The Forbidden Promise by Lorna Cook
Genre: Historical fiction, contemporary fiction, women's fiction, WW2
Read: 8th July 2020
Purchase: Amazon
(publication date: 19th March, 2020)
★★★★★ 5 stars
Having thoroughly enjoyed Lorna Cook's debut "The Forgotten Village" I knew that I would love THE FORBIDDEN PROMISE. Two love stories, one house, 80 years apart. This was set to be a cracker of a tale...and I wasn't wrong. I was hooked from the first moment until the very end.
Invermoray House, Scotland, September 1940: As the war rages in England and in Europe, Constance McLay has escaped the confines of the party hosted for her 21st birthday after being manhandled by her brother's friend Henry, who drunkenly assured her that it's what they both want when nothing could be further from the truth.
Seeking the solitude of the peaceful loch, Constance is then the sole witness to a Spitfire fall from the sky and crash into the murky depths. Sparing no thought for herself, she bravely dives into the water - evening dress and all - swims out to where the plane had disappeared and brings the pilot to safety. She takes him to the shelter of the disused guillie cottage on the estate where she is then requested to keep his presence a secret. Fearing for his mental stability, and out of the kindness of her heart, she agrees to the promise.
But little does she know that that promise will have far reaching consequences that will change her life forever.
August 2020: Kate is a successful PR consultant but after finding herself in an embarrassing situation, she applies for a job as far away as you can get...in the highlands of Scotland. Liz and James Langley-McLay are the owners of the rather neglected Invermoray House and wish to convert it to a Bed and Breakfast but are in dire need of some assistance to get their plan up and running.
When Kate arrives at Invermoray House, she is welcomed excitedly by Liz but not so much by her son James, who had no idea his mother had hired her. He has been single-handedly been trying to keep a roof over their heads whilst trying to repair that same roof from collapsing. It appears all the money from the estate has been over spent and now James is trying to keep things running from his own personal savings...including Kate's wages. They soon formulate a plan to get the business up and running, and to attract guests to what is essentially an out of the way part of Scotland. Loch Ness has the monster to bring in visitors - but what can Invermoray offer?
When Kate comes across an old family Bible that seems to have run for generations, she notices the last two names entered - Douglas McLay born 1914 and Constance McLay born 1919 - with a line struck through Constance's name so fiercely that the nib went through several pages below. What had caused such a visceral reaction to strike someone's name from the family Bible? Liz shows her the portraits of Constance and Douglas hanging above the staircase, telling her that when she discovered Constance's it had a great big gash ripped through the centre of it. She had since had it restored but upon looking closely, Kate could see the line that she had thought was just part of the silver gown Constance was wearing.
As she delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Constance and why it seems her and Douglas had been disinherited, Kate has no idea what she is about to uncover that will change the course of history at Invermoray.
I love dual timeline stories and this one is no different. Both female protagonists are likable and admirable. Constance wants to escape the social restrictions that keep her bound to Invermoray and her parents, and do something for the war effort. In sheltering Matthew, she then feels she is helping in her own way. The two fall in love but there is something lingering in the background that's just a little out of reach. A secret, something that has been left unsaid that could change everything. Kate also wishes to escape her life in London and her troubled past. And in her search for answers to the past she then makes some other startling discoveries, after many over analysing conversations with herself. I could have happily throttled Kate with her many cliched thoughts at times.
But it was Constance I had the softest spot for. I took her immediately and felt for her through every step of the way. I wanted to delve deeper into Constance's story for I knew there was a tale to be told there.
I loved the setting. Scotland is always a picturesque and magical setting - even with the hint of monsters and selkies - with its highlands and ever changeable weather. Invermoray House was a formidable presence (and a character in itself) with the secrets it held and the author brought its essence alive that I felt I was there by the loch, breathing in that highland air.
THE FORBIDDEN PROMISE is enchanting and captivating from the very first page, as the reader is drawn into Constance's story from the beginning. There is an air mystery throughout as secrets are revealed little by little until a final twist that I never saw coming.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, THE FORBIDDEN PROMISE promises romance, intrigue and secrets in this beautifully woven dual timeline tale that flows seamlessly. And that twist...OMG! How did I not see that coming? It was so brilliant it was perfect.
I loved THE FORBIDDEN PROMISE so much that I didn't want it to end. Except maybe Kate's cliched over-analysing...but Constance's story I wanted to go on forever. I wanted to step back into 1940 and stay there.
Another cleverly woven tale by Lorna Cook. Perfect for fans of Kathleen McGurl and Kate Morton.
I would like to thank #LornaCook, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheForbiddenPromise in exchange for an honest review.
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