The Promise She Made: An utterly heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical novel, inspired by true events

As our ship starts to sink, I see flares lighting up the midnight sky. ’Hold on tight. I will keep you safe. I promise, ’ I say to my terrified little sister as I hold back my tears. But I know I can’t hold on for much longer and as she slips away, my heart breaks. Will I ever see her again?

York, 1942. On the night of the Blitz, Ruby returns to her beloved hometown with her heart shattered. She couldn’t keep the one promise she made to her dying mother, to keep her little sister Eliza safe from harm. The Germans have taken everything from her - her family, her fiancé Antoine, and now, her home. When she finds her family home destroyed, she falls to her knees in tears. Among the ruins of her life, she wonders if she has the strength to carry on. But then, she finds a mysterious note which gives her a flicker of hope.

Eliza is alive. I’ve seen her. You must find her...

Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Ruby joins the Special Operations Executive keen to defend all that she has left and fight against the Nazis. Whilst there, she is tearfully reunited with Antoine, who believes he may know what happened to Eliza that dark night on the ocean. Can they reignite their love after all the loss they’ve suffered, and will Ruby ever see her little sister again?

An utterly heartbreaking and emotional wartime novel about the power of family, love and sacrifice, The Promise She Made tells the story of one woman’s courage while facing unimaginable odds. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Soraya M. Lane and Rhys Bowen will be gripped from start to finish.

Readers love Julie Hartley:

’Beautiful... Phenomenal... Captivating... Heartbreaking... Inspiring and emotionally gripping... unputdownable... buried itself in my heart... I can’t get it out of my mind... I wish I could give 10 stars.’ Page Turners, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

’Read it in less than 24 hours... Beautiful... tugs at the heartstrings... unputdownable... I started reading at 6 PM on a Friday, slept for three hours, made a pot of coffee, and picked up the book because I simply had to keep reading... I loved the book... a five-star read all the way around... Excellent.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

’One of the best historical fiction novels of the year... beautiful... will have you turning the pages furiously trying to find out what will happen next... I loved it.’ Rebeccaklove, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️