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The Tobacco Girls #5
Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls
May 1944
Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, the day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue.
Carole Thomas wants her old life back. She is burdened with the guilt of being a young single mother and considers having baby Paula adopted, but Maisie Miles will do anything to stop her.
Phyllis Mason having found the love of her life is getting married in Malta to Mick Fairbrother, but will the dangerous legacies of war plague her happy day?
Bridget O’Neill finds herself posted to one of the hospitals receiving the injured from the D-Day landing beaches. Her most fervent hope is that her husband, Lyndon, does not become one of them.
Peace is on the horizon, but will their wishes and dreams win through and bring them a happy ever after?
Praise for Lizzie Lane:
'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin
'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton
'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier
'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller
Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, the day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue.
Carole Thomas wants her old life back. She is burdened with the guilt of being a young single mother and considers having baby Paula adopted, but Maisie Miles will do anything to stop her.
Phyllis Mason having found the love of her life is getting married in Malta to Mick Fairbrother, but will the dangerous legacies of war plague her happy day?
Bridget O’Neill finds herself posted to one of the hospitals receiving the injured from the D-Day landing beaches. Her most fervent hope is that her husband, Lyndon, does not become one of them.
Peace is on the horizon, but will their wishes and dreams win through and bring them a happy ever after?
Praise for Lizzie Lane:
'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin
'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton
'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier
'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2022
210 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 30, 2022
The Tobacco Girls Book 5
May 1944: Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue. Peace is on the horizon, but will their wishes and dreams win through and bring them a happy ever after?
Out of the three women, Maisie is the only one still working in the Tobacco Factory. Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget all have their own problems. Along with all the regular characters, we have some new ones as well. This has been a great series to read and this fifth book is a great addition to it. Unfortunately it's also the last book in the series. The characters are believable, likeable and well developed. The books have all been easy to read. Will the girls ger a happy ending? You'll have to read this book to find out.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LizzieLane for my ARC of #MarriadeAndMayhemForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
May 1944: Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue. Peace is on the horizon, but will their wishes and dreams win through and bring them a happy ever after?
Out of the three women, Maisie is the only one still working in the Tobacco Factory. Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget all have their own problems. Along with all the regular characters, we have some new ones as well. This has been a great series to read and this fifth book is a great addition to it. Unfortunately it's also the last book in the series. The characters are believable, likeable and well developed. The books have all been easy to read. Will the girls ger a happy ending? You'll have to read this book to find out.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LizzieLane for my ARC of #MarriadeAndMayhemForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2022
This was another wonderful book in this fascinating series. It follows on from the last one so, you do have to read the others to know what’s happening and who’s who. This was a relaxing and sweet read nd I do hope there is more to come from this author. It would be lovely for this series to carry on maybe into the 1950’s. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
July 21, 2022
First of all I love this series. And this is book number 5 in the series. It was good catching up with the Main characters, following their daily lives, their struggles. But this book felt a little bit rushed, it felt like it was trying to collect the loose ends. Still a good read though. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
June 30, 2023
Another good book in this series… Lizzie Lane is certainly prolific, juggling all these tales together.
I do admit to really needing to concentrate though to remember how all these characters have come together.
I do admit to really needing to concentrate though to remember how all these characters have come together.
July 3, 2022
Beautifully and thoughtfully written Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls takes place in 1944 England during the Allied Normandy invasion which sets the liberation of France into motion. But war isn't over yet and its effects will be felt everywhere forever. No one is exempt from heartache, hardship and sorrow. It is incredible that people were still able to find joy in the midst of such horrors. But they viewed life differently. They had to.
Though the three M's, young women and close friends Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget are separated by war and geography, they are united in spirit and return in new ways in this saga. They've matured and evolved. New characters are introduced as well. Single teen mother Carole and her wee Paula are rooming with Maisie. Carole feels burdened by her daughter and Maisie provides them both with a mother figure of sorts. Adventurous Phyllis is in Malta where she is set to marry her love, Mick. But Mick is involved in dangerous operations. Nurse Bridget is married to Lyndon but must face the pain of injured and dying soldiers every day. Each lives knowing tragedy could strike at any moment. It is not the time to procrastinate. Many are impulsive.
My favourite storyline is that of Maisie, Carole and Paula. The compassion shown and lengths Maisie was prepared to go for love are incredible.
Historical Fiction readers looking for a new and interesting saga, do read this one. Though it is not crucial to read each in order it does feel like having tea with friends when you return to the same core group of young ladies.
My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for introducing me to this lovely saga.
Though the three M's, young women and close friends Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget are separated by war and geography, they are united in spirit and return in new ways in this saga. They've matured and evolved. New characters are introduced as well. Single teen mother Carole and her wee Paula are rooming with Maisie. Carole feels burdened by her daughter and Maisie provides them both with a mother figure of sorts. Adventurous Phyllis is in Malta where she is set to marry her love, Mick. But Mick is involved in dangerous operations. Nurse Bridget is married to Lyndon but must face the pain of injured and dying soldiers every day. Each lives knowing tragedy could strike at any moment. It is not the time to procrastinate. Many are impulsive.
My favourite storyline is that of Maisie, Carole and Paula. The compassion shown and lengths Maisie was prepared to go for love are incredible.
Historical Fiction readers looking for a new and interesting saga, do read this one. Though it is not crucial to read each in order it does feel like having tea with friends when you return to the same core group of young ladies.
My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for introducing me to this lovely saga.
August 11, 2022
What can I say about the Tobacco Girls...I was on an emotional roller coaster from start to finish and couldn't put the book down. I am so proud of Carole, she overcome her fears, and also her father turned up to be a chip off the old block aswell. This series has been a pleasure to read it took you through the lives of three very different young girls that turned into three strong women. I hope there is another installment as I enjoyed reading and becoming involved in there world.
July 10, 2024
For Jess: It’s all very twee but I am determined to finish the series. This book confirmed some things that I had suspected about the characters earlier in the series. One more book to go!
August 16, 2022
Another brilliant book by Lizzie Lane in this wonderful series of the Tobacco Girls, it so nice that the THREE M's have stayed in contact throughout the variations in their lives throughout WWII. I look forward to the next book, I did find toward the end of the book it was a bit sad. Thank you Lizzie Lane for such a lovely read.
July 30, 2022
I've been told that this book is the last in the series and I must say I am heartbroken as it is one that I have truly loved and followed from the beginning. Throughout the series we have watched the three women - Bridget, Phyllis and Maisie - who began work at the Wills tobacco factory in Bristol before the war, grow from strength to strength. We have seen a few new additions come and go over the years.
In MARRIAGE AND MAYHEM FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS, it's May 1944 and the Normandy invasion, known as D-Day, is imminent setting the wheels in motion for the liberation of Europe and the beginning of the end of the war...at long last. But it isn't over yet and many lives will still be lost before victory can be claimed. The effects are felt the world over, and none more so than with the original tobacco girls despite now being scattered over hundreds of miles.
Bridget has moved to London to train as a nurse whilst having secretly married her longtime love, American tobacco plantation heir Lyndon O'Neill. As nursing and marriage are seen as vocations, a woman therefore cannot do both. However, Bridget hopes to keep her marriage secret and her career as a nurse for as long as she can. She maintains contact with her two friends by letter as often as she can sharing a piece of their lives with one another in an otherwise chaotic world. She and Lyndon have a flat in London in which they live when they both have leave but before long, Bridget receives news that her nursing unit is being relocated and all leave has been cancelled. Something big is in the air.
In Malta, Phyllis has found love with Australian reconnaissance photographer, Mick Fairbrother. After believing him to be dead, she was overjoyed to discover he was in fact very much alive and the two go ahead and plan to be married as soon as they can, with a passage back to Britain and their reallocations arranged. After her first rather disastrous marriage, Phyllis knows beyond a doubt that Mick is "the one" and cannot wait to become Mrs Fairbrother and live happily ever after...if they both survive the rest of the war that is. And then on the day of their wedding in sunny Malta, a raid hits sending everything into disarray. Will they get their happily ever after?
While back in Bristol is Maisie. Still working at the tobacco factory no longer a young frightened girl, Maisie has taken young Carole under her wing. At first, the young girl rubbed Maisie up the wrong way but it wasn't long before Maisie saw something of herself in Carole and when Eddie Bridgeman began hanging around her, and knowing Eddie's penchant for young girls, Maisie took it upon herself to look out for her. Which is just as well since she came acropper with the sleazy colleague who claimed his wife was ill and when Carole went around to deliver some flowers for her, she got more than she bargained for. Especially when it resulted in a pregnancy and thus the birth of a baby daughter she named Paula. In the wake of her experience and societal attitude, Carole understandably is not coping with motherhood very well...which is therefore leading her to make a somewhat drastic decision. And when Maisie finds out, she is livid.
But life in Bristol, and the world over, goes on despite the war. Maisie has continued to write to Sid, the young man she once stepped out with many years ago before he went off to war and is now locked up in a Japanese POW camp. Lyndon is now flying with the RAF leaving Bridget fretting he'll fly over enemy territory. And Mick does what Mick does which ultimately left Phyllis bereft and worrying for his safety. Is it too late for any of them to have their happily ever afters?
Meanwhile, something else awaits one of the three women back in Bristol which has the potential to change their life...but not before a terrible sadness.
I thoroughly enjoyed MARRIAGE AND MAYHEM FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS and would hate for this to be the last in the series though things were tied up satisfactorily enough for it to be the end. Even so, I will miss the girls I have come to know and love over the last couple of years since this wonderful series began. While it is the fifth book of the series, it can be read as a standalone, as each book can suffice as such with enough background information given to keep you up to date and not lost in the slightest. However, I do recommend reading them from the start as you too can watch each of the women grow throughout their trials and turmoils they each face.
I cannot speak highly enough of this series and this book particularly is one of the best of the five books. Thoroughly recommended.
I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #MarriageAndMayhemForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
In MARRIAGE AND MAYHEM FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS, it's May 1944 and the Normandy invasion, known as D-Day, is imminent setting the wheels in motion for the liberation of Europe and the beginning of the end of the war...at long last. But it isn't over yet and many lives will still be lost before victory can be claimed. The effects are felt the world over, and none more so than with the original tobacco girls despite now being scattered over hundreds of miles.
Bridget has moved to London to train as a nurse whilst having secretly married her longtime love, American tobacco plantation heir Lyndon O'Neill. As nursing and marriage are seen as vocations, a woman therefore cannot do both. However, Bridget hopes to keep her marriage secret and her career as a nurse for as long as she can. She maintains contact with her two friends by letter as often as she can sharing a piece of their lives with one another in an otherwise chaotic world. She and Lyndon have a flat in London in which they live when they both have leave but before long, Bridget receives news that her nursing unit is being relocated and all leave has been cancelled. Something big is in the air.
In Malta, Phyllis has found love with Australian reconnaissance photographer, Mick Fairbrother. After believing him to be dead, she was overjoyed to discover he was in fact very much alive and the two go ahead and plan to be married as soon as they can, with a passage back to Britain and their reallocations arranged. After her first rather disastrous marriage, Phyllis knows beyond a doubt that Mick is "the one" and cannot wait to become Mrs Fairbrother and live happily ever after...if they both survive the rest of the war that is. And then on the day of their wedding in sunny Malta, a raid hits sending everything into disarray. Will they get their happily ever after?
While back in Bristol is Maisie. Still working at the tobacco factory no longer a young frightened girl, Maisie has taken young Carole under her wing. At first, the young girl rubbed Maisie up the wrong way but it wasn't long before Maisie saw something of herself in Carole and when Eddie Bridgeman began hanging around her, and knowing Eddie's penchant for young girls, Maisie took it upon herself to look out for her. Which is just as well since she came acropper with the sleazy colleague who claimed his wife was ill and when Carole went around to deliver some flowers for her, she got more than she bargained for. Especially when it resulted in a pregnancy and thus the birth of a baby daughter she named Paula. In the wake of her experience and societal attitude, Carole understandably is not coping with motherhood very well...which is therefore leading her to make a somewhat drastic decision. And when Maisie finds out, she is livid.
But life in Bristol, and the world over, goes on despite the war. Maisie has continued to write to Sid, the young man she once stepped out with many years ago before he went off to war and is now locked up in a Japanese POW camp. Lyndon is now flying with the RAF leaving Bridget fretting he'll fly over enemy territory. And Mick does what Mick does which ultimately left Phyllis bereft and worrying for his safety. Is it too late for any of them to have their happily ever afters?
Meanwhile, something else awaits one of the three women back in Bristol which has the potential to change their life...but not before a terrible sadness.
I thoroughly enjoyed MARRIAGE AND MAYHEM FOR THE TOBACCO GIRLS and would hate for this to be the last in the series though things were tied up satisfactorily enough for it to be the end. Even so, I will miss the girls I have come to know and love over the last couple of years since this wonderful series began. While it is the fifth book of the series, it can be read as a standalone, as each book can suffice as such with enough background information given to keep you up to date and not lost in the slightest. However, I do recommend reading them from the start as you too can watch each of the women grow throughout their trials and turmoils they each face.
I cannot speak highly enough of this series and this book particularly is one of the best of the five books. Thoroughly recommended.
I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #MarriageAndMayhemForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
November 7, 2022
Lizzie Lane brings back her Tobacco Girls for another entertaining, emotional and enjoyable installment of this fantastic series perfect for wartime saga fans.
It’s May 1944 and at long last the allied forces have landed in Normandy and peace has been declared. After years of this horrible war, peace is in sight and the future is no longer bleak, horrible and hopeless. Joy and celebration are in the air, but the end of the war sadly does not mean an end to all the drama, challenges and day to day struggles which the Tobacco Girls must face.
Young mum Carole Thomas has had enough. She wants her old life back and wants to once and for all unshackle herself from the duties and responsibilities of being a single parent – even if it means having baby Paula adopted. Maisie Miles, however, is determined to do whatever it takes to stop her. But will she succeed? Will Carole end up giving her child away? Or will she find it impossible to never see her beautiful baby ever again? Phyllis Mason is looking forward to her wedding day in Malta. She cannot wait to spend the rest of her life with her beloved husband. But will the war’s dangerous legacy end up ruining her big day? Bridget O’Neill has been posted to a hospital receiving the injured from the D-Day Landings. As always, Bridget will give her job her all – providing that her husband Lyndon is not among those injured…
Peace might be within reach for the Tobacco Girls, but will a happy ever after be possible for the three of them? Or will it be cruelly wrenched away from them at the eleventh hour?
It’s always such a treat to curl up with one of Lizzie Lane’s wartime sagas and her Tobacco Girls series just continues to get better and better. Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls is a heartwarming, compelling and exciting tale of love, friendship and sisterhood with a very strong sense of place that saga fans will not be able to resist.
With characters who are so incredibly real they leap off the pages, emotionally satisfying drama and a brilliantly authentic picture of life during wartime, Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girl is another terrific saga by Lizzie Lane.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s May 1944 and at long last the allied forces have landed in Normandy and peace has been declared. After years of this horrible war, peace is in sight and the future is no longer bleak, horrible and hopeless. Joy and celebration are in the air, but the end of the war sadly does not mean an end to all the drama, challenges and day to day struggles which the Tobacco Girls must face.
Young mum Carole Thomas has had enough. She wants her old life back and wants to once and for all unshackle herself from the duties and responsibilities of being a single parent – even if it means having baby Paula adopted. Maisie Miles, however, is determined to do whatever it takes to stop her. But will she succeed? Will Carole end up giving her child away? Or will she find it impossible to never see her beautiful baby ever again? Phyllis Mason is looking forward to her wedding day in Malta. She cannot wait to spend the rest of her life with her beloved husband. But will the war’s dangerous legacy end up ruining her big day? Bridget O’Neill has been posted to a hospital receiving the injured from the D-Day Landings. As always, Bridget will give her job her all – providing that her husband Lyndon is not among those injured…
Peace might be within reach for the Tobacco Girls, but will a happy ever after be possible for the three of them? Or will it be cruelly wrenched away from them at the eleventh hour?
It’s always such a treat to curl up with one of Lizzie Lane’s wartime sagas and her Tobacco Girls series just continues to get better and better. Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls is a heartwarming, compelling and exciting tale of love, friendship and sisterhood with a very strong sense of place that saga fans will not be able to resist.
With characters who are so incredibly real they leap off the pages, emotionally satisfying drama and a brilliantly authentic picture of life during wartime, Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girl is another terrific saga by Lizzie Lane.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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August 4, 2022Here we are back with the girls. I am super excited to have read the brilliant next instalment of The Tobacco Girls. These girls feel like they have become part of my life. I can imagine sitting with Maisie next to her fire, having a good old chat. Maisie is still my absolute favourite Tobacco Girl. She is so loyal, no matter what she will do what it takes for her friends. She is feisty and open and says it just as it is. I love her. All the Girls are so vividly created by Lizzie, they just shine out from every page. The emotions are strong and I felt every emotion alongside them. I laughed, cried, held my breathe and prayed for their men to return safely. They all feel so real to me. I just totally lose myself in this awesome Saga.
Lizzie, I feel I can call her just Lizzie as I have spoken to her on Facebook a few times, (That means we are friends doesn’t it?) have a wonderfully emotive style of writing. She draws you right in and gets right into your heart. She leaves nothing out, descriptions of the scenery and the destruction of war are superbly written. Marriage and Mayhem is a powerful and compelling read that sent me off on an emotional journey that had me fighting for these girls, through the injustice they all experience to the love and joy the find in the small things as well as the huge big things, like Marriage that really does come with a lot of Mayhem. Carole very nearly broke my heart. She has major decisions to make now that she is a mother to the gorgeous Paula. How will Maisie react to her decision? Will she let her go ahead? Will the Tobacco Girls finally get the reunion that they so richly deserve? The 3M’s back together just as they should be? I urge you to get this fabulous book, it really is just epically brilliant. LOVE IT!
If you have read the previous books in this incredible series then you absolutely won’t be let down with Marriage and Mayhem. I loved every single word and finished with a very satisfied sigh. I f you haven’t read any of this series then I’m quite jealous as you are about to be immersed in the wonderful world that is The Tobacco Girls. A MAGIFICENT READ.
Lizzie, I feel I can call her just Lizzie as I have spoken to her on Facebook a few times, (That means we are friends doesn’t it?) have a wonderfully emotive style of writing. She draws you right in and gets right into your heart. She leaves nothing out, descriptions of the scenery and the destruction of war are superbly written. Marriage and Mayhem is a powerful and compelling read that sent me off on an emotional journey that had me fighting for these girls, through the injustice they all experience to the love and joy the find in the small things as well as the huge big things, like Marriage that really does come with a lot of Mayhem. Carole very nearly broke my heart. She has major decisions to make now that she is a mother to the gorgeous Paula. How will Maisie react to her decision? Will she let her go ahead? Will the Tobacco Girls finally get the reunion that they so richly deserve? The 3M’s back together just as they should be? I urge you to get this fabulous book, it really is just epically brilliant. LOVE IT!
If you have read the previous books in this incredible series then you absolutely won’t be let down with Marriage and Mayhem. I loved every single word and finished with a very satisfied sigh. I f you haven’t read any of this series then I’m quite jealous as you are about to be immersed in the wonderful world that is The Tobacco Girls. A MAGIFICENT READ.
July 31, 2022
The key part of this instalment is the backdrop to D-Day and the Normandy landings. The impact of this historic day sends shockwaves through the lives and loves of the Tobacco Girls.
Phyllis finds herself reposted, along with her sweetheart, Mick. Hastily made plans to marry are impacted by Malta’s own scars of war, and it seems that she will have to wait for her happy ever after. In the earlier books, I wasn’t as keen on Phyllis and her poor choices, but I am now hoping that she finds the joy she’s been searching for.
Newlywed Bridget is redeployed to a field hospital to care for the wounded as they are brought back to shore. She finds herself working exhausting shifts to ensure that her patients receive the best of care. It is a real eye-opener to learn of the restrictions that used to be placed on nurses as they dedicated their time to caring for the injured. Forced to conceal her recent marriage, she is evermore determined that she has chosen the right path.
The most shocking part is learning about the illegal adoption trade during the war years. The effects of these paperless transactions will have made it impossible for children to reunite with their birth parents in later years. As D-Day strikes, new mother, Carole is caught in the middle of the scramble to deploy troops, news that brings eventual relief to Maisie.
The level of research that Lizzie Lane includes in her books is impressive and her ability to sway the reader’s perception of a character is remarkable. I am definitely softening to Phyllis and even Eddie may not be completely rotten.
I really hope that the next book brings happiness to Maisie.
Phyllis finds herself reposted, along with her sweetheart, Mick. Hastily made plans to marry are impacted by Malta’s own scars of war, and it seems that she will have to wait for her happy ever after. In the earlier books, I wasn’t as keen on Phyllis and her poor choices, but I am now hoping that she finds the joy she’s been searching for.
Newlywed Bridget is redeployed to a field hospital to care for the wounded as they are brought back to shore. She finds herself working exhausting shifts to ensure that her patients receive the best of care. It is a real eye-opener to learn of the restrictions that used to be placed on nurses as they dedicated their time to caring for the injured. Forced to conceal her recent marriage, she is evermore determined that she has chosen the right path.
The most shocking part is learning about the illegal adoption trade during the war years. The effects of these paperless transactions will have made it impossible for children to reunite with their birth parents in later years. As D-Day strikes, new mother, Carole is caught in the middle of the scramble to deploy troops, news that brings eventual relief to Maisie.
The level of research that Lizzie Lane includes in her books is impressive and her ability to sway the reader’s perception of a character is remarkable. I am definitely softening to Phyllis and even Eddie may not be completely rotten.
I really hope that the next book brings happiness to Maisie.
June 14, 2022
I have enjoyed this series about 3 girls, who began working in the tobacco factory of Wills in Bristol, just before the Second World War. War then arrives and the girls' lives take different routes. We are now well into the War in 1944, and Maisie is the only one still at the factory, although she now lives in her grandmother's house which she shares with unmarried mum Carole and her baby. Carole is struggling and thinking to have Paula adopted.
Phyllis has escaped from her first disastrous marriage and is now with Australian Mick, wanting to marry in Malta where they are both serving.
Bridget has married her rich American and is posted to one of the hospitals receiving the injured from the D-Day landing beaches. She worries all the time if her husband will be joining the wounded.
I did find this story to have a little too much 'happy ever after' elements - for example, Bridget's husband has to be rich, he can't just be an ordinary guy. There are lots of interesting vignettes about life during the War and during those times, such as the social mores around being an unmarried mother, the trade in buying and selling babies for adoption, the seedy side of Bristol and of course poor Sid's experiences in a Japanese POW camp, although we hear less of him in this book. We also learn about the dreaded Doodlebug bombs and their impact on the home front.
A good series, I hope it isn't all tied up too neatly at the end! Thank you to NetGalley and for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Phyllis has escaped from her first disastrous marriage and is now with Australian Mick, wanting to marry in Malta where they are both serving.
Bridget has married her rich American and is posted to one of the hospitals receiving the injured from the D-Day landing beaches. She worries all the time if her husband will be joining the wounded.
I did find this story to have a little too much 'happy ever after' elements - for example, Bridget's husband has to be rich, he can't just be an ordinary guy. There are lots of interesting vignettes about life during the War and during those times, such as the social mores around being an unmarried mother, the trade in buying and selling babies for adoption, the seedy side of Bristol and of course poor Sid's experiences in a Japanese POW camp, although we hear less of him in this book. We also learn about the dreaded Doodlebug bombs and their impact on the home front.
A good series, I hope it isn't all tied up too neatly at the end! Thank you to NetGalley and for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2022
Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls
War is fleeting, but true love last forever...
May 1944
Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, the day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue.
Carole Thomas wants her old life back. She is burdened with the guilt of being a young single mother and considers having baby Paula adopted, but Maisie Miles will do anything to stop her.
Phyllis Mason having found the love of her life is getting married in Malta to Mick Fairbrother, but will the dangerous legacies of war plague her happy day?
Bridget O’Neill finds herself posted to one of the hospitals receiving the injured from the D-Day landing beaches. Her most fervent hope is that her husband, Lyndon, does not become one of them.
Peace is on the horizon, but will their wishes and dreams win through and bring them a happy ever after?
My Review: I came to care for and love the girls in this book and I got quite emotional, when I finished reading it. It is a captivating, page turner and a gripping historical fiction. Beautifully written and describes working in a tobacco factory perfectly. It can be read as a standalone but is the fifth book in The Tobacco Girls series. Thoroughly Recommed! Thank you netgalley and boldwoodbooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
My rating✨✨✨✨ 4/5
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War is fleeting, but true love last forever...
May 1944
Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, the day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue.
Carole Thomas wants her old life back. She is burdened with the guilt of being a young single mother and considers having baby Paula adopted, but Maisie Miles will do anything to stop her.
Phyllis Mason having found the love of her life is getting married in Malta to Mick Fairbrother, but will the dangerous legacies of war plague her happy day?
Bridget O’Neill finds herself posted to one of the hospitals receiving the injured from the D-Day landing beaches. Her most fervent hope is that her husband, Lyndon, does not become one of them.
Peace is on the horizon, but will their wishes and dreams win through and bring them a happy ever after?
My Review: I came to care for and love the girls in this book and I got quite emotional, when I finished reading it. It is a captivating, page turner and a gripping historical fiction. Beautifully written and describes working in a tobacco factory perfectly. It can be read as a standalone but is the fifth book in The Tobacco Girls series. Thoroughly Recommed! Thank you netgalley and boldwoodbooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
My rating✨✨✨✨ 4/5
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August 2, 2022
Wow these girls go through a lot. With the war still on each of them have different jobs in different areas, but even though they're separated they're still the best of friends. Each is going through their own struggle and things are changing fast. They make new friends and marriage is in the air. You get to know their in-depth feelings and see life through their eyes. Makes you hold your breath in some spots. About halfway through it gets nearly impossible to put down. Excellent read. Can't wait till the next one!
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
@rararesources #MarriageandMayhemfortheTobaccoGirls #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #5StarBooks #HistoricalFiction
October 10, 2024
Marriage and mayhem for the Tobacco Girls (book five the Tobacco girls series) by Lizzie Lane (Audiobook Read On Everand app)
It is now 1944. D Day has arrived but while there is more collective hope that has been around for years. The Tobacco girls continue to face their challenges.
Maisie has come to love Carol’s baby and wants to help Carol raise her but Carol has trouble coming to terms with her daughter’s conception and really No woman can blame her.
Phyllis had finally found happiness with her Australian but Will they ever make it to the alter without the war getting in the Way
Bridget now married to her American and enjoying her work as a nurse Will face having a very unaccepting mother in law and Will ensure the loss of her biggest supporter.
Still the girls stay friends and meet each Challenge with courage abd resilience.
It is now 1944. D Day has arrived but while there is more collective hope that has been around for years. The Tobacco girls continue to face their challenges.
Maisie has come to love Carol’s baby and wants to help Carol raise her but Carol has trouble coming to terms with her daughter’s conception and really No woman can blame her.
Phyllis had finally found happiness with her Australian but Will they ever make it to the alter without the war getting in the Way
Bridget now married to her American and enjoying her work as a nurse Will face having a very unaccepting mother in law and Will ensure the loss of her biggest supporter.
Still the girls stay friends and meet each Challenge with courage abd resilience.
July 26, 2022
This was my first visit to the Tobacco Girls, but it won't be my last. Even though it is part of a series, I felt it worked as a stand alone book, and I didn't feel lack of previous knowledge hampered my reading. I found it an enjoyable read, full of interesting characters and well researched descriptions.
Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget all have their own problems as the D Day landings occur. Maisie has single mother Carole living with her, and she is desperate to stop her having baby Paula adopted. Bridget is nursing, totally against the rules as she is married to American airman Lyndon - will he stay safe during the violent bombing raids? Phyllis is blissfully happy with Australian Mick. When he proposes, will their wedding go off without a hitch?
Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget all have their own problems as the D Day landings occur. Maisie has single mother Carole living with her, and she is desperate to stop her having baby Paula adopted. Bridget is nursing, totally against the rules as she is married to American airman Lyndon - will he stay safe during the violent bombing raids? Phyllis is blissfully happy with Australian Mick. When he proposes, will their wedding go off without a hitch?
August 3, 2022
A perfect conclusion to this heartwarming series!
With the end of war approaching, thing should be getting easier but each of our girls still have their worries to bear. Maisie lives in fear lodger Carol finally going through with her threat to have her baby adopted; Phyllis is desperate to marry Mick, but will the war get in the way? For Bridget, nursing is everything she thought it would be but with Lyndon now on active service, she worries night and day and prays for his safe return. The hopes of the country are high as the Allies land in Normandy and the end of the war is in sight but, like thousands of other women, our three still hope for the best and fear the worst.
From the very beginning, this has been a very moreish series. The characterisation is excellent and I quickly began caring for these three young women as they navigated life during wartime. They haven’t had their troubles to seek, that’s for sure. While each of them have chosen a different path, they have never lost their close friendship and their trials and tribulations have added up to a fantastic read. I have loved every book and this one finishes things off nicely. I will miss this series and I highly recommend it to all lovers of a good wartime tale. An easy five stars!
With the end of war approaching, thing should be getting easier but each of our girls still have their worries to bear. Maisie lives in fear lodger Carol finally going through with her threat to have her baby adopted; Phyllis is desperate to marry Mick, but will the war get in the way? For Bridget, nursing is everything she thought it would be but with Lyndon now on active service, she worries night and day and prays for his safe return. The hopes of the country are high as the Allies land in Normandy and the end of the war is in sight but, like thousands of other women, our three still hope for the best and fear the worst.
From the very beginning, this has been a very moreish series. The characterisation is excellent and I quickly began caring for these three young women as they navigated life during wartime. They haven’t had their troubles to seek, that’s for sure. While each of them have chosen a different path, they have never lost their close friendship and their trials and tribulations have added up to a fantastic read. I have loved every book and this one finishes things off nicely. I will miss this series and I highly recommend it to all lovers of a good wartime tale. An easy five stars!
August 10, 2022
It's 1944 and we're back with book 5 of the Tobacco Girls series - Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls. Maisie still has Carole and baby Paula living with her, and discovers Carole does want to have Paula adopted. What can she do? Phyllis is serving in the WAAF in Malta and Bridget is a nurse whilst secretly married to American, Lyndon. Life is difficult for everyone during WWII and we discover family secrets...... Lizzie Lane has taken us along with her relatable characters and drawn us in as though we are the proverbial flies on the wall. I wasn't expecting the ending!! Nor will you
August 2, 2022
Such a bitter sweet ending to this book. My heart broke a little bit. It was lovely to once again to read about the lives of Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis, how they're helping with the war effort and being there for one another as best they can. Maisie in particular is such a kind hearted person and her relationship work Carol is heartwarming. The Tobacco Girls is such a good series, I'll be sad to see it finish.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.
August 9, 2022
Its such a shame that this book is the last, I wanted them to go on for at least 2 more. These book that follow each other should have the number on them just to make sure we are reading the next in the series. The Tobacco Girls were very well written and I couldnt wait to find out what happened next. Sometimes a tear was shed and another time I actually laughed out loud. Not many books have made this happen. Thank you Lizzie Lane for brilliant stories, stories that made you think that you were really living their life.
September 19, 2022
Another epic book by Lizzie Lane truly amazing and such an engrossing book. I could not put it down.
We see the three M’s and their lives and what happens to them. I enjoyed seeing each one what they get up to in the book in their lives. We also have some sadness in the book. We see them making new friendships and the twists in the book were good, but of course there is only the three of them that have a real connection.
Wonderfully written and was interesting to read what happened in Malta.
Would recommend this book.
We see the three M’s and their lives and what happens to them. I enjoyed seeing each one what they get up to in the book in their lives. We also have some sadness in the book. We see them making new friendships and the twists in the book were good, but of course there is only the three of them that have a real connection.
Wonderfully written and was interesting to read what happened in Malta.
Would recommend this book.
October 28, 2022
This was a sweet little book. It portrays the problems of the living during the second world war well without making it too grim. The story centres round Maisie who is living in Bristol and still working at the tobacco factory. It's a gentle book and in one sense not much happens. There are no great dramatic moments even for the other tobacco girls who are in the midst of the war effort. There's a lot of back story which I assume is from the previous books and had I read them I may have found it tedious to read.
May 8, 2023
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was able to find this title through my local library via audio version. I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't know it was part of a series. So I did feel like with this book I missed a lot of the back story with the characters like a lot. Sometimes you can read a book out of sequence and it doesn't seem like a big deal. So what I will do is start from the beginning to get that back story. I did enjoy the story though and recommend it for people who love WWII drama type novels
July 9, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this title in advance of publication.
I have really enjoyed catching up with The Tobacco Girls once again and am sad to have come to end of the series. I will miss Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis. Carole was also a great addition to this series.
I would recommend this series to anyone who likes wartime fiction. It's definitely a series to read from the beginning for best enjoyment.
I have really enjoyed catching up with The Tobacco Girls once again and am sad to have come to end of the series. I will miss Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis. Carole was also a great addition to this series.
I would recommend this series to anyone who likes wartime fiction. It's definitely a series to read from the beginning for best enjoyment.
August 11, 2022
More from the tobacco girls. This book finds the three M’s still scattered round the world but luckily the do get to meet up with each other. All three busy with their own lives but never forgetting their bond they made in the tobacco factory. Each book I read in this series leaves me waiting for more of their story and this book is no different. I absolutely love reading about the three M’s and always look forward to reading the next book. Lizzie leaves us wanting more a five star read
July 28, 2022
I mlove second world war historical fiction and this series is spot on. Number 5 and the last in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone as there is just enough background information. It makes you laugh and cry in equal measure with lots of tension and hold your breath moments. All in all a great read.
August 11, 2022
please tell me that another in the series is coming!
I’ve read the series in order and become very fond of and involved with the “3 Ms.”. This book leaves too much open so there must be another one to come. Following the lives of these 3 young ladies has kept me absorbed and I highly recommend the series.
I’ve read the series in order and become very fond of and involved with the “3 Ms.”. This book leaves too much open so there must be another one to come. Following the lives of these 3 young ladies has kept me absorbed and I highly recommend the series.
August 8, 2022
I have really enjoyed this series and marriage and mayhem did not disappoint. I loved reading about the lives of these three women and how their friendship has grown. I hope the wait isn't to.long for the next book in this series. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2022
Very good book the 5th in a must read series
Have read all the books in the series so far; all believable and true to life characters. Awaiting the next book to find out how everybody's lives turn out; I'm sure will remain true to life so will be a mixture of joy & sorrow.
Have read all the books in the series so far; all believable and true to life characters. Awaiting the next book to find out how everybody's lives turn out; I'm sure will remain true to life so will be a mixture of joy & sorrow.
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