REVIEW: Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Love and Love at the Beach Hotel (The Beach Hotel #4) by Francesca Capaldi

Genre: Historical fictionn, Sagas, WW1

Read: 16th November 2024

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Published: 21st November 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Can true love win the day?

Hetty Affleck is working as a maid at the prestigious Beach Hotel in Littlehampton. Her beau, Lorcan, is away at war and has recently stopped replying to her letters but she is determined to keep her spirits up. When she meets wealthy shipbuilder's son Victor Perryman, they pass the time of day and they both feel a connection but she can’t allow herself to think anything more of it - not only does she have Lorcan to think of, but she and Victor are divided by wealth and class.

Yet they meet again and Hetty is charmed and intrigued by Victor and his openness towards her. It becomes harder to ignore the attachment growing between them.

When Lorcan comes back on leave, Hetty is forced to face her true feelings. Who does she really love, and can that love conquer everything in its path?

MY THOUGHTS:

Can true love win the day...?

What a delight it is to return to the prestigious Beach Hotel in Littlehampton and the flurry of staff and guests there! And who doesn't love to be by the seaside? Even in a storm?

I have delighted in this series since it began following the stories of first Edie, then Lili, then Helen herself and now Hetty. I also enjoyed seeing some of the regulars continue to pop up such as the Major, a resident at the hotel, as well as much of the staff and those guests who pop in from time to time. 

The focus of this fourth installment is Hetty Affleck who works as head stillroom maid (I was most interested in what that actually entailed, having never heard of it before). She and one of the other staff members, Irish lad Lorcan Foley, had only just begun stepping out together when he enlisted thus joining the fight at the front. Their relationship had barely begun but Hetty agreed to write to him and he her.

After three long years, despite early forecasts predicting it would be over by Christmas, Hetty began to wonder if she was merely writing to keep his spirits up as what they had barely constituted as anything but friendship. Besides, any leave he had he'd returned home to Ireland rather than return to the Beach Hotel to see her. Didn't that say something about their relationship, such as it was?

Then his letters seemed to have stopped. Even on her birthday he failed to send her something as he usually did. Did that mean something had happened to him? Or had he simply decided to end their friendship? Hetty isn't sure how she feels.

When she meets wealthy shipbuilder's son Victor Perryman, they exchange greetings and pass the time of day but nothing more. And yet she feels a connection to him, like a bolt of electricity every time she is in his company. But she is just a maid serving him and his family whilst he is upper middle class, certainly not for the likes of her. Besides, she has Lorcan to think of. But the more she sees of Victor, the more she is charmed and intrigued by the handsome young man. And the more time they spend together the more the pair realise how alike they are and it soon becomes difficult to deny the growing attachment between them.

And then Lorcan returns suddenly on leave and Hetty is forced to face her true feelings. Who does she truly love? And can love conquer all the obstacles thrown in their path?

A truly delightful, heartwarming and emotional wartime saga that is such a wonderful read that I devoured it in one sitting, not wanting to leave Littlehampton and its inhabitants for one minute. I can't wait to see whose story we get to follow next and what the author has in store for us.

A heartwarming 5 stars!

I would like to thank #FrancescaCapaldi, #Netgalley and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #LoveAndLossAtTheBeachHotel 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:

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REVIEW: The Telegram by Debbie Rix

The Telegram by Debbie Rix

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction

Read: 12th October 2024

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Published: 15th October 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

One message will change everything…

1915, London: Shaking, she opens the faded red front door and her heart races as the young boy on the steps holds out the telegram. The words swim before her. They can’t be true; this can’t be happening. Nothing will ever be the same again.

1943, London: Elizabeth Carmichael rushes out down the steps of her town house in her smart army uniform, daydreaming of her handsome fiancé posted miles away in the RAF, and determined to play her part in the war effort. Not looking where she’s going, Elizabeth collides with a tall man in the middle of the street. She instantly recognises him from a faded photograph from before the war. This chance meeting will change everything Elizabeth thought she knew about herself.

1960, London: Violet Carmichael wipes the dust from an antique writing desk, not expecting to find a hidden compartment, or the old diaries nestled inside. Peeling apart the yellowing pages, a story unfolds of a family devastated by two world wars and a man who risked his life for freedom and for love. It leads her to discover a telegram that will finally unlock a decades-old family secret…

Inspired by a true story, this is a heart-wrenching, page-turning and unforgettable story of the importance of family and the power of love and forgiveness. Fans of Kathryn Hughes, Kate Quinn and Kate Morton will be utterly gripped by this incredible historical fiction novel spanning WW1 and WW2.

MY THOUGHTS:

One message could change everything...

Spanning the decades, this tale sweeps across three timelines beginning in 1915 with the main story centred in 1943 before wrapping things up in 1959/1960. Whilst no one features predominantly as the main character, which seems a little puzzling at first but once things begin to slot into place we see the story is that of Charles Carmichael, the branches in his somewhat complex family tree and the secret he carries throughout his rather puzzling life. It's a secret that is only uncovered after he has gone though as the reader it's one we had suspected for the most part throughout...all but one tiny piece that became the catalyst for what was to become Charles' life of subterfuge. Intrigued?

1915: It's a beautiful day when the boy delivered the telegram into Tilly's trembling hands. Racing inside, she called to her mother to alert her to the arrival and reading out its contents sent her mother into floods of tears. Her beloved brother - "Bruv" as he was affectionately called - was missing presumed dead. And the in the coming days a letter followed, addressed to her parents written in Bruv's hand. A letter that told them little and gave nothing away yet changed their lives. Bruv was gone.

1943: A chilly day in London as Elizabeth Carmichael readies herself for her post in the War Office, assistant to Captain Valentine, a letch in Elizabeth's opinion who cannot keep his leary eyes or suggestive remarks to himself. She and her mother moved to Notting Hill a year before after much of the city had suffered the deluge of the Blitz and people were escaping to the country and safety. But her mother Madeleine saw an opportunity and built on it. It worked for her as she was posted close by in Whitehall and as a result could remain at home rather than doss in a billet, which were few and far between at any rate.

Elizabeth's eyes strayed to the two solitary photos that always took pride of place on the mantlepiece. Her father in his army uniform and her father holding baby Elizabeth. She never knew her father and whenever she pressed her mother for details, she always clammed up saying she was better off without him. All Elizabeth knew about the man she knew as Paddy was that he had gone to China and stayed there rather than return home. Her mother divorced him and the rest was a somewhat spotted history that Elizabeth failed to untangle.

So when she was walking home from the Tube one evening after work, she was shocked to see a man who resembled her father walk out of the house opposite theirs on Clarendon Road. She called to him "Padraig Carmichael?" The man stopped, turned and looked at her. He paled.

Charles Carmichael had left his past behind him, along with a trail of secrets. So when the pretty young woman stopped him outside his door he was speechless. He tried denying any knowledge but it was clear she was his daughter. She was the image of Madeleine, her mother and his ex-wife. And so the two began to meet and develop a relationship. His next conundrum was telling his wife Violet, who knew nothing of his past, except that he had been married briefly before. And even then only because she saw it on their marriage certificate. How was he to break the news of a daughter to her?

And so life begins to get a little more complicated for the man with so many secrets.

1959: At the age of sixty four, Charles Carmichael - a conundrum himself - peacefully passes away in hospital alone without his wife Violet by his side. And yet she kept his wishes for his funeral and his resting place to be in the village where he was born and grew up. But the man with so many secrets had left her with so many unanswered questions. His sister remained tightlipped and refused to tell her what she knew.

It's not until she is packing away Charles' things that she comes across his diaries, and travels down a rabbit hole and back to 1914 and 1915 where she meets the idealistic young Charles Carmichael in his prose. And as she reads, the pieces thus begin to fall into place and the secrets of Charles' life finally began to surface.

This was an interesting tale that I almost read almost in one sitting, leaving the final few chapters till the morning to finish. I wouldn't call it emotional and in a way it wasn't gripping either but it was intriguing. Something kept me turning the pages. I wanted to see how it would all end and learn about the secrecy that surrounded Charles' life for so long. What had lead to it and why? That was the biggest secret of all that was only unearthed in the final chapters. But it made everything make sense. Throughout the book we are given glimpses of Charles' early life in snippets and the secrecy surrounding his later years was an obvious given. It didn't take Einstein to work that one out but it was only confirmed at the end.

The characters weren't completely developed I felt with not a lot of depth to them. But they were still likable enough. I admit to Violet irritating me somewhat though I can't quite put my finger on why that is. Elizabeth I felt had more depth to her than most. It was interesting, if maybe not completely believable, how the two families bonded together, remaining across the street from each other until the end. Charles was difficult to connect with but I think that was intentional as those who knew him even found him an enigma, if not frustrating at times.

The book's description I found a little misleading as it felt as if it were a different book than the one I was reading.

I have only read one other book by this author, "The Secret Letter" which I absolutely loved so I was excited to dip into this one. It was enjoyable, a quick read that took about 5 reading hours, that kept me engaged till the end.

Four solid stars.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Debbie Rix has had a long career in journalism, including working as a presenter for the BBC. Her first novel, The Girl with Emerald Eyes was set around the building of the tower of Pisa and she has since released Daughters of the Silk Road and The Silk Weaver’s Wife. Debbie writes heartbreaking historical novels about love, tragedy and secrets.

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REVIEW: Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke

Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm (Blackberry Farm #3) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Wartime fiction, WW2

Read: 27th September 2023

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Published: 29th September 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Cambridgeshire – 1942

As a new year begins and the war continues, young Artie Talbot feels trapped. In his heart he longs to fight, like his two brothers, for his king and country but is duty tied to Blackberry Farm.

As feelings grow between Artie and Jeanie Salmons, Artie wonders if marriage will help him to finally accept his lot and settle down.

Meanwhile, his brother John Talbot must come to terms with the tragic loss of a lost love. Can he overcome his trauma and begin to build a new life for himself and his new born son?

Frances Grant, a new mysterious land girl arrives hoping to escape a violent past. Surely the countryside will offer her the safety and anonymity she craves. But someone is vengeful and eager to settle an old score…

As a terrible shock rocks the family, will love and duty be enough to get the family through the dark days ahead?

MY THOUGHTS:

As the men fight and the war rages, there are some new arrivals on the farm...

The third in this delightful saga series by saga queen Rosie Clarke sees us returning to Cambridgeshire in the winter of 1942. Of course it can suffice well enough as a standalone but for full character development and backstory progression, I do recommended starting them from the beginning. I enjoyed revisiting with the Talbolts and their charges at Blackberry Farm. It was like meeting up with old friends.

In the last book we saw the brutal murder of Faith, John Talbolt's betrothed, and how she lived long enough to birth their baby son before succumbing to her head injuries inflicted by her uncle Ralph, who later perished in a car accident. 

The Talbolts all banded together to help with the baby they didn't want to name as that honour should be reserved for his father when he returned home. However, John was recuperating in hospital some miles away after very nearly dying on a mission which saw him land in enemy territory and being rescued by French nuns who hid him before having him transported to Switzerland and then back to Blighty. When he was deemed physically well enough he was discharged and returned home to recuperate...setting eyes on his baby son for the first time. In the interim, the family had named him Jonny as he couldn't very well be called "baby" indefinitely. John was happy enough to keep the name they had given him though he found it difficult to bond with his son as he reminded him so much of his mother, who should have been here nursing him and caring for him.

Tom Gilbert, Pam's eldest, had been injured on duty and now is utilising his skills by training up others, for which everyone is grateful. It meant Tom stayed on home soil and out of the firing line so to speak. He had just become a father himself when his wife Lizzie gave birth to their own baby son, Archie, and he intended to be around to watch him grow up. Until he was given a mission to act as a supply chain to the Desert Rats... He promised Lizzie he wouldn't volunteer but if he was asked to go abroad he wouldn't refuse.

Meanwhile, Artie has finally found the courage to propose to land girl Jeanie Salmons and the farm is busy with wedding preparations - both sewing bridesmaid dresses and amassing food for the celebrations after the ceremony. Pam has been storing up her coupons so that she could give them a good spread.

A new land girl has also arrived at Blackberry Farm and she does so under a cloud. Frances Grant brings with her an air of mystery and a secret she must keep at all costs because should the Talbolts find out the truth about her she'd be out on her ear. Artie and Jeanie aren't at all sure what to make of her but they believe she is hiding something. Pam takes the young girl under her wing knowing that it's the love of a good family that she needs. When a trip to Ely sees Frances jump into the cold waters of the river to save a young boy from drowning, the local paper runs a piece on her complete with her photo which somehow makes it way to a national paper...and has the propensity to bring the cosiness of the world she has come to know and love crashing down. If her past could catch up with her here, then she would have no alternative but to leave Blackberry Farm.

As is the Farm isn't heaving with people as it is, Pam receives word that one of her estranged sisters has died and she is to receive charge of her 8 year old son George. Pam is devastated by the loss of her sister and if taking on George keeps him out of the orphanage then that is what she must do. What's one more mouth? Pam has always enjoyed a big family...now it is just extended. The more the merrier.

Life at Blackberry Farm has its ups and downs but their fighting spirit remains. With the new airfield nearby, Pam welcomes the airmen should they need a place to recharge or in need of a homecooked feed. Artie toys with the idea of following his brothers to fight for King and country but news at home puts things into clearer focus for him as he takes on more responsibility as well as providing for Jeanie.

I love Rosie Clarke and I love being transported back in time and witness the simplicities of life during wartime along with its hardships. But the amount of time food was discussed made it very difficult as I kept wanting to eat every time they gathered around the table for my own portion of poached eggs, bubble and squeak and streaky bacon. I could just smell the bacon, it made my mouth water. lol 

Once again, I enjoyed this installment just as much as the first two though I did feel it dragged a little, but that could just be me as I've had some sadness of my own in the past week making it hard for me to concentrate. This is still a wonderful read and I enjoyed my time at Blackberry Farm and cannot wait to return...especially to Pam's kitchen. Hahaha...

I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #LoveAndDutyAtBlackberryFarm 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: A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller

A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House (Goodwill House #7) by Fenella J Miller

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2, Wartime fiction

Read: 2nd September 2023

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Published: 31st August 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

July 1941

As the war grinds on, Lady Joanna Harcourt knows that her time at Goodwill House is drawing to close. A new chapter awaits, one that she never expected to happen to her – she is going to be a wife and mother again!

Excited with their new arrival and with her beloved Flying Officer John Sergeant back in her life, Joanna hopes that even though war clouds gather, love will prevail, and the future will look brighter than ever for the Harcourt family.

John has just one last mission to complete, before they can be together. But even though John is an experienced and competent pilot, the threat of the enemy is still close. Will this be one risk too far?

Or will their be another goodbye for the Harcourts before they close the doors of Goodwill House for ever?

Don't miss the emotional finale in the Goodwill House series!

MY THOUGHTS:

A new arrival...and a fond farewell...

We have come to the end of an era with the final installment of the Goodwill House series. Each of the characters have become like friends as we got to know them, love them and now we will miss being around them. I have been a part of Goodwill House since the beginning and I feel like a fixture as much as any of the characters. But with the end comes joys and sorrows in equal measure and it is difficult not to shed a few tears.

This final book focuses predominantly on Joanna, the former Lady Harcourt, and her new husband Flying Officer John Sergeant. The opening chapter sees them rushing to their nuptials on the news that Joanna is in the family way. With just half an hour to spare, the couple exchange vows, share a kiss and are pronounced husband and wife before John is whisked away on a mission and Joanna returns to the Savoy with her family. But she is to receive and early morning surprise as the honeymoon begins...albeit for one day.

Upon return to Goodwill House, Joanna continues presiding over the plans for their new home The Manse, where they will be moving to in the New Year. Goodwill House has seen many comings and goings and has been the heart of each and every story. But this time, it takes a backseat as the WAAF girls have long since gone and the land girls are soon to follow. After which, the house will return to Joanna and Lady Harcourt in which silence will reign.  As much as Joanna has enjoyed housing the serving girls over the past couple of years, the time has come when she must move on. With a baby on the way and a new husband, her focus has shifted and her priorities have changed.

It was sad to say goodbye to those who have become like friends, particularly one such character who sparky wit will be missed. And while it is a delightful addition and end to the series, it wasn't the best of them but still hugely enjoyable. And emotional read at times, the ending was left a little ambiguous. Maybe leaving it open to revisit with a further chapter? Who knows?

Overall, an enjoyable read and an emotional end to a delightful series.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fenella Jane Miller was born in the Isle of Man and is the bestselling writer of eighteen historical sagas. She also has a passion for Regency romantic adventures and has published over fifty to great acclaim. Her father was a Yorkshireman and her mother the daughter of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker,hotelier,chef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer.

She has over twenty five Regency romantic adventures published plus one Jane Austen re-telling and one YA romantic fantasy.

Fenella lives in a small village in Essex with her British Shorthair cat.

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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: A New Home in the Dales by Betty Firth

A New Home in the Dales (Made in Yorkshire #1) by Betty Firth

Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 1st August 2023

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Published: 2nd March 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

To follow her dream, she’s gone from city to village – but can she ever fit in?

October 1940. Bobby Bancroft is working as a typist for a city newspaper, but she longs to be breaking the news herself. She is thrilled to secure a junior reporter role at The Tyke, a magazine serving the Yorkshire Dales.

However, when Bobby moves to Silverdale, she discovers rural life is a different world. The close-knit villagers and cantankerous local animals prove difficult to win over, while mischievous vet Charlie seems determined to lead her astray.

As Bobby struggles to find her place amongst the dalesfolk, she wonders if she’s made a huge mistake. Will the city girl ever make a home of the beautiful but hostile countryside of the Dales?

An uplifting, lively World War Two rural saga that fans of Annie Murray, Rosie Hendry, Gervase Phinn and James Herriot will love.

MY THOUGHTS:

She's gone from city to village...but can she ever fit in?

I wasn't going to start another series (I have far too many on the go as it is) but this is a delightfully easy read with a gentle pace and some laugh out loud moments. I like how the main focus is not of the war and everyone "doing their bit" for the war effort etc. but rather more of life at home despite all that is going on in Europe. In a somewhat different vein, the focus is that of a junior reporter in a small village publication.

We meet Bobby Bancroft, a typist at the Bradford Courier, as she composes articles one of her colleagues doesn't seem worthy of his time or effort. She receives no recognition and yet she doesn't mind because she knows it's her work. For it is her dream to become a journalist, to write for the big papers or any paper really, but it's still largely a man's world and she is unable to get employment in her dream job. 

Until Reg Atherton walks into their offices one day to speak to her boss, being an old army pal from the first war. He has a special request of his old friend - he needs to find a junior reporter fast because all the other men are joining up to fight for King and country leaving him without a reporter. So when Bobby's boss drops the ad in hastily written script on her desk for her to type up, she knew her silent prayers had been answered. 

The publication is a farming magazine of sorts called The Tyke with Reggie Atherton as its editor. Bobby applies for the position and is shocked to discover she is successful! The problem is the job is in Silverdale, some miles away in the dales, and she must leave her twin sister Lilian, brother Jake and her father who is still haunted by the things he saw in the first war.

The position comes with full board and lodging, and it would want to for the pittance that Reggie is paying her, but Bobby doesn't care. She is finally doing what she has only dreamed of doing. She leaves her home in Bradford and lodges with Reggie and his wife Mary at Moorside Farm, where the magazine is also produced. Bobby knows she has to prove herself as worthy of the job as well as winning over the locals who are still largely stuck in the 19th century and don't take kindly to womenfolk poking their nose into what they deem is men's business. But Bobby has an ally in brother Charlie Atherton, the local vet, who lives in a cottage on the farm.

When she first arrives raring to go, little does she know that Reggie has little intention of setting her loose to find stories to report and the community is less than welcoming. However, over time Bobby proves her worth and the village begin to accept her. It isn't long before Bobby really comes into her own and finds her footing withing the community and becomes a fixture. Then when Reggie sends Bobby out to interview octogenarian Andy Jessop at Newby Top, the story he shares is an eye opener and becomes something of a turning point for Bobby.

Then just as she has finally found her place, circumstances have her moving back to Bradford and into a reporter's position at her former newspaper the Bradford Courier. But her time in the dales has changed her...and now Bobby must decide what she truly wants out of life.

A delightfully easy read, I enjoyed my time in Silverdale and with Bobby and Reggie. I could almost taste Mary's cooking. Some of the characters are a little quirky but they certainly add to the story. There is certainly a James Herriot feel about this so fans of his stories will be at home here, especially since it's too in Yorkshire.

I would like to thank #BettyFirth, #Netgalley and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #ANewHomeInTheDales in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Betty Firth grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country… and she's still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but homesickness soon drove her back to her beloved Yorkshire. She lives in the shadow of the moors with her partner and two mischievous border collies.

Betty also writes romance under her own name of Mary Jayne Baker, funny, heartfelt contemporary women’s fiction as Lisa Swift, uplifting wartime sagas as Betty Firth and Gracie Taylor, and cosy mysteries as Penny Blackwell. 

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REVIEW: The Secret Sister by Liz Trenow

The Secret Sister by Liz Trenow

Genre: Historical fiction, WW2, Wartime fiction

Read: 1st April 2023

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Published: 3rd April 2023

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Lizzie tried to put herself into her brother’s shoes, imagining how she might feel facing those same dangers he’d witnessed. Scared as anything, she thought. But if that was what was needed to win the war, she’d do it. As she looked at herself in the mirror, wearing her brother’s coat, she knew in that moment what she must do to protect him.

England, 1944: As Lizzie looks around her twin brother’s room, she’s in a state of shock. In the middle of the night Ed vanished, leaving no forwarding address. Lizzie knows that he was tormented daily by what he witnessed at Dunkirk four years before, helping his father steer their tiny boat to rescue thousands of injured soldiers. He was never the same after that.

Then, Ed’s call-up letter arrives. Instead of being assigned to one of the forces, he’s been told to report for work at a coal mine – one of fifty thousand ‘Bevin boys’ chosen to help produce the fuel to power the nation through the war. If he fails to turn up he will be arrested and tried as a deserter. Staring at his abandoned clothes and knowing how alike they are, Lizzie realises there is a way to save him.

Arriving for training, she meets a fellow Bevin boy named Peter and is instantly drawn to his quiet, thoughtful nature, so unlike the other men who share her dormitory. And as the two start to adapt to their new lives underground, they develop a strong bond.

Lizzie knows the risks she is taking to save her brother. If she grows too close to Peter her secret will almost certainly be revealed, and they will both be imprisoned. But with the war raging and her beloved country at risk, how much is Lizzie prepared to sacrifice to save those she loves the most?

A completely gripping and heart-breaking story of love, courage and a sister’s sacrifice which shines a light on the forgotten heroes of World War Two. Perfect for fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and anything by Rhys Bowen.

MY THOUGHTS:

With so many books taking place during WW2 flooding the market, it's refreshing to have a different type of tale to tell. With men being conscripted for National Service to fight for King and Country, THE SECRET SISTER tells of a different story. One in which young men, boys really, are conscripted as Bevin Boys by ballot to work in the coalmines, though a service not recognised at the end of the war when all the servicemen returned home and they were kept a mile underground mining coal for the country.

The story begins in 1940 as twins Lizzie and Edward listened to the radio one evening with their parents and older brother Tom. The Prime Minister was calling for those with small seaworthy boats with shallow hulls, to help ferry the injured men at Dunkirk to the waiting transport ships at sea. Their Pa jumped at the chance to take out the "Mary Ellen", whom he'd been lovingly restoring, and help along with Tom as crew. But when lifeboat crewman knocked on their door asking the same of them, the men found themselves in a quandary. Three men, two boats. Then Ed announced he can help crew. Ma piped up over her dead body was her thirteen year old boy going into a warzone! However, when morning came Lizzie and Ma found them all gone.

The sights Ed saw at Dunkirk would haunt him for the rest of his days. It was something no man should ever see, let along a thirteen year old boy. But he pulled his weight and they helped ferry over 100 wounded men to safety. But upon returning home he wasn't the same. He was angry, sullen and moody. Lizzie, who had always been able to read her twin, couldn't even shake him. He began to dread the day they turned 18 and would receive their call-up papers. Their brother Tom had since been called up and was now an RAF pilot.

In July 1944, the twins turned eighteen. And Ed received his call-up for his medical, which he passed with flying colours. But the memories of Dunkirk so traumatised him that Ed flees in the night before he receives his papers.

Lizzie knew Ed was gone the moment she wakes and despite failing her own medical, she does everything she can to prevent the authorities from coming after her brother. When his papers arrive with orders to report for training in Sheffield, Lizzie makes a decision that could prove either brave or foolhardy. What follows is a dangerous subterfuge in which Lizzie has to act, live and work as a Bevin Boy. All the while hoping her twin brother will resurface before she is discovered and he is condemned for cowardice.

THE SECRET SISTER is a story of love, sacrifice, honour and family. It is about one sister's love for her twin and the sacrifice she made to save him from condemnation as a deserter. It is about one man's fear that is so prevalent it causes him to take such drastic action, leaving his sister to save his honour in his place. It tackles PTSD on a different scale when it didn't even have a name or was even recognised for what it was. And then there is the different side of the war that few of us knew about. The Bevin Boys. Young men conscripted as coalminers instead of the front. How ironic that Ed ran away for fear of being sent away to kill or be killed, when he was never even conscripted to fight in the end but to work in the coalmines.

My third book by Liz Trenow - the first being "Under a Wartime Sky" (also published as "The Last Letter") and the second, the wonderful "Searching for my Daughter". I really enjoyed this tale. It was different and refreshing. But what I found most interesting was that recognition for those Bevin Boys didn't come for another seventy years after the war ended. Their service was not recognised, no merit given, no nothing. When they gave their time, and some of them their lives, to keep the fires burning that made the weapons and armaments that the soldiers used to fight with. Their service was just as important and yet it went unnoticed. Not so unnoticed had Lizzie not fronted up in Ed's place he'd be labeled a deserter and sent to prison. So if it was that important, why were they not recognised?

My only fault with it is there was no real outcome about Lizzie's medical except that she was awaiting the x-ray results. She received the letter but no mention of the results. And the other thing was what became of Ed in the epilogue? We see Lizzie and there is mention of Ed but not now. A few things just left a little unclear.

Overall, an enjoyable quick and easy read that will be sure to warm the hearts of its readers.

I would like to thank #LizTrenow, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheSecretSister 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: Christmas with the Ops Room Girls by Vicki Beeby

Christmas with the Ops Room Girls (Women's Auxiliary Air Force #2) by Vicki Beeby

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 26th March 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 24th September 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

When there’s so much to be afraid of, can May help bring festive cheer to the Ops Room?

After failing to help evacuee siblings whom she witnesses being separated, May wishes she’d had the confidence to speak up. When Jess suggests a pantomime to boost morale on the station, May is desperate to help – but is held back by her own insecurities.

With her low self-esteem also affecting her relationship with Squadron Leader Peter Travis, May is fed up with being her own worst enemy and decides to take charge of her destiny. But the past she ran from, plus a crisis with one of the evacuees, throw May into the midst of a drama that will test all of her newfound confidence.

May, Jess and Evie must work together once again to help each other through the challenges of war and of their own hearts.

MY THOUGHTS:

It has been quite some time since I read the first book in this series and I've quite honestly all but exhausted the genre of wartime fiction as they all get a little bit "samey" after a while. I enjoy the camaraderie of sagas that focus on the homefront with the war as merely a backdrop but anything that gets into the nitty gritty of war work such as this, I tend to glaze over now. I do remember that I enjoyed the first book but I can't recall anything except the ending, and even that is a fleeting memory.

I began this book in the hope that I would pick up the story and go with the flow but unfortunately I found the opening pages to be irritating with the poor evacuees and then a brother and sister having to be separated because one woman billeted refused to take both. Anyone could see the little things were scared and being together was their only security in an unknown and uncertain world. But no. She flatly refused and made it known that even taking one was at a stretch. She wasn't knocking back her rations that came with the little girl. Horrible woman.

So anyway with the evacuees having arrived in the village, the girls - May, Jess and Evie - decide to put on a pantomime for Christmas to help cheer the up. But war continues despite the festivities and the bombings continue to rain down around them.  With plenty of harrowing moments, the girls wonder if they can pull this off but then May receives a letter from home and things change.

A delightful heartwarming story in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) series, that focuses less on the war efforts and more on keeping the spirits up of those at home. Despite that horrible draper shop woman. 

Overall, an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank #VickiBeeby, #Netgalley and #Canelo for an ARC of #ChristmasWithTheOpsRoomGirls in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Vicki Beeby writes historical fiction about the friendships and loves of service women brought together by the Second World War.

Her first job was as a civil engineer on a sewage treatment project, so things could only improve from there. Since then, she has worked as a maths teacher and education consultant before turning freelance to give herself more time to write.

In her free time, when she can drag herself away from reading, she enjoys walking and travelling to far-off places by train. She lives in Shropshire in a house that doesn’t contain nearly enough bookshelves.

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REVIEW: A Wartime Reunion at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller

A Wartime Reunion at Goodwill House (Goodwill House #5) by Fenella J Miller

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 27th February 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 1st March 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

September 1940

With harvest approaching, land girl Daphne is busier than ever as she ploughs the fields and tends to the animals with her friends Sal and Charlie. All three girls enjoy the relative peace of Goodwill House…but war is never far away.

When a German plane crash lands in the grounds of Goodwill House, everyone is shocked, especially when the two German pilots are declared missing. Where could they be hiding?

Tensions are high, and Daphne is dealt yet another shock, when she meets Corporal Robert Andrews – the man she was once engaged to marry! Goodwill House is the last place she expected to be reunited with Bob and although he looks dashing in his uniform, Daphne doesn’t think she can ever forgive him for breaking her heart.

With the war getting closer every day, can these two to finally be reunited for good or will their love be forever lost...?

MY THOUGHTS:

Parted by trouble...they will meet again...

We return to Goodwill House for the fifth book in this easy to read saga series set just off the Kentish coast. It picks up directly where the fourth one ended, though as with all of them, it can easily be read a standalone. Each story is a new one as the main focus of the book with an underlying theme that runs throughout should you read the books from the very beginning. I do recommend this but as I said, you don't have to to be able to follow the story with ease.

I loved the first book in this series and enjoyed the subsequent ones following though I admit I preferred the direction the series was taking by the fourth book with the Land Girls being billeted at Goodwill House and (as with that one) I thoroughly enjoyed A WARTIME REUNION AT GOODWILL HOUSE even more than the first three which also included something of a different theme.

We pick up the action in September 1940 when the Blitz is just beginning as the Germans rain down their deluge after deluge of bombs, hoping to break the British spirit.

We are thrust right into the action with a stray German bomber crashing into the potato fields of Goodwill House, and thus bursting into flames. Lady Joanna Harcourt saw two airmen scramble from their burning wreck before the ensuing explosions but a sweep of the fields and outbuildings could find no trace of the Germans. The Home Guard therefore ruled they had perished in the explosion.

Corporal Bob Andrews was heading up a skeleton ground crew at the nearby defunct RAF Manston airfield when he saw the plane's descent to its subsequent crash and made his way to Goodwill House with his crew. But when the bomber's remaining explosives on board erupted, their vehicle ended upturned in a ditch and the crew scrambling for their lives. 

Land girls Daphne, Sal and Charlie have remained billeted at Goodwill House and working at nearby Fiddlers Farm for Mr Pickering. Daphne joined the Land Army and had herself placed in Kent when she heard her fiance who had suddenly jilted her a week before their wedding was working at the RAF base there. Having never come across him in her time there, she realised that maybe he had moved on and was no longer stationed at Manston.

Until she saw that familiar mop of red hair so like her own climbing out of the upturned RAF vehicle in the ditch outside Goodwill House. And before she knew it, she had fled into the bushes before the men could see who it was that had pulled them to safety.

It goes without saying that Bob and Daphne undergo many run-ins, while Daphne would prefer nothing more than to stay clear out of Bob's way. Whatever his reasons for breaking her heart, it's too late. She cannot bear to be around him and does everything possible to avoid him.

And then the Lady Harcourts receive the most disheartening news and with Peter's help, Joanna enlists her solicitor Mr Broome to get to the bottom of it before it's too late. This sends her to London and to its outskirts and is sure to rock her to the core. But at least it gives her the opportunity to catch up with her daughter Sarah, whom we have not seen since the first book, who has just completed her first year of medical training to become a doctor.

As always, life goes on in Ramsgate for Goodwill House and those in its surrounds, despite the war threatening their lives and those of their loved ones. Time marches on and so does the war. And with it, the women of Goodwill House only become stronger.

I thoroughly enjoyed A WARTIME REUNION AT GOODWILL HOUSE. It is a little different than the others, I feel, though with the same heartwarming feel throughout. I have enjoyed getting to know each of the characters with my favourite being the irascible dowager old Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, Joanna's mother in law. When she turned up in the first book, I was horrified that she would be a thorn in everyone's side but she has proved to be such fun.

I was hooked to this story and devoured it in a day, though it's taken me another day to actually review it. How dare real life get in the way??!! lol I cannot wait for book six to see what awaits those at Goodwill House.

There is one thing that really irritates me with this series, as the author continues to use it throughout, and that is the constant use of the expression "gone for a Burton" regarding men who have perished in the service for their country. Instead of saying the driver succumbed to his injuries, she says "Jim went for a Burton". It is a silly expression in my opinion and it annoys me no end as it is not used just once or twice...but constantly throughout when referencing men dying for their country. Please stop using it...it sounds so crass. It sounds more like they are nipping out for a burger or fish and chips. It makes me cringe every time I read it and is probably the reason I rate the books down a star. 

However, this time, despite the constant use of the ridiculous expression I am giving it a well deserved 5 stars because it really is one of the best of the series so far. I cannot wait to see what the sixth book has in store for us!

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fenella Jane Miller was born in the Isle of Man and is the bestselling writer of eighteen historical sagas. She also has apassion for Regency romantic adventures and has published over fifty to greatacclaim. Her father was a Yorkshireman and her mother the daughter of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker,hotelier,chef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer.

She has over twenty five Regency romantic adventures published plus one Jane Austen re-telling and one YA romantic fantasy.

Fenella lives in a small village in Essex with her British Shorthair cat.

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