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The Promise of Tomorrow
From the author of The Brighter the Light comes the moving story about one woman’s reason for leaving home and the love that brings her back.
When Olympia leaves her small Virginia town, she doesn’t expect to look back, much less ever come home. But after a year on the road, her sister’s engagement pulls Olympia into everything she left her family, her husband, and the grief she’s been trying to forget.
She’s determined to stay a few days, maybe a week—just enough time to visit gravestones and sign off on the divorce her husband, Spencer, asked for. But he’s reeling from their shared loss, as well as complications with his aging parents, leaving his heart just as fragile as Olympia’s. The more time they spend in each other’s orbit, the less sure they are they’ll be able to walk away for good.
As family secrets come to light and family bonds stretch to the breaking point, Olympia must decide where she’s going next and where she belongs. She’s used to coping with life’s complications alone, but maybe the best way to heal is together.
When Olympia leaves her small Virginia town, she doesn’t expect to look back, much less ever come home. But after a year on the road, her sister’s engagement pulls Olympia into everything she left her family, her husband, and the grief she’s been trying to forget.
She’s determined to stay a few days, maybe a week—just enough time to visit gravestones and sign off on the divorce her husband, Spencer, asked for. But he’s reeling from their shared loss, as well as complications with his aging parents, leaving his heart just as fragile as Olympia’s. The more time they spend in each other’s orbit, the less sure they are they’ll be able to walk away for good.
As family secrets come to light and family bonds stretch to the breaking point, Olympia must decide where she’s going next and where she belongs. She’s used to coping with life’s complications alone, but maybe the best way to heal is together.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2024
About the author
Mary Ellen Taylor
18 books1,616 followersA southerner by birth, Mary Ellen Taylor’s love of her home state of Virginia and its past is evident in her contemporary women's fiction novels, from her first THE UNION STREET BAKERY to her latest, THE WORDS WE WHISPER, which debuts July 20, 2021. Her novels explore issues of family, home and belonging and entwine the past and present.
Richmond born, Mary Ellen has lived there most of her life. Alongside writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen, who's been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. Just a few years ago, she earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. "In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade before you can push the limits and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.”
Mary Ellen is also known nationally as New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense novelist Mary Burton. Together, they have published forty-five novels, with Mary Burton’s latest, NEAR YOU, debuting April 13, 2021.
When not traveling or holed up writing, she and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.
Richmond born, Mary Ellen has lived there most of her life. Alongside writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen, who's been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. Just a few years ago, she earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. "In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade before you can push the limits and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.”
Mary Ellen is also known nationally as New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense novelist Mary Burton. Together, they have published forty-five novels, with Mary Burton’s latest, NEAR YOU, debuting April 13, 2021.
When not traveling or holed up writing, she and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
February 17, 2024
This book dealt well with some pretty heavy topics, but I still had to read it in spurts instead of all in one go. And unfortunately, as a character driven story, none of the characters were that interesting. The FL and the ML's individual stories were the most compelling but neither of those characters resonated with me. Maybe it's just the fact that I can't stand conflict or angst that's mainly due to not communicating. Since all you really have to do is literally talk to the other person. However, the storytelling was engaging and the concept of a traveling pizza maker blog was fun and interesting. Overall, I had a hard time connecting with all the characters but the writing compelled me to the end.
May 10, 2024
The character whined too much about her problems over and over again. Not much plot development. Definitely not the worst book I’ve read but not my favorite either.
January 23, 2024
The book contained some very heavy subjects that involved families and relationships. It was written in alternating chapters between the two main characters who were going through a divorce. The main female character was strong and resilient on the outside but also had a caring heart, which sometimes was almost the demise of her and her relationships. The male character was caught up in his own family’s health problems and spent more time dealing with that than trying to put his marriage back together. The book had tough, subjects and showed the many sides of grief and how everyone responds to the steps of going through grief different. There was some small sparkles of hope that glimmered throughout the book and a slight bit of a mystery that kept this book moving quickly. Even though the book was sad, it was a fantastic read and I thought it was nice to finally read a book that showed that everything in life doesn’t always have to be sunshine and rainbows. I was given an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion of the book. Thank you to the author, Montlake and NetGalley for allowing me to read this beautiful, compelling story of family, love and grief.
May 28, 2024
A lovely story of many emotions.
June 13, 2024
The only thing I could think this entire books was- “THIS WOMAN NEEDS THERAPY.” No really, I was so incredibly frustrated by the MC not getting the care she needed. The premise was really good and as someone who also suffered through a miscarriage there was a lot that resonated with me. However, having her run from her problems so many times instead of dealing with all the trauma is frustrating. She didn’t need love, she didn’t need adventure, she needed a dang therapist.
This is also one of the first ones where I’ll say I didn’t like the narration. Why? It didn’t match the cover. The voice and the person on the cover didn’t feel like they were the same person to me.
🌀Synopsis
Olympia loves life on the road. I’m fact, if it wasn’t for her baby sister she wouldn’t even be going back to their hometown. As it is, her sister is engaged and she needs to be there. It takes zero time for her to run into her ex, Spencer, which floods her with memories.
After a short relationship that ended with the miscarriage of their baby, Olympia ran far and fast. She started social media and worked odd jobs to get by. Now Spencer is asking for a divorce before she skips town again.
Amidst the paperwork, the two both know there are feelings there still. Only her dreams don’t match his. When an incredible offer comes up, she takes it and leaves again. Spencer realizes he didn’t chase her the first time and this time, he sees his mistake.
This is also one of the first ones where I’ll say I didn’t like the narration. Why? It didn’t match the cover. The voice and the person on the cover didn’t feel like they were the same person to me.
🌀Synopsis
Olympia loves life on the road. I’m fact, if it wasn’t for her baby sister she wouldn’t even be going back to their hometown. As it is, her sister is engaged and she needs to be there. It takes zero time for her to run into her ex, Spencer, which floods her with memories.
After a short relationship that ended with the miscarriage of their baby, Olympia ran far and fast. She started social media and worked odd jobs to get by. Now Spencer is asking for a divorce before she skips town again.
Amidst the paperwork, the two both know there are feelings there still. Only her dreams don’t match his. When an incredible offer comes up, she takes it and leaves again. Spencer realizes he didn’t chase her the first time and this time, he sees his mistake.
June 1, 2024
“The Promise of Tomorrow” is an emotional story with deep-rooted issues and flawed characters.
Olympia and I are very different in most ways, but I connected with her on many levels. She took action when it was needed and helped her family. It’s easy to see her heart, and although the main problem between her and her husband Spencer was ill-communication—which proves to be frustrating at times. I wanted to shake them both, at times, and encourage them to just talk it out with each other.
This redemption story of second chances, told from alternating points of view, touches the heart and shows different interpretations of grief. I enjoyed the light element of mystery, and the hope of recovery and brighter tomorrows.
First Line: Running away from home never got easy.
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Author: Mary Ellen Taylor
Page Count: 349
Content: Grief, Miscarriage, Family Drama, Alzheimer’s.
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
Olympia and I are very different in most ways, but I connected with her on many levels. She took action when it was needed and helped her family. It’s easy to see her heart, and although the main problem between her and her husband Spencer was ill-communication—which proves to be frustrating at times. I wanted to shake them both, at times, and encourage them to just talk it out with each other.
This redemption story of second chances, told from alternating points of view, touches the heart and shows different interpretations of grief. I enjoyed the light element of mystery, and the hope of recovery and brighter tomorrows.
First Line: Running away from home never got easy.
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Author: Mary Ellen Taylor
Page Count: 349
Content: Grief, Miscarriage, Family Drama, Alzheimer’s.
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
May 6, 2024
A heart grabbing story of life’s hardships and survival of family illnesses, responsibilities, a miscarriage of a child… breaking way to living.
A second chance storyline as two people deal with loss grief, the turning points in their lives it brings…Lessons learned from mysteries of people passed. Deciding whether to move forward, apart, or choose to live life now despite what tomorrow may bring, together… forging their own dreams accepting they want them, reveling in their strength together now and because of the promise tomorrow can bring if you have each other.
A second chance storyline as two people deal with loss grief, the turning points in their lives it brings…Lessons learned from mysteries of people passed. Deciding whether to move forward, apart, or choose to live life now despite what tomorrow may bring, together… forging their own dreams accepting they want them, reveling in their strength together now and because of the promise tomorrow can bring if you have each other.
June 8, 2024
I picked this book as part of Amazon First Reads. It deals with heavy issues: death, grief, divorce, and illness, so it’s not a light read. Olympia decides to hit the road and leave her small town in Virginia to explore the West coast. She lives out of a van and documents her travels using an Instagram account. Olympia isn’t just sightseeing, she’s trying to out run problems at home instead of staying to work them out. When her sister Eve invites her back home for her engagement party, Olympia starts to re-engage in her old life, including with her husband Spencer who has filed for divorce.
The overall story was interesting and it ended well but I found it to be repetitive. The beginning of each chapter has an Instagram post, and without a photo, it didn’t make sense. I don’t regret reading this but it’s not one of my favorites.
The overall story was interesting and it ended well but I found it to be repetitive. The beginning of each chapter has an Instagram post, and without a photo, it didn’t make sense. I don’t regret reading this but it’s not one of my favorites.
June 2, 2024
This was a great love story!
May 18, 2024
I don’t have words for this book right now. I got a copy of The Promise of Tomorrow from Amazon First Reads and I’m so glad I did. I loved this book. It deals with some very heavy topics and will make you cry.
TW: grief/loss, Alzheimer’s, miscarriage
TW: grief/loss, Alzheimer’s, miscarriage
May 18, 2024
Happy Birthday to me! My birthday is in May and I chose wisely for my May selection from Amazon Kindle First Reads. Getting a good book through this program is always a surprise and a treat.
This was kind of predictable but well written and I definitely enjoyed it. Characters were flawed yet likable. Lots of family drama, heartbreak, and angst, but somehow not depressing. I really admired Olympia and her devotion to providing for her sister, to caring for her mother, while so young. She really deserved to finally live her life for herself.
This was kind of predictable but well written and I definitely enjoyed it. Characters were flawed yet likable. Lots of family drama, heartbreak, and angst, but somehow not depressing. I really admired Olympia and her devotion to providing for her sister, to caring for her mother, while so young. She really deserved to finally live her life for herself.
May 4, 2024
The Promise of Tomorrow was wonderful! The story had a way of making me feel happy even if I was having a bad day. I really enjoy the way Mary Ellen Taylor writes. She brings the characters to life in a way that makes you feel you are right there with them.
May 7, 2024
Amazon Prime free book. Enjoyed this story and was rooting for the main characters.
April 1, 2024
Promise of Tomorrow runs very deep. Wrought with emotion, we get to know Olympia who is a strong young woman, living a nomadic life after breaking after losing a child. We learn how she stepped up to raise her younger sister and always took care of things. I love that she's a social media influencer; quite fun and super modern. Her's and Spencer's relationship is super brittle and I loved seeing them mend it. Loved the side story and mystery of Adelaide. Taylor's writing: whether she's doing suspense or a novel just hooks you in til the very end! Thank you NetGalley for the arc
June 13, 2024
I believe this was my first time reading this author although I know I have bought several of her books that are all in my kindle library. The Promise of Tomorrow by Mary Ellen Taylor is the story of Olympia and Spencer, a married couple who are on the verge of divorce after they experienced the loss of their daughter Adelaide by miscarriage. Olympia has had a really rough life and has had to grow up really fast. Her mother dies of cancer at a very young age leaving Olympia to raise her younger sister Eve. Even before her mothers passing, Olympia had to work at a local pizzeria just to make ends meet to put food on the table and keep the bills all paid all while taking care of her mother with her declining health along with taking care of her sister. Spencer comes from a very different background. He is an only child from a very wealthy family and has had an easy life until just recently when his father is diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s. This is a love story that depicts how tragedies can have different effects on people, how they cope and that sometimes it’s easier to deal with these difficult times together instead of apart. I really enjoyed this book, I was rooting for the 2 main characters to find their way back to each other and I was even impressed with the way Spencer’s mother, Barbara, softened as the story progressed. I’d like to thank Montlake Publishing and NetGalley for the arc to read and review. This was a great read, it’s a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading Women’s Fiction and I’m giving it a 5 star rating. I am now looking forward to reading some of this authors backlist that I currently have stored on my kindle and I’ll be keeping an eye out for any new books that this author may write in the future.
May 25, 2024
The Promise of Tomorrow was about loss and second chances. Olympia is dealing with heartache as she comes home to celebrate her sister's upcoming wedding. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator was not my favorite. Her pacing and cadence was off, making the book seem disjointed. She did ok with the different voices, but I won't be adding her to my favorite narrator list.
~~What I liked~~
-The overall story was pretty decent, and it ended well. Stylistically, it was easy to listen too. The pacing was good. I wasn't overly entertained, but I wasn't falling asleep either. And, the ending was good, which always makes me happy.
-There were no 'bad' characters, either poorly written or antagonistic. It was a bright spot in an otherwise kinda depressing book. Generally, I enjoyed the characters, they mostly added to the overall story.
~~What I didn't like~~
-The blurbs at the beginning of each chapter, telling about Olympia's travels weren't my favorite. Especially at the beginning, it was really confusing. Keep in mind I was listening to the audiobook version, seeing it might have made more sense. But the spiritualism in them didn't mesh with my overall impression of Olympia.
-The issues between Olympia and her husband Spencer mostly stemmed from not communicating, which seemed silly to me. I am never a fan of plot points where the big issues are because the characters can't open their mouths and talk.
Overall, this was a decent book, nothing exciting and a bit too depressing for me to really enjoy. I'm not sure I would recommend it, but I don't regret reading it. I do have another book by the same author, so I'm not opposed to reading more by her.
Thank you to Mary Ellen Taylor, NetGalley, and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC audiobook.
~~What I liked~~
-The overall story was pretty decent, and it ended well. Stylistically, it was easy to listen too. The pacing was good. I wasn't overly entertained, but I wasn't falling asleep either. And, the ending was good, which always makes me happy.
-There were no 'bad' characters, either poorly written or antagonistic. It was a bright spot in an otherwise kinda depressing book. Generally, I enjoyed the characters, they mostly added to the overall story.
~~What I didn't like~~
-The blurbs at the beginning of each chapter, telling about Olympia's travels weren't my favorite. Especially at the beginning, it was really confusing. Keep in mind I was listening to the audiobook version, seeing it might have made more sense. But the spiritualism in them didn't mesh with my overall impression of Olympia.
-The issues between Olympia and her husband Spencer mostly stemmed from not communicating, which seemed silly to me. I am never a fan of plot points where the big issues are because the characters can't open their mouths and talk.
Overall, this was a decent book, nothing exciting and a bit too depressing for me to really enjoy. I'm not sure I would recommend it, but I don't regret reading it. I do have another book by the same author, so I'm not opposed to reading more by her.
Thank you to Mary Ellen Taylor, NetGalley, and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC audiobook.
May 31, 2024
Love, Loss and Hope
What a great book, with a lot of rollercoaster ups and downs and truth built into every chapter. Olympia escaped her life with her husband Spencer after losing their baby and on the road and running towards an uncertain future seems to be her fate. When her sister invites her to her engagement party, Olympia feels obligated to return and thus begins the saga of what tomorrow will bring for the ill-fated couple. This is a love story with bumps in the road and storms over the mountains, too. The characterization is perfect for making the characters relatable and lovable. They are vulnerable, dynamic and have good chemistry with each other if they will just let it happen. The plot is well-paced, not too fast or slow, and intriguing the whole way through. I was totally invested in finding out what would happen with Olympia and Spencer as well as Barbara, Frank, Eve and Brad. I liked the theme of making life an adventure because you never know what will happen next or when it will end. There are tragedies, hopefulness and a promise that things can get better. This is a well-written tale of love, loss, forgiveness and being courageous. I loved it and highly recommend to anyone who likes more than a bit of snark and wisdom in their contemporary fiction.
I own a copy of this book on my Kindle as part of the First Reads Program. All opinions expressed are my own.
What a great book, with a lot of rollercoaster ups and downs and truth built into every chapter. Olympia escaped her life with her husband Spencer after losing their baby and on the road and running towards an uncertain future seems to be her fate. When her sister invites her to her engagement party, Olympia feels obligated to return and thus begins the saga of what tomorrow will bring for the ill-fated couple. This is a love story with bumps in the road and storms over the mountains, too. The characterization is perfect for making the characters relatable and lovable. They are vulnerable, dynamic and have good chemistry with each other if they will just let it happen. The plot is well-paced, not too fast or slow, and intriguing the whole way through. I was totally invested in finding out what would happen with Olympia and Spencer as well as Barbara, Frank, Eve and Brad. I liked the theme of making life an adventure because you never know what will happen next or when it will end. There are tragedies, hopefulness and a promise that things can get better. This is a well-written tale of love, loss, forgiveness and being courageous. I loved it and highly recommend to anyone who likes more than a bit of snark and wisdom in their contemporary fiction.
I own a copy of this book on my Kindle as part of the First Reads Program. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 7, 2024
The story itself was not bad or long, however it began to feel that way simply because of the repetitive nature of constantly hearing how bad Olympia had it... Now of course, Olympia unfortunately had to grow up much sooner than she had to and sadly experienced trying events in her adult life- not disputing that. Just not sure how many times we had to hear that throughout the book. The intriguing parts of the story (the stone, the Stoneman, the love story of the in-laws/first wife).... all of that had a potential to be developed further and I would have enjoyed seeing that done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2024
Such a lovely story!! Couldn’t put it down.
May 11, 2024
If you're looking for an easy-to-read, redemptive love story, snag this Amazon First-Read.
May 12, 2024
I liked the book but the ending could have waited…I wanted to read more of the story.
May 19, 2024
The frequency of good vibes, active energy and the craving for pizza is a constant while reading this airy light story.
July 14, 2024
Great read about family and tough times.
July 17, 2024
It took about 3/4 of the book for anything to really start happening, and even then the story was just "meh"
May 31, 2024
My heart absolutely broke when reading this book. A story of love, loss, and finding yourself again. I really love this one!
July 1, 2024
DNF 23% 🥱
Listening via audiobook, I'm not a fan of the narrator. Maybe it would be better if I would have actually read it but I'm not interested enough to try.
Listening via audiobook, I'm not a fan of the narrator. Maybe it would be better if I would have actually read it but I'm not interested enough to try.
June 27, 2024
It has been nearly a year since I read one of her books. I have loved all her books, this one did not disappointment. Another great read
May 13, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I liked all of the characters, and enjoyed the story itself, which was layered and so interesting. It is, however, written much more in the style of When The Rain Ends, rather than her earlier books, which jumped time periods and explored the avenues of both historical fiction and romance. This book also, like her last book, had every chapter start with a date and time, and there seemed to be literal no reason for it, so I’m not sure what this new style is about.
But, back to the story. It was a really engaging and quick read. It was a mix of family drama, romance, and finding out who you are. I honestly can’t find any part of the book I didn’t enjoy.
It is a 4, however, because it was fairly predictable in its ending and some of the characters needed further development.
I do, however, definitely recommend it.
But, back to the story. It was a really engaging and quick read. It was a mix of family drama, romance, and finding out who you are. I honestly can’t find any part of the book I didn’t enjoy.
It is a 4, however, because it was fairly predictable in its ending and some of the characters needed further development.
I do, however, definitely recommend it.
June 9, 2024
Her books make me feel so deeply. There were parts where I felt the main character’s possibilities with weightless anticipation and others her deep pain with tears.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews