Brilliant read as usual from Glenda, great storyline and characters and that descriptive you feel like you are part of the story, could not put it down

The Toffee Factory Girls by Glenda Young is a lovely novel about 3 friends who meet while working. at Jack's Toffee Factory in 1915 England The trio include: Anne Wright, the reserved, yet very kind secretary to Mr. William Jack, the factory owner; Hetty Lawson, the reserved, hard-working, unappreciated daughter, and the the flamboyant, careless and carefree, Elsie Cooper. Perhaps unlikely friends in a different time, they form a very strong alliance, and support each other through joy and sorrow. It is an easy read, a heart-warming novel with characters that captured my heart. Thanks to NetGalley, Headline Publishing Group and Glenda Young for the opportunity to read and review an Advanced Reader Copy of The Toffee FactoryGirls.
I definitely recommend it. 4 Star

This is a beautiful book and it is so amazing, the story is so lovely and very enjoyable to read. i loved everything about this book and i would recommend to anyone who loves reading to give this book a go. it is a lovely book and i will read other books from this author.

This was quite good. Predictable but not a bad story. One thing that really irritated me was how the book is set in the north east and yet they kept calling the mother mum and it’s never mum. It’s always MAM. Just a small irritant for accuracy as being from the north east I know lol otherwise canny read.

This is the first book in a new series by Glenda Young.It is the story of three girls who all start at Jack's Toffee Factory in 1915. Anne works for Mr Jack's in his office while Elsie and Hetty work in the Wrapping room. This was a great read and look forward too the next in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Headlines.

Just when you think you've read your favourite Glenda Young book, she goes and writes another absolute belter. The Toffee Factory Girls is the first book in an exciting new saga series and it's completely unmissable.

Glenda Young is such a fantastic storyteller that any book she writes draws you in from the very first page. Once I picked up The Toffee Factory Girls I couldn't put it down; it was liked I'd stepped into the book and through time and found myself in Chester-le-Street in 1915.

Glenda's research is meticulous and I could almost smell the toffee in Mr Jack's factory, that was inspired by Chester-le-Street's once-famous Horner's Dainty Dinah toffee factory. The setting is delectable but it's the wonderful characters that provide the entertainment that keeps the pages turning as fast as your eyes can read the perfectly written words.

I learnt something new when I was reading The Toffee Factory Girls as I didn't know about the Birtley Belgians and I found it fascinating that they had their own village called Elisabethville. I can just imagine the suspicion about these foreigners and mothers warning their daughters to not fraternise with the Belgians. I'm sure the girls listened to their mams!

Entertaining, heartwarming and as moreish as the toffee that features in it, I'm so glad that The Toffee Factory Girls is part of a trilogy as I didn't want it to end and could have continued reading about these fabulous characters long after I turned the final page. I can't wait for more and I very highly recommend this unforgettable and unmissable book.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

What a brilliant start to the series.

The storyline follows the lives of Anne, Hetty and Elsie, their work at the Toffee Factory and beyond. Set during WW1 it gives a snapshot of this era. I was fascinated with the Belgium village. I'm looking forward to reading more about here in the next books.

I've read a few books by Glenda, and they always draw me in. I'm already looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

I have read some of Glenda Young's books set in the Ryhope area of the North East and all of her cozy crime books and enjoy them all

This is the first of a new series set in a Toffee Factory in Chester-Le-Street. Once I had got over the fact that the hyphens were all over the place in the formatting of the place name - this book caught my imagination and I was reading little sections whenever I could.
It is well written and well researched and the characters were a delight.
It centred round Hetty, Anne and Elsie - their lives, their loves and their expectations. Sometimes Elsie needed to give herself a shake but I think she needed to think she was being loved when in fact it was the opposite.

Set in WW1 with all around being topsy turvy it was interesting to read of the ways of the Toffee factory and how the War was affecting both the workforce and the ingredients they will have to work with.

I look forward to the next in the series and to see if it centres on just one of the girls or has parts for all of them like this book had.

A great and worthwhile read.

I love the books written by this author but think this is her best book yet! Each character had their own agenda and Glenda worked every story beautifully into this book! Cannot wait for the next book in this series, brilliant!
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

A delight to read. I grew to love the girls from the Toffee Factory.

Each girl had a story to tell. Not one of them shared a similar background. But yet they became the closest of friends. We could learn from this.

I really enjoyed the book. I look forward to the next installment as it ended with me having a lot of questions.

This is my first Glenda Young book. It sure won't be my last.

I loved this book!! I read it today in one sitting.
It's mainly about three girls Anne, Hetty and Elsie who meet when they start work in the local Toffee Factory. Anne as secretary to Mr Jack who runs the place and Hetty and Elsie who work in the Wrapping room. They each have secrets and these come to light during the story as the girls grow close and become firm friends.
Hetty is quite straight laced and the exact opposite of Elsie, who likes a good time and makes some bad decisions. Anne is trying to make a better life for herself while hiding her heartache.
But it's 1915 and the world is at war and things are grim and about to get worse. Sugar rationing is expected any time and that's the death knell for the factory.
The story was wonderfully done. I liked the main characters, even though I wanted to shake Elsie at times and get her to wise up. Usually one girl will come to the fore in stories like this and at first I thought it would be Anne but it's actually Hetty everything sort of revolves around and she was my favourite too.
This author writes a weekly serial in The People's Friend magazine, that I thoroughly enjoy so I thought I'd give this novel a go on the strength of that. I'm glad I did! This author can write!
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good saga with 'real' people.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

There are two reasons why I chose to read The Toffee Factory Girls by Glenda Young. The first is that I was in the audience at an event when Ms. Young was sharing her journey as an author. The second being I learned that her books are set in locations close to my home which left me intrigued and wanting to read her work.

I thoroughly enjoyed this narrative. Anne, Hetty and Elsie are three ladies who become friends after meeting whilst working at Jack's toffee factory. I loved getting to know these three completely different characters. I appreciated learning the difficulties they faced due to the war and on a more personal level too. Recognising many of the settings featured throughout the story was an added bonus. I live in the North East of England and as far as I am aware, there are not many recently released novels that have scenes set in this part of the country.

This is the first book of a trilogy that shares the lives of Hetty, Anne and Elsie, and I'm already looking forward to discovering what happens next when Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls releases in 2025. In the meantime, I have Glenda Young's other series to read and enjoy.

I award The Toffee Factory Girls 4-4.5 stars.

The first in a set of three and this book is so good that I can't wait for the next two, Set in WW1 we see three girls who are working in a toffee factory and what happens in their lives as we progress through the book.. 5 stars and keep your eyes open for the next two books.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

The Toffee Factory Girls by Glenda Young.

Any book written by this author is a winner and this one is no different. A real page turner , and a great way to while away a few hours.
In 1915 three women start work at a toffee factory in the market town of Chester-le-Street, Durham.

Anne works for the enigmatic owner Mr Jack. She is highly efficient and whips Mr Jack's disorganised office - and Mr Jack himself - into shape. However, behind her business-like façade, Anne hides a heart-breaking secret.

Elsie is feisty, fun and enjoys a good time. However, her gadabout ways get her into trouble when she falls for the wrong man in the sugar-boiling room.

And there's dependable Hetty, who's set to marry her boyfriend when he returns from the war. But when Hetty is sent on an errand by the toffee factory boss, her life changes in ways she could never imagine and a whole new world opens up.

Living near Chester-le-Street and knowing many of the places added to my enjoyment of the book. It made me look into the history of the town and read about the Dainty Dinah factory.

Parts of this story I enjoyed, parts not so much. At times I felt like I knew the girls then at other times I wanted to give a shake and they infuriated me.

The start of what should be an enjoyable series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for allowing me to read and review an Arc copy.

A great book by Glenda Young about the Toffee Factory Girls. Makes a reader think how different things were in the early 1900's. Looking forward to next thankyou for advanced copy.

Another great read by Glenda Young, the toffee factory girls based on 3 young girls working at the factory during ww1, a great first book and looking forward to the next.

I'd never read anything by Glenda Young before reading The Toffee Factory Girls but I'll certainly be looking out for her books now. I loved this story and can't wait to read the next in the series! The characters were engaging and I feel there's a lot more to learn about them - which is always exciting as a reader.
I am a fan of books set in the period of the 2 World Wars and this one, being set in the midst of WWI didn't disappoint.

Historical drama set in and around a toffee factory at the start of World War One. Some interesting characters which I look forward to seeing develop in the next book.

Set in WW1 the Toffee Factory Girls follows the lives of 3 girls who work at a toffee factory in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham. Anne works in Mr Jack's office and Hetty and Elsie in the wrapping room. Together they forge a strong friendship as they help each other through the challenges of life and the secrets of their past.

Whilst it took me a while to get into it, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.