Book Synopsis:
Will Elizabeth choose love over duty?
It’s August 1917 and WW1 continues to take a toll. The villagers of Dorcalon, a mining village in the Rhymney Valley, try to keep hope alive; but every day brings fresh tragedy as more of their sons and fathers are killed on foreign battlefields.
Elizabeth Meredith, daughter of mine manager Herbert, enjoys a privileged position in the village, but she longs to break free of society’s expectations.
Falling in love with miner, Gwilym Owen, brings more joy to her life than she’s ever known… until she’s forced to choose between her love and her disapproving family. Seeking an escape, Elizabeth signs up as a VAD nurse and is swiftly sent to help the troops in France, even as her heart breaks at leaving Gwilym behind.
Separated by society and the Great War, can Elizabeth and Gwilym find their way back together again? Or will their love become another casualty of war?
A romantic, emotional saga set in WW1 – fans of Katie Flynn and Sheila Newberry will adore this captivating read.
My Review:
Hope In The Valleys is an emotional and gripping book which I found very hard to put down.
Firstly I have to admit that I didn’t realise this was the third book in the series when I started reading but I didn’t feel this was a huge problem as the author was good at catching the reader up with anything that needed to be explained.
I absolutely loved the main character Elizabeth and quickly warmed to her. She soon started to feel like an old friend and I felt quite protective of her as the story went on. I loved that she didn’t care much about class and it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch her fall for Gwilym a local miner as her family really don’t approve with the relationship. I often wished I could step into the book so I could stand up for her against her opinionated mother.
I thought the book was well researched and it was great to learn more about what life was like in Wales at this time, particularly a little about what life was for miners as I hadn’t read much about that before. Elizabeth’s volunteer work as a VAD nurse was a real eye opener and I found it amazing to see what they went through at the front.
Overall I thought this was a beautifully written book that took me on a fantastic journey where I think I experienced every emotion possible. I kept sitting down to read a couple of chapters and look up to realise that I’d read half the book! I will definitely be going back to read the previous books in the series and hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of Elizabeth.
Hugs thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Hera for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child, largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was good at improvised story telling. She is a member of the RNA and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. Francesca currently lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrissian.
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