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

Another great book in the shipyard series, life take a unexpected turn for Gloria with a new baby and Jack still missing at sea, this is book 3 in the series which can be read together or as a independent book.

Review: A really good historical saga. It was delightful from the start. It has some really strong female characters and you get a really good feel for how it was for the women during this period. I did find it a little difficult to find my way at the start but once in it got better. I will be reading the rest in this series.

This is the third book in the Shipyard girl series and they keep getting better as you get to know everyone like old friends. I would recommend reading the others in the series so that you feel as though you are stepping back amongst friends.
We have a new baby, romance, heartache in abundance and the wonderful friendships. Some of them are guarding secrets and have a hard homelife at times.
The characters are wonderful- strong women working hard in a man’s world whilst they are away fighting at war. They are trained welders and have a tough physical job.

I so love this series love to see what the girls get up to and the story line gets better in each book cant wait for next one

I am back with the girls at the Sunderland Shipyard, welding their way through the Second World War. This is the third in the series of books and I recommend you read the previous two so you can understand the characters and background a lot more.

Rosie is still in charge of this eclectic mix of women, but she is having troubles of her own. She knows that some of her past is behind her but it is her present which is causing the problems. Especially when it means she can no longer see the man, Peter she was walking out with. Peter on the other hand is prepared to find out the truth.

Gloria, is back welding only a couple of weeks after giving birth to baby Hope. That takes some stamina and strength! But her life is not quite complete as her true love Jack is missing and Gloria may never know the real truth.

Dorothy and Angie are the life and soul of the group, always ready to party and with a quick wit about them especially when it comes to chatting up men. But secretly they want what some of the other girls have, a stable relationship, just like Bel. A man on their arm and someone to love.

Bel has finally decided to tie the knot with Joe. Although she feels the guilt of her dead husband, she knows that for herself and her little girl she must move forward and start living her life.

Of course there are lots of other secondary characters but just as rich which are interwoven into the story, we get to learn more about Kate and of course the arrival of Maisie with secrets of her own makes for a page turning story. Every character is important and plays some role within the pages and brings the story very much to life.

This saga keeps getting better and better, it deals with some important issues of the Second World War and how what was going on abroad affected those at home and how being at home also meant there were personal wars to be fought. I am looking forward to catching up with these women who feel like friends when the next book is released in 2018.

Secrets of the Shipyard Girls is the third in the Shipyard Girls series by Nancy Revell. Set in the industrial town of Sunderland in 1941, the story so far has followed some very brave, fearless and incredible women as they work in a male dominated job during war time. As so many men have left England to fight for their country, women have stepped up to the plate and taken over where needed. None more so than the women in this book who have become like friends to me as they help to build the ships needed for war. This group have been trained to be welders, working all the hours available to ensure as many new ships are constructed as possible. This is a story of grit, determination and resilience for as well as battling through the gruelling hours at the shipyard they have their own personal difficulties to face once they return home. But these women have formed a unit, a bond that is unbreakable and they are always there for each other through thick and thin, in good times and bad. Despite this being the third in the series this book can be read as a standalone but I think to get a real flavour as to how special and unique these women are I would recommended reading the series from the start if only to enhance your own overall reading experience.

The prologue to Secrets of the Shipyard Girls was so raw and powerful that it would instantly bring a tear to your eye. It was so well written and would mean a lot to fans of the series. It made me believe one thing was happening but in fact the outcome that I believed was occurring was vastly different. For that I was glad but at the time of reading it broke my heart and to some it may seem a bit wishy washy and too far fetched but here it was just so beautiful and thoughtful. As soon as I read a few chapters it felt like I had never been away. This book really moved the series on. Right from the first few chapters there was a real sense that this book had a lot more depth and emotion to it than the previous two. That is not to take away from the first two books by any means as I did love them but this story took on a whole other level. It felt like all the background stories and the setting up were well established. Now there was a sense that the author felt really free to move the story on but also at the same time go that little bit deeper with feelings and emotions.

Each of the women's individual stories were given more time to be explored and I felt I got to know the main women of the group even better than I had before. I became more aware of the reasons for their actions and how they viewed certain developing situations. But overall what I took from this story was a real sense of community spirit, friendship, love and strength. These emotions shone from every page and I felt like I was on a roller-coaster ride with the group as the war rages on but at the same time they have to deal with things right there in front of them on a day to day basis whilst playing their part in keeping the shipyard ticking over and on schedule.

For those new to the series, they needn't worry that they would be lost and couldn't follow the overall and individual stories as the author in the first chapter brings the readers right up to date in a clever manner by using a conversation between Dorothy and Gloria as a means to fill in all the necessary details. This was also handy for refreshing the minds of readers there since day one. It was the perfect introduction that then allowed us to get on with the story. The women welders of Thompson's shipyard are without doubt, loyal, steadfast and will always stand by your side no matter the circumstances.

This is never more evident as Rosie, the head welder who is very much a closed book for all intents and purposes, has secret night-time work which if discovered would really upset the apple cart. There is a very valid reason for Rosie taking on the extra work and throughout this book I felt she was under increasing pressure. That if one thing failed or was uncovered then that what was it. It would all be out in the open and everything she had worked for would be gone and she would feel like she had failed the person who needed her most. Rosie really wrestled with her emotions in this book more so than ever before. She knows she is treading a thin line but her heart is telling her something else. She enjoys meeting DS. Peter Miller in the café and their budding friendship over tea and a slice of cake felt so natural but it is just such a pity that she is faced with a very difficult, daunting decision that hurts people no matter which path she chooses. I really felt for Rosie, she has been through horrid times but always tries to merge stronger. She works herself to the bone and always helps others and I think now it's about time she gets some happiness for herself. I'm more than interested to see how things are going to play out for her in the future.

Perhaps the other dominant female figure is that of Gloria. She has new found happiness in her life with the recent birth of daughter Hope. Yet she can't fully embrace the joy as the father of her child is absent. Her own husband Vinnie, who has treated her so brutally, is still sneaking around corners and whenever he featured I thought the tone became very menacing and uncomfortable. He was very volatile and Gloria feared for her safety. I thought the situation Gloria finds herself in was very unfortunate especially when the father of her child makes a reappearance but it can't all go to plan. She is a woman certainly crying out for a happy ending, and for love and charity to shine through, but I'm not quite sure circumstances will give her that even though she is more than deserving of it.

Polly didn't feature as much as before. She is still very worried about her fiancée Tommy Watts who is based in Gibraltar and helps the army with diving. That would be my one gripe about the book that we don't hear anything at all about Tommy. I know there were very long periods during the war when the women at home heard nothing from their loved ones and I presume the author wanted to reflect the reality of that. But for my own interest I would have loved a chapter from Tommy's viewpoint even written in towards the end as I loved his character in the first book The Shipyard Girls and like Polly really feel his absence. Maybe we'll hear more from him in future books.

Instead of Polly getting as much focus, all eyes turn to her sister-in-law Bel. She lost her husband early on in the war and is now living with mother-in-law Agnes, Polly and Tommy's grandfather Arthur. She is raising her daughter Lucille who is just so charming and enigmatic that she lights up every scene she features in. Bel has been through a very rough time and no one could blame her for being down and despondent but her fortunes are changing and my was it a joy to read of. At last something good was happening for her although the arrival of Maisie, a new girl who takes on a job a bit too close to the bone for Rosie brings all manner of surprises and revelations. Without Maisie's inclusion Pearl, Bel's mother, wouldn't have gotten such a brilliant storyline. Up to now I hadn't paid her much attention and didn't really like the way she acted but it all became clear and my opinion of her rapidly changed.

In Secrets of the Shipyard Girls so much happened on every page that you wouldn't really notice the 500 odd pages flying by. At this stage of the story I am deeply invested for the eventual outcome of all the characters. As we have only reached 1941, I feel there is a lot more to be told in the stories of these women. The women I haven't mentioned in the group need to have their time to come in to the spotlight and share their stories. Also the main characters have more to tell particularly Gloria and Rosie. There really are so many memorable characters with equally as memorable storylines that provide you with an emotional read that showcase that happy endings don't always come easily, you have to fight for every bit of it and that end goal is nowhere in sight at the moment be it regarding the war or for some of the women.

Love and war were the themes for the first two books and charity was the main theme here and it was expertly weaved in. I loved every minute of this book and was reluctant to read the very last page but knowing there is more to come in March 2018 in Shipyard Girls in Love made it seem that little bit more bearable to leave the girls behind for a short while.

This is the third in the bestselling series featuring ‘the Shipyard Girls’. The first two books in the series are called ‘The Shipyard Girls’, which was released in 2016 and ‘Shipyard Girls At War’, which was released earlier this year (2017). I loved both of the first two books and so I knew that I would love this episode of the saga.
This review is going to be slightly different to my usual reviews as I am going to include some of my lovely Mam’s thoughts too. We both love this series. In fact, when ‘Secrets Of The Shipyard Girls’ popped through the letterbox I had to fight my mother over who got to read it first. My Mam won. Beaten by a pensioner. Ohhh the shame. Anyway I digress. Back to the review.
I don’t want to type too much about the storylines as I have an unintentional but nasty habit of giving far too many spoilers about books I have enjoyed. To say that I enjoyed ‘Secrets Of The Shipyard Girls’ is something of an understatement. This instalment of the saga sees Gloria settling into a new routine with her new baby called Hope. Gloria is smitten with Hope. However, at the same time Gloria is frantic with worry about the fate of Hope’s father, Jack. The ship that Jack was on was torpedoed and there has been no news of Jack. Gloria ends up leaning on the girls at the shipyard for support. The head welder Rosie has turned her back on the possibility of a future with her boyfriend Peter to ensure that her double life remains hidden. As well as working in the shipyards, Rosie also part owns a bordello in Sunderland. This would not sit well with Peter as he is a policeman. However, Peter is unaware of this at the moment and he can’t understand why Rosie has turned him down. Peter becomes a bit like a dog with a bone in that he knows that there is more to the story than meets the eye and he is determined to find out just what it is that she is hiding. There is a glimmer of hope for Polly and her family when Bel (Polly’s sister in law) and Joe (Polly’s brother) get together and fall in love. (Bel was married to Polly’s other brother, who was sadly killed in action.). However, a scandalous revelation threatens to pull them all apart. Where is Jack and is he alive? Will Gloria get her much longed for happy ever after with the man she loves or will her abusive former husband Vinny resurface? Will Peter discover just what it is that Rosie is keeping from him? Will it impact on their happy ever after? What is the scandalous revelation that threatens to upset the apple cart? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out because I am not going to tell you.
I can honestly say that with the exceptions of Helen, Miriam and Vinnie there was not one character that I didn’t take to from the start. I really felt for Gloria because she had been in an abusive relationship with Vinnie and she had been on the receiving end of his fists on more than one occasion. She finally managed to throw him out, with a little help from some friends. Way back in the day Gloria and Jack had been rather sweet on each other. They reunited and it wasn’t long before Gloria realised that she was pregnant. I think that at the back of her mind, there is a tiny hope that she, Jack and baby Hope will become a family. The minute that Gloria thinks that she has a chance of future happiness things change with the disappearance of Jack. Added to this, she and the rest of the girls have to put up with Jack’s wife Miriam and his daughter Helen. Both women have a chip (well ok a whole bag of chips) on their shoulders and they delight in treating the shipyard girls worse than muck. I really felt for Rosie too. She only worked in the bordello in the first place to ensure that she could get enough money to pay for the education of her sister. It’s only Rosie and her sister against the world, as her parents were killed in an accident. It emerges that Rosie’s uncle had abused her since she was a child and Rosie was determined that her sister wasn’t going to suffer the same way. Happily Uncle Raymond went for a swim in the River Wear and he didn’t emerge alive. I eventually took to Bel but it wasn’t easy. I get that Bel had been grieving the loss of her husband in a previous book but that didn’t give her the right to treat others like muck. She seemed to forget that the adorable Agnes was grieving the loss of one of her sons and that Polly was grieving the loss of her brother. Bel was not the only one to have lost somebody. Happily by the time of this book, Bel has perked up somewhat. There is a part of her that will always grieve for her husband and have her wondering about the future that they should have had but she realises that she needs to move on, which she does do when she falls in love with Joe, who was badly injured during the war. Romance blossoms between the pair but there is a grey cloud on the horizon and a shock revelation threatens their happiness. When I read the synopsis of the book, I couldn’t help but think that Bel’s mother Pearl would have something to do with the revelation. Pearl is a bit of a mystery. She is a drunkard, who smokes like a chimney and occasionally treats Bel worse than muck. I couldn’t help but think that there was more to her than met the eye. Pearl wasn’t born that way and I couldn’t help but think that she had experienced trauma when she was young and this trauma had shaped her into the person that she had become.
‘Secrets Of The Shipyard Girls’ is fantastically and beautifully written. Both my Mother and I were gripped by the tale from the very first word on the very first page and we weren’t released from the book’s grip until the last word on the last page. The pages were turning so quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and before we knew it we had finished the book, which we were so disappointed about. We were happy that we knew just how this episode of the saga ended but because we were enjoying the book so much, we wanted the story to continue. The author clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the quality of her writing. Her descriptions of the various characters were so vivid that the characters seemed to come to life and the characters seemed real. By the end of the book, we both felt as though the characters, well with the odd exception, were friends. You could say that we both ‘lived’ the story and we both felt like invisible bystanders to the action that was taking place all around us. In particular, we also loved the setting of Sunderland, which was (& always will be to me and Mam) still part of County Durham back in the day. As my late Dad used to say ‘County Durham stretched from the River Tees up to the River Tyne, it always had and it always will do’. Dad also used to say that ‘there was never any of that Tyne & Wear nonsense in his day’. Those were his words not mine. I’ve also researched my family tree and I discovered that I had (& probably still do have) family from Sunderland. Sadly I never got to meet the relatives I discovered but reading this book somehow made me feel closer to them. I know that that might sound daft to some people but it makes sense to me. ‘Secrets Of The Shipyard Girls’ made me want to cry, to shout, to laugh, to celebrate and to fight all in equal measure.
In short and if you haven’t already guessed, we absolutely loved, loved, loved reading ‘Secrets Of The Shipyard Girls’ and I can’t wait to read the next instalment of the saga. Fortunately I don’t have too long to wait because ‘Shipyard Girls In Love’ is due for release on 22nd March 2018. I have heard that Nancy Revell has been described as being the new Catherine Cookson but in our eyes, Nancy Revell is a far better author. Both my Mam and myself are unable to get into Catherine Cookson’s books but we devour Nancy Revell’s in no time at all. We only wish that she would write quicker. I would recommend this series to anybody and particularly to history nerds like myself. We jointly award this book 5* out of 5* but we would have awarded it far more stars if we could have because we really loved ‘Secrets Of The Shipyard Girls’ that much.

Secrets of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell is the third novel in The Shipyard Girls series. We return to 1941 in Sunderland (England) where the ladies are continuing their welding work at J.L. Thompson & Sons Shipyard despite Helen Crawford’s attempts to break up their group. Gloria just loves her little girl, Hope but she is worried about Jack. It has been three weeks since his ship went down off the coast of Ireland. Dorothy loves her role as godmother to Hope and presses Gloria to have her christened. Rosie is busy with working in the shipyard during the day and at the brothel, where she is a co-owner, at night. She has stopped seeing DS Peter Miller, a local constable, but Rosie misses him. But she knows it is for the best. Kate O’Donnell is opening up her own dress shop. She has come a long way since her days on the streets thanks to Lily and Rosie. Bel and Joe Elliot are in love and ready to move forward with their lives. Pearl, Bel’s mum, is up to her usual antics, but her past is about to come back to haunt her. Pick up a copy of Secrets of the Shipyard Girls to find out how things turn out for ladies along with their family and friends.

Secrets of the Shipyard Girls is well-written and a delight to read. It has a good pace and I was fully engaged in the story. It contains wonderful, endearing characters. We get to see what life was like in England during World War II for women in Sunderland. I love the diverse set of characters in this series. I do recommend reading the books in the series in order (otherwise, you will be lost). Secrets of the Shipyard Girls shows the enduring power of friendship and that families come in all forms. My rating for Secrets of the Shipyard Girls is 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I read this book while Hurricane Irma was blowing through my area, and it definitely took my mind off the storm (imagine it is dark, raining, and heavy winds). I cannot wait to read Shipyard Girls in Love when it is released in March.

Trying to read this as a stand alone novel, I did find quite difficult because of the amount of characters and then their family members, but after settling into the book these became easier to understand and it's a good story, though I would like to read the follow on book to find out what happens, as I felt I was left with many questions that were left unanswered with only the next instalment probably giving me the answer to the book I needed.

Well written, I think I would have enjoyed it more with reading it as a series.

An excellent follow on from the shipyard girls,the characters are amazing and look out for one another and have fun during hard times .I can highly recomend this book well worth 5*.

Excellent book - Great characters and plot. I would highly recommend this book.