The Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is the first book in the Tobacco Girls series and encompasses so much I love in books – family, friendships and finding where you belong.

Maisie Miles has just finished school and wants out of York Street. Hoping to get a job in the country will be the safest bet of ensuring her future away from an abusive drunk father. But, her father has other ideas and forces Maisie to get a job at W.D&H.O Wills, the tobacco factory. Here she meets good friends Phyllis and Bridget. Bridget comes from a large Irish family, one of seven siblings and does not want the same life as her mother. Phyllis, newly engaged, is still navigating her own issues about life, love and relationships. When Maisie joins their group, the girls take her under their wing as they all navigate their way through life, love and family at the very beginning of the start of WWII.

Lizzie Lane has written multi dimensional characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis all have different personalities, but become fast friends while working at the factory. Although we have only touched the surface of their lives, I can see there will be a lot more in store for them in the continuation of the series. Where the story leaves up it seems they are right on the cusp of new beginnings.

The story is well written. I wouldn’t say it was fast paced, but it has a nice even tone throughout its entirety and I really felt like I got to know the girls well, along with the history prior to the start of WWII. Lane also touches on a lot of issues between the poor working class and people with money. What a bunch of uppity people! There are some trigger warnings such as a miscarriage which doesn’t go in-depth, but it is pretty sad. Also, what I would like to point out is how women were viewed during that time where parents pushed their kids into wanting to be wives and mothers instead of furthering their education or finding better jobs. The author does a great job at showcasing the harsh realities of women during the era.

I am definitely looking forward to continuing this saga and finding out what comes next for Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis.

I really enjoyed this book about 3 girls working in a tobacco factory who form a firm friendship. This is the first book that I’ve read by Lizzie Lane but It won’t be the last. 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I will be putting this review on Amazon too.

A story of three girls (Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis) who work in the Tobacco factory. Three very different personalities but they form a firm friendship and each have their own worries and thoughts on the future. 

The first book in a series and I look forward to reading more about the girls and seeing how their characters develop. 

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

When Maisie Miles finishes school, she knows more than anything that she needs to get away from York Street and her abusive father. However her father has other plans for Maisie, and instead forces her into a job at the W.D&H.O Tobacco Factory. As Maisie reluctantly accepts her fate, she soon meets Phyllis and Bridget, two of her fellow workmates in the factory. Phyllis is newly engaged and is still trying to navigate her way through the many lessons that life has to offer. Bridget comes from a large Irish family, and is one of seven siblings, and she knows that she wants more than the life her own mother lives. When Maisie starts at the factory, Bridget and Phyllis take her under they wings as they all try and navigate their way through love, life, and the many complications of family life. All of this taking place as WWII is beginning.

I truly loved this book right from the start. Lizzie has such a beautiful writing style that the story grasps your attention immediately and holds it firm until the very end. The characters are all so wonderfully unique, each with their own complex backgrounds which makes them all so likeable and endearing to the reader. I loved following the growing friendship of Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis throughout the story, and the ways in which they all pulled together and supported each other through some troubling times was incredibly heart warming.

The story is written beautifully and is perfectly paced to keep the readers interest. As the story progresses you truly feel as though you form a connection with the three girls, and a fascinating insight into life prior to the war. Lizzie also highlights some of the many issues that arise between those that have money, and those that are in the poorer working class. The way in which the author also portrays the harsh realities that most girls faced those days, being forced into marrying and starting families rather than furthering their own education, was heartbraking.

Beautifully written, unique characters and a truly fascinating storyline. I loved everything about this book!.

Tobacco Girls,1939,you find three girls from different backgrounds working at the Tobacco Company. Lizzie Lane did so much research on this historical story about not only the time of year but what the Tobacco factory was all about,the working conditions and made these three girls become real people with real feelings that jumps out at you as you read. You will know all the characters and think on this book after you are done. Must have been so hard not to only work at this company but to be treated the way women were in 1939 ,right before WWII. Follow these Tobacco Girls and their lives and see what happens to all three,you really won't be disappointed. Received from Net Gallery don't pass up this story of life loves and history!

I love a good historical novel set in this era, and this is one of the best. The characters are so real, and you really care about what happens to them.

The three girls all come from slightly different backgrounds and family circumstances, but they become such great friends, and they all face their own issues and difficulties. In a time when everything is changing, they are still constrained by their gender, and the lack of choices and freedoms that they have.

The setting of Bristol is an added dimension, I loved the historical facts that Bridget imparted. Next time I visit Bristol, I’ll see it with new eyes!

A gritty, emotional and real storyline, this book is totally captivating and enjoyable, with heartbreak and sorrow, joy and laughter. The bonds of friendship and family are so important in this book. I found myself savouring this book, not wanting to reach the end too soon. I really can’t wait for the next instalment in what should prove to be a great series.

The Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is a historical saga that warms the heart as soon aa you pick it up. Set in Bristol and starting in 1939 as Maisie Miles leaves school, a young woman with her own plans for gaining a better life, that is until her father decided she will be working in the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory. Maisie is certain he has his own agenda for this but gets her head down and gets on with it.
Bridget Milligan is an eighteen year old girl with absolutely no intention of following in her mothers footsteps and filling a house with babies until it is overcrowded. Then we meet Phyllis, engaged to Robert, who is dependable and solid. She has a dream of working in an office as a typist but her parents are of the mind that anything other than her job in the tobacco factory is a waste as she won't be working when she is married.
These three girls all find friendship and camarderie together in the tobacco factory. We see their tragedies and joys before the War and as the war begins.
A great historical saga that sends you right back to the era when women only worked until they married and they were at the beck and call of men. I revelled in the era and the characters. Strong friendships and family bonds all merge as one in this emotional and gritty story of times gone by with characters that almost step out of the page they are so fully fleshed out. 
In conclusion a brilliant saga of days gone by that is well written and holds you all the way. I am looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Lizzie Lane and NetGalley for the copy of the book for my review today.

Oh how I loved this book, got withdrawal symptoms at the end, only relieved when I saw there was to be a follow up.
Maisie, Phylis and Bridget quickly meet up and become a team . I came to dislike that Robert early on but I have to say big Aggie’s antics made me laugh out loud. Would thoroughly recommend and look forward to more.

I read this book as part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources. Special thanks to Boldwood Books for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. 2 stars

I love historical fiction and I especially love books set in the WWII era. The Tobacco Girls has a unique premise as it's a setting that I (personally) rarely read in historical fiction and it sounded like it would be a heartwarming story about strong friendships, self-discovery and family in the wartime era. While the premise was quite promising, the execution was sadly sorely lacking. That said, my opinion seems to fall in the minority so perhaps, in the end, this book just wasn't for me!

This is a character-driven story with little to no plot to guide us through the pages. I usually quite enjoy them, however, the characters were all one-dimensional and fell completely flat. The author relies on a lot of telling instead of showing and this not only made it hard to feel connected to the characters but it also resulted in no development. It's a pity because the story started off on a good note and as we were introduced to the three girls I was sure that we'd get a lovely story of friendship and family. It was frustrating as we never really get to know these girls and the closeness of their bond is never shown on the page. The author says they're close and they know each other well, but it really doesn't come across because outside of spending time together in the factory and occasionally walking the shops, going to the pictures or having a drink at the pub, the girls don't spend any time having any real conversations. Despite having scenes together, the girls remain in their own worlds/heads revolving around their home issues, with minor interactions with the others.

I found myself getting increasingly irritated with most of the characters, including the side characters, all of whom were really quite unlikable. Most of the side characters, especially from Maisie's side of the story, were entirely despicable and disgusting people. Even her brother Alf, who supposedly cares for her and wants her to be "safe", abandons her at home with their meek mother and twisted and abusive father. Those may have been different times back then but... you don't just do that to someone you love, even if she is capable of protecting herself for the most part.

There were also some reactions that the characters had that were to me unrealistic or highly unbelievable. I obviously can't go into deeper details because that leads into spoiler territory but as one example, something incredibly harrowing happens to one of the characters and one minute she's literally fighting for her safety and in the next, she acts as if nothing happened and even gets angry at her aggressor for trying to leave?

The one aspect where this book really excels is in the history itself. You can tell that the author has a deep love for Bristol because you can feel it in her writing and inclusion of the city's vast history. It was really fascinating to read about the literary influences and historical origins based on the city, and I did like how she brought out that passion through Bridget's character in the story. If all the characters had been written with as much passion and life as Bridget was when it came to her love for the city's history, I think I would've really enjoyed this book.

My review will be shared on my blog when the blog tour ends.

I adored the friendships between Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget. They all individually have their own vulnerabilities but I loved seeing the strength they found within themselves as the story developed. I kept swapping between which character was my favourite, however I think little Maisie will always hold a special place as she went on the biggest journey. Even the more minor characters were written in such an effective way that I was rooting for them all.

The impending start of World War 2 provided the ultimate backdrop for the book and the suddenness of the men having to stop work at the tobacco factory and go off to war was so real and authentic that it made the characters even more personable.

I loved every single part of this book. There were heartbreaking moments interspersed with happier times and it is not a book I am going to easily forget – it is one I am going to recommend to everyone I know that has connections to Bristol, and it is certainly one I would recommend to read if you like historical fiction, with well thought out characters who very much feel like friends. I’m so pleased that this is the first book in a series and I can’t wait to read the rest of them when they are published!

I have been a fan of Lizzie’s work for a little while now.  I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has released but I am getting there.  I read the synopsis for ‘The Tobacco Girls’ and it certainly sounded like an interesting read.  I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for what I hoped would be a fantastic read.  I was spot on too because ‘The Tobacco Girls’ was a fantastic start to what promises to be a fantastic series.  I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of ‘The Tobacco Girls’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the three main characters in this book.  In their own way, each girl is no stranger to hardship and each have their own problems.  I loved the way in which all three girls immediately seemed drawn to each other and a strong friendship starts to grow.  In a way they reminded me of ‘The Three Musketeers’ in the way they stick together through thick and thin.  All three girls are strong, feisty, determined and occasionally stubborn.  I look forward to reading more about all three ladies in the future.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into this story.  In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that it wouldn’t be easy to put the book down for very long at all.  I warmed so quickly to the three ladies that I just had to keep reading to find out what happened to them.  To say that reading ‘The Tobacco Girls’ became addictive is an understatement.  I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would become that wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over 5 chapters later.  My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me.  I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book for very long at all.  I found ‘The Tobacco Girls’ to be a gripping read, which held my attention from start to finish.
‘The Tobacco Girls’ is superbly written but then I think that to be true of all of Lizzie’s books.  She has a knack of grabbing your attention with a catchy synopsis and then she draws you into the story from the start.  Once Lizzie has your attention she will not let you have it back until you reach the last word on the last page.  I find that Lizzie writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that the reader feels as though they are part of the story themselves.  That’s how I felt at any rate.  I love the way in which Lizzie writes stories about strong female characters, who form strong friendships and they help each other through the worst that life throws at him.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Tobacco Girls’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.  I will certainly be reading more by Lizzie Lane in the future.  The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Oh my goodness I was certainly looking forward to reading this book and it didn’t disappoint and I am looking forward to reading the next book.

It about 3 girls Bridget, Phyllis and Maisie who work at the tobacco factory stripping the leaves of the tobacco.  Bridget is wealth of information and anything some one doesn’t know she can tell them.  Phyllis is engaged to Robert and she has to do what he tells her.  Then we have the baby of the group Maisie whose life is not good with a bullying Father her brother is the only bright thing in her life.

They go on outings to the shops and go to the beach with the workers from the factory.  

We see them growing up and Bridget & Maisie are the strong ones.

I would recommend this book and hopefully the next book will be just as good.

Date reviewed/posted: January 5, 2021
Publication date: January 5, 2021

When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end, you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us, AND the worst sciatica attack in your life means you MIGHT sleep 3 hours a night,  superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin, bestselling author. The start of a thrilling new series, from bestselling author Lizzie Lane, set in Bristol which follows three friends through thick and thin.

Bristol 1939. 
School leaver Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small-time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory but keeps it to herself.  She's befriended by effervescent Phyllis Mason and kind-hearted Bridget Milligan who take pity on her and take Maisie under their wing.

But beneath their happy go lucky exteriors they all harbour dreams and worries about what the future holds.
Engaged to be married Phyllis dreams of romance and passion but when it comes there are dire consequences. Bridget seemingly the level-headed one harbours a horror of something unspeakable that she cannot easily come to terms with.

There's great comradeship at the tobacco factory, and with the advent of war everything is about to change and even the closest friendships are likely to be strained.

I love historical fiction and this was an excellent example of one: grat story, history correct and a promise of even better things to come as it is first in the series promised. The girls are enjoyable to read about and I fully look forward to the next book and I will recommend this book to friends, family and patrons alike. AND as it is released today, do go out (online? unfortunately, lockdown means bookstores are closed!) and buy it and read it NOW!!!

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬 (well, they ARE tobacco girls!)

What a great start to what promises to be an unmissable series!

Maisie has long dreamed of the day she will leave school and can leave home to head for a job in the country, but her father insists she go to work at W. D. & H. O. Wills, the local tobacco factory. Maisie is pretty sure she has an ulterior motive though - she doesn't trust him. As it turns out, she finds friendship at her job working alongside Phyllis and Bridget and before long the three of them are the best of mates. It seems that Maisie isn't the only one with dreams for the future but with the threat of war, how will the three friends fare?

This is a wonderful tale of poverty and friendship, and I'm already looking forward to the second one. Whilst this is a complete read it also opens up possibilities for the futures of all three young women. The author has created entirely believable characters and has obviously done her research into the pre-war period. Both well-written and extremely interesting, this promises to be a good series to follow. For those who, like me, enjoy pre-war sagas, this gets my recommendation and four stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy and to Rachel's Random Resources for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I love historical fiction and was delighted to receive a copy of this to read and review. This is my first book by Lizzie Lane and I can't wait to read more.

The 3 M's were the leading ladies in this story as Britain is on the verge of World War 2. Set against the backdrop of Bristol, I really enjoyed meeting these wonderful characters and reading this story.

The storyline depicted what life was like for these young girls and their families as war broke out and how obligation often overcame a woman's dreams. We are lucky to live in a time where we have freedom of speech and movement and reading this story really helped reflect that despite a shocking 9 months for most that Britain has faced worse.

I look forward to reading more by Lizzie Lane as I loved this story and its wonderful and colourful characters.

I am excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for the first in Lizzie Lane's gripping new saga THE TOBACCO GIRLS.

I have to say I'm a sucker for this type of historical fiction, particularly sagas. I've not read Lizzie Lane before and I really enjoyed this book which, for me, is about family, friendships, love and sacrifice. It begins in a time when a shadow hung over Britain. It was a time of uncertainty and unknowns. But this stoic generation just got on with it, despite the uncertainty and the unknown. THE TOBACCO GIRLS begins a new saga in which we meet three girls in Bristol, each with their own shadows in their lives along with their dreams. This is their story.

Bristol 1939: Fourteen year old Maisie Miles lives in the worst part of the city. It is rife with crime, low lifes and the working class. Her father is a petty criminal, already having served prison time, and her mother is strangely distant. But Maisie is determined to rise above her roots and move out of the Dings (as it is colloquially known) and is is excited to receive a letter offering her the position of kitchen maid at a country manor. But her brutish father has other ideas. Ripping up her letter and tossing it in the fire, he informs her that she is going to the work at the W.D. & H.O. Wills tobacco factory. It isn't long before Maisie begins to suspect her father has an ulterior motive for her employment and uses it to his advantage.

Bridget Milligan is the eldest of seven children and loves to read. She soaks up knowledge like a sponge and often sounds as if she's swallowed an encyclopedia when she reiterates all that she has learnt through reading her beloved books. But alas her mother is pregnant yet again and Bridget awakes in the night to the familiar sounds pre-empting a birth. She is quick to rush to her mother's side who is frantic with worry that it's too early for the baby to come, and at just six months, it won't survive. But Bridget recognises the signs and prepares the bed with newspapers for the impending birth. When the baby arrives, it is clear that had it been full term it was likely it would not have survived. The description given sounded to me like spina bifida, and in those days, it was unlikely the child would have lived. Bridget has watched her mother birth her last two children and cannot imagine why anyone would put themselves through such pain and horror. The thought terrifies her and she resolves then and there she will never marry and therefore will never have children.

Effervescent Phyllis Mason is the life and soul of the party. At least, when her fiance Robert Harvey is not around. Then she submits to being the quiet demure woman he expects her to be. Phyllis' mother is enamoured with Robert and thinks he is quite a catch...but Phyllis is not so sure. He won't let her wear make-up, not even a dash of lipstick, no perfume and nothing that could be construed as revealing. She must present herself for inspection at the beginning of every date where he will always find fault somewhere and she must rectify it before they leave. But when Robert is not around, Phyllis is fun and happy-go-lucky with dreams of going to typing school to enable her to get a secretarial or typing job. She doesn't intend working at the tobacco factory forever. But Robert has other ideas. No wife of his will be working...EVER! Her sole job is to keep the house and look after him. And although she knows she doesn't want to marry Robert, she is too afraid to say so and hope the impending war will make the decision for her. But then circumstances arise that make it almost impossible for Phyllis to do anything but marry the loathsome man. Is this what her life is going to be like for the next fifty years?

The three women work together at the tobacco factory and with Maisie being the newest and youngest recruit, Bridget and Phyllis take her under their wing. The women soon become fast friends and enjoy outings together such as the pictures or just window shopping in Castle Street. But each of them harbour their own personal nightmarish secrets with cling to them like shadows. And as close as they become, they are too ashamed or scared to share them with each other. Of all the women, Maisie is the one that surprised me the most. At 14, she has spunk and an inner strength that serves her well. Soon she is not afraid to speak her mind with her friends, voicing her thoughts and telling it like it is. Bridget is the one with the kind-hearted soul, who would give the cloak off her back for another. She tries to keep Maisie in check at times when she thinks she could get them into trouble. Phyllis, as the outgoing one, soon becomes a shadow of her former self when a secret she harbours dictates her dismal future.

I liked each of the women and it's hard to say who I liked best. They each have their strengths and their weaknesses. Maisie is the most surprising of them all and I really liked her. Bridget is the one I probably relate to best. And Phyllis frustrated me. If she didn't want to marry Robert, then why not just break off the engagement? He has no hold over her until he slips that ring on her finger and they become man and wife. Their families all made for an interesting bunch, a reflection in part of the women they are today.

THE TOBACCO GIRLS is a riveting read that I read in a day! It was easy and enjoyable, though there are a few parts that are a little brutal to stomach. However, we are drawn into each of the women's lives and the struggles they face which is a far cry from the life to which we are now accustomed. Life in the 1940s was very different for young women whose identity became that of their husbands. Women were not meant to have a voice; they were raised for marriage and a family - nothing more. The struggles these women faced were a reality to which they were born but they also wanted something more for themselves.

As it is the first in the series, there are loose ends when the book concludes and yet it still gave a sense of closure for some in a way. The men they either know or have met are now off fighting and readers are left wondering what lies in store for them. I eagerly await the next installment but fear many of the details will be forgotten by then. However, I am sure I will be able to easily slip back into step with Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis when we meet again.

A heartbreaking but heartwarming story, THE TOBACCO GIRLS will have you laughing and crying and rooting for each of the women right up to the end...and thensome.

Beautifully written, THE TOBACCO GIRLS is a book that saga fans will enjoy as well as fans of Rosie Clarke, Fiona Ford, Rosie Goodwin, Pam Howes and Nadine Dorries.

I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #RachelsRandomResources, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.

Life in Bristol just before the start of World War 2, in particular in the tobacco factory. Following the lives of a group of young girls,their hopes,dreams and loves. A good read.

If you want to read a book based around the time of WW2 but is about 3 girls working in a tobacco factory this book is for you. I’ve read a lot of historical fiction and have to say I loved reading about how the tobacco leaves were stripped off by hand and how friendships were formed inside the factory. Maisy, Phyllis and Bridget have there fair share of problems but the friendship they formed is what kept them strong.

Phyllis, Maisie, and Bridget all work together in the tobacco factory in the stripping room. Maisie is sure her Dad is up to no good when he makes her get a job there leaving school and her thoughts are right when he expects her to get hold of the delivery schedule for him. Phyllis wants to better herself and get a job in an office, but her fiancé Robert has other ideas. This sees the start of the war and lots of the menfolk going off to battle. How will Maisie survive without her brother Alf to protect her after their mother passes away. The girls have a lot of changes to face as the war starts, but hopefully their friendship will help them through the tough times to come.

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

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

This is the first time I’ve read a book by this author.

Three British girls, working in a tobacco processing factory. One thing they have in common is that each one has an unhappy situation in their life and they trying to resolve their own situation. 

We see a very different way of life than most of us are used to as in the early 1940s, life was so different for young women. 

Will enjoy reading this series.