This is the first book I have read by Juliet Greenwood and it won't be the last I thorghly enjoyed sinking my teeth into this book and am looking forward to discovering more from this author.
I was instantly drawn to this book firstly by the cover as it's so pretty and eye-catching and secondly by the era, I do love books set in this time and was looking ward to seeing what would happen and I wasn't hugely disappointed. I thought the story started off a little slow and even though it did pick up I thought that there were moments that were a little slower for my liking.
I loved the setting the descriptions of the daily life on the coast the work the hardships the area the sights the smells everything was so clear and richly describes I felt as though I was there.
This book is clever, atmospheric and very enjoyable!

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley, Juliet Greenwood and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I love historical fictions, and this did not disappoint. The story of 3 women, fighting to make their own futures no matter what stood in their way.

This was an endearing and moving read, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical novels as much as I do. And I will be looking for more of Juliet's work, now and in the future!

Sheer escapism, beautifully written, I will look for more of this author’s work.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title. I highly recommend it.

The first thing that drew me into this book was its vividly drawn location – a small community set around a small harbour near St Ives in Cornwall where their livelihoods depend on the family who live in Enys Hall, the large house set on the hillside above. But if the setting drew me in, it was the characters – the wonderfully strong women – who made me entirely love it.

After a prologue to set the scene, we find ourselves in 1916, and with the menfolk away at war harbourmaster’s daughter Jess is working as a blacksmith. But after seeing a piece of fine enamelled jewellery made by her mentor Ben, she yearns for the opportunity to make her own – instead she finds herself forced to become a seamstress to provide a more secure source of income. Rachel is the older daughter of the family who own Enys Hall – her family have seen a downturn in their fortunes with the impact of the war, and the marriage of their younger daughter might be the only way of ensuring their future. But the livelihoods of the small community depend on the family’s patronage, and their futures might be far less secure in the light of the ambitions of others.

The lives of both women drive the story, and the characterisation is quite wonderful. Jess can’t fail to win your heart, as she attempts to follow her dreams – she has a personality and inner strength that sees her clawing her way back after every new setback as she doggedly pursues her ambitions and her vision for the future. Rachel is extraordinarily likeable too – she seems destined for spinsterhood as her more flighty and less serious sister attracts the eye of every suitor, but she kicks back against the conventions of the time and any notion of “a woman’s place”, with a strong sense of right and wrong and a determination to fight against the inevitable. She defies convention when she travels to France as an ambulance driver, experiences a forbidden love affair, and comes up with her own plan to save the hall and the futures of all who depend on it. And that’s when we come across the third woman of the story, Giselle – now a movie star, she has a darker past she’s desperate to keep hidden, but also might have a significant role to play when the fortunes of the community hang in the balance.

Every element of this story is just so perfectly handled. The descriptions of the location really are stunning, brought to life in the homes and businesses on the harbourside, walking on the cliffs above, and on the busier streets of the more thriving town of St Ives. There’s a particular strength in the drawing of the three women, entirely real and believable as they strive for justice and what they believe in – but every single character in this book is fully rounded, springing to life from its pages, however peripheral the part they play. The conventions against which the story is set are wonderfully recreated too – those constraints on women being able to follow their chosen paths, moving you to anger and frustration, making you will them on at every turn.

The depth of the author’s research is amply evident – I particularly enjoyed the detail about the creation of the jewellery, particularly the art of enamelling, and the growing taste for Art Deco – but only used to add depth and richness to the story. This was an era when the world was changing, and it’s quite perfectly recreated along with the real lives of its characters of both social classes. And then there’s the story itself – this is really accomplished storytelling, drawing you into the characters lives from the very beginning, keeping the pages turning with every fresh challenge and setback, making sure you’re entirely consumed by the story to the very end, all with the perfect emotional touch.

I really loved this book – I picked it up to read on a sunny afternoon in the garden and read it in a single sitting, swept away into the world the author created. You really can’t ask for much more from a book than that – this is my new favourite from this very talented author, and I recommend it most highly.

St Ives Cornwall the year 1916 a post war historical fiction.
Three main characters, Jess Morgan, Rachel Bellamy and Giselle Harding, three courageous girls as we go into post WW1, an enchanting story that I so enjoyed, I always enjoy this authors work, she has a way of drawn you into the story. This book is full of highs and lows that pull at your heartstrings, superb ending not a book to be missed.

The Girl With The Silver Clasp is historical fiction set in a small coastal village near St. Ives in Cornwall.

The story begins just before World War One and introduces us firstly to Jess, the daughter of the harbour master, who spends much of her time at the local forge. Here she learns the art of blacksmithing as well as the intricate metalwork skills needed to make and repair jewellery.

Secondly we are introduced to Rachel, who is the daughter of the family who own the harbour; during the war Rachel goes to France to drive an ambulance, but after the war her family’s fortunes change.

In the post-war years, Jess is forced to help her aunt with dressmaking, but it is the metalwork which still calls to her and Jess squeezes in as many hours as she can, creating unique pieces of jewellery.

This is the story of women who embraced the post-war changes in society; they made their own decisions and worked for themselves supporting each other’s efforts. Although this book started slow, once we reached the post war years I became fully engaged with the lives of Jess and Rachel and really enjoyed the remainder of their stories. Some of my favourite parts were reading about life in London as well as the growth of the artists in the St. Ives area.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a really nice, feel good story with nice characters. I really enjoyed it considering not my normal genre.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion
First time reading this author and was a lovely book filled full of hope nostalgia and love often dreams to come true read on to find out about these 3 corages ladies can highly recommend ❤