A romantic, historical mystery set over two timelines. Interesting characters and setting. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.  

I love the way this author tells a story; the way she pieces together memorable characters, stunning vistas and dual timeline stories with such ease.  She always makes me want to travel to these distant locations.  In this book, the past is 1940's Scotland; the eve of Constance's 21st birthday, where events take place that alter her and her family's lives forever.  An event that leaves one dead, one jailed and one disinherited.  In the present, Kate takes a job assisting in getting Invermoray House turned around from money pit to bead and breakfast.  

Great story, I really liked both the past and the present stories, the characters were well written, the scenery lovely.  Lorna Cook is quite quickly turning into one of my favourite authors.

An engaging and entertaining dual time line novel set in Scotland!  Kate, in 2020, finds herself at the impressive Invermoray House where she's been hired to create a B&B.  She finds a secret- that of Constance McLay.  In 1940, Constance watches a plane crash into the loch and then rescues Matthew- who she hides because he has, well, an issue.  Their love story twines along with the love that Kate finds with James.  Nicely atmospheric with a great setting, this has a different take on the WWII novel.  The characters are well drawn and the storytelling is strong.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved the story and loved the settings. Such a fantastic read that kept me wanting more. The crosses between the past and the present and how they tie in together have caught my interest for a while and this book did not disappoint.

The Forbidden Promise is one of those books that I just could not put down!
Written as a dual timeline - 1940 and 2020 - I thought that I'd find the parts set in the earlier time period more intriguing as I particularly enjoy books set in the past, but no, I enjoyed them equally - both are full of suspenseful drama. 
I took to Constance straight away and I really felt for her - for a few reasons. As I delved deeper into her story, I felt so many emotions rise to the surface and I kept thinking to myself, just one more chapter then I'll stop, but the chapters had me gripped from start to finish. I just wanted, needed, more; to find out more about this wonderful bunch of characters and how the past would define the future, for the characters, and for Invermoray House. 
This book had so many surprises, I was lost for words. It is written with so much imagination, the scenery so vivid, and well balanced, thought out elements, make this a first class story. I was so engrossed in the story, I was as rooted as the threads of the story were, they were interwoven, flawlessly. 
Kate is the protagonist in the present and although I liked her, I did have a soft spot for Constance.
Kate starts a new job at Invermoray House, Scotland, and I wondered if she would be able to stick it out throughout the whole of her contract. I thought that Liz Langley-McLay, the owner of Invermoray House was a warm character and very welcoming towards Kate and she had a sense of humour that threw Kate on occasion. James, well, I found that there might be a lot to learn about him, but I found him funny, how he just came out with his comments. And like his mother, warm-hearted. 
I enjoyed this story immensely and I loved the ending, clever and conclusive. This is a beautiful, albeit, tragic tale which will draw out many emotions in the reader.
I highly recommend!

Many thanks to Avon Books UK via NetGalley.

I liked this one much better than the previous book I read by this author. Sweet and interesting dual love stories.  Fun!

This is my first book by Lorna Cook and wow I wasn’t disappointed. At first the going between 1940 and 2020 I did find frustrating as I was more hooked into 1940 but that did change and I couldn’t put the book down. A love story yes but two different couples in two different ages with two different outcomes. The author keeps you hanging on until the very end in order to read the outcome of both decades. If you love romance with a bit of history and a bit of mystery you’ll love this book. Thanks Lorna and NetGalley.

A World II mystery lies waiting for the right Pandora to unlock its secret. A forbidden affair, allied by circumstances yet axised by heritage, Kate and Constance's stories intertwine despite eight decades spanning their existence. The women are poised at the cusp of their future if they dare to ensure their happiness. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the early read. The story kept me guessing to discover the truth behind the ripped portrait, disinherited daughter and sequestered guest. As a door creaks opens, a locked door is revealed. Lorna Cook masterly crafts engaging plot twists to keep her readers from reaching forgone conclusions.

Loved the dual timelines in this book and I really did not expect the wartime thread to work out the way that it did! I enjoyed getting to know the characters and watching them develop into new and stronger people. 
The current timeline felt a wee bit cliched in places, but appreciate it was necessary to open up various stages of plot for development and allow details to come out. 
 The details woven throughout the narrative were fantastic, I felt that I could see the rooms in Invermoray House and the local areas, it was a great atmospheric read and one that I really became invested in.

A historical mystery and a slow-burn modern romance. The romance is slow-burn only because the characters are immature and rubbish at talking to each other or thinking like adults rather than like schoolchildren. The historical mystery is more compelling, involving a downed pilot in Scotland and the daughter of the family that owns the estate on which he crashed, but both narratives drag somewhat until the reveals at the end. Not quite as good as the author's first book, but still not a bad read.

Very enjoyable historical romance,  intertwining two stories and keeping the outcome unknown right until the end.  I got caught up in the story telling, the setting and the likeable characters and was sorry when it ended.   Will look forward to more from this author.  Thank you.

This is a interesting love story that is actually two stories, past of 1940 and present day.  I found the past story to be much more interesting then the present story.  The present story seemed to drag on a bit.
There is romance, suspense and insight into what life was like in the 1940’s.
I would definitely recommend this book if you like reading historical romance.  The characters are relatable though not always likable.  All in all, it is a cute story that keeps you engaged enough to keep reading to find out what happens in the end.  A story that makes you think about how the choices we make in life can cause many unexpected chain of events.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion and review.

Well written story with a slight twist at the end which I did not see coming!  Believable, well constructed characters. I liked the way that the plot moved between the 2 timelines. Recommended.

This is a beautiful book to read.   It’s set in wartime and the present.  A house In Scotland by a Loch, with characters from the war time to the present, what’s not to like!    Would thoroughly recommend.

I think some readers will have issues with The Forbidden Promise if they are wanting more historical fiction and see that this feels more romance than that. As a romance reader, this aspect didn't bother me at all. I did feel that the romance element overshadowed the historical fiction plot line a bit. I am such a sucker for people or places who we see separated by time and in this case that is a beautiful house in Scotland, Invermoray House. I like the start of this book kicking off in the thick of the Second World War. This is my first Lorna Cook novel but her writing was so beautiful and descriptive and really Brought the characters to life. Can't wait to snag a physical copy for myself!

I love books set in Scotland and hope to one day visit there, myself. When I heard about this book from a fellow reviewer, I knew I had to read it! I am so glad I did. Lorna Cook did a beautiful job on the story that unfolds around Invermoray house on a Scottish Loch. This book tells the story of two different but connected generations, one during WWII and one in current time. Each story has romance, secrets to unravel and tragedy. 

I found The Forbidden Promise to be well written and the characters to be realistic and relatable.  I was very interested and pulled into both story lines. Invermoray house and the surroundings sound beautiful making this another book that has encouraged me to plan a trip to Scotland! 

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and Lorna Cook for the ARC of The Forbidden Promise in exchange for my honest review.

It is 1940 and in the highlands its  Constance's 21st birthday and she escapes her party fed up with everything.
Suddenly a spitfire crashes into the Loch in front of the house.  Constance dives in and rescues the pilot and then she hides him.in an old cottage. He is disillusioned  with the  war and doesn't want to return so she hides him. 

Fast forward to 2020. Kate arrives at the house employed to turn it into a luxury B&B. She stumbles on a picture of Constance and her brother but why is her name scribbled out of the family bible. What had happened here and to the family?

Can Kate solve the mystery and find her own happiness?

This one was more romance than Historical Fiction, but still a has a bit of a mystery to it. It takes us on a journey of two timelines-1940 and 2020.

I enjoyed Constance's story in 1940 the most. She witnesses a pilot crashing into a lake on the property of her parents. She rescues him and must hide his secrets.

Kate's story takes place in 2020. She takes a job in a B&B and discovers some interesting background and connections to the 1949 story.

I feel the story could have been a bit shorter and some dialogue seemed cliche. In the end, I did enjoy it and it was an "escape" type of read. Predictable, but has a bit of mystery angle too.

I would give it 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story, characters and writing style. My favorite part of the book was the James/Kate story-line. Although, most of the problems between them were due to lack of communication. I didn't mind reading about Constance and Matthew, but didn't find them as interesting. That is until the very end, then their story took a whole different twist. I didn't think Matthew was telling Constance the truth after she rescued him. His reasons for leaving the military didn't seem believable and there had to be more. I knew he had to be hiding something. Someone should have pushed Henry in the loch. I knew he would be trouble. Naturally, Constance's parents liked him. Her parents definitely have the flair for dramatics.

Definitely recommend the book, especially if you enjoy historical fiction and romance. It was a cute story with a twist. Loved the cover of the book, it's what first caught my eye. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avon Books UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lorna Cook has done it again. Fans of her last book, The Forgotten Village (the Kindle no. 1 bestseller) will be pleased to know that her second offering, The Forbidden Promise, is every bit as fabulous - if not more so. The writing is beautifully descriptive and evocative - I felt as if I really was in the Scottish Highlands. I found the historical narrative particularly compelling, but the present day thread was excellent too.  Dual timeline novels are the best sort (in my opinion), and Lorna Cook has absolutely got this format nailed! I can't wait to see what she writes next, and where she'll choose to set it - she has chosen some truly amazing locations so far. I love books with powerful settings that almost become characters in themselves, which is exactly what Lorna Cook writes.

After winning the Romantic Novelists' Association's Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers with her debut novel last year, it's no surprise that Lorna's debut is now up for the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award too. I look forward to The Forbidden Promise enjoying similar success as her debut - it really does deserve to.