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PROM BK1 Questionnaire

BETA READER QUESTIONNAIRE

Book One of The Promise Trilogy

DUE: April 30th, 2025

Thank you so much for volunteering to be a beta reader for Book One of The Promise Trilogy. Your feedback is an essential part of the writing process, helping to refine the story before its final revisions.

Think of yourself as a FINDER, not a FIXER—your role is to highlight what works, what doesn’t, and what feels off. It’s my job to fix it, but if you have ideas, feel free to share them!

This is a work-in-progress, so please ignore formatting as well as spelling and grammar mistakes for now. There will be multiple rounds of editing before publication.

I appreciate your time and honesty. Please return your feedback by April 30th so I can incorporate revisions in a timely manner.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

  1. What was your overall impression of Book One of The Promise Trilogy?
  2. Did the story hold your interest from beginning to end? If not, where did it lag?
  3. How would you describe this book to a friend in 1–2 sentences?
  4. Were there any points where you started to lose interest in the story or became less excited to see what happened next? If so, where?
  5. What moments stood out to you as particularly engaging, emotional, or memorable?
  6. Were there any parts that felt out of place or unnecessary?

CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS

  1. Did you connect with Lucie as a protagonist? Why or why not?
  2. Were Lucie’s motivations, struggles, and growth believable?
  3. Which supporting characters stood out to you, and why?
  4. Were there any characters you wanted to see more (or less) of?
  5. Did the relationships in the novel—family, friendships, and romance—feel authentic? Were any of them particularly compelling or underdeveloped?

Carlo Colucci

  1. What was your impression of Carlo? Did he feel like a fully developed character?
  2. Did his relationship with Lucie feel authentic? Did you understand why he wanted to be with her, and why she was torn about him?
  3. Did Carlo come across as a strong suitor, or did you feel he was lacking in some way?

Dante Mazzarone

  1. What was your impression of Dante? Did he feel like a fully developed character?
  2. Did his relationship with Lucie feel compelling? Did you understand why she was drawn to him despite the risks?
  3. Did Dante’s presence in the story add to the tension, or did you feel his role needed to be expanded or clarified?

Mamma Santoro

  1. How did you feel about Mamma Santoro’s role in the story? Did she come across as layered and believable, or too rigid?
  2. Did you find her relationship with Lucie engaging? Could you relate to or understand her perspective?
  3. Were there any moments where you sympathized with her, or did she feel too much like an antagonist?

LUCIE’S INTERNAL STRUGGLE

  1. Lucie struggles with competing desires—family expectations, personal ambition, and romantic choices. Did you feel that her internal conflict evolved naturally throughout the novel? Were there any points where her decision-making felt repetitive or stalled? If so, can you pinpoint where?

PLOT & PACING

  1. Did the story move at a good pace? Were there any sections that felt slow or rushed?
  2. Were there any plot points or twists that surprised you? Did anything feel too predictable?
  3. Was the ending satisfying? Did it make you want to continue with the series?

HISTORICAL & CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY

  1. Did the historical setting of 1919 East Harlem feel immersive?
  2. Was there any point where the historical details felt off, too modern, or missing?
  3. Did the novel give you a strong sense of Italian-American culture during this time?

THEMES & EMOTIONAL IMPACT

  1. What themes stood out to you in Book One of The Promise Trilogy? (e.g., family duty vs. independence, love vs. ambition, tradition vs. change)
  2. Were there any emotional beats that felt particularly strong or, conversely, underdeveloped?
  3. Did any parts of the book resonate with you personally?

WRITING & STYLE

  1. Was the writing easy to follow, or were there moments where it felt confusing?
  2. Did the dialogue sound natural and true to the time period?
  3. Were there sections that felt overly descriptive or not descriptive enough?

SERIES APPEAL

  1. Did Book One of The Promise Trilogy leave you wanting to read Book Two?
  2. What are you most curious to see in the next book?
  3. If you could change one thing about Book One of The Promise Trilogy, what would it be?

FINAL THOUGHTS

  1. If you were to give Book One of The Promise Trilogy a rating out of 5 stars, what would it be?
  2. Who do you think would enjoy this book the most?
  3. Any additional comments or feedback?