This is the first book I have read by Pam Howes and I absolutely loved it!

I have to admit I got so carried away with the story that I completely forgot I was supposed to be writing a review on it, that's a first for me!

The book is set in 1940s, Liverpool, whilst the men were away fighting for their country the women rolled their sleeves up, took a deep breath and did what needed to be done.

I love a book that features strong women and the female characters were just that. Alice had married her sweetheart Terry whilst he was on a forty-eight-hour pass from the army. She paid the bills by working in a munitions factory, making parts for Halifax Bombers. Food was rationed, the air raids were coming thick and fast and no one knew what the future held.

Alice could always rely on best friend Millie to be by her side through good times and bad. The story is about resilience, strength, and companionship, it grips you from the first page and transports you to a time of unimaginable hardship, and Alice and Millie become real, no longer characters in a book. You feel their fear, their heartbreak, and their happiness.

If you love wartime sagas The Factory Girls of Lark Lane comes highly recommended, so clear your diaries and stock up on tissues, you are in for a real treat!

4.5 Stars

Very good friends Alice and Millie live in 1940s Liverpool during War World II. They have both just sent their men off to the war. Millie is in love with boyfriend Alan, but has a friend Jimmy who is also off to war that she write letters to. It is Alice, however, that is more of the focus in this story. Her husband went back to the barracks the day after their wedding. Alice is now expecting their child, while worrying for her husband's safety. Millions of men were being killed in the horrendous war, and there was no guarantee that their loved ones would return home.

During wartime, Alice and Millie, work at a munitions factory, along with several friends, and they remained quite close. Alice has issues wither her Mam and her brother, along with the difficulties of raising a young daughter alone. It is a time of deep worry and stress for all involved.

As I read this book, I was drawn into the emotions of that difficult time. For example, I had never actually heard of "evacuee children". I was disheartened to hear of things being so horrible that it wasn't even safe for most children to remain with their mothers during such difficult times. There were a lot of factors that drew me to this book, one is that the author had a real capture on WWII Liverpool and the daily bombing raids that went on then. Imagine having to always carry a gas mask with you. How terrifying!

I read 90% of this book in one sitting. I only put it down because I actually fell asleep, otherwise I would have finished it all at once. The Factory Girls of Lark Lane is utterly captivating, albeit very sad at times. Nevertheless, this was a truly heartwarming read of friendship, love and hope. I am thrilled that I read this wonderful book and look forward to reading more from Pam Howes.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Absolutely loved this book, drew me right in and I devoured it in one sitting, I cannot wait for the next in the series, in the meantime away to look for more by this author.

Oh what a corker of a start to an extremely promising new series! I was in my element with 'The Factory Girls of Lark Lane'. An emotional element, but still in my element.

Set in 1940's Liverpool, 'The Factory Girls of Lark Lane' tells the story of Alice Turner's life during the war. Whilst Alice is lucky that she gets to work with her best friend, Millie, she cannot help but feel bereft when the love of her life is sent back to the frontline after their wedding. What Alice doesn't realise, however, is that her new husband leaving is the least of her concerns. To be honest, I underestimated just how much wartime novels get under my skin, but Pam Howes has done herself and her characters justice with her fantastic storytelling.

As I said at the beginning, I did find this book rather emotional. Obviously I won't state exactly what made me emotional, but for those of you who have read the book already, all I will say is...Brian. If you haven't read the book yet and are no curiosity by the name 'Brian', I would advise you to grab this book pronto so that you can find out. Tissues ready though, okay?

'The Factory Girls of Lark Lane' has its sights predominately set on Alice Turner and her family, yet due to how close-knit the community is, it cannot be helped if you find yourself delving further into some of the other characters lives as well.

Seeing as I have read Pam Howes' previous novels and adored them, I didn't know how she was going to top those fab novels with a new series, however, after reading this one, I am flabbergasted by the fact that she has done just that. 'The Factory Girls of Lark Lane' literally moved me to tears, filled my arms with goosebumps, and made me wish that communities these days were like the communities during the war. Pam Howes doesn't just tell a story by writing down words, she also tells a story by telling it to her readers' hearts and souls.

A truly spell-binding, humble, and utterly poignant first book in a brand new series. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series if this one is anything to go by. Historical fiction at its finest, you can always rely on Pam Howes to tick all of the boxes in the saga genre, without a doubt.

A lovely book telling the story of Alice and Millie,of how they worked at Rootes along with friends making the planes needed in the war.Alice and her new husband Terry have only one day together before he is posted abroad and they only have their letters to keep them going.Things change for Alice but with her friends she has to cope just like every one has to. Alice and Millie have a close bond and remain close through the war.I can highly recommend this book well worth 5*.

A moving story about the friendship of two women during WWII. They both work at a munitions factory helping to support the war effort by making shell caps and bombers. You get a glimpse in the lives of the women, small children, that were left behind. Great character building, you really feel like you know them. The book also gives you some insight on dealing with daily bombing raids.
I would recommend this book to all who enjoy historical fiction and stories of friendships.

I loved this book. I am a big fan of Pam Howes work, this book lived up to my expectations!
Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Excellent storyline. Wonderful main characters. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.

Pam Howes is a lovely storyteller. Alice and Millie are best friends and they are struggling to keep their heads and hearts above water in WWII Liverpool. Nothing's easy, not even love, and the two of them have a rough time of it. If you've read WWII Homefront sagas before, you know that the bombs bring death, but that the spirit of the women is strong. This is no exception. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed the earlier series and I am curious where Howes might take this. For fans of of family sagas and WWII novels.

I have said this before, this is not the usual genre I normally read, but after reading Pam's Liverpool girls books, I couldn't wait to read this one. Pam has a unique way of writing these war time stories. It's almost as if you could have actually been there when reading Pam's books. You really are taken into the story and the surroundings, living the lives of the characters through the words.
Heart warming and heart breaking the lives of families living through WWII.
1940's in Liverpool where families are saying goodbye to their loved ones, families torn apart by war, families that stick together through thick and thin.
Alice and Terry are getting married and while everyone loves a good wedding it can be a difficult thing to do during the war. Getting married and saying goodbye to your now husband the day after must truly be heart breaking. This is what happened to this young couple. Life for Alice as a married woman doesn't start off the way we all imagine a marriage should. With families and friendship Alice has to get on with life, while here husband is away fighting in a war. It's a time when everyone comes together when everyone is going through the same things. It's amazing when you look back just how people managed to get through this time of their lives.
It's safe to say Pam has worked a blinder with this book, have some tissues at the ready and get yourself stuck in. Get lost in those pages just like I did, get taken to another time what could almost feel like another world. This book is written beautifully and is really difficult to put down once you start it.
​The Factory Girls of Lark Lane is a first class read and I certainly can't wait for more from this author.

Based in Liverpool in 1940, we are introduced to Alice Turner and her best friend Millie Markham. They both work in the local munitions factory making the wings for Halifax bombers. Alice is preparing to marry her sweetheart, Terry, whilst he is on a short visit home from the Army. Things are hard for Alice when Terry’s leave is up and he has to return so soon after their marriage. As the war drags on you realise how difficult it is for the women left behind, not just from Liverpool but all around the UK.

I have read this author’s previous trilogy and absolutely loved it, so was really keen to read this one! I wondered whether this book could match up to the previous series I read, and the answer is most definitely YES! Alice is a lovely character and like many other women in her situation she makes the best of a bad situation, dusts herself off and gets on with things. The story begins in 1940, during the height of the air-raids, and continues through to the end of the war. It really brings home how difficult life was during this time and how everything and everyone was affected in some way.

Of course, there’s heartache and sadness, but it’s also a book full of love, friendship, family and a general feeling of ‘pulling together’ as a community. It also shows what part the women left behind played in the war effort by making parts for planes and risking their lives working in ammunitions factories. The author certainly has the knack of writing to make you feel you were right there at that time, in amongst the people of Liverpool during the hardest struggles of their lives.

I loved this book, and I’m assuming it is part of a series! I can’t wait to read the next one and continue Alice’s story. Would highly recommend this book!

A great read about the factory girls of Lark Lane. Alice gets married just as her new husband is sent off to Europe at the start of the war. She finds herself pregnant and worry’s how she’ll cope. Millie her best friend and Freddie her supervisor at work help as do Marlene and her Mum and Mother in law. This book follows the ups and downs of life on the home front during the war for Alice and her friends and family. A fabulous story that I couldn’t put down. I look forward to more Lark Lane adventures hopefully soon.

As I have read and loved Pam Howes previous trilogy and couldn’t wait to read this book The Factory Girls of Lark Lane.
It’s around the time of the second world war. Alice and Millie and are best friends and they both work in Rootes Munitions factory riveting on aircraft wing frames. These are hard times. More so for Alice, for has just been married to Terry one day and then he goes off to war the next and also her brother Rodney. Her other brother Brian is evacuated to Wales. It’s just her and her single mother and mother in law Mrs Lomax. She soon discovers she is pregnant. So while she is able she takes a part time job at the legion to save money for when the baby comes.
This is another beautifully written story set in Liverpool in the time of the Second world war by Pam Howes. The story really depicts the times of hardship, food shortages and lack of money and what women did in the absence of men during the war. If it wasn’t for these women, the outcome of the war may have been very different. But, also the good times, when everyone got together and with what little they had, had a great time. I loved how the author’s storytelling made you feel that you where there with them. This is an unputdownable story that I devoured and didn’t want to end. I will wait in anticipation for her next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book.

This book tells the story of best friends Alice Turner and Millie Markham, who work together at the munitions factory. You can follow along their day-to-day lives and share in their happiness, their sorrows, and their fears that their loved ones might not return from the war. At times the book seemed to plod along, but it was very interesting seeing what the average life was for women back then. I was disappointed in the ending. I felt that it ended too abruptly and I was wanting it to continue on after the men returned home and the adjustments that would occur, but that is left to your imagination. All in all, it is a very good book and one that is definitely worth reading.

Having read and loved Pam Howes last trilogy also set in Liverpool I was super excited to have the opportunity to read her latest trilogy . This first book in set during the Second World war in Liverpool . It’s a story about friendship and the struggles people had to endure during the war , including the loss of loved ones, people being separated from their friends and family, rationing . The author has such a brilliant way of describing the lives of the people of Liverpool during the hard times of the war I actually felt at times I was there with them . An absolutely brilliant start to this trilogy and I would give it more than 5 stars if I could . Can not wait now for book 2

Unfortunately, I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. Not sure I would recommend it for that reason. I was not familiar with the author but thought it was worth an attempt.

I loved the authors other trilogy which is also set in Liverpool so couldn't wait to read her latest book. As with her others, it didn't disappoint.

Set during war time, you really get a feel of what life was like back then with the rationing as well as having loved ones so far away.

The friendship between Alice and Millie was so heart warming. They've been friends for such a long time and was good that both had each other to help with their men being miles away. 

For Alice especially it is hard as her and Terry just got married before he was sent away with the army. Not the greatest of starts to married life. On top of that she is hit with varying other life issues which leaves her under pressure to try and do whats best for her and her family.

The Factory Girls of Lark Lane transports the reader back in time for an emotive and gripping read. As with all the other authors books, from picking it up I literally could not put it down. A story very much about family and friends and doing the best with what life throws at you. If you haven't read any of this authors books yet then you are really missing out. Highly recommended.