Promise Me: The most heart-warming novel of 2023

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Nothing. No need to get up, I’ll see myself out.’ Not that he’d shown any sign of rising from his chair. ‘And don’t worry, I’ll put the ad in the newsagent’s window.’

He sighed as loudly as if she’d asked him to run a marathon. ‘I’d need them here more often than that.’ Taking the job means she's living close to old school friends, including the gorgeous Remy, in the tiny, picturesque Cotswolds village of Foxwell. There are many plots going on at the same time, all interwoven in some way. I was completed drawn into each one of them and was concerned & joyous along with the characters as they went about their lives. One specific sub plot is about how fragile life is and the author handled this subject with great care and even humor.

Now read the opening chapter of Jill’s latest book…

Jill Mansell is a incredibly talented author who has delivered flawless books over and over again and her latest novel Promise Me is no exception. We have the warmth and depth of emotion that we are accustomed to in Jill’s novels but there is also a modern spark to this storyline too. Lou is surprised to see the size of the estate that Edgar is living alone on. It is evident that he needs help to maintain his home and she soon learns that he has gone through a series of caregivers. When he offers Lou the job she explains that she already is caring for a woman in the town she lives in. He continues to pursue her and shortly thereafter her circumstances change. To sweeten the deal, Edgar offers to leave his estate to her upon his death. For a split second, Edgar looked as if he might be on the verge of breaking into a smile. It didn’t happen. The characters were all great, well apart from the odd one or two. You can't love them all, but these two were meant to be hated. Then there were the characters that I wanted to know more about, I felt I could have a book about each of these people's storyline and I would be happy. Just the weekend. Heading home on Sunday.’ Scribbling the number on the notepad, Lou was briefly tempted to get it a bit wrong. But no, she couldn’t bring herself to do that; it wasn’t the kind of person she was.

Wanneer het zonnetje schijnt en de vogeltjes hun mooiste melodieën ten gehore brengen, leven we toch weer een beetje op. De zonnestralen, vol vitamine D, toveren een glimlach op ons gezicht. De lente hangt in de lucht. Maar de lente begint pas écht als je de nieuwe Jill Mansell in handen hebt.

Jill Mansell Book Releases 2023/2024

It's frustrating reading a book full of adults who just don't seem to have their stuff together and not because they are still on their way to figuring themselves out (fair and can happen at any moment/age in your life) but just because they are somewhat cruel, enjoy being spiteful and act as though they aren't aware of how negatively they impact others around them - even though the internal monologue and narration provided, proves that they are all more than well aware. In dit nieuwste boek van Jill Mansell maken we kennis met Lou, maar zoals altijd in de verhalen van Jill, ook met andere interessante personages. Except for a nasty player whose comeuppance is very satisfying to witness, Mansell’s characters easily endear themselves to the reader, and if the plot is somewhat predictable, it doesn’t matter one iota because we all want these characters to overcome the obstacles thrown into their paths and find happiness. And it’s no spoiler to reveal that they do. Readers in the market for a Happy Ever After should look no further.

I waited too long for both parties to come to their senses! Just because of extra unnecessary angsty, heartbreaking, long chapters, I cut some points and I gave three still I truly enjoyed this book but I wish it could be less angsty more romantic stars. ( by the way I also enjoyed the side stories of residents of Elliscombe but I think I wanted to concentrate on Didi and Shane’s second chance love story) I’m not typically a romance reading kinda girl, but this sounded so cute I had to give it a shot and thankfully, it lived up to my expectations. Super cute and perfect for a sit down with a cup of tea. One minute Lou is happily employed, with a perfect flat. The next, her home and job have gone. Suddenly she has to start over. No worries, I’m fine. I’m in someone’s kitchen,’ Lou said cheerfully. ‘We met in the supermarket car park, then he broke his glasses so I had to drive him home.’ The characters are all so well developed and they are not all perfect either they each have their flaws, may that be with our grumpy old Edgar who many find rude or the lovable Lou who although hardworking and caring only took Edgar up on his offer for her own gain but she was not the only one. I had such conflicted thoughts and emotions throughout this storyline, how I could love a character so much but not be onboard with their actions.She’d noticed the individual meals when he’d lined them up on the conveyor belt in the supermarket, but they’d looked even more heartbreaking strewn around him on the Tarmac out here in the car park. Switching off the ignition, she ran round to open the passenger door and helped him out before collecting his shopping from the boot. Rekindling old flames, sweet second chance love stories are one of my favorites romance themes after enemies to lovers which always comes at the first place! Naast deze hoofdpersonages volg je ook Lou’s jeugdvriend Sammy, die graag een beroemde zanger wil worden, zijn aantrekkelijke broer Remy en een oude bekende van Edgar, een bont en boeiend gezelschap, de één sympathieker dan de ander. De leuk neergezette personages brengen leven in de brouwerij, creëren opschudding en drama maar zijn er ook voor elkaar, ze zorgen voor verrassingen en schuwen grote gebaren niet. Hierdoor blijft het verhaal afwisselend, wordt het geen moment saai en worden de verschillende perspectieven mooi met elkaar verbonden, al had ik over enkele elementen en achtergronden graag nog uitgebreider willen lezen.

There’s something on the floor. It’s like an ice rink.’ Crouching, she tested the surface with her hand. ‘Did you spill oil on it?’ Jill Mansell is one of Britain’s most accomplished authors. She has authored books which have had huge success not just in the United Kingdom but the world over. She has written many books which are of the romantic comedy genre. To prove her success, the writer has had over ten million copies of her books sold worldwide. She was raised in the Cotswolds UK and when she went to school, she attended Sir William Romney’s School in Telbury. Before she opted to be a full time writer in 1992, she worked as a clinical neuropsychologist at Burden Neurological Institute in Bristol. She worked in the medical field for close to 18 years. She is a family lady and lives with her partner and children in Bristol. She began writing when she was a child, she used to write a lot but she never imagined that one day she will be doing it for a living. She is inspired by the love she has for her readers since she cannot imagine failing to publish another book, that is what keeps her grounded. Then there is Rosa, Layla's mum who has the most amazing job, even if she can be a bit too kind hearted at times. The business she set up for herself sounds rather unique, definitely bespoke and I wonder if anyone has ever come up with this in the real world. Meanwhile Sammy’s brother Remy has begun to catch Lou’s eye. Handsome and charming, with women falling at his feet, Lou is determined that she will not become another notch on his bedpost. Resisting temptation is not easy! I didn't have much to complain about Jill Mansell's prose - the pacing was fluid, the shift between character POV's was very well-handled - the cast themselves, were such a whimsical and playful and colorful lot, that as you bounced from each of their lives - it is how they inevitably were connected with one another is what made it such a delightful read. 💞💞

We lezen het verhaal vooral vanuit Lou, maar we krijgen ook de hersenspinsels van andere personages mee. Lou is lief en behulpzaam en al snel ontmoet ze Edgar Allsopp. Een grumpy old man met een klein hartje. De interactie tussen Lou en Edgar verwarmde mijn hart en ik betrapte mezelf erop dat ik dit boek met een glimlach op mijn gezicht aan het lezen was. Daar heb ik dus helemaal geen zon of fluitende vogeltjes voor nodig. Secrets never stay hidden for long in Foxwell, nor are promises always kept. And no one could guess what lies ahead . . . Lou heaved a sigh. This was getting silly now; she’d got herself into a situation with a truculent pensioner who was a stranger to manners. And much as she wanted to say no to his demand, her conscience wasn’t letting her. Ook wil ik nog even complimenten maken voor de paar medische scènes die in dit boek zitten. Deze zijn realistisch en geloofwaardig en als professional in het vakgebied kan ik zeggen dat dat vaak anders is.