BLOG TOUR: A Secret in the Family - Nancy Revell

1945, Sunderland. Ida Boulter makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave her five children behind as she escapes her husband and moves to London to start afresh with the love of her life.

1953, County Durham. Ida’s children have since built a new life in the beautiful home of Cuthford Manor – looked after by their eldest sibling Angie and her husband.

But their world is about to be rocked once again when their mother turns up out of the blue for the first time in eight years.

She has come back bearing a secret she can no longer keep from her family.

Will telling the truth cause more harm than good?

Only their love for one another will carry them through the turbulent times ahead.

 

What did I think?

It took me far too long to discover the books of local author Nancy Revell, but better late than never, and I have recently completed my Shipyard Girls collection after absolutely loving The Widow's Choice.  A Secret in the Family is the sequel to The Widow's Choice but it can definitely be read as a standalone, so don't be afraid to jump into the series if you're just discovering it now.

Young Ida dreams of a life on the stage but, like most working class women in Sunderland, she finds herself looking after a brood of children whilst her husband Fred spends his hard-earned wages from the pit down the pub.  It's no wonder that Ida's head is turned by Carl but when their affair is discovered she has a difficult choice to make: leave her children and start a new life or take the inevitable beating from Fred.  

Having read The Widow's Choice, I saw Ida in a bad light as I couldn't understand how she could leave her children but there are always two sides to every story and this is Ida's.  How my heart went out to her both in the past and the present and I was so pleased that she found happiness with Carl.

I really enjoyed catching up with Angie and her siblings again.  Angie has suffered her own heartbreak in the past but she has been given a second chance at love with Stanislaw, however, she is still not allowing herself to be truly happy.  When Ida returns, it's quite a shock for the siblings and some forgive her quicker than others.  There is so much emotion in this book that I couldn't hold back my tears at the end, so I would advise have a tissue handy when you're reading it.

Emotional, heartwarming and captivating, Nancy Revell brings the past to life in her wonderful new book, A Secret in the Family.  From County Durham to London, I felt like I was walking in the characters' shoes and experienced not just the sights and sounds but their emotions too.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend A Secret in the Family and I adored every single beautifully written word.  An easy five stars!

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Nancy Revell is the author of 12 titles in the bestselling Shipyard Girls series, which tells the story of a group of women who work in a Sunderland shipyard during WWII. Her books have sold more than half a million copies, across all editions, with the last book in the Shipyard Girl series a No.2 Sunday Times Bestseller. 

Before that, she was a journalist who worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard- hitting news stories and in-depth features. She also wrote inspirational true-life stories for just about every woman’s magazine in the country. 

Nancy was born and brought up in the North East of England and now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, Paul.

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The Toffee Factory Girls - Glenda Young

Discover the engaging new trilogy from the author of THE SIXPENNY ORPHAN, about three women working in a WWI toffee factory in the North-East!

In 1915 three women start work at a toffee factory in the market town of Chester-le-Street, Durham.

Anne works for the enigmatic owner Mr Jack. She is highly efficient and whips Mr Jack's disorganised office - and Mr Jack himself - into shape. However, behind her business-like façade, Anne hides a heart-breaking secret.

Elsie is feisty, fun and enjoys a good time. However, her gadabout ways get her into trouble when she falls for the wrong man in the sugar-boiling room.

And there's dependable Hetty, who's set to marry her boyfriend when he returns from the war. But when Hetty is sent on an errand by the toffee factory boss, her life changes in ways she could never imagine and a whole new world opens up.

The toffee factory girls begin as strangers before forging a close bond of friendship and trust. And, as the war rages on, they help each other cope through the difficult times ahead.

The Toffee Factory Girls is a heart-warming novel about love, friendship, secrets, war . . . and toffee! It is the first in a trilogy from hugely popular author Glenda Young.

What did I think?

Just when you think you've read your favourite Glenda Young book, she goes and writes another absolute belter.  The Toffee Factory Girls is the first book in an exciting new saga series and it's completely unmissable.

Glenda Young is such a fantastic storyteller that any book she writes draws you in from the very first page.  Once I picked up The Toffee Factory Girls I couldn't put it down; it was liked I'd stepped into the book and through time and found myself in Chester-le-Street in 1915.

Glenda's research is meticulous and I could almost smell the toffee in Mr Jack's factory, that was inspired by Chester-le-Street's once-famous Horner's Dainty Dinah toffee factory.  The setting is delectable but it's the wonderful characters that provide the entertainment that keeps the pages turning as fast as your eyes can read the perfectly written words.

I learnt something new when I was reading The Toffee Factory Girls as I didn't know about the Birtley Belgians and I found it fascinating that they had their own village called Elisabethville.  I can just imagine the suspicion about these foreigners and mothers warning their daughters to not fraternise with the Belgians.  I'm sure the girls listened to their mams!

Entertaining, heartwarming and as moreish as the toffee that features in it, I'm so glad that The Toffee Factory Girls is part of a trilogy as I didn't want it to end and could have continued reading about these fabulous characters long after I turned the final page.  I can't wait for more and I very highly recommend this unforgettable and unmissable book.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Philosophy of Love - Rebecca Ryan

What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole?

Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers.

Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else.

So the two decide to make a bet: they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does.

But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Rebecca Ryan's debut novel, My (extra)Ordinary Life, so I was very excited to read her new book, The Philosophy of Love.  Well, just imagine my delight when I found out that it was set just a few miles down the road in Easington Colliery.  What a lovely surprise!

After breaking up with her boyfriend, who was also her boss, Alice suddenly finds herself homeless and unemployed.  So, she packs her meagre belongings and leaves London to live with her parents in a little village in County Durham.  It's not long before Alice bumps into her old schoolfriend Luke and the sexual tension between them virtually sizzles off the page, although neither of them can see it; they're too busy trying to win a bet about love.

The chemistry between Alice and Luke is like a smouldering candle just waiting for a little draught of air to ignite it, but the last place that Alice thinks to look for love is right in front of her.  Of course it would have been a very short story if she had fallen for Luke right away!

As well as the wonderful romance, there's a really strong sense of family and community in the book as the villagers all come together to save their local community centre.  I loved how Alice's family all rallied around her, along with her friends new and old.  Village life in the north-east is depicted beautifully in this book as well as the warmth and friendliness of the people in the region.

Rebecca Ryan admits to using a lot of artistic license to recreate Easington for her readers and her writing is so wonderfully vivid that it really brings the village to life.  Whilst I understand the need to change and embellish some things in the village, it's a shame that the names of a north-east landmark and university were changed.  It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book at all though, it's just that I get a kick out of seeing places I know in print. 

                  

Funny, flirty and completely captivating, The Philosophy of Love is filled with north-eastern charm and wit and it delighted me from start to finish.  Rebecca Ryan is certainly one to watch and I definitely consider myself a fan.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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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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BLOG TOUR: Solstice (The Widdershins Trilogy Book 3) - Helen Steadman

England, 1673. Still a world of witches, witch trials and witchfinders.

When a new vicar arrives to take over the parish of Mutton Clog, the village finds itself in the grip of puritan fever, and suspicious eyes are turned on Rose Driver.

Rose’s mother, brother and grandmother were all put to death by the fanatical witchfinder, John Sharpe.

Almost quarter of a century after the Newcastle witch trials, Sharpe is no longer a threat. Rose should be safe in her quiet village, but is history about to repeat itself?

Find out in Solstice, the powerful conclusion to The Widdershins Trilogy, which tells the story of one woman’s struggle for survival in a hostile and superstitious world.

The Widdershins Trilogy was inspired by the little-known Newcastle witch trials, where fifteen women and one man were hanged for witchcraft on a single day in August 1650.

 

What did I think?

Solstice is the third book in the Widdershins Trilogy and it is a fantastic conclusion to an absolutely superb series.  It can be read and enjoyed as a standalone but it is simply breathtaking when read as part of the series.

Rose Driver, the daughter of Jane Chandler from the previous books, is one of the main characters in Solstice and she is brought beautifully to life through Helen Steadman's vivid writing.  The story is told from two points of view; that of Rose and her nemesis, Patience Leaton, whose father is the new parish vicar.

Patience takes an instant dislike to Rose, especially when Rose catches the eye of Patience's twin brother Earnest. Patience is overcome with religious fervour and it's almost as if she is possessed by the devil, which is rather ironic when she accuses Rose of being a witch...just like her mother and grandmother.  

Reading Solstice is like stepping back in time with every single turn of the page.  The sights, sounds and smells of 17th century County Durham seem to emerge from the pages of the book and completely immerse the reader in the era.  Helen Steadman is an impeccable researcher and the depth of her knowledge is evident throughout the book.

Wonderfully immersive and completely spellbinding, Solstice is a magnificent piece of historical fiction that deserves its place on my favourites shelf.  I have adored every book in this wonderful trilogy and Solstice is a very fitting end.  An easy five stars and highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Helen Steadman's first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the 1650 Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf is about a group of master swordmakers who defected from Germany to England in 1687. Helen's fourth novel, God of Fire, is a Greek myth retelling as seen through the eyes of Hephaestus, perhaps the least well known of all the Olympians. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in- depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword.

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BLOG TOUR: Half-Past Tomorrow - Chris McGeorge

 

Shirley Steadman, a 70-year-old living in a small town in the North East of England, loves her volunteer work at the local hospital radio. She likes giving back to the community, and even more so, she likes getting out of the house. Haunted by the presence of her son, a reluctant Royal Navy officer who was lost at sea, and still in the shadow of her long dead abusive husband, she doesn't like being alone much.

One day, at the radio station, she is playing around with the equipment and finds a frequency that was never there before. It is a pirate radio station, and as she listens, the presenter starts reading the news. But there is one problem - the news being reported is tomorrows. Shirley first thinks it is a mere misunderstanding - a wrong date. But she watches as everything reported comes true. At first, Shirley is in awe of the station, and happily tunes in to hear the news.

But then the presenter starts reporting murders - murders that happen just the way they were reported.

And Shirley is the only one who can stop them.

What did I think?

As he's a local author, I've been meaning to read a Chris McGeorge book for a while so Half-Past Tomorrow may be his fourth novel but it's the first one of his that I've read.  I always get a kick out of reading books set in the North East and I know the book's setting of Chester-le-Street reasonably well so I felt like I was walking in Shirley's footsteps.

With a storyline that sees into the future, you really do have to suspend belief when reading Half-Past Tomorrow and I'm sure I'll see loads of reviews saying that it's not very realistic.  But that's why it's called fiction, surely?  I like something a little bit weird and unexplainable now and again and this thriller with a difference certainly fits in that category.

Shirley moved to Chester-le-Street after the death of her husband and she volunteers at the local hospital radio station and has joined an embroidery group which stops her from being lonely.  Shirley is literally haunted by the death of her son Gabe as he continually appears in her kitchen and she makes him a cup of tea in his favourite mug.  So even when Shirley is alone, she still has someone to talk to.

When Shirley stumbles across a pirate radio station at work one day, she thinks the presenter has made a mistake with the date.  Surely the news isn't for tomorrow?  But when the news starts to come true and the news reports increase in severity it isn't long before the premonitions of little accidents turn into murder.  Armed with the pertinent details, can Shirley stop the crimes or will everything happen the way it has been reported?

Well I really rather enjoyed my first Chris McGeorge book.  There's so much going on to keep the reader entertained from the mystery of Gabe's death to the future murders.  There's a real sense of community in the book and you get the impression that everybody knows everybody in a small town, which they often do!  I loved the sense that anything could happen in the original and intriguing plot and I found the whole book hugely entertaining from start to finish.

So imaginative and filled with surprises, Half-Past Tomorrow is impossible to guess so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour.  All opinions are my own

My rating:

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About the author:

Chris McGeorge studied MA Creative Writing (Crime/Thriller) at City University London where he wrote his first novel as his thesis. His interests are broad - spanning film, books, theatre and video games. He is a member of the Northern Crime Syndicate, a supergroup of writers from Northern England. He lives in County Durham with his partner and many, many animals.

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