The Home Front Nurses by Rachel Brimble

 The Home Front Nurses

Book Summary

September 1941, Bath – three friends are about to find that some of the biggest battles are to be found on the home front…

As war rages and brave soldiers returning home from the frontline need nurses more than ever, fiercely proud redhead Sylvia Roberts is determined to help in any way she can. In spite of her mother’s belief she isn’t good enough, Sylvia believes that becoming a home front nurse is her calling.

Together with the two friends she makes on her first day in the job – Freda and Veronica – she knows she can help save lives. And, as the devastation of war shows no signs of ceasing, their work becomes ever more vital.

Then Sylvia’s life is thrown into the path of a man who might just be able to capture her heart. Even though he is somebody who everyone – except her best friends – seems prejudiced against. Can love really conquer all, in times of war?

One thing she knows is that – in the dangerous days that will follow – she and her friends will all need to support each other right to the end…

The Home Front Nurses is a gripping, uplifting story of unbreakable bonds of friendship in times of strife and heartbreak, the start of an unmissable new saga series.

My Thoughts

The Home Front Nurses by Rachel Brimble takes readers to 1941 in Bath, England where three ladies have finished their nursing training and are ready to work on the wards.  Sylvia, Freda, and Veronica quickly become friends.  Each character comes from a different background.  They have their own struggles and hindrances to overcome plus they are dealing with the war.  Planes fly over daily, bombing victims are flooding into the wards, rationing is a reality, and the loss of loved ones to the war is devastating.  

I found The Home Front Nurses to be easy to read.  I liked Sylvia, Freda, and Veronica.  I did feel that the story lacked depth.  I would have liked more time spent on nursing and less on romance.  I was surprised by some of the topics touched upon in The Home Front Nurses (unwanted attentions by men, a woman being violated by a man, a woman attracted to another woman, and an interracial couple).  The story does have mild foul language.  There were a couple of incorrect details in the story (an example is tights would not have been available for the ladies to wear).  I liked the resilience of Sylvia, Freda, and Veronica as well as their strong bond.  Overall, I enjoyed The Home Front Nurses, and I am curious to see what happens next.

The Home Front Nurses will be out on August 8, and it can be preordered from Amazon*.  Kindle Unlimited members can read The Home Front Nurses for free.  The second book in the Home Front Nurses series will be out on February 4, 2025. You can find Rachel Brimble's other books here.  Thank you for popping by today.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Tours for Booked on Murder by Allison Brook.  It is the eighth and final A Haunted Library Mystery. There is a giveaway! I hope that you have a peaceful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

The Letter Reader by Jan Casey

 The Letter Reader

Book Summary

She read their secrets during the war. Now she cannot forget them...

1941. London. Keen to do her bit in the war, Connie Allinson joins the WRNS and is posted as a letter censor. Her task: to read and alter correspondence to ensure no sensitive information crosses enemy lines. At first, she is not sure she's up to it, but is soon drawn in by the letters she reads, and their secrets...

1967. Doncaster.

 Bored of her domestic life, Connie desperately wants a job, but her controlling husband Arthur won't hear of it. Looking for an escape and plagued by memories of letters she read during the war, she makes a bid for freedom and starts secretly tracking down their authors. Will uncovering their past give Connie the key to her present? And will she be able to find them all before Arthur discovers what she is keeping from him?

My Thoughts

The Letter Reader by Jan Casey is a dual timeline novel.  The novel takes readers between 1941 (through the war years) and 1967.  I decided to read this book despite my ban on books from World War II (there has been a glut of books on this topic, and I needed a respite) because I had not read a book about postal censors.  Connie Allinson joins the WRNS in 1941 and is posted as a letter censor (her husband wanted her to do something safe).  For those who are nosy, it would be the perfect occupation (as well as those who are curious).  It would be exciting to find a letter written in code.  I had no idea that some postal censors traveled around from post office to post office to complete their duties.  The war years part of the story was interesting, but I did not enjoy the 1967 portion.  It was boring and repetitive.  Connie is a housewife whose husband likes a strict routine.  He wants chores done on a certain day of the week, he has a meal schedule, and he gives Connie the bare minimum for housekeeping (aka the household budget).  Connie is bored staying at home and wants to get a job.  

I do not understand why she asked her husband’s permission to get a job (it was not needed).  I would have gotten a job and then told him about it (fait accompli).  Connie finds her thoughts consumed by certain letters that she read during the war.  She wonders what happened to the people who wrote the letters.  When Arthur, her husband, suggests Connie visit London every two months for three days (he is so generous) to catch up with her brother and sister-in-law, Connie jumps at the chance.  It will give Connie the opportunity to do some research at Somerset House.  I did find it odd that she would venture to find information on people who wrote letters.  

Connie signed the Official Secrets Act plus many people do not like “knowing” (there is knowing that your letter could be read and having someone show up saying they read your letter) that someone read their personal correspondence (much less remembered it twenty years after the war).    I found the story to be long with mixed pacing.  While the war year chapters flew by, the other chapters did not.  I did not find the ending satisfying.  The Letter Reader is a historical tale with a rough war, censored letters, a repetitive routine, a humdrum husband, and facing the future.

The Letter Reader is available from Amazon*.  You can read The Letter Reader for free if you are a Kindle Unlimited member.  You can find Jan Casey's other novels here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I am taking next week off to get some work done around the house.  I have managed to carve out a small block of time to get a small list of items done (hopefully).  If I can get the living/dining area finished, I will be very happy (the last person I hired to paint finished the ceiling and never returned).  Wish me luck! I will return on Tuesday, May 23 with Blueberry Blunder by Amanda Flower.  It is the 8th An Amish Candy Shop Mystery.  It is a cute story that will have you chuckling often.  I hope that you have a lovely Mother's Day.  I am cooking dinner for my mother (she does not want to go out which was my choice) and I have a few gifts for her (one of them is Vera Bradley's Ohio State crossbody bag).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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

The Schoolmistress by Maggie Sullivan

 The Schoolmistress

Book Summary

A brand new historical saga series from the hugely popular author of the Coronation Street series!

Our Street at War takes an ordinary street during wartime and peeps inside at the life of the residents, full nostalgia and compelling storylines, this series is must for fan of Elaine Everest, Nancy Revell and Ellie Dean.

My Thoughts

The Schoolmistress by Maggie Sullivan is the second book in Our Street at War series.  You can read The Schoolmistress as a standalone, but it will take you a couple of chapters to get into the story (to get to know the characters and find out what is happening in their lives).  The POV switches between several different female characters.  I like Maggie Sullivan’s writing style.  It is warm and friendly.  It made The Schoolmistress easy to read.  In The Schoolmistress we travel to Greenhill, Lancashire, England in March of 1940.  We get to meet several different women who live in Greenhill.  Vicky Parrott from The Postmistress is in this story too along with Sylvia Barker, Violet Pegg (the local schoolmistress), Ruby Bowdon, Tilly McFadden, and Claire Gold (Sylvia’s niece).  I found the characters to be realistic and relatable.  These women are dealing with the war just in a different way from the men fighting abroad.  I enjoyed getting to know the characters and learn about their lives.  There are ups and downs just like real life.  There were some unexpected revelations for a couple of the women.  There is romance as well as heartbreak.  The ladies’ story does not end with The Schoolmistress.  We will have to wait for the next installment of Our Street at War to find out what happens next.   The Schoolmistress is a heartwarming tale with a war wedding, uplifting letters, a startling revelation, increased rationing, a fight between friends, and a new undertaking.

The Schoolmistress is available from Amazon*.  The first book in Our Street at War series is The Postmistress.  You can follow Maggie Sullivan on Amazon in order to receive an email when she has a new book coming out.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return on Monday with Photo Finished by Christin Brecher.  It is the debut of A Snapshot of NYC Mysteries.  I hope that you have a peaceful weekend.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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

Duty Calls at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller

 Duty Calls at Goodwill House

Book Summary

July 1940

With Hitler’s bombs getting closer, WAAF Diane Forsyth is determined to face the oncoming danger and do her duty to support the brave RAF pilots who risk their lives as they take to the skies.

And there’s one pilot in particular Di hopes remains safe - Squadron Leader Freddie Hanover. But with a romance between them growing, Di and Freddie know their duty must always come first. How can they dream of a future together whilst this terrible war continues?

Lady Joanna Harcourt understands Di’s vow of duty – she’s taken one herself. But Joanna also knows that life is terribly precious and that one must make the most of every single day…before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

Duty Calls at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller is an engaging historical novel.  It is the third book in the Goodwill House series.  I recommend reading this delightful series in order as it will allow you to get to know the characters (and follow them from the beginning).  I like Fenella J. Miller’s writing style.  I was drawn into the story and just wanted to keep reading.  It is like visiting with old friends.  I love Joanna and the gang at Goodwill House.  Joanna has come a long way since the beginning.  She is a woman with a big heart.  It is great seeing Liza and Joe blossom.  Elizabeth still likes some things done a certain way, but she is becoming less formal and more congenial.  We get to catch up with Millie, Ted, Di, and Freddie as well. I find the characters to be realistic and relatable.  The author captures what the war was like for civilians, WAAF, and RAF.  

The members of Goodwill House and the local village live near an airbase.  They can hear the planes coming and going.  Unfortunately, it means the airbase is a target which means frequent air raid warnings.  It is an emotional novel.  We see what it is like to worry about a loved one who is in the air battling the Germans.  You never knew if an RAF pilot would make it back to base.  Measles hits the village affecting adults and children.  Joanna and Elizabeth are worried about paying off the debt to the bank.  The new Lord Harcourt is up to no good and the ladies are worried he will try to take Goodwill House.  I like that we get to see what the day-to-day life was like for the characters.  It must have been difficult trying to cloth and feed a family with rationing.      With the war ongoing, it will be a while before things are tickety boo.  I am eager for the next installment of Goodwill House.  Duty Calls at Goodwill House is a gas with air raids, a measles epidemic, exploding eggs, pilots on a toot, a kite plight, cab happy WAAF, a cozy cottage, bank bothers, and war rationing.

Duty Calls at Goodwill House comes out Tuesday, July 26 and it is available for preorder from Amazon*.  The first two books in the Goodwill House series are The War Girls of Goodwill House and New Recruits at Goodwill House.  Both of those books can be borrowed for free is you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.  You can find Fenella J. Miller's other novels here.  Thank you for dropping by today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on Mint Chocolate Murder by Meri Allen.  It is the second book in An Ice Cream Shop Mysteries.  I hope that you have a jolly good 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 Good Time Girls at War by Fiona Ford

 The Good Time Girls at War

Book Summary

World War Two casts a dark shadow over the Hammersmith Palais de Danse, but the show must go on...

April 1940. Violet Millington, is ready to rediscover the joy of living. As she waltzes into the palais, to begin her new life of boosting morale in war swept London, she must leave her family's sorrow behind her. But soon Violet discovers she's not the only one with something they're running from.

Violet quickly befriends gutsy American Nancy, the diamond of the dance hall, flame-haired Renee with her enviable foxtrot, and Temperance, who must overcome her bullies to achieve her dreams.

In the face of the Blitz, news of a Palais dance competition keeps the foursome's spirits up. But as the contest draws near, a devastating chain of events is set in motion with life-changing consequences.

As the Good Time Girls face the music, can the ties of friendship, love and loyalty ensure they survive?

My Thoughts

The Good Time Girls at War by Fiona Ford takes us back to 1940 in London to the Hammersmith Palais de Danse.  We get to meet Renee, Nancy, Violet, Maisie, and Temperance who work at the esteemed Palais.    The Good Time Girls as they are called are a diverse group with each woman having a different job at the Palais.  They all work together to entertain the people who visit the beautiful dance hall. There is drama, romance, action, a touch of suspense, and a wee mystery or two in The Good Time Girls at War.  There is quite a bit going on in this historical novel.  Each character has their own backstory and storyline.  We also get to meet family members and other workers at the Palais.  I like the diverse cast of characters in this story.  We get to see how the attitudes of people and the war affect each one of them.  I like all the strong female characters in the book.  We get to see how the friendships at the Palais help each one of them and bind the group together as a family.  Of course, there are a few bad eggs (what family does not have a black sheep or two).   

I thought the author captured the time period and the location.  It was interesting learning about the Palais.  I would have loved to have seen in its heyday.  I did find the pacing to be a little slow because there were so many characters and storylines.  The Good Time Girls at War is a good book, but a little fine tuning would have made it a great tale.  I liked seeing the employees at the Palais come together as friends and a makeshift family.  It was great the way they were there for each other.  The ladies had each other’s backs.  I thought The Good Time Girls at War was an emotional story with grief, fear, joy, kindness, anger, frustration, and love.  The Good Times Girls at War is a charming historical novel with shocking secrets, dazzling dancers, bombs bursting, a bungling buffoon, a churlish MC, a meddlesome mother-in-law, and forever friends.  

The Good Time Girls at War is available from Amazon*.  You can find Fiona Ford's other novels here.  Thank you for visiting today.  I plan on featuring The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club by Lynn Cahoon next time.  It is the first book in A Survivors' Book Club Mysteries.   I hope that you have a charming day.  I am off to get some work done around the house (there is always something that needs to be done).  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.

A Ration Book Victory by Jean Fullerton: Review and Giveaway!

 

A Ration Book Victory

About the Book

Jean Fullerton, the RNA-shortlisted queen of the East End, returns with the final nostalgic and heart-warming story of the Brogan family.

In the final days of war, only love will pull her through . . .

Queenie Brogan wasn't always an East End matriarch. Many years ago, before she married Fergus, she was Philomena Dooley, a daughter of Irish Travellers, planning to wed her childhood sweetheart, Patrick Mahone. But when tragedy struck and Patrick's narrow-minded sister, Nora, intervened, the lovers were torn apart.

Fate can be cruel, and when Queenie arrives in London, she finds that Patrick Mahon is her parish priest, and that the love she had tried to suppress flares again in her heart.

But now in the final months of WW2, Queenie discovers Father Mahon is dying and must face losing him forever. Can she finally tell him the secret she has kept for over fifty years, or will Nora once again come between them?

And if Queenie does decide to finally tell Patrick, could the truth destroy the Brogan family?

About the Author

Born and bred in East London, Jean is a District Nurse by trade and has worked as a NHS manager and as a senior lecturer in Health and Nursing Studies. She left her day job to become a full-time writer in 2015 and has never looked back.

In 2006 she won the Harry Bowling Prize and now has seventeen sagas published over three series all of which are set in East London.

She is an experienced public speaker with hundreds of WI and women’s club talks under her belt, plus for the past fifteen years she has sailed all over the world as an enrichment speaker and writing workshop leader on cruise ships.

Author Links

Website: http://jeanfullerton.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jean-Fullerton-202631736433230/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JeanFullerton_

VE Day London 1945

My Thoughts

A Ration Book Victory by JeanFullerton is the eighth novel in The East End Ration Book Series.  I was able to read A Ration Book Victory as a standalone, but I believe it would have benefited me to have read the whole series.  I could have gotten to know the characters and their backstories.  I thought A Ration Book Victory was well-written with interesting, developed characters.  I enjoyed getting to know the extended Brogan family as they endured World War II.  This is Queenie and Father Patrick Mahon’s story.  The whole family is present, but the focus is on those two.  There are flashback chapters that gives us Queenie and Father Mahon story from the beginning.  It is an emotional story.  There is plenty of family drama as well.  We get to see the good times and the bad with the Brogan clan.  Queenie is a special character.  I like that we get to see glimpses of the little girl who became the matriarch of the Brogan clan.  It was enjoyable learning about the bond between Queenie and Father Patrick Mahon.  We get to see the indomitable British spirit as these brave people endure a long war with a stiff upper lip and plenty of tea.  It did not matter which house you were in, there was always a kettle on the hob.  They get to have a cup of tea, get a shoulder to cry on, and then they carry on.  I am definitely going to go back and read all the books in The East End Ration Book Series.  A Ration Book Victory is a fitting end to this charming saga.  A Ration Book Victory is tickety book with egg exchanges, a bothersome sister, gregarious grandchildren, ration frustrations, a poorly parish priest, a special sense, and a lasting love.

Giveaway

A Giveaway to Win 6 Signed Copies of A Ration Book Victory* (Sorry but it is open to UK Only).  You can click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!

A Ration Book Victory is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other The East End Ration Book Series here.  Check out Jean Fullerton's other historical novels here.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return tomorrow with Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette.  It is the debut of An Outer Banks Bookshop Mysteries.  I am off to do some gardening.  I am starting plants from seeds and they are doing quite well.  I have them under a plant light to help their growth (three hours a day).  I have to check their water levels each day.  I am getting ready to transplant the morning glories and the four o'clocks.  I got plants that have red, white, or blue flowers to go with our house theme (The Star Spangled Manor).  I hope that you have spiffing day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

Jeannie's War by Carol MacLean

 Jeannie's War

Book Summary

War changed her country, but it couldn’t change her spirit

Glasgow, 1939

Despite being shy and reserved, Jeannie Dougal finds herself newly engaged to handsome soldier, Arthur Dunn, the day war is announced. Jeannie accepts, even if she is unsure if a girl from the tenements will fit in with Arthur’s comfortable, middle-class background. But as WW2 takes its toll on the world, her wedding must wait…

As she sets off to work at a munitions factory she meets Eileen, Janet and Annie. As her new friends bond together in war work, sharing their stories of romance, Jeanie is grateful to be settled with Arthur, even if he is set in his ways.

Until she meets charming Canadian soldier, Bill, and realises she has found a spark she was always missing. But how can Jeannie tell Arthur? And is she strong enough to fight her own battle, with the country already at war…?

An emotional and romantic family saga set in WW2 Scotland and the start of a captivating new series. Fans of Call the Midwife and Katie Flynn won’t be able to put this down.

My Thoughts

Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean is an engaging novel set that takes us to Glasgow, Scotland in 1939.  The Dougal family is in their flat on Kiltie Street listening to Neville Chamberlain on the wireless as he declares they are now at war with Germany.  Jeannie Dougal is a reserved young woman who does not realize her own beauty because of a faded strawberry birthmark on her face.  She considers herself fortunate to be stepping out with the handsome Arthur Dunn.  Arthur comes to the house after the broadcast and asks Jeannie to marry him.  Jeannie accepts his proposal even though she is a little unsure.  They have only gone on a couple of dates, and they are from different backgrounds.  While the Dougal’s live in the tenements, Arthur and his mother live in a home in an upper middle-class neighborhood.  Arthur heads off to training after enlisting while Jeannie begins working at Fearnmore’s factory where they are making munitions.  At the factory, Jeannie befriends Eileen Boyle, Janet Thom, and Annie Morris.  When Jeannie goes out with her friends one evening, she meets Canadian solider Bill.  Jeannie finds herself attracted to Bill and feels a spark with him that she has never felt with Arthur.  Jeannie made a commitment to Arthur, though, and she intends to honor it.  But then something happens could change the family forever.

I enjoyed reading Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean.  I found myself drawn into the story.  I was curious as to how everything would turn out.  I like the author’s writing style.  It made the story easy to read.  Jeannie’s War had a good pace and flow.  The story focuses on Jeannie, but we also spend time with Eileen, Jeannie’s mother, Jimmy who is Jeannie’s brother who is in the army, Jeannie’s youngest siblings in the countryside, and Jeannie’s younger sister.  Kathy, Jeannie’s sister is fifteen going on twenty-five.  She is a temperamental young woman who likes to get her way.  The characters are a mixed bunch (some you like and some you do not).  I thought they were realistic.    I enjoyed the descriptions of Glasgow.  I thought the author captured the time period especially the munitions factory.  I can tell the author did her research.  I like how the novel ended and I am looking for the next book in The Kiltie Street Girls series.  Jeannie’s War is a poignant historical tale with avowal of war, rationing regulations, a temperamental teenager, war work, a precious pig, firm friends, and a problem to ponder.  

Jeannie's War is available from Amazon*.  I am looking forward to the next book in The Kiltie Street Girls series.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I am off to take my mother to the doctor.  Her old primary physician retired, so I had to find her a new one.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will like him.  On Friday, I am featuring Burning Hope by Wendy Roberts.  It is the first book in A Red Hooper Mysteries.  I hope that you have a jolly good day.  Take care of yourself, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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