REVIEW: Christmas with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker

Christmas with the Cornish Girls (The Cornish Girls #2) by Betty Walker

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 27th March 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 25th November 2021

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

1941. The bombs still fall, but in St. Ives Christmas is finally approaching for the Cornish Girls…

With the war ongoing, Lily is feeling anything but festive. That is, until Eva asks if she’ll join her in working at an officers’ convalescent home, lifting her spirits no end.

Eva came to St. Ives to be near the man who almost gave his life to protect hers. But will the wounded pilot ever help to heal himself by opening his heart to love?

Rose suspects the local orphanage is mistreating its charges – and it’s her job to uncover the truth before it’s too late…

Can the Cornish Girls help one another through the darkest days in order to give everyone in St. Ives the sparkling Christmas they so deserve?

The second in the uplifting wartime Cornish Girls series, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Donna Douglas.

MY THOUGHTS:

Another Christmas with whoever I'm reading about! This time I'm back with Cornish Girls and naturally I've enjoyed my time with them once again. Whilst the previous one focused on Violet and her two young nieces escaping the East End for the sleepy confines of Cornwall and thensome, this one follows her eldest niece Lily and their friend Eva who have transferred to St Ives where they are nursing convalescing soldiers at Symmonds Hall.

As soon as Eva had heard that Max Carmichael, the Flight Lieutenant who was injured pushing her to safety during the raid in London that saw her leave the capital for Cornwall was alive, she took herself off to St Ives to become a nurse so that she could be nearer to him. Unfortunately, Max didn't want her sympathies or her care. His injuries meant that he could no longer offer her all that she deserved and no amount of cajoling or caring from her ministrations would change his mind. Well we'll see about that, Eva thought. But first she must ensure she escaped Sister's notice or she will be in danger of being put on a disciplinary charge. 

After receiving news that Eastern House must let go one of their domestic staff, Lily decides to take Eva up on her invitation to join her in St Ives as a nursing assistant. Despite having never nursed before, Lily finds she enjoys it and develops a soft spot for a young soldier with horrific burns. The young soldier, Danny, takes an obvious shine to her but she's still haunted by the dark event of her past. And then Eva volunteers her for organising the Christmas party for the home which is held every year to help keep spirits up. But she hasn't the first clue as to how to go about it! But at least it might help keep her mind off things. But it's not until one day during a raid that something happens to give Lily new direction, making her rethink her options.

And then there is Rose, known on the wards as Sister Gray. She is a formidable presence to all those under her but beneath her tough exterior is an insecure woman just trying to do her best amidst a war. It's no secret she carries a torch for Dr Lewis but he is spoken for...by none other than her younger sister who upped and left to work in a munitions factory but will no doubt be back to stake her claim on the dashing young doctor. Then one day Rose sees a sad little face from the window of the orphanage next door and over the ensuing days and weeks, comes to learn that all is not as it seems behind those closed doors. Children just skin and bone being made to march in a circle in the cold without so much as a coat or a scarf to warm them which was explained away as exercising. When she looks for the young boy she has befriended she is told he is isolating as he has measles. But the more things she sees and the less she does of young Jimmy, Rose becomes suspicious. But no one will take her concerns seriously. Until an air raid brings secrets crashing down.

This book was quite different to the first one and took a little getting into as I was expecting to remain in Porthcurno with Violet, Hazel and co. They still feature here but it's Lily, Eva and Rose that shine this time round. We share in all the joys and sorrows, lifes and loves all under the bombing of the Germans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment and wonder where the next one will take us. It will be interesting to find out. But I'll leave that for another day.

A perfect heartwarming read for fans of Pam Howes, Rosie Hendry and Fenella Miller.

I would like to thank #BettyWalker, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #ChristmasWithTheCornishGirls in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Ilford, Essex, author Betty Walker now lives in Cornwall with her large family, where she enjoys gardening and coastal walks. She loves discovering curious historical facts, and devotes much time to investigating her family tree.

Betty also writes under other names! She writes atmospheric contemporary thrillers as Jane Holland, light-hearted romances as Beth Good, and YA fantasy and Tudor historicals as Victoria Lamb.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: Wartime with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker

Wartime with the Cornish Girls (Cornish Girls Saga #1) by Betty Walker

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 7th December 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 29th April 2021

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

1941. The Blitz rages over London.

And even in Cornwall, the war is being fought…

When Violet loses her sister in the Blitz, she must take her nieces to safety in Cornwall. On the coast, she meets carefree chorus girl Eva, who is also running from the dangers of London.

But Porthcurno hides a secret military base, and soon Violet and Eva realise there’s a battle to fight in Cornwall, too.

Together with local Hazel, who works on the base, they must come together to help the war effort. But will their friendship be enough to keep them safe?

The perfect uplifting wartime read for fans of Nancy Revell and Donna Douglas.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have all but exhausted the genre for wartime fiction but there are still a few I enjoy, preferring those that war is simply a backdrop to a saga od stories. But WARTIME WITH THE CORNISH GIRLS is also a little different and I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did, since the market is flooded with similar tales. But then, I'm always a sucker for Cornwall.

The story begins in London during the Blitz with Violet and her two nieces, Lily and Alice, fleeing the capital for the confines of sleepy Cornwall in the hope of escaping the nightly raids and keeping safe. However, their idyllic dreams of sunswept sands and paddling in the crisp blue waters is shortlived upon arrival. They have taken refuge with Violet's mother's sister and her husband, but Margaret is a manipulative tyrant and her husband a lech and after a shocking confrontation, Violet and the girls flee the farm and yet have nowhere to go.

High-spirited Eva is a chorus girl in London and has caught the eye of American flight lieutenant Max. Until one night a raid sees them seeking shelter nearby, killing many with Max pushing Eva to safety with no thought to for his own. After recovering from near death, Eva is summoned to Cornwall by her father where he heads up a top secret mission on its sleepy coasts. 

Hazel is born and bred Cornish who, as a teenager, was in love with one boy but fell pregnant to another and thus marrying said father, Bertie Baxter, who ended up being an abusive tyrant with far too much love of alcohol than for his wife and son. But now Bertie is off serving King and country leaving Hazel to keep the home fires burning and their 15 year old son Charlie with a who has a wanderlust to follow in his father's footsteps.

After a chance meeting outside her aunt's farm, Violet seeks out Hazel (the only other person she knows in Cornwall) in the hope of garnishing jobs for the three of them at Eastern House where Hazel works as a domestic. There they meet Eva who finds life in Porthcurno somewhat sedate and boring after the excitement of London. They become friends and are soon planning a dance to keep spirits up while maintaining a level of fun and excitement amidst the doom of war that overshadows them.

But they soon discover that nowhere in England is safe during the war, not even sleepy Cornwall. And when a nasty surprise turns up threatening to spread rumours about her family amidst her superiors at Eastern House, Violet fears her time in Cornwall and the friendships she has found may be coming to an end. Meanwhile, Eva develops starry eyes for Professor Templeton but feels sure he is keeping secrets. While Hazel harbours her own secret that is bound to change her life, but not as much as the news she receives shortly after.

How will things turn out for these three women?

I liked Violet and her sparky nieces, Lily and Alice. After her sister is killed in the Blitz she decides to take her nieces to Cornwall to keep them safe but has no idea what lay in store for her there. Hazel had my sympathies with a brute of a husband and a moody teenage son who tries to stake his place as the man of the house in his father's absence. But her life shows promise by the end and I look forward to seeing what happens for her. The only thing I liked about Eva was her name. The woman did what she want without a care or thought for anyone else. 

I really enjoyed WARTIME WITH THE CORNISH GIRLS which had the right balance of war and life on the home front for me. I enjoy saga stories and following the lives of favourite characters without being bogged down by technical or historical facts. And of course, I love just about everything set in Cornwall.

I don't know where the stories will go from here but I look forward to catching up with the girls in future installments...all of which I have waiting on my kindle.

Perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane, Rosie Clarke, Pam Howes and Nancy Revell.

I would like to thank #BettyWalker, #NetGalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #WartimeWithTheCornishGirls in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Ilford, Essex, author Betty Walker now lives in Cornwall with her large family, where she enjoys gardening and coastal walks. She loves discovering curious historical facts, and devotes much time to investigating her family tree.

Betty also writes under other names! She writes atmospheric contemporary thrillers as Jane Holland, light-hearted romances as Beth Good, and YA fantasy and Tudor historicals as Victoria Lamb.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads