This is book number three in the Riverside Women series. This book is mainly based around Felicity Atkins, more affectionately known as Fliss. I’ve read and adored both of the previous two books in the series, so I was super excited to read this one. After I’d finished reading the first chapter I just knew this was going to be another unputdownable read. And I most certainly wasn’t wrong. Once you start this book you’ll be completely absorbed in the story just like I was. I felt many emotions as I made my way through the story from happiness, sadness and sometimes anger. The characters were all written so well and the descriptions of life back in the late 1800’s was vividly described by the author. There were times I could picture in my head the men at the pub drinking from their tankards of beer and chatting to each other. If like myself you enjoy historical sagas I can’t recommend this series enough. After finishing the book I read the Authors Note and was sad to see that this is the final book in the series but it’s a trilogy that will stay with me and I can’t wait to discover what books the author has coming up in the future.

The Riverside Maid is a compelling story of resilience, overcoming hardship, and building a better future.

Fliss was rescued from an Orphanage as a young child by her uncle and now lives and works at her uncle’s pub. She didn’t have a happy childhood as her aunt wasn’t kind and her cousin abused her. Fliss is an excellent worker and has a couple of close friends. One day, she meets Oscar Nolan, a tragedy strikes her family, and Fliss has a chance for a new beginning.

Fliss is a likable character: hard-working, smart, reliable, and kind. She has learned how to (mostly) protect herself from her cruel and abusive cousin and to get along with her cold-hearted aunt. When faced with tragedy, Fliss takes leadership and rises to meet the challenge. She’s also a trusted friend.

I love stories of strong, independent women, and Fliss’s story does not disappoint. She overcomes a difficult childhood in which she lost both parents. She appreciates that her uncle rescued her from an orphanage, and she has a good relationship with him. However, she also navigated a great deal of abuse from his son. When tragedy strikes the family, she takes leadership and rebuilds the business. Fliss is resilient and determined. It’s always fascinating to consider how women managed their lives in the 1800s.

The Riverside Maid is #3 in the Waterfront Women Series. I haven’t read other books in the series, and I think this reads fine as a stand-alone. Although, with any series, reading them in order usually results in the most satisfactory reading experience.

Content Consideration: death of parents (in the past), physical and mental abuse, toxic family relationships

Fans of 1800s histfic and strong, independent, and resilient women will appreciate The Riverside Maid. Even though it’s #3 in a series, this well-written and compelling story can be read as a stand-alone.

Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheRiversideMaid upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Historical fiction set at a riverside pub in Victorian Wakefield. This is book 3 in the Waterfront Women series, but can be read alone.

Fliss lives and works in her uncle’s pub by the river, serving pints and pies to the men working nearby. She gently suggests to her uncle that he should buy the empty shop next door and convert the pub into a larger inn. Then Fliss meets Oscar Nolan and her whole world changes. She instantly falls for him, but he is a surveyor and travels a lot for work. Can they be together while both chasing different dreams?

Meanwhile, Fliss faces cruelty from her cousin Gerald. He wants nothing to do with the pub unless it can pay his debts. He is trying to impress mill owner Mr Pritchett so that he can marry his daughter Alma and get into the mill business. I hated Gerald! He is very well-written as a bully, everytime he appeared I wanted to throw the book!

I enjoyed the friendship between Fliss, Lorrie and Meg.

I liked the realness of this story. Although some parts were tragic and sad, it was overall a heartwarming and nostalgic read.

Absolutely loved this book telling Fliss’s story, her life at the inn and her life with Uncle Terry and Aunt Hilda and the horrible Gerald. This story is so well written and the characters are just lovely and when Fliss comes into her own she has such a strong character. Can she find happiness with the lovely Oscar or is it all going to come to a tragic end.
I wish we could have more tales of the life and loves of Fliss
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to publisher Boldwood books and the lovely Annemarie Brear giving us another amazing read with the Waterfront Women series

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

I really enjoyed the last book that I read by this author, so I was looking forward to this, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The story takes us to Wakefield, Yorkshire, in the 1870s. The protagonist, Fliss, was orphaned as a little girl. She works at The Bay Horse Inn, and lives with her Aunt Hilda and cousin Gerald, who are cold and unkind to her. When she meets Oscar, Fliss begins to wonder if the world has more to offer than the life she has settled for.

I warmed to Fliss and found that she made me smile. Her friends Meg and Lorrie were also very likeable characters. My favourite character was Oscar, though I felt Aunt Hilda had the most interesting character development.

As I carried on reading, I found this to be a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I felt that Fliss deserved to be happy, so I wanted her to follow her heart and do whatever felt right for her. There was a point in the story when I felt a little bit conflicted, and I thought about how sometimes in life, following our hearts may be easier said than done, because the choices that make us the happiest may not always be the simplest.

This was wonderful to read; I really enjoyed following Fliss on her journey, and I hope to read more by this author in future.

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

Fliss had a hard life. Her Aunt treated her as a maid. Her cousin was abusive and threatened her happiness. Only her Uncle showed any kindness.

Day to day life at the pub was hard work. Her Uncle loved the pub and tried to protect it at all cost. But Fliss had no idea that she was part of his plan.

This was a very emotional read. Could Fliss ever find complete happiness?

I can't get enough of historical sagas. I especially love Annemarie Brear. She writes wonderful stories. I finish her books way too fast! Now I have to wait for her next one.

This is the third book in the Waterfront Women series. I have really enjoyed getting to know all the lovely characters Fliss, Meg and Lorrie. This book centres around Fliss. Orphaned at a young age she has spend most of her life working at her uncle's pub, The Bay Horse in Wakefield, Yorkshire which is located on the riverside. Life hasn't been easy for Fliss she is hated and abused by his son and wife, but on her Uncle’s death Fliss is left the pub and has a chance at changing her life.

The book really comes alive with colourful characters from the dockside. It isn't an easy read in places but I think it matches the time period and location well. life wasn't easy for most working class people at this time so I was really hoping she got her happy ending and a life she deserved. Her two best friends Meg and Lorrie from the previous books are still there for her both now happy married with children to look after, Fliss is hoping to find this with Oliver.

This is a lovely rags to riches story set in the late 1800's. A must read for anyone who enjoys saga's or historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Book for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Riverside Maid by Annemarie Brear is a touching story of a young woman who considers herself a spinster as she is twenty-four. She lives with her aunt and uncle and cousin above a pub. She has great ideas for the pub but her uncle doesn’t want to hear about it. Her aunt considers her a general servant and her cousin has been abusing her for years. He is cruel and unfeeling, even to his parents. He is trying to raise himself up, which is good, but he is underhanded about it. He is trying to become engaged to a young woman, the daughter of a well-to-do mill owner and hopes to take over his business one day. Uncle Terry cannot support his lifestyle and Gerald resents him for it. One day Fliss meets a young man on the river bank. He is a surveyor and she likes him immediately. The start a tentative courtship, until Gerald forbids it. Life goes on, Fliss working, Gerald, not, and Aunt Hilda doing nothing at all until on day when Uncle Terry drops to the floor, dead with a heart attack. Then things start to change.

Fliss is a lovely character, one who deserves more than she has and she intends to get it. Aunt Hilda makes an 180 turn-around after Terry’s death and Gerald gets worse, until he gets himself into his last fight. Things move along swiftly in this enticing 1870s slice-of-life novel. The reader learned a lot about what could be done with a little gumption, and how relationships can direct a person’s life. The book is full of humor, love, compassion, as well as selfishness and greed. It was a good read.

I was invited to read The Riverside Maid by Boldwood Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #AnnemarieBrear #TheRiversideMaid

Always been wanting to read one of this author's books but life got in the way! From the first page (more or less) this book had me hooked. A very good story and really well told. Some of the characters were very unlikable but they played their part well! The story moved along nicely and it kept my interest up and through the epilogue! A great, easy to read book. Enjoyed immensely.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

From rags to riches...but will happiness follow...?

What a delightful rags to riches story this is! Felicity "Fliss" Atkins was orphaned from a a young age and taken in by her uncle Terry, landlord and owner of the Bay Horse public house, on the banks of the River Calder. Over the years, trade from the river has slowed as steam trains have taken over the carrying of cargo across land leaving the narrowboats often without work. The Bay Horse is a working man's pub in which the dockers from the wharf drink at the end of a long day.

But for Fliss, life has been anything but easy. Orphaned at a young age, her uncle's family didn't want her and her cousin Gerald made her life a misery, while her aunt Hilda remained cold and aloof. As she grew into adulthood, Gerald's torture never waned and her aunt treated her like a skivvy. Only her uncle had any love for her. And then there were her friends Meg and Lorrie, whom she befriended when Meg used to work behind the bar before marrying wealthy Christian Henderson. But the friendships formed between the three women remained.

Now at 25 years of age, as she watched her two friends happily married with young children of their own, Fliss wonders if there will ever be someone special for her. She thinks not as her aunt as always been at pains to say she is nothing special and Gerald taunts her mercilessly about her ugly looks. Who would want a redheaded orphan without a bean to her name?

Then one day she meets Oscar Nolan, a young surveyor measuring up the vacant building adjoining the Bay Horse. What had once been an old shop was to be sold and Fliss couldn't help but wonder how much the asking price was. She had often regaled her ideas of expansion into the adjoining building to her uncle but he was happy keeping things as they are. But a twist of fate sees her holding the keys as she begins work on expanding the Bay Horse into an Inn in which travellers can rest with beer, food and lodgings. But not everyone is happy with how things have played out and Fliss soon finds herself in danger.

When Fliss finds Oscar Nolan stopping by one day to ask her to go for a walk, she dares to dream of stepping out with a man. But what would someone as dashing and adventurous as him want with an old maid like her? And yet Oscar continues to visit, even melting aunt Hilda's ice cold heart. The couple are attracted to each other and soon Fliss begins to dream of the possibilities. But when she discovers Oscar has a job offer that will take him away from her, Fliss wonders if she could bare to let him go.

Set in the late 1800s towards the end of the old Queen's reign, this delightful tale rounds off those of the Waterfront Women that we have come to know and love in each of their respective stories. As with all sagas of this time kind, there is plenty love, heartache and tragedy to go round as well as a heartwarming ending to round things off.

Despite this being the obvious end to the series, I would love to see what's in store next for the women in sunnier climes. It would shed a different light and perspective on life and I would love to see it play out...should it do so.

Another delightful tale at the pen of AnneMarie Brear.

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

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

This is the third book in the series about 3 friends Felicity (Fliss), Meg and Lorrie.

This centres around Fliss and her life in the Bay Horse - a Wakefield public house on the riverfront.

Fliss is an orphan taken in by her aunt and uncle and hated by her cousin. He abuses her physically and often leaves her bruised and battered.
On her Uncle’s death Fliss is left the pub and a letter leads her to the security she needs to make a success of the business.
Along the way she meets a surveyor Oscar - who has slightly different ideas about his future to Fliss’.

Along the way there are trials and tribulations, secrets divulged and endless rain causing havoc and flooding along the riverbanks.

This is such a well written book, we meet new characters but the old ones develop and become ‘real’ people in someways. Annemarie Brear obviously has researched the book and the geographical area well and this comes over in the prose. It is also apparent that she loves the characters that need to be loved and makes those that don’t into complete horrors. She deals with social problems of the time like childbed fever in an empathetic manner.

A complete joy to read - thank you

The Waterfront Women #3

Orphaned as a child, Fliss Atkins has spent her life working at her uncle's pub, The bay Horse Inn, nestled along the banks of the River Calder. Life has been anything but easy for Fliss. Her aunt is unloving, and her older cousin Gerald is cruel. Then she meets Oscar Nolan, whose adventurous spirit makes her wonder if there might be more to life beyond the only home she's known. Could Oscar and his dreams of travel be her chance at a fresh start? The thought is tempting, but leaving her best friends, Lorrie and May, and their beloved families seems unimaginable.

Set in the late 1800s. The story is centred around Fliss. She had been in an orphanage when her uncle found her and took her back to The Bay Horse Inn. But her aunt and cousin Gerald were not very nice to her. But when she meets Oscar Nolan, her life takes a change for the better.

I quite enjoyed reading Fliss's story. I hoped she was going to get her happy ever after.

Published 20th March 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BokdwoodBooks and the author #AnnemarieBrear for my ARC of #TheRiverSideMaid in exchange for an honet review.

This is the third book in this series which I didn’t realise so I’ve read this book first. You can easily read and enjoy this as a stand-alone but I will be reading the rest of the series soon.
Fliss is taken in by her Uncle when she ends up in the orphanage. Unfortunately her Aunt and cousin are not as happy about the new addition to the family. Fliss grows up helping out in her Uncle’s pub as her cousin Gerald shows no interest in it. Fliss has a rollercoaster ride in this book and the way it’s written you are drawn to the characters and can’t help but hope that Fliss will get a happy ever after as she’d had a rough time of it especially with the cruel treatment from Gerald. I highly recommend this book if this is the genre for you.

We continue the series and it certainly is a wonderful book.

Fliss lives with her Uncle and Aunt and their son Gerald. Her Aunt has never been a nice person to Fliss always demanding and never letting her see her friends. Fliss meets Oscar who she really likes. Gerald her cousin is not very nice to her attacking her where no one can see the bruises. A tragedy changes things for Fliss which means her future looks brighter.

This book is just as good as the other two and was good to catch up with all the friends. The characters all work well together and it was well written the book flowed and you just wanted to read on to find out what happens.

Would recommend.

A lovely book set in Yorkshire in 1875, a young woman lives with her uncle and aunt in a house above an ale house. When her uncle drops down dead, she inherits the pub. She wants it to work, but the uncles son is making it hard for her. This was a lovely quick read, the period was a perfect setting for this read. I really enjoyed it and hope there’s another book in this series. 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

This was a great read about Fliss Atkins who is orphaned and goes into a home. When her Uncle Terry finds out he bring her to The Bay Horse Inn where he is license..Her Aunt Hilda has her running about looking after her and doesn’t let her do anything on her own really but Fliss does get to see her two best friends Meg and Lottie who are both married with families when she manages to get away from her aunt.Her cousin Gerald is cruel to her and cause her to have bruises on her where he punches her or nips her .Fliss meets Oscar Noland one day and is attracted to him but doesn’t think anything will come of it. A tragedy happens and all things change for poor Fliss ,will it be for the good or are worse things ahead for her . Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood.

The Riverside Maid by AnneMarie Brear
Another outing in the life of Fliss Atkins , taken in by her uncle & his unfriendly wife on the death of her parent.
Now working in his pub The Bay Horse Inn and trying to keep away from Gerald , her nasty cousin.
She meets Oscar Nolan and she realises there could be a while new world out there for her.
Something happens and Flies realises this could be just What she needs to give her the push she needs.

When Fliss Atkins' parents died, she spent a year in an orphanage before her uncle discovered her circumstances. Bringing Fliss to their home - The Bay Horse Inn - Fliss loved her uncle, but her aunt was cold, aloof and looked down on Fliss, while her cousin, Gerald, was cruel, beating Fliss constantly. Her life was full of work, and caring for her unloving aunt; she ran up and down the stairs all day long. But when her uncle died unexpectedly, things changed in a dramatic fashion.

Fliss' good friends, Meg and Lorrie, and their families, always had her back, and she was happy when she was with them. And when she met Oscar Nolan, Fliss felt she'd met a kindred spirit. With their lives changing, things going better for Fliss than they ever had, she wondered if she could be happy? What would be the future for Fliss, the riverside maid?

The Riverside Maid is the 3rd in The Waterfront Women by Aussie author AnneMarie Brear and I loved it. Set in the late 1800s, the first book is Meg's story, the 2nd Lorrie's. And now we have Fliss'. Strong, courageous women, and Fliss showed her mettle finally, after the years of cowering with fear from Gerald and her aunt. I've really enjoyed this series, and although I don't know if there are anymore to come, I hope so. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for my digital ARC to read and review.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book which is about Fliss, an orphan who is living with her aunt and uncle..

Her aunt treats her as her personal servant and on the other hand Gerald, their son is spoilt and is also unkind to her.

Fliss meet Oscar and in meeting him, she feels that maybe her life could be different. Then when something bad happens, it could turn what Fliss feels about there being another life come true or maybe, make things worse.

The story was well written and had you turning the pages.

I recommend this book.

as soon as i see a front cover in this style i know i want to read them. and there has never been one i didnt enjoy. they have a unique style with brilliant characters. and this one was as id hoped just as good as i wanted it to be. and it fit perfectly with a few of my other faves of this type.
we once again have a super character in Fliss. one who is a little trooper. a fighter. but a good soul with good morals and good intent. but sadly finds herself in such dire circumstances.
this is part of a series but is easily a standalone. you will want to go and read the others if you enjoy this one though.
Fliss was such a perfect character for this plot. the writing just flows and the pages turn easily and you can read on and on with such ease you really need to plan time for this to avoid missing important dates in the dairy!
Fliss is an orphan who is taken in by her unfeeling aunt who treats her more like a skivvy. life isnt easy or pleasant. one day though, Fliss meet oscar. in in him she sees and dares to believe in a future that could be different. one that could be full of destinitions and adventure.
but then tragedy strikes Fliss's world and she has to make some decisions. ones she has to be brave enough to choose with either option. but could one take her to a better world. a better life?