The Promise

By: Claire Highton-Stevenson

Narrated by: Kelsey Navarro

Length: 6 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Ali and Susan Jenkins have it all. Their life together is mapped out on a one-way path to happiness, that is, until Susan is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Ali refuses to accept it - her world is shattered.

Susan's last act of love is to make her wife promise that, one day, she will open her heart again and let somebody else love her. But, will Ali keep her promise?

©2017 Claire Stevenson (P)2019 Claire Stevenson

Heartbreakingly beautiful!

Just finished this heartbreakingly beautiful audiobook. Though the premise is difficult, it's well worth a listen. A happily married couple - Ali and Susan - are challenged in the worst way possible when Susan is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. If I've already lost you here - stay with me. I wondered if I would be able to get through it myself but so glad I stuck with it. The story is broken up into two parts - the first takes us through that process but we also get to know and completely fall in love with the three characters involved - the couple themselves and their live-in nurse, Blair, hired to help them through Susan's end of life care. Before her death, Susan lovingly makes Ali promise that someday she will allow herself to be open to love again. Part two takes us through Ali's healing journey. Will she ever be able to move on when every fiber of her being wants to hold on? I loved this story - it wasn't rushed, felt honest, and was incredibly romantic. The Promise was this year's GCLS Contemporary Romance: Short Novels Goldie winner and the narration is so beautifully done by Kelsey Navarro. Highly recommend!

The Promise

Ali and Susan have been married for eight years. Then one night Susan feels a bump in her breast. Going to the dr the diagnosis is breast cancer. Thus ensues the tumultuous last months that they have to spend as a married couple. There are days of emotional pain, physical pain and lots of loving. The two of them must face and move towards the inevitable not liking it. Then Susan brings in a nurse to help in the coming days after chemo. The love and pain are so striking that the story will bring a tear to your eyes.
Kelsey Navarro brings the story to tear jerking life as events unfold.
A beautiful moving story and audio.

Not a Winner for Me

I realize that I'm way off from the vast majority of the other reviews I've seen but I had so many issues with this book that I couldn't rate it any higher.

First and foremost were the constant head-hopping (moving from one character's POV to the next to the next, etc within a scene with no break or warning whatsoever) and essentially using eye and hair color as pronouns. There was also no background info that I remember about any of the characters and they really did feel flat to me. I mean, besides the crushing grief of Susan dying, I didn't have anything else to connect to the characters with.

The conversations that were revealed in the second half of the book that took place between Blair regarding Ali felt super creepy and gross to me. I had a tough time imagining Susan and Blair checking Ali out together. I understand what the author was trying to do and I get it but the execution didn't work for me at all. Really, I'd have to say that very little worked for me from the beginning right up until the unnecessary misunderstanding and refusal to communicate at the very end.

I'm very glad that so many people loved this book but it was definitely not for me. The only reason I finished it was because I got a free copy of the audiobook from Audiobooks Unleashed and felt an obligation to post a review.

Not my fave by this author

The level of professional achievement and also the duration and depth of emotional commitment in marriage makes the main character and her counterpart later on also seem like they ought to be in their 50s, but the story depicts them as much younger people so seems geared to appeal to 20 to 30 somethings with the perfect young bodies with youthful tastes and tons of energy.
It’s odd that the characters are sometimes referred to as ‘the blonde’ and ‘the brunette.
The grief is made palpable. That aspect of story succeeds.

Great story

This is quite a different kind of romance. Most stories of romance after a partner’s death start after the death. This one very beautifully and very lovingly deals with the beginning of the end of one partner’s life, and her partner’s coming to grips with it. And then the gradual beginning to become interested in someone else.

Lovely and deep story

The Promise by Claire Highton-Stevenson is a deeply felt story of love and loss and love again. It is so apparent, the love between Susan and Ali, especially during the hard times when Susan is going through her cancer therapy. I love how Highton-Stevenson shows us how difficult it is for Ali to accept what is going on with Susan, yet she gives in because she realizes how best to support her in this journey. In the second part of the book where the input of Susan into Ali's psyche and memory, shows a real perspective of keeping someone who is deeply loved close and at hand. The slow burn between Ali and Blair is just the right speed, and gives authenticity to their relationship. Kelsey Navarro's narration made the audiobook enjoyable to listen, as her flow and change of voices were even and precisely rhythmed depending on the mood. Thankyou for this beautifully written and narrated piece of work.

Heartbreaking and Beautiful!

This is about Ali and Susan Jenkins, a happily married couple who get a tragic diagnosis. It was a realistic take into the end of someone's life and the thoughts and decisions.

Susan has Ali make her a Promise, which was an act of love on her part. Ali keeps the letter framed on her wall of her office and looks at it every day. You can feel Ali's struggle as she tries hard to move on.

Claire Highton-Stevenson is an excellent author and takes you through an emotional journey. Kelsey Navarro's narrating is perfect!

Well worth the listen/read. Just be prepared to have tissues!

Such a well written novel!

I have never felt as moved by an audiobook. The Storyline was so emotional and heartfelt. I can only imagine how hard this had to have been to write. Amazing!
Kelsey Navarro also did an amazing job bringing this story to life.
It took me a long time to get through this novel because it was so well written and recorded that it was heartbreaking and I found myself having to stop listening for several weeks at a time. But I am truly glad I kept coming back to it because it was worth it. This novel deserves any and all awards it is eligible for. Just Wow!

A lovely moving story

Miss Highton-Stevenson has done an amazing job of showing true love in all its forms. This is a heart wrenching story of love lost and love gained. Be prepared to have your heart tugged repeatedly but with a wonderfully satisfying ending.

Such a lovely story

This story was absolutely lovely!! Sad and happy at the same time. Keep tissues handy. It’ll make you a little sad but mostly happy.

A beautiful emotional story that touched my soul.

A book rich with characters I connected to, I became immersed from beginning to end. I will recommend this sad and uplifting book to everyone I know and anyone I meet!!

Superb

One of my favourite ever books and just as brilliant on Audible.
A beautifully written and narrated story, full of love and emotions.
Just my kind of book.
Absolutely loved it.

Have Tissues at the ready

I thought the book was amazing and emotional, but listening to the story outbeats the book. An amazing job by both the author and narrator. You really need to listen this story