Heartache for the Shop Girls

Marlow’s Department Store #3

by Joanna Toye

The third book in the gripping wartime drama series set around a town’s department store

It’s 1943 and young Lily Collins is throwing herself into a welcome home party for her friend Beryl’s husband. Shyly starting to be more than just good friends with their lodger, Jim, Lily’s life seems good and Les’s safe return is something to celebrate.


But when Les returns he is a changed man from his time in the desert war. And home life is getting harder too – Marlow’s, the town’s department store where Lily and Jim work, will be forced to adapt and make some difficult decisions with shortages biting and staff harder to retain. When Jim is called away to the countryside, where an old flame would like him to stay, it’s all too easy for Lily to be charmed by attentive visiting salesman Frank.


Then comes the knock on the door everyone dreads – and hot on its heels comes a further shock. Family, always the heart of Lily’s world, is everything – but will it ever be the same again?

400 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2020

About the author

Set in a family-owned department store, Jo's novels bring to life the hardships - and highlights - of life in Britain in the Second World War. With husbands, boyfriends and brothers away, the three Shop Girl friends pull together to battle bomb damage and black marketeers as well as their own poignant personal dramas. A former radio and TV scriptwriter, Jo draws on her family's war experiences as well as memories of how shopping used to be - before Amazon changed all that!
Twitter @joannatoye
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Reviews

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read this series, the more I love it. :')

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulously fabtastic

Once again the 3rd book in this series is totally outstanding jim and lily have a bit if adventure the slimmy robert up to no good, beryl doing her best with young bobby and les truly fabulous books can't wait to read there next adventure.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3rd book in the series. Summer of 1942 both Lily's brothers are away at war and Beryls husband Les is coming home. Beryl is planning a party and though things are rationed means to make it a special deal. Les is a changed man from when he left home - Gladys fiance' is training with the Navy. Jim is so torn over not being able to serve his country but finds out his mother has had a stroke and he must return to the family home but keeps his job and travels back and forth. . Lily worries for them all as her brother Reg is listed as missing in action. As the war continues Marlowe's department is bombed and both Lily and Jim are injured.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good to catch up with the shop girls again. It is now the summer of 1942 and things are hard for the characters. The war is in full swing and it’s getting harder to get stock for Marlow’s department store. Jim is enjoying working for his Uncle but he struggles when he is also needed back home. Beryl is finding it hard to keep her Bridal business going but that help that is offered isn’t really help at all. Lily is finding it difficult with Jim going backwards and forwards to his home and is jealous of his friend Margaret who his Mum wants him to marry. There’s so much going on for everyone read it now to see how they all cope with their situations.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series. Lily and Jim are great characters, and the supporting characters give a wonderful sense of community. There is sufficient information about the war and its effects on people and their lifestyle, yet there is positivity and hope as well. I read this in one sitting, because I just had to know how it all went.

[Trudie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping to finish this book yesterday but monopoly, mario party and children got in the way 🤣 This is book 4 in the series and I really enjoyed it. Full of ups and downs it's brilliantly written.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toye writes compelling historical fiction. Her characters take us straight to the misery, deprivation, fortitude and constant fear of wartime Britain. This is a thoroughly enjoyable series, and is best read in chronological order.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book series. I love reading about Lilly and Jim as well as the others. I hope Lilly and Jim get married and have there own family. I would also love for them to either run Marlows and completely take over or at least for them to be successful in their own growing business.

[Annette O'grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

a wonderful story i really got into did not want to put it down

[Kathy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is getting better with each book. They are enjoyable reads. Now looking forward to No.4.

[MetLineReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gentle tale of Lily and Jim our heroes from book 1. Jim and Lily face ups and downs as the store where they work, Marlow’s, weathers the storms of WW2. Set in 1942, lots happens but nothing much happens. The easy writing style allows the book to flow easily but I got the sense that the characters were holding back. I know that people were more buttoned-up in the 40s but as a romance novel this falls flat.

A sweet read but can’t get overly excited about it!