The Home Front Girls by Susanna Bavin, published by Bookouture

The war is raging in Europe. These girls will do everything they can on the home front – but is a happy ever after possible in such dark and uncertain times?

Manchester, 1940: The minute war was declared, best friends Sally and Deborah volunteered for the home guard, willing to do anything to help their boys fighting overseas. An Auxiliary Fire Service girl by night, Sally ends up stationed at the salvage depot by day. Working amidst the scrap metal and waste paper, helping to make do and mend, isn’t quite the glamorous life in uniform she’d imagined! But she’s determined to do her best, and turn saucepans into Spitfires.

When Sally meets Andrew, a quiet carpenter with a heart-breaking smile who understands how important her work is, she finally feels as though her efforts to keep calm and carry on are making a difference. As love blossoms, Sally feels herself opening up to Andrew in a way she’d never imagined possible.

But then, just as Sally feels as hopeful as she can be in these times of war, a devastating air raid threatens everything she holds dear. As bombs rain down all over Manchester, deadly fires begin to destroy homes, and lives. With Andrew out rescuing families from the rubble, Sally rushes towards the plumes of smoke that fill the night sky. And is horrified to realise the very worst hit area has the salvage yard right at its heart.

Desperate to help in any way she can, Sally, with her fellow salvage girls by her side, sets to work. But what will they find when the smoke clears? Will Sally and Andrew get the happy ending they so deserve? Or will her one chance at true love be lost forever as the morning dawns…?

A completely gripping and heart-breaking romantic saga. Perfect for fans of Rosie Clarke, Nancy Revell and Lizzie Lane.

 

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A very enjoyable story with a different angle on life in WW2. We first meet Sally doing her bit for the war effort by working very happily in the local food office by day and fire watching by night.  She is in an awkward relationship with  Rod, the brother of her best friend, but she gradually realises that he is not the one for her,  This leads to  a major falling out with her friend and work-mate, Deborah, which causes repercussions in the workplace. Sally finds herself redeployed to the salvage depot, which initially she finds less satisfying, but a new friendship, a new love interest and a new home give her a different perspective.  This book is a lovely read and introduces characters I hope to meet again.  I missed Sally, Betty and Deborah, not to mention Andrew, once the book came to an end, and I felt I had enjoyably learned more about wartime Britain.

 

Susanna Bavin has written 4 standalone sagas and her new WW2 trilogy, The Home Front Girls, will be published by Bookouture in 2024. She also writes as Polly Heron (The Surplus Girls 1920s saga series) and Maisie Thomas (The Railway Girls WW2 saga series)

Susanna lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her husband and their two rescue cats. She is originally from Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester, where her family has lived for several generations and which provides the setting for her family sagas.

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Website: www.susannabavin.co.uk

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaisieThomasAuthor

 

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