Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Jessica's Promise by Jill Childs.
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CQ70ft
iBookstore: http://ow.ly/uwVH30lLTlQKobo: http://ow.ly/APyB30lLToD
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/B8RT30lLTpN
DESCRIPTION:
‘You wouldn't trust a stranger with your wallet. Or your house keys. So why your little girl, the most precious thing you have?’
Teresa’s heart stops when she enters her daughter’s bedroom to find that her sweet, trusting little girl is gone.
Teresa can’t bear to think who would snatch a terrified three-year-old from her mother in the middle of the night, but all the signs point to someone close to home. Hasn’t Jessica’s stepfather been acting a little oddly? Or is it, as Teresa is beginning to fear, something to do with Angie, her daughter’s babysitter who lives next door...?
Gentle, retired Angie – she must be lonely, with only her memories to keep her company in that big, old house. And she’s always had a special connection with Jessica... was trusting Angie with her precious daughter the biggest mistake of Teresa’s life?
What do we really know about those who watch our children? Jessica’s Promise is a compelling domestic drama for fans of Jodi Picoult, Lisa Wingate and Kerry Fisher.
MY REVIEW:
Author: Jill Childs
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publisher: Bookouture
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 294
Date Published: September 12, 2018
My rating: 4 Stars
When Teresa and Craig move into a new house, they get a new sitter, someone to care for their daughters. Teresa is the mother of three-year-old Jessica, and Craig is the father of eleven-year-old Fran. This blended family started off rocky and things just never quite balanced. When Teresa finds a new job managing a salon, she is blessed to find this sitter, Angie. Or is she? Right away there is cause for concern. Angie is a lonely woman who has spent years caring for other people's children. Teresa takes this at face value and blindly hands the children over to Angie.
I am struggling to determine how I feel about this book. Let's start off by saying that it is indeed a much like a terrific psychological thriller. The emotions and suspense are there, on the line, throughout every page. So, I was definitely caught up in the story. Why am I uncertain then? It is about the characters. Let's start with Angie. It is revealed from the very beginning that she has a past, which makes her unreliable to me. She also says and does things very early in the story that caused me to raise my eyebrows. Then there is Theresa, a bad mother, simply said. Craig was almost a nonentity, but had his own secrets.
Were there characters that I could connect with? Of course, Jessica and Fran. Who couldn't love a delicate young child? Fran was more of a challenge, but her motivations are explored rather well. So there is a balance here.
I needed things to work out between Jessica, her parents, and even Angie. But, and this is without adding spoilers of any sort, I was very interested in the goings on in this story and was really hopeful for a good ending. The conclusion left me a bit dry, a bit concerned even for some of the characters, but we see a resolution of sort for at least one character.
When I think of Jill Childs' previous book, Gracie's Secret, I can clearly remember how I felt. I did wonder if, due to her excellent writing skills, if similar feelings would have been rekindled. I would say, yes, Jill Childs is a very effective writer. Perhaps she wanted us readers to develop certain feelings as we read the story. If so, then she has done a fine job. She indeed snatched me up, front and center, and made me pay attention. Even so, I never would have guessed who the responsible party was in this story regarding the twist that occurred. Well done. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jill has always loved writing - real and imaginary - and spent 30 years travelling the world as a journalist, living overseas and reporting wherever the news took her. She's now made her home in London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does. Although she's covered everything from earthquakes and floods, riots and wars, she's found some of the most extraordinary stories right here at home - in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets, just like yours.
If you've enjoyed reading one of Jill's books, please do leave a review.
For latest news, follow Jill on Twitter (author_jill) and Facebook (Jill Childs)
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