Historical drama set in Victorian times. Meg is a wonderful character who tries hard to help her family and keep them together. Full of drama,an evocative saga.

Annemarie is a new author for me and I really found the story line intriguing. Her research was really good and the writing really made you feel like you were there during that time.

This book was amazing I could not put it down. I kept wanting to know what happened next.

Meg lives with her Mother and younger siblings trying to make money so that they can survive. Her Father has a canal boat where he works the canals and her two brothers work with him. Her Mother is sick and is not getting any better while her Father hardly give them money to survive. Meg meets Christian who is a gentlemen and whenever they see each other their attraction gets better.

The characters are very strong and work well together.

I have read a few books from this author and every book I read I think wow what amazing detail and so well written.

Would certainly recommend this book..

The Waterfront Lass is a dramatic, powerful and emotional saga from master storyteller AnneMarie Brear.

Wakefield 1870 and Meg Taylor’s life is full of strife and struggle as she tends to her sick mother and younger siblings while her father works on the canals as a boatman. The slums they live in are rife with poverty and disease and Meg dreams of a better life far from the crushing despair and anguish of her existence. However, Meg could never abandon her family and with her father stubbornly refusing to give up working on the canals, the future looks bleak and uncertain until a chance encounter with wealthy Christian Henderson gives her a glimmer of hope and a chance at making all of her dreams come true, even if it means having to give up the people who mean the world to her…

Christian despairs of his family’s greed and avarice. Looking at all the poverty around him, Christian would love nothing more than to use his wealth and privilege to help these proud people he meets and from the second he cross paths with Meg, he is immediately captivated by her spirit, generosity and her heart. The two of them begin to grow closer, however, Meg knows that a wealthy man like Christian could never possibly contemplate a future with somebody like her.

Does their love stand any chance of surviving when the odds are stacked against them? Can Meg and Christian ever be together? Or are they both destined for heartache and disappointment?

Gritty, poignant and captivating, The Waterfront Lass is a superb saga from AnneMarie Brear perfect for Rosie Goodwin and Anna Jacobs fans. In Meg, AnneMarie Brear has created a strong and resolute heroine who fights for what she believes in readers will root for; while Christian is an intelligent, charismatic and truly noble hero who finds himself torn between duty and desire.

A spellbinding Victorian saga from a very gifted writer, The Waterfront Lass by AnneMarie Brear is a heart-wrenching tale of courage, hope and love I struggled to put down.

Meg Taylor does her best to look after her family while her father is away working on the canal. Money is scarce and life is hard. Will life ever get better or will they be destined to die in poverty?

I liked Meg, and she truly loved her family. I enjoyed this story.

This is the third book I’ve read from this author and it’s equally as good as the others.

AnneMarie Brear captures the essence of the Victorian era perfectly, depicting life for the differing classes with a real authenticity.

While the main plot for this story may seem unlikely in terms of the class divide, it nevertheless is the perfect backdrop for the development of the relationship between Meg and Christian.

Meg’s character is beautifully portrayed. Strong, resilient and independent and dedicated to her family in the toughest of circumstances, the reader cannot help but root for her.

A thoroughly enjoyable historical saga.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

Loved this book and the characters in it!!
The story line was really good and kept the reader's interest right to the end.........there may well be a follow up as there are a few loose ends!
I felt myself ready to smack Meg's mother in law, what a rude and nasty individual!
Thoroughly enjoyed every page, hope the author is already writing the next installment!
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I was gripped from the first chapter by this uplifting yet emotional novel.

It is told with care, and the author tells a believable, engaging story. The hours just rolled by while reading.

Meg’s strength and character shines through as she does everything in her power to help her family and make their lives a little more bearable in their poor living conditions, which involves caring for her younger siblings and working hard in a local pub.

I will be looking forward to reading more about Meg and co in the near future.

I couldn't watch the head of the family behave. The guy should go to the quarries and work like an ox there. I felt so sorry for Meg, her siblings and their mother. Meg works hard to bring the whole family together. She pays the rent and uses the rest of her money to buy the cheapest, often stale food. She is a very sensible girl. Too bad Frank (father) doesn't appreciate her.
Meg's brother Freddie is almost 19-year-old and found a job.
As usual, his father didn't like it. I'm in shock. This father should be fired. He wants his children to treat him with respect, and he treats them worse than rubbish. Respect has to be earned. Respect doesn't come automatically. Unfortunately, that was the case at the time.

 Frank treats his children like slaves. It hurt me a lot.

 Interesting book. I was drawn to this story. I was curious how it would all work out. Will there be love and mutual respect in this family? What will happen when a certain rich man appears on the horizon, whose heart is set on one of the five sisters?

 I forgot to add that our Meg has seven siblings. It was a large family. They lived in poverty, but she cared deeply for her mother and her sisters and brothers.

 The time and place of action are the 1870s in Wakefield Waterfront in England.

 I didn't like the ending of the book because I cried a lot. I still can't understand what happened there. This should never happen. I regret that very much.

 Of course, the whole story made a huge impression on me. I would love to know more about Meg and her family. I hope the author will surprise me this time.

 If you like fiction, I encourage you to read this story. The author captured those hard times perfectly.

 Through this book, you will find out what the ladies of the upper class thought of the ladies of the lower class. You will see what hatred can lead to.

 I recommend the latest book by AnneMarie Brear called "The Waterfront lass".

Another fabulous book by Annemarie brear, you haven’t disappointed me! Time and time again your books have me so engrossed that I can visualise myself as a character.

A story set in 1870, a family trying to make ends meet, living in the slums along the rivers edge. A man of means and money tiring of greed and poverty and wants to somehow help. So what happens when rich meets poor?

This is a lovely heartwarming tale, of life, friendship, love and courage. It is a book that you can devour and enjoy. will love be able to withstand the class system, can rich and poor collide in a good way? These are the questions that are answered is this truly wonderful book.

I loved the characters, the setting and the writing. It was easy to read and kept me interested throughout. Meg was such a strong and courageous women and a role model to those around her. She made this story real. I enjoyed her story and look forward to seeing what comes next from this wonderful author.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving m the opportunity to read and review this book.

Set in the 1800's, we have the story of Meg and her family who live in poverty along with many others. |She would love a better life but she would never leave her family. There is a gentleman around, read and find out what may happen. Great story and a chance to live with these people. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Meg Taylor, daughter of a boatman on the canals of England, wishes for another life away from poverty. Meeting Christian Henderson, a wealthy man, may open doors for her that remained closed before. Good picture of life on the canals in the late 1800s.

Yet again another amazing book by AnneMarie. She does not disappoint and I was very lucky to get an advance copy from NetGalley.

While her father is abroad working as a boatman on the canals, Meg Taylor struggles to care for her younger siblings and sick mother on the banks of the River Calder. Meg longs for a different life, far from their disease-ridden slums and crushing poverty, but she won't ever abandon her family. Meg worries that her family's future will become even more hopeless as trade shifts from canals to railroads and Meg's father stubbornly clings to the past. If only she could find a way to save them.

Christian Henderson is sick of his wealthy family's avarice. He observes the destitution all around him and wishes he could do more to assist the proud members of the working class he meets. People with the courage of Meg Taylor, whom he greatly admires.

Christian is charmed with Meg right away because, despite her poverty, she is energetic and proud.

Meg's fantasies of dating a guy like Christian are unreal. How is it possible for a girl from the docks to be with a man of his wealth? Even worse, what would happen to her beloved family if she gives into her heart's desire to be with him?

"AnneMarie Brear stands side to shoulder with the best works by some of the genre's greatest authors, Poignant, strong, and searingly passionate.


Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood publishers and Rachel random resources for an advance copy for my honest review

The Waterfront Lass is detailed fast paced story that reveals the plot steadily.

Brear has researched the society, customs, lifestyles of the higher and working class citizens in the Victorian era. The educational aspect of the operation of a working brewery was interesting to see. The sensitive topic of miscarriage was briefly aproached in a thoughful and informed way. The writing style is easy to follow with a mixture of description and dialogue.

The character development of The Waterfront Lass gives the reader a brief background of characters to help them become invested in them. I sympathized with some of the experiences, and pleasantly suprised by others. The characters are realistic and relateable, with their own personalities.

At 20 year old, Meg has become tired and a little resentful of her duties and responsibilities as the care giver of her bedridden mother and 8 siblings, whilst her father was away at sea, as a skipper on a narrow boat. Even though Meg works a few shifts at the local pub, Bay Horse, and there is some money coming in from one of her siblings, she still struggles to kept her family fed. She often longs to leave, as she is lonely, but when tragedy strikes she is able to get more time to herself and gains a lot of confidence...

Wealthy singleton, Christian steps up when his uncle dies. He buys a failing and debt ridden brewery from his cousin, giving himself the challenge of saving the brewery. When he sees Meg he is unable to look away even though she comes from a lower class than himself, soon becoming infatuated with her.

The chemistry between Christian and Meg is fast paced. There is an instant attraction that brews. They constantly think of each other...It all leads to a proposal, yet the joyous news is met with disapproval on all sides.

Overall I feel that The Waterfront Lass is good. I liked the fact it was local to me and got a true sense of life around the time. It was easy to imagine the characters and setting. I would have liked to see more from Christian's viewpoint, to see what effect life at the brewery was for him. The ending was very open leading to the possibilities of the other book about Christian and Meg or other characters like Fliss or Lorrie. The style reminds me of Catherine Cookson...

I would suggest reading The Waterfront Lass to people who enjoy historical fiction based around the Victorian era, as it is an emotive character driven story about facing hardships, new friendship, grief, family and love...

The Waterfront Lass is the first book in a new series by AnneMarie set in the 1870's and what a great story it is. It tells us about Margaret May otherwise known as Meg who lives in the waterfront slums of Wakefield with her family. Her father is a boatman with his two eldest sons, carrying goods along waterways on his barge. Meg works part time at the local public house as well as long after her siblings and sick mother. When she meets Christian Henderson is becomes smitten but realises nothing can come if it since he is not in her class. He, however, also becomes smitten with Meg and thinks of her all the time - he doesn't care that she is poor and from the slums. I fell a little bit in love with Christian myself so it's not hard to understand why Meg would. The storytelling is fantastic and I could imagine myself living in those times. Highly recommend

I thoroughly enjoyed this story because it made me laugh, cry, and want to yell at the injustices of the world that Meg Taylor lived in. I absolutely ran the whole gamut of emotions.

Meg's mother was very ill, bedridden most of the time. Her father and eldest brother worked away most of the time on the family's narrow boat. Meg was left to look after her younger siblings, hold down a job and try to keep food on the table and the rent paid. She was exhausted most of the time and she went without whatever was necessary if it meant her mother or siblings were alright. Her strength was remarkable but all she wanted to do was to be able to not have to be strong now and then.

When she has the chance of a better life she desperately wants to take it, but her family has to come first. They won't survive without her. Knowing that made me wonder how the author could possibly give Meg a happy ending that was believable as well. I am very pleased to say that she managed it and I was left with a smile on my face. I thought it would have been nice to have an epilogue but then I read that Meg will have a part in future books in the series, ones that focus on the friends that she made in this book. I look forward to their stories but especially look forward to catching up with Meg and hopefully seeing that she is loving her life and living it to the full.

This was a wonderful start to what I am sure is going to be a wonderful series and I will definitely be reading each new book!

A fantastic read!
I loved everything about this book, from the characters to the setting, everything was realistic and so easy to envision, which can't be said on most books in this era.
.
The way the author described Meg's daily struggles, what with her stretching every pence and going without eating most of the time, was absolutely wonderful. The scenes where so vivid in my mind, it almost felt like watching a movie, which shows the top notch skills of the author.
.
The family dynamic was really interesting. I liked how each sibling had their own distinctive personality, also, I loved how Meg responded to each incident her siblings put her through. Her reactions and thought process were so realistic and raw, I'm in love with how multilayered her character is.
.
Christian was a great character, he wasn't the ultimate swoon worthy love interest, but that was due to the fact that the main focus wasn't the romance per se. Christian's love was like a milestone in Meg's journey, and it was refreshing how the main focus was Meg.
.
My only problem with the book was the ending. It felt so rushed and abrupt, I was reading on, expecting some kind of epilogue, but there were none. The author tied up all the loose ends, but it was so rushed, it could've been expanded upon.
.
Overall, I loved it immensely and will definitely look out for the author's future work.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

The Waterfront Lass is set in Wakefield, West Yorkshire in 1870. Meg Taylor lives with her invalid mother, sisters and her young delicate brother. They are as poor as church mice and she is struggling to care for them all. Her father and two older brothers work as boatmen on the canals and are often away for days at a time. When Meg meets wealthy businessman Christian Henderson she develops feeling for him and he is feeling the same about her. In spite of their social differences can they ever be together .

As soon as I finished the first chapter of this book i was utterly captivated by the story and the characters. Whilst it’s an easy read it’s also one that makes you see how different it was to be poor with nothing or wealthy with no money worries whatsoever in these Victorian times. Everything about this book was wonderful from the well developed story to the wonderful characters. The author has written a book that will draw you in right from the start and you will honestly struggle to put this book down. After reading the authors note at the end I was utterly delighted to read this is the first book in a series. I cannot wait to read more . 5 ⭐️