Our Last Goodbye is another unputdownable and emotional World War II story by Shirley Dickson. I didn’t realize, at first, when I picked up this story to read that it is actually a sequel to The Orphan Sisters, which I absolutely loved. This time around we learn more about May and her life during the war that begins shortly after the ending of The Orphan Sisters.

Shirley Dickson has such a way of easily drawing you into a story with her beautifully written text that is both honest and heartfelt. I really felt as if I was transported back in time and it reminds me of certain phrasing my grandmother would say and the old black and white movies my grandmother would make me watch on the weekends when I was young. Dickson really captures the time period and her writing feels so genuine and flows so effortlessly and beautifully.

I really loved May’s story and found her to be such a sweet and innocent character that always sees the good in people even if she was a bit naive at times. Reeling from her mother’s death, May makes a journey of discovery when she decides to join the war effort and become a nurse. Here is where the story really takes off and May slowly starts to come into her own and how she learns what she is really capable of achieving. In the process, May meets a man, Richard, who she can’t seem to stay away from or stop thinking of. Will may ever find her place in this world and a love unlike one she has ever known or felt?

Our Last Goodbye will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Once again Shirley Dickson has captured my heart in her stories. Dickson is truly a gifted author who will pull every emotion out of you while reading her books. This one is definitely another 5 star read for me and another top book of the year. Even though this is a continuation of sorts, it can definitely be read as a standalone, but I would seriously pick up Dickson’s first book, The Orphan Sisters, and immerse yourself in these powerful moving stories.

It doesn’s say in the blurb but as soon as I started reading the book I knew that I recognised the characters from a previous book which I reviewed called The Orphan Sisters.

This novel works fine as a standalone, Shirley Dickson does a great job of bringing the reader up to speed. However, I do recommend that you read the first one because it is just too good to miss.

Devastated by the loss of her mother and abandoned by her father, May Robinson is then given some news by friend Etty, which totally rocks her to the core.

Refusing to give up she sets out to make her mother proud and enrolls to become a nurse. However, choosing a nursing career in 1940s Britain with World War Two in full swing is not an easy option. May witnesses some horrific injuries which break her heart, but under strict regulations, she is forbidden to show any emotion towards the injured soldiers.

I loved reading about the strict regimes the nurses had to adhere to. Starched uniforms and lights out at ten thirty, forbidden to be seen in public fraternising with the opposite sex and hardly any time off. It must have been a true vocation for these young girls to proceed in such a demanding career.

May’s love life isn’t any less complicated, she seems to attract the wrong sort of man. She always sees the best in people and refuses to be swayed by gossip and other people’s opinions. Perhaps May’s refusal to judge others came about because she herself hides a devastating secret, one that she promised her mother she would keep.

The book is so well researched you really get a feeling of war-torn Britain. The characters are diverse. some quite nasty, but May herself remains kind, compassionate and good-hearted. Her character grows with strength and confidence and I admired her resilience and refusal to be worn down. The story builds to an enthralling conclusion which had me reaching for the tissues and desperately wanting to know MORE!

If you love WWII sagas with a strong main female character, an entertaining plot and beautiful writing, this one is for you.

Shirley's first book was the story of Etty and her sister who were abandoned in an orphanage (The Orphan Sisters) and this book tells the story of their friend May. From the outset, we know this will be an emotional journey as may's mother is killed in a tragic accident on the way home one night. From then on, May has to deal not only with losing her mother but also her home. The secret she's been keeping from everyone also threatens any future relationships, yet it is her best friend Etty who keeps her grounded and ironically has a secret of her own that will damage their friendship. As May starts her nursing training, she is attracted to Richard yet it would seem that he also has secrets. This book takes the reader on a roller-coaster of emotions, its attention to detail and setting pulling the reader in. If you love historical sagas set during WW2, this will be just up your street.

Our Last Goodbye was a very interesting, well written book. Good job Shirley Dickson. I felt connected to the characters especially with May and Richard. The story had something for everyone's taste. A rollercoaster of emotions love, relationships, mistakes, sadness, joy and suspense. I recommend this book. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. Thank you

This book is an absolute treasure beyond words! From page one I couldn't put it down! May's story of true sadness and loss during World War Two brought me to tears! Her journey was a difficult one. She had to put all of herself into finding hope even when there was none. She fought so hard to be the woman her mother would be proud of. And even in her most darkest of times she found a way to have her most precious dream come true. The ending was pure joy for me as I felt when all hope seemed lost, May finally found her light at the end of a never ending dark tunnel. I loved all the characters and the way the story was written. Any one that loves a great historical read will fall in love with this book immediately as I did! Thank you NetGalley ,Shirley Dickson and Bookouture for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review! I look forward to many more from this author!

I loved this book. It told about the life of May Robinson, who after the tragedy of her Mum’s death decides to train as a nurse. It is set during World War Two and it’s a rollercoaster of emotions. Shirley writes in such a way you are drawn into May’s life, and you go through the heart felt journey with her. I highly recommend this book

This is the second book written by this author, and the sequel to her first book, The Orphan Sisters. The story follows on from the first book, following, this time, the story of May Robinson. May featured in The Orphan Sisters as the main character, Etty’s best friend. The year is 1943 and, and war is still raging throughout Europe. 25 year old May’s mother has been killed in a tragic accident and vowing to make her mother proud, May enrols as a trainee nurse at the local hospital. While she’s there she meets Richard Bentley, a hospital porter. As they get to know each other better, the secrets they both have threaten to come out and jeopardise their chance of love.

This was an absolutely fabulous read! I do love a good wartime story, and this was a really good wartime story!! I remembered May’s character from the first book and quickly became engrossed in her story. The book begins with tragedy for May when her mother is killed in an accident in the blackout. With her father choosing his new ‘lady-friend’ over May and her brother Derek choosing to stay with The Talbots who took him in when he was evacuated, the only person left in May’s life is her best friend Etty. Again, I remembered Etty from the first book, and the secret which she held from then is revealed, leaving May no choice but to close the doors on her old life and begin training as a nurse. I just knew May would make the perfect nurse with her caring disposition and it was a sheer delight going through May’s training with her! With hugely obvious differences to nursing today, I had pictures in my mind of the old black and white films (namely Carry on Nurse!) where Matrons were a force to be reckoned with and uniforms always consisted of a beautiful black cape and seamed stockings!!

The writing was absolutely wonderful and had me hooked from the very first page. I loved the characters and really connected with them all. I felt like I needed to protect May as she seemed so vulnerable, but as the book moved on so did May’s confidence and it was great to watch this develop. Of course, it was wartime and there were sad times for a lot of the characters involved. There were still blackouts and air raids, rationing was still in place and a lot of the women’s loved ones were still fighting on the front line, some never returning. The book, as did the first one, showed the true spirit of the people at that time, comforting and supporting each other, with a strong sense of family and friendship.

The story took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, and had me in tears by the end of the book. I’d love there to be another book to follow up May and Etty’s stories (please say there’s going to be one!!). If you love your wartime sagas, then this is definitely the book for you! Highly recommended!

Thank you to the author and the Publishers for providing me with a review copy.

I read Shirley Dickson's debut novel "The Orphan Sisters" earlier this year and I absolutely loved it! So I was thrilled when I began OUR LAST GOODBYE to discover it picked up with familiar characters such as May, Etty, Derek and the Newmans as well as the introduction of some new faces. But this time, rather than Etty's story, we follow May and her journey.

From the first pages, OUR LAST GOODBYE is an emotional, heart-wrenching story of love and loss amidst the horror of war during WW2, set in the northeast of England in 1943 and 1944.

At 24, May Robinson didn't have much to show for her life except her son Derek, being brought up as her younger brother by her Mam. She worked in a factory making munitions and went home to frosty reception from her father who had practically disowned her after "shaming the family" with her indiscretions. The only light she had was her loving Mam and Derek, who was now billeted to a farm in the country, out of harm's way from the attack of air raids, and her friendship with Etty. Without them, May doesn't know what she would do.

One foggy night, May and her Mam are walking home in the blackout after a night out at the pictures. Unable to find her torch in her bag, her Mam sees a trolley bus approaching and in an attempt to hail it in the fog, falls into its path...and is tragically killed. May is devastated. Worse still, she must break the news to Derek who adored their Mam.

One night after work, May opens the door to the place she has called home since she was a bairn, where she had given birth to Derek, to find a strange woman ordering her to find somewhere else to live as they have tenants moving in. THEY, being her father and his new woman. Suddenly, May finds herself homeless. Where now can she go? Etty.

Etty and May go way back when Etty and her sister Dorothy came to Shields from the orphanage in which they grew up. Dorothy had befriended May and soon after Etty joined her sister and became friends with May also, despite a little jealousy between the two as Etty was not used to sharing her sister with anyone. But when Dorothy was tragically killed in an air raid just 6 months ago, Etty and May were there for each other throughout their grief. Now Etty was there for May in her's.

Finding it had to difficult to deal with her mother's death, May made a decision. To train as a nurse with the thought that if only she'd known what to do when Mam had her accident she might have saved her. So at Etty's suggestion, May applied to become a probationary nurse at Edgemoor General Hospital and much to her surprise she passes the entry exam and begins her training.

Whilst in training, May meets Maureen another probationary nurse. She reminds May of Etty with her gentle ways and her wise words. She found in Maureen a confidant that she missed in Etty. When May met young Alec on the road one evening he began to pursue May and was persistent in his intentions, despite May's misgivings about getting involved with anyone. She was still mourning Billy to whom she was engaged (a term Billy used "loosely") and had become another casualty of the war. But Alec was persistent. May, being the gentle soul that she is and not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, always gave in and went out with him.

At Christmas Alec took her to his nan's, who appeared on edge and always fussing and making sure everything was perfect. When Alec spoke abruptly to his nan, May thought it strange that the woman was so compliant and apologetic toward him. Then Alec saw her talking to a young naval officer at a dance and becoming angered he accused her of flirting with him. He later apologised and said it was because he cared for her so much that he got so jealous. May confided in Maureen who said that caring for someone means you love and respect them and you don't hurt them. She urged her to be careful.

Then Alec began surprising her on her days off by turning up at the nurse's quarters. May was uncomfortable with this and began to feel a little suffocated. When Alec displayed his jealousy in the form of violence when he saw her talking to the son of a patient at the hospital, he grabbed her and began accusing her of having all these men on the go and stringing him along. She knew then she must escape him, and ran for the approaching trolley bus yelling "I don't ever want to see you again!" Then just as May thought she was safe, he followed her back to her quarters and told her she was his now and he decided how things were to be. But as he drew his arm back to throw May a punch to the face, he was grabbed from behind and told in no uncertain terms not to return. May was ever grateful, and turned to her rescuer - Richard Bentley, a porter at the hospital and a known "conchie", a conscientious objector.

It was common knowledge around the hospital that Richard was a "conchie" and that put him in a bad light as far as most people were concerned. May, on the one hand, couldn't understand how he could just stand by while others put their lives on the line for their country, while on the other, admired him for standing up for his beliefs and convictions. Unfortunately, it didn't always come out of her mouth that way and she usually ended up insulting him. Richard, however, was used to such talk. But May found herself drawn to Richard, often thinking about him but telling herself there would be no future for them. Maureen advised her to be careful because feelings about "conchies" was rife.

Then Maureen decided to follow her heart and do what she set out to do before training as a nurse. After speaking to the chaplain at the hospital she entered the convent to become a nun. But she was put her nurse's training to good use and move to London to work in convent hospital there. May felt Maureen's absence bitterly when she left, particularly as she still missed Etty. Although May knew she had forgiven Etty she wasn't ready to speak to her yet.

May and Richard become friends, but to have a relationship would be difficult due to Richard being a "conchie". Can they ever have a chance at a life together? As May holds the secret of her past close, would Richard still love her if he knew the truth? But then the unexpected happens and May's life is thrown into turmoil. How could she deal with everything? Find a home for her and Derek and give up her nursing career? Can May and Etty's friendship survive? Will Richard and May ever have the chance at a future together?

Life in England is not easy in the midst of war with the constant threat of invasion, food shortages and rationing, air raids and bombing almost nightly. It would a terrifying time in which to live.

A heart-wrenching novel OUR LAST GOODBYE will have you reaching for the tissues throughout. With a twist to the story near its end, your heart will just ache for May and all she has endured in her short life. A wonderful saga about love and friendship, May's story will just tug at your heartstrings. From the time I picked up the book, I didn't want to leave as I was so wrapped up and invested in the the people and the era I had been transported to.

My only complaint was how it ended. I would have liked to have seen it go a little further than it did and see May get a little more of her happy ending. Don't get me wrong, May DOES have a happy ending...but I just would have liked it to go a little further than it did. Having said that, I hope a third installment will pick up from here so we can see May and Etty in the next stages of their lives.

I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #OurLastGoodbye,/b> in exchange for an honest review.

Although not marked as such, Our Last Goodbye is the sequel to The Orphan Sisters by author Shirley Dickson, which I loved. I recognized the characters straight away, and so continues the tale of Etty, her sister Dorothy and Etty’s best friend May.

The devastation May felt when her mother was killed during the blackout when they were on their way home after a night out for her Mam’s birthday was shocking. She didn’t know how she’d cope – and her father wanted nothing to do with her or her young brother Derek who’d been billeted on a farm during the war. It seemed the only person May could turn to was her friend Etty. Determined to make her mother proud, and doing what she’d dreamed of for a while, May began training at the local hospital to become a nurse.

Exhausted, yet filled with pride at her achievements, May was thrilled to pass the exams and become a fully qualified nurse. The work was hard, the soldiers shattered and terribly damaged, but the calm and caring demeanor of the nurses meant everything. May’s feelings for hospital porter, Richard Bentley were growing. But they both knew they would be fired if they were discovered. With more heartache to come, what would be the outcome for the brave men and women in these terrible times?

Set during the war years in England, Our Last Goodbye is all I love in historical fiction. With down to earth and easy to like characters, Ms Dickson has written a second poignant, unputdownable novel which I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit drawn out at times but I thought the heroine showed extraordinary courage in war time. Overall I would give it 3 stars. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

I felt the characters fell flat, they repeatedly made the same mistakes or they acted completely outside their character.

Set in England in the 1940's during the War. May and her mother are walking home at night during the blackout. May's mother is knocked down and killed by a tram.
May's father is absolutely no support to May and she is left to fend for herself. Betrayed by her best friend Ettie may decides to become a nurse.
There starts a whole new chapter in her life. She becomes friends and extremely close to Maureen.
I'll say no more except Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson is a must read for everyone. So emotional, a beautiful story.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this Arc.

Right from the opening chapter I could sense just what an emotional journey the author was going to take me on. May, my heart went out to as she has a lot on her plate for someone so young.

The author weaves a tale of which had me spell bound. From picking the book up, I didn’t want to go anywhere as I was so wrapped up in the era that I had been transported to. You could feel the emotions from the characters and their hopes and worries about the war.

There are some lovely characters in the story. It always amazes me how people would open up their homes and help others out in times of need. May’s friendship with some of the characters was so endearing and a good reminder of what is really important in life.

Our Last Goodbye is a wonderful saga of love and friendship. It is a truly emotional read that had me shed tears of happiness and sadness. The authors writing skills brings the world war era very much to life in what it was like to live in those times. May’s story is one that will certainly pull on the heart strings and I loved every minute of it. An emotional and compelling read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shirley Dickson for my digital copy of her new book Our Last Goodbye.

England 1943, on a foggy night May Robinson and her mum are walking home in the WW2 blackout after a night out at the pictures when her mum is tragically killed in an accident.

May's father is a hopeless drunk and her young brother Derek has been evacuated to Hillcrest farm in Allendale and is being looked after by Maud and Alf Talbot.

May is very close to her mother, she finds it very hard to deal with her mothers death and May also has a secret from her past that she struggles to deal with and she is always worried that her secret will be exposed. May has her best friend Etty who's the only person she can rely on for emotional support to help her cope with her grief but Etty has two young children and is very busy looking after them.

May works in a factory, she has always dreamed of being a nurse but due to her circumstances she never thought that she would ever have a chance of ever being one and after her mum passes away she decides to take a chance. May applies to be a nurse at Edgemoor general hospital and much to her surprise she passes the entry exam and she starts her nurses training.

May now lives in the nurses quarters, she is soon very busy helping to care for wounded soldiers, elderly people and working on the maternity ward. May has the qualities to make a wonderful nurse, she is kind, caring, compassionate and she enjoys studying and learning new skills.

While training at the hospital May meets Richard Bentley, he is working as an orderly at the hospital and has just been released from jail. He was jailed for 6 months due to being a conscientious objector he has his own beliefs and he refused to serve in the army.

Of course he is not very popular with patients and staff due to the choice he made and his path in life is not an easy one, Richard and May become friends but for them to have any relationship is going to be difficult due to Richard being outsider.

Life in England at the time is not easy, people live with the constant threat of the Germans invading, food shortages, homelessness, air raid sirens and people are worn down by the constant bombing every night.

Can May and Richard ever have any chance of being more than friends? May is keeping her past a secret, not telling Richard the truth about her brother Derek and her father has decided to marry his new lady friend Gertie. When the war is finally over May and Derek can't return to the family home, Gertie makes that very clear and what will they do? May misses her mother, struggles to cope with her death, she worries about Derek he's only 8 and how can her father walk away from his family?

Our Last Goodbye was an interesting book to read especially about Richard being a conscientious objector, I did however find the plot a little predictable and for this reason I gave the book three and a half stars.

Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson is a wonderful historical novel set in Northeastern England during 1943-1944. It revolves mainly around May and her surrounding friends and family. It describes the trials, heartbreak, and happiness that surround her as she discovers herself, what she wants out of life, and how she can be a better person to her friends and family and coworkers/fellow students (while she is training to be a nurse).
I will not spoil any more of the story, but I feel as if I could empathize and relate to May, therefore enjoying the evolution of her maturing, growing up, and learning through her mistakes.
This book had a great ending, however I would love to have another installment so that I can see where this goes and the next stages of her life.

4/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and in return is my voluntary and honest opinion and review.

What a fantastic book i have loved this beautiful story of May,Etty,Maureen and all the others who feature in this beautiful story of fighting to survive without the help of parents.May has dreamed of becoming a nurse and has now decided to follow it.Along the way life goes on May is thrilled to be training to be a nurse and makes friends Maureen becomes close to May.While training May meets a porter Richard they chat but there is something that draws them together.I don't want spoil this fabulous book for the readers.I will say have tissues handy.5*