Can You Keep a Promise?
- Downloads：8820
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-01-18 00:51:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jill Mansell
- ISBN：1472287886
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
A witty， heartwarming story of love， life and second chances set in the idyllic Cotswolds， from the glorious Jill Mansell。
'Jill Mansell is the queen of feelgood romance' Sunday Express
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。。。
'Jill Mansell is the queen of feelgood romance' Sunday Express
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。。。
Reviews
Emily Pankhurst
，
I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 24 January so keep your eyes peeled for my review！
jane
，
jill is one of my favourite authors so when i was lucky enough to receive a copy of this i could wait to read it。 you will fall in love with lou straight away and learn to love grumpy edgar， you will dislike della and tom and root for remy！a football round easy fun read
Becky
，
Somehow this is the first book that I've read by Jill Mansell but it definitely won't be my last！ I loved this heartwarming story。The characters in this story were all so well written。 I loved watching the relationship form between grumpy， lonely Edgar in his 80s and young， patient Lou who was determined to make him enjoy life as she takes on the role of his carer。 My favourite part was when they both went to visit the dogs home together and met Captain Oates。 Their relationship was full of humo Somehow this is the first book that I've read by Jill Mansell but it definitely won't be my last！ I loved this heartwarming story。The characters in this story were all so well written。 I loved watching the relationship form between grumpy， lonely Edgar in his 80s and young， patient Lou who was determined to make him enjoy life as she takes on the role of his carer。 My favourite part was when they both went to visit the dogs home together and met Captain Oates。 Their relationship was full of humour and it was so lovely to watch Edgar slowly soften。I always enjoy stories set in small villages and this Cotswold village， Foxwell with the large mansion house was perfect！ There were several lovely romances throughout the story and some slightly shadier characters too to disrupt events！ I read this book in just over a day （which is very fast for me！） I just couldn’t put it down。 A heartwarming story of friendship and love。 I'm definitely becoming a fan of romantic fiction！ This was a lovely feelgood read which I would highly recommend。 。。。more
Gaye Teather
，
An enjoyable and heart warming book with a varied cast of characters most of whom were lovely and a few not so nice！ I loved the contrast between young and kindly Lou and the elderly man she goes to work for as a carer in his home， the curmudgeonly Edgar。 These two very different personalities really make the story feisty， fun and sometimes touching。 There are several other characters with their will-they-won't-they romances going on and some humorous moments throughout。 Lou had some lovely qual An enjoyable and heart warming book with a varied cast of characters most of whom were lovely and a few not so nice！ I loved the contrast between young and kindly Lou and the elderly man she goes to work for as a carer in his home， the curmudgeonly Edgar。 These two very different personalities really make the story feisty， fun and sometimes touching。 There are several other characters with their will-they-won't-they romances going on and some humorous moments throughout。 Lou had some lovely qualities but let herself down a bit by her lack of self respect when， following on from a former abusive relationship， seemed rather too eager to start a sexual relationship with a man she barely knew。 For me， the first half of the book was a little slow but then the story picked up and from thereon I couldn't put the book down and thoroughly enjoyed it。 Edgar's dog， Captain Oates， was a wonderful and often comical addition to the story。 I recommend this book and am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre-release copy in exchange for my honest review 。。。more
Rachel
，
A heartwarming read， this is Mansell at her finest。 During a fleeting visit to Foxwell， Lou meets miserable octogenarian Edgar in a spectacular fashion， both make impact on each other and he soon makes her an offer she can't refuse。 Lou is fantastic， selfless， patient and great fun。 Edgar breaks the heart as we catch a glimpse of the reasons for him keeping others out。 A five star read， thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 A heartwarming read， this is Mansell at her finest。 During a fleeting visit to Foxwell， Lou meets miserable octogenarian Edgar in a spectacular fashion， both make impact on each other and he soon makes her an offer she can't refuse。 Lou is fantastic， selfless， patient and great fun。 Edgar breaks the heart as we catch a glimpse of the reasons for him keeping others out。 A five star read， thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
Danielle
，
Prepare to lose yourself in the beautifully written pages as this wonderful story comes to life。 Jill Mansell cleverly weaves an absorbing narrative， taking us on an emotional and entertaining journey， for each character that skilfully run alongside each other and thread together。 I felt so caught up in the unfolding events that I couldn’t stop reading！It’s set in the picturesque location of Foxwell immersing us deeper into the story and making the reader feel a part of the friendly and caring c Prepare to lose yourself in the beautifully written pages as this wonderful story comes to life。 Jill Mansell cleverly weaves an absorbing narrative， taking us on an emotional and entertaining journey， for each character that skilfully run alongside each other and thread together。 I felt so caught up in the unfolding events that I couldn’t stop reading！It’s set in the picturesque location of Foxwell immersing us deeper into the story and making the reader feel a part of the friendly and caring community。 I loved the way everyone knew everything about everyone。 The characters are so well written they feel like real people you know， there’s a genuine attachment to them and I was all in！We follow kind-hearted Lou when a serendipitous meeting with the prickly Edgar sets her path on a different course – they could each be exactly what the other needs！ I loved the way Lou’s effervescent nature complements Edgar’s grumpy ways and their witty interactions made for some brilliant reading。 Captain Oates was such a lovable character， adding another layer to Edgar’s character。Sammy and Lou are great friends， he’s a struggling singer unlucky in love， but is his luck about to change？ I really enjoyed the ease of the friendship they have and the laughs and support shared。 The brotherly affection and teasing between Sammy and Remy was a joy to read。 Remy’s charismatic nature shines through and I loved the connection that grows between him and Lou as their friendship blossoms。There’s new arrivals， ulterior motives and misunderstandings in play bringing intrigue and unpredictability。 The story triumphantly celebrates love in all its many forms。Promise Me brings some much needed sunshine to brighten up any day。 It’s the ultimate feel-good read bursting with warmth， heart and humour。 I’m not going to forget this story or its characters anytime soon – it was a delightful read from beginning to end。 Definitely one not to be missed！Huge thanks to @Emily_JP and @headlinepg for the stunning proof copy。 。。。more
Patty Aryee
，
A light hearted read full of awful people that seem to have been written in to provide shock factor and depth， but instead they just provided heavy amounts of annoyance。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 negat A light hearted read full of awful people that seem to have been written in to provide shock factor and depth， but instead they just provided heavy amounts of annoyance。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。There are many different characters and storylines to get accustomed to that I am not actually sure who the main character was supposed to be even though the story is apparently about Lou。Edgar's final decision was supposed to redeem him for making other decisions out of spite。。。it doesn't。I suspect that I simply went into this book expecting way too much and maybe being misled by the synopsis。It really isn't bad but it really isn't great either。The questionable characters take the limelight through the book and outweigh the 'heart-warming moments） 。。。more
Bea
，
After losing her job and flat in Birmingham， Lou has to resign herself to her last resort: working as a live-in helper for curmudgeonly eighty-year-old Edgar Allsopp in a little Cotswold village。 What tipped the scales on her decision was Edgar’s offer to leave her his house and fortune once he dies， as long as she manages to stick around until then。 In the mean time， Lou is determined make Edgar enjoy life again。 This book was just lovely。 Switching between multiple points-of-view， Mansell mana After losing her job and flat in Birmingham， Lou has to resign herself to her last resort: working as a live-in helper for curmudgeonly eighty-year-old Edgar Allsopp in a little Cotswold village。 What tipped the scales on her decision was Edgar’s offer to leave her his house and fortune once he dies， as long as she manages to stick around until then。 In the mean time， Lou is determined make Edgar enjoy life again。 This book was just lovely。 Switching between multiple points-of-view， Mansell managed balance the cosy romance plots and Edgar’s life-affirming return to society with devious ‘bad guys’ and tense moments to keep the pages turning。 The pacing felt just right， lingering in the sweet connections and skipping ahead through frustrating situations。 It’s a feel-good， sunshiny book to get you through the dark dregs of winter - I finished it in three days！The romance with Remy was deliciously relatable （especially if you’re from a rural village） with the awkwardness of a crush on your childhood friend’s older brother and the frustration of people having their noses in your business。 I listened to the audiobook， and Katherine Press’s narration was wonderful， her voice really suited the heartwarming story。 I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review 。。。more
Jo
，
I haven't read a Jill Mansell book for ages and this book was a gem of a read - or listen in my case。 Loved the cast of characters - even grumpy Edgar。 Particularly loved Captain Oates。This book had everything - set in the Cotswolds， both likeable and unlikable characters， romance and heartache。 I was holding my breath about what was in Edgars will - and think the outcome was just perfect。Happy endings and no loose ends - my kind of book。 I haven't read a Jill Mansell book for ages and this book was a gem of a read - or listen in my case。 Loved the cast of characters - even grumpy Edgar。 Particularly loved Captain Oates。This book had everything - set in the Cotswolds， both likeable and unlikable characters， romance and heartache。 I was holding my breath about what was in Edgars will - and think the outcome was just perfect。Happy endings and no loose ends - my kind of book。 。。。more
Lisa S
，
Jill Mansell is a master at what she does， and this book is no exception - like a hug in book form！ The story follows Lou as she recovers from a terrible marriage and starts to trust herself again as she goes through a big life transition and ends up in Foxwell working for cantankerous OAP Edgar。 Lou slowly helps Edgar to integrate with the local community and even adopt a dog。 The cast of characters grows as Edgar reaches out to old flame Della， who is disillusioned with her current life and mo Jill Mansell is a master at what she does， and this book is no exception - like a hug in book form！ The story follows Lou as she recovers from a terrible marriage and starts to trust herself again as she goes through a big life transition and ends up in Foxwell working for cantankerous OAP Edgar。 Lou slowly helps Edgar to integrate with the local community and even adopt a dog。 The cast of characters grows as Edgar reaches out to old flame Della， who is disillusioned with her current life and moves to Foxwell with her spoilt son and daughter in pursuit of what she considers to be an easy life， if she plays the game right。 The author skilfully weaves the different character threads together， keeping the reader engaged but not resorting to obvious cliches。 There were lots of little surprises along the way and I found I wanted to keep reading， the relatively short chapters helped with this too。A lovely， easy， comforting read - recommended。 。。。more
Ginny Mcpherson
，
Another great story by this author。 Jill Mansell delivers a heart warming story about friendship and relationships。 Lou， the main protagonist was like able and you really are on her side throughout the story。 Edgar the grumpy older gentleman， certainly grows on you but do relatable and reminded me of relatives I have 🤣The added attraction of this book， is that is set in the Cotswold， talking about Cheltenham。 This is where I live ， so it added a little bit of something personally to me。 A big th Another great story by this author。 Jill Mansell delivers a heart warming story about friendship and relationships。 Lou， the main protagonist was like able and you really are on her side throughout the story。 Edgar the grumpy older gentleman， certainly grows on you but do relatable and reminded me of relatives I have 🤣The added attraction of this book， is that is set in the Cotswold， talking about Cheltenham。 This is where I live ， so it added a little bit of something personally to me。 A big thumbs up to this hug in a book。Thank you #netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review。 I really enjoyed it！ 。。。more
Susan
，
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review。 I love a Jill Mansell book so was delighted to be approved for this one， however， it just didn't grab me as there seemed to be so many things going on it all felt a bit overwhelming。 Not my favourite book， sorry。 Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review。 I love a Jill Mansell book so was delighted to be approved for this one， however， it just didn't grab me as there seemed to be so many things going on it all felt a bit overwhelming。 Not my favourite book， sorry。 。。。more
Joanne D'Arcy
，
The latest novel from Jill Mansell does not fail to disappoint。 Lou is visiting friend Sammy in a Cotswold village and bumps into Edgar Allsopp。 Edgar is grouchy， unfriendly and determined to make his and everyone else life miserable， for no real reason。But Lou has the experience of dealing with the Edgar’s of the world and when he offers her a job， she thinks she doesn’t have anything to lose by accepting it。 Besides， she has just lost hers as well as her home， husband and lately mother。 Moving The latest novel from Jill Mansell does not fail to disappoint。 Lou is visiting friend Sammy in a Cotswold village and bumps into Edgar Allsopp。 Edgar is grouchy， unfriendly and determined to make his and everyone else life miserable， for no real reason。But Lou has the experience of dealing with the Edgar’s of the world and when he offers her a job， she thinks she doesn’t have anything to lose by accepting it。 Besides， she has just lost hers as well as her home， husband and lately mother。 Moving to be near friends Sammy and his brother Remy seems the perfect temporary solution。 At least for a while。An unlikely friendship also starts to develop between them and Lou finds herself settling into the village and Edgar finds himself becoming more amenable to others。 Especially when Captain Oates arrives。 who captures Edgar’s heart。 A lost love of Edgar also reappears， Della along with dashing son and weird daughter but nothing is as it seems anymore and Edgar and Lou perhaps have to learn the hard way。As always richly driven by the characters and all their little sub plots， this book shows the worst and best of people into this lovely novel。 Comic and sad in equal parts with an abundance of love sprinkled throughout， this is a great novel and probably reflective of our times， especially when it came to Della’s children！ They could have done with a jolly good shake。 What I did like was the romance which included Lou was not the main focus of the book， it was nice for it to be happily moving along without all consuming every plot line。This is the perfect book to start a new year of reading off， full of hope and warmth and the perfect tonic to the grey days。 。。。more
Dr Sandra
，
Another excellent novel by Jill that reflects her at her best。 Amusing and entertaining， it was just the ticket for whiling away a dreary winter's day。 The setting was lovely， the characterization was good and， if the main plot was a tad predictable in some respects， that didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story。 I thoroughly enjoyed Promise Me and would highly recommend it。 Another excellent novel by Jill that reflects her at her best。 Amusing and entertaining， it was just the ticket for whiling away a dreary winter's day。 The setting was lovely， the characterization was good and， if the main plot was a tad predictable in some respects， that didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story。 I thoroughly enjoyed Promise Me and would highly recommend it。 。。。more
Tamara
，
An absolutely gorgeous and heartwarming read to start the year ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Warm， funny and kind， with great narration of the audiobook。 Lou is down-to-earth with a heart of gold， but after already losing her mother， her abusive husband has recently died， she's lost her job and now also been kicked out of her flatSo when cantankerous 80 year old Edgar offers to provide a place for her to live while she cares for him， as well as promising to leave her a substantial inheritance， she feels guilty desp An absolutely gorgeous and heartwarming read to start the year ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Warm， funny and kind， with great narration of the audiobook。 Lou is down-to-earth with a heart of gold， but after already losing her mother， her abusive husband has recently died， she's lost her job and now also been kicked out of her flatSo when cantankerous 80 year old Edgar offers to provide a place for her to live while she cares for him， as well as promising to leave her a substantial inheritance， she feels guilty despite his lack of family and friends， but can't really refuse。Taking the job means she's living close to old school friends， including the gorgeous Remy， in the tiny， picturesque Cotswolds village of Foxwell。 Not forgetting an equally grumpy chihuahua to give Edgar a run for his money， and her best friend who may finally be about to get a break from an unlikely source。 Through all the ups and downs， the supportive close-knit community， where nothing stays secret for long， is just what she needs to get back on her feet and help to distract her from risking what is sure to be another disastrous romance。。。。 isn't it？ 。。。more
Emma Hardy
，
This kicks off with a grumpy man， and if I'm honest I thought I wouldn't buy into the story。 How wrong I was。 Packed with a great mix of characters， lots of drama and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure。 I soon felt invested in this story and totally absorbed into this world。 Vivid， realistic and endearing。 This kicks off with a grumpy man， and if I'm honest I thought I wouldn't buy into the story。 How wrong I was。 Packed with a great mix of characters， lots of drama and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure。 I soon felt invested in this story and totally absorbed into this world。 Vivid， realistic and endearing。 。。。more
Alice
，
Let me start by saying I love Jill Mansell， having read every single one of her previous books。 I’m definitely a fan！ So I was delighted to be approved to read this latest release via netgalley。 And I’m pleased to say this newest offering from one of the queens of feel good romantic fiction did not disappoint。 Meet grumpy OAP Edgar， who can’t find anyone to take on the role of being his carer/ assistant， so offers to leave his giant mansion to Lou in his will if she moves in with him and becomes Let me start by saying I love Jill Mansell， having read every single one of her previous books。 I’m definitely a fan！ So I was delighted to be approved to read this latest release via netgalley。 And I’m pleased to say this newest offering from one of the queens of feel good romantic fiction did not disappoint。 Meet grumpy OAP Edgar， who can’t find anyone to take on the role of being his carer/ assistant， so offers to leave his giant mansion to Lou in his will if she moves in with him and becomes his carer。 As Lou has just been made redundant from her previous caring job and then her landlord informs her he is turfing her out of her rented flat because he’s selling it， she reluctantly accepts Edgar’s offer （even though it does not sit well with her）。 Drama ensues when Edgar’s old love （and massive gold digger） Della comes back on the scene with her two equally horrible grown up children。 Plus， there’s a whole host of side characters who have their own stuff going on （including Remy， Lou’s unrequited crush）。 Will everyone get the ending they deserve？ I bloomin’ loved this book and highly recommend it。 Big thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a free advance review copy in exchange for an honest review。 This is out in the UK later this month and if you’re a fan of women’s’ fiction， this should definitely be on your radar。 It will certainly help beat the January blues。 。。。more
Jo Lee
，
What a beautiful book to start the year！ Jill Mansell expertly swept me out of dreary Glasgow to tranquil Foxwell。 I instantly fell in love with Lou， a truly kind and beautiful soul。 Through Lou’s eyes I fell also in love with curmudgeonly old Edmond too。 There was one line in the book that absolutely ripped my heart out when he reads a typo as how Lou feels about him， that I sobbed。 The side characters are all so beautifully written that I’d have happily remained in Foxwell and perhaps found in What a beautiful book to start the year！ Jill Mansell expertly swept me out of dreary Glasgow to tranquil Foxwell。 I instantly fell in love with Lou， a truly kind and beautiful soul。 Through Lou’s eyes I fell also in love with curmudgeonly old Edmond too。 There was one line in the book that absolutely ripped my heart out when he reads a typo as how Lou feels about him， that I sobbed。 The side characters are all so beautifully written that I’d have happily remained in Foxwell and perhaps found in it my heart to forgive devious Della。 A lovely well written and beautifully narrated novel， perfect escapism！ #Jorecommends。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Julie-Ann Murphy
，
Jill Mansell is my long time favourite author， I always look forward to her new releases in January so when I discovered one copy of Promise Me on the bottom shelf in my local bookstore in December I knew it was serendipitous。 The story is heartwarming， you can’t help but like Edgar and for me he’s the best character in the story。 The setting is lovely and a nice place to take your mind to escape。 I’d never fault Jill’s books， I do adore them but you do always know what you’re going to get and t Jill Mansell is my long time favourite author， I always look forward to her new releases in January so when I discovered one copy of Promise Me on the bottom shelf in my local bookstore in December I knew it was serendipitous。 The story is heartwarming， you can’t help but like Edgar and for me he’s the best character in the story。 The setting is lovely and a nice place to take your mind to escape。 I’d never fault Jill’s books， I do adore them but you do always know what you’re going to get and this one was no exception， I pretty much knew how the whole thing would play out。 Nonetheless， a lovely read and recommended。 。。。more
Kim
，
Promise Me was such an entertaining read， lots of great characters and interesting storylines！This book was a feast of will-they-wont-they romances， developing of friendships both old and new and the wonderful story of what can happen when you finally let love into your life， in whatever form that takes。This is my first by this author but it wont be my last， I'm going to have to spend some time going through her back catalogue and hope that there might be a follow up to this one as I would love Promise Me was such an entertaining read， lots of great characters and interesting storylines！This book was a feast of will-they-wont-they romances， developing of friendships both old and new and the wonderful story of what can happen when you finally let love into your life， in whatever form that takes。This is my first by this author but it wont be my last， I'm going to have to spend some time going through her back catalogue and hope that there might be a follow up to this one as I would love to revisit some of these characters and find out what was next for them。 。。。more
Felicity Johnson
，
What a fabulous treat！！ A new classic from Jill Mansell and what a totally brilliant book！Lou returns to Foxwell in the Cotswolds when her job comes to an unexpected end along with her flat。 Whilst staying at an old friend from her school days she meets grumpy Edgar， an eighty year old who clearly needs a hand at home， and some joy and company in his life。 Wonderful characters， beautifully depicted， from the old to the young and their pets！！The audible version was addictive and I thoroughly enjo What a fabulous treat！！ A new classic from Jill Mansell and what a totally brilliant book！Lou returns to Foxwell in the Cotswolds when her job comes to an unexpected end along with her flat。 Whilst staying at an old friend from her school days she meets grumpy Edgar， an eighty year old who clearly needs a hand at home， and some joy and company in his life。 Wonderful characters， beautifully depicted， from the old to the young and their pets！！The audible version was addictive and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it。 The narrator did some great accents and voices to bring it all alive。Worthy of 5 stars and more！ A lovely start to the year， heartwarming， heartbreaking and thoroughly fantastic！！Thank you to NetGalley for the early listening！！ I loved it and will be heartily recommending！！ 。。。more
Agi
，
Jill Mansell has done it again， "Promise Me" was another brilliant and heart - warming story with so many curveballs in the second half that I couldn't stop reading， and well， I didn't stop until I've finished it， deep into the night。 Finally it was a book that I wanted to get back to， that I felt involved in characters' lives， so brilliantly written， light - hearted and also a little tear - jerker。 Although I was sure that Edgar is only joking。What I love about Joll Mansell'S books is that they Jill Mansell has done it again， "Promise Me" was another brilliant and heart - warming story with so many curveballs in the second half that I couldn't stop reading， and well， I didn't stop until I've finished it， deep into the night。 Finally it was a book that I wanted to get back to， that I felt involved in characters' lives， so brilliantly written， light - hearted and also a little tear - jerker。 Although I was sure that Edgar is only joking。What I love about Joll Mansell'S books is that they are always a real rollercoaster ride of friendship， loyalty and lovely romance。 I immediately fall in love with Lou， you simply can't not like her and all the other characters are written just the way they should have been written， even the bad ones are not too overdone。 Each of them has their own story to tell， and there is so much to it， but they come together so well。 The story moves just at the right pace and the author knows when to add something to laugh or to build a tension。 It is a story that will make you feel better and cozy and warm。 There is something special in the book and in the writing， this something you are looking for in a book， that touches and pulls at the right heartstrings and yet makes you feel so warm inside。 It's addictive， this story， you can't stop reading it， full of little surprises and it will bring a smile to your face。 Absolutely loved it！ 。。。more
Catherine Clapperton
，
I was lucky enough to win a proof copy of Jill's upcoming novel， Promise Me。Cosy， heartwarming and both funny and emotional in equal parts， Promise Me is a delightful read。It felt so "easy" to read which is testament to Jill's fabulous， flowing writing style。Lou is a wonderful protagonist along with the cranky Edgar + so lovely seeing Lou thaw Edgar's frosty exterior， albeit ever so slightly。A wonderful read！ I was lucky enough to win a proof copy of Jill's upcoming novel， Promise Me。Cosy， heartwarming and both funny and emotional in equal parts， Promise Me is a delightful read。It felt so "easy" to read which is testament to Jill's fabulous， flowing writing style。Lou is a wonderful protagonist along with the cranky Edgar + so lovely seeing Lou thaw Edgar's frosty exterior， albeit ever so slightly。A wonderful read！ 。。。more
Jodie Bovey-Brown
，
Just loved this book， read every single book that Jill Mansell has written， and she never fails to suck me in to a different world when I read her books， and this was no exception， it was such a heart warming read that made me laugh and cry along with the characters， and what an amazing ending。 Wish I could wipe my memory and read it all over again！
Rachel Gilbey
，
I don't know how Jill Mansell keeps doing it， but every single year without fail， she writes a new completely brilliant book that has me hooked and at times on the edge of my seat。 For there are so many curveballs in the latter half of this story that I was never completely sure how it might turn out， and really didn't guess some elements at all。 Which truly is the sign of a great author。 I loved Edgar's character and his development over the course of the book， from someone who clearly needed L I don't know how Jill Mansell keeps doing it， but every single year without fail， she writes a new completely brilliant book that has me hooked and at times on the edge of my seat。 For there are so many curveballs in the latter half of this story that I was never completely sure how it might turn out， and really didn't guess some elements at all。 Which truly is the sign of a great author。 I loved Edgar's character and his development over the course of the book， from someone who clearly needed Lou's help， to a far more rounded human， in spite of his advancing years。 And Lou， well I could understand her motivations for agreeing to work for Edgar against her better judgments， and really enjoyed how she challenged herself to improve his life。 This was heartwarming and fantastically well written and I adored every second of it。 Jill Mansell is once again a master storyteller， and I'm already looking forward to whatever her next book is。 Thank you to Headline for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily。 。。。more
Hayley Wiggins
，
Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook version of Promise Me for an honest review。Jill Mansell can always manage to write a good and enjoyable story。 Edgar was a cantankerous bachelor who changed after meeting Lou who came to help him at his house。 Lou was so ameniable。 Della was a distasteful character， out to play on Edgar's love for her。Jill Mansell has a gift of making a book enjoyable regardless。 This is the first of her books that I've listened to o Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook version of Promise Me for an honest review。Jill Mansell can always manage to write a good and enjoyable story。 Edgar was a cantankerous bachelor who changed after meeting Lou who came to help him at his house。 Lou was so ameniable。 Della was a distasteful character， out to play on Edgar's love for her。Jill Mansell has a gift of making a book enjoyable regardless。 This is the first of her books that I've listened to on Audio。Katherine Press is the narrator and all in all quite enjoyable。 。。。more
Georgi_Lvs_Books
，
I liked this。 It is my goal to make my way through Jill’s work after reading Three Amazing Things About You and loving that。 This wasn’t my favourite but it was a nice contemporary read。
Kirsty Bartlett
，
Absolutely fabulous book！ I could not put this down！！ We follow Lou， who is a very loveable character。 She has a terrible marriage and when her husband dies and her job caring for a lady with MS comes to an end。 She has to start over， her friend Sammy invited her to see him sing in his local pub and that’s where our story really gets started！ The village of Foxwell is a very friendly place and she stumbles into an elderly man named Edgar who’s so grumpy you can’t help but love him！ I don’t want Absolutely fabulous book！ I could not put this down！！ We follow Lou， who is a very loveable character。 She has a terrible marriage and when her husband dies and her job caring for a lady with MS comes to an end。 She has to start over， her friend Sammy invited her to see him sing in his local pub and that’s where our story really gets started！ The village of Foxwell is a very friendly place and she stumbles into an elderly man named Edgar who’s so grumpy you can’t help but love him！ I don’t want to spoil the whole story but Lou goes to help Edgar in his home as a live in carer。 Which comes with many funny moments and when she helps him adopt a dog， we begin to see the softer side of Edgar who appears to be lonely and unloved。 We follow his past where he fell for the wrong woman and when she comes into the story Della certainly makes an impact。 She comes with two very spoilt children and Tom makes a beeline to use Lou。 I hated this part of the story as I’d hope she would be more guarded after her awful husband。 Sadly not， but it does make Edgar start to realise he doesn’t like how Dellas family behave。 This story really is a lovey one， although sad but uplifting towards the end。 This story was not predictable which usually I find women’s fiction to be。 Definitely give it a read！ 。。。more
Jackie
，
Sometimes you need to sit down with a book that takes you on a journey away from your chaos， isn’t to complex， but does actually have a storyline。 This was one of those books。 Real people in storybook form。 I loved the characters， the writer style and I really enjoyed having this book read to me via the audiobook。 A great relaxing escape。
Lynn McCrum
，
A Jill Mansell book is like throwing on your favourite cosy blanket or receiving the warmest hug from a dear friend。 And ‘Promise Me’ filled me with these same feelings。 As with all of Jill Mansell’s books you become invested in all the characters and while to some extent you can see where the story lines are headed， you can’t quite work out how they are going to get there。。Lou is in the Cotswolds visiting her friend， Sammy （who dreams of being a musician） when she ‘meets’ the village’s resident A Jill Mansell book is like throwing on your favourite cosy blanket or receiving the warmest hug from a dear friend。 And ‘Promise Me’ filled me with these same feelings。 As with all of Jill Mansell’s books you become invested in all the characters and while to some extent you can see where the story lines are headed， you can’t quite work out how they are going to get there。。Lou is in the Cotswolds visiting her friend， Sammy （who dreams of being a musician） when she ‘meets’ the village’s resident grumpy old man （Edgar） who lives at the top of the hill alone in a big fancy mansion。 Edgar wears Lou down until she finally accepts a job as his carer/housekeeper when he makes her an offer which she can’t refuse。 Lou makes it her mission to make Edgar happier and appear nicer to the villagers。Along the way we also encounter various other characters （some loveable and some not） who fit seamlessly into the story。 All in all a very lovely and somewhat emotional book which you won’t want to put down。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Can You Keep a Promise?
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Can You Keep a Promise?&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft