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The Tobacco Girls #2
Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls
Nothing will stop the The Tobacco Girls not even war...
BRISTOL 1940.
The Tobacco Girls cling together as they realise that the clouds of war are turning dark, the world is becoming more dangerous and their lives more unpredictable.
Bridget Milligan’s big, happy family fragments when her siblings are evacuated to North Devon, then a letter from America further fills her with dismay.
Maisie Miles safe haven from both Eddie Bridgeman and her father is jeopardised and she is forced to move on, but where too this time?
Phyllis Mason is struck down by tragedy and her life spirals downwards into despair until a new horizons beckons, but also perhaps great danger...
Regardless of the rationing, shortages and an ever-worsening situation, The Tobacco Girls all pull together and hope for better days to come.
BRISTOL 1940.
The Tobacco Girls cling together as they realise that the clouds of war are turning dark, the world is becoming more dangerous and their lives more unpredictable.
Bridget Milligan’s big, happy family fragments when her siblings are evacuated to North Devon, then a letter from America further fills her with dismay.
Maisie Miles safe haven from both Eddie Bridgeman and her father is jeopardised and she is forced to move on, but where too this time?
Phyllis Mason is struck down by tragedy and her life spirals downwards into despair until a new horizons beckons, but also perhaps great danger...
Regardless of the rationing, shortages and an ever-worsening situation, The Tobacco Girls all pull together and hope for better days to come.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2021
390 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 17, 2021
Bristol, 1940: Bridget Mulligan's big happy family fragments when her siblings are evacuated to North Devon, then a letter from America fills her with dismay. Maisie Miles safe haven from both Eddie Bridgeman and her father is jeopardised and she is forced to move on. Phyllis Mason is struck down by tragedy and her life spirals downwards into despair. Regardless of the rationing, shortages and an ever-worsening situation, The Tobacco Girls all pull together.
Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis (the three M's) are still best friends. We learn how the women and their families have to cope with rationing, air raids and carry on with their lives as normally as they can. This is a descriptively written book of an era that's both heart-warming and heart-breaking. I'm looking forward to reading what happens in the next book.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LizzieLane for my ARC of #DarkDaysForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis (the three M's) are still best friends. We learn how the women and their families have to cope with rationing, air raids and carry on with their lives as normally as they can. This is a descriptively written book of an era that's both heart-warming and heart-breaking. I'm looking forward to reading what happens in the next book.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LizzieLane for my ARC of #DarkDaysForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2021
I'm excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for the second exciting installment in Lizzie Lane's wartime saga DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS.
Following on from "The Tobacco Girls" , DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS is the delightful second book revisiting the girls and their ventures in working class Bristol since the outbreak of war. Lives have changed for them all as the danger looms closer than ever before with the growing threat that Britain will be invaded at any time.
Once again we meet up with Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis in 1940s Bristol as the city prepares for bombing with the installation of air raid shelters, ARP patrols and incendiary duty on top of the tobacco factory in which the girls worked. Calling themselves the Three M's due to their respective surnames - Milligan, Miles and Mason - the three women have remained steadfast friends despite Phyllis' recent marriage which then saw her giving up work at the tobacco factory.
With the threat of invasion and bombings, Bridget's parents decide to evacuate the six younger siblings to the North Devon countryside. But no sooner have they gone than her mother experiences the heartache and anguish of letting her babies go. But they know that the children, ranging in ages from four to thirteen, will be safe from any harm there...which is resoundingly reiterated when bombing soon begins. Spending most of her spare time with her parents in the absence of a house full of children, Bridget watches for the postman every day...hoping against all hope that Lyndon O'Neill remembers her and has written. Bridget met Lyndon, an American whose family own a the factory's biggest supplier of tobacco, the previous year when he was touring the factory. At the time, Bridget had shown Lyndon the historical sites of Bristol but it was apparent that there was really only one sight he was interested in and that was Bridget herself.
But now that he is back in America, his snobbish mother has contrived a meeting of one of her wealthy friends' daughter in the hope of combining their fortunes. But Lyndon, knowing his mother all too well, saw through her scheming and refused to partake in the possible nuptials insisting to his father his intentions of returning to England...and Bridget. But in his absence, his letters have been few and Bridget wonders if he has lost interest. And then, the Milligans travel to North Devon to spend a week with their children in the sprawling farmhouse in which four of their children have been billeted. It is there that Bridget meets their son, James Cottrell. And the likeness to Lyndon is uncanny. Is Bridget about to fall in love with James? Or will she stay true to Lyndon and the hope he will return?
Since escaping York Street in one of the filthiest parts of the city as well as the clutches of Eddie Bridgeman and her evil stepfather Frank Miles, Maisie has moved into the Llandoger Trow pub with Aggie Hill, who also works at the tobacco factory. Whilst by day she strips tobacco and by night she serves behind the bar, Maisie feels as though life is looking up for her at last. She may not have two pennies to rub together or talk proper like her well-read friend Bridget or Phyllis now that she's married up, but she doesn't suffer fools and isn't afraid to call a spade a spade. So when she hears that Eddie has been looking for her and that Frank has been released from prison, Maisie can't help but feel her world is about to come crumbling down. With the younger children having been evacuated, Bridget offers one of their rooms on a temporary basis until she can find something more suitable...preferably as far away from both Eddie and Frank as possible. But just how long can she escape them?
While married women generally do give up work, given there is a war raging they are entitled to remain employed, particularly if their husbands are away fighting. However, when Phyllis married Robert Harvey she gave up her right to independence as he forbade any wife of his working. So Phyllis had to resign herself to life under the same roof as her cruel and unkind mother-in-law Hilda Harvey who saw fit to make her life miserable at every turn. Hilda didn't even allow her friends, Bridget and Maisie, to visit because they were of a lower class and as she was now Robert's wife she had a middle class reputation to uphold. But Phyllis didn't care for social niceties. She didn't love Robert, or even like him! After a fling with her typing tutor, Phyllis had found herself in the family way so she accepted Robert's proposal to maintain her reputation and that of her unborn child. But Hilda saw right through the announcement of a "honeymoon baby" and didn't hesitate to snip and snipe at Phyllis about it. Phyllis found herself missing the life she once had and her friends, locked away in the Harvey household like a virtual prisoner.
Then a telegram arrives from the War Office stating that Robert is "missing, presumed dead". Relief floods through Phyllis at the thought that she could possibly be free and begins to plot her escape from the stifling clutches of Hilda Harvey, who firmly believes her place is at their house awaiting Robert's return. Unable to gain access to her war pension payment book as Hilda keeps it locked in her bureau, Phyllis enlists the help of her two closest friends to find her a job and a place to stay...far away from Hilda and without any chance of her tracking her down. Although she is sad to leave her father-in-law who is lovely, he is sadly so under Hilda's thumb and Phyllis knows if she is to survive she needs to escape the clutches of her dreadful and controlling mother-in-law.
As war continues to rage around Bristol, the three women are battling wars of a different kind as they each face their own personal challenges amidst food rationing and shortages, evacuation, air raids whilst trying to keep a roof over their heads. Relationships can be fleeting but during wartime they are precious, as no one knows what tomorrow may bring. This can lead to decisions made in haste with far reaching consequences.
The story is told from various perspectives but is easy enough to follow throughout. We are privy to secrets, love interests, conundrums and even criminality as the reader is given a glimpse of each character throughout. Although DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS is the second in the series, it can be read as a standalone with enough backstory given to keep the reader up to date. However, to do so would rob one of all of the compelling circumstances that lead our Three M's to where they are now. So if you haven't already done so, do yourself a favour and read the first book "The Tobacco Girls" .
Wonderful historical wartime fiction, DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS touches on the very real circumstances in which those who lived through the war endured. The food shortages, the rationing, the black market, the air-raids, the horror of the bombings and the loss of their loved ones over the course of six years. But throughout such dire hardships, there is a stoicness in these women and anyone who lived through it which shines through the pages of this captivating series set in wartime.
I was a bit surprised by the ending. It just kind of stopped...and to be honest I did expect a little more to end on. Still, this is a series and I expect a third one is in the pipeline as I write this. I look forward to seeing where the next one will lead us...and Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis as we await the happiness for which they are searching.
A tale of lasting friendships and of strength amidst war, DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS is both heartbreaking and heartwarming...and is sure to touch your heart.
I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #DarkDaysForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Following on from "The Tobacco Girls" , DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS is the delightful second book revisiting the girls and their ventures in working class Bristol since the outbreak of war. Lives have changed for them all as the danger looms closer than ever before with the growing threat that Britain will be invaded at any time.
Once again we meet up with Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis in 1940s Bristol as the city prepares for bombing with the installation of air raid shelters, ARP patrols and incendiary duty on top of the tobacco factory in which the girls worked. Calling themselves the Three M's due to their respective surnames - Milligan, Miles and Mason - the three women have remained steadfast friends despite Phyllis' recent marriage which then saw her giving up work at the tobacco factory.
With the threat of invasion and bombings, Bridget's parents decide to evacuate the six younger siblings to the North Devon countryside. But no sooner have they gone than her mother experiences the heartache and anguish of letting her babies go. But they know that the children, ranging in ages from four to thirteen, will be safe from any harm there...which is resoundingly reiterated when bombing soon begins. Spending most of her spare time with her parents in the absence of a house full of children, Bridget watches for the postman every day...hoping against all hope that Lyndon O'Neill remembers her and has written. Bridget met Lyndon, an American whose family own a the factory's biggest supplier of tobacco, the previous year when he was touring the factory. At the time, Bridget had shown Lyndon the historical sites of Bristol but it was apparent that there was really only one sight he was interested in and that was Bridget herself.
But now that he is back in America, his snobbish mother has contrived a meeting of one of her wealthy friends' daughter in the hope of combining their fortunes. But Lyndon, knowing his mother all too well, saw through her scheming and refused to partake in the possible nuptials insisting to his father his intentions of returning to England...and Bridget. But in his absence, his letters have been few and Bridget wonders if he has lost interest. And then, the Milligans travel to North Devon to spend a week with their children in the sprawling farmhouse in which four of their children have been billeted. It is there that Bridget meets their son, James Cottrell. And the likeness to Lyndon is uncanny. Is Bridget about to fall in love with James? Or will she stay true to Lyndon and the hope he will return?
Since escaping York Street in one of the filthiest parts of the city as well as the clutches of Eddie Bridgeman and her evil stepfather Frank Miles, Maisie has moved into the Llandoger Trow pub with Aggie Hill, who also works at the tobacco factory. Whilst by day she strips tobacco and by night she serves behind the bar, Maisie feels as though life is looking up for her at last. She may not have two pennies to rub together or talk proper like her well-read friend Bridget or Phyllis now that she's married up, but she doesn't suffer fools and isn't afraid to call a spade a spade. So when she hears that Eddie has been looking for her and that Frank has been released from prison, Maisie can't help but feel her world is about to come crumbling down. With the younger children having been evacuated, Bridget offers one of their rooms on a temporary basis until she can find something more suitable...preferably as far away from both Eddie and Frank as possible. But just how long can she escape them?
While married women generally do give up work, given there is a war raging they are entitled to remain employed, particularly if their husbands are away fighting. However, when Phyllis married Robert Harvey she gave up her right to independence as he forbade any wife of his working. So Phyllis had to resign herself to life under the same roof as her cruel and unkind mother-in-law Hilda Harvey who saw fit to make her life miserable at every turn. Hilda didn't even allow her friends, Bridget and Maisie, to visit because they were of a lower class and as she was now Robert's wife she had a middle class reputation to uphold. But Phyllis didn't care for social niceties. She didn't love Robert, or even like him! After a fling with her typing tutor, Phyllis had found herself in the family way so she accepted Robert's proposal to maintain her reputation and that of her unborn child. But Hilda saw right through the announcement of a "honeymoon baby" and didn't hesitate to snip and snipe at Phyllis about it. Phyllis found herself missing the life she once had and her friends, locked away in the Harvey household like a virtual prisoner.
Then a telegram arrives from the War Office stating that Robert is "missing, presumed dead". Relief floods through Phyllis at the thought that she could possibly be free and begins to plot her escape from the stifling clutches of Hilda Harvey, who firmly believes her place is at their house awaiting Robert's return. Unable to gain access to her war pension payment book as Hilda keeps it locked in her bureau, Phyllis enlists the help of her two closest friends to find her a job and a place to stay...far away from Hilda and without any chance of her tracking her down. Although she is sad to leave her father-in-law who is lovely, he is sadly so under Hilda's thumb and Phyllis knows if she is to survive she needs to escape the clutches of her dreadful and controlling mother-in-law.
As war continues to rage around Bristol, the three women are battling wars of a different kind as they each face their own personal challenges amidst food rationing and shortages, evacuation, air raids whilst trying to keep a roof over their heads. Relationships can be fleeting but during wartime they are precious, as no one knows what tomorrow may bring. This can lead to decisions made in haste with far reaching consequences.
The story is told from various perspectives but is easy enough to follow throughout. We are privy to secrets, love interests, conundrums and even criminality as the reader is given a glimpse of each character throughout. Although DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS is the second in the series, it can be read as a standalone with enough backstory given to keep the reader up to date. However, to do so would rob one of all of the compelling circumstances that lead our Three M's to where they are now. So if you haven't already done so, do yourself a favour and read the first book "The Tobacco Girls" .
Wonderful historical wartime fiction, DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS touches on the very real circumstances in which those who lived through the war endured. The food shortages, the rationing, the black market, the air-raids, the horror of the bombings and the loss of their loved ones over the course of six years. But throughout such dire hardships, there is a stoicness in these women and anyone who lived through it which shines through the pages of this captivating series set in wartime.
I was a bit surprised by the ending. It just kind of stopped...and to be honest I did expect a little more to end on. Still, this is a series and I expect a third one is in the pipeline as I write this. I look forward to seeing where the next one will lead us...and Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis as we await the happiness for which they are searching.
A tale of lasting friendships and of strength amidst war, DARK DAYS FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS is both heartbreaking and heartwarming...and is sure to touch your heart.
I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #DarkDaysForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
June 28, 2021
Set in 1940s wartime Bristol with peeks at North Devon, the reader dips into the lives of three young women. This is the second book in the series and though I have yet to read the first, 'The Tobacco Girls', I still enjoyed this story a great deal. Lizzie Lane includes occasional reminders here and there as to what happened to the young women previously, so I didn't feel particularly lost or at sea. The women are Bridget Milligan, Maisie Miles and Phyllis Mason, known as the Three Ms. Bridget and Maisie are working at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory whilst Phyllis, recently married, is expecting a baby. Robert Harvey, Phyllis's husband works away and Phyllis lives in his family's home, with her domineering, unpleasant mother-in-law. Bridget is part of a large family and her six siblings are evacuated to North Devon. Bridget hopes every day that her American beau Lyndon O'Neill remembers her and has written. Maisie who is the youngest of the Three Ms, works at the Llandoger Trow pub as well as the tobacco factory and for her, life is reasonably good, until she finds herself looking over her shoulder when her stepfather, Frank is released from prison.
In Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls, readers get to see the effects of the horrors of war such as food rationing, bombings and buildings crumbling, through the author's terrifically evocative writing. There are dashes of delight scattered throughout the tale as well, in terms of treasured friendship, support and love. An atmospheric, heartwarming but also heartbreaking read with a tantalising ending, I now find myself desperate to catch up with book one as well as wondering what's in store for the Three Ms in the third instalment.
Thank you to Lizzie Lane, Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
In Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls, readers get to see the effects of the horrors of war such as food rationing, bombings and buildings crumbling, through the author's terrifically evocative writing. There are dashes of delight scattered throughout the tale as well, in terms of treasured friendship, support and love. An atmospheric, heartwarming but also heartbreaking read with a tantalising ending, I now find myself desperate to catch up with book one as well as wondering what's in store for the Three Ms in the third instalment.
Thank you to Lizzie Lane, Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 8, 2022
The 2nd installment of The Tobacco Girls Saga and I was not disappointed. Loved it just as much as the 1st one and now I cannot wait to read the next installment!
April 24, 2021
Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls, by Lizzie Lane, is the second book in her Tobacco Girls series. A lovely read that details the life of three young women in Bristol, UK during the fraught years of World War II. This book is full of the everyday struggles of the rationing, air raids, and food shortages that these women faced during those tough times.
The story takes place in Bristol, UK, and follows the lives of Bridget Milligan, Maisie Miles and Phyllis Mason as they rely on their friendship to help them through the dark days of the beginning of the war in Britain.
Bridget’s comes from a large happy family with many siblings. All her younger brothers and sisters are evacuated to the countryside as air raids are expected in the cities. She helps her mother deal with the worry and the emptiness in her family home.
Phyllis has just married Robert and he’s gone off to war, but now she has to live with his difficult parents as she deals with her pregnancy and wonders how she will live in a loveless marriage when he returns. And Maisie has to hide from her stepfather and the gangsters who are after him.
These three women bond together and help each other deal with the struggles of war, families and living through air raids, rationing, and food shortages.
This book resonated with me because I’m so interested in this period of time. My parents were about the same age as these characters and lived in London during this time period. Like Bridget's siblings, my father was evacuated to the countryside and later joined and served in the Royal Marines and my mother served in the Royal Air Force.
The details of the struggles of rationing, and food shortages were very well described and I felt for these characters and their struggles. Also the scenes with the air raids felt very real and were well described.
About the Author: Lizzie Lane is the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers. She was born and bred in Bristol where many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories. This has inspired her new saga series for Boldwood The Tobacco Girls, the first part of which will be published in January 2021.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The story takes place in Bristol, UK, and follows the lives of Bridget Milligan, Maisie Miles and Phyllis Mason as they rely on their friendship to help them through the dark days of the beginning of the war in Britain.
Bridget’s comes from a large happy family with many siblings. All her younger brothers and sisters are evacuated to the countryside as air raids are expected in the cities. She helps her mother deal with the worry and the emptiness in her family home.
Phyllis has just married Robert and he’s gone off to war, but now she has to live with his difficult parents as she deals with her pregnancy and wonders how she will live in a loveless marriage when he returns. And Maisie has to hide from her stepfather and the gangsters who are after him.
These three women bond together and help each other deal with the struggles of war, families and living through air raids, rationing, and food shortages.
This book resonated with me because I’m so interested in this period of time. My parents were about the same age as these characters and lived in London during this time period. Like Bridget's siblings, my father was evacuated to the countryside and later joined and served in the Royal Marines and my mother served in the Royal Air Force.
The details of the struggles of rationing, and food shortages were very well described and I felt for these characters and their struggles. Also the scenes with the air raids felt very real and were well described.
About the Author: Lizzie Lane is the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers. She was born and bred in Bristol where many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories. This has inspired her new saga series for Boldwood The Tobacco Girls, the first part of which will be published in January 2021.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
January 16, 2024
For Jess: This is the second book in this series - I started reading “The Tobacco Girls” series because it is based around the WD and HO Wills tobacco factory in Bristol (part of my family heritage). This series is a super easy read. I’m surprised that nobody has made it into a period drama yet along the lines of “Home Fires” or “Call the Midwife”.
June 23, 2021
Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is a great WWII era historical fiction saga that is the followup to the equally enjoyable first book, The Tobacco Girls. I really like these books, and am looking forward to where this series will be going.
This book takes place in Bristol, England in the early 1940s. I really enjoyed following up with Bridget, Maisie, and Phyllis and their trials, tribulations, and mutual friendships during the war. We get to see how each one has to deal with their own family issues, problems, relationships, and navigating the waters of becoming adults in a time of great upheaval and societal change. They all make mistakes along the way, but try to be there for one another through it all.
I look forward to seeing what happens next to these three young women, and I hope they all are able to find the happiness that they are searching for.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Boldwood Books for this great arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
From the Publisher:
BRISTOL 1940.
The Tobacco Girls cling together as they realise that the clouds of war are turning dark, the world is becoming more dangerous and their lives more unpredictable.
Bridget Milligan’s big, happy family fragments when her siblings are evacuated to North Devon, then a letter from America further fills her with dismay.
Maisie Miles safe haven from both Eddie Bridgeman and her father is jeopardised and she is forced to move on, but where too this time?
Phyllis Mason is struck down by tragedy and her life spirals downwards into despair until a new horizons beckons, but also perhaps great danger…
Regardless of the rationing, shortages and an ever-worsening situation, The Tobacco Girls all pull together and hope for better days to come.
Lizzie Lane -Author Webpage at Boldwood Books:
https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/contrib...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Days-Toba...
Barnes & Noble: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-d...
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/dark-da...
This book takes place in Bristol, England in the early 1940s. I really enjoyed following up with Bridget, Maisie, and Phyllis and their trials, tribulations, and mutual friendships during the war. We get to see how each one has to deal with their own family issues, problems, relationships, and navigating the waters of becoming adults in a time of great upheaval and societal change. They all make mistakes along the way, but try to be there for one another through it all.
I look forward to seeing what happens next to these three young women, and I hope they all are able to find the happiness that they are searching for.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Boldwood Books for this great arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
From the Publisher:
BRISTOL 1940.
The Tobacco Girls cling together as they realise that the clouds of war are turning dark, the world is becoming more dangerous and their lives more unpredictable.
Bridget Milligan’s big, happy family fragments when her siblings are evacuated to North Devon, then a letter from America further fills her with dismay.
Maisie Miles safe haven from both Eddie Bridgeman and her father is jeopardised and she is forced to move on, but where too this time?
Phyllis Mason is struck down by tragedy and her life spirals downwards into despair until a new horizons beckons, but also perhaps great danger…
Regardless of the rationing, shortages and an ever-worsening situation, The Tobacco Girls all pull together and hope for better days to come.
Lizzie Lane -Author Webpage at Boldwood Books:
https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/contrib...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Days-Toba...
Barnes & Noble: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-d...
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/dark-da...
June 26, 2021
.5....My review of Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls is on my blog.
https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...
https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...
April 21, 2024
Very good book looking forward to the 3rd in this series
September 10, 2021
Set in wartime Bristol life is carrying on for the Tobacco girls, Bridget, Phylis and Maise. This is the second in the series, I love her books look forward to the next.
June 28, 2021
I love historical fiction and was very happy to be able to go back and visit the Tobacco Girls in Bristol as they learn to adapt to life during the ongoing war. In this story we spend more time with the trio that picks up straight after the last story.
Phyllis she has just gotten married to Robert and moved in to live with her inlaws. We experience her highs and lows as she realises that living with her mother in law is even harder than she ever anticipated and how she is being cut off from her own family and friends.
The friendship between these girls is growing all the time and you can see how important it is to all of them as they start to feel the pressures of war and bombs start to come down in Bristol. We get to revisit existing characters and spend more time with them as well as meeting new characters that play vital roles as Bridget finds that she now has 2 men vying for her attention despite previously stating she never wants to get married.
I look forward to the next book in this saga as war continues to ravage Europe and they continue to all suffer the consequences.
Phyllis she has just gotten married to Robert and moved in to live with her inlaws. We experience her highs and lows as she realises that living with her mother in law is even harder than she ever anticipated and how she is being cut off from her own family and friends.
The friendship between these girls is growing all the time and you can see how important it is to all of them as they start to feel the pressures of war and bombs start to come down in Bristol. We get to revisit existing characters and spend more time with them as well as meeting new characters that play vital roles as Bridget finds that she now has 2 men vying for her attention despite previously stating she never wants to get married.
I look forward to the next book in this saga as war continues to ravage Europe and they continue to all suffer the consequences.
Read
June 23, 2021‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ is the second book in ‘The Tobacco Girls’ series. The first one is called ‘The Tobacco Girls’ and it was released in January 2021. I loved the first book and I had high hopes for the second book. I wasn’t to be disappointed either because I loved reading ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ but more about that in a bit.
I love all three characters and I warmed to the from the start. In fact it didn’t take long at all for me to feel as though all three girls had become friends of mine. Each have their problems and secrets that they would like to stay just that – secret. Each girl is different in personality but it is easy to see why they all get on so well. I won’t into too much details as to what happens to each girl as that would spoil the story for others but what I will say is that all three girls are put through the emotional wringer.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the synopsis, I knew that nothing would be getting done for the rest of the day because I was having far too much fun reading this superb books. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book for any length of time. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. Whilst I was reading ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ I found that I became so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. I found ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ to be an emotional and gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ is superbly written. Lizzie has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of her book feels like a chat between friends rather than reading an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Lizzie knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story. I found that I went on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride and that I was going through every emotion that the girls were going through. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that is thanks to Lizzie’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lizzie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I love all three characters and I warmed to the from the start. In fact it didn’t take long at all for me to feel as though all three girls had become friends of mine. Each have their problems and secrets that they would like to stay just that – secret. Each girl is different in personality but it is easy to see why they all get on so well. I won’t into too much details as to what happens to each girl as that would spoil the story for others but what I will say is that all three girls are put through the emotional wringer.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the synopsis, I knew that nothing would be getting done for the rest of the day because I was having far too much fun reading this superb books. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book for any length of time. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. Whilst I was reading ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ I found that I became so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. I found ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ to be an emotional and gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ is superbly written. Lizzie has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of her book feels like a chat between friends rather than reading an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Lizzie knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story. I found that I went on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride and that I was going through every emotion that the girls were going through. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that is thanks to Lizzie’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of ‘Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lizzie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
July 8, 2021
Dark Days For The Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is the second book in the Tobacco Girls series. The first book was excellent a histotical saga that introduced us to the three M's, Bridget, Phyllis and Maisie.
We return to them in 1940 Bristol. We find Bridget and Maisie still working at the tobacco factory while Phyllis is pregnant Robert, Phyllis's husband works away and Phyllis lives in his family's home, with her domineering, unpleasant mother-in-law. Bridget is part of a large family and her six siblings are evacuated to North Devon. She hopes every day that her American beau remembers her and has written her a letter. Maisie who is the youngest of the Three Ms works at the Llandoger Trow pub as well as the tobacco factory and for her, life is reasonably good, until she finds herself anxiously looking over her shoulder when she knows her stepfather, Frank has been released from prison.
As with all great historical sagas set during the war we are privy to the effects of war upon the people. Events such has bombing, food rationing and even the buildings falling down around the area were all horrifically common place and Lizzie Lane brings these things alive with her evocative writing. We see the ups and the downs of the girls, love, true friendship and support are a part and parcel of their everyday life along with the sad times that pull at your heartstrings as you read. I was really happy to rejoin these girls on their life journeys and I was back there in the 1940s soaking up the bad and the good as I read along.
Lizzie Lane has really created a story that envelops you like a warm hug does. Such real characters and fabulous setting? They are so well created they could be my friends! Cannot wait to see what is in store for them in the future...I look forward to it.
Thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Lizzie Lane for my copy of the book
We return to them in 1940 Bristol. We find Bridget and Maisie still working at the tobacco factory while Phyllis is pregnant Robert, Phyllis's husband works away and Phyllis lives in his family's home, with her domineering, unpleasant mother-in-law. Bridget is part of a large family and her six siblings are evacuated to North Devon. She hopes every day that her American beau remembers her and has written her a letter. Maisie who is the youngest of the Three Ms works at the Llandoger Trow pub as well as the tobacco factory and for her, life is reasonably good, until she finds herself anxiously looking over her shoulder when she knows her stepfather, Frank has been released from prison.
As with all great historical sagas set during the war we are privy to the effects of war upon the people. Events such has bombing, food rationing and even the buildings falling down around the area were all horrifically common place and Lizzie Lane brings these things alive with her evocative writing. We see the ups and the downs of the girls, love, true friendship and support are a part and parcel of their everyday life along with the sad times that pull at your heartstrings as you read. I was really happy to rejoin these girls on their life journeys and I was back there in the 1940s soaking up the bad and the good as I read along.
Lizzie Lane has really created a story that envelops you like a warm hug does. Such real characters and fabulous setting? They are so well created they could be my friends! Cannot wait to see what is in store for them in the future...I look forward to it.
Thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Lizzie Lane for my copy of the book
July 2, 2021
Lizzie Lane offers readers a glance of Bristol during WWII in her new novel, Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls. This book is the second volume in the Tobacco Girls series. It also works well as a standalone. I never felt lost because the author incorporates enough events from the first book.
I had a hard time liking Bridgette and Phyllis. Bridgette seems condescending. Though I think the author means her to be contemplative and intelligent. I find Phyllis to be a selfish woman with no regard for anyone else. I did enjoy Maisie. Maisie doesn’t spend her time obsessing over men. She is a free spirit who speaks her mind.
Bristol is a setting that I haven’t encountered much in my reading. I enjoyed getting to know the landscape as well as a bit of the history. The countryside where Bridgette’s siblings evacuate to sounds like an idyllic place. I would love to visit there one day. The house on the country estate teems with history. It would be exciting to see and get to know the nooks and crannies of the old place.
Even though most of the characters disappointed me, the story is great. I am curious about whether my feelings would change if I had read the first book.
I award Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls 4 out of 5 stars. I must say that you may enjoy this novel more if you read the series from the beginning because a better introduction to the secondary characters might have been helpful.
Many thanks to Lizzie Lane, Boldwood Books, and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a digital copy of Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls with a request for an honest review.
I had a hard time liking Bridgette and Phyllis. Bridgette seems condescending. Though I think the author means her to be contemplative and intelligent. I find Phyllis to be a selfish woman with no regard for anyone else. I did enjoy Maisie. Maisie doesn’t spend her time obsessing over men. She is a free spirit who speaks her mind.
Bristol is a setting that I haven’t encountered much in my reading. I enjoyed getting to know the landscape as well as a bit of the history. The countryside where Bridgette’s siblings evacuate to sounds like an idyllic place. I would love to visit there one day. The house on the country estate teems with history. It would be exciting to see and get to know the nooks and crannies of the old place.
Even though most of the characters disappointed me, the story is great. I am curious about whether my feelings would change if I had read the first book.
I award Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls 4 out of 5 stars. I must say that you may enjoy this novel more if you read the series from the beginning because a better introduction to the secondary characters might have been helpful.
Many thanks to Lizzie Lane, Boldwood Books, and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a digital copy of Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls with a request for an honest review.
May 15, 2021
Set in 1940 wartime Bristol with glimpses of North Devon, the author takes us into the lives of three young women as they grow and mature. This is the second book in the series...I'm not sure which I enjoyed more. Readers see the effects of the war as rationing is introduced and buildings crumble. Air raid sirens are becoming more common, as is sheltering. But there are slivers of joy sprinkled throughout, too. No friendship is perfect, including those in this book, but imperfections make them realistic.
The three Ms are going through personal struggles. Maisie, the youngest, now finds herself looking over her shoulder as she deals with her past...and present. Bridget's beloved young siblings are evacuated to the North Devon countryside so she and her parents experience the anguish of letting go. Phyllis is a pregnant newlywed and her husband is away from home. She is living with his parents and whilst her father in law is lovely, her mother in law is a dreadful and controlling bully.
The story is told from several perspectives which I love. We are privy to secrets and love interests as we learn more about the characters themselves. The historical details lend to an atmospheric and gripping read. I really like how the book tantalizingly ended, leaving me wondering what the third will bring!
My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this beautiful book.
The three Ms are going through personal struggles. Maisie, the youngest, now finds herself looking over her shoulder as she deals with her past...and present. Bridget's beloved young siblings are evacuated to the North Devon countryside so she and her parents experience the anguish of letting go. Phyllis is a pregnant newlywed and her husband is away from home. She is living with his parents and whilst her father in law is lovely, her mother in law is a dreadful and controlling bully.
The story is told from several perspectives which I love. We are privy to secrets and love interests as we learn more about the characters themselves. The historical details lend to an atmospheric and gripping read. I really like how the book tantalizingly ended, leaving me wondering what the third will bring!
My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this beautiful book.
June 27, 2021
This series is about three girls who are friends during the beginning of WWII. This group of young women all work together at a tobacco plant in England. Their job is to sort the tobacco and get it ready for processing. These young women have become great friends, but they are vulnerable. Girls who worked in the tobacco factories were considered a lower class than some.
One of the girls named Phyllis had recently married a respectable man when she found herself pregnant out of wedlock. Her new husband goes off to war and she is stuck living with his suffocating mother-in-law. When she loses the baby, the mother-in-law becomes even more intolerable. Phyllis realizes that she needs to leave after she finds out that her husband is missing in action and presumed dead.
The other girls, Maisie and Bridgett, round out the trio and have their own problems. Bridget is in love with a young American, who visited England, but has moved back home. The story tells much about their love lives and work lives. The book delves into the lives of many in the lower classes in Britian as the bombing raids begin to destroy the city of Bristol. Between family troubles and finding food to eat, the girls are having dark days. The book is rated PG13 for sexual content.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
One of the girls named Phyllis had recently married a respectable man when she found herself pregnant out of wedlock. Her new husband goes off to war and she is stuck living with his suffocating mother-in-law. When she loses the baby, the mother-in-law becomes even more intolerable. Phyllis realizes that she needs to leave after she finds out that her husband is missing in action and presumed dead.
The other girls, Maisie and Bridgett, round out the trio and have their own problems. Bridget is in love with a young American, who visited England, but has moved back home. The story tells much about their love lives and work lives. The book delves into the lives of many in the lower classes in Britian as the bombing raids begin to destroy the city of Bristol. Between family troubles and finding food to eat, the girls are having dark days. The book is rated PG13 for sexual content.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
May 6, 2021
World war two and the Tobacco girls are living a strange life. Three young women-Bridget Milligan, Maisie Miles and Phyllis Mason (the 3M’s) living in and around Bristol whose lives have changed drastically with rationing, air raids, loss of life and all that war brings. Bridget's large family have been moved to a safer haven albeit not together as there are so many of them and Phyllis is having to suffer her mother in law whilst pregnant and waiting for her husband to return. Bridget met Lyndon, an American whose family owns the Tobacco factory but he has now returned to the states and she longs to hear from him but when she visits her evacuated family, she meets a very close lookalike and her family are hiding most of the letters Lyndon has been sending. This is a nostalgic read, evocative of the era and the hardships ordinary people went through not so very long ago but seems a world away in many respects. I find these books interesting as although fiction gives some insight to lives that did happen at that time. A tale of lasting and treasured friendships and doing the very best for each other whatever the circumstances. This is the second book in the series (The Tobacco Girls being the first) and for me would probably need to be read in order to understand relationships etc. An interesting engaging read.
May 19, 2021
Book Two Bristol England Bridget Milligan and her father are looking at the newspaper and it doesn't look good Britain are in danger of been invaded, it will deeply effect all the workers at W.D. & H.O. Wills Tobacco factory where she works. Phyllis now married to Robert Harvey and living with her in laws who she hardly see's now she is far from been an old maid at only twenty years old her relationship with Lyndon O'Neill has been intervened and he has gone back to the states.
All six of her brother's and sister's are been evacuated to South Molton down in Devon and her mother is heart broken, Bridget and Maisie Miles both work in the stripping room and it's not long before they get word from Phyllis and she is going to need their help and the three M's become closer once more.
As the war rages around Bristol lots of buildings in the old city are gone as we read horrendous accounts from the author, I truly enjoyed every detail reading through this book, its got my very worthy stars. The Tobacco Girl's will live on and I look forward to Book Three.
All six of her brother's and sister's are been evacuated to South Molton down in Devon and her mother is heart broken, Bridget and Maisie Miles both work in the stripping room and it's not long before they get word from Phyllis and she is going to need their help and the three M's become closer once more.
As the war rages around Bristol lots of buildings in the old city are gone as we read horrendous accounts from the author, I truly enjoyed every detail reading through this book, its got my very worthy stars. The Tobacco Girl's will live on and I look forward to Book Three.
June 25, 2021
Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls is the second book in the Tobacco Girl series and, although I have read both, I can confirm that this book can easily be read as a single title (although I highly recommend the first book, The Tobacco Girls!)
This instalment revolves around Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis as WWII edges ever closer and the girls lives begin to change - there is evacuation, changes at work, dangers from a reprobate father, hospital visits and more! There is nothing I love more than a series where I get to know the main characters a little better with each book and that was definitely the case with Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls.
My main enjoyment with sagas is learning about the setting, some history and the relationships, both romantic and platonic, between the characters. All in all Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls is a great read!
This instalment revolves around Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis as WWII edges ever closer and the girls lives begin to change - there is evacuation, changes at work, dangers from a reprobate father, hospital visits and more! There is nothing I love more than a series where I get to know the main characters a little better with each book and that was definitely the case with Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls.
My main enjoyment with sagas is learning about the setting, some history and the relationships, both romantic and platonic, between the characters. All in all Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls is a great read!
February 3, 2022
The second book in The Tobacco Girls story did not disappoint. The story carries straight on from the first book, with gentle reminders written into the storyline to what happened to the girls previously. Phyllis, Bridget and Maisie lives are all running in different directions and all have different problems to overcome, but they are linked b y their friendship and there association with the cigarette factory. We are back in war torn Bristol and we are able to read how they all adapt to their new situations. Phyllis is as feisty as ever, with Bridget being the sensible one and Maisie having to navigate through her life into adulthood by herself. Each chapter looked at each girl but the story was linked to each other as well. Roll on book 3!
September 29, 2024
Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls (book two the Tobacco girls series) by Lizzie Lane (Audiobook Read On Everand app)
Continuing on in the series it is now 1940, Bristol. The tides of war has risen and the three friends must navigate new situations in their lives. For Bridget, her younger siblings are evacuated to the country and her person in the states seems to have stopped writing her.
Maisie’s safety from her father and the man after her father is compromised and she must move on eventually getting help from a very unexpected source
And poor Phyllis who felt she was finally free from her wicked mother in law learns that her influence extends farther than she thought. However this might lead to an actual way to be completely free from her.
Continuing on in the series it is now 1940, Bristol. The tides of war has risen and the three friends must navigate new situations in their lives. For Bridget, her younger siblings are evacuated to the country and her person in the states seems to have stopped writing her.
Maisie’s safety from her father and the man after her father is compromised and she must move on eventually getting help from a very unexpected source
And poor Phyllis who felt she was finally free from her wicked mother in law learns that her influence extends farther than she thought. However this might lead to an actual way to be completely free from her.
March 14, 2022
This is a lovely series, this being the second book. Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis are living in Bristol at the beginning of the Second World War. However, their lives are very different - Phyllis has married for all the wrong reasons and is now expecting a child; Maisie is trying to avoid her abusive father and cope with a life in poverty and Bridget has a loving family, but torn apart when the younger children are evacuated to the countryside.
The story develops very naturally, and you are drawn in to their dramas and triumphs, willing them to make the right decisions. A really good read.
The story develops very naturally, and you are drawn in to their dramas and triumphs, willing them to make the right decisions. A really good read.
June 3, 2021
This is the 2nd book in the tobacco girls series and it did not disappoint. Follow how Maisie, Bridget and Phyliss cope with the onset of war and deal with there various problems with the men in there life.. It's a really excellent feel good novel which focuses on the feelings and confusion on what they girls are dealing with as war is starting to have an impact on there lives. Only negative is I wish it had gone on longer 😊 Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review. #DarkDaysfortheTobaccoGirls
June 8, 2021
My only regret about reading this book is that I didn't read the first one in the series. I'm going to have to buy it. Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls is a brilliant read. You're drawn in by the dramatic storylines and you can't help but love the three girls, Bridget- Masie and Phyllis. There's a lot of loose ends (Frank needs to be be held accountable for his actions), so I'm looking forward to the next instalment. A must read for lovers of historical fiction.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.
July 21, 2021
Oh my, the story of The Tobacco Girls gets better with each book. I simply loved the first one getting to know the characters of Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis, each has their own story going through in this book with their life's ups and down and being friends they stick together. Of course you do have some villainous characters that you will hate in the book, but that is up to you to find out. I am now looking forward to the next one one Fire and Fury for the Tobacco Girls. Thank you Lizzie Lane for these excellent reads.
January 8, 2022
This is the second book in the series and they need to be read in the correct order as there is so much that is followed on from the first book for it to make any sense. It is a nice easy read and having lived in Bedminster myself it is fun reading the areas and roads( absolutely not needed to enjoy the books). It is any easy read and you begin to see the characters developing as the war goes on. I expect I’ll get around to reading the next book but it is not so exciting that I am desperate to do it straight away.
August 25, 2023
This was the second book in this series and I enjoyed being back with the characters. The storyline was interesting and I always connect to the characters but something lacks from this series and I’m not sure what it is, I felt the same with the first book and although I enjoy reading the books I’m not invested enough to be hooked on the book. I just pick it up as and when to get it finished, I’ll definitely carry on with the series but have enjoyed other books from this author more than this series which is a shame.
June 4, 2021
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Lizzie Lane really takes you back to WWII in her latest novel, Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls. I really felt as though I was the proverbial fly on the wall, listening to all the conversations. Bristol has been quite badly hit although the Tobacco factory is fine and had its own cellar being used as an air raid shelter. The lives of Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis are changing add the war progresses.... Has love been found amongst the turmoil?
July 7, 2021
This is book 2, I have not read book 1 but it was easy to follow the three 'M's It begins at the time of Dunkirk evacuation during WWII. There is plenty of ups and downs good times and sad times. The story ended abruptly. It Did say book 2 of 2 however looking on Amazon book 3 is due out next year. I will be getting this. Its a good read which I can recommend.
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review which I freely give
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review which I freely give
August 31, 2021
It was great to catch up with Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis again. The friends worked together at the tobacco factory but a lot has been happening for the friends during World War Two. Lizzie’s writing draws you into the book so you feel you are part of this friendship group. You can’t help but feel for the girls as they go through lots of ups and downs, but keep going strong no matter what is thrown at them. I throughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book at the end of September.
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