Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Book Review: The Promise Between Us


About The Promise Between Us

• Paperback
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (January 16, 2018)
From the bestselling author of The Perfect Son comes a hopeful tale of redemption, renewal, and the promise of love.
Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.
But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?
To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review: Have you ever read a book that made you uncomfortable? This is one of those books and I don't mean that in a bad way either.

If you don't know anything about OCD, and I admit that I don't, seeing the behavior Katie displays is unsettling. She has visions of harming her child. These visions get so bad she abandon's her family.

As the story plays out Katie reconnects with her former family and discovers her daughter has OCD as well. Maisie, who is called 'Mazing Maisey by her family, is a sweet girl, probably the most lovable child, I've read about in a book. You want everything to go right for her. You want to fix her.

I found I wanted to do the same for Katie as well. She really came across as broken and she needed some glue to put her pieces back together again. I loved how they worked together to overcome their illness. Katie proved herself to be a good mother, tackling her own demons to help her child.

At first glance, Callum seems like the best dad on the planet. I really started out liking him. By the end of the book I had run a gamut of emotions when it came to him. I think I tolerated him at the end, mostly because of his past.

Lilah is the character I wanted to like but I absolutely couldn't. She was a good woman and a good mother, even though the odds were stacked against her.

I loved how against all odds (cue the Phil Collins song) everyone came together for the best of Maisie and they became one strange family.

I also loved that Katie was able to find her own second chance with Ben.

Barbara's writing really resonates with the reader, and at times I feel like she's a friend, and because sometimes the things the characters said sounded an awful lot like me, especially when Lilah described herself as a Heffalump.  I also liked that Callum, was a Whovian and both he and Maisie were Trekkies. I love me some fictional geeks. 

This book is utterly phenomenal and one that will stick with you long after you've finished it. This book is a must read.

Rating: 5 flowers


About Barbara Claypole White

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White creates hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina where she lives with her beloved OCD family. Her novels include The Unfinished Garden, The In-Between Hour, The Perfect Son, andEchoes of Family. The Promise Between Us, a story of redemption, sacrifice, and OCD, has a publication date of January 16th, 2018. She is also an OCD Advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity. To connect with Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com, or follow her on Facebook. She’s always on Facebook.

2 comments:

Barbara Claypole White said...

Thank you for reading and reviewing. Yes, OCD is unsettling and terrifying and much misunderstood. (I live with it as a mom.) I hope readers will, however, find Katie and Maisie's journey inspiring. I really miss those guys, they taught me a great deal about courage. <3

Heather J @ TLC Book Tours said...

I love me some fictional geeks too! It's so fun to see characters who share my interests.

Thanks for being a part of the tour!

 
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