I really enjoyed this, it's quite eye-opening how quakers were treated during the war and I love seeing the friendship between our 3 main characters

The third book in the series fits nicely with the others. While it can be read on its own, returning to the previously introduced characters allows for a smoother transition into the story.
This installment explores World War One, focusing on the Clarks factory and the lives of their families. It’s a delightful book to settle into, featuring a compelling story.
There is significant heartbreak as many men do not return home, highlighting the support each family receives and the bonds that are formed. The author skillfully brings her characters to life, making it easy for readers to connect with them

This is the latest instalment in the Clarks factory Girls series and centres around the ongoing impact of the first World War. We're now in 1916 and the villagers are struggling with conscription which for many is at odds with the Quaker philosophy followed by so many. When Kate befriends Gerald, a Quaker imprisoned for refusing to fight, she begins to grasp the true predicament the community is facing. Still mourning the loss of her sweetheart Mattie, Louisa clashes with her parents, who refused to allow her to marry him because of their different religious beliefs. As her mother’s efforts to find Louisa a husband remain relentless, Louisa finds comfort in her friendship with Jeannie’s brother Lucas. Meanwhile, Jeannie is torn between her heart and her faith. With each other’s support, the girls stay true to their beliefs, even as the village endures its darkest days yet.

This is the third in the series and therefore probably best read in order. You could read it as a standalone but the story is building with each instalment and the relationships are developing. One of the strengths of this series is that it doesn't shy away from the terrible losses faced by many families and the horrors of war. There are gritty depictions of the treatment of the conscientious objectors who were imprisoned and of the difficult situation that some young women found themselves in but there are also lighter moments. Intrinsically this series is about friendship and that despite difficult times, it can still prevail. I'm looking forward to the next chapter in Street. With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. I love the Clarks Factory Girls series, and it just keeps going from strength to strength. These books are perfectly paced, drawing you further into the world of the characters each time. Ellis' writing is vivid and engaging.

Another wonderful story from this author. I love this series so much. May brings everything to life and I felt I was really there. Very interesting too. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed this series and getting to know the characters. I'm a fan of historical fiction and reading about this time period has been very interesting. I appreciate expanding my knowledge about not only the war but also about the Quakers. Thanks #NetGalley #Boldwoodbooks

How good it is to catch-up with The Clark’s Factory Girls in this, the third book in the series. The war in Europe is ongoing but everybody is not prepared to take up arms. In the village of Street a lot of the community are Quakers and pacifists, and up to now they could refuse to go to war but times are tough and so the government have brought in conscription. The girls find themselves writing to some of those who were arrested as conscientious objectors, and through them we learn what happened to men who found themselves in this situation.
The girls themselves continue to keep the home fires burning by working away in the Clarkes Factory. Still grieving for her beloved Mattie, Louisa finds comfort with Jeannies family where an unexpected friendship blossoms. Kate is still coming to terms with the death of her mother and Jeannie is struggling with her own dilemmas.
This is a lovely series of books, which while set in wartime Britain, looks at this historical period through a different lens than most of the stories set in this era.
Many thanks to #BoldwoodBooks and #NetGalley for my ARC of this book.
For me it a 5⭐️ book and I would encourage anyone who enjoys light historical fiction to pick this one up.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls.

This book is the third in a series, and I haven't read the previous two so I did struggle slightly with who was who in the connections in this book at the start. But aside from that I loved this book, i will be reading the first two books, waiting (im)patiently for the fourth book, and searching other books written by this author.
Highly Recommend.

As usual in my reviews I won't rehash the plot - there are reviews like that out there if that is what you are looking for...

I've read the other novels in this series, so was delighted to be invited to read this latest book.

This is a cosy and enjoyable read - albeit with some sad sections. Like the previous novels, the story is a mix of friendship, romance and history - and features the core characters from the previous novels plus some new ones, all well written and believable.

As usual, there are multiple plot lines running through the novel, and we learn more about the backstories of several recurring characters. The story took a surprising twist at one point - but having thought about it, it made perfect sense!

I'm hoping that there will be more stories in the "Clarks Factory Girls" series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

I am so lucky to have discovered yet another historical fiction series published by Boldwood Books that I just loved. While this is book three in the Clark Factory Girls, this is the first I’ve read and I had no issues following the storyline. Although I’m sure readers can guess what I did as soon as I finished book three? Yes, that’s right, I added books one and two to my TBR because I needed to know the rest of the stories. @theboldbookclub

In this latest entry, Jeannie, Louisa, and Kate are in the midst of a war in 1916, and I was simply swept away in the stories of their lives at this point in the war. I honestly haven’t read as much fiction set around WWI so I found that particularly interesting. I also didn’t know much about the lives of Quakers during the war. This novel felt well researched without reading like a textbook. The vivid details of the time period and the emotions of our main characters brought the story to life. There’s heartbreak and hardship throughout the story, but it’s also full of hope and love and I felt invested from the very start to the very end.

Another great addition to this series, an easy read and good to catch up with the characters, looking forward to the next in series.

I was delighted to be able to spend more time with the three main characters of this book, best friends Kate, Jeannie and Louisa. The book picks up where the previous book left off with the stand off between Louisa and her parents. Having said that, this book works well as a standalone novel by explaining the background if you have not read the previous books.

The strongest theme that runs through all of these books is the strong bond of friendship that the three women have. Each of them are different but it is easy to identify with aspects of all three of them. In their own ways they each demonstrate courage and the conviction of their beliefs.

Set during the First World War, we as readers have the benefit of hindsight that the characters do not. We are aware of when the war will end but, of course, the characters do not and it was easy to understand how they must have felt like the war had been going on for such a long time, living in fear of friends and loved ones who are away fighting on the front. The author depicts the time period extremely well and portrays the stresses and strains on people of the time.

This is an excellent book and series in the historical saga genre and I highly recommend it.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources. This WWI saga follows Louisa, Kate and Jeannie, who work at the Clarks shoe factory, and this is the third book in the series.

I've read the previous two books in the series, and I enjoyed them. Initially, I wondered if it may have been helpful to revisit them again before coming to this one. Once I started reading, though, I found it didn't really matter, as the characters felt familiar to me.

I enjoyed reading about these characters again, and I feel the author presents them in a way that allows the reader to connect with all of them in some way. If you asked me which of the main characters I connected with or identified with the most, I'd find it hard to choose. I was pleased to see the return of Lucas as well, as he was one of my favourite characters from the previous books, and I hoped to see him develop further as a character.

I appreciated the bonds of friendship between the characters, and that was something that I enjoyed in the previous books as well. This lovely third instalment had some heartwarming moments, and some tearjerker moments. If you haven't read the previous books, I think this may work as a standalone, but I would recommend the previous books as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

I absolutely love this series and a catch up with the Clarks girls is always welcome, even though the country is at war.

Dark Times is the third in the series, it works as a standalone, but I'd recommending reading as part of the series for better context, background and character development.

I love the cameraderie and spirit of the community, it shines through and their resilience is second to none.

A thoroughly enjoyable inclusion to the series.

Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls
is the third book in this series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. It was wonderful to be back with the three main characters , Jeannie, Louisa, Kate and their families. The First World
War is still raging on and whilst most of
the men folk are away fighting the women are keeping things going at the factory and in their homes. It’s a tough time for everyone but they are all coping and battling on with life and all that’s going on. As soon as I started
reading this book I felt like I was back with dear friends as the author has such a wonderful way of writing it just made me feel I was there with them all .
Each of the three girls have their own problems which they do their best to deal with and they have each other when times are tough. I absolutely love this saga series and can’t wait to read book number four .

Last year, I read my first book by this author – Courage for the Clarks Factory Girls, which ended up being one of the best books I read in 2024. I was planning to read Book 1 in the series soon, but when Book 3 came out, I knew I had to catch up on what was happening and was eager to read Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls.
This is able to be read as a standalone, but personally, I’d recommend starting from Book 1 to get the most out of the series.
The Prologue is set in January 1916, in Bristol. Gerald, a Quaker and a pacifist, had been working with the ambulance unit in France, but was now back home with his mum. He is suffering from something like PTSD as we would recognise it now and works at the market garden growing food. But the conscription bill is coming in, which now means he would be expected to fight in the war.
Moving forward to May 1916, we catch up with all the familiar characters from the previous book. We follow the stories of the three girls as they continue their lives in Street during the First World War. They all still work at the Clarks Factory. Louisa is struggling living with her strict parents after the death of her boyfriend Mattie. Kate is going to the Quakers meetings with friend Jeannie, who is unsure about Tom’s feelings for her.
The conscription bill means more of their family and friends are being called up to fight and Kate begins to write to some of the men that are in prison for refusing to fight due to their religious beliefs. One of her penpals is Gerald.
I loved this book, I like how I always learn things from these kinds of stories as well as enjoy finding out what happens to the characters. Louisa is my favourite; it was so sad what happened to her in the previous novel and I was pleased to see her standing up to her horrible parents. I liked the introduction of some new characters like Gerald and Cyril, and finding out more about Tom too.
Overall, it’s a wonderful, absorbing novel and I’m looking forward to Book 4, which is due out in May.

With every new book in the Clark Factory Girls series, we get to know more about the characters and love or hate them even more! This third book in the series, Dark Times for the Clark Factory Girls, is very emotional. I enjoy the way the author believably develops the characters. I particularly like learning about the Quakers and how the men who wouldn't go to fight were treated. It was quite shocking.

Although set during wartime with sad moments, there were plenty of sigh-worthy moments, romantic and heartwarming. I won't give spoilers but relationships forming during this book made me smile, especially Louisa's and a particular person I never expected she would bond with.

I loved this book and can't wait for the next one in the series!

This book can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone. The story centers on Jeannie, Kate, and Louisa, three young friends and coworkers at the Clarks Factory who are navigating life during the turbulent times of World War I.

January 1916 after months on the front lines in France, Gerald, a pacifist Quaker, returns to live with his mother and work the land haunted by the horrors of war.

In May 1916, Louisa is grappling with anger because her parents have insisted her son be raised by her late boyfriend’s brother and sister-in-law. During her separation from Mattie the pain is unbearable and she befriends Jeannie’s brother, Lucas, who is recovering from a war injury. However, Lousia’s mother has other plans for her future and Louise is forced to face them.
Kate is struggling with her own grief both for her mother and her father’s decision to move his mistress into their home. This grief leads her to the Quaker church where she befriends Gerald, who now faces arrest for his refusal to fight. To make things more heartbreaking Kate’s brothers are called up for service.

With the Clarks shoe factory setting the backdrop of this we see the support the factory workers have for one another. However, tensions rise as pacifists and injured soldiers face hostility and even receive white feathers.

This was simply a great read. If you love sagas with war as the backdrop then this is certainly the series for you. I enjoyed all of the characters as they are well written. I did find myself feeling much more for Louisa than the others but I connected with her a little better. Nothing more than that. There is plenty of heartbreak and dram but also hope that fills the pages of this moving story.

Historical Fiction at its best. I think that this is my favorite genre. I was introduced to May Ellis a few years ago. I have enjoyed every book (this is the 3rd of the series) and loved getting to know Kate, Louisa and Jeannie even more. They work together at the Clark Factory and have become the closest of friends.
The book continues with the girls attempting to survive the losses of their loved ones. The continuing war brings more heart break and fear.

I will wait, but not so patiently, for the next book. I need to know how the girls forge ahead during these difficult times.

Thank goodness the Clark Girls have each other.

Book three in The Clarks Factory Girls series from May Ellis and once again we are thrown into war-torn Somerset, and the lives of the men and women of Street, many of whom work in the Clarks shoe factory. Throughout the series, battles are being fought, on the frontline, but also in homes, where parents and children don't always see eye to eye!

I love to read about the resilience of people, towns and villages, as they dealt with the horrors which war threw at them. Despite the hardships, they battle on and usually come out smiling. May Ellis draws me into her books and makes me feel like a part of the family, and I can just imagine sitting down with them and having a cuppa and a natter in front of the fire.

The world has come a long way since the early 1900s, when women weren't allowed to work once they got married and were expected to keep house and look after the children. Sometimes it's difficult to imagine how that was even a thing!

I love my days with the girls, and I can't wait to see what May has in store for them next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls by May Ellis.