A New Dawn for the Mill Girls by Chrissie Walsh is an engaging historical novel set in late 1890s West Yorkshire. The story follows Verity, the mill owner’s daughter, as she strives to modernize her family’s wool mill amidst social divides and opposition from traditionalists. Verity is a strong, compassionate heroine who fights for better conditions for workers and challenges class barriers. The detailed setting, local references, and rich character development create an immersive experience. The slow-burning romance between Verity and Oliver adds emotional depth, while social commentary and heartfelt moments highlight themes of resilience and progress. A hopeful, well-crafted debut in a promising series.

June 27, 2025
A New Dawn for the Mill Girls by Chrissie Walsh #Review #TheLockwoodInheritanceBook1



Today's review of historical fiction takes us back to 1897 and the last few years of the nineteenth century. A New Dawn for the Mill Girls by Chrissie Walsh was published by Boldwood Books on June 26th.


West Yorkshire 1897

A new mistress for Lockwood Mill.

Verity Lockwood despises life at Far View House, where her father and mill owner, Jebediah Lockwood, drowns his fortune—and his wits—in drink. With debts mounting, whispers spread - how much longer can Lockwood’s Mill survive?

The dark and dirty mills of Yorkshire are no place for a gently bred young woman, but when Verity learns that her father’s ruin threatens not only her home but the livelihoods of the workers who depend on it, she refuses to stand idly by.

Oliver Hardcastle, the mill’s stern and steady manager, is doubtful of Miss Lockwood’s sudden involvement. She’s quiet and unassuming, yet behind her demure exterior lies a sharp mind and as Verity challenges tradition with her bold ideas, she soon earns the respect of the other workers – especially the mill girls— and the reluctant admiration of Oliver himself.

But as their partnership deepens into something more, powerful men begin to take notice. Other mill owners scoff at Verity’s reforms, seeing her as a threat to the order they seek to maintain. And when enemies close in, Verity and Oliver must stand together—not only to save the mill, but to fight for a love neither of them expected.


My Thoughts

I was delighted when I started this novel to realise that it is set in West Yorkshire, near Huddersfield as I live in that part of the world. I lapped up all the local references, especially the one which referenced the Standedge Tunnel. the highest, longest deepest one in the world! The lives of those connected with the woollen mills in Almondbury showed how different people were dealt such different life chances, according to their class and position in the world. The workers were shown to be a mixed bunch but mainly hard workers who had a certain loyalty to the management.

Verity is the mill owner's daughter and heir who has been neglected by her father since her mother's death. She strikes you as rather lonely at the start and looking for genuine friendship but she finds purpose in her efforts to improve the mill. She believes in encouraging everyone and champions those who want to improve, providing better conditions and seeking to reward hard work. Unfortunately some see her as naive and seek to take advantage of her.

Period detail and the social conditions of the time sit alongside a slow burn romance. You sense that there are changes coming for everyone as the century draws to an end and women in particular are constrained by attitudes as to their purpose. Through the characters, you see how some regard social class as a barrier to getting on, believing that it is wrong to have ideas 'above your station'. The other mill owners close ranks at times and regard Verity as a soft touch who is working against their interest by bringing in some of her reforms. I am certainly looking forward to the next in this series which blends the spirit of the times with excellent story- telling.

In short: new starts and old attitudes

A wonderful introduction to Chrissie Walsh, a new author to me, with this captivating new historical saga. A New Dawn for the Mill Girls beautifully brings to life the resilience and spirit of its characters amid richly detailed period settings.

The strong sense of community and authentic characters make this saga a compelling and emotional read.

I’m excited to follow this series and read more from Chrissie Walsh.

Thank you net galley and boldwood books for giving me this opportunity toread this book.
This story takes place 1897 in England.
Verity lives with her farther Jeb in Far View House. Jeb owns a mill in town but is wasting it's profits on drink and gambling. The mills debts are mounting.
Jeb has a medical emergency and is bedridden. With no heir to run the mill Verity takes over the running of the mill.
O.iver Hardcastle is the mills manager and is not sure that Verity can do the job, but as time goes on he finds that she is more then capable.
As time goes on she is respected by the employees who work for her.
Working closely with Oliver their work relationship grows into something more.
These are my own opinions. Thank you again net galley and boldwood books.

In this unique and fascinating historical fiction novel, readers follow Verity Lockwood as she comes into her own as the daughter of alcoholic mill owner Jebediah Lockwood. The mills of Yorkshire are no place for a lady in 1897, but when her father risks ruining the mill and the lives of its workers, Verity steps in with an eye on the future and a list of improvements and reforms that Oliver Hardcastle, the mill’s manager, can help her with if he stops doubting her. As they work together, their partnership becomes more than a professional relationship, but other mill owners do not like Verity’s reforms, so both Oliver and Verity must weather the storms of their personal and professional relationships if they want their happy ending. Packed with details and fantastic characters, readers will love this fascinating historical fiction book because the settings and characters are so detailed. The historical context of mills and labor reforms really adds a lot of tension and drama that gets Verity to grow and change over the course of the book, while her relationship with Oliver adds a different kind of drama and emotional intensity in this detailed and immersive new novel in beautiful rural Yorkshire.

“A New Dawn for the Mill Girls” tells the familiar tale of the working class of their employers. For many people, even today, what they earned and how they lived depended on how the owner of the property managed things. Unfortunately for some, this was not very well, as you will see in this novel. Verity is a breath of fresh air for a heroine. Early on, however, I felt the story did not need her to have a romance and her determination along with the stories of Dolly, Georgie, and Theo could have carried the story. Oliver has the appearance of a male lead you have seen a dozen times. Tall, blue-eyed with those ‘strong arms’ you always read about. If I am honest his character was not very interesting to me, because I feel this man exists everywhere in Victorian set stories. More on Verity. How nice to have a smart female lead. There are things she does not know, but shows eagerness to learn and help people. She is also described as being on the taller side which one does not see often for female characters. All around she made the story interesting because she felt real. She is also kind and not needlessly rude like the leads, male or female, in so many books today. Then we have her father Jeb who from the start you will want to see walk off a cliff. He is horrid to her. So horrid it is a wonder Verity has a shred of self esteem. The poor Medleys downstairs fair none the better under his hand. Worst still is Sam, a learning man at the mill who will not keep his eyes and hands off the women and girls. Theo on the other hand was great and Dolly almost stole the show. The main characters in general were nice to read about. No lust at first sight here. In fact all of the lustful characters, Amy, Sam, and Clarence are painted in a negative light and pay the consequences.
I would recommend this book to those interested in the late Victorian era and the working class. -Anne Harris.

A New Dawn for the Mill Girls is the first book in The Lockwood Inheritance series. Set in West Yorkshire in 1897, Verity Lockwood has returned to Far View House as a young woman. She had been living with her aunt since her mother died. She planned on running the household, but when she arrived she found out that her father, Jebediah Lockwood is a drunk and a gambler. He takes whatever he can from the Lockwood Mill, leaving it short staffed and with old, rundown equipment. Rumor has it that the mill will be bankrupt soon. When Verity learns that her father’s ruin threatens not only her home but the livelihoods of the workers who depend on it, she refuses to stand by and do nothing. She heads to the mill and asks the manager, Oliver Hardcastle to show her around and show her the books. He tells her what her father has been doing and not doing, as well as how much they owe suppliers etc. Verity sells a piece of jewelry and pays some of the debt, buys supplies and gets the mill running even. When her father has a stroke and head injury, it allows Verity to run the mill with Oliver and get it back in the black. The Mill Girls like her and all that she does for them, making the Lockwood Mill a much more pleasant place to work. While this is going on, she and Oliver begin to have feelings for one another. Can a mill manager and a Mill Owner have a future together? Will the Lockwood Mill become a leader in the business?

I enjoyed A New Dawn for the Mill Girls by Chrissie Walsh. There are so many great characters in this story. Not only did I really like both Oliver and Verity, but brother and sister, George and Dolly were great workers and friends to Verity. Dolly helped Verity get the women to trust her and helped teach a class after work so they could learn to read and write. The times the story is set in had a huge divide between the working class and the gentry. The mill owners only wanted to earn more money and weren't happy that Verity was providing what they felt were luxuries, i.e. a canteen, paid holiday, reading classes etc. Verity was a very strong female character, who stood up to bullies in the factory and the other mill owners. She was lucky to have Oliver to support her and keep the male workers in line. Things don't go smoothly, there is an act of revenge against the company, and an issue with trust and miscommunication that causes some drama, but overall this is a hopeful story. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next in this series. This is the first book that I have read by Chrissie Walsh, but I will definitely be reading more. If you enjoy uplifting historical fiction, one with some romance, friendship and new beginnings, then I recommend A New Dawn for the Mill Girls.

A very enjoyable book and a wonderful start to a series.

I really liked the main characters they worked well together and some of the characters were not nice people. How the heroine overcame adversity to help improve things. The book was interesting to read and the conditions that the mill workers had to endure. They were hardworking and how some of the owners treated them wasn’t good.

I look forward to reading the next book.

It's April 1897 in Almondbury in West Yorkshire and Verity Lockwood is awoken by the sound of breaking glass at just after midnight, worried that it might be robbers, she goes downstairs to investigate.
Verity has just returned to live with her father at Far View House in Almondbury, the house where she was born some twenty one years ago. The past five years she had been living with her aunt in Leeds, so she felt like she didn't really live here anymore. But on opening the door to the drawing room she finds her father and lots of broken ornaments and figurines. She soon realises that her father has had too much to drink. Also that to quench his thirst it has resulted in him running up a big debt in many shops in the town, including the butchers shop, this is another area that Verity is determined to do something about and after using her own birthday money to buy kitchen supplies, she tells Cook this. Verity is certainly determined to do something to make things better at her fathers Mill and also to make sure the mill starts to make money again, something it's not doing at the moment. She takes an impromptu visit to the mill and is appalled at what she sees. After an unfortunate accident, she has to step up and take control of the workings of the mill and suddenly the workers realise that things are now much better with her in charge, but will it be enough to keep it going?
Verity is certainly a young woman with very forward thinking ideas, especially when it came to running a business and making important decisions and this shows in the running of the mill. Verity has determination and dedication to the mill and it's workers and will do what it takes to protect their jobs, but will it be enough? More importantly will she find love herself?

A lovely endearing "trouble at mill" story that readers of historical sagas will love, full of emotion and drama, hope and promises.
I really enjoyed reading this book, I was drawn into the storyline from the very beginning. I have given it a well deserved five-star read.

#Netgalley
#Boldwoodbooks
#ChrissieWalsh
#ANewDawnForTheMillGirls

I love the authors writing and this one is set in Yorkshire, so I was excited to read it.

I felt so sorry for Verity instantly, passed from pillar to post all her life and now she’s finally home her father couldn’t be more disgusted at her presence if he tried.

The Mill and its workers soon become close to Verity’s heart when she sees how badly they are treated by her father and what may happens to them if he has his way.

I was engrossed in everything about The Mill as I’ve been interested in this part of Yorkshire’s history for a long time and I loved the story even more because of that, the author really did a fantastic job in portraying the mill workers how they got treated and what life was like for them.

This is fantastic start to a new saga series and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Thank you Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I need to stop setting myself up and requesting books that are connected to a preexisting series or a prolific author because now I feel the FOMO 😂

The writing is exquisite. I was reminded of the “slice of life” narrative I enjoyed by other authors like Alice Coldbreath. Some may find it boring but I find the daily details of the daily lives of historical characters both relaxing and intriguing. And the relationship between Oliver and Verity was fun to read. The ups and downs made sense. I am glad the book also focused on Verity’s relationships and friendships outside the romance with Oliver. There were so many heartfelt moments especially for the side characters. There was a good balance between sorrow and joy and I will definitely read more from Ms. Walsh.

I can’t wait for the audiobook release; I know it will be enjoyable to listen to and relive the story.

This is the first book in the Lockwood Inheritance series and it was a really great read. I’ve read many of Chrissie Walsh’s historical saga books and I’ve loved them all and it was certainly the same with this one. Set in West Yorkshire in the late 1890’s it didn’t take me long to become absorbed in the story . I warmed immediately to Verity Lockwood who has a tough life with her father who is the owner of Lockwood Mills. However rather than being at the mill every day he would rather be spending his money on alcoholic beverages in one of the inns in the town of Almomdbury where they live. As things take a turn for the worse Verity has no choice but to take action to keep the mill from closing down . She needs to get the mill workers on her side and to respect her and her work ethics. Whilst this was an easy read it was also an emotional one at times, A wonderful start to a new series with some great characters who I’m looking forward to getting to know better as the series progresses.

Chrissie Walsh's 'A New Dawn for the Mill Girls' is an engaging historical novel about 1897 West Yorkshire. The novel centers on Verity Lockwood, who defies convention by running her father's dying mill. With rising debts and censure from other mill owners, Verity brings dramatic changes, including defiance of the conventional class distinctions and respect from her workers, especially the mill girls.

The book is best at portraying its characters, especially Verity, whose inner strength is concealed behind a dignified silence. Her relationship with the strict but noble mill manager, Oliver Hardcastle, gradually blossoms into an offbeat romance that provides a poignant depth to the story. The author skillfully interlaces social commentary with a page-turning story, emphasizing the plight of the working class and the resentment faced by Verity from the conservative elements who perceive her modern thoughts as menacing.

'A New Dawn for the Mill Girls' is an inspiring story of strength, defying conventions, and struggling to create a better tomorrow. It will appeal to readers of historical fiction and slow-burn romance, providing a rewarding combination of social drama and endearing courage.

Really enjoyed reading this one 😊 Verity is stubborn and headstrong and a likeable character. She's had a bumpy life that's seen more unhappiness than anyone deserves but I like her tenacity. She makes a big difference in a lot of people's life just through being fair and treating people equally.

Dolly is similar in terms of her ambition and I like how she interacts with Verity. The mill seemed a dire place to be but the likes of Oliver, Verity and Dolly have made it better. The competition between mill owners was interesting particularly as they seemed to have a code to follow. Verity.

I liked how this addresses a number of issues in the mill and within the community, highlighting work related problems around production, skill, politics and equality - not just in class but also gender. Most of the characters are relatable in terms of their views and sense of community. Some are just terrible but show another set of issues that affects the working classes, particularly the attitudes to women.

Chrissie Walsh kicks off her enthralling new Yorkshire saga series, The Lockwood Inheritance, with the first captivating instalment, A New Dawn for the Mill Girls.

As the daughter of mill owner Jebediah Lockwood, Verity despairs when she sees her father’s cavalier attitude to Lockwood’s Mill. More concerned with frittering away the profits and drowning his fortune in drink, Verity cannot idly sit by and watch the livelihoods of his workforce be put in jeopardy by her father’s recklessness and selfishness. With debts mounting, Verity ventures in to the mill and immediately begins to clash with manager Oliver Hardcastle.

Suspicious of Miss Lockwood’s sudden interest, Oliver isn’t sure what his boss’s daughter wants to prove. However, he quickly realises that behind her quiet and unassuming exterior lies a sharp brain and fearsome intellect. Verity’s passion, interest and determination soon wins over some of the workers and as their respect for her grows so too does Oliver’s admiration for her.

However, when Verity’s reforms begin to spread beyond Lockwood’s Mill, some powerful men begin to take a malign interest in her. As her ruthless enemies are prepared to go to any lengths to keep Verity in her rightful place, she must work closely with Oliver to protect herself and the lives of the people who look up to her.

Will this be a new dawn for Lockwood’s Mill? Or will Verity’s generosity and determination to better the lives of her workers lead to her undoing?

Dilly Court fans will not want to miss Chrissie Walsh’s brilliant new saga. A stirring, dramatic and powerful tale with a compassionate heroine and a charismatic hero, A New Dawn for the Mill Girls is saga storytelling at its finest. A tale of class conflict, power struggles and forbidden love, A New Dawn for the Mill Girls will hold readers spellbound and have them eagerly awaiting the next entry in Chrissie Walsh’s excellent Victorian-set saga series.

Verity's beginnings couldn't predict her future. With perseverance and hard work, she climbed out of the pit she lived in.

Oliver ran the mill that was Verity's inheritance. Attraction was immediate. He was from another class than her. And that caused a problem.

Verity was quite a firecracker. She had many ideas for the Mill and no one could stop her. She looked beyond what was expected.

I loved Oliver and Verity's relationship. He was the calm. She was the storm. And in the end, this did create conflict.

I couldn't put the book down. It was a great story. I loved it.

This is the first book in the Lockwood Inheritance series. It was an interesting story revolving around cotton mills. One in particular is being run by Verity Lockwood, whose father owns the mill but is too ill to run it. Oliver is the manager of the mill, and together they attempt to save the mill from closing. Her father is a drunk and a gambler and has let the mill run to the ground. They employ the absolute minimum staff, have shoddy machines that are barely working, and a lot of suppliers are withholding goods because of unpaid bills. Verity needs to keep the place running, but more than that, she wants to do more for the employees, much to the disgust of other mill owners in the area.

A budding romance develops between Oliver and Verity, but the course of true love doesn't run smoothly when there is a class divide between them. Also, there is a very disgruntled man, another mill owner, wanting to have Verity for himself.

There were some dramatic scenes, and the book is written well. The pace was a little slow for me, but it did hold my interest until the end.

BOOK: A NEW DAWN FOR THE MILL GIRLS
AUTHOR: CHRISSIE WALSH
PUB DATE: JUNE, 2025
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This was a simple, fast, easy read. I liked almost everything about this book; the storyline, the characters, setting, and pace. It was a good book. My favourite thing about this book was the author's portrayal of the middle class in Britain then. Most books like this mostly involve the aristocracy, and this was different. However, just because these people are not aristocrats doesn't mean they do not see class. Class exist between them just as they do in the nobility.
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Now, Verity Lockwood was an admirable character, I fell in love with her. She grew up without love, but she didn't let it stop or deter her. She grabbed the bulls by the horn and did the right thing, especially when it came to the mill. I learnt a lot about mills thanks to her. She literally learnt from the ground up and made the working conditions much better. She was a trailblazer!
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The MMC, Oliver Hardcastle, was also a good, hardworking man. I liked him. He was a good for for the mill and for our fmc. Both of them were perfect together, there was some issue between both of them, bit they settled it.
There was also another side character, Dolly, a working, middle-class girl. She was nice and okay and very friendly to the FMC
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Now, I liked this book, and I'd recommend it, but there were some things I didn't get that were promised in the synopsis. I was expecting a lot of drama in the mill, especially from other competitors, but I didn't really get that. And I'd gave loved an extensive epilogue too. But, it was worth my time
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Set in Almondsbury, a town in the Yorkshire region of England, during the time of Queen Victoria, Mrs. Walsh introduces you to a variety of characters in this new series.
Verity Lockwood is home after being moved around between various relatives and boarding school following the death of her mother. Her father, Jeb Lockwood, is the owner of a struggling mill factory, and Verity, very lonely with only her Aunt Martha to talk to, decides to explore the family business. Seeing that it is a dismal state, she seeks to turn it around.

Mrs. Walsh introduces you to a town full of lovely people and some full of pure evil. Her characters are well fleshed out and not one-dimensional. The plot is very engaging and held my attention. I recommend this to fans of Historical fiction with a touch of innocent romance. I am looking forward to more books in this series and by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for an ARC to read and review.

Chrissie Walsh has written a number of richly-detailed historical sagas, and this novel is the first of her new Lockwood inheritance series. As in all her books, she has done impressive research to fill in a true-to-history context.

This is a very character-driven novel, and each of the mill girls (and women, boys and men) has a role to play in their own right. The two personalities that really come alive are at opposite ends of a rarely breached class divide. Cute, bubbly and bold for a young woman of West Yorkshire in the late Victorian era, Dolly lives with her hard working parents in one of the better working class neighborhoods, along with her brother George, also a mill hand. Thanks to their mother’s youthful employment as a maid in a ‘big house,’ where she learned to read, do sums, sew and speak proper English, they are in a strange middle ground between regular working people and their betters. This often makes them wish for more, while recognizing how narrow their choices actually are.

The other main female protagonist is Verity Lockwood, the thirtyish spinster
daughter of a much despised, brutish, alcoholic mill owner. Jeb Lockwood is effectively bleeding his family’s once prosperous mill dry by laying off experienced workers, cutting wages, imposing long hours and harsh working conditions, and taking a large part of the mill’s earnings to fund his gambling, drinking and womanizing. He had cared little for his ailing wife, who had lost two sons and rightful heirs, and not at all for his only surviving child. She had been sent away to boarding school, then shunted between two aunts, and had just returned to a house where she was clearly unwanted. Her father wants only to marry her off to someone with enough money to bail him out of the mess he has made. He constantly tells her that she is ugly and stupid. Not surprisingly, having received very little kindness all her life, she also has difficulty distinguishing between those who really care about her and those who just want to take advantage.

The far apart worlds of Far View House and the mill town come closer when her father’s stroke forces Verity to take an active interest in the mill’s workings. With the help of the mill manager, the handsome and upright Oliver Hardcastle, she involves herself in every aspect of the business. She brings in needed reforms in wages and conditions, starts reading and sewing classes, rehires skilled workers and fires those who abused their power, and quickly—despite many setbacks—does away with her father’s debts. She makes friends with Dolly Armitage, whom she recognizes as a leader among the mill girls; both Dolly and George, through their own hard work and Verity’s regard, better their positions. The dark side of all these beneficial undertakings is that Verity makes enemies—both among the workers and her powerful male rivals. While her self-esteem grows as she proves her worth in the business, and earns the admiration of her colleagues, especially, she can never be sure of her position because she is an unmarried woman among men who look down on her just because of their gender biases.

If anything slows the novel’s pace, it’s the constant equivocation between Verity and her would-be fiancée. It’s almost a ‘he loves me, he loves me not’ game. For Dolly and her young man, there are his frequent disappearances which are quickly explained away as misunderstandings. The misunderstanding trope is a bit overplayed. Even without easy access to telephones, it’s hard to believe these people couldn’t manage to get vital messages across the street or to a neighbouring village. But few writers of historical romance center the complex matters of class and gender so effectively. Chrissie Walsh recognizes that there is much more to the story than just the material differences between rich and poor, and the differences of power between men and women. I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes Verity and the mill workers in the second volume.