This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Really easy read about the girls who work at the Quality Street factory

A very easy book to just put your feet up and get your teeth into

Great story and plot and I will be looking out for more

The Quality Street Girls is a sweet story. I enjoyed reading this historical novel which took me back to the late 1930s in Halifax. There are historical references that capture the time period such as King Edward VIII stepping down for the women he loved, Wallace Simpson. Reenie Calder is a go getter with a bright outlook. She has spark and gumption. She is full of ideas which are not well received at the factory. I just loved her enthusiasm. Diana is a strong woman with more responsibility and, of course, her secret. I enjoyed watching these two diverse women evolve. Of course, Frances Roth is a bitter woman (there has to be a villain) who spends her days plotting ways to cause trouble (such a shame). It was interesting learning about the Quality Street chocolates. This is the first novel that I have read by Penny Thorpe and it will not my last. I found The Quality Street Girls to be a fascinating story with mouthwatering confections, family strife, inventive ideas, high spirits, and hard working women.

Loved the sound of this one but could not connect with any of the characters and found the story slow and boring. Disappointing.

A great read. I enjoyed reading it and it has a great plot and characters. I also look forward to more books from the author.

Fantastic book by Jenny Thorpe i really enjoy these types of Sagas and the characters were lovely. And my mum enjoyed the book aswell when it was published

I really enjoyed this book, I adored the idea of this and look at that cover. It was brilliantly written with a great cast of characters and intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages. Perfect read to escape from day to day life. A great read.

A great Christmas easy read to curl up and enjoy, even better whilst working my way through a tub of quality street! Great historical fiction

this is a really good book not my normal type of reading but it is well worth a read . it is just a really nice story and one book you will find hard to put down

We have all heard of and no doubt eaten, the iconic brand of 'Quality Street', right? I don't know about you but whenever I hear those two words, I instantly think of Christmas and being able to delve into the purple tin of goodness, trying to find the green triangles and orange crunches before someone else fills the tin up with wrappers. We have all been there I'm sure! Although saying that, I remember the Quality Street tins to be much bigger than what they are now! Well, either that or I was a very, very small young person at the time of my memory....

Reenie Calder has, in her eyes, been given the gift of a lifetime when she's told that she will be starting work in the factory which makes the Quality Street sweets, Mackintosh's. With so many ideas filling her head before her feet even cross the threshold, Reenie's mum has to reign her in very quickly before she finds herself getting too big for her boots and without a job. To be Frank, I could see why Reenie was getting agitated though - why should she be punished for bringing ideas to the table?

'The Quality Street Girls' doesn't just follow the life of Reenie Calder, it also follows the life of another Quality Street girl, Diana Moore. A young lady whose face could turn milk sour if she stared at it too long. Before you start shaking your head at my analogy, there is a reason for it and it all becomes clear further on in the book. Poor Diana has multiple reasons as to why her face could make anyone run a mile. But, just like Reenie, why should Diana be punished for trying to protect her family?

Oh my heart did go out to those two young girls! Two very different, impressionable personalities who led two, very different lifestyles with two rather questionable outlooks on life. I don't mean that rudely, but that's how it was. I loved Reenie's enthusiasm when it came to work. Heck, the job centres could use someone like her in this day and age, that's for sure! I thought that Diana's strength was incredible, but for someone who isn't afraid to speak her mind when things are wrong, she sure seemed to keep her mouth shut at a time she, in my opinion, needed to open it the most. Obviously I won't delve into the details of that reason as I don't wish to give away spoilers.

I loved finding out how the iconic brand of Quality Street started, especially with the fact of 'The Purple One'. I had absolutely no idea that that was the case, and I loved being able to tell my family that on Christmas Day....knowing full well I hadn't just Googled it! Thanks Penny Thorpe!!

Historical fiction novels are one of my favourite type of genres to read, yet after reading Penny Thorpe's 'The Quality Street Girls', I think I have now found myself a brand new, go to, historical fiction author!

I absolutely adored the energy that the entire storyline was laced with! It kept me on my toes and allowed me to speed read the book as though someone was dangling multiple orange crunches in front of my face. The history element was absolutely brilliant and kept my brain fed with knowledge from start to finish (even though, just like the author admits, some parts were stretched to fit in with the overall storyline). That didn't even bother me, instead it just added a lot more character to the overall vibe of the story.

'The Quality Street Girls' tickled my taste buds, made me giggle, and allowed me to lose myself in Penny Thorpe's chocolatey goodness (no, that isn't a euphemism!). My only regret where this book is concerned, is that I wish I had started it sooner! I cannot wait to see what's next for the girls at Mackintosh's, and I hope that Reenie and Diana fill another story with their emotional and highly addictive drama.

Such a classic, cosy, and wonderfully written book which puts the nations favourite chocolates in everyone's hearts once again. 

If 'The Purple One' told me before I read the book, that I would need to point my 'chocolate toffee finger' at this 'strawberry delight', I would have told them 'fudge', and to jog around the 'milk choc block' because I, hand on 'orange crunch', think that 'The Quality Street Girls' is an absolute 'toffee deluxe'.

A slow start to this book but it soon picked up pace. Great strong characters. An enjoyable read, look forward to the next in the series.

At sixteen years old Reenie is about to leave school, and with limited qualifications she is dreading being sent into service. When she opens a tin of Mackintosh’s toffee on her birthday, she is blown away by the extravagance her family have indulged her with. However, the toffee isn’t her only gift and when her Mother informs Reenie she will be starting work at the Quality Street factory that day she can hardly contain her excitement.

Diana runs the Toffee Penny line and she has worked hard to secure her position, not just on the line but amongst the other factory girls as well. But Diana has a secret, one that could cost her not only her job but her reputation too.

When a terrible accident occurs at the factory, the supply of Quality Street is at risk. With the shops full of eager customers who have saved up all year for their must-have Christmas treat.

Can Reenie and Diana pull together to give everyone a Christmas to remember?

When I saw this title available on NetGalley, I knew I needed to request it right away. For me, Quality Street are quintessentially Christmas!

Growing up there was always a tin under my Grandma’s tree, and I remember thinking the jewel coloured cellophane wraps were so pretty. I also grew up listening to my Nan tell us stories of when she was a factory girl, so I knew I was in for a treat when the two were mixed together.

The story is mainly told from the points of view of the two main protagonists, Reenie and Diana. However, there are snippets that are told by the supporting characters too. I thought this worked well, and I felt it gave me a fuller story.

I loved Reenie! She was so bright but with a naivety that was heart-warming. Diana was great too, I wasn’t sure if I would like her at first as she was a little hard-faced. But you soon learn about her home life made, which in turn offers the reader the softer side to her.

The author had clearly done a lot of research into 1930’s life at Mackintosh’s which shone through in her writing. As the reader, I got a profound sense of what it was like to be a factory girl. Not just how hard they had to work but also the team spirit and camaraderie amongst them.

This is a wonderful book, with many funny moments and some heartbreakingly sad ones too. It is cleverly written so that it isn’t in your face Christmas, and therefore can be enjoyed at any time of year.

So, if you haven’t read it yet…what are you waiting for? Indulge in a sweet bit of history!

Such a heart warming book!!

It was definitely what i was looking to read during the holidays!! ;)

Must admit that the title of the book totally caught my attention as they are my favourites and it was so nice to read something that is linked with chocolates ;)

Very good read, pick it up and you will not regret it ;)

The Quality Street Girls focuses on four girls working in the Macintosh Toffee Factory during the 1930's. Rennie lands her first ever job on the strawberry cream line and is determined to be the fastest and quickest of all the girls and soon comes up with a scheme to make more money, Dianna is the Alpha of the factory, glamours and beautiful all the girls look up to her but she is hiding a secret from her bosses and her friends that could have a massive impact on her job and her life if found out, Mary and Bess are sisters, Bess in a wild one, seeing Dianna's good for nothing step brother Tommo and a sickly girl meaning her sister Mary having to do twice the work in the factory so both of them can keep their jobs.

This is a sweet (pun intended) historical novel about factory life in the 1930's the author does a good job of transporting you to the setting and you really get a sense of 1930's Halifax. I found I cared about all the girls and what happened to them especially well meaning Rennie. This book is a perfect read for Christmas but will leave you wanting to devour a whole box of Quality Streets.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and title - what girl doesn't love a Quality Street selection tin at Christmas?!
The author certainly knows her trade - working in the chocolate factory of the same name. The details are so perfectly described, it's as if the reader is there on the factory floor too.
A sweet read that I devoured over a couple of weeks.

Inspired by the true story of the Quality Street factory and its loyal workers The Quality Street Girls by Penny Thorpe is a story steeped in nostalgia and will stir up many memories for its readers. We all know and love the famous brand that has been an accompaniment to our Christmas festivities for so many years. But how many of us have actually given scant thought to how this successful brand came about and who exactly were the people behind the delicious. mouthwatering creations? Little did the workers who toiled away on the factory floor in 1936 realise that the chocolate and sweets they were making would be a staple part of Christmas all these years later. Penny Thorpe has been an archivist at the Quality Street Factory for over ten years and thanks to her in-depth knowledge and passion for her subject she has brought us this wonderful book which celebrates factory life but yet does not portray it as all sweetness and light.

This book had so much depth to it with characters who experience ups and downs, joys and sadness but above all else they come together in times of strife to attempt to overcome problems and work as a team. The author has provided her readers with a fascinating, detailed account of factory life enthralling us with just how much work and effort went into producing chocolates that inspire so many memories for people the world over. Combined with some interesting and thrilling storylines, this made for an excellent read and one I found gripping from beginning to end with characters you root for and some which you feel deserve the old heave ho.

Mackintosh's Factory in Halifax, nicknamed Toffee Town, is the dominant setting for the story which follows four very different women as they make sweets in the factory where work and personal life collide in more ways than one. Reenie Calder is only 16 years old but is desperately hoping a job will arise that will prevent her from having to go into service, a life she doesn't want for herself. When she is given the chance to work at the factory she grabs it with wide open arms and is determined to make a success of her new job. Reenie was a girl wise beyond her years and to be honest for most of the book I forgot she was so young. From the outset she came across as a character full of promise, creativity and ingenuity. She could see solutions to problems or ways to improve work life and increase production that others just had no idea about.

Reenie was savy in more ways than one, she had a passion for solving problems and setting herself challenges. She was warned not to rock the boat with new ideas as the old ones are best but she is just not able to sit back when she sees what could be achieved. She took such an interest in the finer workings of the factory machinery and the bond she struck up with Peter, the new Time and Motion lad at the factory was a joy to see. Simply because he allowed her to voice her opinion and took her ideas for improvement on board in a time where it was a male dominated world. I mean women even had to give up work once they were married, I simply couldn't comprehend having to do that in this day and age.

Reenie was a fabulously written character who always got herself in many scraps and difficult situations but she rose above up everything and was always thinking two or three steps ahead of everyone else. Ways in which she could better the production at the factory but also when it came to the friends she had made. Despite being so young she slotted right in and I loved how the older women took her on board as a friend and an equal. Not taking her under her wing so to speak because she didn't need that at all. She was her own person and her arrival at the factory stirred things up a bit. Yes she may have been hasty at times and he did take action before thinking things through fully but everything she did was with the utmost of good intentions as she couldn't stand by and see other suffer in silence. It goes against the grain for her. If she observes something that needed fixing, be it with the factory or the personal lives of her friends, she will offer help or a suggestion to make life better for all involved. Reenie was not a person to be underestimated and her youth should not be taken for granted by anyone. She was kind and had a heart of gold and she won a firm place in my affections. The inclusion of her trusty steed – so to speak- was genius and offered plenty of comedic moments. It was different from having a dog that stole our hearts, this time it was an old loyal horse.

As for the other girls whom Reenie befriends they each have their own problems to deal with as they work the strawberry cream line or the toffee penny line, some grew on me more so than others. Mary and Bess are sisters and known as the Tudor Queens. Mary never cracks a smile and it seems like she is always covering something up but look a little deeper beneath the surface and Mary is not happy. She is keeping secrets and struggling but she remains loyal and steadfast to her family. Mary was a cold and aloof character who took time to warm up and to embrace what Reenie was trying to do but as the magic of the factory and the girls themselves begin to work she slowly started to thaw and came to understand you're better off working together rather than alone. As for her sister Bess she was the total opposite, she had her head permanently in the clouds and was very happy go lucky. She just always presumed everything would work out OK, that if there were problems someone else would sort them for her. She thinks little of the consequences of her actions and really she has gotten herself very deeply into a dark situation that needs sorting out soon before its too late. Will the girls be able to unite and help Bess and Mary?

Alongside Reenie for me the strongest and a stand out character was Diana. I could sense from the outset that in the past she had been through the mill and even now she hadn't come out the other side but was still in the midst of it all. Six years ago things changed for Diana and the carefree girl she once was has gone and in her place is someone who follows the rules and is respected on the factory floor. It felt to me like Diana was living by some sort of code and set of rules and boundaries that she had established for herself. To veer from any of this would upset the apple cart and with a long term goal in mind she couldn’t afford for this to happen at any cost. I guessed Diana's secret fairly early on but it didn't detract from her storyline in any way. In fact it made me admire her all the more and I understood her motives and actions even better. Outside the factory Diana's personal life was one she kept secret but as things began to unfold and danger, surprises and darkness to some extent began to make themselves known she had no option but to open up that little bit and embrace her friends. I felt she made the ultimate sacrifice and my heart broke a little bit for her. Frances Roth, the overlooker all the girls despise, had a cruel role to play and she was someone I desperately wanted something awful to happen to. I wanted a different outcome for Diana but I do think the author was brave to choose the option she went for. It shows times were tough and Diana was a woman who was brave and courageous and did what she felt was the right thing to do.

As work and the girls private lives intermingle, the enthusiasm Penny Thorpe had for her subject matter shone through as the various storylines began to take many twists and turns and join up with each other. I was on the edge of my seat wandering would certain things be discovered or left secret? Would certain people get the justice they deserved or would the poor innocents be the ones who the blame fell upon? The Quality Street girls is an honest, heartfelt excellent read that left me desperately wanting more. I do so hope we will read more about this wonderful group of girls as they all became so real I felt as if I knew them in real life. It is the perfect read for this time of year and yes I am going to say it a tin of the world famous Quality Street do need to be by your side whilst you become lost in the world of Reenie and co.

I just couldn't resist a book about the factory where they made Quality Street for the first time in the 1930s. There's just something about those brightly coloured, cellophane wrapped sweets (I'll fight you for the strawberry creams!).

This is the story of four of the girls who worked on the lines at the Mackintosh factory in Halifax. Reenie was my absolute favourite. I loved her. Just about to turn 16 when the book begins, her dream is to work at the factory so when she gets a job there her dream comes true. She's one of those naively honest characters who just says what she thinks without thought for the consequences, but it's never in a nasty way. She just wants to help.

Then there's Diana, a slightly older girl who has built up a wall around herself to protect herself and those she most cares about. I liked Diana very much too as she's strong and resourceful.

Finally, there are sisters, Mary and Bess. Mary is a bit sour at times and spends a lot of time covering up for her sister who is a bit airy-fairy. But again, they are immensely likeable characters.

Put them all together and you have a really good story. I absolutely loved the descriptions of the sweets, the machines and the way the factory worked back then. Some of it was mechanised but some wasn't and so it had to be done by hand at piece work rates. It wasn't hard to imagine the smell of those strawberry creams and I particularly liked it when one of the girls fainted and no smelling salts were to hand to bring her round. It was suggested that she be taken to the mint cracknel room because the mint oil was so strong it would do the trick. What an experience working there must have been and there's a real sense that it was a fabulous place of employment. I know it's fiction but the author clearly has a lot of knowledge about the factory and has done her research.

As you might expect, the characters go on many ups and downs before the end of the story, but it's a very heart-warming story as they all look out for each other. I really enjoyed this Christmassy chocolaty story. I had a strong sense of how different times were then. Now we just go to the supermarket and buy ourselves a tin of Quality Street. Then, just one sweet or toffee was a real treat. Just like this story.

Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

#TheQualityStreetGirls #NetGalley A break from my usual crime thriller genre I was attracted to this book by, well, its connection to chocolate!! What a lovely book it was, set in the 1930's around Mackintosh's chocolate factory and the new Quality Street line. A lovely blend of fact and fiction with a real heartwarming story set in the run up to Christmas. Well written with well rounded characters, I loved Reenie and Diana and couldn't stand the wicked Mrs Roth. Heartbreaking in places but a thoroughly good read!!

A story about the employees in the Mackintosh’s toffee factory that also involves Christmas? I was sold! The mere squeak of the cellophane wrappers of ‘Quality Street’ as they reveal all kinds of sweet and delicious toffee and chocolate confections is enough to set the old gastric juices flowing with desire!

Set in the 1930’s, it follows a group of girls working at the Mackintosh’s sweet factory in Halifax. Renee Calder may be the newbie, but she’s a bright girl with a keen interest in how the factory is run, and more to the point, how she can improve things for the workers whilst increasing their pay packets at the same time. This doesn’t go down well with everyone of course, and she soon finds herself in all sorts of trouble.

There were many threads to this well written storyline, some of which raised serious and important issues, but the overall feeling that I’m left with is how charming and heartwarming it was. The characters were believable, and the research into the Mackintosh factory and the family who founded it was impressive. Just one word of advice, have a tin of Quality Street to hand whilst reading it, because believe me, the longing for those delicious confections will be overwhelming!