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Member Reviews
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Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, which had me hooked from the beginning.
We meet up with the girls, when war is still ongoing. Jessie has come to London to see if she can make her dream come true at the Adelphi Theatre. She was informed by her mum to be careful of those who will try and take advantage of her. But who can she trust and who to be wary of?
The story had some nice surprises.
Ruby isn’t still finding things difficult, but Imogen, her niece is really good with her, making her feel wanted and that she can do things.
The different characters in the story was nice, the ones that were helpful to Jessie, even those that weren’t.
I highly recommend this book.
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Book one of four in this new series by Tracy Baines.
This one is set on Cleethorpes in WW2
As usual the characters are interesting and draw you in to want to read more .
A good read .
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Yet another WWII story time frame set in Britain but of those who held the fort on the home front. In this case of the girls who entertained the lads that had to go off to the battle front. Girls such as Jesse, Frances, Ruby, Ginny and their supportive loved ones who took their work seriously as a way to do their part for the war effort. Their shows often went on despite air raid warnings, entertainers and crew alike, holding fast. Other pitfalls though of the trade as Jessie experienced - never really knowing who was a true friend.
I did find the narrative somewhat slow starting off as there were so many characters to keep track of - it felt scattered. However, it eventually straightened out taking the reader from one stage, so to speak, to another, for Frances and Ruby, then to Ginny's plight and then back to Jesse's stage, which then circled round again.
The author did manage to create the emotions, I believe, of elation for the girls' successes, for the heartbreaking devastations, and the courage to endure the ongoing Blitz's effects. These are good glimpses of what it was to have lived through those years, for those of us who have not been through it all directly.
~ Eunice C. Reviewer/Blogger ~
September 2024
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Net Galley and the publisher.
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Book 1 of 4 - A death of their father in 1939, the family works together in order to stay together. Very touching story. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
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My word. The Seaside Girls under Fire is a historical fiction that kept me reading, looking for the bright spots during a very horrible time in the world's history. The story shares glimpses into what life might have been like for this living in England during the horrible bombings.
Many of the characters happen to be in the entertainment business. What a great way to have the characters in different locations. I was able to see that people didn't always have the same experiences. The bombings in London never seemed to stop. The damage and the loss of life broke my heart.
This story did something that many history and text books fail to do. Tracy Baines made it real. Her descriptions made it easy to imagine what was happening during the war. Reading about the horrors of World War Two is bad enough. I never, ever want to experience it.
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This was a captivating historical fiction novel, set in the time of World War II.
Set in Cleethorpes, a seaside town, it focused on the lives of these women—Jessie Delaney, Ginny Thompson, and Frances Randolph—who are associated by their roles in the entertainment industry.
Their individual stories are written and bringing the story together.
I love reading the girls’ roles as performers and entertainers in the war. Their new roles and adapting to the life of war.
Their love and friendship grew with the pressures of war.
I enjoyed the story, combining historical side with the girls individual stories.
A new author to me who I intend to read more of.
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My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this novel.
The fourth instalment of this beloved series finds the three young women of the title facing down the nightmare that was imminent in the previous volume. With Britain’s entry into the war, the Empire Theatre has been shuttered, and their Variety Girls act to entertain the troops and keep up home front morale has been at least interrupted. The book opens in September 1940, the Blitz is underway, and the seaside village of Cleethorpes is rife with the ensuing tensions. Changes are happening as they inevitably must in a crisis situation, and choices have to be made without the luxury of prolonged reflection.
Although the theatres can now offer some minimal entertainment for morale’s sake, the trio has been compelled to move on. They face separation, at least ‘for the duration’ and perhaps for good. Talented singer Jessie Delaney, offered a place on a famous stage of London’s West End, is trying to settle in her new life. Battling loneliness and homesickness and the worst of the nightly Nazi bombardments, and worrying about her RAF fiancé, she is nonetheless determined to become a star. Much less exciting and gratifying is Ginny Thompson’s lot. She has been summoned back to her native Sheffield, which she had left at 15, after her mother’s death, swearing never to return. With her brothers all enlisted, she has to care for her mean-spirited, abusive, and now ailing father. Only the now-married Frances Randolph remains in Cleethorpes, now with the onerous responsibility of filling her husband’s role in running the Palace that his family owns as he is off to fight in the war. She also has to contend with the challenge of her emotionally disturbed sister in law, with whom she now shares a home, and who she cannot trust after all the trouble she caused between her and her husband Jack.
For series followers, the story and its main characters will be familiar and ‘cozy,’ as always, with enough development in both to satisfy them. For those new to the series, there is just enough backstory to provide the necessary context, but you may find going back at least to the previous volume to be worthwhile. There is much warmth and affection here that rings true against the anxious backdrop of war and sacrifice, and the girls’ steadfast love and loyalty for each other are touching in their persistence against the odds of life changes and a dangerous world.
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This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I have enjoyed all the books in the series.
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Historical drama part of a series,set during the war,featuring a group of young women involved in the entertainment industry. Great characters and a good story.
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It's not all stardust and sequins.
Cleethorpes 1940.
The seaside girls Jessie Delaney, Ginny Thompson and Frances Randolph.
What's to become for the girls now the country is at war.
Amazing read once again that the main focus is on Jessie, I just love this series from the author very much so. Full of heartache love and family and friends coming together.
Loved it.
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I wanted to like this book and the description, cover, etc. all indicated that it would be right up my alley. However, is it part of a series? I felt like I was dropped in the middle of an on-going story without any background or understanding of key elements. There were so many characters I had a hard time remembering/keeping track of who was who.
I thought Harry, the RAF pilot, had curiously copious amounts of leave and was able to communicate with Jessie without the normal war-time hassles.
There is potential here and perhaps if I had a better history with the characters, my overall reaction would have been 3 or 4 star.
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Awwww absolutely loved catching up with the girls again, brilliant storyline and the usual fabulous characters, can’t wait to catch up with the ladies again, brilliant read
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The Seaside Girls under Fire is the fourth book in the series, The Seaside Girls. When I decided to read the book I looked it up and read that it was the first in a series. Later I discovered that it is the fourth. Normally that wouldn't be an issue for me because many books in a series can be read as stand-alones. This could be one of them, perhaps for somebody else. But, for me, so much happened in the first 3 books that when they were briefly recapped in this book there was just too much going on. When I started to get a little overwhelmed with reading things that happened previously, I realised that this book wasn't the first in a series.
That said, I did enjoy the book. The main characters Jessie, and Ginny had stories that made me run the gamut of emotions. I won't give spoilers, but some scenes had me in tears or gasping out loud. Thankfully there were a lot of fun moments too so by the time I finished the book I didn't feel worn out from all of my emotions.
I wish I had read the previous books first because I don't feel like I can go back and read them now as I know how it all ends. So if you get the chance, and haven't already, I would recommend that you read the series in order.
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The Seaside Girls Under Fire is the latest installment of The Seaside Girls by Tracy Baines. It was a great read.
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3.5 stars rounded up
The Seaside Girls #4
Cleethorpes - September 1940: It's all change for the Seaside Girls....
Singer Jessie Delaney has finally got her big break in London's West End and is determined to make the most of her golden opportunity, even with the start of the Blitz. Lonely and lacking the guidance of her friends and family, Jesse hopes that the seasoned performer Adele Bailey will help her find her feet. But when fame beckons, friendships are tested and loyalties are divided.
Ginny Thompson returns home to Sheffield to care for her sick but abusive father. Will she survive the wrath of her father and the Blitz and return to her passion of entertaining the troops on stage?
Meanwhile, back in Cleethorpes, Frances Randolph is busy running the Palace Theatre while her husband serves his King and Country, wondering if her life in the spotlight is over forever.
Will Jessie make the right choices as she navigates her way up to the top - and can Ginny and Frances find their way back to the limelight?
Published 22nd September 2024
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #TracyBaines for my ARC of #TheSeasideGirlsUnderFire in exchange for an honest review.
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It took me about 1/3 of the ok to get into. Found it didn’t have much to hold my attention. It then improved and I was quite enjoying the plot and the characters. The last part of the story was more intriguing and I felt as if I was knowing the characters. Maybe this wasn’t one totally for me.
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A great read with great characters as they continue as does WW2. Jessie sets off for London and theatre but she is very naive. A lot of interaction with Ruby and Ginny as well as Harry her fiancé. Thanks to Tracy and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.
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Set during the Second World War, the story concerns a group of young women who work in the theatre. It covers the privations of war, and particularly of trying to continue to work in London at that time with regular air raids and bombing. The heroine, Jessie, is incredibly naive - she has a fiance in the RAF (who seems able to down tools to visit her at every opportunity) but has little street sense and is taken advantage of, or almost so, by a variety of people in the world of theatre. She shares a dressing room with worldly-wise Adele, who is torn between protecting her and exploiting her ignorance.
This is clearly a series, and there is a lot of reference back to what has gone before, which I found confusing. It was also quite difficult to sort out the various characters as none were really well-drawn and felt a little one-dimensional.
Overall the history felt sound and the story bowled along well. Its an interesting, light read. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc
Another brilliant family saga love catching up with the girls again
Can’t wait to read more by this author
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This book will have you on the edge of your seat at times. Joining the girls again during the blitz, when Jessie has just moved to London to try her luck at the Adelphi Theatre. Jessie has been warned by mum Grace about people who will try to take advantage of her. The only problem with that is, who do you actually trust? Is Grace doing her a favour by letting her make her own mistakes! There are actually some surprises along the way!
Ruby is struggling with everyday life, her niece Imogen I’d a great help to her.
I really enjoyed the mix of characters, even the wolf in sheep’s clothing. And the ones who were the exact opposite.
The moral of the story is that there is always someone worse off than yourself .
I do hope there will be another in the series.