I enjoyed this lovely historical fiction book that was set in the 1880s and based around working conditions in a match factory. Well written, gentle yet serious and emotive in places.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus.

I would like to thank Quercus books and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.

It features the young Lottie who at sixteen years old has to make an important decision.

She works in a match factory in horrible conditions. The employees are mistreated and their health is threatened. When journalist Annie Besant asks herself a lot of questions about this factory. Will Lottie and her colleagues accept her help? Will they keep their jobs?

A book in one piece, so much so that I hung on to the story, so moving at certain passages, captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters.

A lovely story that keeps you hooked from the beginning and leads you through times of hardship that were relevant not long ago. Definitely recommended.

This book was much as expected. A quick read on holiday giving an insight into an industry in our history which I knew nothing about and which should not be forgotten. Another example of how much we have moved on in society and how we need to learn from history and continue to support the rights of workers today. An easy read in a style of its type we all know and many love. Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has a great plot, excellent main characters and I read it in one sitting! I would highly recommend this book.

A fantastic book that is heartbreaking in places but also full of happiness and smiles.
I loved it and didn’t want it to end
I learnt a lot that I didn’t know. The authors research was excellent.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

A fabulous read telling the story of the Matchgirls working in the Bryant and May factory. The young girls had to put up with appalling working conditions, and often ended up suffering with the terrible phossy jaw. Lynette has written it in a way to draw the reader into the story and so feeling all the terrible suffering along with the factory girls. This tells the story mainly from the eyes of Lottie Perkins who as well as suffering the working conditions, she also ends up struggling against the unwanted attention of one of her bosses. This book is packed with a rollercoaster of different emotions as Lottie and her family and friends fight back for justice for the workers. I highly recommend this book and award it a well deserved 5 stars.

Lottie, her friends, and family all know how bad the conditions are at the match factory but they need their jobs and honestly, no one seems to much care until Annie comes along. Annie is a journalist and she stirs up the women. Lottie has to make a decision and she opts to strike. IF you aren't familiar with the condition in match factories (I wasn't), this is eye opening. It's a tribute to the strong young women who sacrificed to make things better not only for themselves but for others. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. A good read.

This book is well written, realistic, engrossing and engaging,
I appreciated the character development, the realistic and well described background and the moving plot.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Another lovely book from the pen of Lynette Rees who always blends the charactors and the story so well,This book reveals the harsh conditions faced by these girls every day and well worth 5*

I rounded up on this book. It’s really closer to 3.5 stars. It was a good book based on a true story but still fiction. It’s based on unfair working conditions for women, young girls at a match factory in Great Britain. They had to work because it was a very poor area. What men/ husbands/brothers there were worked on the docks or met an early death. The book was set in June, 1888. Lottie is the main heroine. She is 16 years old. Her father has recently died. Her Mother has been in mourning for months. Lottie has twin brothers who are five years old and two sisters, one is twelve and one is eleven Lottie’s Mother has suddenly decided to try and get a job at the match factory. Lottie and her friends discourage her because the conditions at the factory are so bad. The smells were horrible with clouds of sulphurous smoke, the foremen wouldn’t let them go to the bathroom, take breaks or even wash their hands before they ate their lunch at their work stations. The story is about a reporter helping Lottie and her friends go all the way to Parliament for better working conditions. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.