A fantastic wartime book. This book is filled with such lovely characters. It was good to catch up with the characters again. The ending was very good.

The first book in what promises to be a wonderful new series and I'm very much looking forward to reading what follows. Lovely characters and a heart-warming read.

A fabulous book and storyline. As WW2 is coming to an end the lives of Lily and Jim are heading towards marriage but a lot of stuff is thrown at them so will they make it down the isle? Four books are ahead of this one so always best to read in order. Thanks Joanna and your publisher and of course NetGalley

Loved it.
Didn't realise at first, that this was part of the shop girls series, I have read 2 of the shop girls books (definitely going to read the others). So I was aware of some of the characters and a little of the back story, but it doesn't spoil the story of you haven't read any of the other books.
It takes place towards the end of the second world war, and I love the way it has been written.
Can't wait to read the next book!
Thank you netgalley

Sometimes historical books can get a little bit boring or tedious, but I quite enjoyed the installment of this series set in WW2.
Premise
The new book in the heart-warming WW2 family saga series!As the tides of war turn, friendship has never been more important…
Spring 1944. As the Allied forces push on towards longed-for victory, Lily Collins yearns to join up and do her bit. But where does her duty lie?

Her best friend Gladys faces having her first baby alone, with her new husband back with the Navy.

And their friend Beryl is run off her feet building her bridal-hire business amid the bomb damage.

So while wedding bells are ringing for others at Marlows Department Store, where Lily works, will they be heard for Lily herself – or does fate have another twist in store?
Well first of all as a Lily Collins fan I loved the main character was named Lily Collins! In addition to that though it was a very heart warming read as the premise states learning about young women going through such a poignant time in history.

The Victory Girls by Joanna Toye is an excellent WWII-era historical fiction saga that is the newest installment of the amazing Marlow’s Department Store series. I loved this book, and this series!

This is the 5th book and I highly recommend the whole series, however one could truly pick up any book and easily snuggle in. This one starts mid-1944.

I love the full character cast, their development, history, and the progression of the relationships. It was great to see what happened next with Lilly, Jim, Beryl, and Gladys amongst others. The author just has a way of writing that really makes one want to invest in these characters for the long hall and hope for the truly best. One of the best series I have read.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and HarperCollins UK for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

The Victory girls was an engaging read from the first page. Hard hitting in places.

The characters are well rounded and believable.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is a fabulous wartime drama. It’s got so many characters who are lovable and lovely banter.

This book being the next in the series, the way the author inputs what’s happened previously ensuring you’ve not missed anything is wonderful.

The characters Lily and Jim, Gladys and her Bill along with Dora and the crew at Marlows, I absolutely loved. It felt so good catching up with all these people and reading what happened next.

Reading it, I was immersed in their lives and couldn’t put the book down, having to know what happened after.

A superb series to follow from beginning to end.

Highly recommend It.

Set in 1940s England during and just at the end of WWII, this fifth book in the series is gentle, hopeful and reassuring, which, as the author said in her notes, is sometimes needed in life, especially in the midst of a pandemic when she wrote this novel. The Victory Girls can definitely be read as a standalone so you needn't be concerned with taking a blind leap. It's not like that.

Young Lily Collins is full of ambition and dreams as she is surrounded by people who value and love her including Gladys, Jim and Dora (and others). She enjoys her job in sales in Childrenswear at Marlows Department Store, though her work environment is not without issues as all jobs are. However, she is very keen to take an active role in the war effort which never leaves her mind. Gladys is expecting her first baby with her husband who is off to fight in the war. As we slip into the minds of the characters, we see glimpses of the effects of war on everyone.

The descriptions of spring (which to me means hope and promise) are lovely. I was tickled at the mention of The People's Friend which my sisters and I huddled together to read when we were kids. Details such as these filled me with nostalgia, though the circumstances are obviously vastly different. We haven't had to experience trying to find our way outdoors during blackouts or food rationing as the characters in this book did. Yet the horrendous war details are left out by the author. Her focus to me felt like a calming blanket.

My sincere thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this delightful book.

Main story follows Lily working at big dept store, her friend Gladys is expecting her first child while her husband Bill is in the forces. They are joined by Beryl who has her own Bridal shop. I really enjoyed following Lily and her brothers story, their mother is the backbone of the family.
The next door neighbours nephew has an interesting story. Loved it.

This is the 5th book and I highly recommend the whole series, however one could truly pick up any book and easily snuggle in. This one starts mid-1944.
I found this to be a superb read, which kept me engaged and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout wanting to know how it was all going to end. Very good novelist. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was lovely to catch up with the girls and the next part of their lives.This is a fab series that i have recommended to friends,a lovely story and characters that go so well together make a great book.Excellent 5*

The Victory Girls is a pleasant read. The pace is slow and measured with the events unfolding gently. Although part of a series, it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. It is well-written with characters that strive to be their best selves in a world that is frightening and uncertain. Although set towards the end of the Second World War, this story resonates with today’s reader and echoes the challenges of life within a community during dangerous and difficult times. It is an uplifting and hopeful book.

As usual this is a great saga into the lives of the ww2 heroes. The characters are now like one of the family and can’t wait for the next instalment. Very well written and your feel like you. It only know these people but you’ve also lived through the tough time with them.
Highly recommended author and series of books

I loved this novel anew addition to the Shop Girl series.I felt like I was reuniting with old friends.If you,love English sagas this is the perfect series for you.#netgalley#harpercollinsuk

A fantastic wartime drama, filled with lovable characters and a camaraderie and strength that infused the lives of the time. Even though this book is a follow up to previous in the series, the author does a fab job with filling you in and making it feel like you haven’t missed anything at all. So you don’t feel at a disadvantage if you haven’t read any of these books before!

I loved the characters, Lily and Jim, Gladys and her Bill as well as Dora and the lovable crew at Marlows. The shop girls has been an utterly brilliant set of books I’ve found and they certainly have not lost their sparkle! It was great to catch up with all the characters and continue on in their story development and I loved settling down to tear through the pages in this book.

It’s a very easy immersible and entertaining book and one that you find the pages whittle down in no time. I really enjoyed it and the ending was just great. This was a fantastic follow up to what has been a great series!

A heart-warming new tale in the "Shop Girl" series. Joanna Toye was a scriptwriter for The Archers for over 20 years, and it's that familiar warmth she brings to her novels that makes them so appealing. If I were you I'd download the whole series and find a comfy nook, or a particularly sunny spot in the garden to enjoy them from the beginning. After the upheaval of the past year, it might just be the remedy our bodies, and our hearts need.

With grateful thanks to netgalley and Joanne Toye for an arc in return for an honest opinion.
Well what can I say but it's been utterly superb, from beginning to end this being the 5th in the series I was delighted to catch up with the going on at Marlows, with the delectable Jim and lily what a wonderful match they are, Glady's Beryl and gang war is still taking the men away but things seem to be a bit less stressful on that front jim and lily trying to organise a wedding when life gets in the way.
This really is a fantastic series and look forward to the 6th book in the series, and can highly recommend this book for a book full of love laughs and so much more.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC. I love this author and love this series. I really feel I part of the family. If you love family saga and worldxwar books you will definitely love this series