When I read "The Daughters of Ironbridge" I was immediately drawn into the story of Anny and Margaret that upon finishing it, I delved straight into "The Secrets of Ironbridge" immediately. If I thought the first one brilliant then it's sequel was phenomenal! The only disappointing factor being I had to wait a further seven months or so for the release of the final book completing the trilogy THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE. Over a year later, I finally got around to reading it...and despite the length of time between now and when I read the last book in September 2020, it was like I had never left. Once again I was swept away in the beauty and magic of the tale, because that is essentially what it entailed. And this final story completes the trilogy, bringing each of the stories that have taken place across all three of the books together and completing them. And what a perfect ending it was, although I was sad to leave Ironbridge and all the much-loved characters behind.

While the trilogy began in 1830, the year is now 1875 and many of those who have gone before have come and gone, leaving remnants in their place. After the fire of the King's residence, Southover, some seventeen years prior which claimed the lives of Margaret Ashford (nee King) and Owen Malone, the remains of the once grand house have merely served as a reminder to all of the tragedy which had befalled the two families across that great divide of class.

Anny Malone (nee Woodvine) had once been an idealistic young girl who befriended the rich young heiress Margaret King when they were children, but circumstances came between the two when they both fell in love with the same young man, Jake Ashford. Betrayed, Anny was sent to prison and Margaret eloped with Jake returning only after the death of her father, her marriage long since broken and with a daughter Beatrice in tow. As a young woman, Beatrice fell in love with young Owen Malone who was Margaret's former friend Anny's son. Anny had not forgiven Margaret for her betrayal and forbid Owen to have anything to do with the Kings, including Beatrice. But neither would listen to their mothers who wanted neither of them to have anything to do with the other. But fate had other plans, as did Beatrice and Owen, but on a night when the brickworkers decided to take a stand against the Kings and their rule fate stepped in and tragedy struck when Southover was set fire to and Owen braved the flames to save his love and ended up claiming his life. Since then, Anny has blamed the Kings for the death of her son despite her old friend Margaret also perishing in the fire.

Now the year is 1875 and the curse which has befallen the Kings rears its head once again as matriarch Queenie, now ninety six, sees the vision of maid Betsy Blaize once again declaring that "the child is the answer" who will "bring the two houses together". Having outlived her children and grandchildren, Queenie has but one great granchild left, Beatrice Ashford, who now lives in America and wants nothing to do with the King estate having claimed the lives of her mother and the love of her life. So when she dies, Queenie's wealth (the King wealth) will pass to her daughter in law Benjamina King who currently runs the business. The two women share no love loss between them and Benjamina quietly counts the days until the old woman pops her clogs and she inherits all, as she believes is her right. But she has miscalculated her wise old mother in law as Queenie has other plans for her fortune.

When Martha Jones quietly passed in 1861 leaving her three year old daughter Hettie all but an orphan, Anny Malone took her best friend's daughter in and raised her as her own amongst her own brood of children. No one knew where Martha had come from when her childless Quaker parents adopted her, her past a mystery to all but one. And when she passed, that person remained in the background of young Hettie's life until the time was right.

Hettie Jones had grown up in a pit family and though they were poor they wanted for nothing. The Malones were not her family by blood but they were her family in every sense of the word. Since her mother died when she was three years old, Hettie assumed her father who had been transported to Australia almost two decades ago for being responsible for the fire at Southover had died out in the colonies. So when there was a knock one evening at the Malone's door, no one was more surprised to find Adam Jones standing there than Hettie. From that moment on, she intended to keep the silent promise she had made to her mother to look after her father should he ever return. But Adam Jones wasn't the same man as he once was. He was now a broken man and a drunkard. Anny's second son Evan had grown up alongside Hettie and the two were inseparable as two friends could be. And upon Adam's return, Evan was loath to see how his behaviour was affecting his beloved Hettie. For Evan harboured a secret love for the girl he had grown up with and hoped to one day make her his bride. But no matter what Evan said, Hettie would not abandon her father nor the promise she made her mother.

But life was about to change for both Hettie and Evan in a way that neither of them, nor Anny, could imagine. And when Queenie's beloved lady's maid suddenly died, leaving her bereft, the matriarch knew then it was time to put her plan into action; to make things right once and for all. She offered Hettie, a pit bank girl, the position of lady's maid which Hettie gratefully accepted not knowing the great wheels she would thus be setting in motion. For Hettie's advancement places her in a whole new league which estranges her from her peers who now see her as above them and thus leads to unforeseen circumstances, adding intrigue and other complications to the storyline.

As the final installment of the trilogy, THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE deserves a more than satisfactory end. It deserves to go out with a bang, complete with surprise and satisfaction. And it did not disappoint. It was a bittersweet experience as I knew it was coming to a close and that I would miss all the characters of whom I have become so fond. I have loved each of the stories in this wonderful trilogy and this one just brings the entire saga full circle with a culmative conclusion that is fully deserved.

Those who have followed the series from the beginning will know that each book has not been complete without the matriarch Queenie King doing what what she does best. And in THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE she comes up trumps with her ingenuity in such a delightful twist in which she really does have the last laugh. Queenie has been, of course, a firm favourite of mine and most likely many others with her quick quips and sharp tongue but a heart of gold. When all is said and done, Queenie knows the heart of truth and where destiny truly awaits. I will miss her and the other much loved characters of Ironbridge.

THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE truly is a fitting end to a lovely trilogy and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the others. The reader is transported back in time to the industrial age of the Victorian era when the divide between the classes was still vast. One did not cross that divide for any reason - there are the working class, the middle class and the upper class...and never the twain shall meet...ever. But this trilogy seeks to bridge that divide in each brilliant installment yet each in somewhat different ways. It is cleverly done, well-written and skillfully plotted blending real history, period detail and a wonderfully authentic story entwined with love, loss, intrigue and hope. It is, essentially, a classic saga.

THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE can be read as a standalone, as with each of the stories, but read together the reader can appreciate the past, the present and the future as a whole. Starting at the beginning with "The Daughters of Ironbridge" before moving on to "The Secrets of Ironbridge" will pave the way for you to read the final part of this breathtaking and lovely trilogy.

I thoroughly recommend THE ORPHAN OF IRONBRIDGE, as well as the entire trilogy, for any fan of Dilly Court, Catherine Cookson and Lindsey Hutchinson. You will not regret it. Once read it will never be forgotten.

I would like to thank #MollieWalton, #Netgalley, #ZaffreBooks for an ARC of #TheOrphanOfIronbridge in exchange for an honest review.

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

I hadn’t read the other books in this series as I didn’t know it was a trilogy but you can actually read this as a stand-alone it was a very enjoyable book and I read it in a day.

We see Hettie grow up in this book we see circumstances change for the better as the book goes on. There is romance in the book.

Once things work out for Hettie she is stuck between her family from her old life and her new life.

It certainly kept you guessing what was going to happen in the end.

I finished the third book in the Ironbridge trilogy this morning and I feel sorry to leave the families of Ironbridge and the surrounding area. This has been such a satisfying and engrossing tale, stretching in time from the 1830s to the 1870s, following the lives of the Woodvines, Malones and Kings.

This final instalment focuses on Hettie Jones, a young woman who has been brought up by the Malone family after the death of her mother and deportation of her father. She is a spirited and kindhearted girl, who loves her adoptive family and has developed a special bond with Evan, the Malone’s second son. Their eldest, Owen, had been killed in a fire some years before, when he tried to rescue his sweetheart from the burning ruins of the King family home at Southover. This event had increased the animosity felt by many Ironbridge workers towards the wealthy business owners, the King family.

Hettie, who has worked as a pit bank girl, is summoned to meet the elderly head of the King family, Queenie. This is a surprise to all, not least Hettie. Surprise turns to dismay and disbelief when Hettie is offered and accepts Queenie’s invitation to become her ladies’ maid. Hettie’s advancement leads to totally unforeseen circumstances and adds intrigue to the storyline.

As I have mentioned in my reviews of previous Mollie Walton books, I love the fact that she researches her novels thoroughly. It becomes easy to picture the scenes in the book and gives depth to the writing. I particularly like the fact that the time frame for the whole trilogy is not enormous. Characters, such as Queenie and Anny, feature in the first book and throughout the three novels. To see the characters grow and develop over the trilogy was a pleasure. Places, such as the brickmaster’s house, played a key role in the second novel and featured in the third.

This final part of the trilogy deserves success. It creates a satisfying conclusion, while still being full of surprise and intrigue. I loved the characters, especially Hettie and Queenie – so good to have strong women featuring in prominent roles. Maybe the mark of a very good family saga is that it leaves you wanting more! I will have to use my own imagination to continue with Hattie’s story…….

This is the final part in the trilogy and it doesn't disappoint. It is so gripping I stayed up reading it as I had to know what wa should g to happen.

We meet Queenie King once more, now an old.lady determined to atone for past wrongs. Then there is Hettie a real rags to riches girl who stays true to her heart and heals past hurts. It was also lovely to see Anny happy and using her skills again.
I loved the echoes of previous books particularly the use of a storm at the climax.
A triumph and a must read for fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwi

Hettie is one of those characters readers will take to immediately. Brought up by Anny and Peter and their growing family. Evan their son and Hettie’s love for each other changes as they grow up. Her long lost father Adam returns from Australia where he was sent as a penance for crimes committed. Queenside from the big house decides to take Hettie in hand and employs her as lady’s maid. Will things work out, does Hettie find the love she craves and deserves. You will not be disappointed, recommend it.

What a brilliant book by Mollie Walton can't wait to read more by this author. Family saga is my kind of book

Mollie Walton has a wonderful talent of writing stories that draw you into the book and you feel as though you are along side the characters.5* Thank you Mollie i will highly recommend this book.

I was hooked on this series from the first page and am sad that this is the last book but what a great story where life changes in a big way for Hettie. I read this a lot slower than normal as I wanted to stay in Ironbridge longer and there were a few times when I thought oh no but goodness prevailed and the ending was perfect. My usual genre is gritty crime and from time to time, I like to take a break from that and read something different and this series was perfect for that.

When I got the chance to read this from Netgalley I was very pleased as I had already read the first two in the series. It’s not my usual genre but I really loved this series and the third one didn’t disappoint. Set in a Shropshire mining village, focusing on a couple of families that have been linked over the years. Sadly think this will probably be the last in the series. Well worth a read.

A brilliant finale to an amazing series!
I was desperate to read this book but I also wanted to take my time and savour it too, knowing it was the last trip to Ironbridge.
Great characters as always, and an exciting pace kept my interest throughout.
Not wanting to give away any spoilers, I will just say it was everything I had hoped for and I’m so happy with the whole book.
As always the historical information was very detailed and the clash between the different levels of society very defined.
An excellent story that captured my imagination from the very first page.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

The pit bank wench, The strawberry picker, The rags to riches girl, Miss Hettie Jones, The orphan of Ironbridge.
I loved this book, a delightful story.
1875 Ironbridge, Shropshire, Hettie Jones along with Evan Malone, her clogs are tapping as she joins the crowd down the bank to the pit, her mother dead and father who she never met is probably dead after been shipped out to Australia for a murder so she always class herself as an orphan. Anny Malone treats her as one of her own she was never left out of the Malone family and once school was done she loved to join the bank wenches marching together. Ada her friend wants her to go to London strawberry picking with her but Hettie would miss Evan he wasn't her sweetheart he was more like a brother to her and now at sixteen years old she is old enough to go for three months then an unexpected visitor comes knocking its Adam Jones her father well spoken and intelligent he's back for good with a downfall of liking a taste for the drink to much Hettie does her best with him but it doesn't stop her from going to London leaving him behind where she meets the handsome Laurence Maxwell Ripley. Queenie King takes a shine to Hettie back in Ironbridge but holds a big secret that come to surface as you read the story.
Hettie's journey is heart breaking to read that will leave a lump in your throat, I enjoyed every single chapters as so will other readers. a worthy stars wish I could have gave more.