Hope on the Waterways

Waterway Girls #3

by Milly Adams

January 1945, West London

The Waterway Girls are flourishing in their roles aboard the Marigold and have quickly established themselves as an invaluable and popular crew on the cut. But the VI and V2 rockets come increasingly too close just as someone from their past intrudes on their lives. It is then that Sylvia is torn between her promises and her love for those closest to her.

Polly and Verity, who are still waiting for their sweethearts’ safe return, soon find they are also fighting for everyone's happiness.

When all seems lost, though, there is always a glimmer of hope to be found...

Genres: Historical, Romantic

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2018

Reviews

[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope on the Waterways by Milly Adams is the third and final instalment in the Waterway Girls series. This series has followed the lives of a unique group of women who replaced the men on the cut as it known whilst they were away at war. The girls in question Polly, Verity and Sylvia have all grown up very quickly as they face the daily rigours of transporting goods up and down the waterways of England in what until now has very much been a male dominated occupation. Added to this, for many years 'the boaters' have ruled the waters and may not have taken too kindly to women invading their territory.

Thankfully this has not been the case for the trio who are strong, brave and always united in hope and unity as they navigate all the obstacles and life challenges the cut throws at them. Throughout the book, there was an overwhelming feeling that things were begin to wind down, that thoughts were turning to life after the war as an end seemed to be in sight. The British were advancing further into German territory with the Russians making headway on the other side but the girls know there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge before peace, happiness and love can once again reign in all their lives. But what keeps them going on the waterway is their sense of hope and togetherness, that they can keep ploughing on as an end may be within their grasp.

Knowing this was the final book in the trilogy meant that a lot of loose ends needed to be wrapped up as there had been various storylines meandering their way through all the books that certainly needed a firm conclusion. Everything did get tied up but throughout each chapter the author kept the reader on their toes, engaged and interested as to all the goings on and the numerous heartaches and also fears that were unfolding. In books one and two I had felt there was so much detail regarding the finer working of the boats and the canal system itself that at times the story became bogged down in this and it did lose its way at various points. As all these details had been previously dealt with I could see now there was more room to deal in-depth with character storylines and allow for development of people who we only had glimpses of or into their minds before.

Sylvia came to the forefront in book three as Polly and Verity has already had their chance to share what was troubling them and their various reasons for accepting a job on the canals. That's not to say they were glossed over or barely mentioned here, they still featured as they waited for news from the front of their fiancées Tom and Saul. This time it was Sylvia’s chance to step into the spotlight and the brusque, secretive girl who had first arrived on the cut had many life changing decisions to make. She feels duty bound by her upbringing in an orphanage run by nuns and a supposed promise to a fellow orphan that she should become a nun. Sylvia is very much torn in two. She has experienced a new life on the cut, one in which she has met people she would never have encountered before and she feels there may be more to life than being duty bound to God. She can still connect with him but should she devout her life to serving God. That is the question that dominates her thoughts throughout. I could feel every bit of her indecision and I admired the way she had bonded with Polly and Verity and their fellow boaters and friends in particular Bet. But still the promise from childhood still niggles away at her, the reader is left wondering until the very last few chapters whether she will make the decision that is right for her?

A shocking event that leads to tragedy and heartbreak within the first few chapters sets the tone for a good half of the novel. It also sets up new storylines that will unite the girls in solving a conundrum which has pervaded throughout each of the books. One main result of this incident is Sylvia meeting Tom a fireman working in London. Almost as soon as Tom and Sylvia set eyes on each other they were instantly deeply in love and this means Sylvia’s decision becomes even more important. Honestly, I know war made every aspect of people's lives different and difficult and people did marry and fall in love very quickly but even this first meeting I felt took things a bit too far in the rapidness of their deepening affections. Yes the way it was written did make it feel genuine and that their relationship could last but still the speed and intensity just seemed too unrealistic even for the uncertain times.

The second strand of the story resulting from the action in the beginning centred around young Joe, a relative of Saul's who had been taken under the wing of Polly and Verity's family. Readers familiar with the girls story up until this point will easily recollect all the connections and various sub-plots surrounding the safety of Joe. Once again here the tension is really racked up as everyone bonds together to keep danger and harm at bay. The long term future of Joe is paramount and I loved how all the characters joined as one to try and solve the threats that increased page by page. It demonstrated how the people of the cut and those that lived on land could all work side by side with one common goal. There were also so many twists, turns and revelations that helped ramp up the pace of the later half of the book and I found myself rapidly turning the pages to discover the outcome of something so serious and life altering.

The entire book was highly readable. It was one of those books where you pick it up and before you know it 100 or more pages have quickly flown by. I only have two minor faults with the story and it's more to do with my own personal preferences rather than anything else. There were subheadings under the chapter number and these detailed in a few words what said chapter would be about. I would have rather these were left out as I prefer to discover for myself what will unfold in each chapter. I always love the element of surprise and I don't think the book needed these brief descriptions.

Also with regard to the ending, given so much time was invested in the lives of these girls over the course of three books the very last chapter or two felt very rushed as if everything needed to be neatly tied up and that everyone's conclusion to their mini stories had to be mentioned. Even two more chapters would have suited the ending better instead of rushing through things. Those two points aside Hope on the Waterways was an enjoyable read providing fans with a satisfying conclusion to a story in which a group of girls have deeply touched this readers heart. The message of friendship, unity and to keep on keeping on shone through. Life is short and to grab happiness wherever possible was also another message which radiated from the pages as did the joy and happiness the remarkable trio brought each other.

Fans of wartime sagas should definitely give the Waterways a chance if they have not done so before and people who already love the girls and their adventures will enjoy Hope on the Waterways too. I'm already looking forward to who Milly Adams may introduce us to next.

[Voirrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a pleasure to find this now published.

The experiences of the girls seemed very realistic to me - even if the Happy Ever Afters were so very neat, I felt the characters all deserved them!

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope on the Waterways sees a welcome return to the feisty group of young women who work the British canal system during the Second World War. It's now 1945 and Polly, Verity, Sylvia and their beloved, Dog, put their lives on the line as they attempt to move goods along the Grand Union Canal. With the added danger of V-1 and V-2 rockets exploding all around them, there is no doubt that there is never a moment when they at not at risk.

Filled with the usual blend of excitement and camaraderie, the boating community plays a very strong role in the story and the love and affection which is shown to the girls as they face their toughest challenge is written so beautifully that there were moments when I had a little tear in my eye. As always, the characters really make the story come alive, not just in the way they all interact and pull together, but also in the emotional attachment of the girls to each other. The way they support each other through all their individual troubles is portrayed realistically with humour and a great deal of affection.

I've followed this story from the beginning, which started in 1943, when the three girls were first introduced to each other, and it's been really lovely to have been on an exciting journey with them through the latter years of the war. There's a certain amount of tying up of loose ends, as this book sees the conclusion to the trilogy, it's been interesting to see how the author brings everything to a lovely, natural ending.

In The Waterway Girls series the author has created a really lovely set of stories which are all perfectly possible to read as standalone and yet, like all trilogies they really should, for greater enjoyment, be read from the very start with book one.

[Glenys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant read, I am so sad as I have come to the end of the third book in the trilogy and there are no more to follow the girls on.. I was born about 400 yards from Tyseley Depot on the cut. but have never been to the wharf, just over the canal bridge in the car hundreds of times, and after reading this book series, I now know, probably why I was born there in that house!!!

My great great great grandfather Edward Broadbent was a canal boatman that worked from Birmingham to London for the Grand Junction Canal Company carrying goods and chattels, before his catastrophic death on the 6th September 1861

So the part about the girls working the cut during the war was true, and what a hard life it was too, obviously the stories woven around this are made up. What a fantastic set of books.

I would definitely read "Milly Adams" aka "Margaret Graham" again and I have one of her books waiting on my bookcase.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved joining the girls on the waterways during the war Bet,Verity,Polly and Sylvia take over the roles of men in delivering goods on the canals.It is hard work that wears them out but they are determined to succeed.The others on the water are suspicious of strangers but the girls learn to respect them.During their time they have grown close to the community of boaters and taken it upon themselves to teach joe and jimmy their letters.As the war rages the girls have a war of their own and that is to protect joes mom and joe from Leon.I have loved reading about the girls and their families,friends and their love for the boaters.While i am sad that their journey has ended,i am happy that they have remained close not only to each other but also the friendship of the boaters.I would say that 5* is not enough but i am highly recommending this story.Well done to the author Milly Adams.

[Anne Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last in the Waterways trilogy brings together Sylvia, Polly and Verity, who work as boaters on the Grand Union Canal carrying often heavy and often dirty cargos during WWII covering for boaters who are serving in the forces. On the way to pick up a cargo, they get caught in a V2 raid and end up trapped for a number of hours in the cellar of a house with Solly Fischer until they are rescued by fireman Steve, to whom Sylvia is instantly attracted. How things work out between the pair forms the main part of the book but there always the community of boating people helping each other. I have loved this series and was sad to say goodbye to the girls and the community, especially as I have ancestors who were canal people too, albeit on the Shropshire Union Canal.

[Roz Radmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the series about the lives and loves of the boater girls . Three girls from totally different backgrounds who are working the inland waterways between Birmingham and London . They are keeping the much needed cargoes moving to where they are needed , freeing up men who have joined up . It is hard , brutal work but the girls have learnt to cope . Indeed they are thriving .
Caught up in a rocket attack from Hitler's V2 rockets all three girls are injured and are sent to Verity's family home to recuperate
Sylvia has her own demons to fight , not made any easier with the appearance of a certain fireman who helped save all three lives.
there is also an old adversary looking to settle old scores . Will the war end without any more unwanted surprises ?

[Constance M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this book from the author through Digital Publishers.
while it is possible to read this book by itself, it is the third in the Waterway Girls series.
I have read the second and this one.

This one had a lot more nail biting moments than the second.
As I knew it was the final book, I presumed on having all the loose ends tied up neatly, and I was not wrong. I guessed at a few things, but was still pleased to see how it played out.

While everything was wrapped up neatly, it was still a good conclusion for the characters and their adventures on the water, as they took over transpsorting supplies up and down the canals during the war.

[Helen Birkbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love canals, history and romance, so thought this would be right up my... cut. I think it might have been better if I had read the first two books so that I knew all the character's stories, but I probably won't as I find the slightly stilted writing style a bit 'jolly hockeysticks'. This no doubt suits the wartime era, but all the banter and laughing seemed bit overdone to me. It's a bit like Enid Blyton in dirty overalls.

[Bettina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this 4* for enjoyment and immersing myself in a canal story whilst on the narrowboat, easy to read but loses points because it was actually too easy to read, it felt like a Famous Five or a Mills and Boon. Baddies, gangs, thugs and love!
It was the final part of the trilogy relating to 3 women who worked on the canals during the war, for the war effort, interesting from that point of view but the first 2 vastly better and more canal relevant

[Rob Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for canal livers.

The final part of the trilogy has an edge of the seat finale.
As a narrowboater myself I was able to plot their routes and locations, and indeed we have sailed all of them ourselves, and this series brought a little colour and humanity to the history of the canals.

[Trudie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to catch up with Polly, Verity and Sylvia for (unfortunately) the last time. It didn't disappoint and I really enjoyed this and am quite sad there will be no more adventures with them. This is a great read for any wartime saga fan.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished the three books of the three girls,who worked so hard On. The waterway s
They were three amazing books
Of physical hardship and a friendship that was hard to fault
It was so unknown by many how much those girls did for the war effort.
With very little. Appreciation

[Mrs D Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I loved all three of these books, you get right into the characters lives of what it was like to work the barges in the war. Shows what an excellent job these women done towards the war effort .
I most definitely recommend these to read!!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant easy reading

[mois reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The girls

Sad knowing this is the last book in the waterway series but every bit as good as the first two 5 STARS.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent series of books,