Amelia, or Lia, as she prefers to be called, is a military brat whose spent her life moving around the country with her family. Through it all, she's had her boyfriend and the son of her mother's best friend, Beck, every step of the way. The story begins a year after Beck's sudden death, as Lia still struggles to find purpose and piece her life back together, all while navigating her senior year at a new school in a new state.

A contemplative narrative is sprinkled with Lia's poems and journal entries, raw and unfiltered. Readers will wonder what happened to Beck, how Lia found herself so deeply in love at only 17, and whether she will heal enough to move on with her life.

*Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebook Fire, for providing me with a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

It is a remarkable story of love, loss, friendship, and moving on.

This was a beautiful yet heartbreaking story. My heart shattered for Lia several times; all I wanted to do was hug and hold her. I felt connected to Lia. I may not have lost the love of my life like Lia, but I did lose my cousin, who was my best friend, unexpectedly in 2016. Therefore, I felt the same way Lia did, but differently. I knew how she was feeling, the loss she felt, that sometimes would come at the most unexpected times. I'm also happy she could make friends who sympathized with and helped her in Tennessee. I adored her friends. It brought back memories of my best friends and the help they gave me following the passing of my cousin. I cherished Paloma, Meagan, Sophia, and Lia's friendship. I adored their brief conversations in the books. They helped Lia recover because she needed that.

I adored Isaiah straight from the start. Even though Lia refused to admit it at first, I could see the connection between the two of them from the beginning. I know she didn't want to admit it because she felt she was betraying Beck, and I understand why. While reading the novel, I hoped she'd realize Beck wanted her to be happy and move on. Isaiah and Lia had a strong bond, and I hoped she'd realize she could go on. I loved the before and after chapters and the chapter names. I loved that Virginia was in there; I've lived there for 15 years, and it's my home, so it made me feel a wide range of emotions.

Everything I Promised You will make you cry and feel like you're on Lia's trip. I sobbed, smiled, became angry, and experienced everything Lia felt. The story felt real. I felt like I had transformed into the story. Everything was detailed vividly, and it was difficult not to become engrossed in Lia's story. I couldn't put the book down! All I wanted was to keep reading. On the other hand, I didn't want to go to the end because it meant saying goodbye to everyone. This will not be the last time that I read this book. I met Katy in 2017 during a book event for her book Kissing Max Holden , and we became friends throughout the years. I've loved her works since the beginning; she draws you in and connects you to the characters. I'm delighted I could read Everything I Promised You , and I'm interested to see what she has in store for us next! Highly recommended for romance and young adult fans around.

What comes after heartbreak?
Lia and Beck. Beck and Lia. Despite army-brat life orbiting them in and out of each other's worlds, Lia knows they are destined to be together. It's more than their friendship and chemistry. When Lia's mom was a teen, a fortune teller said her daughter would fall in love with her best friend's son. Lia and Beck were always meant to be. Or so they thought.
When tragedy steals Beck away, Lia is devastated. She lived her life by her mom's old fortune. If she was fated to be with Beck and he is gone, who is she supposed to be? And is there room in her broken heart for life, let alone new love?

Review:
Super emotional this was my first Katy Upperman book I read from her and it was everything. This is the perfect YA story with an emotional twist about loss and grief and learning to move on and continue life. Such a page turner I loved it. 🥰

This is a beautifully written, emotionally charged novel that took me on a heartfelt journey. The prose is poignant and evocative, capturing the rawness of Lia's grief and the complexities of finding hope amidst heartache2. The alternating perspectives between past and present add depth to the narrative, allowing readers to fully grasp Lia's emotional growth as she navigates her new reality. While the books heavy themes of loss and healing are sometimes predictable, the strong character development and engaging writing make up for it. Lia's journey is compelling, and the introduction of Isaiah as a supportive friend adds a layer of warmth and possibility.

This read balances the weight of grief with an undercurrent of hope, which made it a touching read that resonates long after the final page.

Grab your tissues! This story was gut wrenching throughout. A story of navigating grief and how to live beyond loss. I do wish we could have seen what Lia chose to do after graduating, one more chapter to see how life was for her for that year would have been the cherry on top!

I had to DNF this one. I was really excited to read it based on the blurb, but the timeline felt like it was all over the place in the beginning and I found it hard to follow. I lost interest.

Thanks to NetGalley, Katy Upperman, and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Everything I Promised You. I received an advanced reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book deals with overcoming grief. It is about Lia learning to accept that her life will go down a different path after Beck dies unexpectedly from a massive heart attack. Lia was told by her mother her whole life that Beck was her soulmate because of a fortune teller's prediction. The different stages of grief are present as the plot unfolds. I enjoyed the story and the cast of characters, but I wish it was told in a singular timeline. Beck has already passed at the beginning. I feel as though the reader would have been on the same emotional journey as Lia if it were told seamlessly, instead of back and forth between the present and the past.

I'm surprised how much I liked this book. I was motivated to keep reading and find out Beck and Lia's childhood story. Even the intimacy scenes were tasteful. This is a teen romance novel I can get behind.

“Don’t dismiss the influence you had on her, or the effect she’s had on you. Losing someone doesn’t erase the imprint they’ve made on your heart.”
Lia and Beck’s life’s has been intertwined since they were born. They were mean to be together. But after Beckett suddenly passing away, can Lia go on with her life? Will she be able of enjoying life, fall in love again, have a future without him? A tough and wonderful story about friendship, family, loss, trust and love.

What happens when the life you were destined to live is no longer possible? Lia and Beck had been told since birth that they were supposed to fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. This was the path that they found themselves taking until the unfathomable happens and Beck dies. This is such a beautiful story about climbing out of the depths of grief and discovering that you are capable of loving someone else. My favorite line in the book is when Lia learns that instead of treasuring her past, she had let it control her. You will fall in love with the characters in this book. They have so much depth that you feel that they are a part of your life. This is one of the best books that I have read in quite some time. I recommend it highly to anyone who loves a story full of hope and overcoming grief.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance of its release.

This is a coming-of-age story featuring grief and loss as its main character. For as long as Lia can remember, it has always been Beck. Both military kids, their families spent holidays together and it was as inevitable as the sun rising that they would always be a part of each other's lives. Until the unfathomable happens and Lia has to find a new life outside of the one that she always envisioned.
Lia is under the age of 18 throughout the book and the author bounces timelines between the before, with Beck and the after, without Beck. Lia gets two great loves in her young life. I almost wish the author would have made her older to make this more plausible. The emotions of one great love are enough for a lifetime, but to have two in such a short time is almost too much. One boy stole her heart, the other one put it back together.

The book was slow at times but made up for it as we peel back the layers of Isaiah. The ending had me in tears and really pulled the story together.

“ But fate and forever are not synonymous”.

This was a journey through grief, when is it OK to be happy again?, when is it OK to open your heart again?, when is it OK to be OK? And when is it OK to still be sad?

Lia and Beck are soulmates, they are meant to be after all of their parents have known each other forever, and a fortuneteller told Lia’s mom this years ago!
So when Beck suddenly dies, what does that mean for Lia?

This is a journey through Lia’s grief, healing, forgiveness, and trying to start over!

This book was beautifully written, and this is been my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last!

Lia (Amelia) and Beck are destined to be together. Their moms are best friends and since a clairvoyant told the moms their children are “destined to be together” that must mean forever, right?

I may be the odd man out, but this YA romance novel just did not connect with me at all. Had all the right ingredients, but was way over-salted.
The characters seemed shallow and the jumping back and forth between people and years usually piques my interest, but in this case, it severed my connection with the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advanced read in exchange for an honest review

A tearjerker in the best way with absolutely gorgeous writing. I can't wait to recommend this one to my students.

Lia is determined to live the life she and Beck planned, before he unexpectedly died of a heart attack. She's cut off her family, his family, and her former friends in order to protect her heart. Starting her new school senior year, she intends to keep her head down, apply to CVU early decision, and finish this chapter of her life. Lia doesn't anticipate making friends, and she certainly doesn't expect to fall for anyone new.

Everything I Promised You is marketed to readers of If He Had Been With Me, and that is definitely accurate. Teens who enjoyed reading that heartbreaking story will also love this one, although I'm not sure what to call this trope yet. Romance books where you already know one half of the couple is dead? I really enjoyed watching the development of Lia's new friendships, and her personal growth is essential to her healing. The relationship with her parents was tough for me because I couldn't understand why she shut them out. Reading this as a mom of teens, it was especially heartbreaking to watch Lia react to her mom. The incorporation of a physic was an interesting element that will either intrigue or turn off readers.

Content Warning: death, grief, foster care

Likes:

+ Lia (Amelia) is grieving. The love of her life has died and she doesn’t know how to go on. Being an Army brat, she’s attended more schools than most kids but now at this new school she has to deal with new changes, new friends and her grief.

+ I thought this was such a heart-warming story because of how close Beck and Lia’s mom’s were close throughout their lives (soulmates) and that’s how Beck and Lia had been in each other’s lives since birth. The story portrays the different people feeling grief, not only Lia, and I like that. Her grief is painful and relatable. I also love how this story starts with a fortune teller and her mother. And it really questions what happens when the plans you’ve made are destroyed and how you get back up and forge a new plan and path.

+ Lia is not only dealing with grief. It is her senior year, so she has some hard decisions to make about her plans after high school. But she does try hard to make friends, and she meets a really good group of girls who support her immediately. She even finds her heart opening to someone new, who is really a great guy. I love that even through all the pain, she is ready to live her life again.

+ The romance is slow and sweet! There are flashbacks about her relationship with Beck, but her new relationship with Isaiah is so different and I love that for her. I like how he gives her space. Isaiah has had a hard upbringing too and foster care is a topic discussed in this book. These two broken people come together and it’s a wonderful love story.

Dislikes:

~ I’m not a fan of flashbacks but I like how this showed how young and sweet Beck and Lia’s love is but also was flawed in hindsight.

~ Lia’s relationship with her parents is strained but I can understand why because grieve is a chaotic place to be. I just wish she let her mom in more, but I get it. I totally get it.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story. I like how it takes a look at young love and grief. My heart broke for Lia because I can relate to her story – how do you move on when the plans for your future is destroyed in one moment? It’s a hard journey and Lia’s story reflects how sometimes it’s bittersweet but also how there is hope for the future, and there is more life and love to give and receive if you are open to it.

This book was incredible! I loved the stories of Lia, Beck, and Isaiah. It was beautiful and brave and told marvelously. I loved the Graham’s, I loved the Byrne’s, and I especially loved them together. This story was magical and left me feeling an emotional hangover after I was finished. Those are the best kind of stories!

Super cute young adult/teen love story! Some heartbreak and loss, but lots of love! Highly recommend!!

Oh my goodness. This book was a rollercoaster. I felt all the feels and the portrayal of such profound grief was so deep. I found this book well-written and the characters so dynamic. Lia as a main character felt so real, even if she annoyed me at times. I liked that even when she acted a little self-centered, she was self-aware enough to realize it and apologize. Overall, this book almost made me cry (a difficult feat) and was amazing. Definitely worth the read when it comes out!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy!

Book:
EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU by Katy Upperman

Review:
4.5⭐
EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU is an emotionally rivetting novel that follows Lia as she navigates life after a tragic loss. It's always been Lia and Beck---soulmates---but when Beck dies Lia is left to pick up the pieces. As she struggles to move on, she must put herself first and learn to live...learn to love.
Goodness. This book was heartbreaking and a tearjerker, but I couldn't get enough. The description is what first drew me in. Having never read a book by this author, I didn't know what to expect---what was found in EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU was that out of a movie(one where life goes well, the it doesn't and no one knows if it will again.)
I loved how this story was told with present chapters and through the years---having a sense of who they were added a depth to the story. It made more sad to see how Lia and Beck were before, especially coupled with the hours leading up to his death.
EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU took me on a roller coaster. I was heartbroken, almost brought to tears from both laughter and sadness. There were even times where I was mad because how could such a tragedy take place? Overall, I found that the ending was well-rounded and I loved how it connected to tidbits in the actual story.