Hopefully the first in a series from this author! More please as this left me wanting to find out more about the girls.

This was my first book by this author, but I’m looking forward to catching up with the Steel girls again in next book. Set at the start of the Second World War we meet Patty, Nancy and Betty three women at different stages in their lives who come together as friends in Vickers steel works. We learn of the effects of the War on both the men away fighting and the women left behind. It is nice to see the great team work and pulling together that everyone did to keep the Country running while the fighting continued. A great read.

Brilliant characters. Loved them all. A really great read, very heart-warming and charming. I would love to read more from the author.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

It was a great novel. Loved reading it and the writer is great. Would most likely read again and recommend to others.

This book was very interesting to read about the story of the woman who worked in the steel factories during the war.

These woman went through a few things but they are strong woman some of the men in the factory were chauvinistic and thought the woman were there so they could do inappropriate things to them.

Betty, Nancy & Patty are very likeable characters and look forward to hearing more about them with the next book.

Sadly not for me. I didn’t find myself relating to the characters at all so put it down and never came round to picking it up again unfortunately

Great historical fiction! I am not a kings and queens type history buff but everyday life stuff really interests me.
The author brings to life bygone years with such charm and character.

Really nice relaxing read, great for the summer holidays.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

As soon as I saw this book I knew that I had to read it, I have read and absolutely loved Rawlins previous book; The Women of Steel (I really need to write my review for that one too) but it wasn’t just loving her amazingly in-depth look into the amazing women who dropped everything to jump into the roles of men, waling into an industry which is incredibly hard and dangerous – I am in absolute awe of those incredible women but one of the reasons I was taken with this story is far more personal I have steelworks running through my veins thanks to my dad’s side of the family, and not to mention I was born a stones throw from Sheffield I have walked past the women of steel statue so many times. It felt to me that this was a book which I needed to read and have in my life and it didn’t disappoint; The Steel Girls was everything and more I came to expect.

The story follows Nancy, Betty and Patty; three women who because of the war they drop their old lives pick up the leather squabs, boots and heavy gauntlets and goggles and head into the furnace. I liked each of the women, each so different but they all share that same determination and steel-like grit t keeps them pushing through the work and the day.

I particularly liked Nancy, she reminded me of my grandmother and great grandmother, who both had to look after the family by going to work while their husbands were at war. Nancy watches her husband Bert walk away after being called up and she has no choice but to go into the factory to feed her children. I enjoyed Betty’s tale, she has waved off her RAF sweetheart; William and finds that she can’t just sit and nothing, she has big dreams but in times of war when all must pull together those dreams of studying Law must be put on hold when she becomes a Steel girl. And then we have cute as a button Patty she is rather sheltered and even though she has previously worked as a shop girl is a little like a dear in headlights once she walks into Vickers. Thank goodness for the other women!

I loved watching as each of the women found their way, how their confidence grows and their friendships blossoms, the sense of community and family within the factory is wonderful. All three women go through so much during the book, as you would expect from a WW2 story there is so much uncertainty will they ever see their loved ones again? And even worse will they have that dreaded telegram? The unknown feeling of what’s to comes is a constant lurking beneath the hard work, beneath those jovial times but above all, this is a story of women supporting women and doing their bit for the war.

I have heard many stories from my own family about the hard work which goes on in a steel factory my dad has a horrendous scar where a steel rod flew out of the furnace and caught him in the leg, so I am pleased to say Rawlins has written the factory and the work with realism and clarity.

I am not at all surprised that this is incredible rich accurate detail, anyone who has read the women of steel will know how much time and research has gone into this book. Rawlins brings to life what these inspirational women did day in day out for six years, you can almost feel the burning of the furnaces, the heat which is throwing out of those fires the toxins of the ammunition which is thrown into the air, you can feel the grime on your skin and the debris in your hair. I also love the overriding sense of comradeship between the women, the friendship and the sister-like bond which will last a lifetime, it’s heart-warming and magical.

The Steel Girls is a wonderful mix of fiction that is perfectly entwined with real life, after reading this I am even more in awe of these women; Nancy, Betty and Patty are wonderful characters you can’t help but like them and I instantly felt as though I had known them for years. This is an inspiring, emotional, authentic, heart-warming and gorgeously written saga all about friendship, love and overriding determination to care for their families but to do their bit. I was completely captured by the story and I can’t wait to read more from the steel women.

Finally, I have to give a massive thumbs up for the perfect Yorkshire-ism, my accent maybe a little stronger (I am a bit common 😉 ) but I could hear my native beloved Yorkshire in my head every time the women spoke – “Oh, aye, it was al’reet“

This book could teach some life lessons. The history of the book is amazing. The story pulls you in and I loved the characters.
Betty, Nancy and Patty all go off to the steelworks to do their bit for the war effort. Betty because her William has gone off to war. Patty’s main thought was about all the males she would meet while there. Nancy to keep her occupied while husband Bert’s been called up. They soon make a team, becoming firm friends who face the problems when each one is matched up with male worker to show them the ropes.
Loved it. Looking forward to book 2.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm trying to read more war books as I love war films.
I learnt from this book that women went to work in steel factories when men went off to fight in the war. I never knew this before.
Love the friendship that Nancy, Betty and Patty formed through working together

It was easy to fall into step with Nancy, Betty and Patty as they picked up the challenge of supporting the war effort in 1930’s Sheffield. Each one had a different reason for joining the steel yard, but they were all determined to play their part.
It would be impossible to pick a favourite as Nancy, Betty and Patty each add their own dimension to the story as their motivations for moving to the steelyard are personal. Nancy is a housewife whose husband is called up early as he’s a member of the territorial army. Betty is working in a law firm and has her hopes pinned on qualifying, until her boyfriend decides to join the RAF. Patty is jaded with her manager’s attitude as she works in the cosmetics department at Woolworth’s; she’s convinced that she’ll find a new boyfriend amongst the steel workers.
The descriptions of the steel works were gritty, and you could almost feel the heat from the furnace as the girls climbed to their seats in the crane cabs. It was refreshing to read that the misogynistic attitudes were only employed by some of the other workers as they adapted to their new workforce.
The Steel Girls is a new series for my collection of wartime sagas, I’ve only recently discovered the genre and am enjoying the varied stories that are available. Michelle Rawlins has created some memorable characters which are worth following, to see how their journeys progress as the war grips Europe.

A sweet story of determined women fighting adversity and supporting one another through thick and thin. An interesting insight into the period, full of nostalgia.

The Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins is a wonderful historical novel celebrating the brave women who did their bit in Sheffield’s steelworks during World War II.
The novel is set in 1939 as Britain enters the war. It is an unsettling time as young men go off to war leaving their families behind. Life was hard but everyone wanted to help the war effort. For some women this meant entering the world of traditional men’s jobs. For others it was providing childcare. The women did whatever they could.
War brings out the very best and the very worst of humanity. In this novel we witness the indomitable bulldog spirit of those left behind.
Life in the steelworks was dirty, dangerous and hard. The women faced the prejudices of some men and the unwanted advances of others.
The Steel Girls follows three young women from different walks of life who bond in the factory and form a friendship. It was an entertaining and realistic read that I enjoyed.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Loved it, loved it, loved it, what a fantastic storyline very detailed and descriptive and absolutely loved the characters, can't wait to read the next book from the fabulous steel girls to see what is instore for them next
Brilliant read

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

I so enjoyed this lovely story set in Sheffield in 1939 from the first page, loved how it gave an insight into the Steelworks factory along with those women who get honoured in helping with the war in their way.

Following the friendship of Nancy, Betty and Pattie, exploring their friendships and lifestyles.

Loved it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline of the book although the copy contained quite a lot of factual, grammatical and setting/layout errors. The latter especially sometimes made it hard to read as the text size suddenly doubled! I appreciate that the final proof read has perhaps not been completed and hope errors are solved before publication especially the reference to Doncaster being 40 miles away from Sheffield!

The characters were all very likeable and strong. My husband's family came from Sheffield and worked in the steel mills so some of the place names and terminology was familiar.

I very much look forward to reading more about the main trio of characters throughout the rest of the war.

Really enjoyed this lovely tale based in Sheffield 1939. it was easy reading from page one and gave me a great insight into the Sheffield Steelworks factory and how the women felt honoured to volunteer to help with the war effort. It follows the friendship of Nancy, Betty and Pattie. It was a heartwarming story and I loved the way their friendships and lifestyles were explored.

This was an entertaining and quick read! I found the writing style easy to immerse myself in and the characters likeable. I do wish there was less telling and more showing in terms of backstories and general plot points, but it was still a fun story!

This was such a wonderful book to read.Nancy,Patty and Betty do their bit for the war effort and also to prove that they can do the jobs of the men in the steel industry.I hope there is more to come of this story 5*