The Staffymum's Book Nook: Pam Howes

Published: 17th January 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Mersey Square, Stockport. Can she give her young sons the life they deserve, or will taking them away from their father destroy them all?

Singer Olivia Grant has recently separated from the father of her two small boys and knows that the best place for her children is with their mother. She has beautiful home in America and wants to give her sons the childhood she never had.

Even though their father Roy is unhappy about them being so far away, Olivia is sure that she’s doing the right thing for her children and takes them for a visit. As the boys play in the pool and soak up the sun, she knows she’s made a good choice. After so much hardship, this is the life they all deserve.

But when Roy realises his sons have gone, he is devastated and threatens to not let Olivia see them anymore. Olivia only wants the best for her angels, but she feels torn in two. Can she find a way to give her little ones the life they deserve, or will she destroy herself and her beloved family forever?

Fans of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell will fall in love with this hugely addictive family saga. A story about how far we’ll go to protect our children, this gripping story will break your heart in two.

This book was previously published as Not Fade Away.

MY THOUGHTS:

When tragedy strikes, she'll need her friends to help her through...

Not sure who that tagline refers to - Sammy, Harley or Livvy - as they all need the support of their family and friends given what they all endure this time around. Many readers gave up on this series after the third book and I can kind of see why but like a train wreck you really can't look away. It's so addictive on a soap opera scale! And quite frankly, despite some of what's happened over the course of the series, I have grown rather fond of the Mellors and the Cantellos...and picking up another in the series was like reuniting with old friends. The entire series was almost 5 star except for the third book which took something of a different direction that even I found a little nauseating as well as frustrating.

DREAMS ON MERSEY SQUARE is the last in this series and admittedly, despite everything, I will miss being their company and rooting for them from the sidelines. But it also takes on a whole other direction that really could only end in tears. And despite my inward yelling at some of the characters and frustrations, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I have the whole series.

After being jilted at the altar by Roy Cantello on their wedding day when he went into a panic attack at the prospect of his future with her, Livvy Grant has shared custody of their two young sons with Roy and Sammy taking care of them while Livvy toured with her band. But now she is back. And she has news. And she also knows that the best place for her boys is with her. With her beautiful home in America, she plans to relocate there with her children and her new husband.

When Roy gets wind of Livvy's plans, he seeks legal advice and refuses to give his permission for her to take the boys out of the country. But Livvy knows what's best for her children and that is with her back in America...and away from the constant reminder of what she lost. The love of her life, Roy Cantello. And so she makes a snap decision, taking the boys to America with her for the week with the plan to be back in the UK before Roy finds out. They are her boys, after all. But Roy does find out...when trying to make contact with Livvy when tragedy strikes at home. And he's not a happy bunny.

OK, so Roy was an idiot for sleeping with the blonde Glaswegian nymphomaniac. Not once, not twice, but several times. To the point he was about to marry her! But Sammy has been his soulmate from the moment he first laid eyes on her as a teenager almost five decades ago. And she always will be. Whatever happens, he always goes back to Sammy. And she him. Some people think she's just as much an idiot for taking him back. But they have history. Lots of history.

Livvy was an opportunist who saw her chance and she made it her mission to bed Roy from the moment she set eyes on him. No matter what the cost. I hated her from the first moment she sashayed her way into Flanagan and Grey's, and into Roy's life. She is nothing but a manipulative, devious cow. And from her introduction in book 3, she only gets worse. In this one, she takes the cake. In fact, she wanted her cake and to eat it too. And then when things start going awry for her, "it's all Roy's fault!" or "It's all Sheena's fault!" or "It's all Jon's fault!" Not once does the woman take responsibility for the damage she has caused everyone - including her children. Her constant tirade with herself as the victim was exhausting. I wanted to slap her, strangle her and throw her from a speeding train. Me, me, me is all you ever hear from her. Never a thought for her children or anyone else for that matter. Even her longtime best friend suffered her wrath. Like I said, this could only end in tears.

By the book's end, we have closure on the saga that became a soap opera of sorts though I was left wondering about Harley. There were a few questions raised at the end about Harley's withdrawing despite having made some progress previously and I had to wonder...did she hear what went on downstairs one that one particular night? I felt like there were a few unanswered questions in that regard but on the whole, it was a satisfactorily happy end to a chapter that is now firmly closed. And despite some of the content (some of which was questionable to say the least...lol) I thoroughly enjoyed my journey alongside the Mellors and the Cantellos. And despite his lothario ways, I did have a soft spot for Roy.

I am sad to have to bid farewell to them all. I just might have to re-visit them some time in the future...although that means Livvy as well. And can I stomach any more of her antics? Probably since I know how it all ends anyway. A thoroughly entertaining and addictive read from start (from the late 50s) to finish (in the noughties).

For those wishing to read the series (in order):

1. The Girls of Mersey Square (previously That'll Be the Day)

2. The Mothers of Mersey Square (previously Three Steps to Heaven)

3. The Daughters of Mersey Square (previously 'Til I Kissed You)

4. Secrets on Mersey Square (previously Always on my Mind)

5. Dreams on Mersey Square (previously Not Fade Away)

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #DreamsOnMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Pam Howes is an ex Interior Designer who loves creating stories, but only started writing seriously about twelve years ago. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, came from her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging round with the musicians who frequented the business.

That first novel evolved into a series set in the fictional town of Pickford, based on her home town of Stockport. Three Steps to Heaven; 'Til I Kissed You; Always On My Mind; Not Fade Away, and That'll Be The Day, follow the lives and loves through the decades of fictional Rock'n'Roll band The Raiders.

Pam signed a second contract with the award winning publisher Bookouture with the first novel in her Lark Lane series, The Factory Girls of Lark Lane, published in July 2018. Her first series for Bookouture - The Mersey Trilogy featuring The Liverpool Girls, The Forgotten Family of Liverpool and The Lost Daughter of Liverpool - is also available in E book, paperback and as audio books.

Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it's this love and the support and encouragement of her musician partner that compelled her to write the series. Pam has three adult daughters and seven grandchildren. She lives in Cheshire and as well as writing novels, writes short stories, which have appeared in charity anthologies and online e-zines, and poems, many of which are published.

Social Media Links:

Monday, 11 December 2023

REVIEW: Secrets on Mersey Square by Pam Howes

Secrets on Mersey Square (Mersey Square #4) by Pam Howes

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 11th December 2023

Goodreads
Amazon

Published: 17th January 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Mersey Square, Stockport. With her daughter in danger, how far will she go to save her?

Every day for the last sixteen years, Olivia Grant has longed for her daughter. Forced to give her up at birth, Harley has been raised by her father Roy and his wife. When the day to meet her arrives at last, Olivia’s heart swells as she takes in Harley’s precious face, so like her own. But Olivia can tell: her little angel is very sick and needs urgent help. And when a doctor delivers the most devastating news any parent could hear, Olivia must grapple with the heartbreaking truth. Will she lose the daughter she’s waited so long to meet?

Praying that she will be able to save Harley, Olivia despairs when neither she nor Roy can give her the help she needs. Their best chance of saving their darling girl’s life is another baby, a full-blood sibling to save her life.

But Roy has been happily married for the past sixteen years and he and Olivia now face an impossible choice. Having another child with Olivia would destroy Roy’s marriage, the only parents Harley has ever known. Should she ask Roy to try for another baby… or will doing so tear them all apart forever?

If you love Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell, you’ll adore this utterly gripping saga novel which will rip your heart in two and remind you to never give up on those you love.

This book was previously published as Always On My Mind.

MY THOUGHTS:

With her daughter terribly ill...how far will she go to save her...?

That's the crux of this book, really. How far would a mother go to save her child? And thensome. Because it's not just about her daughter, as readers will surely become aware. This is not a pretty tale but it sure is a messy one. One that began back in 1984...

For sixteen years, Livvy Grant has longed to see her firstborn daughter Harley who she gave up at five days old for her father Roy and his wife Sammy to bring up as their own. As a young single mother, she had no prospects but in closing that chapter of her life she moved on and married her childhood sweetheart, moved to America and had a daughter with him. All the while, still pining for Roy Cantello, her first love and father to her firstborn.

Now Harley is due to turn sixteen and Livvy is returning to Britain with the hope of being reunited with her daughter. But when she arrives, it's clear to see that Harley is gravely ill. And when the doctors confirm the devastating news, Livvy realises she could lose her daughter just when she has found her again. She would give anything, do anything to save her daughter's life. And then in the midst of despair she is given a gift, it seems. The best chance of saving her daughter's life is a full-blood sibling. Can she dare hope? Do they dare try?

Sammy Cantello has been a mother to Harley for her entire life. In fact, she is the only mother she has ever known, despite Roy promising Livvy to tell Harley all about her when she turned ten. Now she is just days away of turning sixteen and Roy has still yet to tell her. But tell her he must for Livvy is on her way back to the UK and she wants to see her daughter. But Sammy is scared. Because she knows the power that Livvy has over Roy and he won't be able to resist her. She fears that the pair will pick up where they left off and she couldn't cope with that.

Harley isn't the only reason Livvy is returning the the UK. Her friend Sheena has managed to track down her birth father and his family and she is returning to meet them, and the possibility of meeting her birth mother also. Finally, she will have a family to call her own. All she needs now is Roy and her family will be complete.

Well...this was one messy tale, to say the least. I have enjoyed each book in this series, though I may not have entirely enjoyed the direction in which they have taken. The last book "The Daughters of Mersey Square" had me frustrated no end and pulling my hair out wanting to slap Roy and scratch Livvy's eyes out. I liked how the last one ended with Harley nestled in the family bosom of Roy and Sammy...and Livvy out of the equation. I did not like that woman one bit. And in this one I liked her even less. She is calculating, manipulative and a devious little madam. She knew what she wanted and she set out to get it whatever the cost. The only time I cheered for her was her reuniting with her birth parents, which was heartwarming. Roy isn't much better. The man-child continues to think with his pecker and then gets himself in such a mess of his own making and yet it still isn't what he wants.

It's a complete mess like a soap opera but it's addictive reading and I must say I was rather satisfied with the ending. I can't wait to read the final one to see where that takes the Mellors and Cantellos and their extended lot, which I will be picking up next and hope to make as short work of that as I did this one.

Thoroughly enjoyed it!

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #SecretsOfMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Social Media Links:

Wednesday, 11 October 2023

REVIEW: The Daughters of Mersey Square by Pam Howes

The Daughters of Mersey Square (Mersey Square #3) by Pam Howes

(previously titled "Til I Kissed You")

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 10th October 2023

Published: 17th January 2024

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Mersey Square, Stockport, 1984. Can she find the courage to overcome a devastating tragedy?

Sammy and Roy Cantello have been inseparable since they were teenage sweethearts. Married for twenty years, their eldest son is the apple of Sammy’s eye. When the police arrive, telling her there’s been a devastating crash, it is the worst night of her life. Her boy had always been such a safe driver, what could possibly have gone wrong?

As her firstborn fights for his life and Sammy searches for answers, she realises there’s only one thing that could have been distracting her child: his father Roy’s recent affair with another woman, Olivia Grant. Sammy thought their relationship was over for good, but is there something Roy hasn’t told her?

Desperate for answers about her son’s accident, she goes to see Olivia. But as Sammy enters Olivia’s small flat, she is shocked to her very core: Olivia’s rounded belly tells her this woman is carrying her husband’s child.

As her own son slips away, Sammy is consumed by grief, but she realises that the other woman is struggling too. When Olivia decides she is not the best person to raise her child and begs for support, Sammy knows that her son would want her to help. Can Sammy find the courage to raise her husband’s child as her own?

Meanwhile, Jess Mellor and Nick Cantello are in love. Jess's half-brother Jon is also in love with her. Following a tragic accident, Jess turns to Jon and an incestuous relationship begins, but is it...?

Fans of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell will absolutely love this heart-wrenching and gripping historical novel about courage, hope and the strength of friendship.

This book was previously published as 'Til I Kissed You.

MY THOUGHTS:

Can she find the courage to overcome a devastating tragedy...?

Oh my...what a tangled web of love, betrayal and yet more music. THE DAUGHTERS OF MERSEY SQUARE was originally published over a decade ago as "Til I Kissed You" and the entire Raiders series is being rebranded as the Mersey Square saga. And it is a saga...one big tangled saga. That began in the late fifties and continues in this one twenty five years later in the eighties. Only now the leather-clad lads indulging in plenty of sex, drugs and rock and roll are parents approaching middle age and now their children are at the forefront of this tale. And boy, was there a lot...and I mean A LOT...packed into this one!

Stockport 1984: Life has been good to Eddie Mellor and Roy Cantello since they found fame and the loves of their lives. Despite their rocky starts, Eddie and Jane have enjoyed twenty years of marriage as has Roy and Sammy - neither couple still able to keep their hands off each other...despite now having teenage children.

Besides having Jon and Jess, Eddie and Jane have now added Katie (8 - going on 18) and Dominic (7) to their little family. While Roy and Sammy have two sons born barely ten months apart - Nick (17) and Jason (16). Tim and Pat moved to the States some years back where Tim continued to work in the music business in Nashville. But after a health scare, the couple found they sought the solace of their close family and friends back in the UK and made arrangements to move back. This, of course, prompts talks of a Raiders reunion.

Eddie and Roy's teenage children have followed in their footsteps and have their own band The Zoo, managed by their fathers who also write their material. But things start to get a little heated when twenty two year old Glaswegian Livvy also desperately wants to join the band. Eddie and Roy agree that Livvy has the strength in her voice to front the band but the green-eyed monster in Jess wants only to scratch her eyes out for making eyes at Nick, with whom she is firmly involved with. Livvy is adamant that she has no designs on Nick and, honestly from where I was sitting, I could see nothing that suggested that either so I'm guessing it was Jess' insecurities. But then, she had been having some very strange dreams which left her feeling very unsettled and "as if someone was walking over her grave". Maybe it was that that made her insecure, not Livvy.

To make matters worse, although a happily married man, Roy has been having it away with none other than young Livvy. Devastated beyond belief, Sammy throws Roy out and shreds all his clothes and pours paint stripper on his prized lamborghini. But try as she might to hate him for what he's done, Sammy loves the very bones of her Roy and slowly but surely, they find their way back to each other. And it takes a tragedy that rocks their very world to bring them back together.

But then Sammy's world is about to fall apart even further when she goes to see Livvy and walks in to see the young woman's rounded belly. She's pregnant. Can things get any worse?

Meanwhile in the wake of their recent tragedy that affected both families, Jess finds comfort with her older (half) brother Jon. And that's when things start to get a little sticky...and a lot tangled. But will he learn the truth about his parentage?

Definitely a tangled web that's been woven by all involved...particularly by Roy, Jon and Jess. In the Roy situation, my sympathies lay firmly with Sammy and Livvy was no shrinking violet. She knew what she want and went out and got it. Roy's a man. They generally think with one part of their anatomy first and their brains later. She just had to flash a bit of leg at him, smile coyly and he was putty in her hands. While I could have slapped Roy to begin with, I felt sorry for him when although they were finished and he had made that perfectly clear, Livvy still wouldn't accept that and went on a mission to nail him. But Sammy, despite throwing caution to the wind, showed great strength and resilience through a very very difficult situation. First, her husband's affair, then losing her son and then discovering the girl was pregnant. I feel their story hasn't quite ended but I was quite satisfied with where it ended in this book and hope it stays that way...but I fear the past will come back and bite them.

As for Jon and Jess. We know from the previous book that they are not related BUT they have been brought up as brother and sister and, I'm sorry, but that storyline just didn't sit right with me. I don't care that they weren't related. They were brought up as siblings and thought of each other as such. Anything more was just wrong in my opinion. I honestly didn't like where that story arc went and didn't feel entirely comfortable with it given that they had always thought of each other as siblings.

My favourite part of the book was Katie and her incessant discussions about "men's naughty bits" and "twinkles". Since one of her friend's at school was a twin, Katie is adamant Eddie didn't twinkle right enabling her to be born a twin with Jess. It made for hilarious reading.

Like I said, there is so much packed into these 648 pages, making it so much longer than any of the others (probably why it took me a couple of days to read it). But despite my misgivings, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and my time with the Mellors and Cantellos once again. We also see the re-emergence of Angie's mum and friend Cathy also returns with her now husband Carl.

I look forward to reading the next one in the series soon - "The Secrets of Mersey of Square". What? More secrets? Whatever else does Pam Howes have up her sleeve?

Another cracking read and a lot of tangled mess to unravel with this one, but another entertaining read.

I would like to thank #PamHowes for an ARC of #TheDaughtersOfMerseySquare.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Social Media Links:

Saturday, 7 October 2023

REVIEW: The Mothers of Mersey Square by Pam Howes

The Mothers of Mersey Square (Mersey Square #2) by Pam Howes

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 1st October 2023

Published: 5th October 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Mersey Square, Stockport, 1964. 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 three-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 sees old 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: should she hide the truth forever or reveal what she knows and risk losing her beloved son…

Fans of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell will absolutely love this heart-wrenching and gripping historical novel about courage, hope and the strength of friendship.

This book was previously published as Three Steps to Heaven.

MY THOUGHTS:

The British invasion reborn! Sex, drugs and rock and roll entwined with family secrets, marriage, motherhood and a kidnapping...

Though I was born after all this (fictionally) happened, my love of the TV series "Heartbeat" gave me an appreciation for the British invasion of early sixties music - though I'm more a Stones fan that a Beatle. And Pam Howes' love of this era of music radiates through the pages as she charts the teenage boy band The Raiders' rise to fame. As with the first book (originally published as the prequel) I read yesterday, this tale transports me back to an era I've only ever read about or seen played out on TV.

Beginning early 1964 from where "The Girls of Mersey Square" left off, 18 year old Eddie Mellor is trying to settle into married life with Angie after she fell pregnant with their baby son Jonny. But try as he might he still longs for his two loves that he had to leave behind - his band The Raiders and his girl Jane Wilson. He and Jane were making plans to marry when Angie dropped her bombshell and in an attempt to do the right thing, Eddie broke it off with Jane and married the mother of his child. That also meant giving up all his dreams of fame and fortune and becoming a responsible adult by getting a normal 9 to 5 job that pays the rent, puts food on the table and provides for his wife and child.

Heartbroken, Jane falls into the arms of Mark Fisher who has always held a torch for her and though her heart is not in it, she ends up engaged to him when he proposes. She doesn't love Mark but he offers security and her mother adores him never missing an opportunity to compare him to "that Mellor lad who would amount to nothing". Since becoming engaged, Mark's behaviour towards changed and he became more possessive and controlling, disapproving of the clothes she wore and instead buying her new ones from the Victorian age! As her relationship with Mark comes to a culmination at the beginning of the book with a trip to the Lakes District for Valentine's Day, Jane is feeling trapped with no idea how to get out of this farce of an engagement. While Mark wants to control Jane's every move and doesn't care how devious he has to be to keep her. Meanwhile, she continues to work at Flanagan and Grey Records, having been promoted to manager with a charming little assistant in Carl who rises in the ranks further into the story. A job, I'm sure, Mark plans to put a stop to as soon as the vows are exchanged.

Back in Stockport, Eddie's life is getting duller by the second. In a fit of temper and boredom, he chucks in his job at the paint factory knowing the grief it will cause with Angie when he gets home but he doesn't care. As usual, the couple row causing Jonny to burst into tears and he storms out and meets up with the lads instead of going to night school. Roy had called his mum to say he had some good news to tell him and Eddie knew he needed something to brighten his otherwise dull existence.

The news that Jane has broken off her engagement with Mark was music to Eddie's ears and soon the pair are meeting secretly, partaking in a clandestine affair since Eddie was still married. Added to that, the lads want Eddie back in the band. His replacement was never up to parr and before long everyone is happy again. Everyone, that is, except Mark, who continues to rear his ugly obsessive head.

Eddie is going through the process of getting a divorce from Angie when she and her lover are tragically killed and he and Jane move in together to take care of his nearly three year old son Jonny. Their plans to marry are brought forward, no longer hampered by a divorce, and finally after half a decade of hankering after each other they are wed. But their happiness is shortlived when their young baby is kidnapped when the band are on tour and their world comes crashing down. Will they ever see their baby again?

So many questions are raised throughout this story, some of which are carried over from the first. The biggest hangs like a shadow (I thought) throughout and isn't cleared up till the end though it could prove a shock for those not expecting it. I read too many thrillers to be shocked...lol The sixties is an era that is fast becoming forgotten now that it is over half a century ago so it is good to relive the era through these delightful tales penned by someone with an obvious love of the era and its music.

I enjoyed every minute of the journey back in time and invite you step on the back of Eddie's motorbike and be transported back to the sixties for a tale full of love, betrayal, family as well as sex, drugs and rock and roll. Originally published as "Three Steps to Heaven", THE MOTHERS OF MERSEY SQUARE is an enjoyable saga filled with such likeable characters (plus a few shady ones) that you just can't help but enjoy being in their company. Are five stars even enough?

Another cracking read by Pam Howes! Delightful from start to finish.

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMothersOfMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

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Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

REVIEW: The Girls of Mersey Square by Pam Howes

The Girls of Mersey Square (Mersey Square #1) by Pam Howes

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 30th September 2023

Published: 5th October 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

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 THOUGHTS:

As a fan of Pam Howes' Lark Lane and Bryant Sisters series, I was thrilled to dive into a rebranded series originally published about ten years ago and now stepping out into the light of day again as the Mersey Square series. It brings Pam's love of rock and roll music to life in the telling of the birth of a young teenage band trying to make a name for themselves whilst also trying to find their feet in an adult's world.

Originally published as the prequel to the series titled "That'll Be the Day" (in a nod to Buddy Holly who is a featured influence in the early part of the story), this tale begins with the emergence of three young lads - Eddie, Roy and Tim - establishing themselves as musicians as well as doing the usual teenage stuff as smoking, drinking and falling in love.

Jane Wilson first sees Eddie Mellor in the record shop they both frequent after school and while he winks at her, she's too shy to reciprocate, instead turning away. Her friends Sammy and Pat find themselves attracted to Eddie's friends Roy and Tim respectively and soon the three girls and three boys meet and the rest is history. Jane is head over heels in love with Eddie though he thinks she is 16 like him, whereas she is really 14. But will Eddie still want to be with her when he finds out her real age?

But the real fly in the ointment is his on-and-off again soon-to-be-ex girlfriend, Angie Turner. When she sees Eddie making eyes at Jane the green eyed monster rears its head and Angie makes it her life's mission to win Eddie back...whatever the cost.

But as the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for...

This is a cracking start to a promising series I've not read before that I read it in a day. I just had to know where it all ended...and then it really didn't because as it's a prequel, I now need to dive into the second book to see how things pan out for all involved.

I'll say no more and leave it for you to enjoy yourself...because enjoy it you will. It's such an easy read no matter what your age. And I can't wait to delve into the second one. I just hope the remaining three won't be too far behind because I will surely want to read those soon enough too.

Another cracking read by Pam Howes! Delightful from start to finish.

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlsOfMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

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PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.

Saturday, 16 September 2023

REVIEW: A Child for Sale by Pam Howes

A Child for Sale by Pam Howes

Genre: Dual timeline, Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction

Read: 9th September 2023

Published: 15th September 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I reach out, arms aching to hold my newborn baby, and catch just a glimpse of soft, dark-brown hair before someone pushes me back onto the bed. ‘It’s alive,’ says the woman who delivered my child before she places something over my face. My last thought is of my baby’s first cry before my world goes dark.

1964 . When seventeen-year-old Laura Sims realises she’s pregnant, her boyfriend Pete says they will look after and love their baby together; but Laura’s mother turns on them in fury. Wrenched from her home and the boy she loves Laura is thrown into a home for unmarried mothers . With no access to the outside world and treated harshly, Laura fights to keep her child safe and to find a way to escape the nightmare…

2015 . Despite the anguish of losing their firstborn, Laura and Pete have been happily married for fifty years. But they’ve never given up on their lost child. And when Laura uncovers a tattered old diary from someone who worked at the home where she last saw her child, her heart breaks in those who ran the home sold their baby to a desperate, childless family .

Such cruel actions give Laura and Pete a tiny sliver of hope. Is there a chance to find their child, safe and happy, or will their search bring them only heartbreak and devastation?

A totally heart-wrenching and utterly gripping novel about how far a mother will go to find her child. Before We Were Yours , Sold on a Monday and The Orphan Train fans will be swept away by this gorgeous novel that reminds us to never give up on those we love.

MY THOUGHTS:

Reminiscent of the Magdalene laundries, A CHILD FOR SALE is a heartbreaking tale about a home for unmarried mothers run by five Catholic nuns who instill nothing but fear and terror into young girls who needed compassion, understanding and support during what was a life-changing event for them.

Cheshire, 2015: When the remains of what appears to be an infant is found locked away in a tin box that had been buried in the grounds of what had been The Pines, a home for unmarried mothers in the late fifties to late sixties, police are called in.

At their home in Liverpool, Laura and Pete Maxwell are settling in for the night after birthday celebrations with the family when they see reports on the news about the find. While they are happily married now, fifty years ago they were teenagers when Laura had been incarcerated there and their baby wrenched away from her against her will. And despite the years since, they have never stopped searching for their son.

Manchester, 1964: Seventeen year old Laura Sims and her boyfriend Peter Maxwell find themselves in a quandary when Laura discovers she is pregnant. They have decided to marry but as they are under 21 they need their parents' permission to do. Peter's parents are disappointed by the turn of events but grant their blessing but Laura's mother is having none of it. How dare Laura show her up by such immoral behaviour. She refuses their request to marry and before Laura and Pete could make their escape, Audrey has Laura packed off The Pines in Cheshire. There she meets Anna, and the two forge a friendship that will see them through coming years.

But life at The Pines is a harsh one. The girls are treated like slaves with no outside contact with family or friends for the duration - their penance for their immoral ways. They were punished with no food if their work was not completed or they somehow broke the rules. When they go into labour, they are not to disturb the nuns until their contractions are two minutes apart and only then are they taken to the upstairs delivery room. Their cries could be heard from the floor below and no pain relief is given to the girls (more penance for their immoral ways) after which their babies are whisked away and are never seen again. Some of the girls are told their babies have died, whilst others were adopted to "good God-fearing families more deserving of them".

When Laura's baby son is born, she wanted nothing more than to bring him home. She and Pete were to marry, they could give their son a loving home. But the nuns wrenched him from her, Laura's last memory of his dark hair before a black mask was placed over her face and then...oblivion. When she woke to a kindly face in Olive, Laura was told her baby was gone and she was going home. Home...where was that? In the six months she'd been there, her mother had died and her aunt and uncle had sold her home, thus holding the funds from the sale in trust for her to access when she was 21. The only place she had to return to was a room in student accommodation with Pete until they could marry and buy their own home.

Five decades later and the memories resurface along with the remains. Decades old secrets that have long since been buried in those grounds bring with them the hope of being reunited with their long lost son at last. Their firstborn, cruelly snatched away without permission, stolen from them and sold for profit. Laura and Pete, along with lifelong friends Anna and Mick, as well as the police and extended family, begin the search with fresh leads at their disposal. Dare they hope? They have never given up searching for him. They've never given up hope.

Oh my. This has got to be one of Pam Howes' best yet. I have always thought the mother and baby homes, the Magdalene laundries and the like, would make a wonderful (and heartbreaking) story. And while this is fiction, such places did indeed exist. It is heartbreaking that these girls didn't receive the proper support needed in a world that was swiftly changing whilst society refused to keep up. I love the dual timeline aspect as we meet both teenage and middle-aged Laura and Pete along with Anna and Mick, as their stories unfold.

I absolutely adored this book and read it in one sitting. It is THAT good and it is such a quick read. While it may not always be an easy read, it is written in that easy style that makes the pages seemingly turn of their own accord. This story is packed full of family secrets that Laura must face as the past unravels in the present and everything ultimately comes full circle.

A pure delight to read that will bring tears to your eyes and smiles to your face throughout. Packed full of joys and sorrows, sadness and happiness, A CHILD FOR SALE is Pam Howes best yet. It goes without saying - a well deserved 5 stars.

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #AChildForSale in exchange for an honest review.

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Thursday, 10 November 2022

REVIEW: A Royal Visit to Victory Street by Pam Howes

A Royal Visit to Victory Street (The Bryant Sisters #5) by Pam Howes

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-war

Read: 5th November 2022

Published: 8th November 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

From Amazon charts bestseller Pam Howes comes an emotional and uplifting saga about the power of family and a community trying to rebuild their lives after the terrible war that nearly destroyed everything…

1956, Liverpool. With the shadow of the war looming over them and bomb craters littering the surrounding streets, hope feels far away for the residents of Victory Street. When they learn that the Queen has chosen to visit them on a tour of Liverpool, the delighted neighbours bring back the wartime spirit. Can they possibly get the street ready in time?

Even a royal visit cannot take away Bella Harrison’s worries. Her son, fourteen-year-old Levi, has just told her he wants to move to America to join the rest of his father’s family. The news has so shocked Bella that she’s not sure she’ll be able to sing for the Queen, jeopardising all their plans for the big day.

Life has been hard for Levi, growing up as a mixed-race boy in Liverpool, but he’s the light of Bella’s life. The thought of losing him brings back the terrible memories of her father and sister dying during the war. If everyone pulls together to make the Queen’s visit an unforgettable celebration, perhaps she can persuade Levi that Victory Street is where he belongs.

But when Levi receives heartbreaking news from America and his move becomes uncertain, Bella starts to wonder if all her efforts to keep him in Liverpool have been for the right reasons. Can Bella find it in herself to sing for the big celebration, and make the right choice for her beloved son?

A totally unputdownable, heart-wrenching historical novel, packed with family secrets, perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell.

MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Pam Howes' final installment A ROYAL VISIT TO VICTORY STREET.

I have followed the lives and loves of the original Bryant Sisters through the war years and beyond since the beginning. I have watched them bloom and grow, fall in love, get married, have children and settle down. Now the series is coming to an end as we see their children bloom and grow...as life for them comes full circle.

It's 1956 and the shadows of war still linger eleven years after its end as the community continues to rebuild their homes and their lives. At a gathering of the Watertree WI (Women's Institute), Mary is made privy to the upcoming visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Given the task of organising the entire event, Mary then rallies her troops around she needs, all of them on a "need to know" basis. It seems Victory Street is to represent Liverpool on the royal couple's visit so Mary sets to organising a spruce up with all hands on deck. And they have just six weeks in which to prepare.

It seems Prince Philip was endeared by Liverpool's songtresses the Bryant Sisters so Bella, Edie and Fran dust off their frocks (or rather they buy new ones) and set to rehearsing a couple of numbers to entertain the royal couple. And Mary's granddaughter, Bella's 7 year old daughter Lizzie, is to present a bouquet to the Queen on behalf of Liverpool...and so rehearsals were underway for Lizzie to familiarise herself and know what she is to do. As Lizzie is deaf, though she can lip-read, she relies on sign mostly to communicate.

After the royals leave Victory Street, a party is then thrown for the entire community to come and enjoy as Bella's eldest son Levi takes to the stage with two of his friends to perform as a trio for the masses. It seems music is in his blood as he follows in his parents' footsteps to follow his dream of becoming a singer. He watches as local lad John Lennon begins to make a name for himself as well as the rising stars coming out of the USA with the likes of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, and he wonders if he has what it takes to make as they have.

Times have certainly changed since Bella and her friends took the stage in their break time and the Bryant factory, entertaining the co-workers at the beginning of the war. From there they joined ENSA where they met Basil Jenkins who later went on to marry Bobby Harrison's mother Fenella after the death of her husband. Now Bella and Bobby have Levi (though fathered by Earl Franklin) and their own daughter Lizzie whilst Edie is married to Stevie with baby Dennis and Fran is married to Sam with Lorraine and Gary. Mary has also found love again in Martin, Basil's former driver, while Molly (her youngest) married Earl Franklin and has twins Patti and Harry. Not to mention Earl's family he brought over from America with him when he emigrated wanting to spend time with his son Levi, what with sister Ruby, daughter Diana and I forget where Delores comes in. To anyone outside, this family tree would have them scratching their heads. I know I was trying to remember who was who and how they fit in...lol

A ROYAL VISIT TO VICTORY STREET brings this series to a fitting end with heartwarming tales set to delight the reader. Packed full with party planning, unforeseen news, singing, a royal visit, more singing, a startling surprise and a new venture in the works, this quick and easy read has brings a sense of nostalgia that makes you feel as if you are right there with them.

I have to say though, the description of the book is once again misleading, and I spent most of the book waiting for something to happen that was never going to! I may be niggling, but it's a pet peeve of mine when the description outlines something completely different from the story.

Overall, a compelling read that speaks for itself...as does the rest of the series.

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ARoyalVisitToVictoryStreet in exchange for an honest review.

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