This is part of a series

The pace of this book is slow but it did still keep my interest.
The story kept me engaged
Looking forward to reading more in the series

I want to go back and read the first book in the series. I think knowing more about the backstory to the characters would be helpful.
With that said, I loved this book. Especially liked the characters.
The historical aspect was well researched.
I highly recommend reading this series.

What an absolute pleasure to return to the world of Irene, Maggie and Annie in The Secrets of the Bobby Girls by Johanna Bell. I loved the first book, The Bobby Girls, as to me it was fresh, exciting and innovative in many ways. One being that I had never heard of the WPS, Women’s Police Service, before. The WPS was set up to protect women and children in general in the war years or women and prostitutes who get into trouble with soldiers on leave. The girls were not welcomed initially by male police officers as they believed the women were not capable of carrying out their roles. But the trio soon proved their worth and became an essential part of the London borough where they patrol the streets. Johanna Bell has brought something new to the wartime saga books which I love to read and highlighted the crucial role women played. In a way they were another string to the suffragette movement and without the dedication of these incredible women would we be in the place we are today as women in society.

The three girls come from vastly different backgrounds but they have formed a strong bond and at this stage they are more like sisters than workmates and friends. I thought this new story would continue to follow the girls as they go about their work in the Boundary Estate but it soon became apparent that Irene was to be the main focus of this book and she would be pushed outside her comfort zone because of her grit and steely courage to do the right thing for women in need. Irene has been hiding numerous secrets from her friends, some the reader is already privy to but you get the sense there is a lot more that she is hiding. She still feels that her fledging relationship with police officer Frank is too good to be true. She believes she is not good enough for him and if he finds out the truth he would dump her in a flash.

But fate has a way of taking over and Irene is left heartbroken and not for the reasons she thought she would be. This gave her even more of a reason to leave and apply for a new job in Grantham where until now the WPS had not been acting in the best interests of the prostitutes there and when she hears this new job will be a paying one it gives her all the more reason to apply. Soon she is accepted and she leaves behind her friends. I thought it was a bold and brave move for Irene to make given she had well established herself working as part of a trio. But deep down she knew she had more to offer and wanted to help as many people as she could. The camp at Grantham is packed full of soldiers and they are not behaving themselves and nor are the woman in the town either.

It would be so easy to judge both the women and men for their actions in seeking out pleasure and in the women's case the need for money to keep their families going during the tough war years and yes I did judge them for some parts of the book. Yet Johanna Bell writes such a convincing story and puts forward such a positive and solid argument that my opinions changed and I felt more empathy for their situations. I also came to really appreciate the work of the WPS, they were a unit ahead of their time and they battled through so many struggles and obstacles to make their cause a worthy and successful one.

No doubt about it, Grantham is a new challenge for Irene. When she meets her new work colleagues and assesses the lie of the land in the town she wonders has she bitten off more than she can chew. Helen Miller is their unofficial leader and the women of the town and their families flock to her for advice. Helen was like the mammy figure with a soft side but for the most part she was all business and worked herself to the bone. Ruby and Mary are her other co-workers. Ruby is quiet and unassuming and was such a frustrating character for the majority of the book. Time and time again she saw Mary being so mean to Irene and she never said a word and turned a blind eye. She was weak and subservient in a way and if she couldn’t stand up to Mary, how was she going to work the streets of Grantham and stop what was going on? Surely they should have all being working together and not have their own individual causes like Irene, Annie and Maggie had done in London.

Irene is someone who always pushes forward and places herself outside of her comfort zone and there were times I wondered how she bit her tongue when Mary was just being downright rude and horrible. Mary was the mean girl, the nasty character that no one could warm to at all. She had the biggest chip on her shoulder and took such satisfaction from patrolling the streets trying to catch women out so they could be thrown in jail. It was like she was trying to boost up her numbers of women caught as if she was in a competition to win a trophy and lots of glory. Mary was distinctly unlikeable and didn’t endear herself to anyone. She showed such prejudice which really highlighted what many women at the time were up against. She was spiteful, vindictive and the most cruel of people and even though the reasons for this become apparent by the end I still didn’t like her. As the saying goes, can a leopard ever change their spots? Irene wants to help Mary to see the women and prostitutes in a fairer light but I think she had a very tough challenge on her hands.

Although Irene’s quest to better the lives of the women of Grantham, and to do so in as peaceful way as possible, forms a very strong storyline throughout the book I enjoyed how a more personal side to Irene began to emerge. We get more clues and insights into her past which helps the reader understand what really motivates her. That’s not to say she is all strong and life is plain sailing for her. I thought when it came to the romance side and her falling for Charles Murphy, who is a rich and important businessman in the town, she showed vulnerability and that perhaps her thinking process and judgement weren’t always straight forward rather they were slightly clouded. I could see what she was falling into as there were plenty of little hints dropped here and there as to the true nature of the avenue she was venturing down on the romantic front. Even the arrival of Annie and Maggie for a visit couldn’t deter her from what she had her heart and mind set on. Even the reader could see she was very much treading a very dangerous path. I was extremely worried as to what would happen to her and kept turning the pages with baited breath eager to see how things would pan out.

I thought it was great that the focus for this book was a different girl as in we certainly get to know a lot more about Irene and even more so that the storyline moved away from London to a different setting to show another side to the work of the WPS. It was brave of the author to think outside the box a bit and keep the story fresh. It would have been so easy to keep the exact same setting and just literally have a direct continuation of book one and just have had similar storylines. Instead she is pushing the boundaries with her writing, providing new, interesting and challenging experiences for her characters.

The Bobby Girls Secrets was a brilliant read and confirmed that Johanna Bell is an author to watch as I can sense this series will go from strength to strength with each book published. Quite often, second and subsequent books in a series can’t match the success of the first in terms of readability and storylines but here Johanna has certainly succeeded in doing that. My only problem is that I left it too long to read considering how much I had enjoyed book one. But on reflection I now have the luxury of diving straight into the next in the series Christmas with the Bobby Girls.

Having thoroughly enjoyed "The Bobby Girls" , the first in this exciting new series, I was excited to read the second book THE BOBBY GIRLS' SECRETS by Johanna Bell. The series features three women who volunteered for WPS (Women Police Service) at the beginning of the Great War to aid the actual police in keeping an eye on women and dealing with them appropriately so they didn't have to. They were not looked upon favourably by their male counterparts, who thought they would only be adding to their work should they require their assistance at any time. They had no powers of arrest and they were unpaid for their service. Many women had to work in factories to subsidise their lives financially whilst working their shifts with the WPS.

As the first book focused on Maggie and her story, this second one was followed Irene, who was not my favourite out of the three girls in the first place. But I was eager to find out more about her and what her backstory was.

1915: The war is still raging while best friends Maggie, Irene and Annie still patrol their beat in Bethnal Green in London's East End. But when Irene's relationship with PC Frank Bird takes an unexpected turn, leaving her shattered and broken hearted, Irene decides she cannot stay to watch the outcome. Upon hearing about the WPS and their plights with the local women and the recent influx of soldiers in Grantham in Lincolnshire, Irene decides to apply for a position there knowing that she could really do some good for the women of Grantham, given her own history. Added to that, the Grantham position is a paid one so there was no need to subsidise her finances with factory work. Maggie and Annie are saddened that she is leaving them but promises to return just as soon her work is done.

When Irene arrives in Grantham she is greeted by Helen, a fellow WPS colleague, who is a lot older than she and the other girls...but a far wiser and experienced one. Irene is excited to meet her other colleagues, Ruby and Mary, but is shocked to find that Mary takes an instant dislike to her. Ruby, on the other hand, is quiet and seems happy to let Mary bully the women instead of stepping in, which is at odds with Irene who would rather help the women rather than have them arrested.

Then on the beat with Ruby one day Irene meets charismatic Charles Murphy, one of the richest men in Grantham running his own very successful business. Irene cannot believe someone of his stature would even look twice at someone like her, poor and penniless with only a couple of tatty dresses to her name. Aware of infatuation, Helen warns Irene about Charles without going into detail but Irene believes Helen just doesn't understand or know him like she does. But even when Charles makes a cruel remark and then rebounds with a compliment, Irene does not heed the red flags...or Helen's warning. But comment after comment, his obvious distaste at her tatty clothing, his views of the WPS, even when he steps in and takes over when she has a situation under control...she does not heed the warning signs.

By this time I was ready to toss the book as I was hoarse from screaming at Irene to wake up to herself. I was increasingly frustrated that she could be so stupidly naive and be taken in by someone and let him alienate her from her colleagues and even her best friends. Soon, all Irene had was Charles...which is exactly the way he wanted it. And by the time she did see him for who he really was, it was too late. She was trapped. Silly silly girl.

I found Irene's role in the WPS and helping the women, which is why she took the Grantham position in the first place, played a backseat to the blossoming romance between her and Charles. I was more interested in her job with WPS, her patrols, her friendships with her colleagues and those with her best friends Maggie and Annie back in London...than some fly by night romance with a controlling man like Charles. I felt this aspect spoilt the story and I found I didn't enjoy it near so much as the previous one because of it. It overtook every aspect of Irene's life and her story...and left me wondering if we could see through him, how could she not?

There were other aspects of the story that floated around in the background - such as the challenges they faced with the local women and the soldiers at the nearby army camp, prostitution and imposed curfews to help deal with the problem. There is also the attitudes to women police as opposed to the "real" police, being men. But there are also issues surrounding the soldiers who have been deemed "deserters" by fleeing their regiment and therefore their duty to serve their country and the consequences of war on both men and women alike. These are things that are of interest to the story along with the heartache that comes with that era.

Despite much of the story frustrating me endlessly, it does improve towards the end giving readers a hopeful conclusion. As Irene was not my favourite character in the first book anyway, her personality is probably one that just irritated me in this book. Needless to say, THE BOBBY GIRLS' SECRETS did have a relaxed easy pace to enjoy the story as it flowed, despite some of it frustrating me.

It was interesting to read the author's notes at the end, as well as the photos included, which gave a sense of reality to the subplot within THE BOBBY GIRLS' SECRETS.

I look forward to the next book in the series "Christmas with The Bobby Girls" and what I am guessing will then be Annie's story. She has a fiance fighting away so no doubt that aspect will feature somewhere there.

I would like to thank #JohannaBell, #NetGalley and #HodderAndStoughton for an ARC of #TheBobbyGirlsSecrets in exchange for an honest review.

The story was slow in places with very little happening.
Saying that the ending felt very rushed.
Overall this was disappointing when compared with the first book in the series.

I really enjoyed The Bobby Girls so was looking forward to the follow up and it certainly didn’t disappoint. A lovely read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review.

A great follow up to The Bobby Girls, and a very entertaining and insightful read. I enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to more about these characters!

I would like to thank Hodder and Stoughton for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley.
The Bobby Girls Secrets is the second in the Bobby Girls secrets and I absolutely loved the first one so was excited to find out what happens next.
Irene, Maggie and Annie are proud to be part of the Women's Police Service and the help that the differences they are making. However, Irene wants to make a difference elsewhere and with something that is close to her heart. She has had her hear broken so is ready to move on and have a new adventure, sad to leave her friends behind but excited for whats to come she set off but things do not go exactly as she thought they would.
Johanna Bell has captured the era well, showing the research that she must of done and her brilliant writing style. The start had me on tenter hooks and so I was drawn into the story and wanted to keep the pages turning. The plot is so interesting and I love the idea for this WW1 so much, I normally read books based in WW2 but I love it when I find a really good on based in the era of WW1.
A perfect historical read, highlighting the strength women have.

Second book in this series,characters come alive.This is full of drama ,sadness A book a story that kept me turning the pages.EWill be recommending and following this series.#netgalley#the bobbygirlsecrets

I throughly enjoyed book one The Bobby Girls and was looking forward to reading this book and I wasn’t disappointed. Book one told the story of Irene, Maggie and Annie’s adventures as they joined the WPS patrolling around Bethnal Green. This book sees Irene leaving London and her friends to move to Grantham. Irene is a very private person and she struggles to let people in and to let them know about her hard family life growing up. At first Irene thinks everything is going well after her transfer and her finding a friend in Charles Murphy. Unfortunately things aren’t as bright as Irene first thinks. This book sees Irene struggle with a lot of difficult situations and problems to deal with. I won’t go into details and spoil it for other readers but I will say read this book you won’t be disappointed. A well deserved 5* read and I look forward to reading book three when it comes out.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series telling of Maggie, Annie & Irene who were among the first recruits in the Womens' Police Service. It is 1915 & Irene asks for a transfer to Grantham after having her heart broken.

In Grantham she faces many of the challenges of keeping women safe. There is a large Army base nearby & needless to say there are a lot of young girls ready to have their heads turned! As well as having to cope with a fellow officer who is very hard on 'loose women' she is swept off her feet by a local business man. She has prided herself on being an independent woman, but Charles seems to want her to be the 'little woman' at home!

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first in the series. The relationship between the three women was at the heart of that & just focusing on Irene left me a bit cold- especially as a lot of the time I wanted to shake some sense into her! I kept waiting to find out why Charles was so intent on marrying her!

This is a well researched & well written story. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book.

Netgalley copy for a honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 1st book, 'The Bobby Girls', I just had to read this one, and, I'm so glad I did, this book follows Irene's ups and downs as she moves to Grantham to fulfill her dreams of helping more women of the 'night'. Some very endearing characters who you come to love.
Happy there are another two books in this wonderful series by Johannah Bell, who, is a new author to me.
Fully recommend you read the first two.

A second exciting visit to the lives of three young women who were amongst the first to serve in the Women's Police Service.

Carrying on from the first book, our three female police officers are now happily living together in their flat whilst two of them continue with extra work to make ends meet. When Irene hears of the opportunity of a paid position with the WPS she decides to pursue it as it will put some distance from her and her recent beau. So she heads off to Grantham where they need all the help they can get due to a recent influx of soldiers and all the issues they bring with them . . .

This is an excellent stand-alone read but I am happy that I read the previous novel as I felt it enhanced my pleasure in the story. It's perfectly clear that the author has done some sterling research both in the social issues of the time and the formative years of the WPS. An exciting story into the world these women entered into and showing that they came from all walks of life to serve their country in this way. A very appealing and enjoyable tale, packed full with details - some which I never considered before. Full of insights into the wartime period on the home front, I have relished everything about this one, including how well-written and memorable this easily flowing story is. Highly recommended to all lovers of wartime domestic sagas and well worth all five glittering stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I liked this book. A great storyline and well thought characters make this book engrossing and entertaining.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, the plot kept me hooked and the characters are fleshed out a likeable.
Can't wait to read the next instalment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Bobby Girls #2

Set in 1915. This book focuses more on Irene's story. Henthree girls are still patrolling their beat in Bethnal Green, but certain events that take place makes Irene pit in for a transfer to Grantham. Annie and Maggie are sorry to see her go, but understand the reasons why she feels the need for a change. Unfortunately, things don't turn out the way Irene expected. Grantham has huge Army Barracks and it's up,to Irene and her new colleagues, Helen, Ruby and Mary to keep the prostitutes away from the soldiers.

I do ot want to say to much about this story as I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. The pace of this book is slower tha that of The Bobby Girls. Some men still don't take the work the WPS did seriously. There is a lot going on in Irene's new job and the hours she worked were much longer. Imdid find it a it strange that she broke her he bond she had with Annie and Maggie butni did understand the reasons why. I enjoyed this installment into Irene's background and her development. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in this series. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author Johanna Bell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another lovely story about the trials and tribulations of the first policewomen. A story that keeps you interested and reading right through to the end. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Good old fashioned, good storyline and great characters read. Thoroughly enjoyed it

Another excellent story by Johanna Bell. It was lovely to revisit the Bobby Girls again and this story matched up to the first book in the series. Very entertaining!

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of The Bobby girls’ secrets which is the second book in the series.
It’s 1915 and the war is still raging on. Best Friends Irene, Maggie and Annie are still members of the Women’s Police service and they are proud of what they do. Doing their bit in London’s East end. When Irene’s relationship with Frank takes an unexpected turn. Irene decides that she can’t stay in the East End watching Frank get on with his life. She decides to ask for a transfer. She ends up in the Grantham, Lincolnshire next to the Army barracks, to start a new life and new adventure
But when she arrives the girls that she will be working with are not friendly as her friends Maggie and Annie and one of the girls Mary take an instant dislike to her. She worried about back up when she is out on patrol as Grantham is full of soldiers and prostitutes. But she carries on regardless and helps people anyway she can.
This is another great episode in this series about the Women’s Police service. How women are doing their bit for the war even though some men didn’t take them seriously, as it was a male dominated world and the women were still second class in the eyes of men. I again liked the characters and the storyline, and I couldn’t put this down but, was a bit annoyed about the character Irene she was so naive when it came to Charles even though she was warned about him. I was nearly shouting at my Kindle wake up. A bit slower from the first book, but still a very good read.

I read the first two books back to back and whilst the second was informative about what the girls were working for I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. It felt more predictable as to what would happen and there wasn't as much suspense as in the first book. It would also have been good to have had switched more between Grantham and London as it feels like we just forgot about the girls in London; their new colleague was simply found living in the flat and we know nothing about when or where she came from. I am glad it ended on a happier note as sadly there was little happiness in the book for Irene.