Member Reviews
Historical drama full of interesting characters,some good ,some bad. A move to a better home gives our main character hope of a better life.
Lizzie Lane returns with a gritty and dramatic saga that will hold readers spellbound from start to finish: New Neighbours for Coronation Close.
In 1936 Bristol, Jenny Crawford’s life is one never-ending struggle full of anguish, sorrow and despair. Her husband Roy is cruel and physically and emotionally abusive, their marriage is a loveless one and every day Jenny wonders how she is going to keep a roof over her family’s heads and her children fed and clothed. With Roy struggling to find work, the future seems bleak and desperate until a chance encounter reverses the family’s fortunes and enables them to leave the slums behind for a fresh start in a council house in Coronation Close on the outskirts of the city.
With her husband gainfully employed and her children settled and happy, Jenny feels positive about the future for the first time in a very long while. But trouble is never too far away. Roy begins spending more and more time with Oswald Moseley and the return of a former flame and a knight in shining armour makes Jenny wonder whether she dares to unshackle herself from the prison she finds herself trapped in and start all over again with somebody willing to give her their heart.
Will Jenny risk it all of love? Or is Roy about to make sure that she pays dearly for even dare thinking about leaving him behind?
Readers looking for a compulsively readable saga will not want to miss Lizzie Lane’s latest, New Neighbours for Coronation Close. Highly-charged, emotionally satisfying and guaranteed to have readers reaching for the tissues, New Neighbours for Coronation Close is a heart-wrenching saga about sacrifice, family, hope and love that keeps readers hooked until the very last page.
Lizzie Lane never misses and with New Neighbours for Coronation Close has penned another absorbing saga perfect for Mary Wood and Elaine Everest fans.
I enjoyed New Neighbors for Coronation Close. The beginning is a little slow as the author takes the time to establish the setting and the characters. When the family moves to Coronation Close, the story picks up. I thought the characters were realistic. They suited the location and time period. The author brought the locale alive with her vivid descriptions. I could envision the tenement where Jenny lived (it sounded awful). Coronation Close is the opposite of Jenny’s former residence. The story does have some dark sections. Roy was a violent man. He is a bully who takes his anger out on his wife. We learn something about him at the end that explains his attitude. I liked Jenny’s new friends on Coronation Close especially Thelma Dawson. Jenny had some interesting neighbors. The author captured the time period with historical events such as the abdication of Edward VIII for a certain divorcee. I was sorry when the story ended. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. New Neighbors for Coronation Close is a touching tale with a vicious spouse, a dirty dwelling, spiteful letters, friendly neighbors, a brutal beating, a caring charmer, and a startling revelation.
Wonderful read another great start to a saga series by Lizzie Lane .The characters the setting drew me right in.Enjoyed from first page to last.Looking forward to next in the series.#netgalley #boldwoodbooks
Another wonderful family saga from the queen of sagas, Lizzie Lane. A full scope of great characters and fantastic descriptions to put you right in the heart of the story.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
I've always enjoyed books written by Lizzie Lane and this was a great read! Every character was so well thought out and feel that most of us will know many of them in our own neighbourhoods!
A little slow to start but that's only my view, once the story started to move it kept on going!! The author also tied in bits of historical facts and figures and did it really well. Again the story shows how strong and capable women can be when met with hostility and threats to our family.
Enjoyed this book very much and looking forward to the next instalment!!
This is one of many books by Lizzie Lane that I have read and LOVED! The start of a new series is always interesting, especially when you know it's just introducing you to characters who are going to become firm favourites over a few books.
This book was entertaining, emotionally charged and has a hint of what is about to happen next, leaving me wanting to read the next one in the series as soon as possible!
The start of a new series from Lizzie Lane and it looks to be another good one for her. I loved the Tobacco Girls and this series looks as though it will be as good. As this starts pre war it will be interesting to see how far she takes this . 5 stars
|thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC
What a delightful book.
We start with poor Jenny Crawford being beaten and raped by her husband for any reason he feels like.
Jenny her husband Ron and their two daughters live in poverty tenements, where the sun never shines and the dampness and mold climb the walls. It is a miserable existence for jenny and her girls, She wishes better for them, to have a garden and fresh air.
Then Ron gets in with the vile black shirts, and the only good thing to come out of it is one of the members is high up in the housing department and is able to grant them a lovely house in the suburbs.
With colorful neighbors that; look out for each other, They work hard, and with secrets being held and funny moments, Jenny becomes alive again. Ron is spending more and more time away from home, so Jenny and her girls relax and enjoy life.
I loved page after page of this book. Yes, it had moments where it made me well up with the way people were treated for their faith, colour, or attitude but the story was one of warmth and caring.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book. xx
I have been a fan of Lizzie’s work for a while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but that is something that I hope to rectify in the not too distant future. When I heard that Lizzie was due to release the first book in a new series, I knew that I had to grab a copy and read it at the earliest opportunity. Well ladies and gents, I managed to get my hands on a copy and ti was well worth the wait. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘New Neighbours For Coronation Close’ but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I started reading, I knew that I was reading something special and that I would find it rather difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I was spot on on both counts. I had picked the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I became so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I was still sat there reading several chapters and an hour or so later. This was one of those books that stayed with me whether I had the book in my hand or not. If I wasn’t reading the book then I was thinking of the book. If I had to put the book down for any reason then I would immediately look forward to being able to pick the book up again. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘New Neighbours For Coronation Close’ and I had to say goodbye to Jenny and the rest of the characters. i found ‘New Neighbours For Coronation Close’ to be a gripping read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘New Neighbours For Coronation Close’ is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Lizzie Lane. Lizzie has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading this book felt more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Lizzie grabs the reader’s attention from the synopsis alone and draws them into what proves to be one hell of a story. Lizzie has clearly done an awful lot of research into the time period in which the story is set and this makes the story seem that bit more authentic. I loved the fact that before the story started people, Lizzie had written a history chapter to give the reader a fuller picture of the domestic and political situations of the time. Lizzie clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters. I love the way in which Lizzie makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘New Neighbours For Coronation Close’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lizzie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I have read a few books by this author and enjoyed everyone. With the 'Tobacco girls' series coming to end, this is the first book of a new series set in Bristol. New Neighbours of Coronation close' Jenny, the main character lives with her husband and 2 daughters in a slum. Her husband is a bully & wife beater. Through his connections he is given a council house. In one way Jenny was sad to leave as she had to leave as 2 of her friends also lived in the slum. In every other way she was happy, a house, bedrooms for her 2daughters and a garden. She had some lovely neighbours she quickly made friends with. This is a great read, and takes up to December 1936 and the abdication. I am looking forward to book 2.
Another brilliant read and another 5* which I fully recommend.
I have read and loved a number of books by this author, so when I heard there was a new book series coming out I was really looking forward to reading it and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Right from the first chapter this book had me completely absorbed and I just knew I was in for a wonderful read. This isn’t just your usual historical saga story! It’s much more than that. We, the reader see from the pages of the book the poverty, violence and hardships many women of these times suffered, Lizzie Lane has a fabulous style of writing and the descriptions of people and places are literally coming out of the book as you read this story. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
3.5 but I'm going to round up to 4. I did really enjoy this book but I'm such a fan of the Tobacco Girls series that I'm being a little more critical. It's not as good but would definitely recommend to anybody who loves historical fiction. I just loved Jenny. What a strong, capable, loving character. A few twists and turns throughout the book which does make me excited to see what the future holds for the residents of Coronation Close.
Thank you for letting me read this ARC, great book. Lizzie's writing style is easy to follow and filled with facts to match the historical time line of the story. Roy is still his controlling unpleasant self. Jenny has her work cut out remaining calm and trying to raise her two girls the best she can. Tilly and Gloria deserve so much more. We encounter cockroaches, bed bugs and amongst others love interests. What will Jenny do, can she improve her life? The story is told well and at times had me on the edge of my seat wondering where she will find her strength. A recommended read.
Lizzie Lane is one of those writers that you know as soon as you open the book you’re in for a treat. She writes from the heart and creates characters that you love to love and even love to hate. She doesn’t hold back on telling us just how awful life could be for those living in the slums and indeed how much brighter life can be if you were lucky enough to get a new Council house on one of the brand new shiny Estates. It is a life that Jenny can only dream of. The drudgery of her marriage wears her down. No matter how hard she tries her truly awful husband Roy. (He definitely falls into the “Love to Hate” characters) always manages to ruin everything. He has a violent temper and Jenny tries so hard to protect her two girls as much as she can.
Suddenly things change. Roy is out more, he starts dressing in black and becomes more political in his new found gang headed by Sir Oswald Mosely. Jenny has no idea what he is up to, she is just grateful that he isn’t at home giving her grief.
Then wonder of wonders Jenny and Roy are offered a new council house and a new life is on the horizon. A new life that Jenny grabs with both hands. She makes friends and begins to feel that she has more control over her life. She finds love, or does she? should she? Is this a road to more heartbreak?
This is a gritty and heart felt book that leaves you feeling like you’ve just met a whole load of new friends. Lizzie writes in a style that just draws you in and your emotions are certainly challenged. From sad to happy, angry and even astonished. I truly loved every minute and I’m over the moon this is the start of a new Historical Saga that I know Lizzie will bring to life in every single book. BRILLIANT!
New Neighbours For Coronation Close is a detailed fast paced story that hooks the reader from the first page.
Lane has created an interesting and engaging plot by using vivid imagery and research to outline a brief history of Bristol and English monarchy mentioning some memorable events like the aftermath of the great war (1914-1918) with poor living standards and conditions of those who struggled with poverty, as well as civil unrest and the abdication of Edward the VIII. The writing style is easy to follow with a good mixture description and dialogue, however I did find some points to be quite repetitive.
The character development of New Neighbours For Coronation Close gives a great amount of background into the lives of the characters. The characters come across as being relatable and realistic...it is easy to form connections with different characters, allowing the reader to sympathise and emphasise as they learn more...I did feel that some points were irrelevant as they were only mentioned once...
Jenny resides on the top floor of a ramshackle tenement in Blue Bowl Alley in a place called the Pithay with her husband Roy and 2 daughters Tilly and Gloria. The strain of poverty had taken its toll on their marriage that had never been a bed of roses and she has come to accept it... enjoying time on her own.
Since his return from the great war Roy has become a violent man, who is quick to temper. Roy joins the local fascist group and takes part in the riots and beatings of his fellow man....
I would suggest reading New Neighbours For Coronation Close to people who enjoy reading historical fiction based in the 1930s, as it is a character driven story about finding friendship within a community setting...
So this book was really confusing to follow a lot of the time. I wish it had some trigger warnings because the abusive spouse dynamic came as a surprise. It didn't seem like it was going to be that type of novel. The book jumped around in topics a lot and didn't really seem to have a logical progression. I really struggled to like any of the characters which made it more difficult to read this one. A lot of the novel was full of moments which contradicted those stated just a few pages earlier. Jenny, who wasn't living the most extravagant lifestyle, was incredibly judgmental of people who were in a similar situation to herself.
I spent most of my time confused with the flow of the book and when Jenny moved to Coronation Close it almost read like a different novel. I felt very unfulfilled by reading this one. It didn't feel that anything was resolved and Jenny's infatuation with her childhood love and basically a random stranger really felt out of context, and neither of these dynamics was resolved. The conclusion presented a "reasoning" for Roy's behavior but changed nothing about the outcome of the story. It also didn't resolve any of the issues and then the book ended with a whole other topic. Unfortunately this one was a huge miss for me.
The start of a brand new series by the very talented Lizzie Lane! Based in Bristol 1936 it tells the story of Jenny who is married to Roy. Roy is a violent husband and they in the slums but when Roy gets a promotion they move to Coronation Close where Jenny finds a friend in neighbour Thelma. I loved this book so much that I read it in a few hours. The plot is a fantastic historical saga and the author has done research and experiences from this timeline. The characters are superbly presented and feel like they become friends. I am a little sad that I finished reading as I already miss them and can't wait for more. Overall it is a brilliantly written book that you don't want to miss. I am eagerly waiting for the next book. Well done Lizzie!
I enjoyed the tobacco girls series by this author so I looked forward to reading this book and I wasn’t disappointed. The book starts with Jenny and her family, but when she moves to Coronation Close we get lots more get characters. Some you will love and others not so much. I couldn’t put this down as I wanted to know how Jenny would handle the many problems thrown her way. I highly recommend this book and hope there will be more from the residents of Coronation Close soon.
I haven't read a @lizzielane40 before but it definitely won't be my last. The storyline was beautifully written with a heart-felt narrative and family right at the centre of it. It drew me in from the first page as it felt so real and authentic.
@bookandtonic @bookstagrammer.love