A New Start for the Wrens

The Wrens #1

by Vicki Beeby

Following a humiliating experience involving the man she thought she'd marry, Iris Tredwick signs up to the Wrens in order to escape and find 'the right sort' of man to please her mother. After a bumpy start, Iris manages to befriend outspoken Mary and dreamer Sally as they are sent to their first posting - in Orkney.

There she meets mechanic Rob, whose flirtatious nature both charms and confounds straight-laced Iris. Much more appropriate for her is local doctor Stewart, if only she felt the same spark for him as she does for Rob…

As Iris, Mary and Sally work to interpret signals from incoming ships, they realize the enemy is somehow one step ahead of their maneuvers, dropping sea mines under the cover of darkness. Could there be a spy on the island? And can the Wrens prevent disaster striking before it's too late?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2022

About the author

Vicki Beeby writes historical fiction about the friendships and loves of service women brought together by the Second World War.

Her first job was as a civil engineer on a sewage treatment project, so things could only improve from there. Since then, she has worked as a maths teacher and education consultant before turning freelance to give herself more time to write.

In her free time, when she can drag herself away from reading, she enjoys walking and travelling to far-off places by train. She lives in Shropshire in a house that doesn’t contain nearly enough bookshelves.

Reviews

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iris Tredwick is a young woman from a posh family. She is hoping to marry soon and avoid having to do war work that will soon be mandatory for all single women. When Iris’ plans are shattered, she picks the Wrens after seeing the uniform. At training, Iris meets Sally and Mary who have not the easiest of lives. After training, the three women are sent to the Orkney Islands. They soon discover mysterious happenings on the island and wonder if the enemy has infiltrated Orkney. The ladies work to uncover the truth with the help of the flirtatious Rob who has taken a liking to Iris. A New Start for the Wrens by Vicki Beeby is the beginning of The Wrens series. The market has been flooded with stories from this time period, and I almost did not read this book. I am glad that I did. It is an engaging historical novel about three women who join the Wrens in 1941. I thought the author captured the time period and the feeling of the people. Iris Tredwick was not the most likeable character in the beginning, but she grew on me. Iris is the main character in this story. I hope each lady will get a book of their own while incorporating the other two. The women who entered the various service organizations were very brave. I liked learning about the Wrens. Iris, Sally, and Mary undertook training to become visual signalers. It was interesting learning about the different signals and the work the women did on the Orkney Islands. The author found a way to provide the information on signaling and keep it interesting (I was not bored). The Orkney Islands sounded remote and barren yet beautiful at the same time. I like the author’s writing style. It is casual which made the story easy to read. It had a good flow too. I like how the women came together and became friends. I like seeing strong, positive female friendships. I loved the story had mystery and intrigue in it as well. It was easy to identify the bad guy, but I was curious as to how the ladies would discover the truth. I am looking forward to the next book in The Wrens. A New Start for the Wrens is a charming tale with sailing ships, studying signals, an imperious mother, a major misunderstanding, waging war, an infiltrating enemy, and faithful friends.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good World War Two story. They’re so full of strength, resilience, community spirit and ‘keep calm and carry on’ attitude. A New Start for the Wrens had the same kind of vibe, and made for another great WW2 book to add to this amazing genre.

The main character, Iris, I did not immediately warm to I have to admit! It took a fair few chapters to feel any sort of liking to her character as she’s portrayed as self-important, righteous and a bit pompous! With an over arching mother wanting her to ‘marry well’ and not mix with those below her station, I can certainly understand why Iris turned out the way she did.

However as the book advances, you get more little snippets and insights into her personality and I gradually started to like her a bit more. Watching her grow throughout her volunteer work and watch her overcome hurdles and her struggles made for an interesting read, and I did want to see how thing would unfurl and develop for her.

I rapidly started to root for her and along with the other Wrens, Sally and Mary, I really started to warm to this little group. The character development of Iris was amazing to see and I finished the book definitely more than liking her character in the end. In fact, I loved her! And respected her so much towards the end. Talk about character growth!

The book starts with her signing up and subsequent posting to HMS Mercury for her training. I loved reading that and following her progress to becoming a fully fledged wren. Meeting her bunk mates Sally, a hopeless romantic from Yorkshire, and Mary, a hard to win over widow from Wales, they begrudgingly graduated their training and were posted to their first station in the cold depths of the Orkney Islands.

This book entertained and warmed the cockles of your heart. Being on duty with the Wrens and contributing to the war effort was a great way to spend the afternoon reading and I seriously loved it!

Thank you to the author and publishers via NetGalley for this book in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iris, Mary and Sally sign up to help the War Effort and train with the Wrens as Signallers. They come from different backgrounds and classes and initially struggle to gel. It was great feel as though you were in the Orkneys, an area I would love to visit. They were doing an important job, keeping us all safe and they are on the lookout for unwanted strangers lurking amongst them when suspicious things happen.
Things gradually thaw between the girls and it's great to see them getting to know each other better and working through their differences.
Iris comes from a privileged background and when two potential love interests make themselves known can she ignore family expectation and let her heart rule her head?

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one! Beeby has done it again, writing brilliant characters and a plot that had me interested the whole way through. Despite being an avid Historical Fiction reader, I always find myself learning something new every time I pick a book up. I knew nothing about the signalling on the coast of Britain during the Second World War, but this book explained everything and still kept it interesting. A must read for fans of Historical Fiction, Beeby is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors of this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #ANewStartForTheWrens. All opinions are my own.

[Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lekka, zabawna historia dla każdego kto szuka miłej lektury. Historyczne tło stanowią wojenne działania na szkockich Orkanach. Główne bohaterki to trzy młode kobiety, pochodzące z różnych światów, razem stają na przeciwko nowym wyzwaniom. Akurat przebywałam na północy Szkocji w czasie mojej lektury i choć autorka na potrzeby książki stworzyła kilka fikcyjnych miejsc, z pewnością oddala jednak doskonale klimat szkockich wysp, specyfikę klimatu. Zdecydowanie sięgnę jeszcze po inne książki tej autorki.

[Vanessa-Ann Dowsett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to book 2, for I am sure there has to be as there are some loose ends

[Lucy-Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iris Tredwick is looking for a way to escape from her overbearing mother and a rather humiliating experience involving the man she thought she'd marry. Knowing that war is looming and expecting that war work will soon be mandatory for single women, and with her mother’s constant messages about “marrying well” ringing in her ears, Iris finds herself signing up to join the WRNS and selecting the visual signaller role based on the attractive uniform shown on a poster!
Arriving at her training base, Iris soon meets her bunk-mates, the outspoken Mary from Wales who lost her fiancé to a torpedo strike and dreamy Yorkshire-born Sally who has struggled since the death of her father & injury of her uncle. Having lived a privileged life, Iris is rather a snob and doesn’t fit in well initially to military life with her tendency to say what she’s thinking without thinking. However she throws herself into learning as much as she can, passes her tests and finds herself posted, with Mary & Sally, to their first station which is not in Iris’s preferred location of bustling Portsmouth, but in the remote wilderness of Orkney.
As the girls start to fall into a rhythm of life at their posting, they become close friends and also start to make friends with some local service men and locals. As they work to interpret signals from incoming ships, they realize the enemy is somehow one step ahead of them and when they spot a plane dropping mines under the cover of darkness they realise that there might be a spy on the island.
The characters are not instantly likeable but as Iris’s prejudices and privileges are challenged and the individual characters of Iris, Mary & Sally start to develop, they become more engaging. We meet mechanic Rob who is rather taken with Iris (though most definitely not a suitable match in her mother’s mind) and you cannot help loving Elspeth & Archie, the crofters who welcome the presence of the WRNS and other service personnel whilst their own sons are away at war!

The author has a writing style that is very easy to read. It is disappointing that the “mystery” of the spy is not resolved in this book, though it is very obvious who it is! I was looking forward to discovering how the girls uncovered the “clues”.



The book does suffer slightly from being written in lockdown which limited travel to Orkney (there is an author’s note to this effect) but it is a good start to the series. There are a number of loose ends which need to be resolved in later books - This book primarily follows Iris’s story, I believe the next books in the series will continue the story but with more focus on Mary & Sally respectively.

Ultimately this is an engaging historical novel that fits well into its genre and the location of Orkney and the role of visual signaller makes it a little different to other similar books.
The book will definitely appeal to fans of WW2 historical fiction, particularly those who enjoy the story of women from different backgrounds coming together to do their part in wartime.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.

[Joanne D'Arcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the start of a new series for the author and also for me. I was after a new saga to get stuck into and I have found it clearly with this series and the authors previous work.

Iris is also after a new start too, after presuming that she was about to be proposed to and live the life as lady of the manor, she makes a mistake and finds herself suddenly in Orkney as a WREN signaller. Joining her are Mary and Sally and whilst we learn about them, this story very much focuses on Iris. I took an immediate dislike to Iris, who ability to speak without thinking was clear and she really did have a problem with anyone who did not come from the same class and why would women want to do anything other than marry.

Of course as the book goes on, we see Iris prejudices challenged not just by her developing friendships with Mary and Sally but also the other people she meets along the way. Mechanic Rob is nothing like the man Iris should marry but something about him is enthralling. Stewart on the other hand would go down well with Iris’s parents. But is he really the caring doctor he makes out.

Then of course there is the Orkney Islands themselves, a vast landscape, nothing like the landscape of any of the girls homes. The weather is another battle to fight along with the Germans. The islanders welcome these girls into the homes and hearts and Irish can see that perhaps all she has held as ‘right’ is in fact wrong. When it looks like there could be a traitor in their midst, they find their purpose in their work will have huge ramifications.

This is a wonderfully written saga and I was hooked from the beginning. As someone who has a lot of knowledge of the Royal Navy and also coming from Portsmouth and working now where HMS Mercury moved to I can see plenty of names I recognised and nothing stood out for me as achingly wrong! I have seen that in previous novels and it really spoils the book for me.

I am already looking forward to catching up with the girls again soon.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Start for the Wrens by Vicki Beeby is a World War II story about three Wrens (Women's Royal Navy Service) who find themselves stationed at the Orkney Islands, otherwise known as the-back-of-beyond. One the ferry over to the island, Iris is so seasick that she literally falls into the arms of a young man named Rob, who is also stationed there. He has been on leave but is back early because he likes it there and has come back to help some of the locals. The other two girls, Sally, especially, see it as a sign that Iris and Rob are meant to be. A lot happens over the next few months and Iris grows up. She had been a spoiled rich girl with lots of funny notions, but over this period she came into herself. It was a fun story to read.

I love World War II stories that are not explicit and away from the action. I went through a period of those and have moved on. There is so much more to it than just that: the way England used all of its resources to survive the Nazi onslaught, for one. This was a feel-good story, for sure. Watching Iris grow up and make the first friends she had ever had was endearing and watching the other two girls: Sally and Mary come in to their own was just as enjoyable, although not the focus of the story. Meeting some of the locals was fun, too. Learning a little about a place far away always makes a book for me, and even thought people died here, many more loved. It was a good book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A New Start for the Wrens by Canelo, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #canelo #vickibeeby #anewstartforthewrens

[Jan Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

WW2 romantic thriller concerning Iris Tredwick, a very well bred young woman, who joins up for all the wrong reasons - in this case to avoid her ghastly mother's judgement after a very wealthy and well connected potential husband slips through the net.
Iris ends up on the Orkneys as a signaller, along with two girls that she considered at first to be very much beneath her and is courted by two men - a doctor and a Navy stoker.
In the wake of the Royal Oak's sinking the Wrens are asked to watch for enemy planes laying sea mines - queue for danger. Iris finds friendship, intrigue and romance in equal quantities.
I am not usually a reader of historical romance and only bought this because I am researching similar topics. Beeby's research is top notch and I picked up some interesting facts about the life of WRNS personnel. The story is typical of its kind and the ending a little signposted - hence 4* and not 5* - but well executed nevertheless, with sympathetic characters and well drawn settings.
If historical romance mysteries are your thing then to be recommended.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction of three young women from very different backgrounds signing up to join the wrens. The main story revolves around one of the ladies who is brought up in a well to do family where she is expected to marry into another wealthy family to avoid working. Through a plunder she applies and is accepted onto the training programme and on her first assignment to Orkney Island falls in love with a man her mother would consider well below the acceptable norm.
Meanwhile she catches the eye of a doctor on the island from the very get go shows alarm signals that he is not who he is portraying to be, which is all very oblivious to the otherwise intelligent women, and townsfolk... That did annoy me a fair bit. Otherwise this is also about the romantic saga and true love, whilst setting the scene on their work to keep their navy force safe from enemy.

[Paul Daley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a strange thing to read books by someone you have known personally but vickis books ae such that I would read them anyway . I wasn't sure what to expect when with my interest in. WW2 historical having developed in the last couple of years but having mainly read those about the ATA by Vikki Nd others . I needn't have been concerned and was certainly not disappointed. . Very be believable characters and a great storyline which was brought to a conclusion although a few threads left untied which can do doubt be followed through in the sequel which I guess will cime. Thanks Vikki for an great read.

[Crystalrainbow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I binge read it as I wanted to know what would happen. The three main female characters Iris, Mary and Sally are all so easy to relate to and care about, as is Rob. Love the glimpses of Orkney and the poignant history. Cottoned on to the baddie early on and kept shouting warnings at my Kindle lol. Loved Vicki Beeby's Ops Room Girls series and was worried this might not be as good but it is! Can't wait for the next instalment in this series.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book by Vicki. I really hope that there will be more adventures from Iris, Mary and Sally in the near future. Based in the Orkney’s the girls are Wren’s that are polar opposites and are thrown together during World War Two. The book is so descriptive you feel like you’re there with them through each dramatic turn of events and every storm. I was disappointed to reach the end as this book definitely left me wanting more.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of an unlikely friendship between 3 very different women. A tale of heroism, friendship and independence set to a gorgeous, scenic backdrop.

Highlighting the work of the Wrens in WW2, and the challenges faced as society is still healing from the impact of WW1, and challenging societal ways, this book shows the realities and difficult situations encountered.

Looking forward to the next one in the series!

[Lucy Dunphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need a follow up as soon as possible. An addictive read. I went from really disliking Iris to admiring her. Her growth as a person throughout the book was admirable. These young women were so brave. I hope that if there are follow ups they will focus on Sally and Mary. A must read for saga lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women Helped win the War

Thoroughly loved this book!! Ms Beeby has such a way with words I could see the girls signaling..along with the fog in the moors..
Although not a signaler My Late Mother
was a Western Union operator and worked in the War Dept In Washington DC during WWII..so this book made me think of her

[Kw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduced me to the WRENS stationed on a freezing Orkney Island, north of Scotland, at a station where they interpret and send radio signals to ships in an all-out effort to defend their part of the North Sea from invading U-boats. Very interesting. Also very brave women. (The sequel is even better!)

[Linda Oleniuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read about Wrens in WWII stationed on the furthest most point of Scotland. They are to signal ships regarding dangers in the channels.
The story focuses on 3 women from different walks of life and how they manage in isolation.
This is an interesting read with a bit of romance.

[Rosemarie Swayze · Rating 5 out of 5]

New start for the Wrens

Very enjoyable read, would whole heartedly recommend reading this book, I have already down loaded the next book to read and an really looking forward to starting it

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, excitement and romance in Scotland. What's not to like!

This is a terrific page Turner with wonderful locations, engaging characters, excitement and romance. Great fun. Riddle of the sands for girls!

[Alexandra Huntley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love world war 2 stories shows how resilient people are during hard times and what can be done. Even thought some elements in the book are fiction you can still feel what it would be like in war times. A feel good love story.

[linda mcloughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

New start for the wrens

What a brilliant story loved it full of excitement from start to finish can't wait to read the next onw

[ANNE BARNES · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book

[Smithy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

It taught me some history in love and in war. It is funny, serious and a perfect escapism from the present day.

[Clare Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book my first one about the Wrens
Great story and can’t wait for the 2nd book

[Lizzie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

A thoroughly enjoyable read. One I found hard to put down. Many thanks to the author. I hope for more to come!

[Maggie Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good xxx

[R M Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Send congrats on morse

Good book and story must be based on fact I'll look out for another book in the same style well done Vicki

[P.M.Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

Wonderful book with a great story involving three friends who join the WRNS during WWII and are posted to Scapa Flow as Signallers. Much enjoyed. Thank you.