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Actual rating of 3.75 stars.

Beth and Sally have kept the promise, the secret, for over 20 years now. They've never told a soul what happened when they were 14 and still best friends with Carol. Inseparable, attached at the hip, but no longer. Carol often pops into their minds but for the most part, they've put the past behind them. Until they receive letters stating that the St. Colman Convent, the girl's old boarding school, is closing down and set to be redeveloped. After all this time, is their past going to come back and haunt them? More than it already does? The death that happened, the secret they kept all these years, Beth and Sally are at a loss of what to do. They start an insane journey to find Carol, get in contact with her, so they can ask her opinion, what she wants to do. She's the third girl in this promise, and Beth doesn't want to continue without her go ahead. But as they search and search, coming up with nothing, their anxieties rise higher, beginning to effect Beth's home life and Sally's sanity. All the guilt from what happened so long ago spilling over into their present day lives. What happened when they were 14? What is the big secret that they're so afraid of? And what has happened to Carol? Where is she?

This is a gritty psychological thriller, it switches between three different points of view - Beth, Matthew and Carol. Carol's point of view is written mostly in diary entries so we're still not sure what's actually going on with her or why she has become so distant. The story focuses mainly on the promise obviously, drip feeding us small tidbits, enough for us to form our own opinions of what actually happened when the girls were attending boarding school, but as I found out in the end, not actually divulging anything that could force us to uncover the truth without the story doing it for us. Well, that's for me anyway. I had absolutely NO idea that the story would turn out how it did, and it definitely upped my rating in the end.

I believe that Driscoll portrays the uncomfortable, anxiety of resurgent guilt from a past mistake. I honestly felt anxious for the characters while they stumbled through this story absolutely terrified that their secret would come out, that everyone would know what happened, and that their lives would be completely destroyed because of it. Holding something so terrible in for so long would almost become like a background sound - white noise - constantly threaded through the everyday lives of someone. Driscoll's portrayal of the depression that completely clouds Beth as she struggles to deal with the possible ramifications of this is wonderful. Being someone who lives with depression, I feel that she got the feelings one experiences when in a depression rut rather well. Even though it was honestly only a tiny part of Beth's story, I felt that it was important anyway, and she pulled it off. The descriptions of going through the motions but not really being present, of feeling stuck in a fog that is cutting you off from your loved ones, and your life in general, was on point for me. Her loved ones becoming increasingly worried, and her assuring them that she's fine, that everything's fine, while actually trying to BE fine because of her two young boys.

Sally was written fantastically. And this is the point where I will put in a trigger warning. At the very beginning of the book when we're transported to Beth and Sally in 2009 - there is details of a miscarriage. So if you think you will have trouble dealing with reading about such a horrible experience, I'd probably suggest against reading this one. It's not super graphic or anything, but the detail into how Sally herself was effected, they way that she was as it happened, is pretty descriptive. So I can imagine that it would be incredibly hard to read for some. There are other trigger warnings that I will put here, that have to do with abuse, domestic abuse, and rape. This is not as light a read as I thought it would be. It dealt heavily with hard subjects, but I feel that it was done well. These subjects were not included for shock factor, they had impacts on the story as well as the characters, they were woven through this story wonderfully and they really did add another dimension to it. I feel that the book would not have been the same had it chosen to forgo inclusion of these themes.

Matthew was okay, we get to know a bit about him, but he's not completely in the forefront of this story, he is the private investigator hired by Beth and Sally when they decide to ramp up their search for Carol. He was a nice addition to the story, and it would not have been the same without him in it.

I love that Driscoll dealt with so many things in here. The themes mentioned above, as well as the loss of a parent and how it can impact someone's whole life. The struggles for some students who attend boarding schools, spending majority of their young life away from their family. I can't really say much more with giving away too much of the story itself.

The reveal was fantastic. When we finally find out what the bit secret was, I thought that everything would start to descend back towards the bottom of the proverbial mountain, ready to be tied up into a nice little bow, but oh I was wrong. So much more is revealed than I originally thought was even happening. We get answers to everything and more. Everything begins to make sense. The only word I have for the last 5 odd chapters is explosive. The revelations, the reasons, the surprises, phenomenal.

The reason that my review is not higher, is that at times, I felt that the story lagged a bit. Pacing was a bit slower than I like and I found myself looking at where I was in the book and thinking "Really? I still have 30% to go??". But other than this, I can't pick much fault with it. It was a great book but it didn't hit that giddy, unbelievable, butterfly inducing 5 star rating for me. When I was near the end, thinking back on the story itself, it sometimes felt like a mess of strands that were all tangled up and it was impossible to see which thread went where. Though once I got to the ending, it was as though the ball of mess had untangled itself. I believe that this feeling of chaos actually probably lent even more realness to the story itself. We are thrown into such a chaotic story that we can't help but feel empathy for these characters and what they're going through.

A fabulous story of loss and friendship spanning many years and the secrets we keep. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters and found parts that made me smile and also made me cry.

I found this book really hard to put down. Really intriguing and it kept me guessing until the very end. A web of destruction that perhaps we could all encounter. A great read!

"Every spring when I watch the petals lost to the wind, I think of the fragility of our dreams."

The Promise by Teresa Driscoll centres around three friends, a promise made decades before, and their relationships, past and present. The author's writing is very distinctive and she writes in such a lovely style as she brings her characters to life. You get to know them so well, they are living, breathing people you root for from very early on.

"How cruel would it be? To dust a person with the magic of the mountains then snatch the dream away."

So many times I paused at a piece of text, admiring the prose. The story was so engaging, I couldn't help but keep turning the pages to discover more about this trio. It came as no surprise to learn the author spent time in a boarding school as the authenticity of the writing seeped from every page. The twists and revelations during the last quarter of the book blindsided me. The ending was truly satisfying and left me with a warm glow. Another winner from Teresa Driscoll. Five stars from me.

The Promise was a wonderful story of three best friends who are faced with bad circumstances, and together and among much hardship, make it through the struggle. I loved reading about the bond that the three girls shared throughout their lives. It was very heart warming since you don't see friendships that endure and last through so much today. The many twists and turns keep you guessing and excited until the bittersweet end. This novel about death, abuse (sexual and physical), and the contrast of friendship, love, and devotion is quite memorable and enjoyable. I will look for more by this author. Highly recommend.

I was excited to read this book after really enjoying Driscoll's I Am Watching You. Unfortunately, I didn't find this one to be nearly as good. The Promise was certainly a decent thriller with a few surprises threw in. In fact, I was impressed that I was actually shocked a couple of times, which to me signals a successful mystery/thriller. However, I just didn't connect with the characters as much as I had hoped. Beth and Sally, the main characters and best friends, didn't really speak to me, so I found it hard to become too emotionally invested. However, this was a quick and fast-paced read. I would recommend if you're looking for a psychological thriller.

This was my first book by this author and I will be diffently reading more. This book gripped me from the start, with its twists and turns. Very well written, I highly recommend this book.

Wow - This story was like peeling back the layers of an onion....everytime I thought I knew where it was going and who the criminal was, another twist came, and I threw me off course - in a good way!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
The Promise is the third book of Teresa Driscoll that I have read and whilst I didn’t think it was quite as good as ‘I am Watching You’ and The Friend’ . I did enjoy the concluding chapters of the book which were totally engrossing and the psychological drama of the concluding chapters were what you have come to expect from Teresa Driscoll.
Highly recommended.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and the author, Teresa Driscoll, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Promise in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I thought the book offered a good read, though it was slow to start. An easy book to pick up and put down if you are busy

I enjoy Teresa Driscoll, having discovered her with I Am Watching You, and I very much enjoyed The Promise too. The promise Sally, Caroline, and Beth made when they were together at boarding school was different to what I was expecting, and Driscoll cleverly through in some red herrings that twisted the story even further. I was also happy to see a recurring character turn up.

Beneath the pacy, exciting thriller that I enjoyed, there are several key themes that stood out to me. How easy it can be for someone to manipulate you, and just how much someone can change when living with an abuser, how they can appear to push you away. Another is (and this may be my own beliefs interpreting what Driscoll has written) how dangerous blind faith can be, especially when it comes to religion (and women's rights). How terrible it can be, to be weighed down by a secret for so many years. The characters in this book were fully fleshed out, unique, and engaging, exactly what I've come to expect from Driscoll. Really enjoyed this one, highly recommend.

I was given an advance copy for a honest review
3 stars. The story starts out really slow it was hard to keep my attention. It did get better I just wish I liked it more than I did.

A real page turner that will keep you hooked throughout. Plenty of twists and a constant reveal of information all the way through the story.

The story is told over two main timelines: present day and the past when the main characters were at boarding school. Most of the story is told via Beth but there are various chapters where we find out small snippets of information from a few other characters.

Beth, Sally and Carol all attended the same boarding school, run by a group of Nuns. They spent their whole time with each other but they are keeping a secret which could be finally revealed with the upcoming demolition of their school. Beth and Sally are still the best of friends but after school Carol drifted away from them but now Beth and Sally must try to find Carol to decide what they are to do with the secret and promise they made to each other. Will they find Carol in time ? And will they be able to keep their promise ?

I really enjoyed this book and found myself really liking Beth and Sally. Carol was kept as a bit of a mystery and I wasn’t really quite sure what to make of her but I think this all adds to the suspense and mystery.

If you love twisty mysteries then you will really enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more from Teresa Driscoll in the future.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I am trying to come up with what to say about this book. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I can't give away too much because I don't want t spoil the book, but at times I was really bored. It felt as if the author wanted to write several different books and mashed them all together. This is because a lot of the characters have pasts that are dark. By the end of the book everything did come together. I would say this is a character driven book versus a plot driven book.

If you are a fan of thrillers and you read every one that you can get your hands on, then go ahead and read this one. BUT if you are not familiar with the Thriller genre you may be disappointed as it is not very thrilling.

Amazing read, lots of different situations believable characters, twists and turns gripping and compelling to read.Highly recommend this

This book begins with the idea that three schoolmates share a secret, and the aftermath decades later. A very interesting premise that becomes even more interesting as the novel progresses. I don't want to reveal too much here, but this one's worth reading all the way through!

You really get to know the main characters as you read, and there are a good number of twists and turns to the storyline. Keeps you on your toes throughout!

A gripping thriller, evolving around the lives of three young girls from their first meeting at a Convent boarding school to adult hood. An incident at the school affected all their later lives. The promise they made then caused them all considerable upset. When their secret finally comes to light their lives can then return to normal.

I received a free e-copy of The Promise by Teresa Driscoll from NetGalley for my honest review.

Three friends, Beth, Sally, and Carol met at a Catholic boarding school. They formed a special bond. Their bond, however is set by a deep and dark secret that has haunted them throughout their lives. A secret they all swore to take to their graves.

Many years later, the girls get news that their former school is going to be demolished. Now they are in fear that their secret, long ago, will be discovered. Also, someone is watching them, but who? Is there someone out there that knows what they did?

The story is beautifully written and the characters are wonderful but the story moved along a bit slowly for me. It is told by four different points of view (Beth, Sally, Carol and Matthew).

Gosh, but, this is a really good read. I got lost in the excellent writing, great storyline and such well developed characters that I couldn't put it down.

Three schoolgirl friends have made a promise back when they were at boarding school together and it's something that continues to affect each of their lives, many years on. Now, they hear that the boarding school is to be redeveloped and their secret may be discovered. What follows is a woven tale of secrets, lies, friendships, family, grief and loss and it's so, so well written. It's got twists and turns and you're never quite sure who is honestly revealing themselves. I thought the character of Matthew was fabulous and brought an added dimension to the tension.

A fabulous read.


Thanks so much to Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer and the author for the ARC and the opportunity to preview.

The Promise was a very difficult story to get into. It was very slow going and nothing irritates me more than when characters refer to an incident in vague details throughout 50-75% of a story. The end of the book had some nice twists but I can't honestly say it was worth the wait to get there. The major event is nothing more than scared teenage girls, really. They made terrible choices, yes. It seemed like other events in the story were much bigger but this was supposed to be the main conflict. I would have enjoyed this more if there wasn't such a huge buildup to this big secret they all (only partially) shared.