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The Promise: A World War 2 Historical Romance Novel Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,221 ratings

How far would you go to keep a promise?
In the heat of battle, one man's promise to another will be tested.
September 1939 – As Britain is gripped by the fear and uncertainty of war, Tom Armitage stands to gain the one thing that he never thought possible - his freedom. Rosie Elliot sees her future crumbling to dust as Will Aarons leaves Whitby with Jimmy Chappell to fight in the war. As she begins work at The Turnstone Convalescent Home, Rosie finds something she thought she had lost. Friendship. But friendship soon turns to love. Can this new love replace Will?
This is not an ordinary love story. It's a story of love, loss, courage, and honour. Of promises that must be kept or risk losing everything you've ever held dear.

From the Publisher

The Promise - A World War Two Historical Romance
The Promise - A Wartime Historical Fiction
The Promise - A WWII Love Story

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07NS741Z6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 3rd edition (March 3, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 3, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 254 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,221 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,221 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story touching and well-written. They describe the book as readable, with vivid scenes that capture their interest until the last words. Readers appreciate the dynamic characters and how they are intertwined with historic events. The friendships, love, and loss are woven together in realistic stories. While some readers praise the writing quality as well-crafted, others mention grammatical errors, poor sentence structure, and misused words.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

18 customers mention "Story quality"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the story touching, moving, and gripping. They describe it as a well-written love story about courage, friendship, and loss. The author does a great job of telling the story, weaving together life, friendships, love, and loss in a memorable way.

"...All and all, I found THE PROMISE to be a compelling, well-crafted, gripping story that engages the reader from start to finish." Read more

"...This is a sentimental story of courage, valor, friendship, love, and the fragility and resilience of the human spirit." Read more

"...The Promise is an outstanding, bittersweet tale that shows the dramatic impact of war on the people who live through it on the battlefield and home..." Read more

"Heartbreaking, at times, this extraordinarily beautiful story recounts the brutality of war and death. Moreover, it celebrates life and love!..." Read more

14 customers mention "Readability"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the story well-executed and researched. The style works well, offering a vivid and authentic glimpse into the characters' lives.

"...The first person narrative, told by each of the main characters, is very effective and beautifully handled in this story...." Read more

"...All in all enjoyed the book." Read more

"...This style works extremely well, offering the reader a vivid and authentic glimpse into the hearts and minds of the men and women in this novel...." Read more

"...The Promise is an outstanding, bittersweet tale that shows the dramatic impact of war on the people who live through it on the battlefield and home..." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and moving. They appreciate the vivid and authentic depiction of World War II life. The story has a deeper message about war and its horrors, providing a better understanding of the pain young men and women went through. Overall, readers describe the book as an excellent view of life in WWII with great detail.

"...The reader is given a close up and personal visual of what it’s like to live in extreme circumstances, to never know what the world will be like..." Read more

"...This style works extremely well, offering the reader a vivid and authentic glimpse into the hearts and minds of the men and women in this novel...." Read more

"...Absolutely recommend this well developed and pull at your heartstrings read." Read more

"...This story presented "real life" in great detail, perhaps retelling stories from personal knowledge as told by family members that lived and fought..." Read more

8 customers mention "Character development"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the character development. They found the characters dynamic and intertwined with historical events. The story also had real actors taking their own voices, each with their own point of view.

"...Sometimes it got a little mushy but was still okay. Characters were great except for Rosie...." Read more

"The storyline and characters were exceptional. The text, however, was fraught was editing errors...." Read more

"...A story that has real actors all taking voice, each with their own point of view an interesting group that the authors use to frame and build this..." Read more

"...Rosie was a dynamic character who was a common thread in the lives of three best friend...." Read more

4 customers mention "Friendship"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the realistic stories of friendship, love, and loss in the book. They find it a beautiful promise that friends stick together.

"...This is a sentimental story of courage, valor, friendship, love, and the fragility and resilience of the human spirit." Read more

"What a beautiful book and what a beautiful promise friends stick together and Friends keep each other Mrs and be kind to each other be there for..." Read more

"A very moving story of love , friendship and the human suffering brought on by war...." Read more

"...Realistic stories of life, friendships, love, and loss are woven together to make a memorable book." Read more

4 customers mention "Strength"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-crafted and engaging. They appreciate the strong characters and their courage. The story explores the human spirit's fragility and resilience.

"...All and all, I found THE PROMISE to be a compelling, well-crafted, gripping story that engages the reader from start to finish." Read more

"...is a sentimental story of courage, valor, friendship, love, and the fragility and resilience of the human spirit." Read more

"...Absolutely recommend this well developed and pull at your heartstrings read." Read more

"...Rosie was a strong woman that knew what real love was for a lifetime." Read more

5 customers mention "Word quality"2 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's writing quality. Some find it well-written with each chapter from a character's viewpoint, and they enjoy the English setting and WW2 history. Others mention some modern grammar mistakes, poor sentence structure, and misused words that detract a bit.

"...The text, however, was fraught was editing errors. Misspellings, grammatical errors, poor sentence structure and misused words detracted greatly..." Read more

"Loved the English setting, always enjoy WW2 history and loved how the characters were intertwined with historic events...." Read more

"...and the impact of WWII on their relationships with one another is so wordy and silly I found myself skimming...." Read more

"Beautifully Written Story..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2019
    THE PROMISE is a novel that begins by transporting the reader to a small seaside town in Yorkshire, northern England just before Britain enters World War II. One of its residents, the spirited Rosie Elliot, is young and in love. She can’t believe that Will Aarons, the man she wants to marry, is willing to leave her to go off to war. However, Will and a mutual friend, Jimmy, believe that joining the military is their duty.

    When Britain enters the war and Will and Jimmy enlist, Rosie is crushed and angry. She feels her youthful world, one that’s been very small and protected, has been snatched away from her. But she can’t ignore the war or the casualties who need help. She begins working in The Turnstone Convalescent Home, hoping to do her part. As she helps to care for the wounded, there isn’t any room for the person she used to be, a carefree girl who only thought about dresses, dances and being with Will Aarons.

    This story does an excellent job of demonstrating how tragic events completely change a person’s life. In this case war completely changes the lives of not only Rosie and Will, but the lives of their families and friends. Each person is forced to go beyond their personal agenda and find a way to give their best. Many are surprised to know how strong and courageous they are deep down. And when it comes to love, several of the main characters learn how the concept of love changes, how it can deepen as they become less judgmental and more mature.

    The first person narrative, told by each of the main characters, is very effective and beautifully handled in this story. The reader is given a close up and personal visual of what it’s like to live in extreme circumstances, to never know what the world will be like when they wake in the morning. In the case of soldiers like Will and Jimmy, we feel how uncertain the next breath can be. It could be snatched away in the next moment.

    All and all, I found THE PROMISE to be a compelling, well-crafted, gripping story that engages the reader from start to finish.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2020
    I Enjoyed this book very much. Sometimes it got a little mushy but was still okay. Characters were great except for Rosie. I think she was a very selfish and self centered person at times. All in all enjoyed the book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2019
    This novel tells a beautiful, intimate, and touching novel is story of life during World War II. Each chapter is narrated in the first person by the different characters. This style works extremely well, offering the reader a vivid and authentic glimpse into the hearts and minds of the men and women in this novel. War changes everything and everyone and the authors did a brilliant job in bringing the characters and their struggles to life.

    Friends Jimmy and Will, off to war, have left their loved ones back home in the seaside town of Whitby in the English county of North Yorkshire. Here, much of the story takes place at the Turnstone Convalescent Home. Rosie, the love of Will’s life, has begun working at the home when her feelings take an unexpected turn.

    I found the pacing and the balance of the story to be well executed and extremely well researched. There were some scenes so real and gut wrenching that I could see them play out before me, as if I were watching a film.

    This is a sentimental story of courage, valor, friendship, love, and the fragility and resilience of the human spirit.
    18 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2019
    The storyline and characters were exceptional. The text, however, was fraught was editing errors. Misspellings, grammatical errors, poor sentence structure and misused words detracted greatly from what could easily be a stellar novel. Ladies, you need to hire a good editor and re-pick this calf!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2019
    Five young friends face the horrors of the second world war in Author Kathleen Harryman and Author Lucy Marshall’s The Promise. Rosie and Will are in love, facing the heartbreak of separation brought on by the looming of World War II. Childhood friend, Jimmy is always close by their sides–when Will decides to enlist, he is right there to support him through thick and thin. Will’s sister, Betty, is a shy nurse whose skills will soon be in demand at the convalescent home set up in their village of Whitby. Tom, a former childhood friend whose life changed with the suicide of his father, longs to join Will and Jimmy in combat to escape a life he has come to dread, but fears leaving his mother and young sister behind.

    The conflict of war changes the course of many lives as we go through the years. A bizarre accident leads to a new love. Shyness and strict Catholic upbringings test a new relationship. The war shows the soldiers the horrors of life–their perspectives forever changed.

    A brutal final conflict alters the friends’ destinies forever. Who will live, and who will be blessed with a relationship for the future? The Promise is an outstanding, bittersweet tale that shows the dramatic impact of war on the people who live through it on the battlefield and home front. A great read, highly recommended!
    10 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2020
    Would like to have had more depth in characters of Betty and the Doctor. The book could have developed the time after the war a little before jumping to France. Readers of novels regarding WWII with a bit of a love story thrown in works enjoy this novel
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023
    Heartbreaking, at times, this extraordinarily beautiful story recounts the brutality of war and death. Moreover, it celebrates life and love! A captivating and brilliantly crafted piece of historical fiction that will take your breath away! Absolutely recommend this well developed and pull at your heartstrings read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2019
    A very good story about love and romance during the second world war between a young girl and the friend that kept his promise

Top reviews from other countries

  • Diogenes
    5.0 out of 5 stars A bitter-sweet tale of love and loss
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2023
    ‘The Promise’ is a masterfully written novel set during World War II, and a change of pace from Harryman’s atmospheric serial killer books (all of which I have read and enjoyed).
    Getting the relevant research done for a historical novel and deciding what to incorporate and what to leave out is a tricky business. Not including enough detail of the period results in a lack of immersion in the time and place, while including too much means that the novel reads like a history textbook. Here, Harryman gets it just right.
    The spectre of loss hangs over this romance tale like the Sword of Damocles, and there is plenty of tugging at the heart strings as the story unfolds. The dialogue has a realistic feel – as do the characters – and the author punctuates the novel with poetic language which enhances the emotional pull of the narrative.
    “The sun laughed down at me. Birds still sang a happy tune, while my heart broke, piece by tiny piece.”
    And…
    “We kept our humour throughout the fighting, and when one of us went down, another one took his place. We’d aim our guns and shout, ‘This one’s for…!’ And together we avenged every life lost, and later… we prayed for their souls.”
    And…
    “Families touched by war would never be the same again. You cannot replace a loved one. Therefore, you can never be whole again.”
    Excellent stuff. I consumed ‘The Promise’ in two sittings: it’s difficult to stop reading as the story builds to its bitter-sweet dénouement. Five well-deserved stars.
  • HM Holten
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delicate WWII Romance
    Reviewed in Germany on March 26, 2023
    Rosie finds warfare repugnant. She feels betrayed when her friends sign up to fight the moment war is declared.

    Will feels compelled to enlist. He must enter the brotherhood of his family to take up the mantle of his father.

    Jimmy will go with his friend anywhere and may be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
    Both Will and Jimmy love Rosie.

    Set in a seaside town in Yorkshire, The Promise begins just before the second world war is declared and stays the course of the fighting.

    It is possible to discuss whether Rosie is selfish or just loves her friends too much. Will she remain true to her love?

    Will Jimmy be true to his promise? Will, too, faces unexpected challenges.

    War changes lives and creates turbulence, not only in the fields of honour but in hearts and minds. This is the base for Kathleen Harryman’s wartime novel, The Promise. The first-person narrative, told by each of the main characters is revealing and efficient.
  • Michele
    5.0 out of 5 stars A magical journey
    Reviewed in Canada on July 26, 2019
    I am totally smitten with this novel. I did not want it to end and yet could hardly wait to find out how the story unfolded. I loved the characters and the beautiful way Kathleen Harryman developed each scenario. This is historical fiction at it's finest!
  • Trish Beere
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for people who like war stories
    Reviewed in Australia on October 2, 2020
    Great book very real for its time
  • Sarah
    3.0 out of 5 stars Promise
    Reviewed in Canada on July 19, 2019
    A good read. The main character was full of herself

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