Christmas Angels by Nadine Dorries.
In the run up to Christmas, nurses Pammy and Beth are aiming to win the coveted national decorating competition for the St Angelus children's ward, but drama after drama threatens to upset their plans.
Really enjoyed this book. Great story. 4*.

Christmas Angels is a heartwarming novel. I recommend reading the books in The Lovely Lane Series in order. Each book in this series builds upon the previous one. Christmas Angels is well-written with a gentle pace (suits the book) which makes for a pleasing book to read. Nadine Dorries captures the era and hospital setting. England was different from America after World War II. Rationing was still in effect with many items unavailable. She crafted characters that readers care about and want to know what happens to next. Christmas Angels features Aileen Page. It was nice to find out more about her. She has a rough life courtesy of her horrid mother, Marion Paige. I found Christmas Angels to be an emotional novel with high moments that will have you smiling and low moments that will have you tearing up (have a tissue handy). Nursing was very different in the 1950s where nurses had to wear a certain uniform, behave in a certain manner, and there was a strict hierarchical structure. Christmas Angels is an engaging story that will grab your attention from the first page and hold it until you read the very last word. I am eager for the next installment in The Lovely Lane series.

This is the fourth in the Lovely lane Series set in liverpool. It tells of the life of it's main character, Aileen Paige and of life in the NHS in the late 50's when hospitals were ruled by Matrons and life in general was very different.
Aileen has been promoted to sister and this causes diffculties at home. We meet up with characters from the earlier books and also at least one from the future 'Four Streets' series.
Nadine writes in a way which is easily accessible and has good story lines. Her characters are believable and the emotions they go through are easily understandable by her readers.
This is a warm book and a good one to curl up with on a Winter's evening. I recommend it

I have really enjoyed every book written by Nadine Dorries and highly recommend all of them so I was keen to get started with this one. I wasn't disappointed. The finale to the series was fantastic. It could be read as a standalone novel but I would recommend taking the time to enjoy the first three books in the series first.

I love Nadine's style of writing, her characters come to life so easily. I love the spirit of the fifties - particularly the community spirit. As usual there is a lovely mix of emotional scenes, heartbreak and heartwarming moments. The ending didn't disappoint - although I did read it with tears streaming down my face. I love a book which makes me care so much about the characters and provokes such a strong reaction.

I can't recommend this highly enough. Superb! I can't wait to read Nadine's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a total sucker for a family saga set in Liverpool. Roll on the second Nadine Dorries series Lovely Lane. This book is the fourth one in the series and most certainly did not disappoint. Although a series I do feel that each book in this series can be read as standalone books. In fact I think I actually read book 2 before book 1! Would highly recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Another great book in this series, love this author, looking forward to reading more about the Angels.

Who can't help but love The Lovely Lane Sagas ? Another great read from this author.

This is book 4 in the Lovely Lane series, and I was so delighted to be part of the blog tour.  I loved the other books in the series.
Yet again, Nadine Dorries outdoes herself.  I enjoyed this book so much.  It was great to be back with the familiar characters again.
The focus is mainly around the hospital again, which I loved.
There were some truly heart-rending and shocking stories, such as the case of the abandoned baby boy, and also some heart-warming and feel-good moments.
The historical references were, as always fascinating. From people bringing sick children to the local priest to be cured, to people smoking to relieve their bad chests!
There’s a lovely, at times poignant, festive feeling to the book, as the nurses try to make Christmas special for their patients. Makes you appreciate the true spirit of Christmas.
Highly recommended. It can be read as a stand-alone book, but I’d advise anyone to treat yourself to the whole series and enjoy them, they really are a pleasure to read.

This is the 4th book in the Lovely Lane Series and another wonderful read. We join the nurses of St Angelus and the wider community in the build up to Christmas. Matron is concerned that Sister Tapps never takes a break from her nursing career and has made it possible for her to be off all over the Christmas holiday.
At the time it was common for nursing staff not to be able to work after marriage so the Matrons and Sisters were often single ladies who made their hospital their life. It was interesting to read about how the nursing homes were like families and then the sisters rooms were again their homes. It was also astonishing to read that the children's wards only allowed family visiting once a week. The poor families must have been devastated to have their children taken in- especially those that were in for lengthy spells.
I loved the characters and the warmth that they feel for Sister Tapps. You could feel her anguish about being taken away from her beloved job and the problems it causes.
It really explores family relationships, romance, post war life and conditions and nursing practice. There is a real sense of community decorating the wards and you really felt a part of the build up. This is a really nice series and I will be keen to read more.

Nadine Dorries has quickly established herself as the queen of the Liverpool saga and she is back with a heartwarming, heart-wrenching and captivating new novel set in the 1950s her legion of readers are simply going to love: Christmas Angels.

St Angelus Hospital is as busy as ever, especially at Christmastime. The staff and patients of the hospital are forever having to contend not just with medical emergencies, but with the hardships, heartache and anguish of life in a community where poverty is a reality for many. However, they refuse to let their circumstances get them down and preventing them for going about their daily lives. While it might be a daily struggle to keep the wolf from the door and a roof over the family’s head, this is a community that pulls together and helps each other out when the chips are down.

With Christmas just around the corner, nurses Beth and Pammy have set their heart on winning a national decorating competition for the St Angelus’ Children’s Ward. Having set their sights on winning the coveted trophy, the two nurses are working extra hard to ensure that nothing spoils their plans – but fate seems to have other ideas in store for them. As drama after drama gets in the way of achieving their goal, will Beth and Pammy be crowned victorious? Or are they just setting themselves up for disappointment?

Aileen adores her job working at the hospital. Becoming a staff nurse has been the fulfillment of a long held dream of hers, but her mother’s demands on her and her determination to thwart her plans at every turn is seriously undermining her belief in herself. Is Aileen going to stand up to her mother and fight for the life she has always wanted? Or will she let her mother have her way again?

With a starving baby boy abandoned at the hospital, a brilliant nurse coping with a fatal illness and love affairs, sadness and joy aplenty, one thing is certain: this Christmas is going to be as exciting as ever at St Angelus Hospital.

Nadine Dorries has done it again! She has penned a wonderfully involving, poignant, funny and uplifting saga that is ideal for fans of TV’s Call the Midwife! Packed with drama, emotion, humour, heart and fabulous characters that leap off the pages, Christmas Angels is a wonderful story that touches the heart and tickles the funny bone.

Another first rate saga from a champion storyteller, Christmas Angels continues to cement Nadine Dorries’ standing as one of the saga world’s brightest stars!

A terrific old fashioned read set in Liverpool in the 1950s. These nurses- Dana, Beth, Pammy, and Victoria- are all wonderful characters. The ups and downs in their lives and at the hospital will tug at your heart, for sure, especially because you'll feel their emotions. Sometimes it's hard to remember how much better medical treatment is today, and how much easier our daily lives. Feel free to read this even if you haven't read the earlier books. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is perfect for fans of Call the Midwife and those who like historical fiction. A good Christmas tale to remind you how lucky we all are.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

Another lovely story from Nadine Dorries. Set in the Liverpool Docklands post war's the saga continues with the hard working community of the Four Lanes. The beginning of the NHS and the days of Matron and the Ward Sisters. Lots of stories going on as you continue following the lives of the dockers and the cleaners, porters and nurses of St. Angelus. A heartwarming, tear jerking, humorous look at life during these days. You feel you could be having a gossip and cup of tea with these characters. I really enjoyed and look forward to more to come from Nadine Dorries.

"nothing is ever as bad as it seems. There is always a way around every problem."
So says the Matron of the hospital children's ward. Those words are put to the test many times, as the characters in the story face trouble and crisis again and again.
This is a warmly appealing novel dealing with a delightful group of Irish people living in Liverpool. They work hard and are poor, yet filled with a wonderful spirit of love and helpfulness as they band together in a Christmas project for the children in the hospital.
We also meet the dedicated nurses and staff who give more than just health care. They work tirelessly to make the lives of their young patients better. They are the Christmas Angels and Angels for all seasons.
Wonderful book!

I must admit that I shed a tear or two when I was reading this book. It's not that it's all doom and gloom but it is an emotional rollercoaster of a read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I especially like reading about fifties post war Britain, the period where this book is set and the author certainly has the magic touch to bring everything to life.

Lovely, lovely, lovely. Further tales of the staff and patients of St Angelus Hospital and the families living in the Liverpool dock area, during the 1950s. With romance blossoming, Christmas carol concerts, a missing baby, a demanding mother and the best decorated ward competition; this is a truly heartwarming and riveting read, with Christmas thrown in! Well-written and well-rounded characters bring the book to life, as you find yourself routing for them, desperately hoping that it all turns out happily in the end. A must read for fans of ‘Call the Midwife’, I loved this book! Highly recommended read, which would make a lovely Christmas gift too.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publishers, Head of Zeus, for the review copy which was given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Suzanne from Head of Zeus for organising the blog tour.

This is the fourth book in the Lovely Lane series. It can be read as a standalone, but it does make more sense for the story and characters to have read the others first.

We are back at the hospital of St Angelus, and it is the run up to Christmas. There is a Sister vacancy available on the Paediatric Ward and Sister Antrobus has her eye on the job, although Matron has other ideas. The nurses, Dana, Beth, Pammy and Victoria are all very busy with it being near Christmas. There is also the matter of the Best Decorated Ward competition, which each ward are determined to win. On a more serious side, a young baby is found abandoned and bought into the hospital seriously ill. No one has taken responsibility as to him being their baby and all the nurses, particularly Sister Haycock have made it their responsibility to get him better. Matron also has her worries with Sister Tapps. She has not had a Christmas off for so many years, preferring to spend her Christmas with the children on her Ward. Matron decides to close Sister Tapps Ward over Christmas, moving what children are to remain in hospital to Sister Paige’s Ward. This is a big shock to Sister Tapps as she doesn’t want to spend Christmas anywhere else, but as time goes on she begins to see that she may have more important things to worry about.

This was my first Lovely Lane book. I have read other books from this author, but not from this series. I did at first get a bit confused with all the different characters as I wasn’t sure if these nurses were in any of the other books, but I soon settled into the story and got to know the characters. Based in the 1950’s, the story begins with a dockyard family, Maura and Tommy Doherty and their two girls Kitty and Angela. It just grabbed me right from the first word. Maura was trying to tend to her youngest daughter Angela who was suffering from what seemed a very bad chest infection. The NHS was still in its infancy, and whilst they could now get free healthcare, it was still a lot different to how we receive it today.

There are so many stories within the book, all rolling into one. Everything flowed so well and I just could not put the book down. The writing makes you feel like you are right there, on the wards, with all the nurses and the children. Each nurse had their own story going, and whilst there were a lot of happy tales, there was also so much sadness. I won’t risk any spoilers by going into too much detail, but safe to say it was very moving by the end. I was reading this book at every little opportunity I had and some were while I was waiting for appointments or out in public. I found it so hard not to burst into tears with the story and to be honest I probably didn’t really take in the wonderful writing that it was by the end. I will have to find a quiet corner at home, with a box of tissues, just to reread the last quarter of the book so I can appreciate the tender writing of such a sad time.

On a happier note, the book is very Christmassy! There are lots of trees and decorations, particularly with the Best Dressed Ward competition. There is also lots of carols and singing, with the nurses going round the wards on Christmas Eve singing Christmas Carols to the patients left in hospital. This was such a wonderful image, and I’ve seen this happening on films!! – it’s a shame that this doesn’t still happen today on the wards – or does it?! I’ve never been in hospital at Christmas so perhaps it does happen still!! What a wonderful sight that must be and how lovely it must have been, particularly for all the children in hospital over Christmas!

If you are going to read any book over Christmas, make it this one. It a story of love, friendship and sadness and I defy anyone who reads this not to shed a tear or two. A wonderful Christmas story about the nurses of Lovely Lane! Fabulous!

Five Stars!

Another wonderful book in the Lovely Lane series . I absolutely loved it and it sucked me right into the story from the first page . Nadine Dorries is a wonderful writer and she writes her books in such a way that you literally feel you are in the book with the nurses , domestics and families of lovely Lane . This is fabulous book set in St Angela’s hospital at Christmas time . There is both happiness , sadness and hope through this book and anyone who reads it will find it hard not to shed a tear or two . A massive five stars from me .

I love all of Nadine Dorries books. This is the coming together of the Four Streets trilogy and The Lovely Lane series. A thoroughly enjoyable story that I would highly recommend