The Staffymum's Book Nook: WW2

Showing posts with label WW2. Show all posts

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

REVIEW: The Lost Story of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham

The Lost Story of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham

Genre: Dual timeline, Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction, WW2

Read: 24th April 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 25th April 2025

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The warm sea breeze ruffles the pages of my notebook as I meet the bright eyes of the elderly lady sat opposite me on the porch. Sofia has been keeping a devastating secret for over sixty years. Why did she fake her own death during the war? And why is she back now to finally tell her story?

Writer Lily Christie is at rock bottom when she’s tasked with the job of a lifetime writing the memoir of Sofia Castello – once world-famous in the war years for singing across Europe, until her tragic death in 1941. So Lily is shocked to hear Sofia is actually in her eighties, living in secret, in a blue-tiled cottage on the Portuguese coast.

Lily listens in fascination as the feisty woman spins an unbelievable tale of fear-filled days spent caring for a young orphaned German girl, and nights performing to crowds of Gestapo agents: until she risked it all, using her fame to help the Allies. Then a tragic betrayal changed the course of her life forever…

But as Lily starts to open up to Sofia about her own private heartache, she realises that Sofia is not being entirely honest with her. And when Sofia refuses to say why she really hired Lily, her fears start to grow. Sofia’s remote beach home, accessed only by a bumpy dirt track, is miles away from anyone. She is clearly still hiding from someone, but who? And could Lily now be in danger too?

What is the final secret haunting Sofia? And can Lily uncover the devastating truth, before her time with Sofia runs out?

A totally gripping and emotional tale of lost love, tragedy and secrets hidden for decades. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Lorna Cook and The Letter will adore it.

MY THOUGHTS:

A wartime secret must be told before it's too late...

I love a good dual timeline tale weaving the past with the present and a few secrets along the way. The premise to this one drew me in as something a little different. The war is merely a backdrop for this story not the main event. And it serves to depict a heartbreaking tale that is emotionally charged as well as mysterious.

Lily is looking to leave her pitiful life behind and embark on a holiday in the sun after nursing a broken heart for the past ten months. So when she walks into her agent's office overlooking the dreary London landscape, the offer Jane makes her is one that is too good to refuse.

Lily has been asked for personally by name to ghostwrite the autobiography of wartime singing sensation Sofia Castello, who tragically died in a plane crash flying from Lisbon to London in 1941. Or did she? The journey she takes to Portgual to meet the elusive Sofia is one of love, grief, friendships, betrayal and secrets.

Stepping into the Portuguese sunshine, Lily feels at once rejuvenated and that this ghostwriting job came at just the right moment in time for her. But little did she know the part she would play in rewriting history or that she would find happiness there herself.

The setting in Portgual is just perfect. I could feel the sunshine on my face, the water lapping at my feet and immersing myself in the sapphire seas. The colours so richly depict the character, the personalities and reflect the resilience of this beautiful story.

There is so much to say about this book that I think is best left to experience for oneself.

A beautiful tale that will stay with me for some time to come.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny.

Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Saturday, 5 April 2025

REVIEW: Tough Times on Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane

Tough Times on Coronation Close (Coronation Close #4) by Lizzie Lane

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 5th April 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 30th March 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

As the war rages, the women must keep the home fires burning…

Bristol 1941

Coronation Close survives the brutal Bristol Blitz but with rationing, call up papers and new rules and regulations everyone’s lives are changed forever.

Resident do-gooder PC Percy Routledge obsession with rules being upheld finds him spying and reporting fellow neighbours on the slightest infraction whilst his poor brow-beaten wife, Margaret can only watch on in shameful silence. It’s whispered that one day he’ll get his comeuppance…

Times are hard for everyone and Thelma Dawson certainly has her fair share of upset. Devastating news arrives that her son Charlie’s ship has been torpedoed and sank in the Atlantic, his whereabouts unknown. Will he ever return to his wife and their unborn child? Meanwhile, seventeen years old daughter Mary has had her head turned by a certain overseas soldier. But where will temptation lead them?

Tough times, it seems are her to stay and the woman of Coronation Close all have their own battles and problems to overcome. As friendships are nurtured and relationships are tested, tragedy strikes and some home truths need to be faced.

MY THOUGHTS:

Make do, mend and carry on...

Returning to Coronation Close was like coming home. Even with the nosy and often bad neighbours. Catching up with the lives, loves and times with all those who reside there and beyond is like catching up with old friends. Life has not been easy to those living on the Close, and even less so now that war rages on around them.

We see something more of Mary Dawson as she has grown into a young woman working at the tobacco factory (a feature of and a nod to Ms Lane's previous series) whilst making friends with a Canadian airman Beau Blackbird. Though it is on a bus ride home one evening after work that thrusts Mary into something a little more exciting in the weeks to come. A man claiming to be from the Channel Islands begins quizzing them about the local airport and things roundabout. Mary is at once suspicious as she and her friends corner the passenger, prompting the driver stop and call for police to come sort the situation.

Unfortunately the responding policeman is none other than pompous resident know-it-all of Coronation Close, PC Percy Routledge. The stranger laughs the women off and Percy, such as he is, laughs with him. Mary is furious not to mention suspicious. The stranger makes an offer Percy couldn't refuse and all sorts of promises which leaves the constable puffing with pride. But what is he really after?

Meanwhile, Percy's poor long-suffering wife has done his bidding for far too long and when Percy refuses point blank for her to call a doctor on their sick son then leaves in the night, Margaret decides to call for him herself. But then matters are taken out of her hands as her neighbours offer their assistance.

Jenny is still lovelorn after Robin who cannot see the manipulation of his ex-wife in their children, even to the point of danger. Thelma has one blow too many but then another offer comes along on the horizon.

The lives and loves of those on the Close continue as war rages on and I look forward to seeing what's in store for the residents and their loved ones in the next installment.

I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ToughTimesOnCoronationClose in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie Lane is a born and bred Bristolian who now lives in West Wiltshire with her partner, a wonderful garden and a lately acquired allotment. In the past she has bred dogs, kept horses, painted and made models from clay. (Nightly visit from the badger has smashed one).

Working jobs she's hated purely to keep a roof over her family’s head and a meal on the table, she then discovered writing. Encouraged by an American writer friend and when a time came there were no jobs and no other option, she took the plunge. She is now the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers. As a Bristolian, many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories, inspiring her new saga series The Tobacco Girls.

Up until six years ago her home (and that of her late husband) was a 46ft sailing yacht named Sarabande Serene, sailing into the Mediterranean. So besides being a successful author Lizzie can read navigation charts and react swiftly in a storm.

Lizzie is now landlocked in a town close to the city of Bath.

PUBLISHER:

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

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Friday, 4 April 2025

SPOTLIGHT: Tough Times on Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane

Tough Times on Coronation Close (Coronation Close #4) by Lizzie Lane

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 30th March 2025

DESCRIPTION:

As the war rages, the women must keep the home fires burning…

Bristol 1941

Coronation Close survives the brutal Bristol Blitz but with rationing, call up papers and new rules and regulations everyone’s lives are changed forever.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie is now landlocked in a town close to the city of Bath.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter Sign Up | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Sunday, 2 February 2025

REVIEW: Family Matters at Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke

Family Matters at Blackberry Farm (Blackberry Farm #4) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 31st January 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 1st February 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The war continues to touch everyone’s lives and loves on Blackberry Farm.

Cambridgeshire – 1943

As Spring blossoms, it seems love is in the air. 21-year-old, John Talbot dreams of a world not at war, where he can be a father to his young son Jonny and have a wife by his side. But is nurse Lucy Ross the woman for him?

When brothers Tom and John are recalled to active service, Artie is left to look after the farm. But tragedy strikes at the very heart of the family, when Arthur peacefully passes and John is reported missing in action. Pam, is left grief-stricken and fearing the worst with John lost at sea – has John’s luck finally run out?

Pam’s eldest Tom, returns home injured to convalesce and help a disgruntled Artie with the farm. But when the brothers become embroiled in a dreadful fight that could ruin several of the Talbot’s lives, it’s up to Tom to protect what they hold dear.

With an uncertain future there are trials and tribulations ahead for the Talbots in this continuing bestselling saga.

Perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane, Fenella J Miller and Patricia McBride

MY THOUGHTS:

As always, it was lovely to return to Talbolt family fold at Blackberry Farm in rural Cambridgeshire. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series and watched the characters develop and grow as war rages in Europe, taking with it many young men.

It's now 1943 and the war is at its height and at last it feels as if Britain and her Allies are gaining the upper hand at last. Maybe by next Christmas it will all be over. Who knows? But one thing's for sure...something big is brewing; and it is bound to change the course of the hostilities once and for all.

At Blackberry Farm, however, it's almost as if the war has not reached them there but for the young men off fighting or those that have been lost. Not to mention the airfield running adjacent to the farm itself, having once belonged to the Talbolts and sold to the RAF. Life is quiet and it goes on, whatever the war holds.

Tom and Lizzie have barely spent any of their married life together, but long enough to produce young Arthur who is now toddling and saying a few words. John's little Jonny, only a few months older than Arthur, is thriving while his father courts a young nurse named Lucy. She agrees to marry him and the couple plan to marry in the Autumn after Lucy has served her 6 months abroad as a nurse in a field hospital. But fate has other plans for the couple.

Artie and Jeanie recently married and farm the land at Blackberry Farm. But now that Jeanie has discovered she is with child, she can no longer do the heavy work and so they apply for some new Land Girls to take her place. Susan has gained a place at teacher's college but has some trouble along the way. Only Angela finds herself adrift with her sister away and everyone having their places in life. She wants to leave school and become a farmer's wife.

And then, just as they start to find their feet again, tragedy strikes the family once again...

Once again, there is so much going on in this book that I have barely scratched the surface. Suffice to say, it will leave you wanting to read the next installment with how it ended, wondering how it will all pan out.

Rosie Clarke is a go to author I always enjoy and I look forward to rejoining the Talbolts in Pam's warm and inviting kitchen once again soon.

I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #FamilyMattersAtBlackberryFarm in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosie Clarke has been writing for several years and has written under various names for a variety of publishers. She lives in Cambridgeshire, is happily married and enjoys life with her husband. She likes to walk in the Spanish sunshine and eating out at favourite restaurants in Marbella is a favourite pastime, but writing is her passion.

Rosie loves shoes, especially those impossibly high heels you can buy and has a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos but can't wear them so they sit on the mantlepiece.

Rosie also writes under the name of Anne Herries and Linda Sole.

Social Media links:

PUBLISHER:

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

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Monday, 23 September 2024

REVIEW: The Orphan with No Name by Shirley Dickson

The Orphan with No Name by Shirley Dickson

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 15th September 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 19th September 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

England, 1942: ‘Will I ever find my mammy or daddy?’ She looks up, her bright blue eyes full of unshed tears, but the kind nurse gently says, ‘Sweetheart, if you can’t remember your own name, I don’t think you’ll ever find them…’

Waking up in a rickety hospital bed, the sweet ten-year-old girl with soft blonde hair and flushed cheeks is lucky to be alive. But all she can remember is the screech of the air raid siren. The nurses call her ‘Rosie’, and hope someone will save her. But no one does, and without a family, she is taken to Blakely Orphanage in Scotland under the supervision of the strict Miss Black.

The only glimmer of hope is her new friend Alice and the two lost girls decide to become make-believe sisters. They help each other through the long, hard hours with Miss Black standing over them as they work in silence, wondering if they will ever escape.

One day, Rosie watches a beautiful woman in a pretty dress and a tall, handsome man step through the gates. Her heart squeezes as she hopes they might be her mammy and daddy. But Rosie’s heart shatters when they take the hand of a little boy and leave the orphanage.

Slowly, Rosie begins to piece together the mystery of her past despite Alice telling her they don’t need any adults. But if she does find her mammy and daddy, will she remember them? And will she ever have a happy family again – or is there more heartache to come?

From the bestselling author of The Orphan Sisters comes a page-turning and unputdownable World War Two story of a little girl who loses everything and her journey to finding a place she can call home. Perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe.

MY THOUGHTS:

Welcome back, Shirley Dickson! It has been so long since the author has released a book I had begun to wonder where she'd got to. But her latest book has arrived to deliver a wonderful yet heartbreaking tale that will warm you from the inside out and keep you snuggled until you turn the final page.

I have read all of the author's books and I love how she incorporates something or other into each of her books to link them without being a series. In this case, it is Blakely orphanage, which evacuated to Scotland after the orphanage itself suffered a hit in an air raid.

The story begins in South Shields once again as we meet the little girl who survived an air raid when so many others were killed but her injuries meant that she had no memory of who she was, her name or where she came from. The nurses called her Rosie and after being shifted from the children's ward to the women's ward, Rosie is sent north to Scotland to Teviot Hall where Blakely orphanage now resides. The journey is both unfamiliar and frightening as Rosie watches South Shields disappear from view and into unfamiliar territory.

At he orphanage, run under the strict hand of Miss Black, Rosie befriends the spiky Alice who herself was a foundling left on the doorstep of the old Blakely orphanage almost 14 years before. The orphanage is the only thing Alice knows but she is approaching the age where she will soon leave to go into domestic service. With a huge chip on her shoulder, Alice is unruly, spiky and argumentative at almost every turn. But Rosie brings a calmness to Alice and the two become inseparable...make believe sisters.

Rosie dreams of recovering her memory and finding what became of her parents and why they never came looking for her, which is a bone of contention with Alice who harbours nothing but resentment for the woman who abandoned her on the cold doorstep without a second thought.

The two girls are unlikely friends and while they all suffer under Miss Black's harsh rule, kindness soon comes to the orphanage. First, in the way of the visiting American airmen who wish to sponsor the orphans and then in Miriam, Miss Balfour, who has been with the orphanage for many years. When an accident sees Miss Black housebound to recuperate, the orphanage gets a new lease of life under Miss Balfour's caring hand. But there is always the shadow of Miss Black's imminent return.

This is a moving tale from start to finish in Shirley Dickson's trademark way and I couldn't put it down until I turned the last page, reading it in one day. It is naturally predictable but in a good way and ends with that feelgood sense you have when finishing a wonderfully emotional story.

I hope it's not another three years before Shirley Dickson brings out another as I love her books and can't wait for the next one. If you like Lindsey Hutchinson, you will love Shirley Dickson.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shirley Dickson was born and grew up in the seaside town of South Shields. She left school at fifteen and can’t remember a time when she didn’t write. She entered her first short story competition in ‘School Friend’ when she was eleven. After Shirley retired from auxiliary nursing, she was able to devote her time to writing.

After living in various locations, she settled under the big skies of Northumberland and has lived with her husband in the same house for over forty years. Shirley has three daughters and four grandchildren and likes nothing better than family gatherings.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Monday, 27 May 2024

REVIEW: The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood

The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 21st May 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th May 2024

★★ 2 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The paper is stiff and brittle with age as Kate unfolds it with trembling hands. She gasps at the pencil sketch of a rippling waterway, lined by tall buildings, curving towards the dome of a cathedral. She feels a connection deep in her heart. Venice.

England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her aristocratic adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat… warm arms that held her tight, and then let go.

Could these pictures unlock the secret of who she is? Why her mother left her? With war raging around the continent, she will brave everything to find out…

A gripping, emotional historical novel of love and art that will captivate fans of The Venice Sketchbook, The Woman on the Bridge and The Nightingale.

MY THOUGHTS:

To fight for her future, she must solve the mystery of her past...

So this is my second read by Juliet Greenwood, my first having been "The Ferryman's Daughter" which I absolutely loved! Unfortunately, anything that followed had big shoes to fill in that respect and unfortunately, this one just didn't live up to my expectations. I really struggle with any story set in and around Italy and during the war. I can read them set in Britain, France or even Germany but for some reason I struggle with Italy. Maybe it's the language and pronunciations of places and names, I don't know, but then I would have that problem with Germany since I don't read German either. I don't know but I struggled with this story. Even moreso because it runs on from "The Shakespeare Sisters" which came before it and I haven't read. Although I do believe both books are standalones in themselves but they do feature some of the same characters. Namely the Ardens and Arden House.

This story however, was about Kate. She is something of a ring-in with the village with her olive complexion and jet black hair. She didn't look like the other Arden children and yet she was brought up alongside them as one of them. It is this that makes Kate always feel like the odd one out in the family. Kate has three sisters - Rosalind, Cordelia and Bianca - the first two having been banished by their father for some such slight as not accepting the hand of some local gentry which is pretty much a woman's lot. She also has two brothers Will and Jamie who are away fighting the enemy. But with her Italian looks, doesn't that make her an enemy also?

Kate works alongside the land girls digging for victory in their garden, growing vegetables to feed the nation and whatnot, when she unearths what appears to be an old Roman artefact. She takes it off to Miss Parsons, the local school teacher who also runs the museum, but Kate knows her brother Jamie will love the artefact. Miss Parsons however gives her a book of Shakespeare sonnets left to each of the girls by their late mother, looking for something that is to allude to her future. After much fruitless searching and Miss Parsons' encouragement not to give up, Kate comes across a collection of sketches which immediately brings back flashes of memories. A woman, a boat and learning to draw.

Kate is a talented artist but her father wouldn't allow her study art instead wanting her to marry well and keep Arden House in the family. But in these flashes of memories, she sees a woman who taught her to draw. Who is she? Is this her long lost mother?

Sofia Armstrong returns to Venice after twenty years just as the war has broken out in Europe. Her own mother has fled leaving her maid Magdalena. But Sofia is on a mission. She wants to find her daughter. The one who was stolen away from her two decades before and she has no idea where she is now. How will she find her?

We are taken on an emotion journey but it is rather long filled with unpronounceable names and I could visualise myself on the canals of Venice, sadly. The closest I could get was a 1980s Madonna dancing in a gondola, wearing a wedding dress and dipping beneath the bridges across the canal whilst singing "Like a Virgin".

Nevertheless, it is an engrossing read for one who is enraptured by the surroundings and the language but I felt something of a WiFi signal blocker preventing me from feeling all that the reader is meant to feel.

I would read her again, as I loved "The Ferryman's Daughter" so I know how the author can capture my heart. But this one was just not for me,

I would like to thank #JulietGreenwood, #Netgalley, #StormPublishing and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheSecretDaughterOfVenice in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Having worked in London for nearly ten years, Juliet now lives in a traditional Welsh cottage halfway between the romantic Isle of Anglesey and the mountains and ruined castles of Snowdonia.

After studying English at Lancaster University and King’s College, London, Juliet worked in a variety of jobs, from running a craft stall at Covent Garden Market to teaching English.

Juliet began writing seriously about ten years ago, after a severe viral illness left her with debilitating ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for years. Juliet always says that M.E. was the worst, and the best, thing that ever happened to her. On one hand, it sent her from being able to walk up mountains with ease to struggling to do the simplest of everyday tasks for more than a few minutes at a time. But on the other, it forced her to re-evaluate her life and her priorities. And it made her a writer.

Juliet is now well and back to dog walking and working on her beloved garden. As well as novels under her own name, Juliet writes stories and serials for magazines as ‘Heather Pardoe’.

When not writing, Juliet works on local oral history projects, helping older people tell their stories before they are lost forever. She also helps aspiring writers towards being published.

Social Media links:

Wednesday, 17 January 2024

REVIEW: The Garden of Lost Secrets by Kerry Barrett

The Garden of Lost Secrets by Kerry Barrett

Genre: Dual timeline, Contemporary fiction, Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 17th January 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 18th January 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A forgotten past. A garden full of secrets. A mystery to be uncovered.

1943.

With her best friend having recently joined the Land Army and her mother lost in grief after the death of her father early in the war, Gloria is lonely. When she finds an unlikely kindred spirit in Jerome, an American soldier stationed in her Cotswolds village, Gloria begins to fall in love. But conflict between the soldiers and the villagers lead to an impossible choice with devastating consequences.

Present day.

After their dreams of starting a family are crushed, Philippa and her husband Marco need a fresh start. Focusing on repairing the crumbling walls and leaking roof of the Cotswolds house they impulsively bought seems easier work than repairing their relationship. When Philippa finds a hidden memorial hidden deep in the garden, the discovery only pushes them further apart. But as Philippa determines to uncover the truth behind the memorial, could the secrets it reveals be the key to finally putting their heartbreak to rest?

Don’t miss this sweeping dual-timeline historical novel from the author of The Girl in the Picture and The Book of Last Letters, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Lorna Cook.

MY THOUGHTS:

A forgotten past. A garden full of secrets. A mystery to be uncovered...

It's 1943 and Gloria Henry has just finished school, returning home to Honeyford House in the sleepy Cotswolds, just as the American GIs are flooding their village. Her friend Patty had joined the Land Army but Gloria still didn't know what she wanted to do.

And then she met Corporal Jerome Scott, one of the American GIs. But he wasn't like the GIs that roamed their village. He wasn't even billeted at the nearby Eaton air base. No, Jerome was black so therefore he was not given the same entitlements or privileges as the white GIs.

But Gloria didn't care. She loved Jerome and he loved her. But it could only end in tears...and it did.

Present day, Honeyford House

After a string of miscarriages, Philippa and Marco have just bought the crumbling ruins that is Honeyford House with dreams of opening a restaurant and a bed and breakfast whilst they lived in the old servant's quarters. It was quite a task they had set themselves but this was to be their new beginning.

As they stood on the terrace overlooking the garden and the woods beyond, Philippa and Marco decided to plant a deluge of bluebells in the woods in memory of their lost babies. And so one day while walking through that very wood, Philippa comes across what appears to be a grave...or a memorial at least.

Suddenly, she is on a mission to uncover the mysteries of Honeyford House and the memorial stone in its garden. But what she finds is a bittersweet tale that was as heartwrenching as it was unexpected.

I love dual timelines, being swept away between the two timelines and following two separate stories until they collide in a cleverly woven tapestry. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, though maybe not as much as "The Missing Wife" but it was still a wonderful read that moves seamlessly between the two timelines.

Overall, this story is captivating and enthralling and a thoroughly delightful read with a satisfying end.

I would like to thank #KerryBarrett, #Netgalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TheGardenOfLostSecrets in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kerry Barrett was a bookworm from a very early age and did a degree in English Literature, then trained as a journalist, writing about everything from pub grub to EastEnders. Her first novel, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, took six years to finish and was mostly written in longhand on her commute to work, giving her a very good reason to buy beautiful notebooks. Kerry lives in London with her husband and two sons, and Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes is still her favourite novel.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Saturday, 30 September 2023

REVIEW: Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke

Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm (Blackberry Farm #3) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Wartime fiction, WW2

Read: 27th September 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 29th September 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Cambridgeshire – 1942

As a new year begins and the war continues, young Artie Talbot feels trapped. In his heart he longs to fight, like his two brothers, for his king and country but is duty tied to Blackberry Farm.

As feelings grow between Artie and Jeanie Salmons, Artie wonders if marriage will help him to finally accept his lot and settle down.

Meanwhile, his brother John Talbot must come to terms with the tragic loss of a lost love. Can he overcome his trauma and begin to build a new life for himself and his new born son?

Frances Grant, a new mysterious land girl arrives hoping to escape a violent past. Surely the countryside will offer her the safety and anonymity she craves. But someone is vengeful and eager to settle an old score…

As a terrible shock rocks the family, will love and duty be enough to get the family through the dark days ahead?

MY THOUGHTS:

As the men fight and the war rages, there are some new arrivals on the farm...

The third in this delightful saga series by saga queen Rosie Clarke sees us returning to Cambridgeshire in the winter of 1942. Of course it can suffice well enough as a standalone but for full character development and backstory progression, I do recommended starting them from the beginning. I enjoyed revisiting with the Talbolts and their charges at Blackberry Farm. It was like meeting up with old friends.

In the last book we saw the brutal murder of Faith, John Talbolt's betrothed, and how she lived long enough to birth their baby son before succumbing to her head injuries inflicted by her uncle Ralph, who later perished in a car accident.

The Talbolts all banded together to help with the baby they didn't want to name as that honour should be reserved for his father when he returned home. However, John was recuperating in hospital some miles away after very nearly dying on a mission which saw him land in enemy territory and being rescued by French nuns who hid him before having him transported to Switzerland and then back to Blighty. When he was deemed physically well enough he was discharged and returned home to recuperate...setting eyes on his baby son for the first time. In the interim, the family had named him Jonny as he couldn't very well be called "baby" indefinitely. John was happy enough to keep the name they had given him though he found it difficult to bond with his son as he reminded him so much of his mother, who should have been here nursing him and caring for him.

Tom Gilbert, Pam's eldest, had been injured on duty and now is utilising his skills by training up others, for which everyone is grateful. It meant Tom stayed on home soil and out of the firing line so to speak. He had just become a father himself when his wife Lizzie gave birth to their own baby son, Archie, and he intended to be around to watch him grow up. Until he was given a mission to act as a supply chain to the Desert Rats... He promised Lizzie he wouldn't volunteer but if he was asked to go abroad he wouldn't refuse.

Meanwhile, Artie has finally found the courage to propose to land girl Jeanie Salmons and the farm is busy with wedding preparations - both sewing bridesmaid dresses and amassing food for the celebrations after the ceremony. Pam has been storing up her coupons so that she could give them a good spread.

A new land girl has also arrived at Blackberry Farm and she does so under a cloud. Frances Grant brings with her an air of mystery and a secret she must keep at all costs because should the Talbolts find out the truth about her she'd be out on her ear. Artie and Jeanie aren't at all sure what to make of her but they believe she is hiding something. Pam takes the young girl under her wing knowing that it's the love of a good family that she needs. When a trip to Ely sees Frances jump into the cold waters of the river to save a young boy from drowning, the local paper runs a piece on her complete with her photo which somehow makes it way to a national paper...and has the propensity to bring the cosiness of the world she has come to know and love crashing down. If her past could catch up with her here, then she would have no alternative but to leave Blackberry Farm.

As is the Farm isn't heaving with people as it is, Pam receives word that one of her estranged sisters has died and she is to receive charge of her 8 year old son George. Pam is devastated by the loss of her sister and if taking on George keeps him out of the orphanage then that is what she must do. What's one more mouth? Pam has always enjoyed a big family...now it is just extended. The more the merrier.

Life at Blackberry Farm has its ups and downs but their fighting spirit remains. With the new airfield nearby, Pam welcomes the airmen should they need a place to recharge or in need of a homecooked feed. Artie toys with the idea of following his brothers to fight for King and country but news at home puts things into clearer focus for him as he takes on more responsibility as well as providing for Jeanie.

I love Rosie Clarke and I love being transported back in time and witness the simplicities of life during wartime along with its hardships. But the amount of time food was discussed made it very difficult as I kept wanting to eat every time they gathered around the table for my own portion of poached eggs, bubble and squeak and streaky bacon. I could just smell the bacon, it made my mouth water. lol

Once again, I enjoyed this installment just as much as the first two though I did feel it dragged a little, but that could just be me as I've had some sadness of my own in the past week making it hard for me to concentrate. This is still a wonderful read and I enjoyed my time at Blackberry Farm and cannot wait to return...especially to Pam's kitchen. Hahaha...

I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #LoveAndDutyAtBlackberryFarm in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosie loves shoes, especially those impossibly high heels you can buy and has a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos but can't wear them so they sit on the mantlepiece.

Rosie also writes under the name of Anne Herries and Linda Sole.

Social Media links:

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Tuesday, 5 September 2023

REVIEW: A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller

A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House (Goodwill House #7) by Fenella J Miller

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2, Wartime fiction

Read: 2nd September 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 31st August 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

July 1941

As the war grinds on, Lady Joanna Harcourt knows that her time at Goodwill House is drawing to close. A new chapter awaits, one that she never expected to happen to her – she is going to be a wife and mother again!

Excited with their new arrival and with her beloved Flying Officer John Sergeant back in her life, Joanna hopes that even though war clouds gather, love will prevail, and the future will look brighter than ever for the Harcourt family.

John has just one last mission to complete, before they can be together. But even though John is an experienced and competent pilot, the threat of the enemy is still close. Will this be one risk too far?

Or will their be another goodbye for the Harcourts before they close the doors of Goodwill House for ever?

Don't miss the emotional finale in the Goodwill House series!

MY THOUGHTS:

A new arrival...and a fond farewell...

We have come to the end of an era with the final installment of the Goodwill House series. Each of the characters have become like friends as we got to know them, love them and now we will miss being around them. I have been a part of Goodwill House since the beginning and I feel like a fixture as much as any of the characters. But with the end comes joys and sorrows in equal measure and it is difficult not to shed a few tears.

This final book focuses predominantly on Joanna, the former Lady Harcourt, and her new husband Flying Officer John Sergeant. The opening chapter sees them rushing to their nuptials on the news that Joanna is in the family way. With just half an hour to spare, the couple exchange vows, share a kiss and are pronounced husband and wife before John is whisked away on a mission and Joanna returns to the Savoy with her family. But she is to receive and early morning surprise as the honeymoon begins...albeit for one day.

Upon return to Goodwill House, Joanna continues presiding over the plans for their new home The Manse, where they will be moving to in the New Year. Goodwill House has seen many comings and goings and has been the heart of each and every story. But this time, it takes a backseat as the WAAF girls have long since gone and the land girls are soon to follow. After which, the house will return to Joanna and Lady Harcourt in which silence will reign. As much as Joanna has enjoyed housing the serving girls over the past couple of years, the time has come when she must move on. With a baby on the way and a new husband, her focus has shifted and her priorities have changed.

It was sad to say goodbye to those who have become like friends, particularly one such character who sparky wit will be missed. And while it is a delightful addition and end to the series, it wasn't the best of them but still hugely enjoyable. And emotional read at times, the ending was left a little ambiguous. Maybe leaving it open to revisit with a further chapter? Who knows?

Overall, an enjoyable read and an emotional end to a delightful series.

I would like to thank #FenellaJMiller, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #AChristmasBabyAtGoodwillHouse in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fenella Jane Miller was born in the Isle of Man and is the bestselling writer of eighteen historical sagas. She also has a passion for Regency romantic adventures and has published over fifty to great acclaim. Her father was a Yorkshireman and her mother the daughter of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker,hotelier,chef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer.