So I’m a sucker for dual narratives. And I’m a sucker for books set in my neck of the woods, Scotland, especially the more remote areas of the country. So The Forbidden Promise was a shoe in before I even opened the first page. My expectations were high. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. This is a cracking read. I was engrossed from page one and the book clung to me until the final page. The dual narrative works really well with the plot bouncing easily between both time periods. I kept wondering how Constance’s story in 1940 could possibly be linked to events in 2019. I had several theories and was delighted to be completely wrong. I loved the way the author drips feeds you the story and the links to the past, one delicious spoonful at a time.

Two stories, two women  in two different time periods. This is a story that starts in 1940 in Scotland. Constance is sitting by the Loch when she hears what she thinks is a Spitfire plane with engine trouble. The plane goes down and Constance swims out to rescue the pilot. She gets him to shore and takes him to a little carriage house on the property... And from there her story begins. 

In 2020 Scotland, Kate is on her way to Invermoray House for a new job to help the house attract more visitors. She is looking for something different in her life. 

At the start of this book, I wondered how the author was going to be able to tie both stories together but she did it masterfully! What she has created is a wonderful story full of secrets, betrayal, love and best of all redemption!! 

Thank you to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for a eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kate works in PR. After a rather nasty experience she decides she needs something a bit different & after a telephone interview she sets off to Scotland to Invermory House to assist in setting them up as a bed & breakfast enterprise. However, the son of the house is not welcoming at all!

Switch to 1940. It is Constance's 21st birthday party- not that she is enjoying it very much. When her brother's friend makes extremely unpleasant & unwanted advances she escapes down to the Lochside. When a plane crashes into the water & there is no sign of the pilot she swims in & helps him to shore. The young man is at the end of his rope & she agrees to help him stay at a worker's cottage.

These two timelines work well together & both of them capture the attention. I did feel the present day was a bit too 'Mill's & Boon' but put up with it!!

All in all an enjoyable light read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book

I started reading this book while locked down at home, desperate to live vicariously through the pages of a book, traveling through time and countries.  The Forbidden Promise was exactly what I needed and then some, and I'm so happy I decided to read it when I did.  It was so engaging, flipping back and forth from present day to 1940, in the midst of WWII.  What is it about that time period that draws us?  Is it the sadness of war that you don't want to witness but can't look away from?  Is it the certainty of lost love as soldiers say goodbye to those they hold most dear?  I think for me it is the lessons to be learned and the reminder that humanity exists even in the darkest of times.

2020
Kate is desperate for a new job.  Having left her last position with what felt like a scarlet letter on her coat pocket, innocent though she may be, she needed a fresh start somewhere else.  Arriving at Invermoray House in the middle of nowhere Scotland, things don't start out quite as planned.  The place is eyeballs deep in debt, and Kate doesn't know where to begin with fixing it up for visitors in time to avoid selling.  And then there's the owner's son, gruff on a good day and downright rude on his worst, they don't mix well.  It's a place of renewal for her, but for James, it's his home.
1940
Constance McLay just wants to be useful, but her mother says ladies don't work, even during a war.  During her birthday celebration, Constance escapes to the loch in time to see a small plane crash into her loch.  She saves the pilot, discovering that he is a RAF officer and in desperate need of hiding.  He has no intention of rejoining the war, and Constance finds herself reluctant to see him go.  As they grow closer, the situation becomes more dangerous, because their love is certain to be doomed.  Not only is Constance worried she may not see him again, but the pilot isn't all he seems to be.

I absolutely loved how Lorna Cook wrote this story.  It was so cleanly written, even with the frequent switch between years.  It was easy to follow, and I found myself eager for both stories.  Oftentimes I find myself drawn to one or the other, so I skim one time period.  However, I was thoroughly engaged in both, and I wanted a happy ending for all involved.  There were so many emotions that came up inside me - happiness, disappointment, love, pain.  It's like you're reading about someone who is sitting right next to you.  You feel connected.  Kate and James were a great couples, almost an enemies to lovers story.  I loved their relationship development, because it felt so real and didn't move too fast.  Constance and Matthew were almost instantly connected, a bond forged from a traumatic event but as strong as if they had loved each other for years.  It was magical but also one I knew was going to come crashing down at some point.  It was both inspiring and heartbreaking.

This was my first book by this author, but it certainly won't be my last!  I loved every page.

After winning critical and reader acclaim with her debut bestseller The Forbidden Village, expectations for award-winning author Lorna Cook’s second novel, The Forbidden Promise were sky-high but this gifted storyteller has not only managed to exceed them, but pen a seamlessly told and wonderfully crafted novel which is impossible to put down and difficult to forget.

In 1940, it is the night of Constance’s twenty-first birthday party. Everybody seems to be having the time of their lives at her twenty-first celebrations – everybody but the birthday girl herself who has not only had to endure the disappointment of discovering how lecherous her beau is, but also finds herself feeling more alone than ever. Unable to bear another moment of her misery in the face of everyone’s jollity and levity, Constance takes a walk by the loch near Invermoray House and finds herself diving into the ice cold water to rescue the Spitfire pilot who has crashed into the lake. Taking the pilot to the ghillie’s house on the estate, Constance thinks that this young man will warm himself up, dry his clothes and send news of his whereabouts to the relevant authorities, but she is shocked to her very core when her new friend makes it perfectly clear that he has no intention of continuing to fight in this war. Vowing to keep him hidden, Constance finds herself torn between duty to her country and her family and keeping a promise that could end up costing her everything and will have repercussions long after the end of the war…

Eighty years later, Kate finds herself in desperate need of a break away from London. The public relations executive has had it up to here with reality TV divas and Z listers who seem to think their transient fame gives them the right to be rude and obnoxious. When her last job ends in disaster, Kate decides to throw caution to the wind and apply for a job in Scotland at Invermoray House which is as far removed from her usual gigs as it is possible to get. However, on her arrival, Kate discovers that she is going to have her work cut out for her when she realises that her new employer’s son is determined to put obstacle after obstacle in her way. Having made it clear from the off that her services are not wanted or needed, Kate wonders just what she has let herself in for – especially when she realises that Invermoray House has a dark and twisted history and plenty of dangerous secrets. When she finds a record of the family’s history with Constance’s name violently scratched out, Kate vows to get to the bottom of this mystery. But is she prepared for what she is about to find? Should some secrets stay dead and buried? Or has the time come for them to come into the light?

A fantastic writer of extraordinary scope and talent, Lorna Cook never fails to dazzle her readers with her intricately plotted, wonderfully atmospheric and immensely poignant timeslip stories. The Forbidden Promise is a captivating and compelling tale set in the 1940s and the present day that beguiles, enthrals and surprises with a brilliant blend of romance, mystery, intrigue and family secrets. Constance and Kate’s stories are both intriguing and emotional and are sure to leave readers on the edge of their seats and glued to the book’s pages.

Written straight from the heart and with plenty of style, assurance and panache, Lorna Cook’s The Forbidden Promise is the perfect book to curl up with and escape into and one which readers will want to read again and again.

I have been reading a lot of WWII fiction lately, but this is the first one I have read that is set in Scotland. The dual story line, one set in present day and the other set in 1940, the help readers unravel the mystery of Invermoray House.

2020: Kate arrives to help the family turn the house from a crumpling estate house into a bed and breakfast.

1940: After saving a downed pilot on the night of her 21st birthday, Constance must face the realities of war.

While I was immediately drawn into the present day story line, it took me a while to get caught up in Constance's story. I loved the writing style so I feel like this issue was me and not the story. I loved the strong female characters in this novel. Even if some of the big plot reveals could be seen coming I did truly enjoy this book. If you are looking for a new perspective on WWII I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for my advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

The Forbidden Promise is the second book from Lorna Cook following on from her brilliant début The Forgotten Village which was published last year. Again the story is told in a duel timeline format and as I am a big fan of this type of writing I was more than pleased to delve into the book. This book is really character driven focusing on two women Constance and Kate separated by many years but who are both seeking something new in life.

August 2019 and Kate is escaping from London after her successful career in PR has come crashing down all thanks to some high powered businessman who spun some lies and made Kate out to be the culprit. Kate is seeking peace and quiet and space for her to rebuild her reputation away from all those who know about the awful situation that unfolded. Her best friend Jenny made her apply for two jobs from away from the city and Kate has been successful in securing a position in Scotland. She has a six month contract to work at Invermoray House which is a beautiful estate surrounded by woodland with a loch at its centre. The loch will go on to play a crucial role in the story for many different reasons. Kate thinks she is there to provide some PR for the house in order for more tourists to visit. On arrival little does she realise any form of visitor or guest is non existent and her first encounter with James Langley does not go to plan either. Liz, his mother, had kept secret the fact that she had employed Kate and this does not go down well at all with James. Clearly, there is a lot more going on than first meets the eye when it comes to Invermoray House and its residents and the same can be said for its past history during the war years as well.

For the majority of the book James came across as being surly, sullen, argumentative and just not open to discussion or new ideas. But underneath it all there was something about him that was vulnerable and that if Kate pushed that little harder he would accept the help she was offering in order to turn the fortunes of the house around. I could see the chemistry developing between the pair but neither of them wanted to give into it. They were both stubborn and there was lots of miscommunication but I felt things went on more of an even keel for them when they started to work as a team to bring their ideas and innovations for the house to fruition. Also as they started to dig back into the past as to what had happened in the year that Constance celebrated her 21st birthday, things got very intriguing.

I loved the chapters set back during 1940 as we get to know Constance. We meet her on the night of her 21st birthday as she flees from the house as unwanted advances from a member of the opposite sex do nothing to make her enjoy the celebrations. As she sits overlooking the loch, she sees something strange and startling and before she knows it she is in the water rescuing a pilot who has been shot down. As his plane sinks into the water, Constance rescues Matthew and with this heroic action Constance's life is changed forever. She takes Matthew to the ghillie's cottage which has been abandoned since he left for war. The events of the night and Matthew himself must remain a secret for Matthew says he does not wish to return to his squadron. Constance is torn between a rock and a hard place, she knows the right thing to do but there is also a part of her who longs to go against convention. She keeps Matthew a secret but at what cost?

Constance was a young woman from a privileged background but she felt stifled by the constraints placed against her. She longs to do her bit for the war but is prevented from doing so by her parents. So in some small way by sheltering and protecting Matthew she believes she is alleviating some of her guilt at not being allowed out into the wider world instead of hiding behind the walls of Invermoray House. Up until now she had been threading water, with no sense of herself but upon rescuing Matthew she finds purpose and feels renewed. The friendship that develops between the pair was slow and steady and you can tell that there is more to come when it comes to matters of the heart. But is Constance just rushing into things for want of some excitement or is this her true calling in life. She put herself in great danger and made plenty of sacrifices but would it ultimately led to danger, loss and disappointment? At times I thought she lost sense of the bigger picture and wasn't truly thinking fully of the consequences of her actions. If Matthew was discovered and Constance's part in it all surely the fallout would be catastrophic.

I loved the element of a character in the present uncovering secrets and mysteries from the past but I felt at times there needed to be more of this. I thought Kate didn't investigate enough as to the background of the family living at Invermoray and why someone seemed to have been written out of said family. Yes she started asking questions but I never felt a really urge from here to dig that little bit deeper to discover just what had happened and why. Towards the end she did get a little spurt under her to seek out old newspapers and to do some online research but I would have loved if this had been constant throughout the book. It just felt that it happened a little bit too late and therefore made the ending slightly rushed. Perhaps another chapter or two focusing on the historical element would have allowed for some more exploration as to what happened to certain characters and why. It read as if too much was being fitted into it in order to answer all the questions and angles that had arisen throughout the course of the story.

All that said this was another very good read from Lorna Cook and I did enjoy the story. I mean that twist in the last few chapters I literally stopped and said oh my God. How could I not have seen that coming? As truly everything you had thought up until that point was turned on its head. Instantly I had changed my opinion of certain characters that perhaps I had put faith and trust in as we got to know them over the course of the story. I know it was wrong to do that but that was my gut reaction and I think many other readers will feel the same. The reason for such a twist was very well explained and justified but it did make me really feel for the main characters as these revelations led to consequences that I couldn't have foreseen occurring.

The last few chapters were startling and tense as a whole range of emotions came rushing to the surface and the fallout for all involved led to heartbreak, devastation, anger and trauma. The reader really runs the gauntlet with the characters and you desperately hope that some form of love, happiness and acceptance can be found in the most desperate of times. I hope Lorna Cook is hard at work on book number three because she has shown she is a fantastic author of historical fiction and deserves lots of success especially with this new book.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was two stories, one in the present and one in the second world war. They were intriguing and kept me wanting to know what happens. There were twists to the story especially the nationality of the airman l do recommend that you read this book.

This was a really good read.   Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.  Beautifully written and very well researched.  I loved it.

When I saw the blurb to this book, I knew that I would immediately love it. A few pages in, and I faced a dilemma: could I pace myself and really take my time? Or would I lose my head and obsess with the book until I had finished it, in as few sittings as possible? Well, life made that decision for me and, returning to the novel several times, I found myself gradually reading faster and faster, enjoying it more every time.

This was a lovely read. I do enjoy a good dual-narrative story. Typically, I find that I prefer one story thread over the other. This time, Cook has made both timelines equally fascinating. She provides equal attention to both, demonstrating to readers that events from 1940 are just as important to present day. Indeed, at times the chapters in one timeline finished on an action that was continued in the other period: a clever piece of writing and a great match on action that you would usually find in films.

Both female protagonists are admirable. Constance is keen to escape the social restrictions that bound her to her parents and is desperate to do something for the war effort. In present day, Kate is also keen to escape – this time from her troubled past (which also links to social expectations, just like for Constance). The two women converge in Scotland and Cook’s descriptions of Invermoray House and the surrounding highlands are so vivid that I could easily imagine myself there. I felt transported across to Scotland and wanted to visit the secluded cottage that was hidden in the forest on the loch.

Whilst the modern day story follows Kate’s attempts at trying to make Invermoray House a business, undoubtedly, this is more of a romance story with a mystery thrown in as well. Kate gradually finds more about Constance after discovering that she was disinherited from the McLay family. As Kate learns more about what occurred, so do the readers. There were plenty of moments where Cook leaves the time period on a cliffhanger and, whilst I was desperate to find out what happened, quickly became absorbed in the next plot developments. Indeed, as the closing chapters were reached, the writer switches each time between 1940 and 2020; I was literally gasping with shock and surprise because I had not anticipated the revelations.

Cook has been on my radar for a while. Having not read her previous book, I was keen to see what this would be like. I certainly was not disappointed! Although the cover is rather mediocre and repetitive of so many current novels out there, (how many more books are we going to see with the protagonist’s back to the camera?!) I do not feel it reflected how good this story is. This book definitely met my expectations and was simply enjoyable. So much so, that I am desperate to read Cook’s other book. Historical, romantic and mysterious – this is a great literary mixture.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dual timeline story, one is of WWII, and the other is in present-day Scotland. I preferred the current day's timeline of our leading lady (Kate) is working towards making an old Scottish castle more lucrative for its owners. The other is of a girl on the brink of adulthood who doubts her own capacity to actually do something and feeling at a loss during the war. There is a romantic angle for both women in the tale as well. 

For someone like me who has read quite a few of these dual timeline books (and only because of that), there was nothing new in the tale. The writing was smooth, the characters vivid, and that made the reading worth the time, but I was not too impressed by the twist. It came too late in the older timeline, and by that time, it seemed to be the only possible angle that it could have gone for the situation to be what it was in the current timeline. In fact, I would have preferred more focus on the actual steps and time spent in converting the castle to a working B&B and even lesser time spent in 1940. I recommend this to those like me, who like dual timelines with a war/troubled background and easy like or dislike( the villains of the piece) characters. 

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

4.5 stars
 I did enjoy this book, the main characters were engaging and the dual timeline worked well. The attitude of Constance’s parents during 1940 seemed to be typical of their class. I enjoyed the romances, although they were different in many ways. The ending was a complete surprise, I had been wondering how the two stories would come together but never guessed how it would. As I found this book to be so entertaining, I have now purchased The Forgotten Village. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A romantic novel with a great twist at the end. In fact Laura Cook's novel deals with two romances, one during the Second World War and the other in recent years. Hidden secrets abound from the start and the stories are intertwined. Very easy to read and perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley and Kate Riordan."

Scotland 1940: It was Constance's twentyfirst birthday party. She sneaks out and goes for a walk. But then she sees a spitfire crash into the loch. She jumps in and saves the pilot, Matthew's life then hides them in a disused Ghillie cottage. They love each other but Matthew is hiding something from Constance.

2020: Liz and James employ Kate to promote their home as a guest house. Kate comes up with the idea that there was a monster in the Loch. Kate starts digging into Liz's family and the story that a pilot had drowned in the Loch.

How will promises and decisions change the fate of two women that lived decades apart.

Both stories were set in Invermoray House. Thenstory 8s a little  it predictable at times. The dual timeline eventually intertwined seamlessly. There's a few twists but there is a great one nearer the end of the book. The pace is steady in this well written and descriptive read. Another book that drew  me in from the start.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Lorna Cook for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dual timeline book that's primarily a romance but with a touch of mystery, all tied to Invermoray House in Scotland. In 1940 Constance, on her 21st birthday, sees a plane crash in the loch near the house. She rescues the pilot and promises to keep him secret. 60 years later Kate takes on the job of marketing and rebranding the house as a B&B for the family. She's intrigued with the house's history, enough so that she is able to deal with James who presents his own challenges.
Both stories move smoothly and transition between timelines effortlessly. I enjoyed this book...the romance and learning the history of the house.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Avon Books UK, Lorna Cook and NetGalley for a review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book set in two very different periods of time in Invermoray. The lives 0f Constance in 1940 and Kate in 2020 are very different but become interlinked.

This was actually the first book I had read by Lorna Cook, I had purchased her debut novel The Forgotten Village last summer but hadn't read it yet (an oversight I quickly rectified after reading this). Lorna won the Romantic Novelists' Association's (RNA) prestigious Joan Hessayon Award for The Forgotten Village. I enjoyed The Forgotten Village but must admit that I prefer The Forbidden Promise.

Constance is a young woman wanting to break free of the restrictions of her parents and pre war society. Kate is escaping life in London and hopes to help a family save their home. Both face major life changes.

A great book to get lost in. This is one of my favourite books of 2020

I really enjoyed this dual time line story, romance with a little touch of mystery.
1940 in the Scottish highlands, Constance observes a plane crashing into the loch. Her following actions has consequences, which she could never have foreseen.
2019 Kate accepts a position at Invermoray to turn an old family house into a B and B after a uncomfortable experience in her previous PR job. 
As soon as I started this book, I knew it would be one I’d enjoy. It had a gentleness about it and a hint of hidden stories. One of my favourite romance types are where two people clash but don’t recognise that they are attracted to each other, so I was a happy reader with this book. Although I personally felt that the small misunderstanding in the current time frame wasn’t really needed. Still, that was a minor quibble for a number of hours enjoyment.
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for a copy to read.

4.5 stars

Split between 2 timelines at Invermoray House in Scotland, The Forbidden Promise looks at the ripples of events across time. In 1940 the house was at peace while the world was at war, but as war ramps up, the members of the household start to feel the pressure of the war. On Constance’s 21st birthday, she is the only witness to a plane crash that leads her to make a promise to keep the downed pilot hidden. Her promise will bring about consequences she could not have imagined.

Sixty years later, Kate is hired to help the current owners reimagine the house into a bed and breakfast, but quickly learns that the task is larger than she was led to believe. Plagued by finances and a reluctant owner, she has her work cut out for her to turn the house into the beauty it once was. But as she works to market the house, she is intrigued by the secrets that seem to be hiding within the history of the house’s past residents. 

The two stories wrap seamlessly around each other, building in similar paces. As Kate learns more about Constance and the house, readers get to see more and more about Constance and the events that would change the fate of the house so drastically. 

I loved the role the house played in moving both storylines forward. Constance’s secret is hidden due to the circumstance of war, and as the house moves forward with war efforts, her attempts at keeping the pilot a secret become that much more difficult. Kate’s entire purpose for being in Scotland is the house, and her intrigue at the house’s history makes it easier for her to look past her initial challenges dealing with James. 

I loved the way the romances unfolded as well. Both time periods have elements of romance and each builds as is appropriate for the time periods.

This is the first book I have read from the author, but I will be looking to pick up her first (previous) book soon. I loved the writing itself and look forward to more from Ms. Cook. 

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Firstly, I would like to thank Avon Books UK for asking me to review this book and for asking me to be apart of the blog tour. 
I was experimentally excited to read this after reading Lorna Cook's fantastic debut novel, The Forgotten Village. Again she had me hooked from the first page and I couldn't help but fall in love with this story. 
The Forbidden Promise follows Constance in 1940 and Kate in 2020 little do they know that both their lives are intertwined. I love the way this story is told each couple of chapters moves from one time to the other but rest assured it is so easy to follow and keep up with, Lorna writes amazingly and has really captured the very essence of each era bringing them both to life. Constance has a secret and one that changes lives. The beginning of WW2 has started and Constance feels she is not doing enough, with a strict upbringing life is far from exciting despite the beautiful setting, that is until a spitfire crashes in the loch. Kate meanwhile is facing a new challenge and changes in her life, little by little a mystery emerges and it might just be one that could save the house. Their two stories begin to mirror one another and I could not help but be drawn to these two characters. Constance may be the favourite of the two although that is a tough choice, perhaps because I love the 1940s and WW2 but also her characetr really spoke to me.
An amazing story that captures the very essence of love, hopes and dreams in times of hardship.

Stunning story line set over two time lines that interact and resolve brilliantly at the end. Very satisfying read that I just could not put down 
Can’t recommend it enough