A New Year for the Seaside Girls (The Seaside Girls #3) by Tracy Baines
Genre: Historical fiction,. WW2, Sagas
Read: 6th April 2023
Published: 14th April 2023
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Can the Seaside Girls embrace the New Rear with courage…
Cleethorpes – 1940
As the new year dawns the show at the Empire comes to an end and it’s time for the girls to move on.
Years of struggle are over for Frances O’Leary when Johnny Randolph returns to make things right for her and their daughter. Do they have a chance of happiness? Of being a family after so long?
But their good fortune is fraught with complications when sister Ruby Randolph decides to have her last hurrah, leaving a trail of devastation in her wake.
Jessie Delaney is afraid to follow her dreams and leave those she loves behind – can she really have it all?
All the seaside girls have their own battles to fight. And while they figure things out it’s time for them to do their bit for the war and keep Britain smiling.
A gritty and heart-warming saga perfect for readers of Elaine Everest, Nancy Revell and Pam Howes.
MY THOUGHTS:
The third in the Seaside Girls series, A NEW YEAR FOR THE SEASIDE GIRLS sees many changes...one of which being its name. Previously titled the Variety Girls, this series follows Jessie, Frances and Ginny who star in a selection of variety shows at the Empire theatre in Cleethorpes at the onset of war.
A year since joining the troup, Jessie Delaney has found love and happiness in friends and doing what she loves...as well as becoming recently engaged to Harry Newman, who is off earning his wings as an RAF pilot. Settled in Geraldine's boarding house on Barkhouse Lane, her mum Grace and brother Eddie have joined her and are making a life for themselves. Grace as a seamstress for the troup and Eddie as an apprentice mechanic. Life is good for the Delaneys.
Several months ago, Frances O'Leary's world turned upside down when the father of her illegitimate daughter Imogen walked into the theatre to speak to their director. She had met Johnny Randolph in London four years before when she was an understudy for his sister Ruby in their world reknowned act The Randolphs. But their mother had other plans for Johnny and Ruby which didn't include Frances and so they set off for America leaving her behind, and intercepting their letters to one another so that each would never receive them.
But now, he's back. And he's not letting Frances go again. Even when Ruby takes herself off to the park and walks fully clothed into the lake intent on taking her life. He rescues her and wraps her up warm, leaving her in the capable hands of his housekeeper Mrs Frame who nurses Ruby as best she can. And Johnny returns to the love of his life where he meets his daughter for the first time. And he knows now what's important. Life, love and family. And he is not letting them go again.
This third installment is a little different in that Ruby finds difficultly in moving past the mistakes she has made and hurt she has inflicted on her brother, Frances and little Imogen. She collapses out of sheer exhaustion and is admitted to a hospital for rest and recuperation. But even upon her release she finds it hard to transition back into life outside four walls...and even harder to face those who she has wronged.
A NEW YEAR FOR THE SEASIDE GIRLS is a story of forgiveness and moving forward. There is kindness, compassion and love as friendships continue to grow and move on as the season ends and the Empire has been requisitioned for army use.
A nice light read to while away the hours, the highlight of the story is Mr Brown who is so endearing to even the hardest of hearts. And as Mr Brown finds himself a new home he shows love and loyalty too. I can't wait to meet up with him again!
I would like to thank #TracyBaines, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ANewYearForTheSeasideGirls in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
So began her love of live entertainment, and with something of a virtual free pass, Tracy and her sisters got to see many variety performers who appeared in summer seasons and pantomimes on the end of the pier show.
From the age of sixteen, Tracy worked backstage during summer seasons, pantomimes and everything else in-between on the pier. She met her husband when he was appearing with the Nolan Sisters and she was Assistant Stage Manager.
The first two books in the Variety Girls series are set in Cleethorpes, in the square mile that was her childhood home.
Tracy lives in Dorset with her husband and springer spaniel, Harry. Her children and grandchildren live close by.
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