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.
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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.
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