In the latest book in the Clarks Factory Girls series, life continues in 1916 England as World War I rages on the continent and Louisa, Jeannie, Kate, and their friends continue to negotiate the tension in their small town. Grieving Mattie’s death and constantly fighting her parents’ wishes for her to marry and move on, Louisa discovers a friend in Jeannie’s brother Lucas. Kate, having seen her friends’ struggles over the war, discovers what it means when she befriends Gerald, who had been arrested for refusing to fight, and Jeannie finds her heart and her faith at odds in this complicated community. As the girls desperately attempt to find hope in their struggles, readers too must navigate these challenging and trying moments in the village’s darkest hour. Beautifully written, emotional, and complex, the characters continue to grow and develop over the course of the novel, and May Ellis really does a fantastic job bringing these different perspectives and challenges to life in alternating chapters and multiple perspectives. Carrying the same strength and hope across the series and really bringing this small and divided community to life, this is a fantastic continuation of the series and of the stories of Kate, Jeannie, and Louisa that readers will love.

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.

The Clarks Factory Girls and the men in their lives are in for a turbulent time. Lives have been lost and others changed forever. There in no going back, but how do they move forward. In this book the friends find themselves once again struggling to make sense of life, to build and keep relationships and to live life during such a dark time. The reader wants the best for them all and rejoices at their small wins whilst being saddened at their pain. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

A beautifully moving tale of love, loss, and the deep divides that war carves through even the tightest-knit communities. Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls follows Jeannie, Kate, and Louisa—three young women working at the Clark’s Shoe Factory in Somerset—as they navigate the personal and societal upheaval of 1916.

Kate is drawn to Gerald, a pacifist Quaker arrested for refusing to fight, forcing her to question her own beliefs as her brothers are called up. Louisa, still grieving Mattie, clashes with her parents over the son they won’t let her acknowledge, while finding unexpected solace in the company of Jeannie’s brother Lucas. And Jeannie herself struggles to reconcile her faith with her heart’s desires.

The novel is rich with historical detail, and the tension between those who fight and those who refuse adds an emotional depth that lingers. There’s warmth in the camaraderie of the factory girls, but also gut-wrenching moments of grief and injustice. With beautifully drawn characters and a real sense of time and place, this is a deeply compelling read. I’m thrilled to know there’s a fourth book on the way—I need to see how it all ends!

Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls is the third title in May Ellis’ touching, emotional and heartfelt series set during the First World War.

Seismic changes are coming to the country- and the village of Street – in 1915. England is in the grip of conscription and pacifism is under scrutiny. When Kate befriend a young Quaker who is arrested for refusing to fight, she begins to better understand the dilemma which her community is struggling with. Meanwhile, Louisa is dealing with struggles of her own. Her beloved sweetheart Mattie has died and with her parents having refused to allow them to marry, their relationship is strained further. Louisa’s mother is determined to find her daughter a husband even though Louisa is finding great solace in her friendship with Jeannie’s brother, Lucas. Will Louisa find a measure of happiness in the last place she thought to look for it? On the other hand, Jeannie is also trapped in a battle between her heart and her faith. Torn between duty and desire, will she find what she is looking for? Or will happiness continue to elude her?

With the war raging on, the three girls will need to rely on one another like never before. Will their friendship see them through the difficult times ahead? Will they remain steadfast in their beliefs? Or will everything they hoped for be snatched cruelly away by a senseless and relentless war?

May Ellis writes beautifully about friendship, community and the power of love and Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls is a poignant saga that beautifully brings to life the courage and sacrifices women made during wartime. Written with sensitivity and compassion and full of drama, emotion and pathos, saga readers will be completely gripped by May Ellis’ latest novel, Dark Times for the Clarks Factory Girls.

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 .