also a life lesson- why secrets can tear you up inside, why sharing with friends and family is beneficial. I loved all of the girls- Beth, Sally and Carol. Each one had their trials and tribulations in life but managed to be lovable human beings. Their moms always came through when they were needed. A beautiful mystery.

I will read just about any genre of novel and will give my straightforward opinion of any novel I read. That said, I really did not like The Promise. I had read a novel with this same basic storyline before and wish I could remember the name of it. This book was just boring. I pretty basically had the ending worked out halfway through the book. There was really no peak of the story, just a series of this happened, then this happened, then this happened. And the book goes on that was for several hundred more pages than it needs. Also, the book is written in first person and third person and I wish the author would have made up her mind which person in which to write. I do not recommend this book.

I love books about boarding schools, secrets, nuns and teenage girls but this fell a little flat for me. The writing just wasn't good enough to make it really stand out. A shame because it had promise.

This book drew me in masterfully, nice and slowly with alternating chapters of time periods, making me curious and eager to hear WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN! And then when it starts to come out, I wanted it to slow down so I could enjoy it that much longer.

This story sounded really good, but maybe I went in with too high expectations because it started out great, but fell flat for me. I would not consider it a psychological thriller., but more mystery/drama. The beginning had me eagerly turning pages but later slowed down that I struggled to finish chapters that no longer kept my interest. There are many books out there with this same storyline that are much more thrilling.

How can three fourteen year old girls make a promise never to reveal a secret and not suffer the consequences?
This story looks at the after effects of the promise and how it has taken a toll on Beth, Sal and Carol and their families.
I do not want to say too much because the clues to the secret are cleverly woven throughout the story. I enjoyed this very much soI have now downloaded another Teresa Driscoll book, I am watching you,

I really enjoyed this book. I was totally surprised when it was revealed what the promise was cause I thought it was going in a whole different direction. I couldn't put this done until I read the last page. This is an excellent read and I highly recommend it!

At age 11, Beth, Carol, and Sally started boarding school at the Convent of St. Colman. They shared a room and became very close friends for their time at the school. Now years later, the area where the boarders were housed is being sold for redevelopment. Even when the girls were boarders, the Convent was old and filled with damp, so tearing it down is not unexpected.

Beth and Sally have stayed good friends over the years but Carol moved to France and contacting her has been difficult, if not impossible. Beth is married to Adam and is the mother of two sons. Sally has not be able to carry a baby to term which has resulted in her divorcing her husband. Carol lives with Ned in the south of France. Beth and Sally feel they really need to contact Carol so they hire Matthew, a private investigator to find her.

The girls share a deep, dark secret that remains at the Convent and if there is any digging done during the redevelopment, their secret could be revealed. It has tormented them all these years. So, they must do all they can to keep the secret quiet.

This is a good thriller but would have been better has it not been so slow to get going. This is why I only gave it 4 stars. However, once it got there, it was stunning. I think readers will really like this story of true friendship. (Note: I am using the English, not the French, spelling of Carol in my review.)

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Review THE PROMISE by Teresa Driscoll. Three girls make a promise to keep a terrible secret during their teen years in boarding school but years later it comes back to haunt them.This is the author's first book and had a good storyline though a bit slow until near the end. ⭐⭐⭐Three stars.