The Tobacco Girls
The start of a wonderful historical saga series from Lizzie Lane
by Lizzie Lane

A well written story set in Bristol on the run up to WW2 following the lives of three young girls working in a local tobacco factory at the onset of war all from very different backgrounds.

A colourful interesting read , a page turner. Very enjoyable start to what promises to be a very good series.

This book is about love, family and friendships
It’s set at the beginning of world war 2
I loved the main characters.
This book is written so well.

This was such a good read that I found it hard to put down at times. A wonderful historical saga based around the friendship of 3 girls who work in a tobacco factory. Each of them have very different home lives which we learn about as we progress through this fabulous read. This is the first book in the series and now I’m straight onto read book 2.

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

First sentence: Slight of stature, dark-haired and dark-eyed, fifteen-year-old Maisie Miles was currently engrossed in a world of her own. Though the newspaper sellers and the wireless shouted warnings of war to come, it meant nothing to her.

Premise/plot: Tobacco Girls is set in England (Bristol to be precise) at the start of World War II (1939). It follows the adventures and misadventures of three young women--factory workers all--Maisie Miles, Phyllis Mason, and Bridget Milligan. Each young woman (the youngest being Maisie) faces her own difficult struggles and challenges.

Phyllis Mason is engaged to a controlling man she doesn't really love--or even like. But he is "a catch," (even with a difficult mother), and her mother is pressuring her to just go with the flow.

Bridget Milligan is from a large Irish family--she's witnessed the cost of that large family--and she's questioning if love makes those hardships worth it.

Maisie Miles has an older brother who looks after her, but, her mother and father, well, life at home is anything but safe. Her father is a vile human being, and, her mother is helpless to protect herself or her daughter. What is her father capable of? What is he not capable of?

My thoughts: The Tobacco Girls is a historical soap opera. I sought this one out because of its world war two setting. I love to read books set during this period. It is very much "women's fiction." For better or worse. I enjoyed the drama--even when it bordered slightly on the melodramatic. I did come to care for all the characters. So much so that I felt like yelling at a few of them when they got into sticky situations.

It isn't clean nor smutty. The situations can be quite gritty--perhaps triggering for those who have lived through some dark stuff--but there's only a handful of scenes that I would consider bordering on adult.

Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane

306 Pages
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Release Date: January 6, 2021

Fiction, General Fiction (Adult), Historical Fiction, Friendship, Bristol England, 1940s

Maisie Miles was 15 when she went to work at the tobacco factory stripping tobacco for cigarette production. She lived with her mother, father and brother is a run-down shack of a house. She wanted to work at a big country house instead, but her father put a stop to that happening.

Bridget Milligan came from a large loving family. After seeing her mother have a miscarriage and her father burning the remains, she told herself she would never fall in love because she never wanted to go through that experience.

Phyllis Mason was engaged to Robert but since the engagement, he was making demands of her. He did not like her wearing makeup, wearing her hair down, or wearing certain clothes. She wanted to go to typing school so that she could work in the office instead of on the floor of the tobacco factory, but Robert had other plans. She is questioning whether she wants to marry him but with war on the horizon, nothing is for certain.

These are the interwoven stories of Maisie, Bridget, and Phyllis and their relationship while working at the tobacco factory. It is written in third person point of view and the characters are well developed. The story is fast paced but ended quickly. The second book, Dark Days for the Tobacco Girls will be released in June 2021. If you enjoy books with strong women characters, you will definitely like this one.

A poignant, sweet and well written historical fiction that kept me hooked and rooting for the characters.
I loved the vivid and well researched historical background, the fleshed out characters and the well written story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved this historical fiction book. The book is more about family, friendships, and how far we will go to protect the ones that we love. We get to see the 3 girls grow up and learn new things about life each and everyday.

I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this book in return for a review.

I enjoyed this tale of Bristol in the runup to WW2 and life and times at the tobacco factory.
The book was well researched for the Bristolian history and easy to read.

I knew little about how tobacco is prepared ready to be made in to cigarettes and to be honest only know now that the leaves are picked off the stems resulting in sore, bleeding and cut fingers.

The story resolves around 3 girls who through meeting at work become friends. Their home lives are very different and the book follows the way that romantic historical fiction often does where there is a domineering boyfriend, a cruel father and an overcrowded home, So in some ways it was predictable - of course there are many more twists and turns for the characters.

I have read other books by Lizzie Lane and have enjoyed them so was slightly disappointed by this one and am unsure I would seek out the next book in the series.
I do agree with another reviewer that the book ended very abruptly - obviously in anticipation of the next book.

All in all a nice read that wasn't too taxing.

Thanks again to all concerned

A riveting tale of friendship, romance, humour and heart, saga fans are going to love Lizzie Lane’s fantastic new novel, The Tobacco Girls.

Maisie Miles has long suspected that her father had hidden motives when he insisted that she get a job at W.D. and H.O. Wills Tobacco Factory, but rather than give voice to her suspicions, Maisie decided to keep her own counsel and to keep her eyes and ears open as she begins her new job. But no sooner has she set foot on the factory floor that she finds herself taken under the wing of Phyllis Mason and Bridget Mulligan and although the three of them couldn’t be more different, a bond is immediately struck and a firm friendship quickly ensues which will stand them in good stead in an ever-changing world where the dark clouds of the Second World War are fast approaching.

Amidst all this uncertainty, it is the girls’ dreams for the future that keep them going. Romantic Phyllis dreams of love and romance and of being swept off her feet. Engaged to be married to her soulmate, Phyllis thinks that a rosy future awaits her. However, little does Phyllis realise that one must be careful what one wishes for because when Cupid’s arrow strikes, the repercussions and consequences do not bear thinking about…

Bridget is the level-headed one of the group. However, beneath her sensitive and practical exterior lies a young woman with her own demons and insecurities – and a fear of something terrifying that she is struggling to come to terms with. Is Bridget going to continue to be held hostage by her own insecurities and anxieties? Or will she finally find the courage to vanquish her demons and forge forward unshackled by the burdens of the past?

With everybody’s lives at the factory on the precipice of change with the advent of war, the Tobacco Girls realise that tomorrow is not guaranteed and that love, support and friendship will see them through even the darkest and grimmest of days.

Rosie Archer and Elaine Everest fans will love Lizzie Lane’s captivating Bristol-set saga. The Tobacco Girls is a tale of courage, survival, resilience and hope amidst despair that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end as they find themselves thoroughly enjoying the trials and tribulations of Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget.

Warm-hearted, uplifting and dramatic, put the kettle on, find a comfy chair and lose yourself in Lizzie Lane’s terrific saga, The Tobacco Girls.

The Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is the first book in the Tobacco Girls series and encompasses so much I love in books – family, friendships and finding where you belong.

Maisie Miles has just finished school and wants out of York Street. Hoping to get a job in the country will be the safest bet of ensuring her future away from an abusive drunk father. But, her father has other ideas and forces Maisie to get a job at W.D&H.O Wills, the tobacco factory. Here she meets good friends Phyllis and Bridget. Bridget comes from a large Irish family, one of seven siblings and does not want the same life as her mother. Phyllis, newly engaged, is still navigating her own issues about life, love and relationships. When Maisie joins their group, the girls take her under their wing as they all navigate their way through life, love and family at the very beginning of the start of WWII.

Lizzie Lane has written multi dimensional characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis all have different personalities, but become fast friends while working at the factory. Although we have only touched the surface of their lives, I can see there will be a lot more in store for them in the continuation of the series. Where the story leaves up it seems they are right on the cusp of new beginnings.

The story is well written. I wouldn’t say it was fast paced, but it has a nice even tone throughout its entirety and I really felt like I got to know the girls well, along with the history prior to the start of WWII. Lane also touches on a lot of issues between the poor working class and people with money. What a bunch of uppity people! There are some trigger warnings such as a miscarriage which doesn’t go in-depth, but it is pretty sad. Also, what I would like to point out is how women were viewed during that time where parents pushed their kids into wanting to be wives and mothers instead of furthering their education or finding better jobs. The author does a great job at showcasing the harsh realities of women during the era.

I am definitely looking forward to continuing this saga and finding out what comes next for Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis.

I really enjoyed this book about 3 girls working in a tobacco factory who form a firm friendship. This is the first book that I’ve read by Lizzie Lane but It won’t be the last.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I will be putting this review on Amazon too.

A story of three girls (Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis) who work in the Tobacco factory. Three very different personalities but they form a firm friendship and each have their own worries and thoughts on the future.

The first book in a series and I look forward to reading more about the girls and seeing how their characters develop.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

When Maisie Miles finishes school, she knows more than anything that she needs to get away from York Street and her abusive father. However her father has other plans for Maisie, and instead forces her into a job at the W.D&H.O Tobacco Factory. As Maisie reluctantly accepts her fate, she soon meets Phyllis and Bridget, two of her fellow workmates in the factory. Phyllis is newly engaged and is still trying to navigate her way through the many lessons that life has to offer. Bridget comes from a large Irish family, and is one of seven siblings, and she knows that she wants more than the life her own mother lives. When Maisie starts at the factory, Bridget and Phyllis take her under they wings as they all try and navigate their way through love, life, and the many complications of family life. All of this taking place as WWII is beginning.

I truly loved this book right from the start. Lizzie has such a beautiful writing style that the story grasps your attention immediately and holds it firm until the very end. The characters are all so wonderfully unique, each with their own complex backgrounds which makes them all so likeable and endearing to the reader. I loved following the growing friendship of Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis throughout the story, and the ways in which they all pulled together and supported each other through some troubling times was incredibly heart warming.

The story is written beautifully and is perfectly paced to keep the readers interest. As the story progresses you truly feel as though you form a connection with the three girls, and a fascinating insight into life prior to the war. Lizzie also highlights some of the many issues that arise between those that have money, and those that are in the poorer working class. The way in which the author also portrays the harsh realities that most girls faced those days, being forced into marrying and starting families rather than furthering their own education, was heartbraking.

Beautifully written, unique characters and a truly fascinating storyline. I loved everything about this book!.

Tobacco Girls,1939,you find three girls from different backgrounds working at the Tobacco Company. Lizzie Lane did so much research on this historical story about not only the time of year but what the Tobacco factory was all about,the working conditions and made these three girls become real people with real feelings that jumps out at you as you read. You will know all the characters and think on this book after you are done. Must have been so hard not to only work at this company but to be treated the way women were in 1939 ,right before WWII. Follow these Tobacco Girls and their lives and see what happens to all three,you really won't be disappointed. Received from Net Gallery don't pass up this story of life loves and history!

I love a good historical novel set in this era, and this is one of the best. The characters are so real, and you really care about what happens to them.

The three girls all come from slightly different backgrounds and family circumstances, but they become such great friends, and they all face their own issues and difficulties. In a time when everything is changing, they are still constrained by their gender, and the lack of choices and freedoms that they have.

The setting of Bristol is an added dimension, I loved the historical facts that Bridget imparted. Next time I visit Bristol, I’ll see it with new eyes!

A gritty, emotional and real storyline, this book is totally captivating and enjoyable, with heartbreak and sorrow, joy and laughter. The bonds of friendship and family are so important in this book. I found myself savouring this book, not wanting to reach the end too soon. I really can’t wait for the next instalment in what should prove to be a great series.

The Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is a historical saga that warms the heart as soon aa you pick it up. Set in Bristol and starting in 1939 as Maisie Miles leaves school, a young woman with her own plans for gaining a better life, that is until her father decided she will be working in the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory. Maisie is certain he has his own agenda for this but gets her head down and gets on with it.
Bridget Milligan is an eighteen year old girl with absolutely no intention of following in her mothers footsteps and filling a house with babies until it is overcrowded. Then we meet Phyllis, engaged to Robert, who is dependable and solid. She has a dream of working in an office as a typist but her parents are of the mind that anything other than her job in the tobacco factory is a waste as she won't be working when she is married.
These three girls all find friendship and camarderie together in the tobacco factory. We see their tragedies and joys before the War and as the war begins.
A great historical saga that sends you right back to the era when women only worked until they married and they were at the beck and call of men. I revelled in the era and the characters. Strong friendships and family bonds all merge as one in this emotional and gritty story of times gone by with characters that almost step out of the page they are so fully fleshed out.
In conclusion a brilliant saga of days gone by that is well written and holds you all the way. I am looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Lizzie Lane and NetGalley for the copy of the book for my review today.

Oh how I loved this book, got withdrawal symptoms at the end, only relieved when I saw there was to be a follow up.
Maisie, Phylis and Bridget quickly meet up and become a team . I came to dislike that Robert early on but I have to say big Aggie’s antics made me laugh out loud. Would thoroughly recommend and look forward to more.

I read this book as part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources. Special thanks to Boldwood Books for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. 2 stars

I love historical fiction and I especially love books set in the WWII era. The Tobacco Girls has a unique premise as it's a setting that I (personally) rarely read in historical fiction and it sounded like it would be a heartwarming story about strong friendships, self-discovery and family in the wartime era. While the premise was quite promising, the execution was sadly sorely lacking. That said, my opinion seems to fall in the minority so perhaps, in the end, this book just wasn't for me!

This is a character-driven story with little to no plot to guide us through the pages. I usually quite enjoy them, however, the characters were all one-dimensional and fell completely flat. The author relies on a lot of telling instead of showing and this not only made it hard to feel connected to the characters but it also resulted in no development. It's a pity because the story started off on a good note and as we were introduced to the three girls I was sure that we'd get a lovely story of friendship and family. It was frustrating as we never really get to know these girls and the closeness of their bond is never shown on the page. The author says they're close and they know each other well, but it really doesn't come across because outside of spending time together in the factory and occasionally walking the shops, going to the pictures or having a drink at the pub, the girls don't spend any time having any real conversations. Despite having scenes together, the girls remain in their own worlds/heads revolving around their home issues, with minor interactions with the others.

I found myself getting increasingly irritated with most of the characters, including the side characters, all of whom were really quite unlikable. Most of the side characters, especially from Maisie's side of the story, were entirely despicable and disgusting people. Even her brother Alf, who supposedly cares for her and wants her to be "safe", abandons her at home with their meek mother and twisted and abusive father. Those may have been different times back then but... you don't just do that to someone you love, even if she is capable of protecting herself for the most part.

There were also some reactions that the characters had that were to me unrealistic or highly unbelievable. I obviously can't go into deeper details because that leads into spoiler territory but as one example, something incredibly harrowing happens to one of the characters and one minute she's literally fighting for her safety and in the next, she acts as if nothing happened and even gets angry at her aggressor for trying to leave?

The one aspect where this book really excels is in the history itself. You can tell that the author has a deep love for Bristol because you can feel it in her writing and inclusion of the city's vast history. It was really fascinating to read about the literary influences and historical origins based on the city, and I did like how she brought out that passion through Bridget's character in the story. If all the characters had been written with as much passion and life as Bridget was when it came to her love for the city's history, I think I would've really enjoyed this book.

My review will be shared on my blog when the blog tour ends.

I adored the friendships between Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget. They all individually have their own vulnerabilities but I loved seeing the strength they found within themselves as the story developed. I kept swapping between which character was my favourite, however I think little Maisie will always hold a special place as she went on the biggest journey. Even the more minor characters were written in such an effective way that I was rooting for them all.

The impending start of World War 2 provided the ultimate backdrop for the book and the suddenness of the men having to stop work at the tobacco factory and go off to war was so real and authentic that it made the characters even more personable.

I loved every single part of this book. There were heartbreaking moments interspersed with happier times and it is not a book I am going to easily forget – it is one I am going to recommend to everyone I know that has connections to Bristol, and it is certainly one I would recommend to read if you like historical fiction, with well thought out characters who very much feel like friends. I’m so pleased that this is the first book in a series and I can’t wait to read the rest of them when they are published!