Book Review: Promise Me by Jill Mansell

With Valentine’s Day only a couple of weeks away and the Enchanted Emporium gearing up for love potions and heart decorations galore, Rosa was ecstatic to discover an ARC of Promise Me by Jill Mansell, one of her go to authors in her Box of Romance. Thank you Random Things Tour and the invite to this blog tour.

Scroll down to see of Rosa’s happiness was well earned or short lived once she’d finished reading.

Book Review: Promise Me by Jill Mansell

Book cover for Jill Mansell's Promise Me. A predominantly teal cover with gold lettering. An illustrated painted tree with red and yellow, green leaves. A swing hangs from a branch and a white and black dog is standing nearby — Promise Me by Jill Mansell

Title: Promise Me

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Headline Review

Genre: Romance

Release date: 19th Jan 2023

Blurb

Fate’s about to make mischief…

One minute Lou is happily employed, with a perfect flat. The next, her home and job have gone. Suddenly she has
to start over.
The last thing Lou wants is to move to a tiny Cotswolds village. She certainly doesn’t intend to work for curmudgeonly eighty-year-old Edgar Allsopp. But Edgar is about to make her the kind of promise nobody could ignore. In
return, she secretly vows to help him fall in love with life again.
Foxwell is also home to Remy, whose charm and charisma are proving hard to ignore. But Lou hasn’t recovered
from the last time she fell for a charmer. She needs a distraction – and luckily one’s about to turn up.
Secrets never stay hidden for long in Foxwell, nor are promises always kept. And no one could guess what lies ahead.

Thoughts from the Emporium

This was Rosa’s first book she read this year and what a joy it was. From the moment she was introduced to caring Lou and grumpy, and manipulative Edgar, she knew she was reading a book she could to escape into and enjoy the ride, away from the cold weather and hectic home life. What a ride it was. With Edgar’s unique offer, and complex past loves and future ones, there were plenty of twists and unexpected turns to keep Rosa on her toes before the much needed happy ever after.

Written with warmth, there was a cast of characters to adore and hate, and each had depth and a relatable backstory that made it easy to invest in their happiness or downfall. Whether it was the friendly banter or deeper love, the dialogue felt natural immersing Rosa further into the characters’ lives and zipping through the pages. Lou with a big heart was easily liked and Rosa’s initial dislike for curmudgeon (such a good word) Edgar mellowed the more she knew him, but it was Captain Oates who stole the show. He made Rosa laugh with his standoffish attitude and unwavering sense of self, reminding her of a beloved childhood pet.

This book is a heart-warming, thought provoking and uplifting read about lost loves, second chance relationships and starting over which makes it an ideal read for the beginning of the year and run up to to Valentine’s Day. Pure fun and escapism. It’ll be well loved by many who visit her Box of Romance.

Author Biography

Photo of Jill Mansell. White woman with should length, layered very blonde hair, pink lipstick. Smiling and wearing a blue patterned blouse. — Jill Mansell

Jill Mansell has been writing Sunday Times bestsellers for over twenty years, most recently
Should I Tell You? Her hobbies include exploring the Cotswolds and the south west of
England, scouting for locations for future books, and discovering brilliant new restaurants
along the way. She lives in Bristol with her family.

Twitter @Jill Mansell
Facebook /OfficialJillMansell
Instagram @JillMansell