Fourth in this series featuring the Steel girls,set during World War Two. Heartwarming and interesting,full of characters.

This is book four in the Steel Girls saga, I have read book two and now this one, I know I know, I will get the others and correct the order lol. So it is 1940, war is on and we centre around the lives of Hattie, Patty, Nancy and of course Betty. Hattie is joining the rest of the girls and coming to work in Vickers - jobs normally filled by men but war is on, female are filling many initially male roles and most people want to do their bit for the war. We see Pattie getting caught up in expectations for her 18th birthday, Hattie we learn more about her home life, Betty has some of her own past being known (as the book progresses) and Nancy - coping with the kids and her loved one away to war. Things go from bad to worse when word arrives that Bert (Nancy's husband) is MIA, Nancy tries to cope day to day and her friends rally because that is what communities do especially in these terrifying times of war.

The book of course centres around family, community, the horrors of living with the constant threat of bombs. Friendship is always at the heart of these books and covers everything from the mundane worries, ie Patty and her concerns re her special birthday being forgotten to rationings, after effects on survivor from world ward one & the ripples from that. Which brings me to the next part, and I suppose trigger warnings would go to this part, domestic violence/abuse within the marital home is mentioned. We also see the effects of one who is sent home from the war and the trauma/ptsd of what they seen/survived. It is quite dark and I think really well done because all of these things are important/authentic to that time period. Young girls would be caught up and fixating on something positive and happy to them (Patty) whilst we see the raw and physical affects of grief/worry for ones loved one MIA.

I think we get a wee bit more background on a few characters in this one whilst keeping the momentum going as sometimes in series things can get a bit stale, not so here. Betty, you know I love a Betty and I don't remember her being a huge character in the other books but certainly noticed her more in this one and wanted to hug her. A sense of community, love, loss, fear, friendship all within the context of ongoing war, enough horrors to keep it real but not overshadowing the actual story and characters, 4/5.

I loved this one, such a lovely story and very interesting. Set during the dark days of WW2 it was lovely to read about what these women did to help the war effort. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

This is a war time series of books based on the real-life experiences of Sheffield women in the 2nd World War. It can be read as a standalone book, but I would recommend reading it in the order of the series. Each book focuses on one particular steel girl and their family.
We are now into the summer of 1940 and Germany are dropping bombs on England. The Yorkshire families experience of worry and shock at this development is explored well by the author. They are worried for their partners who are out in Europe fighting the war. The increasing friendship, bond and love is shown by the support they give to each other.
Each book has got me gripped and this book even more so. I became absorbed in the characters, willing things to be ok when I knew in reality it couldn’t be. It even had me googling bits about the war to find out more. The way that the author drew me into the story and how it compelled me to find out more about our history without being too heavy meant that I felt that I could only give it a 5. I really feel that this historical novel with hints of romance (a love of each other) is a must read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Michelle Rawlins for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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WW2. A great fourth book in this series and well worth reading. This follows the lives of three girls who work in the steel factory. Their lives intertwine as they help each other with their problems. Great read, can't wait to see what happens next. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Loved this book! Such a fab read and enjoyed catching up with the saga. Love reading about the war and how it affected everyone including the children! Thank you

Steel Girls At War by Michelle Rawlins is a powerful historical novel that I became totally engrossed in. It is the fourth book in the Steel Girls series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous books first in order to get to know the characters and to see their development and progression.
The book is set over the summer of 1940 in Sheffield. We return to the familiar faces who work in the steel industry. The camaraderie, love and support grow ever stronger. It is the women who pick up the slack left behind by the men going to war.
Women stepped up and into the jobs vacated by men. They still had homes to run and children to look after. They developed a network of support and love.
This book focuses in on one particular family. They are the microcosm for the macrocosm of what was happening in homes up and down Britain. We follow a young mother and her children as they wait for news on the whereabouts of a husband and father. We can understand the conflicting emotions of worry and despair needing to be balanced with remaining upbeat for the sake of the children. It is important to hold on to hope. “Without hope you haven’t got anything.”
June 1940 saw the evacuation of Dunkirk. Lives were left on hold as they wait for news.
Returning soldiers came home with more than injured bodies, minds were damaged too. PTSD moved in, altering personalities. We witness how hard it is for wives and children. Our hearts go out to them.
Sheffield, with its steel industry, became a target for the Luftwaffe. Lives were disturbed by nightly raids but the brave people of Sheffield still went to work on very little sleep.
All the characters were well drawn, realistic and likable. Their support, camaraderie and interactions are wonderful to witness. Lives that were threatening to crumble were lifted up and supported by those with more strength. No one was left to suffer alone.
Steel Girls at War was a powerful read as we witnessed lives on the homefront. I love the Steel Girls series. The love and support warms my heart.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
This is another fantastic addition to this heartwarming series. I slipped right back into this series. I had missed catching up with The Steel Girls.
It was lovely to learn more about Hattie's background as well in this book. She has fit in well with the others at Vickers.
I look forward to what comes next for Nancy, Betty and Patty., and Hattie of course..... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I really enjoyed this book.

The story gave an insight of WWII and what the soldiers faced while fighting.

The women who worked in the steel factory, helped each other with support and food during rationing. It was lovely to see how gardens planted with foodstuffs that could be shared around.

It was also interesting to see how children saw what was happening through their eyes.l, how their parents tried to hide the reality of it from them.

I recommend this book.

A city, workplace community and families under the stress of war.
If the previous titles in this series seemed a bit rose-tinted, it’s perhaps because the opening months of WW2 actually were a bit rose-tinted. Dire pre-war predictions of massive civilian casualties hadn’t yet come to pass (and in the UK they never quite did) but the phoney war lulled many people into no longer expecting anything really bad to happen -and then, of course, it did. This book in the series covers the summer of 1940 when the really bad stuff happened and it didn’t look as if Hitler would ever be stopped in his tracks. (NB: even winning the battle of Britain didn’t immediately change this perception, no matter how it’s presented in the feature film of that campaign.)
This story is about what it was like for real people on the receiving end of both real bombing raids and the more shapeless threat of invasion and conquest that lay behind them. And it’s well told:
A woman already driven to the point of collapse with worry about the fate of her husband, missing in France, learns that he’s now in hospital in Portsmouth: one of the cities now being bombed. The psychological impact on the man in question of his frying-pan to fire experience being well described. Another woman and her daughter are coping with a husband and father still traumatised by his experiences in the first world war. Food is short, unless you have somewhere (and the time) to grow your own.
Other characters are still loving and hoping and to some extent this is what allows those in a worse situation to feel a bit of hope themselves.
The author sets out to show how destructive selfishness, even excusable selfishness, can be in high stress, high-risk situations and that, I fear, is a lesson we all need to learn, because the coping mechanisms of nineteen-forties British society have largely been suppressed and dismantled in the present day.
If, in the earlier books in this series, the levels of neighbourly love and community spirit seemed absurdly high to the modern reader, the summer of 1940 was when those “absurdly” high levels of neighbourly love proved to be just barely enough.

An easy read comfort book. I liked it, but a lot of character dialogue which could seem unnecessary at times. Loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. I would give 3.5 * as rating.

Another great book in this series set in my childhood home city. Love how the characters are developing and look forward to reading more books in the future

Another great book in the series; thank you Michelle! As a Yorkshire lass I love the 'Yorkshireness' of this series!

I feel like I've learnt lots of local history from this series as well as it being a great series of stories. This title also explores the horrors that people who had fought in the war came home with. Mental health issues, especially with men, have existed for many years but only now do we encourage people to talk more and have help in place.

I would highly recommend the whole series. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to preview the title.

Another fantastic edition to this saga series. This is a fantastic author and I love every book.
A wonderful story looking forward to the next one

Book Four Vickers steel works Sheffield 1940.
All girls working together with new girl Hattie joining from Woolworths, with the men away during WW2, their friendship keeps them going doing their bit, Vickers is man labour and the women buckle down, during gruelling labour intensive days keeping busy.

I just love this series and every single book brings us getting to know the characters more and more in their private lives, and we read the hardships of some lucky enough to have their men home on leave, and seeing traumatic changes in them.

The author always is so spot on in every chapter of bringing the books to life that I love to curl up and read, but will always think just one more chapter It takes me into another world and leave all my troubles and thoughts behind .

I highly recommend this book once again and can only give out the brilliant five stars that is so deserved.

Love, love, love this series!!
I may be a bit biased as I come from Steel working stock and I live a stone's throw from Sheffield, but these books and these characters speak to me like no other.
Each book gets better and better, I am a big fan of the Steel Girls and I am loving their journey through the war and seeing what happens to these courageous women
heartwarming, full of courage and bravery, love, family and above all friendship as always a must read!!.

This is the fourth book of the series and another brilliant and absorbing read. Based in 1940 during the war years and the Steel girls who work together and help each other through life’s ups and downs throughout the war. Love the way the story easily follows on with the characters and their lives. Such a great story that you actually feel you are there experiencing their hardships and joys. Loved it and would highly recommend.

I do love reading about the trials and tribulations of the women during the war. It really is amazing how they not only coped with all the dreadful things going on round about them but flourished in their new roles in factories - especially the heavy work in the steel works - Vickers. I felt a little bit sorry for Nancythinking her boyfriend Archie had forgotten about her 18th birthday - which he hadn't. It must have been difficult getting telegrams/letters saying their husbands/brothers/fathers were missing in action and having to hold things together back home. What strong women they were.and so were the men who came back suffering. It really makes you stop and think how lucky we are these days.