The Match Factory Girls

by Kay Brellend

In the shadows of 1887 London, one woman must fight for her future – and her child's.

When Amelia Spencer finds herself unmarried, pregnant, and cast out by society, she flees to the Bryant & May match factory, searching for her estranged sister, Sadie. But the East End is no refuge - Sadie is trapped in a violent marriage, and the factory is as dangerous as the streets outside.

Desperate for a fresh start, Amelia takes work at Bryant & May and dares to dream of a better life for herself and her son. A chance meeting with the kind-hearted Nicholas Dupree offers hope - but Whitechapel is no place for fragile dreams.

When the shadows of Amelia’s past return with a vengeance - and a killer begins stalking the women of Whitechapel - Amelia must fight to protect her child and the life she’s struggled to claim, before everything she’s fought for is destroyed.

Love, survival, and dark secrets collide in a heart-pounding saga of courage and redemption.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction, Family

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 24, 2026

Reviews

[Yvonne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In the shadows of 1887 London, one woman must fight for her future and that of her child"
...

When Amelia Spencer finds herself unmarried, pregnant, and cast out by society, she flees to the Bryant & May match factory, searching for her estranged sister, Sadie. But the East End is no refuge - Sadie is trapped in a violent marriage, and the factory is as dangerous as the streets outside.

Desperate for a fresh start, Amelia takes work at Bryant & May and dares to dream of a better life for herself and her son. A chance meeting with the kind-hearted Nicholas Dupree offers hope - but Whitechapel is no place for fragile dreams.

When the shadows of Amelia’s past return with a vengeance - and a killer begins stalking the women of Whitechapel - Amelia must fight to protect her child and the life she’s struggled to claim, before everything she’s fought for is destroyed.

…

In the grand tradition of authors such as Catherine Cookson and Josephine Cox, Kay Brellend boldly carries the torch with this page-turning, completely immersive opening episode, in a brand new historical saga, set in the East End of London.

The attention to detail in the narrative and dialogue is wonderful and the location is described in more than enough detail to satisfy even the most ardent of 'armchair travellers'. Often, challenging mores can make for a difficult read, especially when translating some of them into modern times and living and wondering exactly what has changed and how far we have really advanced as a society. However, the author manages to weave fact and fiction together seamlessly to form an interesting storyline, which is a true piece of social history, graphically highlighting many issues of the time; from unwanted pregnancy, prostitution, and gender and class discrimination by employers; to unfair and dangerous labour practices, the cheapness and fragility of human life, and the often pious and inhumane nature of the church.

However, there are good and bad in every corner and facet of life, so scratch beneath the surface and it isn't too difficult to find, even in a community shunned by all who are 'decent', one well-meaning and loving heart for every depraved and rotten soul; or one kind and selfless deed for each act of violence and greed. The many characters are well defined, each with their own role to play in this slowly unfolding story of one young woman's struggle to maintain her dignity and morals, whilst atoning for her lapse in judgement having been cruelly taken advantage of, and most importantly protecting her baby from the many unscrupulous individuals who would harm him or take him from her, to satisfy their individual motives and personal gain. There are those who I loved to hate, those I simply despised and those who were deserving of my sympathy and empathy. But Amelia herself demanded nothing from me, except my utmost admiration and respect, for her fighting spirit and refusal to give up or cave in, when it would have been all too easy for her so to do.

Whilst I am completely sold on the idea of this book being the prelude to a series, personally I found this worked equally well as a stand-alone story and I didn't come away feeling that an 'ending' was missing, or that some stone had been left unturned.


Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy, to read and offer an honest review.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

London, 1887. When Amelia Spence finds herself unmarried, pregnant and cast out by society, she flees to the Bryant and May match factory, searching for her estranged sister, Sadie. But the East End is no refuge - Sadie is trapped in a violent marriage, and the factory is as dangerous as the streets outside. Desperate for a fresh start, Amelia takes work at Bryant and May and dares to dream of a better life for herself and her son. A chance meeting with kindhearted Nicholas Dupree offers hope - but Whitechapel is no place for fragile dreams.

Amelia was deceived by Andrew Bowman and now she's pregnant. The only person who might help her is her sister Sadie.

There was a great mix of characters - some you'll like, others you'll loathe. The story tells how hard it was for women in 1980s Whitechapel. This is the first book in a new Victorian saga. This is my first read by the author, but I'm already looking forward to her next book.

Published 24th January 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #KayBrellend for my ARC of #TheMatchFactoryGirls in exchange for an honest review.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kay Brellend did a wonderful job of bringing Whitechapel in the 1880s to life for the reader. Life for unmarried pregnant women was very hard, especially if you wanted to keep your child. Amelia has been duped by Andrew Bowman and is pregnant with nowhere to go, so she seeks out her sister. Things don’t work out, but this sets off a chain of events where her child’s life is in danger from two men. There is a diverse cast of characters, ranging from kind and helpful to very mean and dangerous. With an interesting story line that covers a lot of issues, like unwanted pregnancies, class, labour practices, murders and gender discrimination, there is also heartwarming kindness and love. This is the start of a series, and I hope to continue reading about these characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy to read and offer an honest review.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

New victorian saga book one.
In the shadows of 1887 London, one woman must fight for her future and her child's.
Amelia Spencer alone and pregnant turfed out by her parents seeks out her big sister Sadie, Whitechapel is no place for dreams to come true.
A mothers courage, a fight for hope, a unputdownable story of survival, what a dynamic start to a new series from this author.
Absolutely had my heart reading a inspiring heartbreaker.
I loved this read.

[Kacey/Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Match Factory Girls is a new saga based in London. The story is so absorbing and draws the reader in. The characters are fantastic.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia turns up pregnant, alone, and searching for her sister Sadie at the Bryant and May Match Factory in 1880s London. However, Whitechapel is a dangerous place, and her sister Sadie is trapped in a violent marriage.

Wow, this was a definite page turner. This was:

- the fight for a woman to keep her child in the 1800's
- dangerous conditions at the match factory
- Jack the Ripper murders
- rough life in Whitechapel during the 1880s
- opposite sides of the track romance
- running a pub in 1800s London
- murder mystery
- romance
- the different classes in England

This was the 1st in a series. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to @boldwoodbooks, @netgalley, and the author for this arc