#BlogTour: Secrets Of The Jam Factory Girls by Mary Wood @Authormary @panmacmillan @RandomTTours #SecretsOfTheJamFactoryGirls #MaryWood #Saga #RandomThingsTours #5Stars

Book Synopsis:

Secrets of the Jam Factory Girls is a moving saga novel of friendship set in the heart of pre-WWI London from bestselling author, Mary Wood.

Elsie’s worked her way up at Swift’s Jam Factory from the shop floor to the top, and now it’s her time to shine. But when she’s involved in an incident involving her half-sister Millie’s new husband, she is forced to keep it secret – the truth could threaten their sisterly bond.

Dot is dogged by fear, coming to terms with her mother’s rejection of her. She should be enjoying the happiness she craves with her beloved Cess; instead, she’s trapped in an asylum, haunted by the horrifying cries of inmates. All she wants is to get married, but what chance is there for her if she’s locked away?

Millie is trying to build a life with her new husband. But the man she loves is not all he seems . . .

Can the Jam Factory girls create the future they all deserve?

Secrets Of The Jam Factory Girls is available in paperback and ebook now. You can put your copy by clicking one of the buttons below.

My Review:

As regular readers of my blog will know I’m a rather big fan of this author and I always look forward to new books from her. I loved the first book in this series so was excited to be back with Elise, Millie and their friends.

Mary has an amazing way of vividly describing the characters world so that you feel like you are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. I felt like I actually knew the characters so cared about what was happening to them. Mary definitely doesn’t give her characters an easy time and I often felt very angry on their behalf about everything they were going through. I wished I could get involve in what was happening and I especially wished I could thump Len who I absolutely hated.

The author has included some great historical details and I enjoyed reading more about what life was like before the first world war. I don’t think I’ve read much about what working conditions were like in factories at this time so I found it very interesting to learn more about this. It was good to see that conditions were slowly changing for employee’s for the better but also frustrating to read that some people were against this.

Overall I really enjoyed this gripping read which manages to be both gritty and uplifting at the same time. This is the second book in the series and although it’s probably best to read them in order it can be read as a standalone as most of what you need to know is explained. I’m now really excited to read more in this series.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book. If you like historical sagas then you definitely need to read this series.

About The Author:

Born in Maidstone, Kent, in 1945, the thirteenth child of fifteen children, Mary’s family settled in Leicestershire after the war ended.

Mary married young and now, after 54 years of happy marriage, four children, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, Mary and her husband live in Blackpool during the summer and Spain during the winter – a place that Mary calls, ‘her writing retreat’.

After many jobs from cleaning to catering, all chosen to fit in with bringing up her family, and boost the family money-pot, Mary ended her 9 – 5 working days as a Probation Service Officer, a job that showed her another side to life, and which influences her writing, bringing a realism and grittiness to her novels

Mary first put pen to paper, in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally found some success by self-publishing on kindle.

Being spotted by an editor at Pan Macmillan in 2013, finally saw Mary reach her publishing dream.

When not writing, Mary enjoys family time, reading, eating out, and gardening. One of her favourite pastimes is interacting with her readers on her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels
And on her web page: http://www.authormarywood.com
She is also on Twitter: @Authormary

Mary welcomes all contact with her readers and feedback on her work.