REVIEW: The Midwives' War by Chrissie Walsh

The Midwives' War by Chrissie Walsh

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2

Read: 13th August 2023

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Published: 18th August 2023

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

‘See that patch of blue sky,’ he said. ‘Whenever you see one, that’s where I’ll be – thinking of you.’

Against the chaotic backdrop of World War II, Grace Murphy is working as a midwife in Doncaster Royal Infirmary with her two friends, Clodagh and Patsy. In between delivering babies and tending wounded airmen, the girls endure bombing raids, rationing and the hardships and heartbreak that war brings. But in the faces of the new babies she welcomes to the world, Grace always looks for hope, as she dreams of a time when the war will end.

When the midwives get the chance to go to a dance at the nearby RAF Finningly, they jump at the offer. The hangar is crowded with happy dancing couples but when the glamourous Spitfire pilots saunter in, looking dashing in their leather flying jackets and brightly coloured silk scarves, Grace can’t resist taking a peek. And the moment Grace meets pilot, Richard Carmichael, she knows he will capture her heart.

With every daring flying raid, Grace and Richard risk losing each other forever. All Grace can do is look out for Richard in the patches of blue sky, and hope that fate will bring them their very own wartime happy-ever-after…

Chrissie Walsh is back with this heart-breaking tale of love against the odds, perfect for fans of Fenella Miller, Daisy Styles and Margaret Dickinson.

MY THOUGHTS:

"To love and be loved is a very precious thing, even when the person you shared that love with is no longer part of your life...You carry it with you through life and it gives you the strength to keep on looking for the patch of blue sky."

1942: As bombs are falling, in a little corner of Yorkshire babies are being born under the care of three midwives - Grace Murphy, Clodagh Flynn and Patsy O'Grady. Three Irish nurses who came to England where nurses were desperately needed in light of the war. It's at Doncaster Royal Infirmary where these three nurses trained in midwifery join the maternity team and in their own way make their mark.

It's a Friday evening when Grace and Clodagh finish their shift and return to the house they share with Patsy, and after a meal, they don their gladrags and head to the local RAF airbase where a dance is underway. There, Grace meets handsome pilot Richard Carmichael and the pair fall hopelessly in love. But life as a fighter pilot is a short one and tomorrow may never come. Richard vowed never to involve himself seriously with a girl under these circumstances but upon meeting Grace all that fell by the wayside. They were soulmates destined to be together despite their different backgrounds. He from Yorkshire aristocracy (so his mother would have everyone believe) while she is a Catholic girl from County Clare. But none of that matters to them for they know they were meant to be together.

But when tragedy strikes, Richard finds comfort in Grace's arms and in her bed but upon returning to base is dealt another blow that sees him fall further into the depths of despair and thus he makes a rash decision from which there is no coming back from. Whilst Grace finds herself in trouble but by then it is too late as she receives a heartbroken letter and no way of reaching Richard. She too finds herself in the depths of despair, pregnant and alone. No job, no home and nowhere safe for her and her baby. She cannot return to Ireland and be branded a wanton woman and bringing shame on her family.

Alone with no prospects and nowhere to go, Grace must find her own way in the world and make a home for herself and her child.

1969: In a care home nestled in Yorkshire, Richard Carmichael ruminates over his life and the box in which he keeps his most precious mementos. A silk scarf from his time as a pilot, a photo of him and the lads who never got to come home, a photo of a pretty nurse who still holds his heart and the brooch he had specially made for her. His daughter Sara sees him and the memories it evokes and wonders of the story that lays there untold. She thought her mother was the great love of his life but as her father begins his story, she discovers the truth of his greatest love and the regret he has carried since.

Oh my. I was not prepared for the emotions this story evoked. I devoured it in one sitting and was in tears by its final pages. It is such a moving, heartbreaking tale that envelops you completely. I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did but oh I did.  I will never look up at and see that patch of blue sky again without being moved.

A truly delightful tale. Keep on looking for that patch of blue sky.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Chrissie Walsh was born and raised in West Yorkshire and is a retired schoolteacher with a passion for history. She has written several successful sagas documenting feisty women in challenging times for Aria. Welcome to Weaver Street, the first title in her new WW1 saga series for Boldwood.

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REVIEW: A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane

A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls (The Tobacco Girls #6) by Lizzie Lane

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2, Post-WW2

Read: 25th July 2023

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Amazon

Published: 28th July 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

It has finally happened! The war is over and Europe rejoices.

May 1945 – VE Day

After battling against the odds, the three friends are uncertain of their futures.

Maisie Miles must wait on tenterhooks for Japan to surrender and for poor Sid to return home. Will they still be sweethearts and have a future together? But tragedy strikes when Maisie's lodger Carole dies leaving 2-year-old Paula orphaned, Maisie is determined to keep the child she has grown to love as her own.

Meanwhile Bridget O’Neill’s husband has been patiently waiting her arrival in America but Bridget’s been struggling to leave her family and friends behind. Will she stay or will she go?

Phyllis Fairbrother receives the devastating news that husband Mick has relapsed and suffering a life changing diagnosis. Their dreams of a new life in Australia lie in tatters, or so she thinks.

With a new dawn, there are high hopes and boundless dreams.

Can the Tobacco Girls unite once more to overcome life’s troubles and find the happiness they so deserve?

MY THOUGHTS;

All is fair in love and war...

I have followed this series from the beginning and I have loved accompanying the girls over the course of their respective journeys. This one is somewhat bittersweet in ending and in reviewing this final installment.

Bridget O'Neill, nee Milligan, prepares to join husband Lyndon in the United States to begin their lives together however she is finding leaving Bristol, her family and friends behind somewhat difficult. And so she takes on several crusades of her own to keep her firmly in Blighty for the time being. When she hears her father has a new lady friend, she is keen to stop by and check up on him ensuring he is well looked after as well as her younger siblings. But it's the plight of children as young as 3 being shipped to Australia with no promise of being adopted at the other end that keeps her here as she uses her influence and the O'Neill money to investigate further. Meanwhile, Lyndon is at first understanding knowing how difficult it must be for Bridget to leave the place she was born and grew up as well as her family and friends. But when the weeks turn into months and he still hasn't seen his growing son, he becomes impatient in wanting his wife and son home with him in the United States. Bridget's excuses are running out. Will she follow her husband and make her new home with him? Or will she stay in the place she's always called home?

Phyllis Fairbrother, nee Mason then Harvey, married Australian Mick on the ship bringing them back from Malta after an unexploded bomb ruined their wedding and saw Mick rushed off to hospital. Now they are back in England, and the injuries Mick sustained in that explosion see him back in hospital with no chance of returning to his homeland of Australia with Phyllis to set up home and a vineyard. Instead Phyllis must find a home for them close by for his regular appointments with the surgeon. So she decides to settle back in her home town of Bristol in one of the new prefab houses purposely built for returning servicemen and their families. A face from the past pulls a few strings to get them the new place but Mick is far from grateful for the shoebox when he could have had acres of land at his fingertips back home. But a chance encounter with a friendly neighbour and veteran from the first war helps Mick put things into perspective. Will he settle for England or will he continue to grumble for a dream that is out of reach?

Maisie Miles, the only one of the three M's who has not married, still works at the tobacco factory and lives in the house her grandmother bequeathed to her. Her sweetheart Sid was taken prisoner in the Far East and is currently a POW in Changi. She took in young Carole Thomas who found herself pregnant after being attacked by someone she thought she could trust and as a result didn't want the baby. Maisie, however, fought tooth and nail for Carole to keep the little baby even after she was tricked into an illegal adoption. Now Maisie has grown fond of the young girl who is now two and approaching her third birthday and has gotten used to her being around. But all that is about to change when Carole announces that she has gotten engaged to Joe Shaw though she has yet to tell him about little Paula. Maisie doesn't begrudge Carole some happiness but she doesn't want to lose Paula either. But with Joe coming from Liverpool that would be where they will settle. Until tragedy strikes leaving 2 year old Paula orphaned and Maisie is determined to keep the child as her own. But when Sid returns from the Far East, will he be willing to take on someone else's child? 

There is so much packed into this final installment that I have barely touched on any of it. It is by far the best and it is with bittersweet emotions that I bid farewell to those I have come to love. The book opens with VE celebrations though was in the Pacific still rages on. When the announcement that the Japanese have surrendered spreads, the VJ celebrations begin. 

Over the course of this series we have seen many characters come and go. Some likeable, some horribly vile. Some get their comeuppance while others await theirs. However while Eddie Bridgeman was one of those such characters, in this installment we see him redeem himself.

A fitting end to an enjoyable series, we now have the Coronation Close series to enjoy in its place. 

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

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REVIEW: A Royal Visit to Victory Street by Pam Howes

A Royal Visit to Victory Street (The Bryant Sisters #5) by Pam Howes

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-war

Read: 5th November 2022

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Amazon

Published: 8th November 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

From Amazon charts bestseller Pam Howes comes an emotional and uplifting saga about the power of family and a community trying to rebuild their lives after the terrible war that nearly destroyed everything…

1956, Liverpool. With the shadow of the war looming over them and bomb craters littering the surrounding streets, hope feels far away for the residents of Victory Street. When they learn that the Queen has chosen to visit them on a tour of Liverpool, the delighted neighbours bring back the wartime spirit. Can they possibly get the street ready in time?

Even a royal visit cannot take away Bella Harrison’s worries. Her son, fourteen-year-old Levi, has just told her he wants to move to America to join the rest of his father’s family. The news has so shocked Bella that she’s not sure she’ll be able to sing for the Queen, jeopardising all their plans for the big day.

Life has been hard for Levi, growing up as a mixed-race boy in Liverpool, but he’s the light of Bella’s life. The thought of losing him brings back the terrible memories of her father and sister dying during the war. If everyone pulls together to make the Queen’s visit an unforgettable celebration, perhaps she can persuade Levi that Victory Street is where he belongs.

But when Levi receives heartbreaking news from America and his move becomes uncertain, Bella starts to wonder if all her efforts to keep him in Liverpool have been for the right reasons. Can Bella find it in herself to sing for the big celebration, and make the right choice for her beloved son?

A totally unputdownable, heart-wrenching historical novel, packed with family secrets, perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell.

MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Pam Howes' final installment A ROYAL VISIT TO VICTORY STREET.

I have followed the lives and loves of the original Bryant Sisters through the war years and beyond since the beginning. I have watched them bloom and grow, fall in love, get married, have children and settle down. Now the series is coming to an end as we see their children bloom and grow...as life for them comes full circle.

It's 1956 and the shadows of war still linger eleven years after its end as the community continues to rebuild their homes and their lives. At a gathering of the Watertree WI (Women's Institute), Mary is made privy to the upcoming visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Given the task of organising the entire event, Mary then rallies her troops around she needs, all of them on a "need to know" basis. It seems Victory Street is to represent Liverpool on the royal couple's visit so Mary sets to organising a spruce up with all hands on deck. And they have just six weeks in which to prepare.

It seems Prince Philip was endeared by Liverpool's songtresses the Bryant Sisters so Bella, Edie and Fran dust off their frocks (or rather they buy new ones) and set to rehearsing a couple of numbers to entertain the royal couple. And Mary's granddaughter, Bella's 7 year old daughter Lizzie, is to present a bouquet to the Queen on behalf of Liverpool...and so rehearsals were underway for Lizzie to familiarise herself and know what she is to do. As Lizzie is deaf, though she can lip-read, she relies on sign mostly to communicate.

After the royals leave Victory Street, a party is then thrown for the entire community to come and enjoy as Bella's eldest son Levi takes to the stage with two of his friends to perform as a trio for the masses. It seems music is in his blood as he follows in his parents' footsteps to follow his dream of becoming a singer. He watches as local lad John Lennon begins to make a name for himself as well as the rising stars coming out of the USA with the likes of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, and he wonders if he has what it takes to make as they have.

Times have certainly changed since Bella and her friends took the stage in their break time and the Bryant factory, entertaining the co-workers at the beginning of the war. From there they joined ENSA where they met Basil Jenkins who later went on to marry Bobby Harrison's mother Fenella after the death of her husband. Now Bella and Bobby have Levi (though fathered by Earl Franklin) and their own daughter Lizzie whilst Edie is married to Stevie with baby Dennis and Fran is married to Sam with Lorraine and Gary. Mary has also found love again in Martin, Basil's former driver, while Molly (her youngest) married Earl Franklin and has twins Patti and Harry. Not to mention Earl's family he brought over from America with him when he emigrated wanting to spend time with his son Levi, what with sister Ruby, daughter Diana and I forget where Delores comes in. To anyone outside, this family tree would have them scratching their heads. I know I was trying to remember who was who and how they fit in...lol

A ROYAL VISIT TO VICTORY STREET brings this series to a fitting end with heartwarming tales set to delight the reader. Packed full with party planning, unforeseen news, singing, a royal visit, more singing, a startling surprise and a new venture in the works, this quick and easy read has brings a sense of nostalgia that makes you feel as if you are right there with them.

I have to say though, the description of the book is once again misleading, and I spent most of the book waiting for something to happen that was never going to! I may be niggling, but it's a pet peeve of mine when the description outlines something completely different from the story.

Overall, a compelling read that speaks for itself...as does the rest of the series.

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ARoyalVisitToVictoryStreet in exchange for an honest review.

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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REVIEW: Searching for my Daughter by Liz Trenow

Searching for my Daughter by Liz Trenow

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, Post-WW2

Read: 2nd May 2022

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Published: 5th May 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Searching for My Daughter: Absolutely heartbreaking and totally unputdownable WW2 historical fiction

 

The queue is long, but that barely matters. She is used to waiting. For the midnight knock at the door, for her number to be called, for the next meal of watery soup, the sound of a gunshot... Sustaining her through every moment of waiting, there has remained the tiniest flicker of hope: her daughter Rosa’s face, eyes bright and expectant, arms outstretched.

Germany 1945: Miriam has travelled for over two weeks to reach safety. Exhausted and hungry, she knows she is still one of the fortunate ones. One of the few to survive the camps. Having lost her darling husband and son, the only thing that has kept her walking is the hope of finding her daughter, Rosa.

As she arrives at the checkpoint, she is told it is closed for the day. But in her mind Miriam can hear her daughter’s voice: Be strong, stand up to them. Don’t let anyone bully you, Mum. Standing tall, she comes face to face with the guard and refuses to leave until they help her.

When Miriam is introduced to an English officer named Jack, she describes how, fearing the Nazis, she and her husband sent Rosa to England to marry. It was not a marriage of love but of survival. Now, Miriam needs the officer’s help: if she is to be reunited with her beloved daughter, he will need to help her travel to England.

But as Miriam begins to describe Rosa, there is a look of recognition in Jack’s eyes. As he listens to her story, he is transported back to an unforgettable English summer, to secret picnics in the long grass, and to a love that shaped the man he became. Will Jack now risk everything to help Miriam make the biggest journey of all, back to her daughter and her freedom?

An utterly gripping and emotional novel about bravery, enduring love and keeping hope alive in the darkest of times. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

MY THOUGHTS:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Liz Trenow's heartbreaking tale SEARCHING FOR MY DAUGHTER.

What a beautiful an compelling story. So rare are there historical fiction stories in the immediate aftermath of concentration camp liberation and survivors making their way into an unfamiliar world they had been torn from nearly a decade before. So many tales of wartime fiction recount similar stories of the death camps and Jews being rounded up tortured under the Nazi regime that they tend to all blend together after a while. But SEARCHING FOR MY DAUGHTER offers something completely different.

July 1945: Beginning in the months after the liberation of the camps, a lone woman old before her time joins the long queue outside the British border station, just beyond Russian territory. Miriam Kauffman has trekked for hundreds of miles for two weeks with little food and water in the hope that she may be granted a visa to travel to England so she can begin her search for her daughter Rosa. Just as all hope appears to be lost, she meets Captain Jack Preston who upon taking her details recognises her daughter's name. Can Jack help her get to England? And will she be finally reunited with Rosa after seven years?

Miriam has not seen her daughter since 1938 when she married Daniel Levy and gaining refuge in England prior to the war just as life for Jewish people was becoming more difficult under Hilter's new Nazi regime. It seemed to be the safest option for Rosa when Daniel proposed and whisked her away under the sponsorship of a family who will house them and employ Daniel in the Preston factory manufacturing fans for aircraft. But life in England, although it holds the promise of a fresh start, does not go too smoothly for the couple and before long are left to fend for themselves. However, being German in Britain at a time when the country is at war with theirs is not a friendly place to be. Apart from the fact that they are Jews who have been persecuted by the Nazi's, the fact remains that they are German. And no one is sympathetic to their cause.

When the war comes to an end in May 1945, Rosa longs to find out what became of her family. Daniel had promised that he would try and organise visas for them to join them in England but war broke out before that could happen and her family disappeared into the ether. She contacts the Jewish Information centre and the Red Cross in the hope that they may be able to trace her family and what became of them...but it seems the information she receives is a dead end.

Just as Rosa begins her search, Miriam embarks on her own journey to find her daughter with Jack Preston's help. It seems both women are at cross purposes throughout as so often they are close and yet so far from one another. In a city of millions in the wake of a debilitating war, can mother and daughter find each other against all odds? Can the promise of new life give them both hope?

Told in three parts, SEARCHING FOR MY DAUGHTER is a story of survival, of hope and of never giving up. It is not one woman's journey, but both women's journeys to new life and hopefully back to each other. So many stories focus on the horrors of the death camps, the hiding and persecution of the Jews and high-handedness of the Nazi rule. This story is different in that it's focus is on the aftermath. Both Miriam and Rosa's stories were unique and heartbreaking, so have your tissues handy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. It is compelling, heartbreaking and poignant...but it is also hopeful and inspiring. I would love to see more stories like this as those about life in the camps and so forth have flooded the market that readers are drowning in them. SEARCHING FOR MY DAUGHTER offers something different.

Overall, an engrossing read that is a poignant tear-jerker with a hopeful ending. One of the best I have read in a long time.

I would like to thank #LizTrenow, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #SearchingForMyDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Liz Trenow is a former journalist who spent fifteen years on regional and national newspapers, and on BBC radio and television news, before turning her hand to fiction.  Searching for My Daughter is her ninth novel. The Forgotten Seamstress reached the top twenty in the New York Times best seller list and The Last Telegram was nominated for a national award. Her books are published all over the world and translated into many languages.  

 

She lives in Colchester with her artist husband, and they have two grown up daughters and three grandchildren.  

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The Mersey Mother by Sheila Riley

The Mersey Mothers (Reckoner's Row #3) by Sheila Riley

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 15th April 2022

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Amazon

Published: 19th April 2022

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Liverpool 1953

January sees the dawn of the Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation year as the mothers of Reckoners Row unite in preparation for the celebration of the new Queen.

Meanwhile Evie Kilgaren is dreaming of her summer wedding to Danny Harris, but trouble looms for Skinner & Sons with a new rival trying to put them out of business, but no-one knows why....

Ada Harris is summoned to the bedside of her estranged husband, who, in his dying moment confesses to a deadly secret - he knows who really murdered Evie’s mam Rene all those years ago and the consequences are far reaching.

Has an innocent man been jailed and is there still a murderer walking carefree?

Will Evie get the happy-ever-after she so longs for with Danny? And will The Mersey Mothers unite and still be friends?

MY REVIEW:

I am so thrilled to be revisiting Reckoner's Row once again in this third installment of this delightful series. THE MERSEY MOTHERS picks up three years after the previous "The Mersey Girls" left off. And while each book can be read as a standalone, all three tie in together with the ongoing backstory that unfolds throughout them all. 

In THE MERSEY MOTHERS, not only do we revisit the residents of Reckoner's Row, but the original story in which Evie Kilgaren's mother Rene had disappeared during the coldest winter of 1947, her body later uncovered when the canal thawed. In the first book "The Mersey Orphan" (originally titled "The Orphan's Daughter"), after Rene's body was discovered, Evie's father Frank had been arrested for her murder and later imprisoned in a Mental Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

The story begins with a Prologue detailing the lead-up and thus Rene Kilgaren's demise from a rather different perspective before moving forward to 1953 where the story picks up with the excitement of the upcoming coronation of the new Queen. Life in Reckoner's Row has moved on although it was deeply affected by WW2 with rationing and shortages still rife some eight years later.

After buying the haulage yard from his step-father, Danny Harris (Skinner) is now struggling to keep the yard running with the opening of a new more competitive rival on the dock road, Lenard's Haulage. Evie Kilgaren works hard at keeping the books but with the business beginning to fail, she secretly advertises for more account keeping work to keep their head above water. Evie doesn't know how Lenard's knows who their customers are or how they are undercutting them but if they continue, Skinner's & Son will not survive.

The woman Danny had known as his mother growing up, Ada Harris, takes centre stage in much of this story as word reaches her that her good-for-nothing husband she kicked out three years ago after it was discovered he had been blackmailing Danny's step-father, Henry Skinner, is nearing death's door. Ada doesn't believe it for one minute and takes her time in knocking on his boarding house's door. But the Bert Harris she knew was a shadow of the man he used to be; shrivelled up skin and bone laying on his bug-ridden bed. He directed Ada to a cupboard and a box that was hidden there but expired before he could confess much more. All he had told her was that he knew who really killed Rene Kilgaren. Ada was scared that the box would contain proof that Bert had done the deed so therefore was too frightened to open it herself and hid it away upon arriving home.

Meanwhile, there is plenty going on in the Row with the upcoming coronation as the community prepares while trying to get by as they do best. Evie and her 16 year old sister are worried for their brother Jack who was in Korea under the National Service and had been for two years, though it had been some time since they had heard from him. Lucy was no an apprentice at Madame Barbery's Coiffure and was taking part in the Apprentice of the Year Awards at the exclusive Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool.

While in the shadows, nefarious activities continue to play out behind the scenes with the blackmarket and a murder case to solve. And as always, there are some dubious characters which will make your skin crawl as you hope they get their comeuppance. Susie Blackthorn, a regular thorn (pun intended) in both Danny and Evie's side, is back with a vengeance. But will she finally win out?

There are several stories interwoven throughout this wonderful family saga and it seems almost fitting that everything appears to come full circle by the end. It would certainly make an appropriate end to the series but I would love to see more of the Reckoner's Row residents whom I have grown fond of. I love this style of fiction as it mixes historical with a bit of mystery, that probably isn't all that mysterious in fact, but makes for entertaining and compelling reading. THE MERSEY MOTHERS is indeed an addictive read I couldn't put down and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

While it can be read as a standalone, as there is enough backstory supplied so that the reader doesn't miss out, THE MERSEY MOTHERS is fully appreciated best in conjunction with the first two books in the series. I love Sheila Riley's style and I loved that she dropped a mention of Ruby's Emporium (from her other Docklands series) a couple of times into the story.

Another wonderfully addictive historical fiction saga, THE MERSEY MOTHERS is perfect for fans of feel-good family sagas such as Rosie Clarke and Nadine Dorries.

I would like to thank #SheilaRiley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheMerseyMothers in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sheila Riley sets her gritty family sagas around the River Mersey and its docklands. Born in Southport and raised not far from the river, she was a hairdresser for over thirty years before her love of writing encouraged her to put away the scissors and take up the pen. As a ghostwriter, she previously wrote four bestselling novels under the name Annie Groves, a pseudonym inherited from saga legend Penny Jordan.

Married to her knight in rusty armour, Tony, she has three grown-up children, five adored grandchildren, a majestic German Shepherd called Max and an insatiably energetic Siberian Husky called Louis and an ancient cat called Missy. 

Social Media links:

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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 Mersey Girls by Sheila Riley

The Mersey Girls (Reckoner's Row #2) by Sheila Riley 

Genre: Sagas, Post-war, Historical fiction

Read: 4th March 2022

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Amazon

Published: 18th August 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The latest instalment in Sheila Riley's brilliant Reckoner's Row series

Liverpool 1950...

When Evie Kilgaren takes over the running of the back office at Skinner and Son's haulage yard, she has no idea she is walking into a hive of blackmail, secrets and lies.

Her fellow co-worker and childhood nemesis, Susie Blackthorn, is outraged at being demoted and is hell-bent on securing the affections of local heartthrob Danny Harris.

Grace Harris, a singer on the prestigious D’Angelo transatlantic ocean liners, is returning home engaged to be married. But Grace is harbouring her own shocking secrets and something valuable her fiancé very desperately wants back.

As we return to the lives and loves of those who live and work in the Mersey Docklands, not everything is as it seems and love and luck are rarely on the same side.

MY REVIEW:

After thoroughly enjoying the first in this series "The Mersey Orphan" - though I read before it underwent a title change from "The Orphan's Daughter" - I had been eagerly awaiting the next installment. But life has a way of getting in the way of all the books I want to read and some 18 months after publication I have finally revisited the lives and loves of Reckoner's Row and enjoyed every minute of it. Some I had even forgotten about so it was lovely to have my memory refreshed of all the loveable people and the nefarious characters in the Liverpool dockside community.

It's 1950, three years after the end of the previous book, and Grace Harris has taken her singing to new heights as the lead cabaret act on the prestigious D'Angelo shipping line, mixing with celebrities and royalty alike. But you can take the girl out of Liverpool...and she longs to return home to see her family after so long abroad. Her mother is excited about her daughter's upcoming wedding and is eager to meet the man who has stolen her Gracie's heart. But when Grace disembarks at the Liverpool docks, it is not her fiance on her arm but the liner's heir, Bruce D'Angelo. The couple make exchange numbers and make arrangements to meet again soon. But then fate steps in...will she ever see Bruce again? Or is he just like every other man?

At twenty one, Evie Kilgaren has had her fair share of troubles. After her mother disappeared, later to be found in the river after the big freeze had thawed and her father tried for her murder, Evie has single-handedly brought up her two younger siblings, Jack (17) and Lucy (13). In the three years since her life was turned upside down, Evie has studied her way to earn a decent living as a bookkeeper at D'Angelo Shipping Lines. Although she had been forced to grow up quickly, she wants Jack and Lucy to enjoy their childhood and to get the education that would earn them decent livings. However, working at the shipping office is a fair way from Reckoner's Row and when she is offered the position of office manager at Skinner's haulage yard, less than a few minutes walk from her front door, Evie is quick to accept it despite knowing her nemesis is also employed there.

Flightly and fickle, Susie Blackthorn has always been the proverbial thorn in Evie's side. Her spiteful vindictiveness and selfish personality makes it difficult for anyone to like or sympathise with her. She thrives on gossip and skulking around dark corners in an attempt to uncover some juicy tidbits, lording her knowledge from the lofty heights of self interest. The fact that she is employed at Skinner's does not mean she does any work, as Evie discovers when she enters the disgraceful confines of the office, but spends most of her time filing her talons rather than invoices and gazing out the window for a glimpse of Danny. For the past three years, Susie has done her utmost to be seen by Danny Harris and attempting to worm her way into his affections. But Danny has only eyes for one woman...and it is not Susie Blackthorn!

As Evie works her way through the accounts she is shocked to discover that, not only has Susie never followed up on overdue invoices, but the owner of the haulage yard, Henry and his wife Meggie - both well respected members of their community - are being blackmailed. It is not her business why but it is her business to get the accounts in order and hopefully find out who is blackmailing their kindhearted friends. But to do that, she needs help. And so she takes Danny into her confidence.

Meanwhile there is something nefarious going on when Grace finds herself being followed and all has something to do with something valuable that that scoundrel Clifford Bracks gave her upon their engagement whilst they were still at sea. But what does he want with her when he has scores of other dancing girls to warm his bed at night? But things go awry for Grace in ways she could not imagine, as she harbours her own shocking secrets and knowing her life will never be the same again.

There are many more characters that get to have their share of the limelight throughout THE MERSEY GIRLS and Ada Harris would have it no other way. But it's the Connie McRaes of the story that bring a heartwarming cheer to my soul, for it is them who are the lifeblood of the community. They are far more genuine than the fickle nosiness of gossip-mongers who love to be the centre of attention when they have news to impart on someone else's misfortune but when it is them who are the subject of gossip, they wish to fade into the background.

I did so love Ada's misnomers as she attempted to give the impression she was something resembling middle class. Rest and reciprocation; about one being a social piranha; poisoning of the appendages (appendix); taking her son to the doctor's insulting room...the list goes on. She made me laugh on many occasion. And while Susie was the thorn in not only Evie's side but the readers, she does add that necessary adversary to the tale. And of course, there is seeing if she is rightly put in her place by one and all.

Although this is predominantly Evie, Grace and Susie's stories...it is Evie the reader admires more. Possibly because we have seen where Evie has come from in the first book and all she was dealt with back then. Grace's story was an intriguing one that didn't have as much page-time as as Evie but was one I was invested in all the same. I would have liked to have had a little more insight behind what happened after the incident at the tavern (no spoilers) but it just seemed to take place behind the scenes and readers were suddenly presented with the outcome along with the family. Susie...well, she is one character who we all love to hate. She is lazy and entitled, expecting everything to be handed to her while she does nothing to earn anything, all the while gloating in her vindictiveness she does not hesitate to lavish on anyone who gets in her path. Particularly Evie.

The other remaining characters - Henry, Meggie, Connie, Angus, Jack, Lucy and even Bobby - are all endearing ones and while they don't play as prominently as they had previously, they are still integral to the story.

While I loved THE MERSEY GIRLS, the plot itself I found to be a little disjointed in places, sometimes erratic. In the middle of a chapter with one character, the author swiftly changes perspectives to another leaving the reader momentarily confused, even moreso when the perspective changes back again...all without a break between scenes. A few parts were repetitive even with the same word or expression is used for the same thing that is repeated a page or so later. It didn't detract my enjoyment of it but I did find it somewhat confusing in parts. However, that is my only complaint and I did thoroughly enjoy the book otherwise.

An enjoyable heartwarming saga that is an easy read, THE MERSEY GIRLS is filled with love, joy, sadness and a whole load of sassiness. I cannot wait to see where the third installment takes us when I read "The Mersey Mothers" next. 

Perfect for fans of "Call the Midwife", historical sagas, wartime and post-war fiction.

I would like to thank #SheilaRiley, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheMerseyGirls in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sheila Riley sets her gritty family sagas around the River Mersey and its docklands. Born in Southport and raised not far from the river, she was a hairdresser for over thirty years before her love of writing encouraged her to put away the scissors and take up the pen. As a ghostwriter, she previously wrote four bestselling novels under the name Annie Groves, a pseudonym inherited from saga legend Penny Jordan.

Married to her knight in rusty armour, Tony, she has three grown-up children, five adored grandchildren, a majestic German Shepherd called Max and an insatiably energetic Siberian Husky called Louis and an ancient cat called Missy. 

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REVIEW: A Place to Call Home by Lizzie Page

A Place to Call Home (Shilling Grange Children's Home #2) by Lizzie Page

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-war

Read: 16th February 2022

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Published: 17th February 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Shilling Grange Orphanage, England, 1949.She would do anything to protect the innocent children in her care. But soon they could be sent into danger…

When Clara Newton’s fiancé died during World War Two, she thought her life was over. But now she looks after orphans who, like her, lost everything during the war. Children like sweet little Peg who won’t speak, and Joyce whose body was scarred by polio. Clara loves them all dearly, even though life as a housemother can be lonely – especially now that Ivor, a D-Day war hero with dark brown eyes who once helped with the children, has disappeared…

But then Clara receives some terrible news. The orphanage is going to be sold and the children sent far away. Joyce and Peg will be taken to a notorious home for disabled children. The others will be sent to Australia, where Clara fears they will be mistreated by unknown families. Any day now, the children could lose everything she worked so hard to provide…

With wealthy buyers lined up to purchase Shilling Grange and a ship already docked waiting to carry the children away, Clara is desperate. She must find loving new homes for them quickly, but time is running out… Can she save the orphans before they lose everything all over again? And even if Ivor returns when she needs him the most, will it be too late?

A completely heart-wrenching and unforgettable historical novel, set after the devastation of World War Two. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Diney Costeloe and The Orphan Sisters.

MY REVIEW:

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Lizzie Page's heartwarming A PLACE TO CALL HOME.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME is the sequel to "The Orphange" in which we were introduced to Clara Newton, the recently appointed housemother of Shilling Grange Children's Home. This book picks up where the previous one left off still in 1949 and with a new challenge facing them. As we followed their story perviously, Clara would do anything to protect the children in her care and see that they are given the best possible chances and hopeful outcomes.

When Clara's fiance Michael was killed on Christmas Eve in 1944, she thought her life was over. Then the war ended, her life went on but it was unfulfilling. When an opportunity arose for a housemother in an orphanage in Suffolk, Clara applied and was surprised when, despite her lack of experience with children of any kind, she was offered the job. Arriving in Lavenham and the orphanage gave her something of a shake-up and within the first day she had already decided that she couldn't do it. But...upon making an agreement of a trial period with her point of contact with the council (who run the home), Clara decided to stay...and she soon discovered she loved it and the children. Not to mention the dashing mysterious Ivor Delaney...but that's another story entirely.

After the troubles she faced previously, Clara is determined to do her level best for the children and help give them the best chance of a loving forever home. Being housemother to the nine children in her care is the greatest privilege she has ever experienced but with that job comes a lot of blood, sweat and tears. As a council run children's home money is naturally tight and so Clara continues to manage as best she can. Unfortunately, everyone she'd previously had to lean on have gone - Judy's dead, Ivor's disappeared without a word, Julian is history and Anita, her last and somewhat precarious confidante, has her hands busy with her family. Not for the first time, Clara feels completely alone. Even Miss Bridges, who was once sympathetic and helpful, has withdrawn and she is left with the efficient if somewhat distant Miss Cooper.

As if she's not overwhelmed enough under the weight of tight budgets and an even tighter council, two new girls arrive at Shilling Grange and each of them come with their own set of challenges. Evelyn is a quiet reserved 11 year old who, once left malnourished and neglected in foster care, now eats anything and everything. Joyce, also 11, was rejected by her parents when she developed polio leaving her slightly disabled with a leg heavy with atrophy that she drags everywhere. As a result, she is angry, rude and belligerent and Clara, despite her attempts to win her over, often despairs as to what to do with her.

Added to that, twins Barry and Billy, whose adoption quickly fell through previously live and breathe their new-found passion: football. And although she has made every effort to attend one of their matches, something else always comes up to prevent her...but the boys, bless them, understand that the other children need her more. Maureen is the oldest and is still something of a concern to Clara, even after the trouble she found herself in last year, and that doesn't change this time round either. Alex is still her sturdy child, content with the world of academia, continuing to bury his head in books. Peter, who was abused by his uncle previously, has taken some time to thrive but, through his talent for creating the most amazing cartoon comics, is given a promising opportunity. Rita though 10 often appears older, has come along in leaps and bounds on the piano and is now busy practicing to participate in the Festival of Britain and it's all she can talk about...when she doesn't whisper "mama" in the vain hope her mother somehow survived the Blitz eight years before. And then there is little Peg, who never speaks and yet uttered but one word "cows" which thus saved Clara from a stampede, for whom Clara's heart aches the most as she is such a sweet innocent little girl. All these children, plus the new additions, are all dear to Clara's heart and she would do anything to protect them.

And then she hears the most devastating news. Shilling Grange is to be sold and, despite the council's promise to move them into a purpose-built dwelling thus keeping them together, discovers that half of them are to be shipped to Australia as part of the Child Migrant Scheme (a cheap solution for the council resulting in child slavery). The remaining few are to installed at the Home for Handicapped Children. Clara is livid. Despite all her hard work, all the children's hard work, to cut costs and keep Shilling Grange an efficient and viable commodity she soon discovers she has been naive in her trust and that the council has lied to her.

Joining forces with Miss Bridges and Miss Cooper, Clara endeavours to find homes for the children to save them from the fate that otherwise awaits them. Staving off the buyer who had initially approached the council with the idea, Clara soon finds out that with the loss of one buyer there will be plenty of other wealthy ones lining up to purchase Shilling Grange, going up for auction in just a few short weeks' time.

Can Clara save her children from the fate that undoubtedly awaits them? Or will they lose everything they hold dear? And if Ivor returns at a time she needs him most, will it be too late? For the children, for Clara and for them?

A PLACE TO CALL HOME is a heartwarming and, at times, a heartbreaking read. The author weaves a tale that has readers spellbound through vivid descriptions and the heartfelt stories they each have. Every moment is poignant, inspiring and touching with a few twists that have you wondering where it is all going to end up. Is this the end of Shilling Grange?

The ending is satisfactory to a point, tying up the loose ends facing them now, but still leaves it wide open for a third of which I hope there is because really...Clara and Ivor need to stop second guessing each other and just move forward together. So as the most prominent issues were resolved, readers were still left wondering what happens next?

Wonderfully written and cleverly crafted, A PLACE TO CALL HOME is a heartwarming read perfect for fans of Call the Midwife, Shirley Dickson and Diney Costeloe. 

I would like to thank #LizziePage, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #APlaceToCallHome in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie Page is the pseudonym of Sam Lierens and a mum of three.

Sam was born in February 1971, in Essex, England. After studying politics at Warwick University, she worked as an English teacher in Paris and then for five years, in Tokyo. She then went to live in London, and had various uninspiring jobs there.

Sam did an MA in creative writing at Goldsmiths and returned to live in Essex a few years ago and have worked in marketing, teaching, assisting, etc ever since.

She loves reading ALL the books, and always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to her to write historical fiction.

She claims her partner Steve, three children and cockapoo all conspire to stop her writing. 

Sam lives with her family and dog by the sea in South East England.She enjoys traveling and she's had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling - but being a writer is her absolute favourite.

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