Her Last Promise: An absolutely gripping novel of the power of hope and World War Two historical fiction from the bestselling author of The Letter

Michelle
I tried so hard to like this! I enjoyed Kathryn Hughes’ last two books. This one, I read as far as when the Spanish lad proposed (I can’t even remember his name 🙈) and I put it down. Picked it up again a few days ago to try again and I just couldn’t get in to it. I feel it wouldn’t be fair to give it a rating as I did not read enough. But on Goodreads.com I have it 1* because I could not finish it!

Helen
This is not the type of book I typically select but I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed it a lot. It was very easy to read and with likeable (or dis-likeable as intended!) characters. I found it was a perfect book for an afternoon in the garden. I liked the jumps between time periods, I’m interested in the social history elements that were scattered through. Although the plot was to an extent predictable there were enough tiny twists to keep my interest. My mum would also have loved this one! 8/10

Chris
Not one of my favourite books, I managed to finish it but only because I wanted to see how it could all possibly come together. Didn't like the different time lines, found it confusing, and found the story very improbable.
I would give it a 4

Margaret M
I confess I read it as soon as I got it so it’s all a bit hazy by now
I enjoyed and and liked the different threads - do all books do this now rather than have a linear story?
I found the characters likeable and their strong relationships well drawn
Quite fancied the monk!
I’ll give it 8:10

Gill
The book is difficulty to read in short spells as time zones change and I think it’s taken ages to figure out the story line
I will finish it although not found it gripping as the cover says
So far I’d give it 5 but as I say I’ve not finished it

Mabe
It was an easy read, which in the times we find ourselves is a plus for me.
I wasn't blown away by it but having said that I was wanting to know how the Italian and Tara's story came to be linked. I liked Alf and her Man very much, I wish it had gone a bit further into the future and gave an insight of how things worked out between her and her Mum. I'll give it a 7

Yvonne
Her Last Promise was an entertaining, easy read which kept my attention throughout. The dates helped to keep me focussed on the characters and events as they unfolded. Tara and Violet's enduring bond was central to the book's theme and underpinned all subsequent events and developments which took place.
An excellent holiday read.
I give it a mark of 7.

Carolyn
A nice quick easy read and no loose ends. I give it 5.

Steph
I finished this book this morning. I’m slightly worried as it’s another book that I’ve finished. Initially I struggled, and was ready to give up, slightly too jumpy for me, but it all came together at the end and sort of made sense. Two things completely confused me though. The first was that monk Isidore, is he the one that found Leo and Gabriella at their engagement? But then he found violet and turned into Leo at the end? The other is Matteo and Leo we’re always close so I didn’t understand how it turned out like it did.
Think I’ll give it an 8

Eve
I found this book very light and easy to read, quite a page turner.
I did read it on Kindle, which was not a great idea, as at first the stories did get a little mixed up and there were times when it would have been useful to be able to flick back a few pages to check where I was in the story. However, the mixing of the time frames I found interesting and did not get who things were until the end, or nearly.
I thought the characters were likeable and did not change too much during the story. Even the ‘baddie’, Larry got his comeuppance in the end and there were no loose ends to wonder about. At the end of the book, I did wonder if there was some fault attached to Diablo, the horse, but it seemed that he lived a good life and was buried with love. The story about killing the child was sad and it is understandable that his brother totally blamed himself. I did feel that the mother was over the top in her love for him and should have been glad that his elder brother also loved him. I liked the character of Alf, who took them in and they became a surrogate family.
This was a light book, which suits me at the moment, so I would award it an 8

Arleen
Read it a while ago so couldn't remember much except that she loved it and would give it an 8

Sonia
I am afraid this was not my kind of book at all. I found the timeline difficult to follow, the characters stereotypical and the plot formulaic so definitely not an enjoyable read. Left to my own devices I would not have finished it but felt I must to be fair and to be able to comment. It promised a lot but delivered very little so I can only give it a 3 out of 10.

Average score : 6 out of 10

This was a well written book, the story unfolded at a good pace but rather lightweight. An enjoyable holiday read.

Violet and Tara are mother and daughter. They had always been close as they struggled to survive on very little money in 1970s Britain. When Tara is just a young teenager, Violet disappears and no amount of searching gives any clues whatsoever as to her whereabouts. Forty years later Tara receives a letter from a solicitor which threatens to turn her whole world upside down. We gradually discover both the circumstances leading up to this letter and what happens next as the storyline develops, alternating between the two timeframes.

I loved this book from the second I picked it up until I reached the very last page. Whilst it is not in any way deep and meaningful it is a great story, very well told. It is also a real page turner and I didn’t want to put it down. The characters are all well developed and believable and the various strands to the storyline all link together seamlessly as the end approaches. There are tender moments and funny moments. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I can’t really think of anything bad to say about this book.

If you are looking for a gripping book that won’t challenge you intellectually but will keep you entertained from beginning to end then this is the book for you. I have only read one other book by Kathryn Hughes and was equally captivated. I will certainly be looking out for her others and I hope you enjoy them too.