Member Reviews
Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm is the third emotional and dramatic installment of best-selling author Rosie Clarke’s fantastic saga series.
1942 and the Second World War shows absolutely no sign of slowing down. Young Artie Talbot finds himself trapped and torn between his desire to do his duty for king and country and the commitments that keep him tied to the land and to Blackberry Farm. Artie hopes that his growing feelings towards Jeanie Salmons will quell his restless spirit and help him to accept his lot in life. But will marriage be enough to convince Artie that Blackberry Farm is where he belongs? Or will he continue to want to be far from his Cambridgeshire home?
Artie’s brother John has his own demons to contend with. Still mourning the loss of the person he loved more than anyone else in the world, he must try and continue to put one foot in front of the other for the sake of his newborn son. But with anguish and despair threatening to overwhelm him, can John find the courage to go on? Or will it all get too much for him?
New land girl Frances Grant has come to Blackberry Farm to escape a violent past. Hoping that so far from home, she will be able to have a fresh start, Frances throws herself into her work and vows to keep a low profile. However, that quickly proves far easier said than done as she soon discovers when the past ends up following her even in the quiet and seclusion of Blackberry Farm…
When a terrible shock rocks the foundation of the entire family’s existence, will love and duty be enough to get them through the tough times ahead? Or will the Talbots end up losing everything?
A heart-wrenching, captivating and poignant saga about the ties that bind, family strife, past ghosts and old secrets, Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm is another stellar saga by Rosie Clarke. With characters that leap off the pages, vivid descriptions of the past and plenty of tear-jerking moments that will have readers reaching for their tissues, Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm is the latest outstanding saga by Rosie Clarke.
A very enjoyable read, it really made me think, and had me quite emotional at times. A recommended read.
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook.
I was able to find the audio version through my local library.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It is a very slot pace historical drama novel set during WWII. The characters are likeable and even though I feel like this is part of a series I didn't feel like I missed out too much reading this one first.
Fabulous book, loved the setting, the characters and how it encompasses the era with the story. A real winter read, feel good to sit down with.
Only downside I felt it ended rather abruptly, but I hope there is a follow up to it.
Rosie Clarke writes some lovely stories this again is one.
It is set in Cambridgeshire in 1942 around the Talbot family. We relive the murder of a young woman, men going off to war and the traumas and fear of those left behind.
All of her characters are so well described making it easy to picture them in your mind.
A really good story to pull you in. This is the 3rd in the trilogy. and I thoroughly recommend it.
After reading Heartache At Blackberry Farm I was desperate for the next book and it was worth the wait. I loved the way the timeline continues seamlessly, I think the story line is equally heartwarming and heartbreaking. The writer feels so invested in making the characters feel so genuine and realistic, that it is easy to root for them and their chance for a happy ending. I really hope this isn't the end of this beautiful series as I just need more of the Talbot family.
I would recommend reading the first instalment in the Blackberry Farm series, War Clouds over Blackberry Farm, to gain an understanding of the setting and characters used, even though each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone...The previous instalment is Heartbreak at Blackberry Farm.
Love & Duty at Blackberry Farm is a fast paced story, with a slow revealed plot, that continues on from the previous book, discussing the year 1942.
Clarke has researched the effects of WW2 in Britain. Paying close attention to the lifestyles, customs and society of city and country people. Bombs, air raids, restrictions, rationing and the blackout are briefly mentioned, as well as historic events like the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Princess Elizabeth registering for war service and the timber corp. The writing style has an authentic feel, yet there was the odd typo and it was a little bit repetitive at some points.
The character development of Love & Duty at Blackberry Farm gives the reader a brief background and recap of older characters for those, like myself that have read the series from the start. There are a few new faces to welcome...the characters are relatable and realistic with their own personalities and mannerisms.
Artie has a love/hate relationship with the land, he feels that it's his duty to make sure the farm and the occupants don't suffer, while his brother, Tom is away serving in the war, yet he was also resentful and bitter of the fact that he was not able to join his brothers in the fight to protect the country. The land demands attention, to produce the food needed to help the nation. It was hard, slogging work...
Pam is the mother of Artie, John and Tom. After the devastating loss of Faith, Pam takes a great amount of pleasure looking after her newly born grandson. John is currently recovering from injuries he faced fighting, and is yet to find out what has happened...
Frances is the newest land girl to arrive at the farm. When she first arrives she is nervous and uncertain. Frances was previously working in the munitions factory before deciding she wanted a change. Her childhood has been difficult. There is a mysterious feeling about her, as she slowly shares the details of the past, she is trying to escape from...
Overall I feel that Love & Duty at Blackberry Farm has a military aspect that mentions movement of allied and German forces very interesting. Despite the warm, welcoming relationships between the characters, I had a feeling that there were too many viewpoints, with a total of 10 characters. It is easy to become lost in the different stories being told.
I would suggest reading Love & Duty at Blackberry Farm to people who enjoy reading historical fiction, women's fiction and sagas based around WW2, as it is a character driven story about grief, guilt, family, love, hardships and community. The reader joins the Talbot family as they experience the births, deaths and marriage faced within everyday life.
I am so utterly devoted and in love with this series and I think Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm is the best one yet! In the last book we left on a cliffhanger of Faith being murdered and giving birth and in this one Pam is looking after the new born baby but the father John doesn't yet know the circumstances of Faith's death. There is also a new land girl who is a little strange but is soon welcomed into the Talbot clan and is supported when the secret she is hiding is revealed. When a terrible shock rocks the Talbot family will they be strong enough to survive? This book also ends on a cliffhanger so I am so looking forward to reading the next book! The characters are all lovely and it's hard to put down because you become invested in their lives!
Absolutely love the blackberry farm series. Set during ww2, the family who own the farm struggle through with the help of the land girls.
No spoilers from me but if your a lover of family sagas and ww2 novels this is for you
This is the third book in this wonderful war time series . It’s an absolute joy to be back with the Talbot family of Blackberry farm. It’s 1942 and the family are trying to recover from the awful tragedy that rocked their world the previous year. As the Second World War rages on the family are determined to get through it as best they can. When a new land girl Frances Grant arrives to help at the farm she seems to be hiding something. Has something happened to her in the past and is she trying to escape from someone ? Again Rosie Clarke has written another fabulous addition to this superb series. As like the previous books I came completely absorbed in the characters and the story from the first page. This is one of my absolute favourite war time saga series. It can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the other two books in this delightful series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m really enjoying the Blackberry Farm series and this book was just as great as the others. There are some great characters to follow during the difficult times of World War Two. Pam and Arthur and their family try hard to make their farm work for them. With two of their sons away fighting it leaves a lot of work on Artie’s shoulders. With the help of some land girls they manage as best they can. It’s nice to follow the ups and downs of life on the farm.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The latest novel in the Blackberry Farm saga, "Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm," takes us back to the Cambridgeshire Fens and the beloved Talbot family.
Join Frances, a land girl who seems to be hiding from someone, as she becomes part of the Talbots' world. Amidst the excitement, there's also a wedding to plan!
Rosie’s writing style is so immersive that readers will feel like they are part of the family. This is a fantastic read that will keep you engaged from start to finish.
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
The Talbot family have had worries and heartache in their lives and as their family members, John is in the RAF and Tom is in the army, the worries continue.
Artie, would like to do as his brothers are, but, he knows he had to stay home to assist his father with the farm.
The family are always happy to help those in need, they always have space for people, whether it’s family or those that are working at the local base.
Frances, a land girl, comes to the family to help, but she’s running away from something or someone. What is the reason she’s there?
I highly recommend this book.
As the men fight and the war rages, there are some new arrivals on the farm...
The third in this delightful saga series by saga queen Rosie Clarke sees us returning to Cambridgeshire in the winter of 1942. Of course it can suffice well enough as a standalone but for full character development and backstory progression, I do recommended starting them from the beginning. I enjoyed revisiting with the Talbolts and their charges at Blackberry Farm. It was like meeting up with old friends.
In the last book we saw the brutal murder of Faith, John Talbolt's betrothed, and how she lived long enough to birth their baby son before succumbing to her head injuries inflicted by her uncle Ralph, who later perished in a car accident.
The Talbolts all banded together to help with the baby they didn't want to name as that honour should be reserved for his father when he returned home. However, John was recuperating in hospital some miles away after very nearly dying on a mission which saw him land in enemy territory and being rescued by French nuns who hid him before having him transported to Switzerland and then back to Blighty. When he was deemed physically well enough he was discharged and returned home to recuperate...setting eyes on his baby son for the first time. In the interim, the family had named him Jonny as he couldn't very well be called "baby" indefinitely. John was happy enough to keep the name they had given him though he found it difficult to bond with his son as he reminded him so much of his mother, who should have been here nursing him and caring for him.
Tom Gilbert, Pam's eldest, had been injured on duty and now is utilising his skills by training up others, for which everyone is grateful. It meant Tom stayed on home soil and out of the firing line so to speak. He had just become a father himself when his wife Lizzie gave birth to their own baby son, Archie, and he intended to be around to watch him grow up. Until he was given a mission to act as a supply chain to the Desert Rats... He promised Lizzie he wouldn't volunteer but if he was asked to go abroad he wouldn't refuse.
Meanwhile, Artie has finally found the courage to propose to land girl Jeanie Salmons and the farm is busy with wedding preparations - both sewing bridesmaid dresses and amassing food for the celebrations after the ceremony. Pam has been storing up her coupons so that she could give them a good spread.
A new land girl has also arrived at Blackberry Farm and she does so under a cloud. Frances Grant brings with her an air of mystery and a secret she must keep at all costs because should the Talbolts find out the truth about her she'd be out on her ear. Artie and Jeanie aren't at all sure what to make of her but they believe she is hiding something. Pam takes the young girl under her wing knowing that it's the love of a good family that she needs. When a trip to Ely sees Frances jump into the cold waters of the river to save a young boy from drowning, the local paper runs a piece on her complete with her photo which somehow makes it way to a national paper...and has the propensity to bring the cosiness of the world she has come to know and love crashing down. If her past could catch up with her here, then she would have no alternative but to leave Blackberry Farm.
As is the Farm isn't heaving with people as it is, Pam receives word that one of her estranged sisters has died and she is to receive charge of her 8 year old son George. Pam is devastated by the loss of her sister and if taking on George keeps him out of the orphanage then that is what she must do. What's one more mouth? Pam has always enjoyed a big family...now it is just extended. The more the merrier.
Life at Blackberry Farm has its ups and downs but their fighting spirit remains. With the new airfield nearby, Pam welcomes the airmen should they need a place to recharge or in need of a homecooked feed. Artie toys with the idea of following his brothers to fight for King and country but news at home puts things into clearer focus for him as he takes on more responsibility as well as providing for Jeanie.
I love Rosie Clarke and I love being transported back in time and witness the simplicities of life during wartime along with its hardships. But the amount of time food was discussed made it very difficult as I kept wanting to eat every time they gathered around the table for my own portion of poached eggs, bubble and squeak and streaky bacon. I could just smell the bacon, it made my mouth water. lol
Once again, I enjoyed this installment just as much as the first two though I did feel it dragged a little, but that could just be me as I've had some sadness of my own in the past week making it hard for me to concentrate. This is still a wonderful read and I enjoyed my time at Blackberry Farm and cannot wait to return...especially to Pam's kitchen. Hahaha...
I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #LoveAndDutyAtBlackberryFarm in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Love And Duty At Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke is a charming historical novel and the third book in the Blackberry Farm series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous books first for character development and progression.
I enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces on Blackberry Farm in East Anglia. The year is 1942 and the war has touched the lives of all. There is an airstrip near the farm and land girls work the land.
Two out of the three sons are serving in the war, one is a farmer. Farming was a reserve occupation and important to the war effort too.
Blackberry Farm always provides a warm welcome as it opens its doors to all. The spirit of hospitality is huge.
We see the devastation that war brings as young men on both sides are killed or injured and their families mourn.
Some injuries are visible. Others are locked inside minds tormented by guilt, grief and unworthiness as they fight their private internal wars.
Ordinary life still continues – births, deaths and marriages. We celebrate with those who celebrate and we mourn with those who mourn.
The community spirit pervades the whole novel and envelops the reader as we receive a warm welcome at Blackberry Farm. I cannot wait for subsequent books in this marvellous series.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this heartwarming read.
I love being transported back to a different time and place and being able to switch off from the world around me which was exactly what happened as soon as I started this book.
I find this series heartwarming and loved catching up with the characters on Blackberry Farm again. I found this fast paced and it has a nice ending.
Another lovely story in this series. I do enjoy reading about the characters working hard on the farm during the second World War. I'm looking forward to the next one in this series. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
This is a beautifully crafted book which moves you from the first chapters.
Anxiety ridden Artie feels he should be fighting like his brothers but the farm needs care. He falls for Jeannie and hopes she will solve his misery.
Love and loss is sprinkled throughout the book and above all for the characters John and Frances will hope of a new life be just around the corner ?
Loved this book as I do most books that Rosie Clarke writes. Whenever I read a book by Rosie, I always feel as if I'm catching up with old friends. This, the latest in the Blackberry Farm series, was full of love, drama, sadness and happiness. I can't wait to read the next in the series (presuming there is one, of course.
Oh no I wasn't ready for this book to finish. I wanted to keep reading so not fair......
I really enjoyed this book.
I'm happy John got home to see his boy and Tom got home to see his. I hope when the war is finished they both get home ok I just hope their dad is still alive to see them..
I am so happy for Jeanie and Artie her wedding dress sounds so pretty.
I hope Francis lives happily ever after.
I hope another book is coming soon