Shipyard Girls in Love

Shipyard Girls #4

by Nancy Revell

Is all fair in love and war? Set during World War II in the heart of Sunderland's shipbuilding yards, Shipyard Girls in Love follows Nancy's girls Gloria, Rosie, Polly and Bel. They're navigating their way through the war, and troubles in love.

Genres: Family, Historical Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2018

About the author

Nancy Revell is the pseudonym of Amanda Revell Walton a writer and journalist that has worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She has also worked for just about every woman's magazine in the country, writing amazing and inspirational true life stories. Nancy has recently relocated back to her home town of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, with her husband, Paul, and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie. They live just a short walk away from the beautiful award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where The Shipyard Girls series is set. The subject is close to Nancy's heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well-known in the area.

Reviews

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I survived to the halfway point in this novel but finally had to put it down and let it go. I was super excited to read it, as it is set in the North East of England where I was born and live. Sadly I found the plot very slow and not very interesting and struggled to stay connected to any of the many characters. It's a very slow burner of a book. I can't comment on if it had a brilliant finish obviously but don't expect it would have knocked my socks off.

If you really love these type of novels perhaps this will float your boat, I was very open-minded on this one, hoping for some family drama and a break from my darker novels I read. I do enjoy good women's fiction but this was too tepid for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

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[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shipyard Girls series from Nancy Revell has to be one of my all time favourite family drama/ war time saga series. It's seems like only the other day that I first began writing about Rosie and co as they work in the shipyard helping to build magnificent boats which will help in the efforts to win the war. But here we are already with book four Shipyard Girls in Love and there seems to be no let up in the quality of the storytelling with lots still happening that has the reader drawn once again into the story very quickly. I loved how we picked right up from where we had left off at the end of book three, yet still there were plenty of refresher moments for those new to the series or for long time fans just to bring everything that had happened to the forefront of their mind.

All the girls featured in this series have become like firm friends to me at this stage. They all work together with one common aim – to work as many hours as possible welding or working in the crane so the shipyard can boost production. They are a united team but outside the confines of the shipyard and the harsh conditions they endure all year around, each girl has their own problems which they must battle with. Plenty of secrets abound throughout the story and various story lines which have been built upon since book one are further gathering pace which all make for an exciting read and perhaps the best book in the series so far.

I had thought previously that there were one or two characters who although they were mentioned never got much prominence as other characters such as Rosie and Gloria seemed to have more pressing issues. To some extent I felt the same existed here, Hannah, Angie and Martha needed to have some gritty plot like the other women and it is only towards the end where we are very much left on a cliffhanger that I felt this began to happen for these characters. But it was worth the wait as the secrets they have been keeping under wraps if uncovered and brought out into the open would only cause endless upset and further hardship and devastation for all involved. I sense in the next book if this particular can of worms is opened then the three women will have a more prominent role to play and this is what I have been looking for with regard to them.

In this book we really got an even further insight into the character of Gloria. Just when I thought she had been through the worst of times, and might be about to find some happiness with her cruel husband Vinnie kicked to the kerb, and now with new born baby Hope a ray of light can begin to filter through the darkness she has endured. But fate has other plans in store for her and her true love Jack is still caught in the trap so maliciously laid down by his wife Miriam so many years ago. Miriam prays on his vulnerability after an accident in the Atlantic. One in which they thought he was lost forever. All the girls at the shipyard who know and love Gloria, who look to her for advice as a mother figure, who are always there for her when things get extremely tough know the outcome they want for her. So to does the reader especially if you have been with these characters since the very beginning. But I don't think the author is going to give any of her characters an easy ride and given we are only up to 1941 this series can run and run and it will be some time before any of them see light at the end of the tunnel. Just when I thought Gloria was beginning to emerge to maybe not a full state of happiness but more one of contentment than the apple cart is once again upset and in a major way. Such injustice and manipulation was laid down that I wanted to give the perpetrator a huge slap at what I was seeing unfolding before my eyes.

Miriam, Jack's wife will not let her husband go without a major fight. She has many cards which up until now had been played close to her chest and now she is centre stage and ready to lay them down. She is a woman more than willing to stick in the knife and twist it. I detest Miriam so much, if she is not happy she doesn't want anyone else to experience the feeling either. Now knowing more of the earlier background to Miriam, Jack and Gloria makes me feel for Gloria all the more. But I have to say when things start bubbling to the surface and revelations abound it did really make for exciting reading. OK I mightn't have wanted certain things to be known but it was like it was taken out of everyone's hands and this spiral of destruction was only getting going. Gloria was very much caught between a rock and a hard place. Loyalty to Jack and loyalty to her crew and the love she has for baby Hope are at the centre of her heart. But what can she do when she is so very much pushed even further into a corner? I can't wait to see what happens next for Gloria.

Shipyard Girls in Love didn't focus as much on the actual work the girls do in the yard as it had in previous books but this didn't matter in the slightest. I felt all the technical detail had been covered so now we are able to concentrate more on the girls lives and their trials and tribulations, of which there are many. Helen, Jack's daughter and now in charge of the shipyard was a character who inspired hatred in many but here I felt we really got inside her head like never before. We saw the other side of her coin as to how she feels - torn apart with the new knowledge she now has. Things become clearer to her but she does feel humiliated. At the same time a softer side of her character began to emerge but only teasing glimpses were given. After all she couldn't do a complete 360 so rapidly, I sense she would like to become 'friends' so to speak with the girls but given the way she has acted up until now I'm not so certain the tight knit group would be willing to let her into their confines.

Rosie's story is further developed and I feel she has changed since we first met her. She is still as hard working as ever as she has a loyalty to a certain someone but yet she is willing to reveal more of her background and the reasons for what she does. She has made numerous sacrifices and deserves nothing but admiration for this. Her burgeoning relationship with DS Peter Miller is one I am enjoying observing. For again similar to Gloria they are both caught between a rock and a hard place. Love should rule all but common sense and the structures and rules of the time and of course the war more often than not take over what ones heart is saying. When we first met Rosie she was very much a closed book but the fact that she can now open up to Peter and tell him everything demonstrates what she has been through and the fact she realises everything is better off one's chest. She feels relieved to have unburdened herself but still life and love is very much complex for her and I think it will remain so for quite some time to come.

Polly, Bel, Agnes and Arthur took more of a back seat in this story so I hope they will come more to the forefront in the next book. I understand Gloria and Rosie have big big things going on but it is important to keep all characters involved so readers do not forget them. I'm not saying they didn't have their scenes but I would have liked to have seen more of them. Overall, Shipyard Girls in Love was an excellent addition to the series and I was delighted I didn't leave it lingering too long on my Kindle before picking it up to read.

Nancy Revell has created a fantastic cast of characters, each so vastly different from the other but united in one aim to build vessels that will become warriors against Hitler and his army. But behind the day to day struggles of battling through the harsh wear years, normal life attempts to go on and the author has showcased this brilliantly against a backdrop of personal drudgery and arduous conflicts and issues. Victory for the Shipyard Girls arrives in September and I can't wait to see what happens next for all the girls and their extended families.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shipyard Girls in Love by Nancy Revell is the fourth book in The Shipyard Girls Series. We return to Sunderland, England in 1941 where Gloria, Rosie, Hannah, Martha, Angie, Dorothy, and Polly work at J.L. Thompson & Sons Shipyard. All the ladies except Hannah work as welders which before the war was a male only occupation. It is a beautiful Saturday in November, and Gloria Armstrong is having her daughter, Hope christened. Gloria is shocked when Jack Crawford arrives at the church with Arthur for the christening. Jack is suffering from retrograde amnesia. Gloria is filled with hope that Jack’s memory might be returning. It will not be easy, though, for these star-crossed lovers. Jack’s wife, Miriam is not about to let herself be humiliated with Jack leaving her for someone like Gloria. Then there is the matter of Vinnie Armstrong, Gloria’s violent husband. Gloria’s divorce is progressing, but it is not final. Vinnie has yet to see Hope and does not know that she is not his biological daughter. If Vinnie discovers the truth, there is no telling what he will do to Gloria. Rosie is head over heels in love with DS Peter Miller, but her business venture goes against his beliefs and the law. Lily, Rosie’s business partner, wants Rosie to be happy, but she also does not wish to go to jail. Every person has a secret or two that they hope will never be uncovered. What happens when those secrets are brought into the light. Rejoin the ladies in Sunderland to see how they are faring in Shipyard Girls in Love.

I thought Shipyard Girls in Love to be well-written and have a gentle pace that suits the story. The books in The Shipyard Girls Series are best read in order. Each book builds upon the previous one. I just love the characters in this series. They are such a diverse group of women. With the men off fighting the war, these women have been hired to do a labor-intensive job. They are welders (except Hannah) who work long, backbreaking hours working to build ships to aid the war. The co-workers became friends and now they are a family. These women will do anything for each other. While Shipyard Girls in Love focuses on Rosie and Gloria, we still get to catch up with the other ladies and their families (Bel and Joe, Maisie, Lily and George, Arthur, Tommy). The book takes place from November 1941 through the beginning of January 1942. The United States enters the war after Pearl Harbor is attacked. The story touches on what is happening to Hannah’s parents who are Jews still in German occupied Czechoslovakia. Kate opens Maison Nouvelle, but then someone from her past pays a visit. Shipyard Girls in Love will take you through the gamut of emotions as you progress through the book. I cannot wait to find out what happens next in Victory for the Shipyard Girls.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shipyard girls in love

November 1941 hendon Sunderland,and the shipyard girls are keeping very busy down the docks at Thompson's working on a new steamer(Empire Brutus). All part of the war workers while men are away fighting. I loved reading this book about all our Sunderland girls again, was great to get back into a book I feel right at home with. The author is spot on once again names of streets,work places and shops that I am so familiar with bringing memories. the women welders of Thompson's shipyards all holding their secrets together,some happy some sad. Loved reading this fourth book in the trilogy and so looking forward to the fifth. sunderland is home and proud of this now wonderful city

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Shipyard Girls In Love’ is the fourth book in the bestselling series by Nancy Revell. I have loved each and every book in the series. In fact I think that ‘Shipyard Girls In Love’ is the best of the series so far but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that I really felt for Gloria in this series. The opening part of the book shows what happened when Gloria and Jack were together first time around and it also shows how manipulative Miriam was at that time. Well let’s just say that nothing changes with that nasty moo. Gloria and Jack met up again some twenty years after that and had a little fling with their daughter Hope being the result. Gloria and Jack are destined to be together and complete the happy family unit but Miriam is putting all sorts of obstacles in the way. Miriam is married to Jack but the marriage is dead. Miriam doesn’t want Jack but equally she doesn’t want anybody else to have him and certainly not one of the women welders from the shipyard. Miriam trapped Jack with a lie and some of her behaviour towards Jack, Gloria, Hope & Helen ( Miriam & Jack’s daughter) is just unforgivable. So poor Gloria has this to contend with as well as all the whispers about her being a single parent. The other shipyard girls are the only ones, well bar Polly’s mother and sister in law, who know the truth about baby Hope’s father. Then there’s Vinnie, Gloria’s ex-husband, who makes my blood pressure rise as soon as his name is mentioned. Vinnie is back sniffing round after Gloria and the baby because he thinks that the baby is his and he is demanding to see her. Vinnie is just pure evil and thinks nothing of beating up a woman, peeing all his money up the wall, cheating on his lady friends and using threats and intimidation on a daily basis. I just so loved what happened to Vinnie and to say I cheered when I read that particular part of the book is an understatement. I am living in hopes that Vinnie accidentally on purpose falls overboard and drowns at sea. I also hope that Miriam takes a very long walk off Roker Pier. I so wish that I could jump into the pages of this book so I could go and sort them both out myself. Rosie is the other main focus of ‘Shipyard Girls In Love’. Rosie is a lady who has been through a hell of a lot and she has done what she had to to get along and to provide enough money for her sister’s education. Rosie suffered greatly at the hands of her uncle, who is no longer a problem- hurrah. Rosie has kept her distance from men and she has tried not to fall in love. That is until she met Peter. Now therein lies the problem as Peter is a policeman, which could cause trouble for Rosie’s business. I am not going to tell you anymore than that about her line of work (apart from the shipyard) as I don’t want to give too much away. Rosie’s situation isn’t helped when a few of her friends where she works at her second job are against her relationship with Peter. Her friends at the shipyard couldn’t be happier for her. Will Rosie find a way to be with Peter or is an obstacle put in their way? Will Jack and Gloria find a way to be together or will Miriam do her dastardly worst to put a spanner in the works? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
‘Shipyard Girls In Love’ has to be one of my top reads for 2018. There is a bit of everything within its pages- drama, heartache, happiness, sadness and the odd dash of humour. To say that I went through the emotional wringer whilst reading this book is an understatement. There were moments where I wanted to laugh, cry, scream and shout. There were also moments where I just came out with random statements like ‘you nasty beggar’, ‘get in there’ and ‘ooh you selfish moo’, whilst reading this book. That certainly got me some strange looks whilst I was on the bus. I know that ‘Shipyard Girls In Love’ is fiction but the author’s writing style is so realistic that the book seems to come alive. You could definitely say that I ‘lived’ this story. The book is so well written that if I shut my eyes I could imagine that I was in wartime Sunderland, which in a way made me feel closer to some of my ancestors. I had some relatives, who came from and lived in Sunderland but who I sadly never got to meet and reading this book is the closest I am going to get to actually meeting them. I must have been born in the wrong era. I even started reading the dialogue between the characters in a Mackem accent. (For those who don’t know a ‘Mackem’ is somebody who comes from Sunderland.) I became addicted to reading this book from the moment I picked it up and I just couldn’t put it down. The book wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because the book came everywhere with me and I was so into the story that I just had to read on and on and on because I just needed to know what was going to happen next.
Mrs Ginger Book Geek (my lovely Mam) is also a huge fan of the ‘Shipyard Girls’ series and we have a tug of war over who gets to read the book first. She always wins but letting a pensioner beat you doesn’t do much for your street cred. Anyway back to the point, luckily we had two copies of the book and we had a reading competition between us to see who could finish the book first. I won but you should have heard us asking which page the other one was on and saying things like ‘wait until you get to page…… you’ll like what is going to happen’. Mrs. Ginger Book Geek thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and certainly absolutely loves this series. She shares my opinions in that Miriam needs to tootle off permanently and that Vinnie needs to go splash overboard. If we could have both jumped into the pages to do just that then we would have done.
In short I absolutely loved this heart wrenching and extremely realistic saga series set in Sunderland, Co. Durham and I sincerely hope that the series will continue for a long time to come. Now before anybody has a go, at the time the book is set, Sunderland was in County Durham and there was none of that Tyne & Wear talk. To me Sunderland is in County Durham, always has been and always will be. Sorry about that little rant. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Nancy Revell and I can’t wait to see if my hopes & dreams come true. Fingers crossed. Luckily we don’t have too long a wait because the fifth book in the series called ‘Victory For The Shipyard Girls’ and is due for release on 6th September 2018. Hurry up September. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved and brilliant 5* out of 5* although I would have awarded it more stars if I could have because I enjoyed it that much.

[Joe Currey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read but certainly not as good as the others. There was lots of back tracking which is great if you haven't read the others but tiresome if like me you couldn't wait to read the next instalment.

[mois reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shipyard girls

Wow what an explosive book I didn't think it would be as strong as it is but I was overwhelmed reading it . It's going to take me some time coming down to earth Nancy you have surpassed yourself all the girls secrets all coming out poor Jack and Gloria and Rosie and Peter i thought I was living there life's . And the streets all I know it's a fantastic read 5 STARS I would give 10 of i could now I have to wait for the next instalment well done .

[Layla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another good book from Nancy.

[Kaye Bleek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read number 3 in the series before number 2 (currently reading), as I got hold of this book first. Even though I'd missed the second installment of the Shipyard Girls series, I was happily caught up with the story with snippets here and there about what had already passed.
The characters are developing at a fast rate, and being from the area I felt like I could know these people, or their friends as and families. The street names and places mentioned through the book give me a visual insight to where and how they must have lived.
The Elliots House is in Tatham Street, and I've been into one of these houses which made the characters more real as I could visualise exactly how the building is set out. The local expressions and vocabulary is beautifully written. I can hear the Sunderland dialect in my head as the characters speak.
Nancy Revell writes with a style of familiarity, which considering that she grew up in Sunderland, should be a given, but these stories also show the depth of her research into the past and local histories of Sunderland and the surrounding areas.
I love how the characters aren't just one dimensional, and have lots going on in their personal lives, also that most of the female Welders didn't know each other before starting at the shipyard. They quickly became firm friends and keep each others secrets. I'm not going to mention these secrets or any spoilers, you need to read these books for yourself.
I love The Shipyard Girls series and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them.

[Karen Szyszko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the fourth book in the series to be disappointing. There was too much rehashing of past books in this offering. I found that tedious and seemed to bog down the story too much.

In addition to the rehashing disappointment, I found myself disappointed in Jack Caldwell. Ok, I get that he survived a near-death experience but did it also turn him into a spineless shell - a doormat with which his wife can wipe her feet. My gosh, Gloria could do better for herself. He has allowed himself to be manipulated by just about every female that enters his life. Grow a pair, Jack!

A redeeming point in this story is that we get to know D.S. Peter Miller better. Oh, I think I'm in love. I laughed out loud when D.S. Miller was giving Vinnie his options.

On to book five.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so looked forward to reading another instalment of life with the girls in the shipyard and i haven't been let down.Gloria and Jack are still in love and have baby Hope but still keep their love secret only the girls know.Polly still has Tommy who is away doing his bit for the war,Rosie is still in turmoil over her love for Peter the policman.The girls are there for each other every day but things change when Helen finds out about her dad and gloria and hope,she trys to slap her mother down by spilling the beans but only opens a can of worms.To find out what happens read the book i can highly recomend this series well worth a read.If i could give more than 5* i would.

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 4 in this extremely good series and it feels so right to once again catch up with all the girls who work together and play together, especially Gloria and Jack with their own big secret and Rosie and Peter, who so deserve to be together despite the fact that Peter has a big secret that he knows Rosie will not be pleased about and Jack's wife Marian with her plans to wreck everything, not just the relationship between Jack and Gloria, but all the girls at the Shipyard too. A great storyline running through this series of books set in WW2 Sunderland, once you get to know these characters you are hooked and can't put the book down. Another 5 star read from me for this book.

[Kathy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book as with all the others in The Shipyard Girls series is another great read that you cannot put down. I found it very enjoyable and cannot wait for 6 September for the next one "Victory for the Shipyard Girls" (The Shipyard Girls Series). Nancy Revell gets you living with her characters in these books. Let's hope she continues this job keeping us entertained with her excellent writing. If you have read the other Shipyard Girls this is a must. Mine is already on order.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great instalment telling the story of Rosie, Gloria and the other Shipyard Girls. Their trials continue, and life (and love) is never easy for them during WW2. You learn to love these characters in the first book and now by book four are totally rooting for them. There are lots more secrets revealed to the reader that have yet to be revealed to all those involved in them, and so this sets things up nicely for the next few books.

[Pauline Haney · Rating 5 out of 5]

“They that stand and wait also serve” Only they didn’t just stand and wait they blimmen well knuckled down and got on with it. Held everything together did the hard graft jobs of their men fighting a war, kept their children clothed and fed despite the deprivations of war time rationing, I have nothing but admiration for these women
This is a brilliant book that made me realise what ordinary women did to keep home and hearth during the war.

[Graham Till · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so taken with these marvellous characters and the pressures, twists and joy the writer provides them with. Sunderland wouldn't have come in my top 100 of English places to visit but it's also such a pivotal "character" in these books that a trip there is well on the cards. (I might deduct half a star for inaccuracies and style but that would be saying more about my nit picking pedantry than any meaningful weakness in the books)

[MS Julie Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shipyard girls

Could not put the kindle down , found it full of happiness and heartache . Ordered the next book . Would recommend this to Katie Flynn ,Anna Groves and many more who write like them . Hope to read about Jacks wife get her comeuppance and Helen learn her mother is horrible . Well worth reading

[Christine Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have pre ordered number 5 straight away

I can't wait to read the next installment of these incredible womens lives. Rosie , Polly, Gloria, Martha, and co are such wonderful characters I can't wait to see what happens next to them all. September can't come soon enough .. thank you Nancy Revell

[Tricia Toney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series continues with everyone getting news. Gloria and Jack are on the verge of revealing their love when it's snatched away from them. Vinnie is out of the way for now. Peter and Rosie have their love threatened by the war. The Americans join the war so the tides may be turning. Some characters discover secrets about their parents.

[elizabeth kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthwhile series of books

This series of books about the women in the shipyards during the war is a very good satisfying read about what the men and women went through for as to quite the royal British legion that they have their tomorrow for our today

[JUNE HEYCOCK · Rating 5 out of 5]

BrilliantBook, the whole series of Shipyard girls are really really good, highly recommend them, I have read 4. now, and the best thing is to start reading from number 1 and continue through the numbers Nancy Revell has written.

[Karen Kepner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shipyard Girls in love

Once again life is difficult for the women welders at the Shipyard during WWII. Each woman’s life encounters problems, heartache, and strife. But at the same time their friendship is a strong unbreakable bond that sees them thru.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t stop reading these another gripping tale from the shipyard girls
Nancy Revell is an amazing author each books takes you to the shipyard and you really can imagine what life was really like then and how people cope with work in war times

[Amanda Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book, what an awful 'lady' Jack is married to, what a cow!!! I feel.soo sorry for Jack and Gloria what an awful position Mariam has put them in. Looking forward to the next one to see how it progresses.....

[Maria Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

Another wonderful "Shipyard" book, l have read all of them, and am eagerly awaiting the next one, All Highly Recommended.

[june peel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner

These book are great reads I carnt wait for the next instalment on Rosie,Gloria and bells life also little hopes future.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a good read, and nicely set up for the next in the series.

[Trudie · Rating 4 out of 5]

another great story by one of my favourite authors, I highly recommend anyone to give this a try but you really need to read them in order. Looking forward to the next in the series

[Janice Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

Once again we meet up the the lady welders of Sunderland during the second world war and even more secrets about them are revealed.

[Setchfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is again an excellent book and I'm looking forward to the next one