Book Review ~ A Secret in the Family by Nancy Revell

Penguin
30 January 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

1945, Sunderland. Ida Boulter makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave her five children behind as she escapes her husband and moves to London to start afresh with the love of her life.

1953, County Durham. Ida’s children have since built a new life in the beautiful home of Cuthford Manor – looked after by their eldest sibling Angie and her husband.

But their world is about to be rocked once again when their mother turns up out of the blue for the first time in eight years.

She has come back bearing a secret she can no longer keep from her family.

Will telling the truth cause more harm than good?

Only their love for one another will carry them through the turbulent times ahead.

My review..

Last year I read The Widow's Choice which featured Angie Foxton-Clarke and her move to Cuthford Manor. In this next story we meet again with Angie and her new husband Stanislaw as they celebrate their first wedding anniversary. All is going well with the party until the untimely arrival of Angie’s mother, Ida, who had abandoned her children some eight years ago. This unexpected arrival causes a lot of unease especially when Ida reveals a secret which she has carried within her for a long time.

This is an emotional family drama which is high on both tension and heartbreak. Ida’s somewhat fractured relationship with her children forms the basis of the story and I enjoyed observing how she attempted to break down the barriers which had been placed there by her leaving them to fend for themselves. The story focuses not just on Ida’s poignant story but also that of all of her children, especially sixteen year old Marlene, who has some uncomfortable growing up to do, and Angie who has had to support her siblings after her mother had abandoned them.

Beautifully written, and with an authenticity which brings the 1950s to life in a realistic way, the story flows well, all the characters are really interesting and catching a small glimpse of some of the people from The Shipyard Girls series was an extra special bonus. I’ve really enjoyed learning about the secret in this delightful family in a story which is both heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure.

About the Author

Nancy Revell is the author of 12 titles in the bestselling Shipyard Girls series, which tells the story of a group of women who work in a Sunderland shipyard during WWII. Her books have sold more than half a million copies across all editions.before that, she was a journalist who worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard hitting features, She also wrote inspirational true-life stories for just about every woman;s magazine in the country. Nancy was born and brought up in the North East of England and now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, Paul.

Twitter @arevellwalton #ASecretInTheFamily

@PenguinUKBooks

📖 Blog Tour ~ A New Chapter at the Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye

Penguin
26 January 2025

thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour

 

Carrie Anderson’s business selling books at her local train station is thriving and, with her beloved Mike returned from war, everything feels as though it is falling into place. That is, until Mike is sent to Washington as a liaison between Britain and America.

When her twin brother, Johnnie, a fighter pilot, is injured, and her bookstall falls on hard times, Carrie misses the sage advice and comfort of Mike more than ever.

Bolstered by her supportive station community, can Carrie battle through this challenging new chapter and reach the happy ending she deserves?

📖 My Review..

Those who have read The Little Penguin Bookshop will be entirely familiar with Carrie Anderson and her little railway book shop and those who are new to the story will soon pick up the thread as it’s possible to read this as a standalone story. In this continuation we meet again with Carrie, and the rest of the characters, pretty much where the first book ended, with Carrie and her boyfriend Mike picking up their relationship, only for Mike to be posted to America.

It’s 1941 and Britain is finding that the pinch of war is biting hard. Food rationing is causing genuine hardship and with the devastation of the blitz in London, Carrie and her family and friends are finding it difficult but as ever their stoical nature shines through and Carrie finds, more than ever, that her bookshop with its colourful array of Penguin sixpenny titles is her refuge when the book shop experiences difficult times. As always the author brings time and place to life so perfectly that it is no hardship to spend time in the company of this lovely bunch of characters. 

The story flows beautifully, historically accurate, packed with emotion and at times, sadness, but there is always a sense of duty and flashes of humour. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time at the little bookshop and relished reading about this new chapter in its existence. I hope it won’t be too long before we meet again with Carrie, Mike and the rest of the characters who make these lovely WW2 sagas so special.

About the Author

Jo wrote for many years as a writer and producer on saops ranging from Radio 4'ds The archers to TV's Doctors and EastEnders. She wrote several spin-off books and novelisations before inventing her own fictional world in six previous sagas: her World War Two 'Shop Girls' and 'Victory Girls' titles. She lives in the countryside near Bath - perfect for walking and plotting!

X @JoannaToye #ANewChpaterTheLittlePenguinBookShop

@centurybooksuk

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye

 

Penguin 
11 April 2024

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to the blog tour

Books can change lives, even in wartime. . .

When World War II breaks out, Carrie Anderson sets up a bookstall at her local train station in the hope of providing a sense of escapism for travellers, troops and evacuees.

Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and armed with a colourful array of Penguin paperbacks, Carrie’s business soon booms. And when she gifts a book to a dashing officer, an act of kindness becomes the beginning of Carrie’s very own love story.

But as war rages on, and Mike is posted abroad, Carrie’s world is turned upside-down.

With the help of her station community, and the power of her paperbacks, can Carrie find the strength to battle through?

📖 My Review..

Whilst the prospect of opening a bookstall at her local train station is daunting it is also a dream come true for eighteen year-old Carrie Anderson whose love of books shines through. Catering for those who are passing through this busy station on their way to London, Carrie not only caters to general passengers but also to the troops who are en route to France. Carrie's colourful display of sixpenny Penguin paperbacks soon proves to be very popular and are a welcome escape from a troubled world. 

Setting the story at the very onset of WW2 allows the momentum to grow slowly and as we get to know Carrie and her lovely family so we begin emotional ties which will last throughout the whole of the book. In many ways it is a gentle coming of age story as by running her own business Carrie starts to gain in confidence and independence whilst at the same time experiencing an emotional attachment to a handsome officer. The other characters who form a big part of the story have their own particular troubles and I have enjoyed getting to know Bette and Ruby in the tea-shop, and also Penny who takes up the role of railway porter. The warmth and companionship of these women help Carrie through some troubling times and add a lovely dynamic to this charming story. The ending of the book certainly lends itself to a continuation and I hope we get to see more of Carrie and her family and friends in future stories.

The Little Penguin Bookshop is a really lovely story which shows that when people are struggling to come to terms with what's happening to them books can be a welcome escape from reality.

About the Author

Jo wrote for many years as a writer and producer on saops ranging from Radio 4'ds The archers to TV's Doctors and EastEnders. She wrote several spin-off books and novelisations before inventing her own fictional world in six previous sagas: her World War Two 'Shop Girls' and 'Victory Girls' titles. She lives in the countryside near Bath - perfect for walking and plotting!

X @JoannaToye #LittlePenguinBookShop

@centurybooksuk

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Teashop Girls at War by Elaine Everest

Pan
14 March 2024

#3 Teashop Girls series

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

It is 1942, and with the country still at war, the girls who work for Joe Lyons are praying for their loved ones to return home safely.

Happily married, Rose is busy with staffing problems at the teashop with many women taking on war work. Rose dreams of her husband’s return while trying to keep everyone happy. 

Lily has her own worries when the father of her daughter appears back in her life with no explanation. Katie longs for a family of her own, so when a handsome airman arrives on the scene will she have her head turned?

At Sea View Guest House Flora, wary of a relationship and marriage, is fearful of letting her feelings for John Bentley develop further especially as she has her guests to be mindful of. 

Anya is torn, having given birth to a beautiful baby boy who is the spitting image of his father, who has been taken as a prisoner of war. Presented with a chance to save him, Anya confides in her friends, leaving her son in their care. 

With the uncertainty of the future, can the Teashop girls overcome their personal battles. The Teashop Girls at War is the third instalment in the Teashop Girls series.

📖 My Review..

It’s always such a pleasure to return to the world of The Teashop Girls and this third instalment in the series certainly shows just how complicated their lives have become especially as the teashop girls are juggling not just their homes and families, but also some find themselves caught up in a dangerous world far away from the safer environment of Sea View Guest House.

I enjoy reading of the lives of these stalwart women who not only keep the home fires burning amidst nightly bombing raids in and around Margate and Ramsgate but  they also show a strength of character in their quest to keep the reputation of the J Lyon’s Tearooms surviving in a world of rationing and making do.

The history of the time is beautifully recreated and there is a real sense of living through a time of war when people were being asked to make sacrifices above and beyond what could reasonably be expected. With a more sinister edge this time, I followed Anya’s story with particular interest and hoped everything would work out for this brave young mother.

The Teashop Girls at War is a lovely story about the power of friendship. It sits comfortably within the series and whilst all these stories may be read as a standalone it really is advisable to start at the beginning as that way you can appreciate the author’s skilful story telling and her distinct way of bringing all her characters to life.

About the Author

Elaine Everest, author of bestselling novels The Woolworths Girls, The Butlins Girls, Christmas at Woolworths and The Teashop Girls, was born and brought up in north-west Kent, where many of her books are set. She has been a freelance writer for twenty-seven years and has written widely for women’s magazines and national newspapers, both short stories and features. Her non-fiction books for dog owners have been very popular and led to her broadcasting on radio about our four-legged friends. Elaine has been heard discussing many topics on radio, from canine subjects to living with a husband under her feet when redundancy looms.

Twitter / X @ElaineEverest #TheTeashipGirlsAtWar

#Teashop #WW2

@PanMacmillan

 

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Girls of Mersey Square by Pam Howes

Bookouture
5 October 2023
Mersey Square #1

Thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book and the invitation 
to the blog tour

Mersey Square, Stockport, 1959. Jane Wilson’s parents met during the war in the north of England, but Jane is more interested in listening to the new rock music than hearing stories about the Blitz. When she meets handsome drummer Eddie Mellor, with his sparkling blue eyes and cool black leather jacket, she knows her life is about to start.

But Jane’s parents think Eddie’s rebellious ways will lead their beloved daughter into trouble. They forbid her from seeing Eddie, telling Jane to get a proper job as a nurse. But Jane cannot stand the idea of life without the boy she loves and secretly continues to see Eddie. The day she finds out that Eddie has betrayed her, she is utterly distraught. Were her parents right all along?

Jane is desperate to rebuild her life. Her friends rally round to support her and she gets a job at the local music shop she loves, when to her shock, Eddie invites her to his family home and begs her to reconsider. Just as Jane is feeling tempted, someone pounds on the door of the house bringing shocking news that will change both of their lives forever…

Can Jane find happiness with Eddie? And if she does, will her family ever forgive her?

This book was previously published as That’ll Be The Day.

📖 My Review..

The music filled years of the latter years of the 1950s comes to life in this story of a group of young people who are growing up in Stockport. They all desperately want to finish their exams, leave school and enjoy everything that life has to offer them. However, an interest in rock ‘n’ roll music isn’t really enough to forge a future but that doesn’t stop Jane Wilson and her friends, Sammy and Pat, from starting relationships with Eddie, Roy and Tim, three likely lads who hope to make their fortune in the burgeoning music industry.

The author has caught the musical heartbeat of the 1950s very well,  I enjoyed the musical references to the hits of the day especially to Buddy Holly, who Eddie, Roy and Tim do their best to emulate. The heady days of rock ‘n’ roll are particularly well described and I enjoyed looking up some of the hits which are mentioned in the story and could picture these young people as they met up in coffee bars and record stores. I enjoyed being reminded of listening to records in the music booths which could be found then in most record stores. The reference to Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls also made me smile as these quirky sweets have been made in my home town since Victorian times. Well written, with a fine eye for historical detail The Girls of Mersey Square captures the mood perfectly. The author does a great job of describing those difficult teenage years when the pull of sexual attraction and lure of young love is irresistible and shows both the strength, and vulnerability, of all of the characters, particularly Jane and Eddie who I loved from the beginning of the story.

If you enjoy historical novels which are set during the 1950s, and early 1960s, then you won’t be disappointed with this one. It gets the series off to a fine start and I can’t wait to see what happens next to the characters in The Mothers of Mersey Square which is the next book in this lovely series.

*The second book in the Mersey Square series is also available to read now *

The Mothers of Mersey Square

Bookouture

5 October 2023

Mersey Square, Stockport, 1961. Can she love another woman’s child?

Jane Wilson has just got engaged to her childhood sweetheart Eddie. Although they had a rocky start and Jane is haunted by Eddie’s previous relationship, she couldn’t be happier that they’re back together. But before they can get out the bunting and make it down the aisle, Eddie’s first wife is in a terrible car accident. Eddie’s sweet five-year-old son Jonny is left alone, crying for his mother and inconsolable.

Jane resolves that she must do all she can for the innocent little boy. But at only nineteen, is she ready to be a mother, especially to a child who isn’t her own?

As Jane looks after little Jonny whilst Eddie is away for work, she begins to fall for his cheeky smile and sweet nature, but when she develops an old roll of film and sees the photographs of Jonny and his mother, she realises something is terribly wrong. Jane is sure that Jonny’s mother was hiding a terrible secret. Jane now faces a devastating choice: hide the truth from Eddie or reveal what she knows and risk losing the two people she loves most in the world forever…

This book was previously published as Three Steps to Heaven.

📖My Review..

After finishing The Girls of Mersey Square, the first book in this series, I couldn’t wait to make a start on The Mothers of Mersey Square as I really wanted to find out how Jane, Eddie and the rest of the characters, were getting on with their lives. We pick up the story just a few years later when they are all a little older, and maybe just a little bit wiser, however, as we soon discover, there is much in store for them.

I’ve enjoyed the continuation and found that I could very easily pick up the story where it left off and enjoyed observing how the characters grow in maturity especially when life deals some of them a devastating blow. The dynamics of relationships, both good and bad, is expertly defined as we follow Eddie’s tempestuous relationship with his wife Angie, and Jane’s uneasy relationship with her boyfriend. Fate has a nasty way of intervening and as the story progresses both Eddie and Jane will face many difficult challenges. Time and place comes to life, the small town nosiness, where everyone know’s everyone else’s business and the way the characters all interweave into and out of each other’s lives is done with a fine eye for detail. The music of the early sixties forms a delightful soundtrack to the story and the excitement of those heady days, and vibrancy of the music scene, makes the story all the more enjoyable. Whilst it is possible to read this as a standalone story it does make sense to read from the start of the series in order to enjoy the development of the characters. 

Overall, The Mothers of Mersey Square is a lovely continuation, I’ve certainly enjoyed being back in Stockport, and hope to meet up again with Eddie, Jane, and the rest of the characters in the next book in the series.

About the Author

Pam Howes is a retired interior designer, mum to three daughters, grandma to seven assorted grandchildren and roadie to her musician partner. The inspiration for Pam’s first novel came from her teenage years, working in a record store, and hanging around with musicians who frequented the business. The first novel evolved into a series about a fictional band, The Raiders. She is a fan of sixties music and it’s this love that compelled her to begin writing.

Twitter @PamHowes1 #TheGirlsOfMerseySquare

@bookouture 

📖 Book Review ~ The Palace Girls by Emma Royal

 

Penguin
3 August 2023

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Buckingham Palace, 1951

The nation is on the road to recovery after World War Two. And so is Milly Hendry.

When her parents were killed in the Blitz, she was taken in by her aunt who works in the prestigious Royal Army of Cleaners. Buckingham Palace has since become like home to Milly, and the people she works with like family.

Though tensions in the palace are rising as the King's health is declining, the staff gather below-stairs to celebrate Milly's 21st birthday. But her day quickly takes a turn when some unexpected post arrives.

Could a letter containing secrets from the past change Milly's whole future?

📖  My Review..

I always love the start of a new historical series and The Palace Girls takes us to London in 1951 as we meet and get to know Milly Hendry who lives and works at Buckingham Palace.  Brought up by her Aunt Edie, Milly has lived in the palace since she was a little girl and now at twenty one she is one of an army of domestic servants who keep the palace spic and span. Milly is a sensible young woman but when an unexpected letter arrives on her birthday it changes everything Milly thought she knew about her life with Edie.

This lovely story imagines what life was like for the behind the scenes people who kept Buckingham Palace functioning and even though the royal family have a small supporting role in the story it's mainly about Milly, her friends Caroline and Helen, and the way in which Milly copes with what fate has thrown at her. There's a homely atmosphere to the story as the palace servants are very much a family and although the sumptuous surroundings of the palace are described in detail, it is in the way that the servants scurry about their business and in their relationships with each other which gives the story its heart and soul. Post-war London features strongly in the story and I enjoyed following in Milly's footsteps as she visits the city on her days away from her duties in the palace.

I've really enjoyed being with Milly, Caroline and Helen, and look forward to more adventures with The Palace Girls in future novels.

About the Author

Emma Royal is the pen name for established romance writer Katie Ginger who also writes as Annabel French. She has always loved historical fiction and has a Masters degree in history. When not writing, she can be found running around after her two children and two dogs along with her husband.

Twitter @authoremmaroyal #ThePalaceGirls

@centurybooksuk

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Midwives’ War by Chrissie Walsh

 

Boldwood Books
18 August 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

'See that patch of blue sky, ' he said. 'Whenever you see one, that's where I'll be - thinking of you.'

Against the chaotic backdrop of World War II, Grace Murphy is working as a midwife in Doncaster Royal Infirmary with her two friends, Clodagh and Patsy. In between delivering babies and tending wounded airmen, the girls endure bombing raids, rationing and the hardships and heartbreak that war brings. But in the faces of the new babies she welcomes to the world, Grace always looks for hope, as she dreams of a time when the war will end. 

When the midwives get the chance to go to a dance at the nearby RAF Finningly, they jump at the offer. The hangar is crowded with happy dancing couples but when the glamorous Spitfire pilots saunter in, looking dashing in their leather flying jackets and brightly coloured silk scarves, Grace can't resist taking a peek. And the moment Grace meets pilot, Richard Carmichael, she knows he will capture her heart. With every daring flying raid, Grace and Richard risk losing each other forever. All Grace can do is look out for Richard in the patches of blue sky, and hope that fate will bring them their very own wartime happy-ever-after.

📖My Review

Grace, Clodagh and Patsy share a house in Doncaster where they work as midwives at the local hospital. In their precious time off they enjoy socialising and it is at a dance at RAF Finningly where Grace meets the handsome, and charismatic, spitfire pilot, Richard Carmichael. The life of a fighter pilot is fraught with danger and soon, like all sweethearts during WW2, Grace is caught between worrying about Richard's safety and keeping her spirits up during their absences.

Grace is such a lovely young woman that you can't help but want her life to run smoothly but of course fate has a nasty way of interfering and both Grace and Richard find that they have some difficult decisions to make along the way. Equally both Clodagh and Patsy also have to make the best of what wartime life brings and I enjoyed following them over the course of the story, particularly Clodagh who has her own challenges to face.

Beautifully written from start to finish, and rich in historical detail, The Midwives’ War is a warm and compassionate story about making the best of what life throws at you and of the value of friends who step in when the going gets tough. The author writes with a compassionate look at the intricacies of war-time romances whilst at the same time describing just what life was like during the middle years of the war, when love and life couldn't be taken for granted. This lovely story certainly tugs away at the heartstrings and I was so emotionally invested in the story that I didn't notice time passing.

About the Author

Chrissie Walsh was born and raised in West Yorkshire and is a retired school teacher with a passion for history. She has written several successful sagas documenting feisty women in challenging times for Aria.

Twitter @WalshChrissie #TheMidwivesWar

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Woolworths Girl's Promise by Elaine Everest

 

Pan Macmillan
16 March 2023

Woolworth Series #8

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and the opportunity to be part of the blog tour

After losing her beloved fiancé at Ypres in 1917, seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Billington faces a lonely future estranged from her upper-class parents due to her association with Charlie Sayers and his working-class family. No longer able to live under her parent’s roof she is taken in by Charlie’s father, escaping the suffocating demands of her parents. Betty soon learns all too well about the realities of life after an accident at the Woolwich Arsenal munitions works. Spotting an advertisement for a nearby job at Woolworths, Betty starts on a new and thrilling journey starting at the bottom of the employment ladder in the well-known store. Her work journey leads her to Ramsgate in Kent to work in a newly built store and with it the chance of marriage, but can she ever forget Charlie and the promise she made to him…?

📖 My review...

After losing her fiancé Charlie at the Battle of Ypres Elizabeth Billington is disowned by her middle class parents so she takes refuge with Charlie’s working class family and for the first time in her life, Elizabeth must find the means of supporting herself. After a brief time working in an ammunitions factory Betty, as she is now known, takes up a lowly position at the nearby F W Woolworths store. Over time Betty starts grow in confidence making new friends in the process however, she must also learn how to cope with the challenges which lie ahead.

The Woolworth Girl’s Promise is a heartwarming story about love and loss and also about the continuing grief and sadness which was felt by so many women who had lost their loved ones during the First World War.  The historical spect of the story feels beautifully authentic and I especially loved the detailed description of how the Woolworth store operated and of the opportunities which were available for women to become part of the general workforce.

Whilst this is the eighth book in the popular Woolworth Girls series of historical sagas it is perfectly possible to enjoy the story as a standalone and yet for those who are familiar with the series it’s lovely to have the backstory of one of the popular characters. The author has made this series into something rather special bringing to life both the history and the camaraderie which existed amongst the working classes during the first half of the twentieth century and of course shining a spotlight on Woolworths which is so much part of our shared history.

About the Author

Elaine Everest, author of bestselling novels The Woolworths Girls, The Butlins Girls, Christmas at Woolworths and The Teashop Girls, was born and brought up in north-west Kent, where many of her books are set. She has been a freelance writer for twenty-seven years and has written widely for women’s magazines and national newspapers, both short stories and features. Her non-fiction books for dog owners have been very popular and led to her broadcasting on radio about our four-legged friends. Elaine has been heard discussing many topics on radio, from canine subjects to living with a husband under her feet when redundancy looms.

Twitter @elaineeverest #TheWoolworthGirlsPromise #WoolworthGirls

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@panmacmillan

📖 Blog Tour ~ A Wartime Welcome at Rookery House by Rosie Hendry

 

Rookery House Press
7 June 2022

My thanks to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book
and the opportunity to take part in this blog tour

Follow the much-loved characters from the award winning MOTHER’S DAY CLUB in a brand-new World War Two saga series.

October 1940

When VAD nurse Evie narrowly avoids being killed in an air raid during the Blitz, it propels her to make a life-changing decision to break free of her troubled and unhappy life. She escapes to the Norfolk countryside to start afresh, with a job at the newly opened Great Plumstead Hall hospital, and a wonderful new home at Rookery House.

The community of Great Plumstead welcomes more evacuees to the village – mothers and children bombed out of their London homes. Sisters Prue and Thea, along with members of The Mother’s Day Club, help the new arrivals settle in, while continuing their work for the war effort by holding knitting bees, socials and doing WVS work.

Evie is happy in her new life – she loves living at Rookery House and enjoys her job at the hospital, despite working for the difficult Matron Reed. But when a patient arrives who knew her in her former life, Evie’s new-found freedom and happiness is in danger. Will the secrets of Evie’s past be revealed, and the problems from her old life return to trouble her once more?

📖 My Review..

Those who have read The Mother's Day Club will be delighted to see the return of old friends who reappear in this new WW2 saga which features characters, both old and new, who call Rookery House in Great Plumstead home. 

A Wartime Welcome at Rookery House highlights this fictional village who welcome people who are in need of respite from the cares and worries of the war, especially for those evacuees who have been living in London, facing the ever present danger of falling bombs. Evie Jones is a nurse with a mysterious past who escapes to Great Plumstead by taking up a VAD nursing position at the newly opened Great Plumstead Hall hospital and finding a billet with Thea, Marianne, Reuben and Hettie at Rookery Hall is a dream come true for her.

As always the villagers are keeping the home fires burning, getting involved in knitting groups and social activities, recycling waste and planting vegetables but it is their warm welcome to troubled strangers where the story finds its heart. Soldiers who have been wounded in the war find comfort and solace in Great Plumstead Hall Hospital and this part of the story, especially Evie's role there makes for interesting reading. Mothers and  their children from London also make their way to the peace of Great Plumstead, but country life is not for everyone and even though some of the mothers have really difficult decisions to make they are always supported by Thea at Rookery House.

A Wartime Welcome at Rookery House is a lovely introduction to this new WW2 series. The characters are beautifully described, quickly becoming as familiar as old friends and there is a genuine wartime authenticity which makes the story such a delightful read. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for the people who live at Rookery House.

Best Read with...Hettie's freshly made scones and jam

About the Author

Award winning author, Rosie Hendry lives by the sea in North Norfolk with her husband and children. She writes uplifting, heart-warming historical fiction based on true events from our social history. Listening to her father’s tales of life during the Second World War sparked her interest in this period and she loves researching further, seeking out gems of real-life stories which inspire her writing.

Twitter @hendry_rosie #AWartimeWelcomeAtRookeryHouse

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Three Cheers for the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

Penguin
31 March 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Wedding bells are ringing at long last for Gloria and her soon-to-be husband Jack. But she can't rest until her youngest son is safely home.

Head welder Rosie is delighted her own husband has returned from enemy territory. But the promise of victory brings more change. Her squad has come so far - what will happen when the war ends?

Meanwhile Helen is caught between two men - but must hide her true feelings from the one she loves. Can her fellow women welders help Helen follow her heart?

Only by working together will the Shipyard Girls win the day.

📖 My Review..

Even though victory bells are ringing loud and clear for the Shipyard Girls there's an element of sadness because this is the final part of this epic series of eleven novels which have charted the progress of this stalwart group of women as they survived whatever the war threw at them, whilst at the same time keeping the home fires and the Sunderland shipyards flourishing. In this final novel we meet again with the women who have become such an intrinsic part of the story and hope with the end of the war they can each go on to find the happiness they deserve. 

I think the emotional investment in this series is such that for readers who have followed from the beginning there is a real sense of sadness that the story has come to its natural ending. And what a journey it has been, delighting readers and inspiring a real interest in the north east where the story is set. As always the author writes with real historical knowledge and gives her characters such a sense of their worth that they spring with lively enthusiasm off the page making their stories so hard to resist. Of course, as with any final novel there is a sense of the wrapping up of loose ends.  I was pleased that those who needed to received their comeuppance and that there was resolution for those who needed to move on with their lives. 

Beautifully written and with a real sense of time and place Three Cheers for the Shipyard Girls is a worthy conclusion to this wonderful historical series which has delighted over half a million readers. This fascinating wartime journey with all of the Shipyard Girls has been a joy to read and is definitely a series which will continue to delight for many years to come.

🍵Best read with... a healthy dose of nostalgia and a good strong pot of tea 

About the Author

Nancy Revell is the pen name of writer and journalist Amanda Revell Walton, who has worked for the national press for the past 25 years, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She has also worked for just about every woman’s magazine, writing amazing and inspirational true life stories.

Nancy Revell is spearheading a campaign to honour the real women of the Sunderland shipyards in her home town with a new public statue that will be displayed within the historic Sunderland Shipyards. Nancy has worked closely with the Sunderland City Council and the Sunderland Soroptimists, a worldwide volunteer service organization for women, and after putting out a call on her own social media channels, Nancy was approached by local artist Rosanne Robertson who has been commissioned to create the statue that will be unveiled later this year.

Sunderland boasted the largest shipyard in Europe during WWII, and produced a quarter of Britain's merchant shipping at the time. When the men went away to war, the courageous Shipyard Girls took up the back breaking work building ships for the British Navy. Due to its size, the Sunderland Shipyards were a key target of Hitler’s Blitzkreig, making the work not only backbreaking but incredibly dangerous. Historians have estimated that without the courageous women working in Sunderlands’ shipyards during the war, WWII could very likely have been lost due to lack of ability to transport troops, provisions and ammunition.

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Twitter @arevellwalton #ShipyardGirls #ThreeCheersForTheShipyardGirls

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📖 Hist Fic Saturday ~ The Forgotten Sister by Judy Summers

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to ....Victorian  Liverpool

Welbeck Publishing Group
31 March 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

To save her family, she had to leave them behind. 

Liverpool, 1848, Meg Shaw is the middle child of eight siblings, not quite old enough to bring in a wage to help her struggling family, but not young enough to be a babe to be cared for. When the family realise they can’t feed all the children, Meg makes a choice. She volunteers to go to the workhouse for one season, and she’ll take her little sister Rosie with her. But the moment they enter the workhouse, Meg and Rosie are separated. 

Abandoned and alone, Meg is determined to make it through, and soon finds herself surrounded by a new family of vulnerable girls in need of protection and love. Meg does all she can for her new sisters, but when a season passes and no one comes for her or Rosie, can she find a way to keep them all safe? Historian Judy Summers explores an area of history in which women have been routinely disregarded, offering a voice to the 19th Century working-class female. 

Through The Forgotten Sister, Summers depicts a thriving, multi-cultural city in Liverpool as well as portraying the reality of possibilities that working-class women had in order to improve their lives. The Forgotten Sister is a heart-breaking and heart-warming story which offers an insight into an aspect of female British history that has for so long been overlooked.

📖 My Review ...

The story gets off to a sad start for this Liverpool family who are struggling to survive on the pitiful wages which the two eldest children manage to hide away from their no'er do well father. John Shaw seems intent on drinking himself to oblivion rather than feed his family, so with no other choice, Meg and her younger sister, Rosie, are sent to the workhouse where they experience deprivation of a different kind.

Meg Shaw is a feisty heroine who does everything she can to protect her younger sister but the work house is a place where neither hope nor charity flourishes. When Meg and Rosie are separated, it makes Meg even more determined to do what she can to help those unfortunates who aren't able to look out for themselves. Opportunities to better yourself in working class Liverpool are scarce but with grit and determination Meg is given the chance to turn her life around, and it is this fight for survival which gives the book its heart and soul.

Bringing Victorian Liverpool to life, with all of its working class poverty and hardship, is what this author has done so well. The story has an authenticity which evokes a bygone era when the chasm between the rich and poor, the good and the bad, stretched ever wider, and survival really did mean keeping your wits about you at all times. 

The Forgotten Sister gets this new historical series off to a fine start and I am sure we will get to know more about the resilience of the Shaw family as the series progresses.

Best Read with...a slice of cold meat pie 

About the Author

Judy Summers is an avid reader, historian and mother of three. Her forebears - some of whom probably entered England via Liverpool in the Victorian era - were miners, labourers and domestic servants. She finds these lives far more interesting than those of the upper classes. Judy was inspired to write The Forgotten Sister when she came across a copy of Rudolph Ackermann’s Panoramic View of Liverpool from 1847 and wondered, who were the everyday people living amongst these landmarks?

Twitter @JudySummersAuth #TheForgottenSister

@welbeckpublishing

📖 Blog Tour ~ A Mother's War by Mollie Walton

 

Welbeck
3 March 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

North Yorkshire, September 1939. 

Rosina Cavert-Lazenby has summoned her five daughters back to Raven Hall, the crumbling ancestral home of the Lazenby family, of which Rosina is the sole living member. As war with Germany is declared Rosina's eldest daughter, Grace, informs her mother that she will be joining the home-front effort as a wireless-telegraphist based at a Y-station in Scarborough. Soon she is carrying out highly valuable transcription work. When the RAF come to stay at Raven Hall, Rosina finds herself intrigued by their charismatic, albeit young, officer. But is there time for love with the war looming? With so much on the line, Rosina and Grace must learn how to push themselves and have the courage to lead those around them into the unknown.

📖 My review...

Widow, Rosina Calvert-Lazenby has lived at Raven Hall for all of her life. It is where she has raised her five, feisty daughters to be independent and likeable young woman. However, in 1939, with the country of the cusp of war things are about to change for all those who call Raven Hall home.

Rosina faces  a very different sort of life, no longer lady of the manor with enough staff to run the estate she must now make do with her cook/ housekeeper and an elderly gardener so it is imperative that Rosina gets down to the essentials of keeping the estate functioning in a country badly affected by war.

Grace is the eldest of the Lazenby Lasses and is recently down from Oxford having achieved her degree but the need to do something to help the war effort encourages Grace to enrol in the WRNS where she becomes involved as  wireless-telegraphist based at a Y-station in Scarborough.

Moving effortlessly the wonderfully detailed chapters reveal the stories of both Rosina and Grace. We get to know both women really well, and with care and a fine eye for detail the strained atmosphere of living in England during wartime comes alive. Both women have their share of difficulties but each are resilient and so intimately brought to life that I felt as if I had come to know both of them as friends rather than simply characters in a book.

There is something quite special about this first book, for a start there is a fluidity to the story which had me turning the pages, with real involvement, both in the way the story was unfolding and in the realistic way each of the characters come so beautifully to life. I especially liked the detail of the work Grace was doing, the attention to detail is done so well that it never becomes too technical as it reveals the special challenges of this clandestine operation. 

And then there's Harry...but I'll let you discover him for yourself 😊

A Mother's War is a perfect introduction to this wartime saga, beautifully written, with a real sense of history. I can think of no finer endorsement than to say I was really sorry when the book ended as I wanted to stay immersed in Rosina's and Grace's life. I am now eager to read more and hope that we won't be waiting too long before the next installment of this wartime saga is ready to be revealed. 

📖 Best read with...Proper Jam sandwiches and a slug of good whisky..

About the Author

Mollie Walton is the pen-name for the historical novelist Rebecca Mascull. She has always been fascinated by history and worked in education, has a Masters in Writing and lives by the sea in the East of England. The inspiration for the Raven Hall trilogy came when she visited the stunning Raven Hall Hotel with her daughter and fell in love with the cliff-top view. Under Mollie Walton, Rebecca is also the author of the historical fiction trilogy, the Ironbridge Saga. 

Twitter @rebeccamascull #AMothersWarBook

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