Thursday 18 January 2024

The Widow's Choice - Nancy Revell


1949, County Durham.

From the Shipyards of Sunderland to Lady of the Manor . . .

When Angie marries her sweetheart Quentin and moves into Cuthford Manor to begin their new life together, she feels like the luckiest woman in the world.

But Quentin falls victim to a tragic accident and Angie's life is left devastated. Now, along with the prospect of rebuilding her life, she is faced with an impossible choice that will have far-reaching consequences for herself and those she loves most.

Angie will need to draw on the help of her family, the community of Cuthford Manor and her old friends from the shipyards if she's to find happiness again.
 

What did I think?

I've wanted to read one of Nancy Revell's novels in The Shipyards Girls series since I realised they were set locally in Sunderland and I finally have a Nancy Revell novel in my hands in the form of The Widow's Choice.  There are 12 books in the series that finished in 2022 but The Widow's Choice revisits some of the main characters so fans of the series could see what happens next and new readers would be tempted to see what happened earlier.  

Although the characters are new to me I felt as if I'd known them for years.  I felt Angie's pain at her devastating loss and could totally understand why she wanted to make a new start but memories are more than bricks and mortar.  Luckily, she has her shipyard girls around her to support her through her difficult time.

Angie may be the mistress of Cuthford Manor but it's a title that she doesn't feel she is entitled to and this isn't helped by her devious mother in law who is determined to get her hands on the manor for herself.  There are secrets aplenty to discover in this engaging family saga and I was surprised to find myself researching some true stories that I had never heard of before.

Heartbreaking, heartwarming and completely uplifting, The Widow's Choice has it all: strong female characters, devastating family secrets and a bucketful of emotions.  I am now more than tempted to read The Shipyard Girls series, in fact I feel compelled to do so after encountering these colourful characters for the first time in The Widow's Choice.  

I received a paperback copy for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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