Blog Tour ~ Secrets of the Homefront Girls by Kate Thompson

On Hist Fic Saturday 

It's a real pleasure to host today's Blog Tour stop

and go back to ...1939

Hodder Book
25 July 2019
Homefront Girls #1

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

1939. ‘Beauty as Duty’ was an official propaganda campaign, backed by Winston Churchill, encouraging women to continue to pursue fashion and beauty despite the hardship that they had to endure, and discouraging the notion that devoting attention to their appearances was trivial or petty.

Although England may be at war, for the young women working the lipstick production line at Yardley's cosmetics factory in East London, it's business as usual. For headstrong and flirtatious Renee Gunn, that means taking Esther, a young Austrian refugee, under her wing and teaching her how to be a true cockney. But when Lily, Renee's older sister, suddenly returns home after six years away, it's clear that life in Stratford is changing for good. In the face of the Blitz, could the secrets that Renee, Lily and Esther are keeping be the most dangerous weapon of all?

The richly colourful characters and events in Secrets of the Homefront Girls are inspired by Kate’s research, speaking to those who worked at Yardley, and even reuniting factory friends after 70 years.

What did I think about it...

I must admit that I never gave much thought to just how necessary it was, during the war years, for cosmetic production to continue, for as long as it could, and yet, in the confusion of wartime it was even more important for women to feel that they had those important beauty products which made them feel special.

'Beauty as a Duty' was something which was actively encouraged, and in Secrets of the Homefront Girls we go right into the heart of the industry and spend time in the Yardley cosmetic factory in Stratford, East London. There we meet a delightful group of feisty young women who work in the factory on the lipstick production line, and, with the newly returned, Lily Gunn as their line manager, we soon become part of their group and become emotionally involved in the nitty-gritty of their lives.

They're a lively bunch, and yet, there is a real sense of togetherness and camaraderie as their strong fighting spirit makes them all the more determined to survive the war in their own inimitable style. However, it’s obvious from the start that there are some deeper elements to the story, particularly around Esther, a young Jewish refugee, who has arrived in the East End after fleeing persecution in Austria, and also around the abject poverty and indiscriminate violence of the East End. The sections of the story which focus on the effects of the Blitz are particularly well done and I must admit to shedding a few tears. The author handles the darker elements of the story with compassion and a fine eye for historical accuracy.

Secrets of the Homefront Girls revolves around stories of friendship, love, and of the family we make for ourselves, who might not always be related by blood, but who stick together through good times and bad. And as always, the author writes with huge warmth and brings a real sense of authenticity to both people and place. From the author notes at the end of the story it is obvious that a great deal of research has been done in order to do justice to the strength of spirit of those Yardley Girls who lived and worked in the East of London during the momentous war years.

This is the first book in the series and I have really enjoyed getting to know all of the Homefront Girls and have followed their adventures with great interest so that I was really sorry to say goodbye to them. However, it’s not the end of their adventures, as book number two - Secrets of the Lavender Girls - is due to be published in 2020.

Secrets of the Homefront Girls is published now in paperback and ebook by Hodder.

About the Author

Kate Thompson is an award winning journalist, ghost writer and novelist, who has spent the last two decades in the UK mas market and book publishing industry. Over the past eight years Kate has written nine fiction and non fiction titles, three of which have made The Sunday Times top ten bestseller list, Secrets of the Homefront Girls is her tenth book.

‘My research has taken me into the homes of so many women and I have listened rapt as they explained how they lived through cataclysmic times. It is often the quiet voices, which are the most revealing. Working-class women and their unassuming thoughts and feelings tell us so much about how difficult, but also how rewarding it was to be a woman in pre-welfare state Britain.’

©Kate Thompson

In 2020, Yardley celebrates its 250th anniversary.

Twitter @katethompson380 #SecretsoftheHomefrontGirls

@hodderbooks

Review ~ Song of the Dead by Douglas Lindsay

A dead man walks into a police station. He tells a tale - bizarre as it is grotesque - of kidnap and organ harvesting. John Baden's story of being held prisoner for twelve years sounds far-fetched - but it's all about to get much, much stranger.

DI Ben Westphall has been given the case because of his background in MI6. He also has a knack for getting inside people's heads and seeing things others would miss. Westphall is no ordinary detective and this is no ordinary investigation.

When his suspects start dying, Westphall realises someone is killing to cover up the truth. But what exactly is the truth? To find out, he'll have to question everything he's been told, before there's no one left to ask..

My thoughts..

When a dead man walks into an Estonian Police Station his appearance creates something of a conundrum, not just for the personnel involved, but also for DI Ben Westphall who is the Scottish detective in charge of the British side of the investigation. The 'dead' man's sudden arrival creates more questions than it does answers and before long Westphall is dragged into a bizarre investigation which gets more and more complicated as the story evolves.

I liked Ben Westphall from the beginning, he's an interesting character and his background in MI6 mean he has a good eye for working out the improbable, that he is also rather flawed, goes a long way into making him an interesting leading man. As with any new series there is a certain amount of scene setting and background about the lead characters but this was achieved smoothly and didn't get in the way of what is, in effect, a really tense murder mystery.

Song of the Dead is a really cleverly plotted crime thriller, with more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing. Its complicated story line moving between dangerous situations both in Eastern Europe and some rather dark events in Scotland makes for fascinating reading.

Three titles in the DI WESTPHALL series will be coming from Mulholland Books in 2019.

About the Author

Douglas Lindsay was born in Scotland in 1964, at 2:38 am. Thirty-five years of little note ensued, before the world heralded the publication of his first book, The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson, which was adapted was adapted for the screen starring Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone and Emma Thompson. As he was leaving the house to undertake a public engagement for the first time, his wife kissed him on the cheek and said, 'Whatever you do, don't be yourself...' Sadly, Lindsay continues to ignore her advice to this day.

Lindsay worked at the Ministry of Defence for over ten years and is married to a diplomat. He has lived in Dakar, Belgrade, Warsaw and Tallinn, an experience that inspired Song of the Dead. He now lives and writes full time in Somerset with his wife and their two children. 

 Twitter @DTSLindsay #SongOfTheDead


Amazon UK

Review ~ The Rest of Me by Katie Marsh

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Happy Publication  Day

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Hodder
26 July 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it all about...

Alex Fox knows there are lots of things she should be.

She should be the perfect wife to her chronically ill husband Sam, and the perfect mother to their two daughters. She should be excelling in her high-stress job. And she should be completing the demanding to-do lists she makes to keep herself on track.

Even if, just sometimes, she doesn't have time to breathe.

When Sam's condition worsens and Alex donates a kidney to save his life, her carefully scheduled existence starts to unravel - eventually forcing her to face up to a past that she has buried for years.

As the family she has fought so hard for threatens to fall apart, can Alex finally confront the mistakes that have shaped her - and rediscover what is most important in life.

My thoughts about it...

With every Katie Marsh book I have read, there is always, from the very start, an emotional connection with her characters which continues through the whole of the story.

In The Rest of Me we meet Alex Fox who, in order to save a life, has just donated one of her kidneys to her chronically sick husband, and whilst this altruistic gesture is made with all the love in the world, Alex doesn't bounce back quite as quickly as she thought she would. Add into the mix, her slow recuperation, a highly stressful career and two daughters who are each facing their own problems and you have the perfect ingredients for a complex family drama.

As always, the author draws you into the difficulties of family life, and piece by intricate piece we come to learn about what has gone on before, and of the problems which beset them in the here and now. How they cope individually with these problems forms the core of the story, which is quite heart-breaking at times.

Beautifully written with the author's trademark compassion and her unique ability to bring her characters alive in the imagination, The Rest of Me is one of those wonderfully immersive stories which takes you by the hand and leads you into heart of a family struggling to deal with the hand that fate has dealt them. How they come through it all makes for perfect summer reading.

About the Author

Katie Marsh is one of the most talented voices in women's fiction. Her beiautiful life affirming stories about families and relatinships leave you aneting to hug the people you love just that lutte bit tigher, Her first three novels have sold over 230,000 copies.

Website

Twitter @marshisms

@HodderBooks

Review ~ Baby Boom! by Helen Wallen

Hodder
25 January 2018
My thanks to the publishers for the review copy of this book

What's it all about...

Increased face-girth, back acne and gagging every time she's in the presence of vegetables isn't quite the beautiful start Emily had planned for her unborn baby...

Molly's unexpected pregnancy somehow turns her boyfriend into the poncy-vegan-nut-milk-enforcer, but she breezes it, as she breezes everything. (Including still being able to eat avocados much to Emily's annoyance.)

Liz quickly realises if she's to move her life on, she needs to get rid of the married man she's in love with - especially now she's realised he's been hiding more than his wedding ring...

What did I think about it ...

When I first started to read Baby Boom! I was afraid that I wasn't in the right demographic as both my babies were born a long time ago, long before the arrival of mobile phones, internet access and social media, but I needn't have worried because despite this the story drew me in from the beginning, and I enjoyed getting to know Emily, Molly and Liz as they all embarked upon a new time in their lives.

The author has an easy style of writing, and the story with its with sharp and sassy chapters, which are interspersed with Whatsapp conversations between the three friends, all help to bring the narrative right up to date. Following the highs and lows of this feisty trio with their witty observations about life, relationships and pregnancy made me smile.

I found much to like in Baby Boom! and I was pleased to discover that despite the advent of social media, pretty much everything about what its like being pregnant is just as I remembered it from 30 years ago.

I am sure that those who follow the author's successful blog "Just A Normal Mummy" will be excited to see what she has done with this, her debut novel.

About the Author

Helen Wallen is a blogger, funny lady, mother of two, and all round gin, wine and cake enthusiast. Formerly a copywriter/PR-type person, she is now dedicated to growing human-beings in her uterus and blogging about life with babies, toddlers and beyond.

Helen's award winning 'Just a Normal Mummy' blog is the inspiration and basis for her first witty, and hilariously honest, debut fiction title BABY BOOM!

Website

Twitter @wallymummy #BabyBoom

Amazon UK

Summer Read ~ Summer at Hope Meadows by Lucy Daniels

Hodder
2017

What's it all about...

Based on the globally bestselling Animal Ark series. 

Newly-qualified vet Mandy Hope is leaving Leeds - and her fiancé Simon - to return to the Yorkshire village she grew up in. There, she will help out in her parents' surgery whilst they're short-staffed. Mandy's life has always revolved around her work with rescued animals, and Welford offers an opportunity to work with creatures of all sizes, from hedgehogs and puppies to farm stock and even wild deer.

But rural Yorkshire is very different to the hustle and bustle of a big city. Mandy must work hard to be accepted by the close-knit village community, and convince them of her abilities as a vet - especially Jimmy Marsh, the gruff owner of the local Outward Bound business, with whom she just can't seem to get along.

When some long-neglected animals are discovered in a critical state on a nearby farm, Mandy is determined to prove herself as a confident and fearless vet. When it comes to protecting animals in need, she's prepared to do whatever it takes..

What did I think about it ...

As a young teenager I was fascinated by the James Herriot series on TV and went on to read some of James Herriot's books which delightfully recall his lively adventures as a young vet in Yorkshire.

Summer at Hope Meadows follows this tradition and gives us a lovely story of what it's like to be working with animals and travelling around the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. I have to admit to not being familiar with the Animal Ark series of children's books, so I come to this new adult series with no preconceptions of what I want the characters to be like.

I think that the author has done a great job of bringing the stories up to date and felt completely at ease with the way the story unfolded. I enjoyed getting to know newly qualified vet, Mandy Hope, as she returns to the small Yorkshire village of her childhood. But leaving behind a progressive city veterinary practice and returning to rural work is both difficult and challenging for Mandy, especially as her boyfriend, Simon, isn't very supportive.

I really enjoyed this lovely romp through the glorious Yorkshire countryside and enjoyed reading of the challenges that Amanda faced as she set about helping her parents, both vets, who are struggling to cope with the demands of their aptly named, Animal Ark veterinary business. I thought that the medical aspects of the story were particularly well done, which reflects on the author's own experiences as a qualified vet herself.

I especially loved the interaction between Mandy and her best friend, James, who is facing heartache of a very different kind and of course, the animals themselves tug away at your heartstrings, especially the gentle shire horse, Bill and the damaged collie, Sky.

Summer at Hope Meadows is a really lovely summer read and the start of a promising new series of books which I am sure will delight readers.

Best Read with...Tea and scones from James' tea shop in York

About the Author

Lucy Daniels is the collective name for the writing team that created the bestselling children's book series Animal Ark. Hope Meadows is a brand new Lucy Daniels series for adult readers, featuring the characters and locations that were so beloved of the original series.

This new title, Summer at Hope Meadows has been written by a new author called Sarah McGurk who has the advantage of being passionate about the animal ark series and also a fully qualified vet.

My thank to Jenni  and the team at Hodder for my review copy of Summer at Hope Meadows

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Blog Tour : The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan

Jaffa and I are delighted to host today's stop

 on 

The Art of Baking Blind Blog Tour

Sarah Vaughan

There are many reasons to bake: to feed; to create; to impress; to nourish; to define ourselves; and, sometimes, it has to be said, to perfect. But often we bake to fill a hunger that would be better filled by a simple gesture from a dear one. We bake to love and be loved.

Hodder
13 August 2015

In 1966, Kathleen Eaden, cookery writer and wife of a supermarket magnate, published The Art of Baking, her guide to nurturing a family by creating the most exquisite pastries, biscuits and cakes.

Now, five amateur bakers are competing to become the New Mrs Eaden. There's Jenny, facing an empty nest now her family has flown; Claire, who has sacrificed her dreams for her daughter; Mike, trying to parent his two kids after his wife's death; Vicki, who has dropped everything to be at home with her baby boy; and Karen, perfect Karen, who knows what it's like to have nothing and is determined her façade shouldn't slip.

As unlikely alliances are forged and secrets rise to the surface, making the choicest choux bun seems the least of the contestants' problems. For they will learn - as Mrs Eaden did before them - that while perfection is possible in the kitchen, it's very much harder in life.

My review :-

The slither of succulent raisins, the piquant allure of spicy gingerbread and the textured bouquet of fresh vanilla pods, infuse this novel with the scents and aromas of exquisite baking. All five candidates who answer the call to find Britain’s Best Baker are adept at grappling with biscuits, they excel at blind baking and their crème pâtissière is enough to make angels weep and yet, their private lives, when held up to scrutiny leave much to be desired. Even the divine Mrs Eaden, the inspiration and legendary face of the competition, had hidden secrets of her own.

The story takes us through the various stages of the baking competition and introduces us to each of the characters. We get to know them all in intimate detail, their lives unfold before us and we begin to realise just how important winning the competition would be to each of them, and yes, dare I say it, we begin to have favourites. In fact, I had to stop myself from flicking through to the end of the story in order to find out who was the winner, as there was one person, for sure, who I didn’t think was worthy to be the new Mrs Eaden.

The story flows deliciously; it wraps around you and enfolds you in a rosy haze of warmth and as the pages fly by, and believe me they really do fly, you find yourself imagining a culinary feast of the most delicious chocolate fondants, exquisite confections of millefeuille and plump and mischievous Chelsea buns.

And yet, beneath the bravado of baking, The Art of Baking Blind is really a story about people. It's about the minutiae of their lives, about their hopes and dreams and of all the reasons why life has sometimes been unkind to them. It's beautifully descriptive and confidently written and a real joy to read from beginning to end.

I loved it and can't wait to see what this talented author comes up with next.

Now where did I put my recipe for ....Tarte Tatin.

Follow Sarah on Twitter @SVaughanAuthor
#ArtofBaking

Find her on Facebook 

Amazon UK

There are still more stops on the Blog Tour....do visit the other blog hosts to learn more about this delightful novel.

My thanks to Emma at Hodder and Sarah for inviting Jaffareadstoo to be part of this exciting blog tour.

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