The Bad Penny by Lindsey Hutchinson is a marvellous historical novel that continues on from The Ragged Orphan. I can recommend reading that first for maximum enjoyment. Although this can be read as a stand-alone.
The year is 1894 as the reader returns to the rag and bone yard in Birmingham. We see that hard work does pay off when your boss is fair and kind. There is a camaraderie between the boys in the yard as they look out for each other.
Romance is in the air as new love matches meet up.
And there is tragedy too as death comes calling.
In contrast to the steadfastness of many of the characters, we meet the bad penny – a character who is happy to use people for personal gain, caring little for family and friends. It is a life of lies and greed, never being satisfied. When money motivates, you can be sure of a downward spiral.
All of the characters were well drawn and realistic.
Nineteenth century Birmingham comes alive under Lindsey Hutchinson’s masterful pen. We see the dirt and the squalor as well as the theatres and casinos. Ironically it is in the slums that the good hearts reign as the folk of Birmingham are the salt of the earth. In the upper echelons of society we find the darker hearts.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Bad Penny and look forward to more from Lindsey Hutchinson.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Her life can turn on the toss of a coin...

Birmingham 1894: We meet up with Jared Johnson once again as he manages Toby Maguire's Rag and Bone yard, this time not as a ragged orphan, but an established man of means and dreams. When he hears the screams of a young girl being beaten by her father, Jared immediately comes to her rescue of this damsel in distress. He offers her to afternoon tea and to take her on as a housekeeper to keep her away from her father's mean drunken fists. But Clarice has other ideas. Grander ideas. And they won't be found with Jared Johnson.

Clarice Connaught is the only child of John and Jenny, her mother having died of pneumonia after the death of a baby she tried birthing. Since then she has had to skivvy and keep house for her and her father while he works hard to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. At 19, John feels it's long past time Clarice got herself a job to help bring in another wage. That, or finds herself a husband. But again, Clarice has other ideas. None of which mean lifting a finger or become a man's skivvy.

As soon as Jared saw Clarice he was taken in by her beauty...and the stories she told him about her life at home. He worried for her and her safety and stopped by the next day to check on her. As he turned to leave, he was disheartened to see that she did not wait to see him off but had rather closed the door. Jared thought it was love at first sight...until he met Rose. Then life changes considerably as he finds love and secures his place in the world.

Wanting more than love and a life of skivvying, Clarice packs a few belongings and with the housekeeping money flees to find greener pastures. She wants a more comfortable life, a grander life. She wants money and status and all the things those have to offer which she won't find around here. And so she becomes Clara Christian and meets Clifford St John who introduces her to casinos. There she plays the hand she knows best - cards - and wins handsomely. Her appetite whet, she craves the tables and the winnings she collects from them, building her wealth and therefore able to keep herself in the luxuries to which she has grown accustomed. But like a bad penny, nothing lasts forever...

What a delightful read THE BAD PENNY is! I was so thrilled to revisit Jared and his friends at Maguire's once again. Though mostly feel good throughout, there is an emotional event that is both heartbreaking and lifechanging for Jared and everyone else. I love how they all band together like one big family. The two stories of Jared and Clarice are woven together nicely while two separate threads they still entwined on the fringes. As much of a bad penny Clarice was, I was actually please with her outcome despite the circumstances. And as for Jared? I'd love to see more of him, Rose and their friends.

As usual, Lindsey Hutchinson has woven another delightful tale that is worthy of 5 stars. It is an exceptionally easy and quick read easily devoured in one sitting.

I would like to thank #LindseyHutchinson, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheBadPenny in exchange for an honest review.

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

Another excellent,heartwarming saga from this author. Continues the series featuring the scrap yard and it's workers.. New faces and old face heartbreak and happiness.

When Jared Johnston first meets Clarice Connaught, he saves her from the hands of her father, who is brutally beating her in the street. Never one to walk past someone in distress, Jared doesn't hesitate to help. But who is this girl and what is her story? Jared Johnston started with nothing. At just twelve years old he was orphaned and homeless, but eight years later, Jared is a success. Running McGuire's Rag and Bone Yard and surrounded by his friends, all Jared needs now is to find the perfect girl to settle down with.

Birmingham, 1894. We are back with Jared Johnston and his friends. Jared is now the manager at McGuire's rag and bone yead. One day he hears a scream and sees a man beating his daughter. Jared saves Clarice Connaught from her father. But Clarice is not all that she seems, she is a bad penny who keeps turning up.

I do love a Lyndsey Hutchinson book and it was nice to be back with Jared, his friends and some new characters. This is quite a heartbreaking read, but it will also make you laugh. I was pulled in from the first page. The story feels true to the era it was written and the pace is steady. The characters are well developed, and I just loved Jared, a boy with an adult head who had to quickly grow up and take care of himself. This is another fantastic read by the author.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LindseyHutchinson for my ARC of #TheBadPenny in exchange for an honest review.

The Bad Penny - Lindsey Hutchinson

Once starting this book I found it a little difficult to put down, it was such an emotional read, I really felt connected to the characters and I think this just speaks volumes for the writing style. Lindsey Hutchinson was a new author for me and only recently have I been getting into the saga style books and totally enjoying them, so will be giving this authors back log a little search after.

Thanks so much Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Really enjoyed this book, read it within two days, lovely storyline and good characters. When started reading I didn’t realise the story really started in the previous book so will have to read that one.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the early read

Birmingham 1894.
Her life can turn on the toss of a coin.

Jared Johnson manager at the rag and bone yard, McGuire, hears a scream a man is beating his own daughter and saves her, Clarice Connaught a dark haired beauty, after afternoon tea he believes in love at first sight.
But Clarice wants more than love that a man can offer and find a new more comfortable life away from her father, becoming Clara Christian she get greed from casino's but she is a bad penny and nothing last forever.
Jared has moved on with his life and is happy in his life and work.

This book was superb, gripping, heart breaking. I love these two characters in their own role right up to the ending, but I certainly wouldn't like to cross Clarice, she is one psycho woman that wont stop at nothing to get revenge.
readers are going to love this read and it's is one of my favourites from this author.

t’s some time since I have reviewed historical fiction and come across a Lindsey Hutchinson novel, and I was excited when it was offered as a review title. I knew I loved the story as soon as I started the novel. Clarice and Jared meet quite by chance and it’s not in good circumstances. I liked how concerned he was for her well-being. But is her story of why she was so vulnerable really true? Is her father really the bad person she makes him out to be?

The atmosphere of the time and everyone’s ups and downs in life are very well shown and I was immersed in the book, thanks to the plot and

The backstory for each character was expertly weaved in. I was torn over what to feel for Clarice: I believed what she went through at first, then I had my doubts. The way Lindsey Hutchinson made me feel this was vey well done. I was angry at her father then felt for him.

Clarice is illiterate but very astute, and I did not like Clifford. She wove her way into his life to get what she wanted and this was also well shown by the author.

I wanted Jared and Clarice to be together, and felt for Jared as his thoughts don’t stray from Clarice, even as he gets on with his life. I was glad Jared had friends. I liked how they supported him and was sad for Sam and his mother’s death,

The Lucky Penny is an amazing journey of resilience through hardship, the ups and downs of life and finding support and moving on as well as you can.There are people who have different life realities

Jared’s commitment to Clarice and finding her again, is admirable yet heartbreaking and his priority is always her welfare. I was really nervous waiting to see if they would see each other again.

Then I agreed with Judith that he’d be better off with someone else. I loved how he feet Rose and the constant support of his friends whatever happened in life.

Lindsey Hutchinson has done it again and this is definitely worth 5 stars. It’s my favourite Lindsey Hutchinson novel so far, and I liked the play on words for the title which I won’t reveal, but which I’ll let those who are interested in the book figure out. It’s skilful, that’s for sure.

I adore this book and know I will remember it for a long time. I finished it in a day.

I am so happy I got the last slot on the blog tour for The Bad Penny. It’s a gem of a book.

Thanks to Lindsey Hutchinson, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Bad Penny is an understatement for Clarice Connaught! When Jared Johnson comes to her rescue he thinks he’s found the woman of his dreams. Sometimes first impressions can deceive.
Jarred has gradually earned respect with his workers because he worked his way up to manager and in return shows respect to them. This leads to an environment where they all look out for each other during the hard times. Toby McGuire, the owner of the yard looks after all of them as he found happiness with Alice after many wasted years so likes to see them all right.
I love the varying characters, even Clara, felt sorry for Clifford.
The descriptions of the funerals made me actually feel the emotion as if I was standing alongside them.
I’d give more than⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if I could.

Again a great read from Lindsey Huthcinson.This is the next chapter in the life of Jared Johnson who first appeared in "The Ragged orphan". Jared is manager of Toby McGuire's ,King of Tatters ,rag and bone yard along with all the friends he has made their.This the story of him meeting Clarice Connaught who is like him and has had to be a surviver with whatever life throws at them. I hope there is another book that tells what happens next to Jared. It is a book that once you start to read it you can't put it down.I like to thank Netgalley and Boldwod books for letting me read it.