REVIEW: Secrets at the Irish Adoption House by Michelle Vernal

Secrets at the Irish Adoption House (The Irish Adoption House #2) by Michelle Vernal

Genre: Historical fiction, Dual timeline

Read: 7th October 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 3rd November 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Ireland, 1920. Tears fill my eyes as I hear the whispers of the other girls in the dark of the night. But I won’t let them see me cry. I won’t let my secrets out. The family I’m hiding from could find me, and take my baby away…

To the other girls at St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home, Cecelia is just another fallen woman. But they don’t know her father is a penniless lord with an English title… And Cecelia is determined that they never will. She came here alone, in secret: if her family knew she was pregnant, the life of her baby could be on the line.

Despite herself, the kind act of stolen bread being pressed into her hands when she’s in most need sees her confiding in the other women. Then the worst happens: Cecelia’s family find her and take her precious newborn. Was she betrayed by another girl in the home?

She’s determined to find her child… but with all her family’s connections, she can’t do it by herself. She hears whispers of a network of women working to unite mothers and babies. But with the baby’s father dangerously caught up in the unrest brewing across Ireland, will Cecelia or her darling daughter ever see him again?

This tear-jerking and unforgettable historical novel, full of family secrets, betrayal and friendship in the darkest times, is perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Sandy Taylor.

MY THOUGHTS:

Ireland 1920: Young and idealistic Cecelia thought she was in love. Dark and mysterious Finian Fahy offered her a world she could only dream of - freedom for Ireland. Not to mention, freedom from the life her family have already mapped out for her. 

With her family's estate falling into ruins around them and nothing but a title to keep their heads held high in respectable society, the plan is to send Cecelia off to London with her lady's maid Lizzie and her mother in tow, to make her debut in society and to hopefully land a husband who will save the family from ruin. A suitor in her mother's sights, Cecelia carries with her another secret; one that will shame her and her family. She confides in Lizzie and together they hatch a plan to return to Ireland where Cecelia will find herself at the mercy of the nuns at St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home which they nickname the Irish Adoption House. 

She's no sooner moved in that she regrets it at once. The nuns are harsh and unfriendly; the mother superior just as bad. Only one nun, Sister Louise, who is a kind and gently soul wanting only to help the women who have fallen through no fault of their own than the life they had been born into. Cecelia keeps to herself and follows the strict rules so as to make her time there as uneventful as she can.

Cecelia's not here to make friends so when Nessa tries to befriend her, she shuns her thus coming across as aloof as if they were below her. Even after she has given birth to a baby girl she refuses to name or get close to, Cecelia stays at the home growing closer to her child she dare not love for fear of losing her. But Nessa, Maudie and Molly soon worm their way into her heart. She soon finds herself confiding in them her story. Maudie knew her from the village she came from though she had never let on. Then when Nessa goes into labour and disappears one night, never to return, Cecelia vows to take the other two under her wing. And in their friend's honour, she names her unnamed daughter Vanessa, Nessa for short.

Soon Maudie has gone, in search of her daughter who disappeared one night, and then Molly, leaving only Cecelia and baby Nessa...and the comings and goings of girls like her. Until one morning, Cecelia's mother sweeps into the home and takes Nessa, promising her a life a plenty - and that Cecelia will never see her child again. How did her mother know where to find her? Did someone betray her?

Determined to be reunited with her child, Cecelia makes a plan with an unlikely source as she cannot do it alone. With all the unrest in Ireland brewing and her family's connections, can Cecelia reclaim her daughter and make it to safety before it's too late?

This is a wonderful sequel to "The Irish Adoption House" which told of Maudie's tale but this one was so much better. When reading the first book, you just know there is a story to be told about Cecelia so I was thrilled to discover at the end of the first one, that Cecelia's story was to come. And what a tale it was! It is heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once, filled with secrets, deception, betrayal and the bond of friendship spanning the decades from 1919 to 1985. And with it, brings a beautiful conclusion to the two stories which remain connected throughout time.

Ireland was awash with mother and baby homes run by nuns who showed no ounce of Christ's love and compassion they claim to live by. It is a sad part of the country's history that those in authority weren't ideally equipped to care for these girls and instead they punished them. Most people would judge them for their horrible and harsh treatment which was barbaric to say the least but they didn't know any better and were only equipped with what had been drummed into them. And most of them certainly had no lived experience that these girls had and honestly would have been better placed to take care of them, knowing all too well the fear, guilt and shame that they too experienced. But it was another time and Ireland was under pressure with unrest brewing in the fight for independence. 

Still, this was a wonderful tale I read in one sitting and enjoyed meeting up with Maudie once again.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Storyteller. Cheese scone connoisseur. Occasional yogi.

Michelle Vernal never set out to become a writer—at least not until she joined a creative writing class while on maternity leave with her first son. Fast forward a few years (and more than a few cheese scones), and she’s now the author of over thirty feel-good, funny, and emotionally rich novels that have captured readers’ hearts around the world.

Her stories, often described as “laugh-out-loud,” “utterly heartwarming,” and “the kind of book you read with a smile,” include the bestselling Little Irish Village series, the much-loved Irish Guesthouse on the Green, and the time-slip favourite, The Dressmaker series.

Michelle lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, with her husband, two sons, and a pair of particularly spoiled tabby cats, Humphrey and Savannah. 

Her latest book, The Irish Adoption House is available for Kindle pre-order now and will be released in all other formats on August 7, 2025.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads

REVIEW: Flora by Linda O'Byrne

Flora (Cousins of Pemberley #7) by Linda O'Byrne

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance

Read: 21st October 2025

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Amazon

Published: 30th September 2025

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

In 1837 it is not considered desirable for a young lady of good family to have views and opinions that are different to those of society.

When scandal surrounds Flora McGregor, Mr Darcy’s niece is sent from her home in Scotland to Pemberley in order to learn refinement and ladylike behaviour.

But insisting on speaking her mind and following her heart means that trouble follows Flora, no matter how hard this Scottish wildcat tries to avoid it - and falling in love only complicates matters!

MY THOUGHTS:

In 1837 it is not considered desirable for a young lady of good family to have views and opinions that are different to those of society...

But that has never stopped Flora McGregor, niece to Mr Darcy of Pemberley. She spends her days roaming barefoot the lochs and moors of her highland home in Scotland whilst her mother, Mr Darcy's sister Georgiana McGregor, wants to see her settled and wed before she and Flora's father Rodrie set sail to the new world in Canada. But Flora loathes the man her parents have chosen, Gordon Erskine who promises to purchase her home of Tawny Keep in exchange for her hand. But it's not her hand he's wanting as Flora well knows from the lascivious look of lust she sees burning in his eyes. He wants her and he'll stop at nothing to get her. Flora however has other ideas and spares not a thought for the man when unleashing her displeasure at a dinner he is hosting.

And so Flora finds herself packed off to Pemberley where she is to learn manners and decorum, as any young lady should. Her journey is broken at Courtney Castle in Northumberland where she gets into merry mischief with young Matilda, daughter to Sir Robert Courtney and husband to Flora's cousin Catherine. It is there she meets the acquaintance of a man she met previously at her home in Scotland on the banks of the loch and later again at the fiasco that was Gordon Erskine's humiliating dinner party. 

Daniel Kincaid is on his way home from Scotland when he comes across the redheaded wildcat berating a villager over his poor treatment of his dog, which she then implores Daniel to take charge of the animal. He is a man of means but by no means wealthy, having inherited the neighbouring estate to Courtney Castle, Brenchley. The estate had run into disrepair and he means to restore it to its former glory. His journey north had proven productive where he had acquired a healthy herd of highland sheep that he intends to farm.

Between them, the young couple are thrown together in all sorts of circumstances and each time Flora fails to curb her tongue, unleashing her every thought the moment she has them. And then immediately regretting them...mostly. 

But when beautiful Arianne Richmond returns to Courtney in need of filling her fast depleting coffers, she can't decide whom to set her cap to. Martin Courtney, brother to the earl of Courtney Castle? Or the silent and brooding but dashing Daniel Kincaid?

Flora had meant to be only stopping at Courtney for a few days but her stay has turned into weeks. Which is no small pleasure with the dashing but infuriating Daniel Kincaid always seeming to appear at every turn. But when Flora makes a shocking discovery, she is sworn to secrecy lest her reputation be in tatters. All the while, she continues to fight the growing attraction between her and Daniel. After all, falling in love will only complicate matters.

Told in the style of Jane Austen reimagined, this is the seventh in the delightfully entrancing Cousins of Pemberley series. I have devoured every one of them, my only complaint being I have to wait so long for the next one! And the next one is one worth waiting for...I have long been waiting and hoping for the youngest Darcy daughter, Bennetta, and her story to be told. We have watched her grow from a teenager to a young woman of 21 in this book, and far more mature than she has been in previous ones. I eagerly await her story...

1. Cassandra

2. Catherine

3. Miriam

4. Jane

5. Merryn

6. Beth

7. Flora

8. Bennetta

I would like to thank #LindaOByrne, #SpellboundBooks and #ZooloosBookTours for an ARC of #Flora in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fiction has always been my go-to world, a place of entertainment, excitement and imagination - I am told that I wrote my first story when I was four about a lady who had twenty children!   Sadly it has been lost for posterity.

I have been writing all my life in the time I could spare from having a “proper job”, mostly for children under the name of Linda Blake, stories of ballet dancers, pony riding and talking animals!  Not all in the same book!

But my love of romance, a great tendency to say “What if..?” and the endearing characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have now resulted in a series of books that will take the reader forward to the next generation of heroines.

I am retired, live in Kent and am a keen member of my local drama group.  Directing and acting take up a lot of my time - I have been given the onerous task of writing the Christmas pantomimes - but I still need to cope with a large garden, doing daily battle with the heron who thinks my pond is his own breakfast buffet and keeping in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world.  

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: The Irish Adoption House by Michelle Vernal

The Irish Adoption House (The Irish Adoption House #1) by Michelle Vernal

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 5th August 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 7th August 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Ireland, 1920. ‘Please. Don’t take her from me. Have some mercy, Sister. Just a moment longer.’ She clutched the bundle to her chest even tighter. But she couldn’t stop them. Hearing her baby’s cries echo in the hallway, she swore that one day they would be together again…

When the man she thought she’d marry suddenly disappears Maudie O’Connor is heartbroken. Then she finds out she’s pregnant. Refusing her pleas to keep the baby, her family send her to St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home in disgrace.

Lying in bed after a harrowing birth, it’s all worth it as she cradles her precious little girl. But the nuns tear the newborn from her grasp. Maudie’s only solace is that she is able to spend a few minutes a day feeding her. Then, one morning, her baby is nowhere to be seen.

Determined to find out what happened to her daughter, Maudie sneaks out after curfew, past the nuns guarding the record room. And when she finds her entry, her breath catches. Not only has her little girl been given up for adoption, she’s been sent several thousand miles to Savannah, Georgia, USA.

With her family disowning her, and not a penny to her name, how will Maudie even start the vast and lonely journey across the ocean? With no one to help her and so little information to go on, how can she hope to find the family who adopted her precious baby? And even if she does – will her little girl ever be given back to Maudie, where she truly belongs?

Have the tissues ready for this emotional and page-turning historical novel set in Ireland, perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

MY THOUGHTS:

A baby torn from her mother...will they be reunited...?

Life in the 1920s was very different to life as we know it now in the 2020s. But life in 1920s Ireland was a whole different concept that few of us could ever bear imagining. It's not just a case of "how much people got away with" as to it being more how they themselves were raised - that being, it's all they had known. It's hard for us to wrap our heads around that concept today but life was different then - especially if you were a Catholic in Ireland. There is nothing like Catholic guilt to shame one into submission. Added to that was all the unrest that Ireland itself was awash with in their fight for independence from the United Kingdom.

From rural Ireland to Savannah, Georgia, crossing the Atlantic from the 1920s to 1985, we meet Maudie O'Connor in the midst of Ireland's unrest. Her sweetheart Ronan Quinn who along with his family are fighting hard for their country's independence from the British, and if the Black and Tans were anything to go by it's no wonder! Maudie has been in love with Ronan for as long as she could remember - ever since he rescued her from JP Hennessey's cruel teasing of her fiery red hair. But her family have forbidden her from seeing him, though that hasn't stopped her from sneaking out to see him.

When whispers reach her ears of a possible raid, Maudie knows she must warn Ronan at once. But to her own peril and dire consequences. Bruised, battered and muddied, Maudie stumbles into her mam's kitchen before collapsing to the floor. For three days she was awash with fever that kept her in bed. When she recovered, her older sister discovered she was pregnant. But Catholic guilt shamed her when she told her mam who organised for her to be sent to St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home in Dublin, her parents having washed their hands of her completely. She had brought shame to their name.

Life in the Mother and Baby Home was dire. It was cruel and harsh and the only thing that kept Maudie going was the belief that she and Ronan would be reunited to bring their child up together. The nuns in the Home were mostly harsh but one, Sister Louise who at least showed some compassion. But the moment Maudie gave birth, her baby was whisked from her arms. She was allowed to see her and feed her each morning but no more. All babies were bottle fed throughout the day and night. 

Then one morning, Maudie arrived at the nursery to nurse baby Emer, as she had named her, to discover her daughter gone. No matter how much she pleaded or cried, the nuns would not disclose where her child had disappeared to. Emer was gone.

But Maudie vowed to do everything in her power to find her baby and be reunited with her, even if it meant scouring the country for her. She creeps downstairs in the middle of the night and locks herself in the Reverend Mother's office, searching her files for any mention of her and her baby. And she finds it. Emer was adopted by an American couple and was now in Savannah, Georgia.

Her own family having disowned her, Maudie decided then and there that she will find her child and she will be reunited with her. Scrambling out the window and without a penny to her name, Maudie makes her way back to the only person she knows and trusts will help her - her older sister Nora. And with Nora's help, she makes her way to America. Her sights set on Savannah and being reunited with her baby.

With all the odds against her, Maudie arrives in Savannah where her new life awaits her. But will she find her baby in this big bustling town? And if she does, will her little girl ever be given back to Maudie?

This was a heartwarming, though often heartbreaking, dual timeline tale spanning the years and continents. I must admit I found the beginning drag a little with so much focus on the RIC, the IRA and Ireland's fight for independence. It was a bloodthirsty time and one I don't particularly relish in reliving in print but it did give background to Maudie's story. The story got more interesting when she was shipped off to the Mother and Baby Home and then her journey to America. It was hard to sympathise with Maudie's family but then that is how it's been penned. Our sympathies lie with Maudie and her predicament for which we see no blame with her but that is not how life was seen in those days particularly those of Irish Catholics, whose roots were buried deep in misguided belief.

Without spoiling anything, this is a heartwarming story with a beautiful ending. I particularly liked the epilogue and the nod to the Carolina wren at the very end. Readers will understand its significance and I thought it was a lovely touch.

And while many may have wished for more about Cecilia, I am pleased to see that Cecilia's story will be told in the second book coming in November this year. I certainly look forward to it.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Storyteller. Cheese scone connoisseur. Occasional yogi.

Michelle Vernal never set out to become a writer—at least not until she joined a creative writing class while on maternity leave with her first son. Fast forward a few years (and more than a few cheese scones), and she’s now the author of over thirty feel-good, funny, and emotionally rich novels that have captured readers’ hearts around the world.

Her stories, often described as “laugh-out-loud,” “utterly heartwarming,” and “the kind of book you read with a smile,” include the bestselling Little Irish Village series, the much-loved Irish Guesthouse on the Green, and the time-slip favourite, The Dressmaker series.

Michelle lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, with her husband, two sons, and a pair of particularly spoiled tabby cats, Humphrey and Savannah. 

Her latest book, The Irish Adoption House is available for Kindle pre-order now and will be released in all other formats on August 7, 2025.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads

REVIEW: Victory for the Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts

Victory for the Foyles Bookshop Girls (The Foyles Bookshop Girls #3) by Elaine Roberts

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 10th July 2025

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Amazon

Published: 10th July 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

London, 1918: the war in Europe may be drawing to an end, but there are new challenges for the Foyles bookshop girls.

As their dreams of the war ending look like they might finally come true, the girls of London’s Foyles bookshop allow themselves to look forward to a brighter future.

But their hopes may be shattered when news of a terrible flu that is gripping the world reaches London, and the girls realise they are not out of danger yet. Meanwhile, they have their own challenges to face when Alice discovers her father has been living a double life; Victoria’s beloved husband Ted struggles to adjust to life after the trenches; and the secret Molly has been keeping finally comes to light.

But, working side-by-side in London’s Foyles bookshop, Alice, Victoria and Molly have become more like sisters than friends. And together, they can brave any storm.

As London faces its toughest year yet, will the Foyles bookshop girls make it through to victory together?

MY THOUGHTS:

Will their families be whole again this Christmas...?

London 1918: It's July and there are whispers that the war could be over soon. It couldn't come quick enough for friends Alice, Victoria and Molly and their respective other halves - all of whom had served and left with the scars of the battlefront. But Foyles is a place of refuge where the girls find solace but find others do too. And in these times, they find they need that solace now more than ever.

Alice has come across a secret that she was never meant to discover - an unposted letter and a photo hidden in a book. But now she has and she is wondering what to do with that knowledge. But before she can confront the other party and telling no one, not even her own policeman husband Freddie, she decides she needs to gather whatever information she has and find out for herself the validity of this secret. And whether she is mistaken, imagining it or it isn't true at all. Only then will she face whatever truth she finds.

Victoria has been in love with Ted Marsden ever since she was sixteen and he a handsome soldier. But Ted has returned home with battlescars that no one can see. The nightmares, the terrors, the fear of being bombed or attacked as real as if he were still on the battlefield. It is what doctors are calling shell shock and many veterans are suffering similar experiences. But Victoria has only ever wanted to marry Ted and as their wedding day approaches, she isn't feeling as if it can go ahead. All she wants to be is Mrs Ted Marsden. But is it too late for them?

Molly harbours her own secret. She has been feeling sick and lightheaded and fears she maybe coming down with something until she realises she is more than likely pregnant. But this brings with more fear. How will Andrew cope with a child, with his own terrors from the front still fresh in his mind? And how can she bring a child into this world while war rages? But time is not on her side; this baby is coming whether she is ready for it or not. But will it be welcome news?

And then they are hit with an unseen enemy which began in the trenches and has begun to spread worldwide - the Spanish flu. Reading through that time was reminiscent of when we more recently endured the COVID pandemic - the hygiene, face masks, disinfecting everything, staying home and even closing up businesses.

This is a relatively quick read that I devoured in a day, despite the plethora of stories within its pages. I somehow missed the second book but it didn't really matter as each can be read as a standalone anyway, with their own stories to tell. I've summarised just the basics but even that barely touches the surface.

Another enjoyable read by Elaine Roberts and the setting of the bookshop is just perfect - where everyone finds solace.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Elaine Roberts had a dream to write for a living. She completed her first novel in her twenties and received her first very nice rejection. Life then got in the way until circumstances made her re-evaluate her life, and she picked up her dream again in 2010. She joined a creative writing class, The Write Place, in 2012 and shortly afterwards had her first short story published. She was thrilled when many more followed and started to believe in herself. 

As a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and The Society of Women Writers & Journalists, Elaine attends many conferences, workshops, seminars and wonderful parties. Meeting other writers gives her encouragement, finding most face similar problems. 

Elaine and her patient husband, Dave, have five children who have flown the nest. Home is in Dartford, Kent and is always busy with their children, grandchildren, grand dogs and cats visiting. Without her wonderful family and supportive friends, she knows the dream would never have been realised.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Goodreads

REVIEW: Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

 

Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel (The Beach Hotel #5) by Francesca Capaldi

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 15th June 2025

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Amazon

Published: 5th June 2025

**Due to falling sick I was unable to read and review this book in time for my date of the tour - 9th June.**

DESCRIPTION:

A new arrival at the Beach Hotel spells trouble

Chambermaid Fanny is thanking her lucky stars she has had a second chance at life. As an unmarried mother, it could have been very different and she is happy.

But when new maid, Susie, arrives at the Beach Hotel, it isn't long before sparks fly. Susie begins to meddle in Fanny's friendships and even in her budding romance with Walter, an American working at the aerodrome.

Meanwhile, a flu epidemic starts to spread and as more people fall ill, the hotel is forced to close.

Matters come to a head when Susie plots to reveal secrets about Fanny that could spell her ruin.

Can the hotel and the hardworking women who run it survive?

An uplifting, emotional WW1 saga perfect for fans of Ginny Bell and Jean Fullerton

MY THOUGHTS:

She has a second chance...now she she might lose everything...

Are we on Book 5 already? This has to be one of my favourite series and the setting is just superb - on the West Sussex coast of Littlehampton in the stunning Beach Hotel on the waterfront promenade. Throughout this series, we have seen the comings and goings as war was declared and the men shipped off to the Front with the women remaining to keep the home fires burning. And in this case, the Beach Hotel running. Each story is a standalone but to get the bigger picture of all involved, I do recommend reading the whole series.

1918: War has been raging in Europe for four years now and at last it looks as though the end is in sight. For Fanny (Francine) Bullen, head chambermaid at the Beach Hotel, it couldn't come quick enough. But that in itself brings its own drawbacks for young Fanny.

We first met Fanny as a young girl of 18 having left the workhouse in which she called home for eleven years and gaining employment as a maid (I can't remember which position she held back then). She was a rough diamond as life in the workhouse had been tough and you had to be tough to survive. But at the Beach Hotel, she had found she'd been given a second chance and after seven years she looked upon them all as a family. This was none so more true than when two years ago she found herself in the very difficult position of being pregnant, unmarried and abandoned by the baby's father. She had tried to hide her pregnancy for as long as she could, though even she wasn't aware of it for six months, but her family at the hotel were warm and welcoming of both her circumstances and the new baby she gave birth to alone in a storage cupboard.

Now two years later, the old Fanny is but a shadow of who she'd once been and now she has been given this second chance to start again. No one need know who little Elsie's father was. As far as anyone else was concerned, she'd lost him in the war. After all, so many lives had indeed been lost - why not him?

And then along the waterfront one day Fanny met Walter, an American who'd been tasked with helping to build the new aerodrome in nearby Rustington. Before long, the pair were arranging their afternoons off to coincide with the other so as to spend them together. But just as things begin to look on the up for young Fanny, her new-found happiness looks to be ruined with an unknown enemy in her midst.

Susie Shorn knew Fanny from the workhouse but she swore her to secrecy in menacing undertone. The last thing Susie wanted as people sticking their noses into her business. Of course, that didn't stop her from sticking her nose into theirs - that was quite a different matter altogether. Upon gaining the position of chambermaid, she was loathed to discover that she was to be working under Fanny whom she saw was no better than she was what with her past coming from the workhouse. Susie couldn't see what made Fanny any better than her - or why she deserved any better than she did. She listened at keyholes, in doorways and on the stairs, hoping to pick up any interesting tidbits that could be used to her advantage. And anything she could do to bring the snooty Fanny back down to size, pretending to be something she's not. She drove wedges between friends and set her sights on something better for herself - and all the while, she enjoyed every minute of havoc and heartbreak she created whilst pretending to be a friend. But then she made an error of judgement that she thought would mean a big payday for her to clear out and start somewhere new where no one knew her, but she wasn't as clever as she thought.

Meanwhile, it looks as though the war was indeed nearing its end and for Fanny that meant heartbreak as Walter would surely return home to America and she feared she would never see him again. And with the Spanish Flu striking so many down, how will they all survive? And will Fanny get her happy ever after?

There was so much going on in this book - from the war to the Spanish Flu to Fanny's romance with Walter to the unscrupulous Susie. But I enjoyed every minute of it and it was refreshing to hear Fanny's story at last. She's always been in the background as a troubled young girl from the workhouse. She has certainly grown over the course of the books into a lovely young woman. I was happy the book ended the way it did and not up in the air as it could well have. At least we got closure for those involved. And it was a wonderful story.

So we've had Edie, Lili, Helen, Hetty and now Fanny (I much prefer the name Francine) - I think it's Gertie's turn next and I would be interested to see what lay in store for her. And if she continues with the women's football now that the war is over. Already looking forward to the next one.

I would like to thank #FrancescaCapaldi, #Netgalley, #HeraBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #StormySkiesAtTheBeachHotel in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child. Born in Worthing, Sussex, and brought up in Littlehampton, she was largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was brilliant at improvised story telling.

A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into something more in 2006, when she joined a writing class.

​Writing as both Francesca Capaldi and Francesca Burgess, she has had numerous short stories published in magazines in the UK and abroad, as well as in anthologies. Four pocket novels have been published by DC Thomson, one of which, Danger for Daisy, is available as an ebook.

Her Welsh World War 1 sagas were inspired by the discovery of her great grandfather's war record.  They are published by Hera Books

​She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. 

Francesca currently lives on the North Downs in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

SPOTLIGHT: Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel (The Beach Hotel #5) by Francesca Capaldi

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 5th June 2025

**Due to falling sick I have been unable to read and review this book in time for my date of the tour. I will review it as soon as I have finished reading just as soon as I recover from my bout of flu.**

DESCRIPTION:

A new arrival at the Beach Hotel spells trouble

Chambermaid Fanny is thanking her lucky stars she has had a second chance at life. As an unmarried mother, it could have been very different and she is happy.

But when new maid, Susie, arrives at the Beach Hotel, it isn't long before sparks fly. Susie begins to meddle in Fanny's friendships and even in her budding romance with Walter, an American working at the aerodrome.

Meanwhile, a flu epidemic starts to spread and as more people fall ill, the hotel is forced to close.

Matters come to a head when Susie plots to reveal secrets about Fanny that could spell her ruin.

Can the hotel and the hardworking women who run it survive?

An uplifting, emotional WW1 saga perfect for fans of Ginny Bell and Jean Fullerton

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child. Born in Worthing, Sussex, and brought up in Littlehampton, she was largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was brilliant at improvised story telling.

A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into something more in 2006, when she joined a writing class.

​Writing as both Francesca Capaldi and Francesca Burgess, she has had numerous short stories published in magazines in the UK and abroad, as well as in anthologies. Four pocket novels have been published by DC Thomson, one of which, Danger for Daisy, is available as an ebook.

Her Welsh World War 1 sagas were inspired by the discovery of her great grandfather's war record.  They are published by Hera Books

​She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. 

Francesca currently lives on the North Downs in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

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REVIEW: Troubled Times at Harpers by Rosie Clarke

Troubled Times at Harpers (Harpers Emporium #9) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 27th May 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Trouble’s brewing and times are changing. If you play with fire you may just get burnt!

London 1929

Torn between the love of his family life in London and a deathbed promise to an American relative, Ben Harper makes a fatal decision that may change the course of many lives.

Honour-bound, Ben remains in New York to investigate who is responsible for the suspected fraud, corruption and the department store's failings. His findings point towards organised crime and shadowy gangsters who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Meanwhile Sally Harper and their children safely return home to oversee the smooth running of the thriving Harpers Emporium. With the help of Beth Burrows, Kitty Wilson, and Ruby Rush, Sally plans for an ever-changing future with the cards she’s been dealt.

Will Ben heed the deadly warnings before it’s too late or will his honourable promise bring despair to those he loves?

A tale of hope, dreams and survival set against an ever-changing era.

Perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane, Pam Howes and Dilly Court.

MY THOUGHTS:

Another delightful installment to the Harpers Emporium series although I found this one a little slower off the mark than previous ones in which I easily dived and devoured. It is still a fairly quick and easy read though it feels as though so many have come and gone with only a few of the originals left. I normally eagerly await a Harpers book but this one didn't feel as though it hit all the marks as previous ones. But that could just be me too.

The years is 1929 and Ben's aunt has summoned him back to America to take over her affairs during the course of her illness and in the event of her subsequent death. This of course takes him away from London and Harpers, though the latter is left in Sally's capable hands. She has promoted Kitty Wilson as her assistant and taken on a new secretary Ruby Rush.

Meanwhile Beth has new neighbours but there is something familiar about them but she isn't quite sure. She continues her several mornings work at Harpers whilst caring for her husband Jack, children and father in law Fred whom she has encouraged to return to Harpers on a part time basis since the loss of his wife.

Sally is busy running a household and the store, along with her many charities she patronises. A face from her past returns with some sobering news but is on hand to offer her assistance should she need it. Meanwhile she has her hands full with children Jenny and Peter and the ever-changing future before her. She hates being separated from Ben but he is honour-bound and hopes that they will soon be reunited.

There is love on the horizon for one or two of the Harpers girls but will anything come of it? And yet, troubled times are ahead of them. Will those concerned heed the warnings before it's too late? 

Unlike many previous books, Harpers features more of a backdrop than the feature but that's OK because the store is well established and is the heartbeat of all those who are employed there and those who walk through its doors. This is one of my favourite series and can't wait to see what's in store for them next. I'm especially interested in Ruby's story. And I did like that this one did not end on a cliffhanger.

I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TroubledTimesAtHarpers 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.

 

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

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REVIEW: The Girls who Dared to Love by Diney Costeloe

The Girls who Dared to Love (Girls Who Dared #2) by Diney Costeloe

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 13th May 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 5th September 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Three girls seem to have the world at their feet in the summer of 1914. But World War I is coming and things will change forever – especially for women.

Debutante Lucinda McFarlane is engaged to be married to Major Sir David Melcome, but their society wedding has to be scaled right down when war is declared and David is recalled to his regiment.

Mabel Oakley, once a maid for the McFarlanes, has inherited Thomas Clarke's printing works, but an unexpected turn of events leaves her at the mercy of her father's old enemy, solicitor John Sheridan. What can she do?

Lady Diana Fosse-Bury is incredibly beautiful and reckless. When war is declared she immediately wants to be in the thick of it. Can her budding romance with Lucinda McFarlane's brother Iain survive the Western front?

With war coming, the destinies of these three girls will soon be entwined forever, but only if they dare to love in the face of the dangers ahead of them.

MY THOUGHTS:

The world is their oyster, but war is coming...

London 1914: Once the McFarlane's maid, Mabel Oakley now owns and runs her own printing business which she had inherited from dear friend Thomas Clarke. But the world is still very much a man's one and for the sake of propriety she has retained the business name "Thomas Clarke, Printer". Along with the business, Mabel was also bequeathed a house far bigger than that which her family lived in on Cockspur Lane. So it went without saying that the family moved to her new home where her father would have more room to move about in his wheelchair, gifted to them by the late Mr Clarke.

It also meant each had their own room - and with room to spare! So when her father Andrew's nurse Dorothy Finch told them she had a notice to vacate her home of 30 years within seven days, Mabel didn't think twice about offering he the unused rooms on the top floor. But Mabel's generosity didn't end there. Along the way, she also picked up another couple of waifs and strays and offered them a place to stay for the foreseeable. One of them being her old schoolfriend Annie after she lost her husband at the Front. Life was good for Mabel. William still came calling, with an understanding that she was not yet ready to settle down but he came biding his time and safe in the knowledge that they had an understanding.

Until Mabel meets Charlie "Chas" Sheridan, son of her father's former employer John Sheridan. And that was when Mabel really knew what love was. But the hostilities between her father and John Sheridan would thus make any relationship between them difficult, if not impossible. Would they find a way to somehow be together?

Lucinda McFarlane was preparing for her introduction to society with her first London season whilst her mother hoped for a suitable husband for her daughter, preferably a Duke. But when Lucinda met Major Sir David Melcome it was love at first sight for the couple. However, Sir David's reputation preceded him in that he flirted but never settled and her mother was against the match. But in Lucinda, Sir David had found his match and looked no further. And so with her father Sir Keir's blessing, a wedding was planned to coincide with Lucinda's 18th birthday. But when Sir David received word that he was to rejoin his regiment and head to France, the wedding was brought forward to become an intimate one at their country seat - not the lavish London society wedding that Lady McFarlane had planned. Still, the couple enjoyed a six day honeymoon at his country retreat in Buckinghamshire before he left for France. Lucy missed her husband terribly, but the couple wrote often, and hoped that the war would end soon.

The lives of both women do no cross again as they had in the first novel but they do run alongside one another, along with a growing storyline involving Iain, Lucinda's brother, who had up until now always held a torch for Mabel. Until he met Lady Diana Fosse-Bury who was a match for his own wit and recklessness. Definitely not someone his mother would approve of. Iain continued to hold Mabel in high regard and was even on hand when she asked for his advice on a matter concerning her trust left to her by the late Mr Clarke.

When I received this book I had no idea it was the second in the series so I promptly sought out the first one and read that one and then this one. Having never read Diney Costeloe before I was not disappointed. She has most certainly been added to my list of go-to historical authors. I love the era this novel is set before women came into their own but were beginning to stand up regardless. And the naivety of those concerning the war that was about to change all their lives.

This tale was one that gave you all the heartwarming emotions and the not-so-pleasant ones when faced with certain characters. You cry tears of joy and heartache along with Mabel and Lucinda, both of whom we get to know more. While it doesn't feature the servants quite as much as the first one since Mabel left the McFarlane's employ, it still has that Downton Abbey-esque vibe which makes the story all the more heartwarming.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent with Mabel, Chas, Lucinda and David and those around them. There is certainly more to their story and hope that Ms Costeloe will deliver us with more from them in the near future as I eagerly await to rejoin them again soon.

A well deserved five stars!

Perfect for fans of Rosie Clarke, AnneMarie Brear, Dilly Court and Francesca Capaldi.

I would like to thank #DineyCosteloe, #Netgalley and #AriaFiction for an ARC of #TheGirlsWhoDaredToLove in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diney Costeloe is the daughter of a London publisher and has been surrounded by books all her life. Encouraged by her father, she has always written stories and poems. 

She says, "Encouraged by my publisher father, I have been writing all my life. When I was five, he took my first effort to his office and brought it back in a cardboard cover with the label, 'Tom's Party'written by Diney, published by Daddy. I've never looked back and always have some writing on the go."

When Diney left school she trained as a primary school teacher, and taught in the East End of London and in Somerset. 

She has three children and seven grandchildren, so is always busy with the family.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The Girl Who Dared to Dream by Diney Costeloe

The Girl who Dared to Dream (Girls Who Dared #1) by Diney Costeloe

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 8th May 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 13th October 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A captivating novel from Diney Costeloe, bestselling author of The Throwaway Children and The Girl With No Name.

In London in 1912, Mabel Oakley and her family are typical of their time. Her father Andrew is a solicitor's clerk, her mother Alice keeps the home fires burning and her brothers plan to become skilled apprentices. Mabel would rather die than go into domestic service like her cousin, and is determined to train as a secretary.

But one February morning, a terrible tragedy strikes Andrew on the way to work and the lives of the Oakley family are forever changed. Swallowing her pride, Mabel takes on a position as a maid and finds it every bit as unpleasant as she expected. But when help comes from an unexpected direction, Mabel finds her dreams might not be lost after all…

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the first time I've read Diney Costeloe and I loved every page. She's an author I've often heard about but never actually picked up...until now. I will be adding her to my historical authors list, that's for sure. I love her easy style and the heartwarming essence to her characters.

1912: Fifteen year old Mabel Oakley has dreams. She wants to continue her schooling beyond the basics, to study and complete her exams and become a secretary. Her father has agreed to her going onto the secondary school and her entrance exam is set. Mabel is going places...only the direction is about to change course.

Andrew Oakley works as a senior clerk for Sheridan, Sheridan and Morrell solicitors and has done for nigh on twenty years. But a mistake made has cost him dearly, in more ways than one, and on his way home his steps in front of a brewer's dray without thinking.

Mabel is all excited that she is going to continue her schooling to become a secretary and earn a living for herself. She has been busy chattering and making plans with her mother before heading upstairs to do her homework. When she returns to the kitchen for tea, she finds her mother looking out into the street wondering what's keeping her father. He's not yet home, so maybe he's working late again.

News of Andrew's accident reaches his wife Alice by way of a neighbour and after visiting him in the hospital, she learns his fate. He will live but he will no longer walk. Alice must be strong and band their children - Mabel, Eddie and Stephen - together to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, as well as care for their father.

It isn't long before Mabel's dreams of becoming a secretary dissolve into a cloud of dust. With her father's accident and no longer able to keep his family, it's up to the rest of them to pull their weight. And so when her cousin Lizzie tells of a maid's position coming up for the family she works for in Mayfair, Mabel does what she always vowed she wouldn't do - go into service.

Mabel hates the job and misses her family. The hours are long with hardly any time off and arduous but she knows her family are relying on her. Her cousin Lizzie has given her the rundown of the house and the servants - who to watch and who to steer clear of, their employer's son Iain being one of them. And it was when she was steering clear of Iain's playful advances that she was seen coming out of a room she had no place being in. Then when she returns from a weekend off she is greeted by the stern housekeeper and accused of theft - from the room she'd previously had no business being in! Mabel swears she's innocent but one of the items was found in her bedside locker and so she was dismissed without reference.

Returning home, Mabel instead stops by her friend Mr Clarke's in the printshop by the railway and confides in him - how miserable she is and of the accusations against her. He listens with a friendly ear, gives advice and tells her that it's not forever, that things will get better; that there may be something better for her on the horizon. But Mabel can't see it just now. All she knows is that she had a job she hated and now she has let down her family who were relying on her income. What was she going to do?

This is a heartwarming and touching tale from start to finish. The author pens her characters with such warmth while others with abhorrence. It is easy to feel sympathy where it's due and none where it isn't. She delivers a heartfelt story of a working class family and their struggles, and one girl's strength and determination to rise above her odds.

I picked up this book as I had the second one to read but on discovering this came first I decided to read them in order. And I'm glad I did.

Perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Catherine Cookson and Francesca Capaldi.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diney Costeloe is the daughter of a London publisher and has been surrounded by books all her life. Encouraged by her father, she has always written stories and poems. 

She says, "Encouraged by my publisher father, I have been writing all my life. When I was five, he took my first effort to his office and brought it back in a cardboard cover with the label, 'Tom's Party'written by Diney, published by Daddy. I've never looked back and always have some writing on the go."

When Diney left school she trained as a primary school teacher, and taught in the East End of London and in Somerset. 

She has three children and seven grandchildren, so is always busy with the family.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads