📖 Blog Tour ~ The Widow’s Choice by Nancy Revell

 

Penguin
4 January 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to publicist, Sarah Harwood for the invitation to the blog tour

1949, County Durham

When Angie marries her sweetheart Quentin and moves into Cuthford Manor to begin their new life together, she feels like the luckiest woman in the world.But Quentin falls victim to a tragic accident and Angie's life is left devastated. Now, along with the prospect of rebuilding her life, she is faced with an impossible choice that will have far-reaching consequences for herself and those she loves most.Angie will need to draw on the help of her family, the community of Cuthford Manor and her old friends from the shipyards if she's to find happiness again.

📖 My Review..

I've been a huge fan of this author's work and thoroughly enjoyed reading the best selling series about the The Shipyard Girls so I was excited to be given the opportunity to dive into a new story also set in the North East of England and which follows the fortunes of the Shipyard Girls after the war is over.

In The Widow's Choice we meet with Angie Foxton-Clarke who, as a recent young widow, finds that life is even more complicated especially with an awkward mother-in-law who feels that Angie isn't up to the challenge of running the family home at Cuthford Manor. Angie needs to draw on all the strength of will that she needed during her time in the shipyards and with the help of old friends she starts to build a new life for herself, her family and her friends. As always the author draws on her knowledge of the North East and brings such a warmth and empathy to her characters that you can't help but invest emotionally both in terms of the way the story unfolds and in also in the depth of characterisation, so that the place and people live in your imagination.

I don't want to give away any spoilers except to say that life is definitely complicated for Angie and the occupants of Cuthford Manor and whilst it has been delightful to meet up again with old friends from the Shipyard series, I did thoroughly enjoy The Widow’s Choice entirely on its own merits. Authentically researched and with a warmth I found completely entertaining, this is a lovely follow on story which can be read as part of the series or as a standalone novel.

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 #TheWidowsChoice

@centurybooksuk

@pennystreetbooks

@SarahHarwood

📖 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.

Follow the blog tour

Twitter @arevellwalton #ShipyardGirls #ThreeCheersForTheShipyardGirls

@centurybooksuk @PenguinBooksUK

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Shipyard Girls Under the Mistletoe by Nancy Revell

 

Thrilled to host today's concluding stop on this blog tour

Arrow
28 October 2021

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

Sunderland, 1944

As the promise of victory draws closer, this Christmas will surely be one to remember.

It should be a magical time for Dorothy, who has just been proposed to by her sweetheart Toby. But with each day that passes, Dorothy's feelings for someone else are growing stronger. Now she has an impossible choice to make.

Gloria is thrilled that her sweetheart Jack is finally home after more than two years away. But his past is continuing to catch up with them both - creating untold heartache for Gloria and everyone she holds dear.

Meanwhile Helen must contend with the fall-out of a shocking family secret that has repercussions for all the Shipyard Girls, while holding out hope for her own happy ending...

Can a little festive magic help them win the day?

📖 My thoughts..

I can think of nothing better as we head into winter than settling down with the latest book in the Shipyard Girls series. The Shipyard Girls under the Mistletoe is now the eleventh book in the series and as each story gets more complicated so the fascinating lives of this intrepid group of women just gets more, and more, interesting. Even at Christmas time their lives are not without drama!

The story takes us back into the heart of this hard working community as they go about their daily lives and with trouble never far away from them we get back into the trials and tribulations which affect them deeply. As we discover, each of the Shipyard Girls have something going on in their lives but none more so than Dorothy, Gloria and Helen who are each facing personal heartache and it is the strength of friendship between these wonderful characters which gives the story its lively wit and warm understanding. 

There is no doubt that this series of books about the female ship working community in Sunderland has been a triumph. Beautifully written, and well researched, with wonderful characters who are now so familiar that it is an absolute joy to meet up with them in each successive story. Of course, as always, there are those characters you love to hate, and in this story, there are a couple of truly despicable characters who really will stop at nothing to get what they want. I only hope that they will get their comeuppance eventually.

There's a lovely festive glow to this story which makes it just perfect to read in the run up to Christmas and whilst it can be read as a stand alone I do think that this is one of those series which must be read from the beginning.

I am excited that there is to be another book in the series in 2022, but also really sad as this will be the last in the series.

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.

Follow the blog tour

Twitter @arevellwalton #ShipyardGirls #ShipyardGirlsUnderTheMistletoe

@centurybooksuk @PenguinBooksUK

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front by Nancy Revell

 

On Hist Fic Saturday I am delighted to host a stop on this blog tour 

Let’s go back to ...WW2 

Arrow 
18 March 2021

Shipyard Girls#10

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

December, 1943.

As the war effort gathers steam in Europe, it's all hands on deck on the home front.

Gloria is over the moon to be reunited with her sweetheart Jack. But her sons Bobby and Gordon are away with the Navy and still know nothing of their mother's divorce and new half-sister.

Rosie's squad of welders must work gruelling hours in the yard as they prepare for the Allied invasion of Normandy. All the while Rosie herself waits anxiously for news of her husband Peter, who is carrying out dangerous work as an undercover operative in France.

Meanwhile welder Dorothy has a feeling that her beau Toby is planning to pop the question when he's next on leave. But it seems that her head is being turned by someone closer to home...

📖 My thoughts...

I never tire of this series and returning to the Sunderland shipyards in the company of the shipyard girls is like being reacquainted with old friends, and as we have come to expect there is never a dull moment for any of this stalwart group of women, who have bonded so well, and whose lives intertwine in an intimate, and supportive, way.

The story gets off to a dramatic start with the arrival of characters who have been out of the story for a while and whose very presence upsets the equilibrium of the lives of a couple of the women, especially Gloria and Dorothy. Running through this home front story are several threads which bring both happiness and heartbreak to some of the characters and there are a few unexpected twists and turns which help to add an interesting dimension to the way the story eventually plays out.

Whilst this tenth book is very much about what is happening in the North East in 1943/44, over in France preparations are underway for the D-Day landings, and in order to meet wartime demand extra pressure is being placed upon the shipyard workers to get vessels out in super quick time and everyone is working really hard. However, despite the pressure of work, the shipyard girls still make time for each other, helping out families, and friends, with their usual brand of no nonsense common sense. The author creates such a believable world that it’s easy to think you are sitting down in the canteen and sharing a pot of tea with the girls as they mull over the news of the day, and worry about their menfolk who are caught up in the war.

This enjoyable, and authentically researched, WW2 series is now firmly established, and with each successive story it just gets stronger and stronger. If you haven’t read any of The Shipyard Girls series, then my advice would be to start at the beginning, that way the characters, and their fascinating wartime experiences, will burrow their way into your heart.

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.

Follow the blog tour

Twitter @arevellwalton #ShipyardGirls

@arrowpublishing

🎄 Blog Tour ~ A Christmas Wish for the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

 

🎄Thrilled to host one of today's blog tour stops🎄

Arrow Paperback Original
1 October 2020

#9 Shipyard Girls

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

Sunderland, 1943: As Christmas approaches in the shipyards, everyone is hoping for a little magic…

Helen would love to find the courage to tell the dashing Dr Parker of her true feelings for him. But how can she when he clearly has eyes for someone else?

More than a year has passed since Bel’s wedding to sweetheart Joe. She knows she has much to feel thankful for and yet there is still one burning desire which she cannot ignore.

And as Polly grows with child, she hopes against hope for a safe delivery – and that her husband Tommy can soon return from the front line to meet their new arrival.

There will be storms to weather, but guided by their strength and friendship there is still hope for each of the shipyard girls that their Christmas wishes will come true.

What did I think about it..

It's always such a pleasure to return to this series as catching up with the Shipyard Girls is like meeting again with old friends. It's now 1943 and the North East shipyards are facing a tough time as a barrage of bombardment aimed at the docks means that the girls are constantly occupied in repairing the damage which has been inflicted by enemy aircraft. 

However, away from the shipyard, there are changes aplenty coming for all of the characters and none more so that for Bel and Pearl who must finally face up to the secret of their past which threatens to overshadow their present. As always the author captures the wartime spirit of stoicism and camaraderie, there are the usual fallouts and arguments but generally everyone looks out for everyone else and the stoicism and camaraderie comes across, especially in their care and concern for Polly who is facing the birth of her child without her beloved Tommy by her side. I think of all the characters, Helen Crawford is probably my favourite, and it's been lovely to have her feature quite a lot in this story as her relationship with the eligible Dr Parker keeps everyone guessing.

There is no doubt that in each of her stories the author brings the Shipyard Girls to life in such a vibrant and realistic way that you can't help but want everything to work out well for each of them. However, life is never straightforward and the author gives us an abundance of emotions, happy and sad, poignant and emotional, and yet what ultimately shines through is their friendship, love and care for each other.

This is now the ninth book in the series and whilst I think that it can be read as a standalone, there are lots of characters who you really need to get to know, so my advice on this series, if you enjoy WW2 sagas, is to start at the very beginning and get to know these intrepid shipyard girls as they survive the war years.  A Christmas Wish for the Shipyard Girls is a lovely seasonal read which can be read at any time of year but it's especially poignant as a Christmas read as several of the girls have wishes they want to come true whether do they do or not is for you to discover for yourself.

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.

Twitter @arevellwalton #ShipyardGirls

Website

@arrowpublishing

Blog Tour ~ The Triumph of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

Delighted to host one of today’s stops on this blog tour

Arrow
13 March 2020

Shipyard Girls #8

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

Head-welder Rosie is just about managing to keep her double life hidden from little sister Charlotte’s prying eyes. But Charlotte senses something is up and, with a secret this big, the truth is bound to come out.

After a whirlwind wedding, Polly must bid farewell to her sweetheart as he returns to the front line.

And there is something odd about yard manager Helen’s newest recruit Bel. But in resolving to uncover the truth, Helen might discover more than she bargained for…

What did I think about it..

As always, the author sets the scene perfectly as the intrepid shipyard girls are, once again, caught up in the daily goings on in this close knit community. Those who have followed this heart warming series from the beginning will be delighted to be reacquainted with old friends, especially as this book follows on directly from Christmas with the Shipyard Girls.

The Triumph of the Shipyard Girls takes us further into the lives of Rosie and Charlotte, we understand Polly's worry as her new husband is sent back to the front line and Helen, the shipyard, manager is about to uncover some uncomfortable secrets. Throughout it all the girls cope with heartbreak and sadness in their personal lives but never fail to support each other through good times and bad. The characters who flit into and out of the story have their own particular charm, some I like more than others, but all of them have a role to play, and I think that's what the author has done so well in this series, connecting the characters with the readers on an emotional level.

The area of Sunderland around the shipyard comes alive as only someone who knows the area well can provide, I especially enjoy the vernacular, and during the banter between the friends I have a strong geordie accent in my head whenever one of them speaks.

This is now the eighth book in the series and I for those who enjoy wartime sagas and who have so far missed out, I would recommend that you start right at the beginning, and enjoy this series from book one. You won't be disappointed.

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.

Twitter @arevellwalton #TheShipyardGirls

@arrowbooks

@PenguinRHUK

Amazon UK

Review ~ Courage of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to ...1942

Arrow
21 February 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Sunderland, 1942: Polly's heart and her future are hanging in the balance…

Polly’s sweetheart Tommy has been declared missing while serving overseas, and although there is no certainty that he is dead, there is no guarantee that he will return home. Now Polly needs her friends more than ever, and the other women welders are ready to rally around her while she waits for news.

The only one not showing support is shipyard manager, Helen. But looks can be deceiving, and beneath her cold exterior, Helen is wrestling with demons of her own, including one life-changing decision that could lead to potential ruin.

As the war continues, the shipyard girls must support one another as they bravely soldier on.

My thoughts..

This sixth book in the Shipyard Girls series starts us off in 1942 with some bad news which will test the fortitude and resilience of one of the girls, and will ensure that the others come together to look after one of their own. The Shipyard Girls are very good at looking out for each other, and even though the effects of the war are now starting to bite really hard, there are always snippets of good humour and camaraderie to be found amongst the sadness and hardship.

What I love about this series, and this book certainly continues the theme, is the way that the author brings the North East to life, both in terms of the vernacular which rolls of the tongue with ease, or, and perhaps more importantly, in the way the warmth and kindness of the people comes across, so that the reader feels enveloped, not just in a wonderful story, but also in the sense of being part of a community.

The story spans several months of 1942 and sees the girls involved in some quite difficult and emotional story lines. As always, each of the women have an individual story to share and each of them worry what the future will bring, however, throughout their troubles the girls, as did all women during wartime, pulled together, keeping, in this case, Thompson's shipyard functioning at top speed.

Whilst it is always possible to read these stories as standalone, I do feel that it makes more sense to start at the beginning, that way you get to know and really care for these characters, who by this sixth novel, are as familiar as old friends.

Courage, friendship and love come together in another wonderful continuation of The Shipyard Girls.

  

 

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.

Twitter @arevellwalton #TheShipyardGirls

@arrowbooks


@PenguinRHUK


Amazon UK

Review ~ Victory for the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

Arrow
6 September 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it all about...

The war rages on, but their friendship is stronger than ever.

Sunderland, 1942

With the war showing no sign of abating, Helen is thriving in her role as shipyard manager. But at home the return of her father brings a shocking discovery that tears her family apart. Gloria is shouldering the burden of a terrible secret. If the truth comes out there could be dire consequences, and it will take all her resolve to resist the pressure around her.

Meanwhile Rosie is throwing herself into her work, taking on as many shifts as she can. Anything to keep her mind off the fact that she hasn’t heard from her sweetheart in months…

With life in the shipyards tougher than ever, will the strength of their friendship see them through to victory?

My thoughts about it...

This series of novels about the female shipyard workers during WW2 continues to exude its usual warmth and charm, and the women we have followed since the beginning have now become as familiar as friends. As each book ends it's always an eager wait until the next book is published as the author is very good at leaving the ending of her stories with a real cliffhanger...

In Victory for the Shipyard Girls we are again thrust into the lives of Helen, Rosie, Gloria and the other women who make up his close knit group. Each of them are facing their own particular challenges, but as ever the trials and complications of their lives draw the women ever closer, and as they share their hopes and fears, so their bonds of friendship get deeper and deeper.

With each successive story, this series seems to grow in confidence and, as a reader, the emotional investment in each character pays dividends as none of the women seem to outshine each other. I am equally interested in Rosie's story, as I am in observing just how Gloria is coping with  managing both her job in the shipyard whilst caring for her baby daughter. I'm afraid that Helen has never been my favourite character but I did worry about how she was coping with all the troubles that seems to come her way.

If you've followed this series from the start, and this is now book number five, then you will be delighted with this continuation of the shipyard girls story, and delighted to know that there is indeed another cliffhanger of an ending...

For those who like books about strong women coping during the tumultuous years of WW2 then this series would work for you, and, although the stories can be read as stand alone, my advice is to start at the beginning of this excellent series and enjoy from the very beginning.

The sixth book in the series, Courage of the Shipyard Girls publishes 7th March 2019 and is available to pre order now.

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.

Twitter @arevellwalton #TheShipyardGirls

@arrowbooks


@PenguinRHUK

Blog Tour ~ Secrets of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on the 

Secrets of the Shipyard Girls Blog Tour

Arrow Books
21 September 2017

The third book in the compelling saga series The Shipyard Girls 

Perfect for fans of Donna Douglas and Ellie Dean

Sunderland, 1941

As the world war continues the shipyard girls face hardships at home, but work and friendship give them strength to carry on.

Gloria is smitten with her newly arrived bundle of joy, but baby Hope’s first weeks are bittersweet. Hope's father is missing at sea, and with their future as a family so uncertain, Gloria must lean on her girls for support.

Meanwhile, head welder Rosie has turned her back on love to keep her double life secret. But her persistent beau is determined to find out the truth and if he does, it could ruin her.

And there is finally a glimmer of hope for Polly and her family when Bel and Joe fall in love. But it isn’t long before a scandalous revelation threatens to pull them all apart.

My thoughts:

Even if you haven't read the previous books in this wartime saga series it is very easy to pick up the gist of the back story as the author is very good at explaining what has happened before and I quickly became accustomed to the central characters and enjoyed reading of their lives and loves in war time Sunderland. That these women were able to keep such a vital industry, as the shipyards functioning, and doing so with great success, is testament to their strength of spirit.

In this third volume of stories about The Shipyard Girls we focus on lives of Gloria, Rosie and Bel. All are strong and feisty women, but they each have something hidden in their backgrounds which threaten their future happiness. They are all employed at the shipyard of J. L. Thompson in Sunderland and even though their work is tough and often fraught with danger, the camaraderie between the women is palpable and heart-warming and, as they all look out for each other, so their lives become intertwined.

The author writes with a real sense of history and using her local knowledge of the area is able to bring both the place and its people to life. The characters are entertaining and appealing with some perhaps more likeable than others. But always, there is a real sense of purpose and an authenticity, bringing everything to life in such a vibrant way, that you can’t help but become emotionally involved in each of their stories. The plot weaves together well, and there are more than enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages until all the hidden secrets are revealed.

The fourth book in the series, Shipyard Girls in Love publishes 22nd March 2018 and is available to pre order now.

About the author:

Nancy Revell is a writer and journalist under another name, and has worked for many national newspapers, 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 has recently relocated back to her home town of Sunderland,Tyne & Wear, with her husband Paul and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie.

They live a short walk from the beautiful, award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where The Shipyard Girls series is set. The subject is close to Nancy’s heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well-known in the area.

Follow the rest of the Blog Tour on Twitter @arevellwalton

@arrowpublishing

Thanks to Clare at Penguin Random House for my review copy of Secrets of the Shipyard Girls and the kind invitation to be part of this blog tour.

~***~