The Flame Within

Linford #2

by Liz Harris

From award-winning author of The Dark Horizon, Liz Harris, comes the second in a sweeping saga set between the wars, which tells the story of the Linfords, a family simmering with secrets, lies and betrayal.

London, 1923

Alice Linford stands on the pavement and stares up at the large Victorian house set back from the road—the house that is to be her new home.

But it isn’t her house. It belongs to someone else—to a Mrs Violet Osborne. A woman who was no more than a name at the end of an advertisement for a companion that had caught her eye three weeks earlier.

More precisely, it wasn’t Mrs Osborne’s name that had caught her eye—it was seeing that Mrs Osborne lived in Belsize Park, a short distance only from Kentish Town. Kentish Town, the place where Alice had lived when she’d been Mrs Thomas Linford.

Thomas Linford—the man she still loves, but through her own stupidity, has lost. The man for whom she’s left the small Lancashire town in which she was born to come down to London again. The man she’s determined to fight for.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2020

About the author

Born in London, Liz Harris graduated from university with a Law degree, and then moved to California, where she led a varied life, from waitressing on Sunset Strip to working as secretary to the CEO of a large Japanese trading company.

Six years later, she returned to London and completed a degree in English, after which she taught secondary school pupils, first in Berkshire, then Cheshire, and then in Oxfordshire.

In addition to the eighteen novels she’s had published, she’s had several short stories in anthologies and magazines.

Liz now lives in Windsor, Berkshire. An active member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Historical Novel Society, her interests are travel, the theatre, reading and cryptic crosswords.

To find out more about Liz, visit her website at: www.lizharrisauthor.com. You can sign up to her monthly newsletter from her website, and as a thank-you gift, you’ll receive a free book, Word Perfect, a romance set in California.

Reviews

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Casualties of War

Alice meets Thomas when she is a nurse at the hospital after he loses a leg and the use of one hand in the war. They fall in love and are soon married.

Alice comes from a poor family and has to adjust to being married to a wealthy husband. Her marriage, however, is not all joyful. Thomas cannot come to terms with his disability and is very hard to live with. This leads to a mistake that Alice makes which has lasting consequences.

This is a story of war and the heartbreak caused by it. The loss of life, the loss of limbs by others, and the nightmares and rage that many returning from the war suffered with causing so much pain and anxiety for those brave soldiers and did so much to destroy so many happy families. The men that went to war were not the men that returned. Many returned with physical and mental wounds that kept them from adapting to their return to society and to their families. They often felt like they were not whole and that their wives couldn’t possibly love them leading to them clinging to their wives and often suspecting them of unfaithfulness when none occurred, or sending them into the arms of the first person that showed them kindness. Many returning soldiers were hurt and frustrated when their wives could not adapt to their disability. It was such a troubled time in history, war destroys so much.

I did enjoy the details to the clothing of those on the London social circles which was described in great detail. I enjoyed how the scenery was described in so much detail I could actually see the flowers and the moors.

It was a good book; I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.

Thanks to Liz Harris, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Flame Within by Liz Harris is the 2nd novel in The Linford Series. The Flame Within can be read as a standalone. We do, though, get to catch up with Robert and Lily from The Dark Horizon. This historical tale takes us back to 1904 when Alice Forster is ten years old. Her mother works twelve hours a day in the weaving shed while her father works at the local quarry. Alice is determined to get away from Waterfoot, Lancashire when she grows up. She wants a better life for herself and begins by improving the way she talks. We follow Alice as she attends school, does chores, and spends time with her friend. Life throws a detour in Alice’s way, but that does not stop her determination to get ahead. Alice becomes a registered nurse and gets a position in London at Queen Mary’s Convalescent Auxiliary Hospital where she meets Thomas Linford. Thomas’s family owns a construction company that is doing very well in the post-war economy. Thomas lost a limb along with some fingers as well as being badly scarred. Alice and Thomas fall in love, but their path is a bumpy one. We also spend time with the rest of the Linford family. I thought The Flame Within contained good writing with the story moving along at a gentle pace. The author captured the time-period with the clothing, current events, people’s attitudes, politics, etc. I did feel that some things were described with too much detail. The details allow readers to imagine the scenes but makes for a slow-moving book (that had me skimming at times). We get to see what soldiers who lost limbs went through following the war. How it affected their mood and the prostheses available to them. The Flame Within is a lovely historical tale that will transport you back to learn what happens with Alice and Thomas.

[Isabelle D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical novel set mostly in the 1920s and centered on the Linford family is the second in a series, but reading it first wouldn't spoil book 1 more than book 1 spoiled this one - in both cases, even if the main events take place during the same years, the author carefully avoided giving details about what was happening to the heroine of the other books (plural because there's a third one announced).
This time, we mostly follow Alice, starting with her childhood, then finding out how she ended up married to Thomas Linford, before we reach the place where the previous book had started. I was intrigued by Alice and Thomas in The Dark Horizon so I've been looking forward to reading more about them, and I'm pleased to say their story managed to surprise me a few times. Also, I was happy to get a few more scenes with the points of view of other members of the family. The third book is obviously going to be a must-read too.

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of a young girl, Alice, in the early years of the 20th century who had big dreams to escape the extreme poverty of small town England. After training as a nurse, she meets and falls in love with a severely wounded soldier, Thomas Lunsford. They marry, but something terrible happens causing the marriage to end. This isn't a spoiler as you learn that early on. The story is what happened told in flashbacks and how to move on. An enjoyable quick read. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mystica · Rating 4 out of 5]

1923 London is not for the faint hearted. It is hard trying to upgrade yourself as a woman and Alice from the time she was a young teenager was determined to better herself. Coming from Lancashire where the only occupation was either to work in a factory or in domestic service, she was determined to better herself and move out of the stifling, tradition bound village she was born into.

Alice did that admirably over a period of time, becoming a fully fledged nurse and then working with the disabled after the War. Meeting Thomas Linford and marrying him was an additional bonus because they were very much in love. Despite being from a lower social class, Alice was accepted by the Linford family but due to bitterness and anger hidden in Thomas the love she had for him slowly began to drain away leaving her open to her brother in laws advances.

When the affair blew wide apart Alice was thrown out by her husband and had to start all over again in Lancashire. This was not for long and she soon found herself wanting to set things right with Thomas whom she felt she still was in love with - she needed to know which way to go and with this in mind found another job in London.

Alice story, more than her own was a lesson in how to survive and how if you are determined to, you can change the circumstances of your life and get what you want. This had a happily ever after but it was so much more than that. Alice was a gritty, level headed person who did not allow one failure on her part to bring her down.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Flame Within by Liz Harris is the second in The Linford series, however, each can be read as a stand alone. In this book Alice dreams of leaving her small factory town and going to London. Her chance arrives when she trains as a nurse and the Great War comes along increasing the need for nurses. She meets Thomas Linford and falls madly in love, but Thomas has some war wounds that deeply affect him. This is a family saga of the Linford family as well as Alice's life. An enjoyable read, but simply written. The story and dialogue are not complex so this should be a fairly easy book no matter if you are on the beach or curled up with a nice cuppa.
Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give an honest review of #TheFlameWithin.

[Katalin Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good enough

I love this author and so have enjoyed reading all her books. This story in the The Linford Series, however, was less griping than the others in this and The Colonials series. It's just a little too much personal romance and not quite as much history. Having said that, I'm still a fan of Liz Harris.

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story, well told.

I enjoyed The Flame Within. The writing is very descriptive and the dialogue flows easily, making each scene very easy to visualise. Similar to the first book in the series, The Dark Horizon, it has left me wanting more. It would make a good film or TV series and I look forward to reading the next installment in the series.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.

[Anne Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I’ll readily admit that this book wasn’t at all what I was expecting, I really rather enjoyed it. The prologue – set in 1923, and the scene captured in the book’s description – largely captures Alice’s fall from grace and the reasons why she’s now taking up a position as Mrs Osborne’s companion. The story then goes back to 1904, when she’s a young girl living in a back-to-back cottage in a Lancashire mill town, on the edge of poverty, determined that she will do whatever is necessary to leave her home town and make a better life. Things get considerably worse before they get better, when Alice’s dreams are dashed by a tragic incident – but her determination finally sees her qualify as a nurse, moving to wartime London to care for soldiers returning from the front.

Working at the Queen Mary’s Convalescent Auxiliary Hospital, dealing with the aftermath of war and its impact on life, she meets Thomas Linford – a returning soldier who has lost both a leg and part of his hand – and their marriage sees her taking up a very different life, as part of the wealthy Linford family. But the closeness and happiness of those early days begins to falter – as well as the physical injuries, Thomas has been severely damaged by his experiences, and their marriage becomes an uncomfortable place to be. Tried beyond endurance, she finds solace elsewhere, and its source really isn’t the wisest of choices: after a return to Lancashire, her dreams in tatters, she decides to return to London – finding the position of a companion through the pages of The Lady – to get some closure over everything that’s happened, and the final part of the book follows her brave attempts to do so.

It’s not often I find myself telling a story when I write a review – I do hope nothing I’ve said constitutes a spoiler, but I do think you’ll pick up most of that from the prologue. But let me say more about the writing. The early part of the book is very much historical saga territory, the descriptions of the hardship and toil to put food on the table extremely well done, as are the descriptions of the living conditions (oh, that shared privy!) and the unexpected beauty of the industrial setting against its moorland backdrop. Alice’s friendship with May is very well portrayed too – she doesn’t share Alice’s dreams of a different and better life, and their paths are really well contrasted. The only thing I didn’t like so much was the way the speech patterns were captured – peppered with “yer” and “ter”, I will admit they began to jar a little.

The story moves to her life in London after her marriage, her relationships with both her husband and the wider Linford family, in sharp contrast to her former life – if you’ve read the first in the series, I’m guessing you’ll already know some of the family dynamics, but the fact I hadn’t caused no problems at all. This isn’t a fast moving story, although it’s not without its moments of drama – largely told through dialogue and various different encounters, and I very much enjoyed the way that was done and the different characters took shape. And Alice’s own character development is excellent – I thought she remained sympathetic throughout, and I liked the way she found fresh determination for her quest after her return from London. The social history was fascinating too, the era particularly well captured – the Linfords are involved in the construction industry, galvanised into action after the war, wrestling with the prospect of government-driven change, and there’s also excellent background to the changing role of women and their new opportunities and advantages.

But I think it was the last part of the book I might have most enjoyed – the part where we discover what Alice does next – with its particularly well drawn characters (Mrs Osborne is a particular delight), its moments of the unexpected, the delicious possibility of revenge, and the promise of new beginnings.

If you like your stories to be fast paced, this might not be the book for you – but if you enjoy a rather more gentle unfolding, set against a vivid portrayal of a period and its conventions, you might well enjoy it every bit as much as I did.

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Spring 1904 and Alice Foster is sitting looking out over the Rossendale Valley, once there had been trees and fish swimming in the river, now there was only factories and some small houses. But Alice wants more from life, even more than her best friend May. She wants a husband, an interesting job, a nice house and the things she had seen in magazines. But to meet someone like that wasn't going to be easy and when her father has a really bad accident she has no option but to work more hours doing a job that she truly doesn't like. She then started doing first aid lessons which led to her doing nursing work at the Workhouse, but still she wants to do something better and when WW1 breaks out a need for nurses is desperately wanted so when she sees an advertisement for nurses at a newly opened convalescent hospital in South West London dealing with amputees she knew straight away this was something that she would like to do. She was accepted for the job and left to start her new job in London, it was difficult saying goodbye to her family but they realised it was what she wanted to do, but on arrival she found it much harder than she thought it would be and she was working harder than ever before, going quickly from one task to another, she was do busy she gave no thought to finding someone whom she would love to have a relationship with, that was until she met Thomas Linford! It was by now September 1918 and Thomas was in a really bad way, he had almost lost one leg, his right hand was badly injured and his body was badly scared but she was drawn to him despite his many injuries. But she knew it was pointless as relationships were definitely not allowed between patients and nurses.
But sometime later, after the war had finished, things changed and Alice finds herself in a difficult decision, one that only she can make and her husband must know nothing about now or in the future! But it will certainly change the course of her life for ever.

This is book two in the series featuring the Linford family and brings to life the story of Alice, and her involvement with the Linford family. I really enjoyed reading this book, a five-star read from me.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

#BoldwoodBooks
#Netgalley
#AWifesBetrayal
#LizHarris

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wife’s Betrayal by Liz Harris is the narrative of the life of Alice Linford’s life, first in a small village in Lancashire and then in London. She managed to get an education and became a nurse after vowing to herself that she would get out of this life and she succeeded. She was working as a nurse at a war hospital when she first saw Thomas Linford. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, despite his injuries. As time progressed they fell in love and when Thomas left the hospital they were married. She had succeeded and now would have the life she wanted, and she did, for a while. But as time wore on Thomas became bitter and resentful of his injuries. He became increasingly bitter and took it out on Alice. Eventually Alice fell to someone who was kind to her and her marriage ended and she returned to her parents’ home in Lancashire.

Alice was a good character; strong and bright. She worked hard, was loyal to her parents, and educated herself, taking care with her speech so she didn’t sound like a bumpkin. She understood Thomas a much as she could, her nursing training being helpful. She fit in well with his family, who were all grateful for her care of him. This was a compelling story, mostly slice-of-life, without a huge plot, but rather several smaller ones. It was a narrative about the damage war does, the potential problems in a marriage, and wealthy people. Good read.

I was invited to read A Wife’s Betrayal by Boldwood Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #LizHarris #AwifesBetrayal

[HalKid2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars is more accurate. I received access to this book (the second in the author's "Linford" series) through netgalley.com and quickly picked up book #1 in the series (THE DARK HORIZON) to read first. Yes, I know each book is advertised as a stand alone, but I'm just the kind of person who NEEDS to read any series in order.

While THE FLAME WITHIN is pitched as historical fiction, I feel it falls more into the historical romance category. It's the story of Alice and Thomas. She is a poor girl from a British mill town who fights hard to find a better life. He is from a much wealthier family, a soldier who returns from World War I badly injured. After they fall in love, however, there are still many other obstacles to face, mistakes to make, and regrets to process.

It's an easy, fast read and the story will carry you along. And you'll get a feel for the difficulty injured soldiers have when trying to return to their pre-war lives. I also felt there was better character development and more subtlety in this novel than in the first one.

But I also felt the pace was uneven. Harris, at times, seems to get side-tracked, bogged down in too many details from her research, particularly about post-war housing demand in Britain. What I love about historical fiction is when historical information is embedded in an organic way, something that feels natural, that you just pick up during the read. But in this novel, it felt a bit heavy-handed and distracted.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely book though I didn't know what to expect from it. While the blurb describes where the story starts - Alice, determined to reclaim her husband - the majority of the book is made up of flashbacks leading to this point. We see Alice's childhood ambition to escape the life her parents lead, her time as a nurse, her marriage to Thomas, and the troubles that came with it, and how their story eventually resolves.

It's a gorgeous period piece that deals with mental health and the toll it takes on others. It's also a reminder than love needs attention and effort to thrive - if you don't feed it, it will die. While I wouldn't call this a romance, it does have a happy ending, even if it's not the one I would've preferred - let's be real, there's one character who did not get the ending they deserved (no spoilers, though warning for infidelity).

Despite being second in a saga, it stands well on its own, neither needing the first book nor spoiling it, so if the inter-war period or family dramas tweak your interest, pick this one up!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources, all opinions are my own.

[Angela Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had enjoyed Dark Horizons and was looking forward to Liz Harris's second book in the Linford saga - The Flame Within doesn't disappoint. Yet again Liz brings Britain between the two World Wars to life. Alice, from an impoverished Lancashire background has always known life offers her more and so this attractive, determined woman spurns life in a factory and trains as a nurse. Her life changes again when she meets, falls in love with, and marries, Thomas Linford who had been badly injured on the battlefield. This novel explores sensitively how Thomas struggles to come to terms with his injuries, and how his anger and frustration affects his relationship with Alice and the rest of the Linford family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this second meeting with the Linford family and its cast of strong, rounded characters. I also greatly appreciated the period detail which brought the scenes alive, in both Lancashire and London, without slowing the pace of the plot. The final outcome is deliciously unexpected and moving. I look forward to the final book of the trilogy.

[Dwina Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Flame Within by Liz Harris is the second book in a series of Linford family of London. Alice was discontent living in a small mill town in northern England. She wanted more and prepared herself by becoming a nurse. She met Thomas Linford when he was a patient in her hospital after losing his leg in WWI. They married, but he had a difficult time adjusting to life with his disabilities. She took his frustrations out on Alice. She turned to his brother to find comfort. When the affair was discovered, Thomas kicked Alice out. The rest of the book is the story of Alice finding her way back to a meaningful life.

The book is a little tedious and was not one of my favorites. I was allowed to read this on NetGalley.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flame Within is the second installment from Liz Harris' series, Linford. I did not read the first book and feel as though I should have before starting this one. That being said, I do believe this was a really good book and am giving it four stars.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of 3 - A wonderful story of love lost, secrets and searching for past happiness. Liz Harris is a great author. She writes stories that are well researched and characters to fall in love with. Highly recommend.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that THE FLAME WITHIN by Liz Harris is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!

[Mrs. Kath Mudie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story with wonderful cast of characters. It brought out many emotions in me from laughter to tears. A wonderful novel to read. Thank you.

[AnnMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flame Within is the second book in the Linford series by Liz Harris. Although part of a series it can easily be read as a stand-alone book.

Alice Foster grew up poor and had to leave school at 12 to get a job to help her family. Initially, she worked in a factory but left there a soon as she was old enough to become a nurse. It was in that capacity that she met injured soldier, Thomas Linford. While fighting he lost his hand and one leg. Despite that, he never seemed depressed, in fact, he was a real charmer. Alice was instantly attracted to him even before he started to use his charm on her. When it was time for him to be released from hospital Alice and Thomas had fallen in love and got married.

It is from that moment that the story really takes off. Thomas doesn't take to real life away from the hospital and because of that, he takes out his moods on everybody especially Alice. She is as patient as she can be with him and takes all of the abuse because she loves him and makes allowances. When another man shows interest in her can she ignore the feelings he makes her have? Her marriage is awful, she doesn't feel loved and it wouldn't take much to push her into an affair with anybody who showed interest and made her feel attractive and special.

Is there any hope for Thomas and Alice, they both deserve happiness, but can they find it again with each other?

I enjoyed this story, it was a little slow at times but for the most part, it was interesting and set in a time that has always fascinated me. I loved how the author described the clothes of the time, especially the dresses. I was also interested in how the housing industry took off after the war and how the government played its part in it. I enjoyed reading about Alice, Thomas and their families, and I especially liked Violet. She is the woman who pays Alice to be her companion. She is such a lovely woman, and her nephew is pretty special too.

The ending was a little abrupt for my liking, but other than that I did enjoy the book and am happy to recommend it.

[Christine Galletly · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

This was a truly beautiful story.

This was a story that was filled with feelings, romance, despair and happiness.  The author did a fantastic job with the characterisation and they were genuiune and believance and I really went through the story with them.  

The book was written with a deep understanding of the days gone by and the author did a brilliant job with the attention to detail and bringing the story to life.  I really did feel as though I was transported back in time.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a wonderful historical fiction novel and one I am going to be very highly recommending!