Welcome to Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh

 Welcome to Weaver Street

Book Summary

Kitty and Tom Conlon arrive in Liverpool in July 1916 to claim the house Tom’s great-uncle has bequeathed him in his will. The move to England couldn’t have come at a better time. Dublin is in turmoil following the Easter Uprising and Kitty’s brother is now in prison.

The house in Weaver Street is all they hoped for, and after a shaky start with her new neighbors, Kitty believes the world is her oyster. Until that is, Tom is conscripted into the navy.

With Tom away, it’s up to Kitty and the women of Weaver Street to get each other through the war.

About 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.

Social Media Links

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063501278251

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WalshChrissie

Bookbub profile:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chrissie-walsh

My Thoughts

Welcome to Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh is an engaging historical novel.  We are taken back to 1916 in Liverpool when Kitty and Tom Conlon arrive from Dublin.  Tom inherited a home on Weaver Street from his great-uncle Thomas Conlan. It is an opportunity for free rent and to get away from the fighting in Ireland.  Kitty gets off to a rough start on Weaver Street.  Kitty’s kindness soon reaps rewards.  She will need her new friends for what lies ahead.   Tom is conscripted into the navy which leaves Kitty alone.  The people of Weaver Street are there for each other as the war trudges on in Europe.  I thought Welcome to Weaver Street was well-written with realistic main characters.  I liked Kitty Conlon who is a gregarious, caring woman.  She has such a big heart.  Kitty is also generous.  I liked seeing Kitty grow as time passed.  Tom cares about making money.  He wants to rise above his upbringing.  Tom fancies becoming a rich toff.  He opens a bookmaking business at the local pub.  Tom believes manual work is beneath him.  Maggie, Kitty’s neighbor, does not make the best first impression.  Over time, though, she becomes a good friend.  Maggie provided some laugh out loud moments.  I liked seeing shy Beth come out of her shell thanks to Kitty’s encouragement. 

There are good people that live on Weaver Street.  I enjoyed getting to know most of them (there is always a bad penny).  I like how the neighbors were there for each other during the good and the bad.  The people that lived on Weaver Street were like one big family.  We follow the characters as they get through the war and endure the Spanish influenza.  I thought Welcome to Weaver Street was an emotional novel.  There are marriages, deaths, births, war injuries, domestic abuse, and much more.  We get a realistic view of what life was like during this time period.  I liked that you could stop by Kitty’s home and talk over your problems over a good cup of tea.  There are some sections that are a little slower than others, but that does not detract from the story.  Welcome to Weaver Street is my favorite book by this author.  I enjoyed reading this charming historical novel.  I look forward to my next visit to Weaver Street.  Welcome to Weaver Street is a fetching tale with an inherited home, a waging war, a cute café, kind neighbors, bookie bets, undesired conscription, a pregnancy problem, and a good natter over a cup of tea. 

Welcome to Weaver Street is available from Amazon*.  If you are a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can read Welcome to Weaver Street for free.  You can find Chrissie Walsh's other historical novels here.  Thank you for joining me today.  Tomorrow I am featuring The Paper Caper by Kate Carlisle.  It is the 16th A Bibliophile Mystery.  I hope that you have joyful day.  Take care, stay cool (so very hot and humid outside), and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

 Welcome to Weaver Street

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Sea Nurses by Kate Eastham

 The Sea Nurses

Book Summary

The young nurse ran across the wooden deck, her feet skidding. She spotted an injured young man clinging to the ship’s rail, his eyes wide with terror. She could see the water rushing up to meet them. ‘We need to jump!’ she screamed. In that moment, a wave washed over them. She lunged forward to grab his hand, but she was a second too slow. Somewhere, deep inside the vessel, came a loud crack. The hospital ship was breaking apart…

1914. Evie Munro is a Scottish fisher girl, working the herring season from Wick to Great Yarmouth. For Evie, every day is the same – gutting fish at the docks, shoulder-to-shoulder with her friends, followed by fresh bread, a warm whiskey toddy and an early night. But when Germany declares war on Britain, everything changes.

As her village begins to empty of young men, Evie’s life is marked by a heartbreaking tragedy at home. Her happiness destroyed, she vows to join the war effort as an army nurse, caring for wounded soldiers on the imposing hospital ship Britannic.

But as the war rages on and the ship comes under direct fire, Evie’s courage is put to the ultimate test. Can Evie and the nurses of the HMHS Britannic save the day and heal the patients in their care? Or will her life become one more casualty in Britain’s heroic fight for freedom?

A heartbreaking wartime saga – guaranteed to have you grabbing for the tissues! Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell.

About the Author

A change in circumstance meant Kate Eastham made the shift from a career in nursing to be a carer for her partner.  Determined to make the most of this new role “working from home” and inspired by an in-depth study of the origins of nursing, she wrote her first novel at the kitchen table.  Miss Nightingale’s Nurses was published by Penguin in 2018, closely followed by three more in the series.  With her passion for history, Kate aims to make visible the lives of ordinary yet extraordinary women from the past.  Her current historical fiction is set during the World Wars and will be published by Bookouture.  You can follow Kate Eastham on Twitter (https://twitter.com/eastham_kate).  

My Thoughts

The Sea Nurses by Kate Eastham has Iris and Evie joining the war effort in England by becoming nurses on hospital ships.  The two women come from diverse backgrounds, but they share a love of nursing.  They work together on the HMHS Britannic which was requisitioned and outfitted as a hospital ship.  With a red cross on the ship, it is supposed to have safe passage in the ocean.  It is no guarantee that an enemy U-boat will not decide to fire upon them.  These women will be put to the ultimate test.  

I thought The Sea Nurses was well-written with realistic, developed characters.  I like Iris and Evie who are both gifted nurses.  I am glad that the author gave us a unique book on World War I.  We get to follow women who have become nurses on a floating hospital.  They bring back wounded from the front.  The HMHS Britannic was a beautiful ocean liner until war broke out in Europe.  We learn how a hospital functions on a ship. I found it fascinating.  I could tell the author did her research for this book.  We also get to see what life was like on the luxury liners before the war.  Thanks to the authors vivid descriptions, I could picture myself standing on the deck as the RMS Olympic sailed into New York harbor with the Statue of Liberty in the distance.  In contrast, Evie worked fileting herring on the docks.  I cannot imagine the long days spent getting the fish ready for market (plus the smell).  Injuries were common as they had to work quickly.  There are some heartbreaking scenes in The Sea Nurses (have your tissues nearby).  I enjoyed reading this engaging historical novel.  The Sea Nurses is a story about war, friendships, love, loss, and coming together to work toward a common goal.  It is an emotional, dramatic story that will linger with you long after you finish it.  The Sea Nurses is a memorable tale with luxury liners, fileting fish, lost loved ones, suffering soldiers, incessant war, and hazardous waters.

The Sea Nurses is available from Amazon*.  If you belong to Kindle Unlimited, you can read The Sea Nurses for free.  You can find Kate Eastham's other novels here.  You sign up here to receive all the best Bookouture deals.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am featuring The Proof is in the Poison by Diane Kelly.  It is the second A Southern Homebrew Mystery.  I am heading outside to work in the garden.  It is slowly taking shape.  I will share pictures when it is done.  The last raised bed is arriving this week.  When it is in place and filled, the side garden will be complete.  I can then start on the front yard.  I am still thinking about what I can do on the other side of the house.  I cannot plant in the ground on that side either because of flooding.  I also have less space to work with on that side.  I have to decide on my plan for the front yard and submit it to the people in charge for approval.  It will mean less grass for the groundskeepers to mow so I am hoping I will get approval (fingers crossed).  I hope that you have a lovely day.  Take care, stay cool, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Mersey Angels by Sheila Riley

  The Mersey Angels

 Book Summary

The thrilling new book from Sheila Riley in her Liverpool Saga series

1916 LIVERPOOL

Following the death of her father, Ruby Swift, and husband Archie finally move back into Ashland Hall.

As the Great War rages, fathers and sons take the King's Shilling and head off to fight the unknown enemy, not knowing what horrors lie ahead.

With Ned Kincaid in the Navy, Archie signs up to the volunteer constabulary and nurses Anna Cassidy and Ellie Harrington enlist to do their bit for King and Country.

Soon the true casualties of war are being brought home in droves, Ruby converts Ashland Hall into an auxiliary hospital for wounded servicemen.

It’s not long before the true cost of war is brought closer to home and Anna and Ellie enlist in the British Military Nursing Corp and soon find themselves in the battlefields of France in search of the truth.

But they soon discover more than they bargained for...

 My Thoughts

The Mersey Angels by Sheila Riley takes readers back to 1916 in England where our characters are dealing with injured soldiers from the war.  Ruby Swift decides to turn Ashland Hall into an auxiliary hospital.  Ruby, Archie, Anna, and Ellie move into the hunting lodge as a drill sergeant of a doctor takes over the hospital.  Each person is worried about a loved one while they work to help the injured soldiers.  The Mersey Angels can be read as a standalone in case you have not had the opportunity to read The Mersey Mistress.  I thought The Mersey Angels was easy to read with developed, realistic characters.  The author did her research for this series.  She captured the time period, so the reader felt like they were back in 1916.  I liked most of the characters with my favorite being the formidable Ruby Swift.  She was a clever, shrewd woman.  Ruby did not let any grass grow under her feet.  If she had an idea, she was off to make it happen.  The Mersey Angels is an emotional novel.  There is heartache, hope, deep sorrow, disgust, joy, love, and hope.  We get to follow Anna, Ruby, Ellie, Lottie, and Izzy as they go about their everyday lives with the additional workload of helping the war effort.  Each person “wants to do their bit.”  They experience losses, but they continue to have hope.  With loved ones away fighting in the war, they worry they could receive a dreaded telegram.  A telegram in 1916 told you if your loved one was missing in action, dead, or injured.  There were, on occasion, telegrams that would bring joyful news. Letters would be exchanged between those at home and those away.  Women at home worried when they did not receive consistent communication.  The war wreaked havoc with mail delivery.  While most of the characters are those that readers will love, there are some that you will love to hate.  Jerky Woods is one of those.  I just wanted to shake Lottie who was naïve and refused to see the man’s true nature.  The Mersey Angels is an appealing novel that will delight fans of historical fiction.  The ending will leave you smiling.  The Mersey Angels is a compelling tale with a dedicated doctor, an awe-inspiring woman, an absent brother, a despicable son, courageous soldiers, and a waging war.  

The Mersey Angels is available from Amazon*.  The first novel in the Liverpool Saga is The Mersey Mistress.  Both books can be borrowed for free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.  You can follow Sheila Riley on Amazon to receive emails on her latest releases.  Thank you so much for joining me today.  One for the Hooks by Betty Hechtman is planned for tomorrow.  It is the 14th A Crochet Mystery.  I hope that you have a fun filled day.  We all need laughter and joy in our lives.  I am working on a border for our side garden.  I learned after I put in the garden that this area floods during heavy rains.  So I am putting in a border of long stones with a moat filled with rocks between the border and the flower bed (it is helping).  I can only do a little at a time so it is taking me longer than expected (between my Fibromyalgia and the heat).  I am trying to get extensions put on our downspouts so the rain can be deposited elsewhere (if I can just get the company to come out--I will keep pestering until they do).  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White

Happy Easter!  I hope you and your loved ones are having a special day with plenty of sweet treats.  

On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White has Arabelle Denler working as a nurse at Charring Cross Hospital in London of February of 1918.  The young ladies volunteering at the hospital gather each evening to watch Phillip “Black Heart” Camden walk from the Admiralty building where he works to his residence.  Many people believe Phillip should still be in prison for what he did to his squadron.  It does not help that Phillip receives threats daily from the wife of one of the deceased pilots.  Phillip’s mother comes to London needing his assistance.  It seems his sister, Cassandra has gotten herself into a pickle with a fellow.  He would like to marry her, but he is already betrothed.  Phillip decides to intervene in his own unique way and meets the heiress Arabelle Denler.  Phillip becomes Arabelle’s protector and Arabelle realizes she is meant to help him heal.  Philip is surprised when a woman approaches him one day outside the Admiralty.  He can tell she is up to something, and it is up to Phillip to uncover the truth.  On Wings of Devotion is the second novel in The Codebreakers series.  It can be read as a standalone if you have not read The Number of Love featuring Margot De Wilde.  Arabelle Denler and Phillip Camden are great characters.  Arabelle is a Christian woman who believes God put Phillip in her life for a reason.  Phillip wishes he died with the rest of his squadron in The Incident (as he calls it).  He is a strong man with a big heart.  You can tell that Phillip loves his family and will do what it takes to help them.  He also has a fun loving side which rarely comes out.  The two of them complement each other which makes for an entertaining story.  The author has a wonderful writing style which draws the reader into her story and holds them until the end.  Roseanna M. White captured the time period and made me feel that I was there with the characters.  I loved the intrigue surrounding our mystery woman and I could not wait to see how this thread would playout.  I liked that Margot De Wilde and her fiancé (from The Number of Love) are in the story along with Barclay Pearce and his family from Shadows Over England series.  On Wings of Devotion is a story of forgiveness and redemption.  The author combined romance, humor, mystery and intrigue along with complex characters into one entertaining story.   

On Wings of Devotion can be obtained from Amazon* along with The Number of Love (currently available through Kindle Unlimited).  I also suggest you check out Roseanna M. White's Shadows Over England series.  Thank you for visiting today.  I will return tomorrow with my review of Deep Fried Revenge by Lynn Cahoon.  I hope you have a blessed day.  Take care, stay safe and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.