Maisie Miles fifteen years old, war is coming that means nothing to her, she is waiting for the postman this is her ticket out of number five York Street the stinking dings Bristol, been offered the position kitchen maid at Priory house Ashton after teacher Miss Smith recommended her she will be glad to get away but her drunken father Frank has other ideas, she is going to work at Wil's the tobacco company.
Bridget Milligan age eighteen lives in Marksbury Road with her over crowded family and no way is she going to be dropping babies like her mother Mary, her irish father Patrick lost a leg during the first great war and is on invalidity pension, she wants better that to get married and have babies.
Phyllis Mason has a good job at the tobacco factory and is engaged to Robert, a dependable chap and lives in the same road as Bridget and are best friends and well as working together, but Phyllis dreams of more that settling down and bettering herself typing in a office, her parent says it a waste as once she is married she doesn't have to work.
All these girls work together as The Tobacco Girls at W.D & H.O Wil's and build up a good friendship and Bristol is buzzing with talks of war.
what a heart warming read this is, I loved every single chapter, beautifully written, it's a book that all saga readers will enjoy, and I could not fault any of this wonderful book.

A lovely story of three young girls who work at the Tobacco factory and become friends.Maisie,Phyllis and Bridget the three M's as they call themselves have different home lives and dream of leaving home but there is the threat of war on the horizon.Lizzie Lane writes lovely books that draw you into the pages.5*

Lovely book, nice characters you are wanting them to have good lives. Based in Bristol during WW2 we have a book with a nice feeling, you can feel the richness of Bristol with the good descriptions of the city you can tell that the Lizzie Lane has a good knowledge and loves her city, I felt immersed. I even know people that have been to Clifton College so that made me smile when that was mentioned in the book! Masie, Bridget &Phyllis lives are all different but entwined with working at Wills. I galloped through the book wanting to know more all the time about their lives and how they would work out, I am pleased to learn I will be able to learn more in the next book.

This is the story of 3 young women from Bristol who are working in a tobacco factory just before the start of the second World War. Maisie is fresh out of school and new to the factory. She makes friends with Phyllis and Bridget, who are both older and have worked at the factory longer. They are all different women, with very different ideas and dreams for the future. With the onset of war though, their futures look as though they may change…

I love a wartime family saga! I’ve read many books in this genre that cover different jobs that women did in the war, but never one in a tobacco factory! The insight into how the factories worked, and how cigarettes were made was fascinating and I loved how much research had obviously been done into this. I really felt for Maisie’s character, with her dreams of leaving home after school being dashed by her abusive and small-time crook father, who wanted her to stay at home and work in the tobacco factory. Little did Maisie know, this wasn’t only for the draw of her wages, but for her to give her father and his criminal friends inside knowledge on the factory itself. I loved Phyllis and Bridget’s characters, both strong women who knew what they wanted to do, but find themselves caught up in a life which isn’t for them. Phyllis is due to be married to a man who she doesn’t love, and Bridget, after seeing so much heartache for her parents, vows never to fall in love.

The story was well paced and captured me from the beginning. The lives of the different characters were well depicted and showed us how difficult life was back then. It was a gripping read, with a realistic storyline which was savage at times. There was also a strong theme of love, family and friendships throughout, with lots of emotion to keep your heart warming and breaking in equal measures! It is the first book of a series and the storyline isn’t tied up as neatly as I expected, but it does leave the book ready for the next part of the series to carry on. Well written, very well researched and will keep you hooked until the last turn of the page! Would recommend.

I totally enjoyed reading about the Tobacco girls and am looking forward to the series.

What captured my attention was the girls knowing their minds and going after what they wanted and taking happiness where they can.

Sadly struggled to get into this book and gave up about a fifth of the way in. I didn't warm to the characters, felt they were all a bit shady and hiding something (there's usually at least one who is simple and has no agenda but I couldn't find anyone).

✍🏻I would like to thank @Netgalley, Boldwoodbooks @bookandtonic and Lizzie Lane @baywriterallatsea for providing me an ARC which I really enjoyed reading.

✍🏻Set in historical time of WWII in Bristol, the story weaves tales of three girls with narrative of their own lives and their friendships.

👱🏻‍♀️Phyllis Mason is engaged to be married,though she is not sure being hesitant thinking her future with her fiancée.

👩🏼‍🦱Bridget Milligan is mature and kind girl as the eldest of seven children of her loving parents and skeptical to marry anyone.

👩🏻‍🦰Maisey Miles has big dreams,but her controlling father won't let her leave home to go in service.

✍🏻The story is about those three British teen girls who happen to work in tobacco factory together and gradually they build a great bond sharing their present and dreams. The life inside factory and outside at their respective homes with their routines, problems and their hopes has been portrayed so well that I wanted to read more from it.

✍🏻Their worries, sorrows, happiness, hopes and emotions are penned with honest style. I could connect with the story right from beginning and was hooked instantly with the intriguing content throughout.

I enjoyed reading this book because it kept me enthralled from the beginning to end. The characters were all different and I liked how the author told the stories of the three women who worked in the tobacco factory. I recommend that this book should be read.

This was a different genre than i usually like but im so glad i had the opportunity to read it. Was amazing. Love the era it is set in. If you are looking for a new genre or something to mix up your reading this author is for you

Love Lizzie Lanes books. Love the family saga. I loved this book even more as my mum worked in the local tobacco factory in Belfast when i was younger. Can t wait for the next installment with the ladies

Maisie's controlling father won't let her leave home to go into service, instead he wants her to work at the tobacco factory. But there is an ulterior motive. Bridget, the eldest of seven children, her parents were loving and kind and Phyllis, engaged to be married to a man who isn't right. They are all brought into each others lives through working at the tobacco factory.

I am a big fan of historical fiction set during this time, so the bar is always high. But this was up there with the best of them. I really enjoyed the story, set before and during World War 2, I was hooked from the start. Strong friendship's and strong family bonds come together in this gritty, emotional and thrilling drama. Lots going off in the 3 girls lives makes it so interesting. Plus a few bonus historical facts about Bristol. I loved it I was left wanting more. I do hope there will be a follow up book.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
First time reading this Author and a nice easy story about life in the cigarette factory's, life was hard for these women and home life wasn't much better, but through being resilient and hope they tried anything for a new life

This story is about 3 British girls, all working in a tobacco processing factory pre-war and early war. Each one of them has an unhappy situation in their life. Each one is trying to resolve their own situation. They become good friends.

We get drawn into each of their lives. I was rooting for them all. The story shows a very different way of life than most of us are accustomed to. Life was very different for young women in the early 1940s. I loved the loyalty that the girls in the factory showed each other.

The storyline is good. It kept me interested. But, I felt let down by the presentation of the story. It felt more like a young adult book.

Somehow, I missed in the description of the book that it is the first book of a series. Because of that, there are a lot of loose ends when the book is over. I do not usually read series for this reason. By the time the next instalment in the series is released I have forgotten many details of what came previously. In some series, each book is a stand-alone. That is not the case in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Sometimes you just feel the need for a good old fashioned story and if that is the case this is your book. Great characters, great characters and makes you appreciate how easy life is now compared to those days.

In 1939 Bristol, three very unique young women with different dreams find themselves working at the tobacco factory in unglamorous jobs but they are paid well. Heartwarming and heartbreaking, this book takes us into the girls' backgrounds and lives at home and outside of home. We discover unimaginable pain and sorrow but also beautiful friendships and precious hope, especially during the time of war.

Maisie, the youngest, is the newest in the group and as such is protected by Phyllis and Bridget who are a few years older and more worldly yet dissimilar. They all do well at their jobs and become fast friends. However, they harbour secrets, nightmarish secrets which sting and cling to them like shadows. Some characters are easy to despise...you can almost sense wickedness coursing through their veins.

What a riveting read! Not an easy read as there is brutal violence but the twists and turns are non stop and very believable. It feels as though it is based on a true story with real grit. For those who enjoy non-cozy Historical Fiction, this is for you. It has some tough bits but it's not Horror.

As it is the first of a new series, there are many loose ends, the way I like it. I don't need everything perfectly tidied up. You will have difficulty putting this book aside. Your emotions will take you on a rickety roller coaster with many ups and downs. By the end you will want more. I really, really care about the outcomes of the girls.

Do be aware there are scenes of violence and adult situations.

My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.