The Promise [Hardcover]

I have just read The Promise, the sequel to Lesley Pearse's Belle. I have no words to adequately describe this author's writing. She grabs the reader's attention from the first page and it is extremely difficult to put the book down once started. I was introduced to Lesley Pearse's writing with her title Remember Me several years ago through a friend's recommendation and from that point on I read every title she had written and eagerly awaited her latest release. The Promise was a continuation of Belle's story at the commencement of WWI and the book did not fail me. My interest was kept alive throughout the book and now that I have read it, in about two days, there is a feeling of utter disappointment that there are no more chapters to read. I cannot praise Lesley Pearse enough. She researches the facts of her story and somehow manages to hold the reader's interest. Thank you Lesley for yet another wonderful read.

The Promise by Lesley Pearse was a brilliant conclusion too the first book in this short series Belle. I to be truthful first received The Promise from Amazon Vine and as I read the book though I was enjoying reading it I felt when the author referred back to the first book, I was missing out a lot of Belle's history which would make my enjoyment and understanding of this book so much more. I downloaded the first book for my kindle and as I read Belle's heartbreaking story in the book of the same name, I will admit at times there was parts I found hard to read as the abuse which Belle suffered was wrote about with clarity and detail(this is in the first book only). Even with this uncomfortable details in the first book, I would still recommend the book to other readers but I still believe as I said in my review of the first book believe that readers should be warned there is some parts which readers would have difficulty reading, though I found to book to be a fascinating read. The author, Lesley Pearse has a fantastic gift of story telling which constantly holds the readers attention.
In this book "The Promise" Belle is back in England and she is running the store she has always dreamed of doing, she is married and settled and seems to be happy in life. I to be honest thought she had done all her suffering in the first book and I was expecting a life of domestic bliss. But trouble always finds Belle but what I liked about the character of Belle, she will not lie down and just accept what life throws at her but she will fight for what she believes in and she truly is a woman who faces life with a wonderful strength of character.
This book follows Belle as she serves her country in any way she can but still holds the love of her family within her heart. She lets no-one walk over her but she has a heart of gold and she holds close friendships which she makes are precious to her and she will support her friends and loved ones through thick and thin.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough as it truly was a fantastic read, you will follow Belle to the fields of war in France and then back home again to face wars of her own which she faces with that same terrific strength of character. Her travelling is not finished here and she has many miles to travel before she finds the happy ever after she has pined for so long, there is much heartache and pain throughout her journey which we follow in this wonderful book but then I think it makes the happiness she craves so much more precious for her when she finally does find it. The Promise which was made too her in the first book will be honoured in the second book which made this book even more satisfying to read.
What I loved about reading this book was that the authors writing was so clear and vivid I could see what the characters seen and I could understand the pain and strife which Belle had to suffer daily usually by the hands of others. Never before have I read a book of fiction where the author has missed nothing from the suffering of those that fought in the first world war. The vivid descriptions of the terrible conditions which those poor soldiers had to not only fight through but live through. The squalid conditions which no animal should have ever suffered but men of so many countries fought together, the filth and muck they had to endure and where they fell was usually where they died. I learned so much from reading this book as the author's research was the best I have read fiction wise, I usually find when reading books which are fiction the authors usually give small descriptions or just show some of the suffering but I can honestly say the descriptions which was used in this book I can see what they suffered so much more than I ever could have imagined. This is the best book I have ever read which was based on this period as nothing was missed, as the author clearly wanted her readers to know the actual full suffering of those men that fought through the First World War.
The Promise by Lesley Pearse is one book I would give ten stars if I could and I recommend it to anyone who loves books which are based on the first world war and the surrounding years.

The Promise is the first Lesley Pearce book I have read, and I must admit I was impressed. I didn't realise until I had the book in my hand that there had been an earlier one about Belle, but there was sufficient information in this one to enable me to understand what had gone on before. The amount of research that Lesley Pearce must have done on the First World War and its impact on soldiers and civilians alike was massive and really made the story attimes read more like fact than fiction. I found the characters true to life and at times I actually felt I was there living through their hopes and fears with them. There was much happiness in the early part of the book before Belle's husband Jimmy volunteers to join the army, but as the story develops sadness, pain, hatred and bitterness evolve. As I was reading the book I really felt that some of the characters had become my friends. However, as in all good stories there is a happy ending; one that I hoped to read about but didn't expect
would happen. I don't want to spoil the story by revealing more but suffice to say its a rattling good read and one I would highly recommend.