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.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel (A Helen Dexter Cosy Crime Mystery Book 3) - Glenda Young

In the charming Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough, a killer game is being played . . .

Helen Dexter is enjoying the new four-star status of the Seaview Hotel. But she begins to wonder if this accolade is cursed when a series of disasters strike.

It starts when a crazy golf team arrive to play in a Scarborough tournament. Their odd behaviour heightens when the rival team captain turns up. Yet, there's worse to come for Helen when one of the guests is murdered playing crazy golf.

Then the Seaview's prize-winning cook Jean quits, leaving Helen devastated. And so, as Helen's fiftieth birthday approaches, the last thing she's in the mood for is a celebration. However, mysterious invitations arrive to a party that Helen doesn't want.

Can Helen unmask the crazy golf killer, save the reputation of the Seaview, win Jean back and solve the mystery of the party invitations? With her rescue greyhound Suki by her side, Helen Dexter is on the case.

 

What did I think?

Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel is the third book in the Helen Dexter Cosy Crime Mystery series and it's an absolute cracker.  This amazing series is going from strength to strength and I always love my virtual visit to Scarborough, even though it appears to be the murder capital of North Yorkshire (but that's just in Glenda's books, of course).  You can definitely read this book as a standalone but I highly recommend the whole series.

Helen Dexter is all set to welcome a new group of guests to her newly rated Four Star Seaview Hotel.  Her guests are a crazy golf team competing in a local tournament and it's clear that they take the game very seriously indeed.  Helen also finds herself with an unexpected guest: the team captain of a rival team and his arrival causes tension above and below stairs.  The days are numbered for one of the guests and they're about to find themselves checking out...

This is a brilliant 'whodunnit' - I suspected even the most unlikeliest candidate at one point or another.  I love how the story is self-contained so that readers new to the series can pick up  this book and enjoy it, but there's some wonderful character development to delight established series fans.

Although I haven't been to Scarborough for many years, Glenda paints such a vivid picture with her wonderful writing and her love for the seaside town shines through every word in the book.  It was also lovely to see local brewery Wold Top getting a mention in the book as I've tried a few of their beers and loved them.

Hugely entertaining and as drama-filled as your favourite soap opera, Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel is a fantastic cosy mystery.  Very clever misdirection and perfect plotting keep the reader on their toes from start to finish and I loved every second of it, so much so that I will definitely be reading it again.  It’s absolutely brilliant and I really can't recommend it highly enough.

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

My rating:

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The Sixpenny Orphan - Glenda Young

'Please, sir, take us both. We only have each other. We don't know how to live apart.'

After the death of their parents, sisters Poppy and Rose are taken in by widow Nellie Harper. But whilst they have a roof over their heads, the young orphans are unloved, unwanted, and always hungry, with only one pair of boots between them. Keen to make money, Nellie hatches a plan to sell the girls to the mysterious Mr Scurrfield. But when the day comes for them to leave, Scurrfield reveals he will take only one of the sisters - and he will decide which it will be on the turn of a sixpence.

Ten years later, Poppy is married with three children. Not a day goes by when she doesn't think about Rose, but after many years of searching, Poppy has accepted that her sister is lost to her. That is until a letter suddenly arrives, revealing Rose's fate and breaking Poppy's heart. Determined to be reunited with her beloved sister, Poppy sets out to bring Rose home.

 

What did I think?

It is always a pleasure to read a Glenda Young novel and The Sixpenny Orphan is no exception.  I absolutely love these sagas set just after World War I in the coal mining village of Ryhope in Sunderland.  The past is brought vividly to life through the warm and evocative writing of natural storyteller, Glenda Young.

This book starts in 1909 when orphans Poppy and Rose are children living in the farming community of Ryhope with Nellie the knocker upper.  I didn't even know such a role existed but in the days before alarm clocks, the coalminers needed somebody to wake them up before their shift at the pit.  Nellie has plans to turn the girls from a burden into a commodity but when a man from Sunderland turns up to buy them, he will only take Rose.

Oh my heart broke for these two girls.  They have had so much heartache in their short life since the death of their parents and then living in such awful conditions with a woman who doesn't care about them.  Splitting them up is devastating for both Poppy and Rose but we really see what Poppy is made of when she hatches a plan to bring Rose home as the book jumps forward ten years to 1919.

This is a novel that entertains from start to finish.  The characters are so realistic and the scenery so vivid that I could picture it clearly in my mind.  Of course it helps a little that I know Ryhope well but I can't walk through the village now without replaying scenes in my head from Glenda's fantastic novels.

There is so much to love about this book: the wonderful characters and the challenges they face, the entertaining and compelling storyline and the jam tarts that I could almost taste.  Even the dedication page gave me a lump in my throat!  The dirty and cramped living conditions in a coalmining village must have been awful, but the resilience and fierce determination of Glenda's female characters completely warms your heart.

The Sixpenny Orphan is such a heartwarming, heartbreaking and entertaining read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.  I used to say I wasn't a saga reader but then I discovered Glenda Young's novels: this is not just a saga, this is a Glenda Young saga and it's simply wonderful.

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:

Glenda Young credits her local library in the village of Ryhope, where she grew up, for giving her a love of books. She still lives close by in Sunderland and often gets her ideas for her stories on long bike rides along the coast. The novels are inspired by Glenda’s love of soap opera, and are dramatic with lots of action and wonderful female characters. There’s a lot of warmth and humour too. 

A life-long fan of Coronation Street, Glenda runs two hugely popular fan websites including the Coronation Street Blog since 2007 and the original fan website www.corrie.net, online since 1995. Glenda is also the creator of the first ever weekly soap opera, ‘Riverside’ which appears in The People’s Friend, the longest running women’s magazine in the world. 

As well as her gritty sagas, Glenda writes a fun, cosy crime series set in a Scarborough B&B. Glenda has had short fiction published in Take a Break, My Weekly, The People’s Friend and Best and in 2019 was a finalist in the Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais Comedy Award.

For updates on what Glenda is working on, visit her website glendayoungbooks.com and to find out more find her on Facebook @GlendaYoungAuthor Twitter @flaming_nora and Tiktok @glenda_young_author

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The Tuppenny Child - Glenda Young

'She's not worth more than tuppence, that child!'

Those are the words that haunt Sadie Linthorpe. She is the talk of Ryhope when she arrives there, aged seventeen, alone, seeking work and a home in the pit village. But Sadie is keeping a secret - she is searching for her baby girl who was taken from her at birth a year ago and cruelly sold by the child's grandmother.

All that Sadie knows about the family who took her daughter is that they live in Ryhope. And the only thing she knows about her daughter is that when the baby was born, she had a birthmark on one shoulder that resembled a tiny ladybird. But as Sadie's quest begins, a visitor from her past appears - one who could jeopardise the life she's beginning to build and ruin her chances of finding her beloved child for ever...

 

What did I think?

I've made no secret of the fact that I absolutely love Glenda Young's sagas and I first discovered them at book three, Pearl of Pit Lane, so I made sure to add the first two books to my collection.  The beauty of Glenda Young's books is that they're not a series and you can read them in any order, although you do often get cameo appearances by characters from previous books and it's like waving to old friends when they get mentioned.

The Tuppenny Child is set in Ryhope, a small mining village in Sunderland, but it's further down the coast in Hartlepool where we meet our heroine, Sadie.  Sadie is a hard worker and all her earnings are handed over to her landlady for her bed and board and my heart went out to her at being stuck in such a vicious circle.  When Sadie finds herself pregnant by the landlady's son, her landlady sees her chance for a few extra pennies and sells the baby behind Sadie's back.  This is when we see the true strength of Sadie as she vows to get her daughter back and follows her to Ryhope.  

I know Ryhope well but even if I didn't, Glenda Young's wonderfully descriptive writing creates all the sights and sounds of the bustling pit village.  The characters are larger than life and I loved the pub landladies who each run one of the many pubs in the village.  The strength of women, despite their many challenges, is shown beautifully and there is a keen sense of community that warms the heart.

Heartwarming doesn't even come close to describing The Tuppenny Child as it's also heartbreaking yet completely uplifting and incredibly entertaining.  It's a book I will definitely read again and I absolutely loved it.  Very highly recommended.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: A Mother's Christmas Wish - Glenda Young

'I hope this Christmas is better than last year's.'

Following a scandalous affair, wayward Emma Devaney is sent in disgrace from her home in Ireland to Ryhope, where she will live with her widowed aunt, Bessie Brogan, and help run her pub. Bessie is kind but firm, and at first Emma rebels against her lack of freedom. Struggling to fit in, she turns to the wrong person for comfort, and becomes pregnant.

Accepting she must embrace her new life for the sake of her baby, Emma pours her energy into making the pub thrive and helping heal the fractured relationship between Bessie and her daughters. She catches the attention of Robert, a gruff but sincere farmer, who means to win her heart.

As December approaches, thankful for the home and acceptance she's found, Emma is determined to bring not just her family, but the whole Ryhope community, together to celebrate - and to make one very special mother's Christmas dreams come true.

 

What did I think?

With her fabulous cosy crimes, entertaining weekly soap and heartwarming Ryhope sagas, Glenda Young has fast become one of my favourite authors.  There aren't many authors whose books I read without reading the synopsis but Glenda is one of them.  It's not only that the books are guaranteed to be good, it's also that I don't want to spoil a single surprise of the fantastic storyline.

It's December 1923 and 17 year old Emma is leaving her home in a small Irish village and setting off on a long journey to North East England.  Emma is leaving under a cloud and I love the wonderfully imaginative scandal that Glenda Young has come up with for Emma.  Emma makes quite a first impression when she reaches her Aunt Bessie's pub at the end of her journey: the small coal mining village of Ryhope.

I absolutely adored this book; I laughed, I cried (TWICE!!) and I was entertained from start to finish.  I really don't think any review I write could do it justice, you just really need to read it for yourself.  It's festive in the loveliest way with family and community spirit at its heart and I loved seeing the main characters from all of the previous Ryhope sagas making cameo appearances.  I also loved reading about the Irish tradition of Nollaig na mBan (the Women's Little Christmas) and it's so beautifully incorporated into the storyline.

You can save some pounds on your heating bill by reading A Mother's Christmas Wish; it didn't just warm my heart, it warmed me from head to toe.  Glenda Young breaks saga stereotypes with her hugely entertaining and incredibly inventive storylines and A Mother's Christmas Wish is not to be missed.

Very highly recommended - I wanted to read it again the moment I turned the final (soggy, tear-stained) page.  It's absolutely beautiful, unforgettable and unmissable.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

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About the author:

Glenda Young credits her local library in the village of Ryhope, where she grew up, for giving her a love of books. She still lives close by in Sunderland and often gets her ideas for her stories on long bike rides along the coast. A life-long fan of Coronation Street, she runs two hugely popular fan websites.

Social Media Links – 

For updates on what Glenda is working on, visit her website glendayoungbooks.com and to find out more find her on Facebook/GlendaYoungAuthor and Twitter @flaming_nora.

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BLOG TOUR: Riverside - Glenda Young, Ian Skillicorn

It's something a little different today on the blog, with a review of an audiobook drama.  Riverside is a soap opera written by one of my favourite authors, Glenda Young and it's published weekly in The People's Friend.  Ian Skillicorn wrote the script to convert it into an audiobook and it's fantastic so make sure you scroll down and enter the giveway to try to win an audio copy for yourself.

The feel-good, life-affirming story of love, friendship, family, and new beginnings!

Changes are coming to the riverside town of Ryemouth, and while some of the community are excited by new beginnings, others are finding it hard to let go of the past.

A new 14-episode audio soap with a cast of loveable characters you'll want to laugh and cry along with.

Susan and her boyfriend Dave can't wait to open their new café and deli, The Old Engine Room. But Susan's dad, George, is not so thrilled. He's never approved of Dave, who used to hang out with the wrong crowd. Can the happy young couple win George round?

Mary and Ruby have been friends since the first day of infant school, even though their lives have turned out very differently. Mary has a contented family life with husband George and daughter Susan. Poor Ruby has never been so lucky in love. Then she meets her teenage crush in surprising circumstances. Mary has her doubts about the charming Paul. Will Ruby finally get her own happy ever after?

Dave wants to put his past behind him. His dream is to make a success of the business, and one day be a good husband and father, like his own dad, Mike. Yet, he's forced to keep a secret from everyone he loves. Who should he turn to for help out of a tricky situation?

When the community comes under threat from developers, can everyone put their differences to one side to defend the town they love?

Riverside is full of romance, heartbreak and secrets, as well as gentle wit and humour.

The Riverside audiobook drama is based on the popular weekly magazine serial written and created by Glenda Young.

 

What did I think?

I love Glenda Young's books so when I heard that Ian Skillicorn had written a script for an audiobook drama based on Glenda's weekly soap opera that's published in The People's Friend I couldn't wait to listen to it.  I don't listen to a lot of audiobooks as I find it hard to maintain my concentration levels if I'm doing something else at the same time, but I didn't have that problem with Riverside as I was completely riveted from start to finish.

I've never listened to anything like it; Riverside is absolutely brilliant.  It's an audiobook drama with a full cast of characters and wonderful sound effects that bring the whole book to life.  Each chapter has its own little story as well as there being a thread running through all of them as we follow the characters' lives.  Running time is just under four hours with 14 chapters that average around 16 minutes each, so it's very easy to fit a couple of chapters in here and there.  I was so addicted that I could have easily listened to it in one sitting, if I hadn't had other books to read too.

The setting is the fictional town of Ryemouth (a nod to Glenda's hometown of Ryhope, where her fabulous historical sagas are set), and its undergoing a lot of change and regeneration following the closure of the shipyards.  The riverside, with its penthouse flats and artisinal vendors, is barely recognisable from its industrial past and, although it's sad that a lot of people lost the only job they'd ever known, most people think the change is for the better. 

The characters become instantly recognisable because of the amazing actors who play them and apart from one (who shall remain nameless) I loved each and every one of them.  There's a lot of drama, laughter and warmth in the stories to keep you entertained and they often finish on little mini cliffhangers so you always want to listen to more.  I could have kept on listening way beyond the 14 chapters as I am now totally invested in the characters' lives and I want to find out what else Glenda has in store for them.

Heartwarming, humourous and completely addictive, Riverside is so fantastic that I really can't recommend it highly enough.  I do hope there is more to come in audiobook as I absolutely loved it and I'm missing the characters so much that I am already considering listening to it again.  Without doubt, it's an outstanding audiobook drama that's not to be missed.  A definite five stars and I'd give it more if I could.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

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Audible

About the authors:

Ian Skillicorn is a publisher, producer and writer. He has written the script for the Riverside audiobook drama based on Glenda’s stories and characters. He also directed and produced the audiobook. Ian’s publishing imprint, Wyndham Books, publishes best-selling fiction by some of the best-loved novelists in the UK and Australia. He was a podcasting trailblazer, producing streaming audio programmes in the early 2000s well before the podcast revolution. 

Glenda Young is a best-selling author and award-winning writer. She’s written Riverside, a weekly soap opera published in The People’s Friend magazine since 2016. Meanwhile, she is the author of two successful book series – gritty sagas set in a northeast mining village in 1919, and cosy crimes set in modern-day Scarborough. She has also written official TV tie-in books for ITV’s Coronation Street. 

Social Medial Links:

www.riversidethesoap.com

Twitter: @ian_skillicorn / @flaming_nora

GIVEAWAY!!

Giveaway to Win 5 x Audio copies of Riverside (Open to UK/US)

*Terms and Conditions – UK/US 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 organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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BLOG TOUR: Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel (A Helen Dexter Cosy Crime Mystery book 2) - Glenda Young

In the charming Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough, the stage is set for murder . . .

Helen Dexter has started a new chapter in her life as sole proprietor of the Seaview Hotel.

But things take a dramatic turn when an acting troupe book into the hotel to rehearse a play they hope will save a much-loved theatre from being closed down. Helen immediately picks up on tension between the actors, but there is worse to come when the charismatic leading lady is found dead.

With so much at stake, it's clear the show must go on. Helen is roped into helping the troupe with their performance, giving her ample opportunity to discover who wanted their diva dead.

However, the murder is not the only thing on Helen's mind. She's receiving threatening phone calls, her car is vandalised - and she's just learned of an impending visit from a hotel inspector which could change the fortunes of the Seaview Hotel.

With her trusty greyhound Suki by her side, Helen is determined to uncover the identity of the killer - even if it means she has to give the performance of her life.

 

What did I think?

Glenda Young is such an amazing storyteller that I always get excited when she has a new book coming out, whether it's her family sagas or cosy crime series.  Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel is the second book in the Helen Dexter Cosy Crime Mystery series set in Scarborough but it can totally be read as a standalone.

Helen Dexter runs a guesthouse in the picturesque seaside town of Scarborough and her latest booking is a group of actors who are performing in the town's theatre, in an attempt to save it from closure.  As Helen observes the actors at close quarters, they aren't as friendly towards each other as they first appeared and one of them is about to be murdered.  They all appear to have motive but Helen and her faithful greyhound Suki are determined to sniff out the murderer.

Add in a hotel inspector, a snooty neighbour, and a secretive new boyfriend and you've got a hugely entertaining tale.  There's more drama and entertainment in this one book than in a week's worth of Coronation Street episodes.  The setting is beautiful and Glenda's love of Scarborough shines through in her stunning, evocative writing.

Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel is absolutely brilliant from start to finish.  There is so much drama and entertainment crammed into this fantastic book that it's impossible to put down.  I loved it and most definitely recommend it.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Miner's Lass - Glenda Young

'You're a Dinsdale lass, Ruby. Nothing and no one keeps us lot down.'

A life of poverty in a cramped pit cottage is all that seventeen-year-old Ruby Dinsdale has known. Even with her father and younger brother working at the coal mine, money is tight. Her mother Mary is skilled at stretching what little they have, but the small contribution Ruby makes from her job at the local pub makes all the difference. So when Ruby is sacked, and Mary becomes pregnant again, the family's challenges are greater than ever.

When charming miner Gordon begins to court Ruby it seems as though happiness is on the horizon, until she uncovers a deeper betrayal than she could ever have imagined.

But although the Dinsdales are materially poor, they are rich in love, friendship and determination - all qualities that they will draw on to get them through whatever lies ahead.

What did I think?

If you’re thinking you don’t read sagas, then think again; you’ve not read Glenda Young’s sagas!  The Miner's Lass is Glenda's sixth saga and it is absolutely brilliant.  As soon as I opened the book I was transported to Ryhope in 1919 and I simply couldn't put it down.

The Dinsdale family rely on every penny that comes into their small cottage so when Ruby finds herself out of work she needs to find a new job fast.  Ruby's brother Michael will be old enough to go down the mine with his dad when he turns 14 and oh how my heart broke for him; it's almost unimaginable today to think of children working underground in such awful and dangerous conditions.  The whole community revolved around the pit and this was portrayed beautifully in The Miner's Lass.

Life is rarely considered easy but it was definitely a much harder life 100 years ago.  Families didn't have much money to live on but everyone helped each other out and they found joy in the little things.  Mental health is so important these days so it was interesting to read about the local asylum and how men used to drop off their troublesome women at the door.  It's shocking when you think about it as many people should have never been sent there.

So, whilst The Miner's Lass is a wonderful story of family, friendship and community there's so much more to experience in this outstanding novel.  It's packed full of drama and challenges for the characters and it gives us a glimpse of what life was like in an early 20th century coal mining community.  The characters are portrayed so vividly that they virtually leap out from the page as we experience every trial and tribulation with them.

Written with warmth, drama and a bit of humour, The Miner's Lass is hugely entertaining from start to finish.  Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and I read it in one sitting.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it and it's an easy 5 stars.

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

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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Murder at the Seaview Hotel (A Helen Dexter Cosy Crime Mystery) - Glenda Young

 

In the charming Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough, a murder is nothing to sing about . . .

After the death of her husband Tom, Helen Dexter is contemplating her future as the now-sole proprietor of the Seaview Hotel.

There's an offer from a hotel chain developer to consider, but also a booking from a group of twelve Elvis impersonators, a singing troupe called Twelvis. Tom loved Elvis and for Helen this is a sign that she should stay.

But the series of mysterious events which follow, suggests that the developer is not going to give up easily. Then, shortly after Twelvis arrive, one of the group disappears. His body is found floating in a lake, with his blue suede shoes missing. Could the two be connected?

With the reputation of the Seaview on the line, Helen isn't going to wait for the murderer to strike again. With her trusty greyhound Suki by her side, she decides to find out more about her guests and who wanted to make sure this Elvis never sang again.

What did I think?

I'm a huge fan of Glenda Young's historical sagas set in Ryhope and Glenda shows that's she's not a one trick pony by changing location and genre in her debut cosy crime mystery set in Scarborough.  Murder at the Seaview Hotel is the first in a new series starring hotel owner Helen Dexter and what a fantastic start it is.

Firstly, I have to say that the location alone is breathtaking to behold through Glenda Young's vivid and descriptive writing.  I felt as if I was there, walking along the promenade with a bag of chips in my hand and seagulls gliding overhead.  I could really tell that Scarborough is a place close to Glenda's heart and her love for the seaside town shines through every beautifully written word.

Murder at the Seaview Hotel has a bit of everything in its outstanding plot: murder, dastardly underhand dealings, grief, friendships and mystery but above all, it's a great fun and entertaining read.  It's like a soap opera in a book with a Mrs. Bucket-like character running the hotel next door to Helen, a dozen Elvis impersonators ingeniously named Twelvis and a hotel chain determined to get their hands on Helen's hotel by fair means or foul... with the emphasis on foul.

Hugely entertaining, Murder at the Seaview Hotel is a fantastic murder mystery and an absolutely wonderful start to a new series.  With a sprinkling of humour, Glenda Young writes with such warmth and vivacity that Murder at the Seaview Hotel is an absolute delight to read.  An easy five stars from me and I can't wait for the next one!

I chose to read a digital ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Paper Mill Girl - Glenda Young

 

'She's just a paper mill girl.'

Seventeen-year-old Ruth Hardy works long hours at Grange Paper Works, with her younger sister Bea, and spends her free time caring for their ailing parents. Their meagre income barely covers their needs, so when Bea reveals that she is pregnant out of wedlock, Ruth knows even tougher times are ahead.

Ruth's hard work at the mill does not go unnoticed and it looks as though her luck might turn when she's promoted. But when the arrival of Bea's baby girl ends in tragedy, Ruth is left with no choice but to bring up her niece herself. However, news of Ruth's plan brings a threatening menace close.

Although Ruth's friendship with the girls at the mill, and the company of charming railway man, Mick Carson, sustain her, ultimately Ruth bears the responsibility for keeping her family safe. Will she ever find happiness of her own?

What did I think?

Glenda Young is definitely an author not to be missed when it comes to family sagas and I have been a fan of hers since I read Pearl of Pit Lane almost a year ago.  Although tinged with sadness, The Paper Mill Girl is a wonderfully heart-warming novel filled with strong, colourful characters that I took to my heart.

I loved the main character of Ruth Hardy; dedicated to looking after her unexpectedly expanding family, Ruth is also the best friend a girl could have.  Friendship plays a huge part in the book as the rag room girls work, laugh and love together.  In a time where every penny counts, they are always willing to share what they have and look after each other and their lunchtime outings never failed to put a smile on my face.

Set in 1919, it's a stark reminder that it's very much a man's world and Ruth is in the unenviable position of being the sole breadwinner as the Hardy family struggles to keep a roof over their heads in the back room of the Guide Post Inn.  It's shockingly amusing that men always find money for beer whilst their wives could be at home boiling the bones of a chicken to feed their family.  I'd take beer over chicken any day though!

I'm not ashamed to say that I shed a tear or two while I was reading The Paper Mill Girl.  Glenda Young's beautifully warm writing really brings the characters to life and I experienced their emotions alongside them.  I was positively beaming towards the end of the book and tears of happiness brimmed in my eyes but I quickly blinked them away so I could keep reading as I didn't want to miss a single word.

I always look forward to reading the author's note in Glenda Young's books as her research is outstanding and adds authenticity to the story.  I actually didn't realise that Sunderland had a paper mill and even though I've had a book in my hand for most of my life, I had never considered the composition of paper.  It was really interesting to get a glimpse inside a working mill in 1919 through Glenda's fantastic storytelling.

The Paper Mill Girl is heart-warming, emotional and simply wonderful.  It's perfect escapism and I really can't recommend it highly enough as I absolutely loved it.  If you think family sagas aren't for you, you've never read Glenda Young's books - pick one up today and you'll be converted.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon - Glenda Young

'You deserve more than this, Jess... You deserve to know the truth about the McNallys.'

When a newborn baby girl is found abandoned with nothing but a scarlet ribbon tied to her basket, Ada Davidson, housekeeper of the wealthy McNally family's home, the Uplands, takes her into her care. Sworn to secrecy about the baby's true identity, Ada names her Jess and brings her up as her own, giving Jess no reason to question where she came from.

But when Ada passes away, grief-stricken Jess, now sixteen, is banished from the place she's always called home. With the scarlet ribbon the only connection to her past, will Jess ever find out where she really belongs? And will she uncover the truth about the ruthless McNallys?

What did I think?

I've only recently discovered local Sunderland author Glenda Young and what a fabulous discovery she is.  Living in the North East, it's almost obligatory to have family sagas in your library and I read a fair few in my youth.  I thought my saga reading days were over until Glenda Young hooked me with her proggy mat hook in Pearl of Pit Lane so I was very eager to read her new book, The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon; so eager in fact that I read it in just two sittings over the course of 24 hours.

One of my favourite things to discover in a book is a map and I love the map of Ryhope, Sunderland from 1919 that Glenda Young has included in the front of the book.  They certainly had a lot of pubs in such a small area back then, but with Ryhope being a mining community the men working underground all day certainly deserved a pint or two after their shift.

The main character of Jess is such an outstanding character; I felt very protective of her possibly due to the reader being there at her birth in 1903.  Left on the steps of the McNally house in a basket with a scarlet ribbon attached to the handle, Jess is taken in by housekeeper, Ada.  Jess has such a happy life with Ada, despite James McNally's attempts to erase her existence, until Ada dies and Jess suddenly finds herself homeless and alone at 16 years old.  I really felt for Jess but she shows that she's made of stronger stuff and that horrible James McNally better watch out for the whiplash of karma.

Although very character driven, and what wonderful characters they are, the writing is so vivid that I felt as if I was walking through Ryhope village myself.  I certainly felt like I was on the beach in one particular scene with Glenda Young's evocative writing giving me goosebumps.  I love the little elements of Sunderland history that Glenda includes in her impeccably well researched novel, namely Sunderland's famous Vaux beer and the heartbreaking Victoria Hall disaster.

Glenda Young is an extraordinarily talented storyteller and The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon is a wonderful story from beginning to end; it's more heartwarming than a roaring coal fire.  Superbly written, the storyline is compelling and surprising with characters that are so vivid they virtually leap out from the page.  I absolutely loved it and wholeheartedly recommend it.

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

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