An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.

I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed The Vow.... it kept my attention from start to finish.

The Vow has had some quite mixed reviews, and I know I’m easily pleased, however, I thought it was an engaging and compelling read. The plot was plausible with believable characters and it kept me guessing until the end. Who was involved, who could be trusted? Friends or foe?

Admittedly it’s not a fast paced, dynamic, jaw drop to the floor, heart pounding thriller, but it has all the elements of a great and intriguing read.

It’s written from the perspective of a number of POVs, which sometimes I find irritating however on this occasion Howells developed the storyline incredibly well sharing the thoughts, experiences and behaviour of the key characters.

Amy was a herbalist which I found quite interesting, especially when the language of the flowers and herbs was shared, the meaning.....

Excerpt:

She nods. ‘Maybe it explains why there’s such a clear story in the plant meanings. Deceit, pain, distrust, grief. Remembrance… It’s a memorial garden.’

There’s tragedy, a stupid mistake or was it intentional years ago? And you know that old saying ‘It’ll always come back to haunt you’, well on this occasion it did. Adding the gaslighting and deceit turned this into a good read and I couldn’t put it down.

I’ve given this 4 🌟 as it is repetitive in parts, understandably sometimes to get the past shared with all parties, however I feel this could have been dealt with in a more concise way.

Thank you Avon Books UK, NetGalley and Debbie Howells for this ARC provided in exchange for my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book overall but I felt it got a little confusing in the middle with extra elements that weren't needed for the story to be enjoyed. I liked that one of the main things I puzzled over and made so many guesses about was a red herring and not important at all.

Fantastic read!!!! I was really thrilled with this book. It was good from the beginning till the end. It was so hard to put down. I was able to read this book really fast because I wanted to find out what was going on. The was one mystery after another in this book with a very shocking ending. I did kind of guessed what was going on but I still wasn't for certain and kept second guessing myself. This book for me did not have any slow or boring parts at all. I highly recommend this book to thriller and mystery readers!

I really wanted to love this book but I found it hard going and I found I couldn’t finish it. The storyline didn’t hook me and hold my attention.

Many thanks to netgalley and Debbie Howells for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

This was a great read. Kept me guessing until the very end. Very well written with great characters. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Matt disappears shortly before his wedding to Amy, and its discovered that Matt has been living a double life.

This was a very good crime thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

The vow is a slow burn thriller with enough suspense to keep you entertained for the most part. the plot is interesting, the writing is fluid. however what kept me from fully enjoying the book was the MC. I couldn't agree with most of Amy's decisions, and I think she was very naive for someone her age and. I couldn't connect with her. Jess seemed more mature than her.

The vow is a slow burn thriller starting with an attractive opening, Amy is engaged to the love of her life, Matt. everything is going well until the fiancé disappears 2 weeks before their wedding. Amy is mystified when another woman also reports Matt missing.
I was really enjoying the book until the story started having an identity crisis.
First, I couldn't place the theme of witchcraft in the story. there were a lot of references to herbal medicine which I liked but I think was not developed in the same direction as the denouement.
Then the snippets from the past. I understand the author wanted to give a view of the past, but I didn't feel they were connected at all. I just felt annoyed every time one of them popped at the end of a chapter.
The writing was really fluid and enjoyable. the author did a great job researching everything about herbalism and the plot was most definitely interesting, however what kept me from fully enjoying the book was the MC. I couldn't agree with most of Amy's decisions, and I think she was very naive for someone her age. I couldn't connect with her. Jess seemed more mature than her.
Im giving this one 3 stars, but I liked the author's writing style and would love to read more from her in the future.

I really wanted to like The Vow. I enjoyed it up until roughly halfway through but I have to agree with other reviewers who say it unraveled past that point. There were too many plot inconsistencies and things that didn't make sense. The police investigation was laughable. The motives and actions of some of the characters were over the top and cringey. It was all in all quite juvenile and I hate to say that because the beginning was so promising.

Had the plot been given more time to mature and tighten up, this book could have been great because the author knows how to write brilliant prose. I flew through the book - her writing flowed effortlessly, and because of that, I am optimistic about future work by this author.

2.5*

This story is surprising. Clues to the truth are there from the beginning, masked by the twisty plot full of lies, secrets and untrustworthy, characters. A significant but disguised plot thread illuminates the final chilling, suspenseful chapters in this compelling fusion of domestic suspense and revenge fiction.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A gripping tale which fizzes to an unremarkable end.

Two weeks before their wedding, Amy's fiancé Matt disappears. Amy reports Matt to the police as a missing person. However, as the investigation gets underway, it becomes clear that Matt has been living a double life. As Amy's life starts to unravel, she becomes the focus of police enquiries.

Told from a number of different viewpoints, there is some repetition of events within the narrative. The pacing is good and there is palpable tension within the story. This tension is lost towards the end as it becomes obvious to the reader, if not to the police, what is actually happening.

As in many thrillers, the ending is rather rushed and implausible and a final section of explanation is rather unnecessary and jarring. A disappointing end to an otherwise exciting story.

The Vow had an interesting premise, but it got watered down by the end. It felt too similar to another book I recently read so this kind of destroyed my interest in this one. The plot wasn't that predictable as I thought it would be, but by the middle the characters felt a bit off and not like themselves. I still somewhat enjoyed this book, even though it didn't fully meet my expectations.

The Vow is a suspenseful read that follows Amy, engaged to Matt. When Matt disappears, we find out he's involved with another woman. Is she the reason for the disappearance? What's really going on?

Amy is convinced that she has found the love of her life and is looking forward to her wedding, Her world is suddenly turned upside down when her fiancé, Matt, disappears mysteriously with no trace. The investigation ultimately brings the police full circle when they suspect that Amy is involved in his disappearance.
Fiona also reports a man with the same description as Matt who was going to leave his fiancée to move in with her but he too has disappeared.

Matt is painted as a secretive and possibly manipulative character however it is clear from the start that both Amy and Fiona have a dark side which they are trying to hide.
I could empathise with both Amy and Fiona and I found Amy’s daughter, Jess, a nice addition to the story line.
Full of suspense and tension, The Vow promises to be a hit for thrill seeking readers.

A promising and captivating plot line and the story held a lot of potential at the beginning however towards the end I felt like it did not really hold up well together and ended up weak.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for a honest review.

This certainly kept me awake until the small hours. Could not put this one down. Kept me gripped to the end with a twist I did not see coming. I highly recommend this.

Amy is planning her wedding to the charming Matt, but 2 weeks before the wedding the groom goes missing. Soon after Amy reports her fiancé missing another woman reports her boyfriend missing who turns out to be Matt. The other woman, Fiona, claims that Matt was planning to leave Amy for her the night he disappeared.
This book was incredible. I loved every bit of it. I couldn't put it down and it kept me guessing until the very last page. Full of suspense and interesting characters, I would highly recommend.

A really good psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. I like the story, characters and writing style. Usually I like to guess what is happening but I was so engrossed in this tale I didn’t look up for 3 hours!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, it was an enjoyable read but I did find it unbelievable in places. I liked the fact that the storyline was told from different characters points of view, and the not knowing of who was behind it all! My only criticism is that I found the police involvement to be really weak, unbelievable and unrealistic! And felt other members of the storyline did their job for them !!

For Amy, life was going well. Until it wasn't. The day her fiancé disappears, two weeks before their wedding, Amy's life is thrown into a tailspin. The police begin to question her, she finds out her fiancé had a double life, and secrets from the past threaten to boil to the surface. Amy and her daughter, Jess, are desperate to find out the truth behind Matt's deception. On the other side of town, Matt's secret lover is looking for the same answers.

I enjoyed this book, it was a twisty-turny suspenseful tale of guilt, obsession, deception, revenge, and betrayal. It gives the reader a look into what living with a narcissistic sociopath is really like for the victim, where they don't even realize the gaslighting that they've been experiencing until it's too late. I guessed the twist before the end, but the book was still enjoyable and suspenseful throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.