A Safe Haven on Beamer Street

Beamer Street #2

by Sheila Riley

The BRAND NEW, next book in the Beamer Street series set around Liverpool Docks, by bestselling author Sheila Riley. Liverpool 1924

Trapped in an abusive marriage to Lord Caraway with her beloved daughter Melissa, 24-year-old Lady Elodie Caraway knows she has to escape before her deepest and darkest secrets are revealed giving her husband every reason to seek his revenge. But time is of the essence, if she is to save herself and Melissa.

With the help of lifelong friend Aiden Newman, they swiftly leave Oakland Hall for a new life in Liverpool's docklands. On arrival, Elodie and Melissa are welcomed as lodgers by Molly Haywood’s family, Aidens aunt – no questions are asked.

Changing her name, Ellie dreams of following in the footsteps of her ancestors, setting up an apothecary to help heal those less fortunate and soon Ellie’s talents are called upon to help Mary-Jane Everdine bring her unborn child safely into the world.

But is Ellie’s tragic past about to catch up with her? Can she save herself and her young daughter from the cruel hands of Lord Caraway?

The next thrilling instalment in Sheila Riley’s Beamer Street series.

Praise for Sheila

‘A powerful and totally absorbing family saga that is not to be missed. I turned the pages almost faster than I could read.’ Carol Rivers

‘A fabulous story of twists and turns - a totally unputdownable, page turner that had me cheering on the characters. I loved it!’ Rosie Hendry

‘A thoroughly enjoyable, powerful novel’ Lyn Andrews

‘An enchanting, warm and deeply touching story’ Cathy Sharp

‘Vivid, compelling and full of heart. Sheila is a natural-born storyteller.’ Kate Thompson

‘This author knows the Liverpool she writes about; masterly storytelling from a true Mersey Mistress.’ Lizzie Lane

Genres: Historical Fiction

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 9, 2024

About the author

Born and raised on Merseyside, Sheila Riley is the eldest of seven children. Her parents John and Peggy took the scenic route through the many family anecdotes they shared and encouraged their daughter to do the same. At school Sheila quickly discovered her English exam grades could be improved by writing tales in the back of her exercise book, and so began her lifelong love of story-telling. Happily married to Tony, they have three grown-up children, five adorable grandchildren and a huge German Shepherd who is put in his place by a small, ancient cat called Missy.

Child of the Mersey is the first book in a new series that will feature the residents of Empire Street in Liverpool during the Second World War.

Reviews

[Susan (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1916 England and beyond, Lady Elodie Caraway is a heroine to cheer for.

Resilient and courageous, she escapes her marital home and I couldn’t help but hope for a brighter future for her and her daughter. As for the villain, Lord Caraway is as dastardly as they come, demonstrating the writer’s skill at creating memorable and engaging characters.

I also loved the author’s writing style including her description of 1926 Liverpool. There was palpable tension balanced between kindness as Elodie paved a life in her new city.

Worth mentioning, not knowing how people actually spoke back then, the dialogue between characters sounded authentic and I enjoyed the interactions.

I gravitate toward stories about women recreating themselves and combined with the historical aspect, I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my advance copy due to publish on May 9, 2024.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning in 1915, Elodie Kirrin and her mother Deborah are well known in the Lancashire village of Lavender Green as herbal healers, or "wise women", as their mothers before them. Unable to afford doctors, villagers seek them for their remedies for all types of maladies. Even the big man himself, Lord Silas Caraway, has Deborah make up his tincture of laudanum despite the law preventing her from doing so. After all, as a high court judge, Lord Silas IS the law.

After the death of his wife Lady Felicia and baby son, Silas blamed Deborah and her witchy ways for their untimely deaths. But Lady Felicia was ill with childbed fever after delivering a stillborn child.

A year later, it's 1916 and Elodie has reached her sixteenth birthday. Her one true love Aiden Newman now 18 had just received his papers to go and fight for King and country. But this birthday was to be one Elodie would remember for all the wrong reasons. Instead of the lemon cake her mother had planned on baking for her birthday, she arrives home instead to her mother having apparently taken her life, her world crashing down. Lord Silas offers Elodie a lifeline - marry him and want for nothing. All she has to do is bear him the son and heir he so desires. Grieving for her mother and for Aiden now away fighting, Elodie believes she has nothing left...especially when she receives news that Aiden is missing presumed dead. What has she left to live for?

When 1924 comes round, after six long torturous years married to Lord Silas, Lady Elodie Caraway must make her escape. And so she finds herself on Beamer Street in the Liverpool docklands with her six year old daughter Melissa, and a far cry away from the life she knew in Lancashire and the stifling one she had married to Lord Silas. But here in the docklands, Silas would never think to look for her there. Here, at least, she's safe.

Soon she makes friends with residents Molly Hayward and Mary Jane Caradine. Even little Melissa is coming out of herself and loving having a 'big sister' in Molly's youngest daughter Bridie, who has taken Melissa under her wing. Despite being a newcomer, Elodie makes friends amongst the women and opens her own apocethary across the street where she makes up tinctures and treats maladies to the working class who cannot otherwise afford medical treatment. Life is good on Beamer Street. But Elodie is always looking over her shoulder in case Lord Silas should find her and punish her for leaving him, taking his anger out on Melissa more than likely for not being the son and heir he so desires.

It has been a couple of years since the first Beamer Street book, I had been wondering when another was on the horizon and this one was worth the wait. Although it is the second in the series, the story is standalone and can suffice as such but these sagas are always best enjoyed when one reads them all, aren't they?

The characters are all well developed. From the gossipy women of Beamer Street to dastardly Lord Silas, a character we definitely love to hate. The story as it unfolds displays the resilience of those of their time and I just enjoy revisiting the faces of Beamer Street once again.

I can't wait for book 3. Maybe the new family that pitched up at the end has a story to tell in that one. I look forward to the next one in any case.

I would like to thank #SheilaRiley, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ASafeHavenOnBeamerStreet in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Safe Haven on Beamer Street is the second book in Sheila Riley's Beamer Street series.

Elodie, trapped in an unhappy marriage, seems refuse. Aidan comes to get rescue, taking her and her daughter Melissa to his subtle Molly's place in Liverpool, where Elodie plans to open an apothecary, applying skills inherited from her large mother. Can she protect them from her abusive husband?

I found this novel delightful. The characters are vibrant and varied, and the vivid descriptions allow me to imagine the setting clearly. I highly recommend giving it a read.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series by Sheila Riley. This installment is more of a comfort read than many of her books and I was happy for it. Great characters who you cheer for. Beamer Street and its residents come alive and what a delight to join them. Whole series highly recommended.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

1924 Liverpool.
Lady Elodie Caraway and daughter Melissa escapes from Lord Caraway, as dark secrets start to unfold, leaving Oakland Hall to the Liverpool dockland, A safe haven, with a change of names to protect them, what life is in store for this mother and daughter.
Dark, heart breaking, harrowing read from the author as the second book unfolds, so emotional to make your eyes fill up. I loved reading this book getting to know all the characters along the way, looking forward to book three in this fabulous series.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila Riley’s latest Liverpool saga A Safe Haven on Beamer Street is a gritty, emotional and captivating tale set in the 1920s that aims straight for the heart.

Lady Elodie Caraway is trapped in a gilded cage from which there is simply no escape. Her husband is abusive, cruel and ruthless and Elodie yearns to escape from his nefarious clutches. With her deepest and darkest secrets about to be revealed and with her daughter Melissa to safeguard, Elodie knows she has only one choice: to flee the marital home and the man who has caused her nothing but anguish and sorrow. Helped by her old friend Aiden Newman, Elodie escapes to the Liverpool docklands with her daughter where she is taken in by one of his aunts in her lodging house.

Changing her name to Ellie, Elodie is free, for the first time in a long while, to make her own choices and decisions. Having always dreamt of following in her ancestors’ footsteps and setting up an apothecary to help those less fortunate, Ellie relishes the opportunity to pay back some of the kindness the people of Beamer Street have shown her and Melissa. With her expertise called upon, Ellie feels like she might have found somewhere she belongs, but will her happiness prove short-lived when echoes from the past threaten to jeopardise her future in Beamer Street? Can she save herself and her daughter from Lord Caraway’s evil clutches? Or is Ellie destined to pay the harshest price of all because of her husband?

Sheila Riley’s A Safe Haven on Beamer Street is a heart-wrenching, dramatic and captivating saga with a courageous heroine readers will fall in love with and root for. A compelling page-turner about taking charge of one’s destiny, second chances and finding a place to call home, A Safe Haven on Beamer Street by Sheila Riley easily stands shoulder to shoulder alongside the works of luminaries in the saga field like Dilly Court, Lyn Andrews and Rosie Goodwin.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Safe Haven on Beamer Street by Sheila Riley is the second book in this series about a street in Liverpool full of welcoming and forgiving people. Elodie Kirrin was just a girl when her mother died, ostensibly of suicide, which she had trouble believing. She was taken in and later married to the local lord, Lord Silas Caraway, and led a pretty miserable life there with her daughter. When her first love, Aiden, returned after having been reported as dead, things got interesting. When she steamed open the letter from the London doctor, she realized that now Silas would realize that Melissa was not his and both of their lives would be over. Aiden spirited them off to his aunt in Liverpool where they would never be found. Elodie had found a home and a place where she could practice her skills with herbs and live a peaceful life. She was still married so she and Aiden would never be together, but after he moved to Liverpool to help her, at least she saw him every day.

It is a shock to recall that people still believed in witches this late in our history. It is also shocking that the local lord could have this much power. Drugs have always been to the detriment of the person taking them and it’s good to be reminded. Stories in this time period show us a simpler time in many ways, but also a more difficult one, sometimes. It is a good reminder when one is able to read an enthralling book with excellent characters and a good plot, that simpler times were not always simpler, just different. Thanks, Sheila Riley!

I was invited to read A Safe Haven on Beamer Street by Boldwood Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #SheilaRiley #ASafeHavenOnBeamerStreet

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this historical fiction novel, readers explore life in 1924 England when Lady Elodie Caraway and her daughter Melissa are trying to escape her abusive husband and restart their lives (while also trying to uncover the secret of Elodie’s mother’s death back in 1916). Finding refuge on Beamer Street, Elodie and Melissa start over with new lives, a job at an apothecary, and new supportive friends (including Aiden, Elodie’s longtime friend who works as a gardener for her husband). With a chance to start over and new friends, life in Liverpool at Molly Haywood’s boarding house. This new life is wonderful, peaceful, and safe, but Elodie’s husband finding them looms over their heads throughout this novel. Readers should be aware of the presence of IPV and domestic violence in this novel and proceed with caution. The characters in this novel are honest and wonderful, with complex backstories and fully formed personalities from the first page. The relationships between the characters are charming and wonderful, while the setting of Beamer street is busy yet cozy. With its many characters and charming setting, Riley’s latest novel is an excellent piece of historical fiction for fans of women’s historical fiction set in the early twentieth century.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elodie Kirrin loved to help her mother grow herbs and make tonics and poultices for the local villagers. One particular villager Aiden had already captured Elodies heart. On her sixteenth birthday Elodie should have been happy but her mother was found hanging believed to have committed suicide and Aiden was sent off to War. The last straw for Elodie was her home burning to the ground she now had nothing and no one. Believing Aiden to be dead she marries Lord Caraway. All Lord Caraway wants is a son and he makes Elodies life a misery. After having a daughter not a son Lord Caraway ignores the child too. Unable to live like this anymore Elodie decides to runaway with her beloved child to start a new life in the Liverpool dock lands.
This is an emotional story of the ups and downs that arise as Elodie try’s to build a happy new life for herself and her daughter. It’s a great read that I recommend and is book two in a trilogy. I look forward to reading book three

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Beamer Street Series and after loving the first book I was so excited to start this one. And yet again this author has written another wonderful addition to this series. Right from the prologue I just knew I was going to be completely glued to this story until it reached its final conclusion. The characters are all well developed and there are some who we met in the first book, Finding Friends on Beamer Street and we are also introduced to some new characters. The friends and neighbours on Beamer Street are all united in helping each other even those who struggle at times with lack of money and they are always there for one another in times of need. This is another emotional read in the series and I look forward to the third book in the series.

[Jeanette Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elodie found herself in a terrible predicament.  She must flee from her husband and find "A Safe Haven on Beamer Street".  Her safety and the well being of her child was dependent of it.


There was no better place for Elodie than Beamer Street.  The people on the street were more than just neighborly.   They became family.  Well, one neighbor can be a little bit of a pain.  


I read the previous book "Finding Friends on Beamer Street".  I would recommend reading this first as you get to know the characters that appear in this book as well.


I really enjoyed the book.  I was afraid for Elodie. Her husband was pure evil. 

[Emma Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book in the series which is just as good as the first book.

Elodie ends up married to Silas but was not by choice he is a violent man. Aiden is a friend of Elodie and persuades her to escape her husband’s violence with her daughter Melissa. Elodie ends up staying in Beamer Street where she helps the residents in the street with her herbal remedies. Will she still look over her shoulder worried that Silas will come and get her only time will tell.

I did enjoy the book but found bits where it was repeating what was said before.

The characters all worked well together.

Would recommend the book.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elodie had married Lord Caraway and has escaped with her daughter Melissa. With a change of name will they find there safe haven? This emotional read had my eyes brimming with tears as I got to know the friendliest of characters. It's plot is dark and harrowing with twists that keep you invested. I felt heartbreak and joy. It's a pleasure meeting all the characters even the not so nice ones. I loved the era of the story and I am looking forward to reading the third book.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book.
Filled with love and struggle, it's very emotional at times and threatening, but it's well worth a read.
It's a great 2nd book from the series. There are some lovely characters, but those are not so. Lovely community spirit with people who help support each other when times are hard.

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series and I’m loving the series. Thank you to @theboldbookclub for letting me read this book. I love how the characters and the story are developing. This series is well worth a read.

[Linda Helen Dunstan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotionalbut romantic

I really enjoyed this book.The auther introduced the reader to some lovely,salt of the earth people who each had their own story of hardship,drama and undeniable pain but when in trouble nobody was abandoned.

[Carolyn Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series of books, the story lines are totally different from regular historical fiction books I have read and enjoyed the drama, the story is still based on the warmth of the people living in difficult conditions and twist in the story kept me captivated, throughly enjoyed this book

[Christina Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series great storyline enjoyed reading this book couldn’t put it down

[Sue Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Well paced, informative and different - couldn't put it down. Thanks Sheila.
Pre-ordered book 3 already.

[Jillean Ansley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it...

[Jan Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

Another enjoyable book written by this author. You just want to keep turning the pages of the. I was really engrossed in a most enjoyable story it makes you part of it.

[Moreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story and getting to hear more about the people on Beamer street

[Carey Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful novel in an authentic setting.

[Joyce tuffs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching story.

This is the second book in the Beamerr Street series. Telling the story of the women who escaped the hardships they faced and made a new beginning.

[Shirley E. Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I have enjoyed reading this book. It sad and happy in equal measure and also very amusing episodes. I recommend it

[Kathy E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very long drawn out story