another book that hits the spot in every way you want it to going in. there is so much heart to Glendas books. i dont know how she does it because we are talking about war and the hardships of that time. in this book we are even talking of people whole lives being shut down due to facotry closures. but still, Glenda makes us feel warmed and enveloped by her writing.
and being back with the girls was a pleasure. seeing how they have come on since the first book was great and i felt like i truly have a steak in what happens to them now. i have such a soft spot for each of them. they all have their own little quirks and wit of character. so when like in this book strife occurs i did feel a little "oh no" at times too.
the book once again brings us back to Durham at the time of first world war. times are getting harder or should i say leaner. and just how a sugar factory is supposed to survive is anyone's guess. we are back into the world of our 3 factory girls Helen, Anne and Elsie. they are all so different so it was a joy to read how they all brought something unique to the story and showed you different sides to what people faced at the time. all of them such heart and human feeling to them though so i was immersed into how they all brought the book to life.
books before and feel like I've missed out on many of her wonderful stories.
i really liked how Mr Jack and Anne interacted and worked together. they were a great duo to watch.
i think there is only three books in this series which will be sad to see it end but i just hope im lucky enough to read that last installment as im rooting for all of them,

The second book in the series begins in 1916. War is still raging and times are getting harder. The factory is struggling to continue making toffee because of all the shortages, mainly, sugar.
In this book Anne is to the fore. She's still working for Mr. Jack as his secretary and despite the unwarranted treatment from some of the male employees she's standing her ground and standing up for the girls on the factory floor.
Elsie is having a tough time but some of it she brings on herself. When something momentous happens she steps up to help out her Aunt Jean who has raised her. It's not an easy thing she has to do.
Hetty is in love but not with Bob who's gone overseas with the army. In spite of the letter she sent him breaking things off, he's still sending her army postcards.
Life is hard for all the girls. Some secrets are still kept but there's a happy outcome for one of the girls.
This author writes real characters in real life situations. It's a fast read and I gather from the ending there will be a third which I'll be glad to read.

Thanks to Headline Books and NetGalley for an early copy to read!

This is the second book in the Toffee girls trilogy.

It was great to meet Hetty, Elsie and Anne again - the roundup from the previous book was most welcome and I hope other authors take note. A brilliant move.

I was looking forward to reading this but it was oh so drawn out and long-winded at times and sometimes, may I say it, repetitive.

All the girls had roles within the story in different ways but in some ways other than Anne’s wedding nothing seemed to get resolved. The end of the book seemed very rushed to me and ended rather abruptly and on a strange part of the storyline. But it also set itself up well for the next book.

There were characters to like and ones that you really didn’t care for much. It was interesting to read how the sugar shortages affected a business so reliant on sugar - though there seemed to be access to chocolate.

It was also interesting to read how the role of women altered in WW1 - and how they took on greater roles and asserted themselves.

Having made some negative remarks that doesn’t detract from the fact that Glenda Young had obviously well researched the book - and she knows her geographical areas well. It still deserves its 5 stars as an entertaining and informative read.

We meet Anne,Hetty and Elsie once again.Anne is Mr Jack secretary at the toffee factory that he owns and is find that he has feeling for het even though he is engaged to be married to Lucinda Dalton.Also Anne has a secret that she can never tell him.Hettys brother goes of to fight in the war which leaves their mother distraught al even more unkind to Hetty.Then Hetty hears something very upsetting.Elsie find that Frank Ireland is not all he seems to be and finds her life will never be the same.Will things turn out alright for Anne ,will Hetty work things out with her mother and will Elsie come to terms with her life.Thank you to Netgalley and Headline .

Secrets of The Toffee Factory Girls is the second of a trilogy, and I was really impressed with the way that the author recapped what had already happened in the story so far. This book is based in Jack's toffee factory and there is also Anne, Hetty and Elsie who live outside. The story brings to life the harsh realities of living in Durham during a time of war. Filled with love, romance and friendship, I loved this book and I will definitely be getting the third in the series!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

What a heartwarming read. A book of true friendship. Anne Wright who is Mr Jack’s (owner of the factory )secretary , factory girls Elsie Cooper who is trying to make a life for herself after escaping the clutches of her nasty husband Frankie & Hetty Lawson who is used to living according to her mother’s wishes. All three are the best of friends and support each other through the difficult times, of which there are a few..

It’s a beautiful story. My favourite character was Mrs Fortune for being so caring, least favourite was Mr Ireland for being so nasty. Then the joy, no.3 to come.

A good read, loved the catch up blurb at the beginning of the book, wish more authors did this. Was great to catch up with the women from the factory, an easy read with great characters, looking forward to the 3rd book.

Read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it, especially as it was set where I live, in North East England. The author takes you straight into her storyline and keeps the reader turning the pages quickly. The women, in those times really had such a hard life, not made any easier by the male ego, they had a terrible life from home to work and all in between! They took over the male roles in the workplace when WW1 was happening and did those heavy tasks so well.
Looking forward to the 3rd book in this trilogy and am sure I will not be disappointed.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

I really enjoyed delving back into the lives of the Toffee Factory Girls. The characters are well developed and feel like real friends. They all have their troubles and you just want to hug them all. I can't wait to read more of the gurls

A real page turner, loved reading about the lives of the girls who worked at the toffee factory, The book concentrates on three girls and it was lovely to get to know them.

Great book by a great author

I loved this story it was fascinating reading about the characters and their lives, hardships and work at the toffee factory in Chester-le-street. There were many twists and turns which made for a real page turner. I loved how the community supported and helped each other during such difficult times.

This book is truly lovely. I found myself making time to read it because I adored the entire story. I’m excited to catch up on this author’s other works, as I haven’t read any of her books before and feel like I've missed out on many of her wonderful stories.

Set in Durham, this particular book is warm and charming, featuring great characters. It follows the lives of three girls: Helen Lawson, Anne Wright, and Elsie Cooper, who all work at Mr. Jack's toffee factory.

As the war rages on, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain the sugar needed to make the toffees, and both Mr. Jack and Anne are struggling to find a way to keep the factory running.

Overall, it is a delightful book filled with laughter, sadness, and numerous ups and downs. I found myself consistently making time to read it because I loved the whole story. I'm eager to continue exploring and enjoying the works of this new author.

Another amazing book by Glenda Young! I have read quite a few of her books now and always look forward to a new one! This book just comes to life with fantastically written plot, characters and world building. I struggled to put this down and finished it in a few hours! Its such a moving, lovable story highly recommend to everyone!


📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Glenda Young and Headline📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

I enjoyed reading this book as it was set in the North East of England. It tells of the lives of three women in the First World War. They all work in a Toffee Factory where sugar is rationed and it shows how the factory owner managed to change and still make toffee. It is informative telling us how the government sent the toffee to the troops and how one tin saved a soldier from death. The story follows the three main characters and their families. There is plenty to enjoy and l do recommend it be read. Thank you for allowing me to read it.

I really enjoyed reading this as it was such a a delightful story. Easy to read and so interesting. All the characters were vivid and the story about rationing sugar during the war made it more interesting. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Anne, Hetty and Elsie are back in the 2nd excellent addition of the Secrets of the Toffee factory Girls by Glenda young. It follows the 3 young ladies through ups and downs of the war, love, friends. Their is joy in the book and parts that are sad a great addition so looking forward to the next installment. Thankyou for the advanced copy.

As with the other Toffee Factory Girls books, I loved this and didn't want it to end. The story was compelling and there were moments of happiness, sadness and joy too. I really hope that there is more to come in this series because I don't feel the story is quite over (at least, I hope not!). I'd definitely recommend this series :)

The toffee factory girls are back set in the era of the Great War these girls are the heart of Jacks toffee factory.
Anne is in love with the owner and they end up together but Anne must keep her secret from him at all costs.
Elsie has gotten away from her abusive husband when he nearly killed her and she lost her baby.
Hetty finds out a long kept family secret and is unsure if her man Dirk is he cheating or does he love her.
The girls face more challenging situations in the book but love how it has been written and looking forward to future visits.

Secrets of the toffee factory girls, the 2nd book in the series and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Carrying on from the first book telling the story of Hetty, Elsie and Anne and their lives in the toffee factory. Each have their own story and even though there’s lots of different characters it doesn’t miss any of the story each follows seamlessly into each other. A great historical read and already looking forward to the next one. ⭐️

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

I loved reading this book. It’s 1916 and the war is on, but in Chester, the toffee factory could close as due to rations, there’s not enough sugar.

But, tins of Lady Tina have to be made for the troops, even if it means working less hours, the owners of the factory have to keep it open.

The story had funny moments, sad times and secrets held.

I highly recommend this book.