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Skylarks At Sunset
Does she dare to dream of a brighter future?Rita Bradshaw's Skylarks at Sunset is a heartrending story of one woman's struggle to keep her family safe during the dark days of the Depression and war. Perfect for fans of Pam Evans and Dilly Court.Hope's just a child when she's orphaned, and as she grows up her dream is always to have a family of her own. And so when she meets and falls in love with Daniel Fallow, son of a successful businessman, she's quick to accept his proposal of marriage. His family, though, are against the match, and so the young couple marry in secret.Grudging acceptance follows, and as the Depression worsens Daniel is persuaded to join the family business, unaware of his father's dodgy dealings. Tragedy is just around the corner, and worse is to come when war is declared in 1939: as Daniel leaves to fight and her children are evacuated, Hope wonders if she will ever have all her family around her again...What readers are saying about Skylarks at Sunset :'Another wonderful story from Rita Bradshaw, a story that holds your attention from start to finish'' Excellent from beginning to end. Couldn't put it down '' Five stars '
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2007
136 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Rita Bradshaw
52 books115 followersRita Bradshaw was born on 1949 in Northampton, England, where she was educated as a good Christian. She met Clive, her husband, at the age of 16 andnow the magic is still there. They have three lovely children, Cara, Faye, and Benjamin, and have always had a menagerie of animals in the house, whichat the present is confined to two endearing and very comical dogs who wouldmake a great double act on TV! The children, friends, and pets all keep thehouse buzzing and the food cupboards empty but Helen wouldn't have it anyother way. She still lives today in Northampton with her family. Althoughhaving enjoyed some wonderful holidays abroad she has never been tempted tolive anywhere else, although she rather likes the idea of a holiday homeclose to the sea one day.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming,and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in thesun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking ofcourse!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as sheapproached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babiesand hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latteran unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of purejoy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own bu tshe loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth isstranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming,and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in thesun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking ofcourse!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as sheapproached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babiesand hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latteran unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of purejoy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own bu tshe loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth isstranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 16, 2024
Great book.. great story! Rita Bradshaw writes from the Heart ♥️
August 18, 2025
A nice read would be the best way to describe it!
March 1, 2025
This year has been pretty good for reading older authors that I haven't read for years. Last year I had one good book this year 2 for 2 so far. This book is basically the story of a marriage and a family. Hope a poor seventeen year old from the East End falls in love with Daniel the son of a wealthy family. The defy his family and marry in secret determined to make it on their own. But when Hope becomes pregnant with twins Daniel has to go back to his father's firm. Daniel's father Abe, his mother Emily and the maid Annie all grew up together in the East End and Abe fought to make a better life for them often using shady means. This comes back to haunt him throughout the story. But while the marriage of Hope and Daniel is the main plot there's a lot happening. Daniel's sister's have troubles, Bernice the eldest trapped in a loveless marriage after her dad blackmails her one true love into leaving town, Rosaleen the baby of the family gets mixed up with drugs that may have come from one of Abe's enemies and leads to tragic circumstances. Older brother Cecil also has a broken marriage and seething jealousy toward his brother Daniel. Hope's sister Constance gets mixed up with a gangster the consequences of which threaten Hope and Daniel's marriage. What makes this book good is that the villians aren't all evil or caricatures of a bad guy. Abe is supposed to be a bad guy but he shows kindness for Hope and the babies at times. There are many well rounded characters throughout the book. The book goes from 1932 to the end of WWII from depression to the booming industry of war. Despite a slow start it soon picks up and I quite enjoyed following Hope, Daniel, their children and various family members.
April 10, 2025
This is a really good read. An extremely active story which keeps you turning the pages until you reach the last. Extremely strong characters draw the reader into the story of a fiercely independent family trying to make ends meet during wartime and rationing, at the same time rejecting the family's wealth.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
November 4, 2025
Beautiful book
This book was a wonderful read. I never knew what was going to happen next. It was very difficult to put down. It pulled at the heartstrings at times. I love Rita Bradshaw’s books but I think this is the best one I have read.
This book was a wonderful read. I never knew what was going to happen next. It was very difficult to put down. It pulled at the heartstrings at times. I love Rita Bradshaw’s books but I think this is the best one I have read.
March 5, 2019
Very good read
I chose this rating because it's the kind of story that really draws you in.
I would recommend this book to any of my reading friends.
I chose this rating because it's the kind of story that really draws you in.
I would recommend this book to any of my reading friends.
August 7, 2023
Another wonderful book by Rita Bradshaw
February 12, 2026
Good read … really enjoyed this book
October 21, 2016
I've had this book on my bookshelf for quite some time and after finishing a series of 23 books that I just completed decided to pick it up! And it packs a punch! This book has only 2 reviews on goodreads so far which after completing it, makes me wonder why? This is the first book of Rita Bradshaw that I have read and if her other books are like this, I can see myself getting them all.
Hope and her sister Constance are orphaned and end up being rasied by their aunt and uncle in poverty in the East End of Sunderland. Previously she had been living in Hartlepool with her parents living a quiet sheltered existence. Her dad dies at sea and her mother dies in childbirth. She loves her aunt and uncle, they are good respectable folk. Hope then meets Daniel when she is 17. Daniel is 21 and come from a very well off family, living in a grand house and has attended university. The have several dates in which Daniel doesn't try it on with Hope. But Hope knows that he likes her very much as she does Daniel. But Daniel is catholic wih cash and Hope isn't Catholic and very poor. They soon realise they are in love and prepare to meet each other's families. They are both nervous. Hope's family is supportive of their relationship however Daniel's family think that Hope is after money and as she is not Catholic, they are very against the relationship. Daniel's father Abe owns a business and has the say of what happens in the family.
They decide to marry in secret with the support of Hope's family and move out to make it on their own. Daniel's family are very against the relationship and Abe decides that he won't support Daniel financially at all. Soon Hope falls pregnant and Daniel who is out of work goes to work for his father who although he doesn't like Hope lets his son work for him. Abe is very controlling and Hope doesn't like the idea but with her pregancy there's not much else they can do to make ends meet.
Soon they have twins and although life is difficult they try to make things work. They remain very much in love. However Hope has suspicions about the family business and about Abe. Daniel doesn't see it though and thinks that Hope just doesn't like his dad.
Things become difficult for them both, with family secrets and the war. Will Hope and Daniel make it through? Are the suspicions true. This book kept me entertained until the end.
I found it well written, entertaining and throughly enjoyable. This is not my usually genre of book but I just loved it so much. You get a real feel for the characters and the times and situations that they are going through. Not all is as it seems.
Overall a 5/5 for me. I book I just couldn't put down.
Hope and her sister Constance are orphaned and end up being rasied by their aunt and uncle in poverty in the East End of Sunderland. Previously she had been living in Hartlepool with her parents living a quiet sheltered existence. Her dad dies at sea and her mother dies in childbirth. She loves her aunt and uncle, they are good respectable folk. Hope then meets Daniel when she is 17. Daniel is 21 and come from a very well off family, living in a grand house and has attended university. The have several dates in which Daniel doesn't try it on with Hope. But Hope knows that he likes her very much as she does Daniel. But Daniel is catholic wih cash and Hope isn't Catholic and very poor. They soon realise they are in love and prepare to meet each other's families. They are both nervous. Hope's family is supportive of their relationship however Daniel's family think that Hope is after money and as she is not Catholic, they are very against the relationship. Daniel's father Abe owns a business and has the say of what happens in the family.
They decide to marry in secret with the support of Hope's family and move out to make it on their own. Daniel's family are very against the relationship and Abe decides that he won't support Daniel financially at all. Soon Hope falls pregnant and Daniel who is out of work goes to work for his father who although he doesn't like Hope lets his son work for him. Abe is very controlling and Hope doesn't like the idea but with her pregancy there's not much else they can do to make ends meet.
Soon they have twins and although life is difficult they try to make things work. They remain very much in love. However Hope has suspicions about the family business and about Abe. Daniel doesn't see it though and thinks that Hope just doesn't like his dad.
Things become difficult for them both, with family secrets and the war. Will Hope and Daniel make it through? Are the suspicions true. This book kept me entertained until the end.
I found it well written, entertaining and throughly enjoyable. This is not my usually genre of book but I just loved it so much. You get a real feel for the characters and the times and situations that they are going through. Not all is as it seems.
Overall a 5/5 for me. I book I just couldn't put down.
January 9, 2013
This is a good solid English Family Saga. The characters are realistic and lively. I will read more of Ms. Bradshaws books.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews