Three Cheers for the Shipyard Girls: The Shipyard Girls Series Book 12

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Dorothy whilst content with planning Angie’s wedding, does not want one of her own and is determined along with Gloria’s son Bobby to see the world once the world is available to be seen once again. I have recently discovered gardening – something I used to avoid like the plague. I’m a convert and now bore anyone who will listen to me about how wonderful it is to be out in the fresh air, pulling weeds, and creating something with my hands instead of my head. The subject is near to Nancy’s heart, since she comes from a long line of shipbuilders that were well-known in the area.

Sunderland, 1942: Christmas is fast approaching, and with it comes a flurry of snow and surprises... But it is the heart in these books. Women from different parts of the town, different classes and circumstances coming together and forging friendships. Indeed this is the theme of the book, support and friendship. The decisions that each of the women take are wholly supported by the others. We see Hannah return to Europe to assist the British Red Cross and to search for her parents imprisoned in the concentration camps. We see Angie marry her Quentin, who when the question of differing classes comes up, is given support by the group of women in overcoming family disapproval. Sunderland, 1943: As Christmas approaches in the shipyards, everyone is hoping for a little magic... Gloria is shouldering the burden of a terrible secret. If the truth comes out there could be dire consequences, and it will take all her resolve to resist the pressure around her. A woman welder called Florence Collard. I came across a newspaper article in the Sunderland Echo dated November 1942 which told the story of a shipyard welder called Mrs Florence Collard whose husband was in the Forces, and who returned to Sunderland after being bombed out of her home in Plymouth, only then to be bombed out of her home yet again. She was trapped in the kitchen but rescued.And there is finally a glimmer of hope for Polly and her family when Bel and Joe fall in love. But it isn’t long before a scandalous revelation threatens to pull them all apart. Rosie is flourishing in her role as head-welder while still keeping her double life a secret. But a dashing detective is forcing Rosie to choose between love and her duty. Meanwhile welder Dorothy has a feeling that her beau Toby is planning to pop the question when he's next on leave. But it seems that her head is being turned by someone closer to home... The only one not showing support is shipyard manager, Helen. But looks can be deceiving, and beneath her cold exterior, Helen is wrestling with demons of her own, including one life-changing decision that could lead to potential ruin.

Meanwhile shipyard manager Helen is determined to move on after a turbulent year. Her sights are set on breaking the yard's production record and no one, not even the handsome Dr Parker, is going to get in her way. Meanwhile Helen is caught between two men - but must hide her true feelings from the one she loves. Can her fellow women welders help Helen follow her heart?

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Yes it was – really interesting. I loved learning about people’s experiences of living through the war, rationing, fashion, culture, and how life changed for women. It will take great strength and friendship if the shipyard girls are to weather the storms to come. Meanwhile Rosie is delighted to have her husband safely home but she begins to wonder – what lies ahead for her and her friends when the war is over?

The biggest character arc has been Helen, who in the first novel was awful to the women, but through finding herself has become a key part of the women's group. And it is these women who step in to help Helen make the right choices over the man she loves. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how this plays out. Secrets of the Shipyard Girls” is the third novel in the “Shipyard Girls” series and was released in the year 2017. While the war drags on, the shipyard girls find they are facing battles of their own. Gloria is smitten with her newly arrived bundle of joy, but baby Hope’s first weeks are bittersweet. Hope's father is missing at sea, and with their future as a family so uncertain, Gloria must lean on her girls for support. Of course there is some unfinished business with Helen and her family secrets which are still going to affect all the women she employs. Can she possibly keep it together to protect those she cares about. And will anyone ever care about her for who she is and not what she might bring to a relationship?

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Set in January 1945, after five tumultuous years working in the shipyards in Sunderland, spring is in the air and with it the hope of victory at last. Wedding bells are finally ringing for Gloria but she can’t rest until her youngest son has been safely returned to her.