Welcome to KIWIreviews - product reviews
•  click here to return to the homepage  •
Welcome visitor.Join us or log in

Product reviews on kiwireviews.nz : Friday 29th March 2024 - 02:41:21

QuickSearch for:    What is QuickSearch?
QuickJump to:    What is QuickJump?
logon name: p/w:  

I want to:

You Are Here...

Home > Categories > Books > Romance > The Spanish Promise review

« The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and Purpose reviewThe Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and PurposeThe Drizzly Bear reviewThe Drizzly Bear »

Score: 9.3/10  [2 reviews]
4 out of 5
ProdID: 8254 - The Spanish Promise
Written by Karen Swan

The Spanish Promise
Price:
$30
Sample/s Supplied by:
Click to search for all products supplied by Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Disclosure StatementFULL DISCLOSURE: A number of units of this product have, at some time, been provided to KIWIreviews by Macmillan Publishers Ltd or their agents for the sole purposes of unbiased, independent reviews. No fee was requested, offered nor accepted by KIWIreviews or the reviewers themselves - these are genuine, unpaid consumer reviews.
Available:
April 2019

The Spanish Promise product reviews

One of Spain's richest men is dying. But as he prepares his estate, his family is shocked to discover he is making plans to give away his wealth to a young woman they have never even heard of. Who is she, and what hold does she have over him?

Wealth counsellor Charlotte Fairfax is asked to travel to the troubled family's home in Spain to get to the bottom of the mysterious bequest. It's the week before her wedding but she is confident she has time - there's only one reason an older man leaves his money to a beautiful woman, isn't there?

But in Madrid, things don't go to plan when the woman denies knowing anything about the gift. Is she lying? Looking for clues, Charlotte digs into the prominent family's history and unearths a dark and shocking past in which two people were torn apart by conflict. As long buried secrets start to reach into the present, Charlotte begins to wonder if love does not need to forgive or forget in order to endure - but just needs two hearts to keep beating.

Check out Macmillan Publishers Ltd onlineClick here to see all the listings for Macmillan Publishers Ltd Visit their website They do not have a Twitter account They do not have a Facebook page They do not have a YouTube Channel They do not have a Pinterest board They do not have an Instagram channel They do not have a TikTok channel



Tags:
bequest   karen swan   macmillan   mystery   novel   romance   secret   spain   the spanish promise
Other listings you may be interested in:
The Wish ListThe Wish List
Rating: 9.8
My New Zealand Story - Earthquake! : Napier, 1930-31My New Zealand Story - Earthquake! : Napier, 1930-31
Rating: 7.6
Back To School TortoiseBack To School Tortoise
Rating: 8.6
Rascal and the CheeseRascal and the Cheese
Rating: 9.1
The TraitorsThe Traitors
Rating: 9.0
Fly Guy Presents: SharksFly Guy Presents: Sharks
Rating: 9.8
What Does The Fox Say? What Does The Fox Say? 
Rating: 10.0
Homeroom DiariesHomeroom Diaries
Rating: 10.0
AfterwalkersAfterwalkers
Rating: 8.0
All Because of a Cup of CoffeeAll Because of a Cup of Coffee
Rating: 8.3
Louisiana's Way HomeLouisiana's Way Home
Rating: 6.5
The Secret DragonThe Secret DragonProject NoughtProject Nought
Rating: 8.0

Product reviews...

Everyone is welcome to post a review. You will need to Join up or log in to post yours.

Click here to read the profile of kiwiblondie

Review by: kiwiblondie (Michelle)
Dated: 22nd of May, 2019

Link to this review Report this review

 

This Review: 9.5/10
Storyline:
Score 9 out of 10
Characters:
Score 10 out of 10
Value for Money:
Score 9 out of 10
Personal Choice:
Score 10 out of 10

I was lucky enough to win this book. I really liked how well the characters were described, I could see that there was a huge secret that some of the characters were hiding but I never expected it to be what it was (trying not to reveal the secret). I liked Charlotte as she was tough when needed to be and soft and caring when needed to be. I was hoping that her and Nathan got their differences resolved as it was obvious that there was something between them.

The story was interesting, the story was partly told in the past as memories and partly in the present as the family history was investigated to see why a dying man would leave millions to an unknown person. The story just flowed easily from past to present and the secrets started being revealed. The book was a page turner and I was hooked but I was more interest in the Charlotte and Nathan side of the story.

Well done to Karen Swan for a really captivating story of love and betrayal, of loyalties being tested and war. It wasn't a very long book but well told and interesting enough that I'm going to enjoy reading this again. I do hope that there are more books from this author.

Click here to read the profile of savta

Review by: savta (Jo)
Dated: 21st of April, 2019

Link to this review Report this review

 

This Review: 9.0/10
Storyline:
Score 9 out of 10
Characters:
Score 9 out of 10
Value for Money:
Score 9 out of 10
Personal Choice:
Score 9 out of 10

I am not usually into romantic novels, but this one intrigued me because it appeared to offer something other than a conventional love story. I have always loved visiting Spain; it is a country of contradictions with rich and poor living side by side, and a wealth of art and architecture to entice the most discerning of tourists into paying a visit. The Andalusian area, in particular, has always been a drawcard with the Moorish architecture and local dialect which I find quite a challenge! And anyway, Spanish history has always fascinated me.

I started reading with no particular expectations, but was quickly seduced by the fast-moving prologue. Swan writes fluently, choosing the opening words judiciously to ensure that the reader is instantly involved with the action. The novel proper then begins, juggling two time periods to portray two separate stories which span the decades. I hesitate in fact to classify this as a romance, even a historical romance. It is so much more; it captures the essence of modern-day Spain and presents it in stark contrast to the Spain of the 1930s Civil War, showing how far the country has come in many ways while maintaining certain traditions and customs in others. The social history of the earlier period is vividly shown, underpinning the tragedy of a conflict that sets family members against one another.

Every time there is a move from one era to another, there are cliff-hangers to urge the reader to stay just a little longer. I was tempted once or twice to skip a section in order to find out what happened! However, there is a reason for the time-toggling; as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that, rather than crafting two separate stories, Swan is developing the links between them until it becomes clear, near the end of the book, that they are interdependent and form one complex narrative.

I think the one weakness in the book is that the ending is a little too predictable. I would like to have seen one issue left unresolved, if only to emphasise that in real life things do not always pan out as we would have hoped. While it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book as a whole, it might have made it truer to life.

As far as the romantic passages are concerned, they are entirely in context. For me, this is the difference between a "romance" and a "detective story". This book fits somewhere in the middle; the romantic passages are never gratuitous - they serve to illustrate the action rather than replace it. At the same time, they are never tacky; the descriptions are tastefully presented, not once descending to the realm of erotica. Readers who pick up this book expecting a titillating read are going to be sadly disappointed - it is so much better than that.

And finally, the pursuit and solving of a family mystery is an exciting journey into a former era. Charlotte - the wealth counsellor turned detective - manages to find out what really happened with the help of several others including her former partner Nathan, and the reluctant heiress Marina. As the pieces from the past emerge one by one, the entire saga unfolds and the mystery of Marina's identity is finally revealed.

Random listing from 'Books'...

Score: 9.5
Product reviews for listing 8253: The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and Purpose -  Written by Oprah Winfrey

Product image for The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and PurposeEveryone has a purpose. And, according to Oprah Winfrey, "Your real job is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you are meant to be." That journey starts right here.

Oprah opens each chapter by sharing her own key lessons and the personal stories that helped set the course for her life. She then brings together wisdom and insight from luminaries in a wide range of fields who share the greatest lessons from their ... more...

Go to the listing

General Disclaimer...

Protected by Copyscape Plagiarism Checker - Do not copy content from this page. Creative Commons Licence All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.

"              ?         ,         !"
Marcel Marceau