Blog Tour – ‘The Orphan Twins’ by Lesley Eames ~ @Aria_Fiction @LesleyEames

‘The Orphan Twins’ was published on the 23rd July 2020 by Aria Fiction.  It is available in eBook and paperback formats.

I would like to thank Aria Fiction for inviting me to participate in this blog tour and both the publisher and author for my review copy which I got from NetGalley.  It really is a pleasure to be taking part.  I have been following Lesley Eames on social media for a while now and have been intrigued by her books.

I’ll tell you what I thought about ‘The Orphan Twins’ after a quick look at the book blurb.

 

Book Blurb

London, 1910. Lily is ten years old when she realises her grandmother, a washerwoman in the backstreets of London’s Bermondsey, is seriously ill. She’s determined to do what can she can to help and keep her grandmother’s illness a secret – even from her beloved twin, Artie. But Gran isn’t getting any better, and there’s only so much Lily can do…

When tragedy strikes and the twins are faced with the prospect of a workhouse or an orphanage, a benefactor offers to take Artie in and educate him. All Artie’s needs will be taken care of – but the gentleman has no use for a girl. The twins have lost everything they knew and loved, but they never thought they’d lose each other.

As the orphan twins grow up and take different paths, their new lives are beyond anything they could have imagined. Will they ever find a way to be together again?

 

My Review

‘The Orphan Twins’ is the first book I have read by Lesley Eames.  My verdict?  It was absolutely fantastic.  I loved every single minute of it, I really did.  The words just flowed, and I kept on reading getting deeper and deeper into the story and not wanting it to finish.  Through the author’s descriptions I almost felt as if I was actually there with the characters.

Set in Bermondsey, London, the story starts off in 1910 when twins Lily and Artie are living with their grandmother.  At only ten years of age they didn’t realise just how drastic things were about to become.  Their lives were going to change forever, and it was up to them to make something of themselves.

Lily appeared to have her head screwed on for such a young girl and was much more mature than her years.  She was kind and loving and even took the time to help her brother with his schoolwork.  Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for her.

Artie had it slightly easier in that he was given accommodation and an education.  Things were a bit more of a struggle for Lily, but she coped.  She wasn’t afraid of hard work and I think this together with her determination stood her in good stead for the future.

Within a few years the First World War began.  This was naturally a very worrying and emotional time for everyone, not knowing when or if their loved ones and friends would return home but having to get on with life as well as they could.  I loved the letters that went back and forth between Lily, Artie, and the others.  I think it is a shame that letter writing has more or less died out with technology.

There were some really charming characters in this story.  I loved Lily and Artie, the Tibbs sisters and Mr Bax.  All very memorable.

If you like sagas and historical fiction, then I recommend you grab yourself a copy of ‘The Orphan Twins’ now.  I really cannot wait to read more by this author.

Perhaps there could be a sequel to ‘The Orphan Twins’.  I think it would work out very well.

 

‘The Orphan Twins’ is available to purchase from:-

Amazon UK – https://amzn.to/2WKCkV0

Kobo – https://bit.ly/2AMPw39

Google Play – https://bit.ly/2Zml1LN

iBooks – https://apple.co/2Aigxf0

 

About Lesley Eames

Winner of awards such as the Festival of Romance New Talent Award and the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Elizabeth Goudge Cup, Lesley Eames writes 1920’s sagas as well as short stories for the women’s magazine market. She is also a creative writing tutor, mentor and editor. Based in Hertfordshire, UK, Lesley loves working from home because she can share the adventures of her characters while wearing slippers and drinking copious cups of tea.

 

Links

Website – http://www.lesleyeames.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/LesleyEames

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LesleyEamesWriter

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18057734.Lesley_Eames

 

Follow Aria

Website – http://www.ariafiction.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Aria_Fiction

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ariafiction

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ariafiction/

 

Blog Tour – ‘The Abandoned Daughter’ by Mary Wood ~ @panmacmillan @Authormary

It is a real pleasure to be taking part in the blog tour for ‘The Abandoned Daughter’, which was published yesterday the 16th May 2019 in paperback and as an eBook by Pan Books. This is the second book in The Girls Who Went to War trilogy. I would like to thank Mary Wood for inviting me to participate in this tour and the publisher for sending me my review copy.

I will tell you soon what I thought about this book. First though, here’s the blurb.

 

 

Book Blurb

Voluntary nurse Ella is haunted by the soldiers’ cries she hears on the battlefields of Dieppe. But that’s not the only thing that haunts her. When her dear friend Jim breaks her trust, Ella is left bruised and heartbroken. Over the years, her friendships have been pulled apart at the seams by the effects of war. Now, more than ever, she feels so alone.

At a military hospital in France, Ella befriends Connie and Paddy. Slowly she begins to heal, and finds comfort in the arms of a French officer called Paulo – could he be her salvation?

With the end of the war on the horizon, surely things have to get better? Ella grew up not knowing her real family but a clue leads her in their direction. What did happen to Ella’s parents, and why is she so desperate to find out?

 

My Review

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Abandoned Daughter’. I haven’t read the first book in the series yet unfortunately. This book can be read as a standalone, though personally I would say start at the beginning as there is so much you will find you want to know, as I have found out.

Mary Wood is such a talented author. She has penned another great story and she doesn’t hold back at all. ‘The Abandoned Daughter’ was everything I expected it to be and much more besides. I found it so hard to put down. It made for addictive and gritty reading and at times I was shocked.

Split into six parts, the author has done a great job of portraying what happened during the First World War and the aftermath. Those poor soldiers and their families. It’s devastating to think that so many were homeless and had no choice but to live on the streets and beg.

There were a mixture of characters, some really lovely and some downright unsavoury. My heart literally broke for Ella. She was such a lovely person, an angel. She really didn’t deserve all that what was thrown at her. Just as things seemed to be improving something else would happen. I enjoyed meeting Ella’s friends. I really liked Rowena. She came along at the right time I would say. She was a real lifesaver who was there for Ella and did all she could to help her in her time of need.

I am falling more and more in love with Mary Wood’s books and I feel like I could read them forever. I am really looking forward to the third book in this series and hopefully I will get to read ‘The Forgotten Daughter’ as well soon.

~~~~~

‘The Abandoned Daughter’ is available to buy from Amazon UK:-

https://amzn.to/2YCyfQX

 

About Mary Wood

Born the thirteenth child of fifteen to a middle-class mother and an East End barrow boy, Mary Wood’s family were poor, but rich in love. Over time, she developed a natural empathy with the less fortunate and is fascinated by social history. Mary raised four children and has numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An avid reader, she first put pen to paper in 1989, and is now a full-time novelist.

 

Links

Website – https://www.authormarywood.com/

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Authormary