This was a warm and very humorous book about thirty something Ruby who, after multiple disastrous relationships, has given up on finding Mr Right or even Mr Acceptable to be honest and has decided to strike out her own man free plans for her future. This starts with a train journey to London where she meets Lewis who is so keen to tell her about his plans to propose to his girlfriend that day and show her the ring that her faith in romance is restored however after Lewis departs the train early she realises he has left the ring behind, Curtis, another passenger, doesn’t trust Ruby and refuses to let her return the ring on her own resulting in a very unlikely pairing trying to reunite ring and owner.

Ruby was a vivacious character and her relationship past really had me smiling, I really loved her manager Kim who has her own tale to tell and I thought Curtis was a fabulous character, saw everything in black and white and genuinely didn’t understand other people, the contrast between him and Ruby worked so well and the way they interacted built up really well throughout the book. This is definitely my favourite Bella Osborne yet as it provided a really cheerful escape.

This has to go down as one of my favourite books this year. I loved Ruby’s visits to the old folks home and her endless energy and chatter. Curtis is the total opposite to Ruby but he blossoms under her friendship and kindness. There are lots of laugh out loud moments, some featuring Kim and her dog Boomer - I would love to have been a fly on the wall at the dog training classes. As well as likeable characters there are a couple of men, who If this were a pantomime, I would be booing every time they appeared.

The story held my interest and I finished the book quickly but I’m sure it is one I will read again. Now to look for more books by Bella Osborne

How does Bella do it? Every book is better than the last! I was given the opportunity to read Part one of The Promise of summer and I was genuinely left wanting Part 2. When the invitation dropped into my inbox to ready the whole book I was ecstatic.

Another great read from Bella. The promise of summer introduces you to Ruby, Ruby has long given up on finding love, after one bad relationship to another Ruby decides to go get her dream. On a train ride to London Ruby meets Lewis a handsome man on route to propose to his girlfriend and Curtis an uptight business man. Ruby’s plans are completely derailed thanks to a unfortunate mishap! Can Ruby save the day?

An absolute wonderful read!

Well done Bella!

I really liked this book. A quest to find a sperm donor becomes a search for the owner of a ring, a new friend and a road to happy ever after. A florist recovering from divorce finds a kindred spirit and deals with an ex and a daughter who will not let her father move on. Thanks to NetGalley for a light , but rewarding story.

Ruby and Kim have both had rotten luck when it comes to men, Kim has let people believe that her husband died so when he turns up she has some explaining to do
Ruby meets Curtis on a train journey, after Ruby has her phone taken by Lewis who tells her he was about to propose to his girlfriend but gets off the train but leaves the ring. Curtis tells Ruby they should just hand it in to lost property but Ruby who is a romantic at heart disagrees and wants to find Lewis. Curtis eventually agrees to help her and thats where the fun starts
A brilliant book, made me laugh and was sorry when it ended

The Promise of Summer is the story of Ruby and Curtis and how a chance meeting on a train leads to an unlikely friendship with the promise of so much more.

I loved this book. A wonderful story of friendship with a lovely mix of characters. A great summer read.

I received this book via NetGalley and give it my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness! This is the best book yet by Bella Osborne, you need to read it!
The relationship between the characters keeps you glued to every page. This book is full of laugh out loud moments and some secrets that will shock you!
The first train journey to London is where the story really starts. Ruby is a loveable character that you wish has a happy ending, but you will have to read the book to find out......

Bella Osborne has written a wonderful book about love.The characters really come alive really enjoyed Ruby.Told from two points of view the book drew me in kept me turning the pages.A book and author I will be recommending.#netgalley#avonbooksuj

Ruby is very unlucky when it comes to love mainly cheaters and time wasters. That is until she sits next to a stranger on the train to London. A series of events brings her and the quirky Curtis on an adventure. There is also a backstory with Ruby’s best friend Kim.

I found it interesting to learn the personalities of both Ruby and Kim, and of course the infamous Boomer the dog. I didn’t know where this story was going to take me or the emotions it would create. I rooted for Ruby the most and her quest to find the perfect partner. I laughed (out loud too) in parts, but I also felt sorry for Ruby in other parts too. I loved each character for different reasons but what shone through the most to me was Ruby and Kim’s friendship.

‘The Promise of Summer’ is about love, laughter, friendship and giving the most unexpected people a chance ❤️

This is the perfect story to sit in the sun to read! I just adore Bella’s stories and I’m actually pleased I haven’t read them all just yet so I’ve got some treats to come. I give ‘The Promise of Summer’ a sunny 5*/5* 😊

Thank you to Avon Books for an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

I loved this book. I just love Bella Osborne's writing style, humour and story telling. I lost count at the amount of times I laughed out loud whilst reading this book (Kim sitting in the cinema in her bra was a particular favourite of mine). Ruby was the most kind hearted character and Curtis was just adorably awkward. If you're looking for a feel good romance with a lot of heart to read this summer, look no further than The Promise of.Summer. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and AVON/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. for a copy of "The Promise of Summer" in exchange for my honest review.

This book is totally engaging and hooks the reader from the every first page. It is such a fun book, filled with laugh out-loud moments. Ruby works at 'Bloom With A View' in Sheffield with her friend and boss Kim. Ruby is fed up waiting for her happy-ever after to happen. She's giving up on finding someone to love her and make her dreams come true.

Ruby is off on a secret mission to London. She's so frazzled that she rushes on a train without buying a ticket. Once on the train she ends up debating a man about the seat she chose. Then her new seat-mate Lewis, shows her a gorgeous engagement ring that he plans to use to propose to his girlfriend at 4pm on the London Eye. When Lewis' phone runs out of battery, she lends him hers. At Derby he gets off the train to continue his call but then the train starts leaving the station, he doesn't get back on the train. Ruby finds the engagement ring that Lewis must have somehow dropped under the seat. Ruby is frantic to get her phone back and now to return the ring to Lewis. Curtis comes up with a plan that involves Ruby coming with him to an important business meeting. Then he goes with her to her "secret" appointment. Then they head to the London Eye to find Lewis.

Curtis hires Ruby to be his assistant and he will in exchange introduce her to suitable men so that she could ultimately fulfil her dreams of being a mother. Ruby feels that Curtis is uptight, unemotional and robotic. She sets out to bring fun into his life.

Adrian buys flowers every week for his wife Justine and Kim learns that Justine had died from a heart attack two years earlier. Kim's husband Vince whom she's been telling everyone is dead, is actually alive. Vince wants Kim to forgive him and take him back because he really is dying from cancer.

Curtis and Ruby decide to go to Leeds to the jewelry shop and try to trace Lewis through the ring. They find out nothing beyond the fact that the store had been robbed.

Curtis visits his "father" Harry at the nursing home and we learn that he was a foster child of Harry and Ayida. Harry tells Ruby that Curtis is the only one of the children that they fostered over the years to ever visit him.

There are many fun moments when Kim decides to adopt a dog from the shelter. Boomerang is a handful and has been returned from all the homes that he's been adopted out to. Kim's patience and love bring about immense changes in the Spaniel.

There are many funny moments, lots of misunderstandings, people are not who they seem they are.

Bella Osborne has written a brilliant book, you will laugh and you will cry but mainly you will we waiting to see what she writes next! If only there were more than 5 stars to award this book.

Ruby is a romantic at heart and despite dating a string of liars and losers she hasn’t yet given up on finding “The One”.
On a train to London she meets Lewis who tells her all about the romantic proposal he is planning but when he gets off the train leaving the ring behind Ruby is determined to find him and save the proposal. Fellow passenger Curtis feels that he should be the one to reunite the lost ring with it’s owner so they agree to find Lewis together.
Curtis doesn’t believe in romance and is the total opposite to Ruby. They will need to work together and they will discover things that they might not want to know but if they are successful maybe more than one couple will be happy ever after.
The characters are great, especially Ruby. I loved her. She made me laugh out loud at times.

This book is really cute. It follows 2 women, Ruby and Kim as they navigate the trials and tribulations of relationships and love.

There were a few things I loved. This is a small town kind of feeling, which makes this story really, for lack of a better word, quaint. I really liked the characters- Ruby was a bit of scatterbrained but with a good heart and I chuckled a lot at her antics. Kim was sweet as well, caring and a great character overall. Their foils were also well conceived. Curtis was Ruby's exact opposite and awkward but because he doesn't really understand social mores. Kim, having been hurt before, is paired up with Adrian who loves really well but has baggage as well. So there are many obstacles to an HEA but also many chuckles along the way.

The things I didn't love- the constant cycling, including within the same chapter, between Ruby and Kim's story. It threw me a lot as I was trying to figure out why the story switched over to the other person's story. Also, there were moments where the story dragged a bit.

In general, though, I really liked the characters and found the side stories to be amusing, especially Ruby's quest to find the owner of the engagement ring who she met in part 1. This is what threw Curtis and her together initially, as she tried to fulfill the HEA for another character.

This story was full of heart, amusing situations and sweet characters. I really liked how this story played out overall. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for an early copy to read.

I was very lucky to receive a ARC of this book. I'm so pleased I did as I absolutely loved the story of Ruby and Curtis and Kim and Adrian. Will definitely be recommending this book!

I absolutely loved this book

The characters make you fall in love with the world Bella has created

It’s good as it’s essentially 2 stories but you don’t feel they are separate they keep joined by the lovely flower shop

It’s a lovely summer read and I would 100% recommend it

I received an advance copy of, The Promise of Summer by, Bella Osboune. This is a good book, with good characters. I liked the storyline.

I’m on the blog tour for this book so will do a full review for that.

Great feel good story, mostly loveable characters but a few despicable ones too.

Ruby and Kim were great, both unlucky in love despite their kind hearts.

Loved reading a book set in my home city visiting places I used to visit.

Excellent mix of humour and sadness.

This book is the perfect Summer read, it is about Ruby who has been fairly unlucky in love, all she wants is someone to love her unconditionally is that too much to ask for? she is on a train going to a very big appointment that will hopefully change her life for the better when a guy tells her he is about to pop the big question to his girlfriend. Ruby gets caught up in it all aswell as having a spat with a fellow passenger, who becomes more involved later, things quickly start to go wrong and can Ruby save the day? Will love ever blossom for her? I got whisked away in Ruby's world and didn't want to leave, I felt as though Ruby was my friend where I was willing her on and also asking her to take a step back and look at what direction she wants her life to go in. I just wanted her to be happy. I loved the way the story flowed and how you felt as though you were there, it really was such a splendid read, perfect for a Summer read.

This book was beautiful. I loved the slowly building friendship between Ruby and Curtis. Curtis is my favourite character, I loved his naivety and innocence. He sees things in black and white and everything is dictated by logic, which can be so relatable. Watching Ruby open his eyes and allow him to experience life in a new way was lovely. However his methodical thinking and planning also got Ruby to really think about her own life and goals and see things from a different perspective. It just goes to show that you really don’t know what you want until it’s right in front of you. Curtis ticked all Ruby’s boxes but not in an obvious and conventional way.
Kim’s storyline was interesting too, there was a lot of twists and turns in there and that moment when she takes an extra bouquet with the wedding flowers, I had an inkling as to why but to read that it brought Adrian to tears really moved me.

This book had a bit of everything and it was a delight to read, it flowed so effortlessly and I really connected with the characters.

The Promise of Summer - Bella Osborne

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

After years of dating losers, cheats and one guy who did something unrepeatable to her kettle, Ruby has all but given up on romance. But then a stranger sits next to her on a train to London and explains his plan to propose to the woman of his dreams. Maybe true love does exist after all?

When the man accidentally leaves the engagement ring behind, Ruby is determined to save the day. But she hasn't counted on fellow passenger Curtis stepping in and insisting he should be the one to track the stranger down. 

The Promise of Summer has been released as four parts - this is my review of the entire book. I initially reviewed the first 10 chapters (Part One) and I was hooked so when I was given the opportunity to read the book in its entirety I jumped at the chance.

This book is filled with great well-written characters, most are very likeable but there are a few baddies thrown in for good measure. It is full of romance, second chances, friendship, forgiveness and a lot of spontaneity.

It is a perfect read for a summer evening. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of Bella.

Rating 5/5

I would love to see a sequel to this book