A really good read.I really enjoyed this story plenty of drama and interesting characters that hold your interest from the beginning thought there were a few loose ends that needed tying up so wondering if there will be another book in this series. Never the less it didn't detract from the enjoyment of the novel

What a lovely story. Praise to Lizzie Lane.
This is the third installment in the coronation close. and it's 1930.
It gives you a warm happy hug each time you return to it.
The women are hard-working and industrious., at holding families together.
There are a few dark shadows in the street waiting to be unraveled, and they do. Whenever I get to read a Lizzie lane book I know I'm in for a good read with old friends.

It’s now 1938 and rumours of another world war are circulating.
Jenny has really grown as a character and is still working in the pawn shop with Robin – there is an underlying romance between the two of them, but both are married to other people and whilst Jenny’s husband is still overseas in the army, Robin’s estranged wife is determined to let Jenny know who’s the boss!
When Jenny hears that her husband is coming home, she fears that her happy life will be shattered. Elsewhere in Coronation Close, Thelma’s daughter is growing up. She is causing concern for her mother, firstly meeting up regularly with a traveller boy and later with an older man – who turns out to be her biological father.

As always, the local and historical information has been well researched and there is a good sense of time and place.
I enjoyed catching up with the characters again, but I just felt this book was less interesting than the previous two. However, there is plenty of potential for book 4 ….

The third book of Lizzie Lane’s Coronation Close series is full of unexpected twists along with some heartfelt moments. It’s a joy to know Jenny is happy and Thelma has her wits. The characters in this series are realistic and go through events like normal people.

Thelma is my favorite because she’s had so much to deal with in her lot in life. She’s managed to stay afloat even after so much hardship. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and is willing to work hard to get what she wants. She doesn’t even let mishaps overtake her motivation to move forward.

This is a great ending to the series, although I do wish it would continue on to learn about Thelma’s grand baby and how her daughters get on after leaving school. I’d also love to hear how things go with Jenny now that her hubby has died.

I just peeked on Amazon and found that there actually is a book 4 coming out in April! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for it! I give Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close 5 out of 5 tiaras because of how engrossed I got in the story and I could hardly out the book down! Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for access to this fantastic work!

This is the 3rd instalment in the Coronation close series.

I love Lizzie Lane and have read everything she has written. This books focuses on the younger members of the street. Plenty of drama

The threat of war is hanging over the resident's heads as they all try to deal with all there issues.

If you enjoyed tobbaco girls you will love this. Can’t wait for book 4

I didn't realise that this was part of a series and this was actually book 3.
It didn't matter to me that I hadn't read any of the other books this was outstanding
and so well written. I will now go out and buy the 1st two books and read then in the order they are supposed to be in.

Book 3 of this brilliant series.

We meet up again with Jenny & Thelma. Jenny now fully settled in the close with her 2 girls and is happy. working for Robin a few hours a week in his shop> then his wife returns home with the girls when her relationship with her current man ends. She causes trouble from the word go.

Thelma, is still seeing her friend from the council. Her son and his wife are going to have a baby and Thema is over the moon. The father of Mary turns up.

A lot going on. Happy times and sad times. WWII draws ever closer.

A great 5* read which I can recommend

Another great instalment in the Coronation Close series. This time focusing on the younger character of the book, Mary, Thelma's daughter. Jenny and Thelma still feature in the story but this focusses around Mary and the secret male that she is meeting, with some twists and turns along the way, another unputdownable read from Lizzie Lane.

Every book Lizzie Lane writes never fails to immerse me in times gone by. This is the third book of the Coronation Close series, and it's great to be returning to the characters. Lizzie Lane writes so well that it feels like you are returning to friends.

Historical sagas such as this one always make me think of my grandparents and their life during and after the war. These characters all feel real, and that makes Coronation Close so easy to pick up and read. The guts everyone had back then are crystal clear within these books. Between family and work, these women do their best to bring their friends and family through whatever hardships life throws at them.

Yet another page turner from an author whose research creates an authentic and gritty tale that's important because we need to keep this history alive. We need to remember how hard it was and how gruelling things were back then.

Lizzie Lane is definitely one of my go-to authors for historical sagas, and she keeps bringing top-notch sagas time after time. A highly recommended series from me!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the gifted ebook to write my honest review.

In Lizzie Lane's most recent novel, Dark Shadows over Coronation Close, I was once again transported back to 1938 and the charming Coronation Close. This time, the story focuses on Thelma and her eldest daughter, Mary.

When Jenny, Thelma's neighbour, notices a man watching Thelma's home, she informs her. While Mary has been keeping a friendship with an older man secret, Thelma believes she knows who the man watching their house is. As we all know, secrets have a way of becoming problems, and the best way to deal with them is by sharing.

I love the beautiful friendship between Thelma and Jenny as they shared each other's challenges and victories.

If you are a fan of Lizzie Lane's Coronation Close series, you do not want to miss out on this one.

Oh wow, what a brilliant book. I got completely hooked into the story and loved the descriptions of the Spaghetti Bolognaise. Another winner from Lizzie Lane. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A wonderfully researched and well written novel. This is the first Coronation Close book I have read but it was well enough explained to be fine as a starting point. There are spoilers in here for the previous books but as I don't mind spoilers and I'm intrigued to know how they played out, I will be going back to read the prior books when I can.
As Coronation Close is a set of 12 houses in a horseshoe, there is plenty of fodder for a huge series! This is the 3rd book and it is set in 1938. The smell of war is in the air and the neighbourhood is fit to bursting with gossip, new happenings and drama.
Lizzie Lane's characters are very realistic, covering all sorts from all places. I love the way she turns a phrase and manages to teach me new things about the era.
The books topic's don't start at the very beginning but are well thought out and continue on in each book, without any dreaded cliffhangers.
All in all, an excellent slice of life set in prewar England, rich with details and character and full with plenty of heart.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just LOVE this series!
This is book three in the Coronation Close series and is just as enjoyable as books one and two.
Following the lives of main characters Jenny and Thelma is a journey full of ups and downs, drama and intrigue and this instalment was made all the better by us having the chance to learn more about Thelma's daughter, Mary. These scenes and this particular story thread was definitely my favourite aspect of the book.
The residents of Coronation Close are a tight-knit bunch and the setting reminds me so much of my childhood growing up.I also love following the 'will they, won't they' romance of between Jenny and one of the nicest men on the planet!
I highly recommend you pick up this series and start reading today if you haven't already... If you have, book 3 will not disappoint :)

It's 1938 in Bristol and the threat of war continues to hang over Britain. But for those in Coronation Close, life goes on as ever.

Jenny Crawford is busy raising her two girls Tilly and Gloria at No.2 but a postcard with some unexpected news threatens to topple her world has she has come to know it. Two years ago, when they first moved into Coronation Close Jenny's husband Roy was a nasty piece who when he wasn't home ran with Oswald Mosley's blackshirts and when he was home used his fists to drive home his authority. But then Roy discovered another way of life and signed up for the army, sending his pay back to support Jenny and the girls. This arrangement suited them both perfectly. But news of Roy's sudden illness means he has been medically discharged and was coming home. What does this mean for Jenny now?

And then there is Jenny's work in Robin Hubert's pawn and secondhand store. Robin and Jenny go way back and had once held a torch for each other but fate stepped in and they married other people - she to Roy and Robin to Doris. Roy would never allow Jenny to work and nor would he allow her friendship with Robin to continue, though it was clear the pair still carried that flaming torch. Robin has made no secret of his feelings though his own troubles with Doris make life difficult for all involved, as Doris has a taste for fancy men, rich men, and the lifestyle to go with it. She continues to use the children as pawns in her games to win against Robin, holding the threat of losing them over him to force his hand into doing what she wants. Not including Doris in the scheme of things, what did Roy's return mean for Robin and Jenny's friendship?

Thelma Dawson is also raising her daughters Mary and Alice alone with her adult son George now married and expecting a baby of their own. Her life continues on its even keel whilst seeing Bert Throgmorton on occasion, and she's happy. But when Jenny spotted a stranger staring at Thelma's house one day and later mentioned it to her, Thelma began to fear who it would be. There were only two possibilities...and she didn't favour either one of them.

Then her eldest daughter Mary begins acting out. She's 13 going on 30 and believes she knows all and is old enough to do what she wants, her mother couldn't stop her. She had been seeing a boy from a local band of gypsies but when they moved on her attentions moved elsewhere in the form of a stranger who began to show an interest in young Mary. Then one night, Mary hasn't come home and Thelma is frantic with worry as to what might have happened. The last anyone saw of her was when Alice saw Mary walking out of the Close and when she called her, she ran off.

Did Mary leave of her own accord? Or was she taken?

Another emotional yet easy read in the lives of those in Coronation Close. We see the flight of one lot of neighbours who then make way for a new set of neighbours...neither of whom are popular with the rest of the Close. All the while, the threat of war continues to loom over them.

I must admit, I'm a bit like Jenny. I don't want to hear anything or know anything about the possibility of war. I could see myself every time Jenny's internal monologue screamed "NO!" and she switched off the radio to silence any further talk of War.

I am really enjoying this series. I enjoyed the Tobacco Girls but I think I am enjoying this one even more and I can't wait to see what's in store for the residents of Coronation Close next.

A delightfully easy read that is compelling, enjoyable and entertaining.

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

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I am a huge fan of Lizzie's work and I have been for a few years now. By no means have I read everything that she has written but that is something that I hope to rectify in the not too distant future. I must admit that I have a particular fondness for the series set in Coronation Close. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series and I have been patiently waiting for the third book in the series to be released. Well ladies and gents the wait is over because the third book in the series is called 'Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close' and it was released on 2nd January 2024. It's another superb instalment in what is proving to be a superb series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close' but more about that in a bit.

As soon as I started reading, I knew that I was reading something special and that I would struggle to put the book down for any length of time. I was spot on with both predictions. It didn't take long for me to feel as though I had reunited with old friends in the form of Thelma and Jenny. It was easy to imagine sitting down with both ladies and having a good gossip over a cup of tea. This was one of those books that proved to be addictive reading. I would pick up the book only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would become so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the characters that I would still be sat there reading several chapters and an hour or so later. The more of the book that I read, the more of the book that I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I was so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close' and I had to say goodbye to Thelma, Jenny and the other residents of Coronation Close. I found 'Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close' to be a gripping, dramatic and emotional read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

'Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Lizzie Lane. Lizzie has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Lizzie's books often feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Lizzie certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story and then some. Lizzie has clearly done an awful lot of research into the time period during which the story takes place and this helps to make the story that bit more authentic. Lizzie clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. As I mentioned earlier, Jenny and Thelma felt more like friends rather than characters in a book. Reading 'Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close' certainly took me on an emotional journey with all the twists and turns, up and downs and so on.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close' and I wholeheartedly recommend this author and this series to other readers. I hope to read much more of Lizzie's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I was eagerly awaiting this sequel and it didn't disappoint. I love the fact that the story has such a wonderful community feel and illustrated the power of friendship and love beautifully. The character development makes it easy to become emotionally invested in the characters and their complicated lives. I read this in less than a day and hoping for another installment soon

I was delighted to read more about the happenings on Coronation Close as the characters have come to feel like treasured friends. There is a dark shadow over the close and it's not just talk of another war that is troubling Jenny and Thelma. Who is the strange man watching and what does he want? You will want to read for yourself to find out! I adore the characters and the plot is historical but engaging drama. I loved every minute of my time in the Close and can't wait for more!

Dark Shadows Over Coronation Close is another gripping tail from Lizzie Lane. Although this is part of a series. it is an easy story to pick up. Set in 1938 Bristol Jenny and Thelma are neighbours and friends when one day Jenny notices a strange man hanging around Thelma's house, while Thelma is struggling with her teenage daughter, Mary. The story follows the trials and tribulations of both ladies. Do we find out who the man is and what happens to Mary? Are the 2 connected?

This book is one of those that refuse to ne put down. The story flows perfectly and the characters are likable as well as believable. I could really feel Mary's pain!!!

Definitely a nook that Rosie Clarke fans will enjoy

I am enjoying Lizzie’s Coronation Close series and this third book is just as good as the first two in the series. It was great to catch up again with Jenny and Thelma who are neighbours and great friends. In this book both ladies are finding their past is coming back to haunt them. Jenny’s husband has been off in the army and she suddenly receives word that he’s ill and is coming home to her. Thelma has similar problems when her Ex unexpectedly returns into her life and starts to meet up with their daughter Mary. This is set in 1938 when everything is up in air about the possibility of a Second World War. It was nice to catch up again with all the great characters from Coronation Close. I love this series and give this book five stars. If you like the historical genre then you will definitely enjoy this series

Dark Shadows over Coronation Close is the third book in this wonderful historical saga series written by one of my favourite authors of this genre, Lizzie Lane.

Once I had finished the first chapter I just felt like I was back amongst friends as it is just so easy to settle back into the lives of the neighbours of Coronation Close.

There are definitely dark shadows looming in both personal lives of the residents and also the threat of war is very serious and is causing a lot of worry for everyone.

One of the many reasons I love this series is the way the author develops the characters, they are strong and feisty women who work hard and will do everything for their families. From start to finish this is a wonderful read which is at times filled with drama and also with love and courage.