This is a heartwarming tale of love and loss
I loved the characters and how their friendship shone through
The ending was a bit too sickly sweet for me.

I am not a big fan of books set in WWI. But the characters were well developed and you find yourself invested in the story. The author does a good job of introducing you to Annie, Rose, and Joyce. Their adventures in London are interesting as they find jobs in the theater and face the threat of war. This is a good beginning to a new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I have always meant to read the Foyles bookshop series but have never gotten around to it though they still sit in my ever growing TBR pile...lol So therefore THE WEST END GIRLS is the first Elaine Roberts book I have read and, as it is the first in a new series, I look forward to following the girls' stories. I am a huge fan of historical fiction sagas from about any era. I just love getting to know each of the characters and seeing how their stories pan out.

Worcestor 1914: Eighteen year old Annie Cradwell has a dream. Ever since her mother took her to the theatre as a girl she has wanted to be on the stage. With no training apart from singing in the church choir and her exceptional looks, Annie is determined to follow her dream to the bright lights of London. But her parents have their heart set on her marrying a local lad from a neighbouring farm and start a family.

Sam Spencer has already spoken with her father and gained his permission and her mother has packed a picnic lunch for their afternoon walk, and Annie is immediately suspicious. When he proposes, there was no talk of love, affection or support but of chickens, pigs and how many children he wants. And when Annie tells him of her dreams, he scoffs at them as being childish fantasies and that it was time to grow up. But Annie doesn't want to marry Sam. She doesn't want to be a farm wife with a dozen children, working her fingers to the bone. She wants what her parents have...an undying devotion and love for each other. That, and her dream to be on the stage.

When Annie tells her best friend Rose Spencer that her brother had proposed, Rose is shocked. No one, it seems, knows of the proposal bar Annie and her family. Is Sam ashamed of her? Although she had initially said yes, Annie knows that she cannot marry Sam. She doesn't love him and for her that is an important aspect of marriage. After telling Sam that she cannot marry him, Annie and Rose head off to the big lights of London. Annie's father is so angry that she has turned down marriage and a simple life on the farm that he refuses to big his eldest daughter farewell. And Annie leaves with a heavy heart.

London 1914: Joyce Taylor lives in a Victorian terrace house with her uncle Arthur Bradshaw, whose had become a reclusive angry drunk since his wife had left him in the middle of the night soon after Joyce's own father had passed away. Joyce and her father had previously lived with her grandmother but after a disagreement on some kind between her father and grandmother, they moved in with her aunt and uncle. But uncle Arthur's demeanour made Joyce refuse to bring friends back to her home or for anyone to see where she lived. That is, until Annie and Rose came to stay. Joyce felt she should have warned them before taking them home but their presence seemed to shock Arthur and despite himself, he finds himself growing fond of the two young women.

Upon arrival in London, the girls are shocked at the size of everything and the smell is so different to that of the farm. They had written their friend Joyce to let her know they were coming to stay and Joyce greeted them at the very busy Paddington station. They walk through the city streets with Joyce pointing out the various sights and saying hello to the various street vendors along the way.

As soon as they were ensconced in their respective rooms, Annie and Rose knew they would have to find some form of work if they were to pay their way and live. Joyce told them of a waitress position going at the cafe where she worked and Rose appeared interested whilst Annie's heart remained on the stage. Joyce told them about the various theatres in the West End and gave the girls directions to many of them for Annie to try and land herself something. After knocking on the doors of several and being refused, they came to the Lyceum Theatre and walked headlong into a crisis. The star of the show was demanding a dresser be found for her since her previous one had been dismissed for stealing whilst costumes were needing immediate repair for that evening's performance. With no seamstress to be seen, the girls were asked if they could sew and informing them that she could, Rose set to work on repairing the costume. By the end of the afternoon, both girls found themselves jobs in the theatre - Rose as a seamstress and Annie as Kitty Smythe's new dresser.

Despite it not being what she wants, Annie hopes the position will lead her to an opportunity to chase her dream of being on the stage. Spending so much time together in the dressing room, Annie soon grows used to Kitty's outbursts and penchant for brandy in her coffee. The two women get to know one another and begin to form a friendship. When musical director Matthew Harris meets Annie and learns of her ambition to be on the stage, he offers to give her singing lessons to strengthen her voice. But at what cost? Naive and trusting, this almost lands Annie in deep trouble.

Then the threat of war soon becomes real when war is declared and young men from all over the country begin to enlist. Annie and Rose fear for their brothers but given that they are farmers surely they are in a reserved occupation. But a knock at the door one morning brings a shock for Annie when her brother walks in dressed in a khaki uniform. Annie is devastated but David informs her that he felt it his duty, as has two of Rose's brothers also.

But all is not lost. The girls are still in relatively high spirits and romance is in the air for two of them, it seems. Joyce is secretly interested in her boss Simon at the cafe whilst Annie has caught the eye of street vendor Peter. Rose is quite happily living and loving life in London but she can't quite help teasing the other two mercilessly about their love interests.

While Annie has come to London to pursue her dream, Joyce hasn't quite followed hers. Back in the village where they all grew up, Joyce was known to be a dab hand at cooking and baking and her cakes were always to die for. She would love nothing more than to be a cook but to do that she would need to have gone into service as a cook but she couldn't do that without prior job experience...of which she has none. Rose, forever outspoken, continually prompts Joyce to voice her desire to cook to Simon as he may well be open to the idea of her introducing new items to the menu. But Joyce isn't so sure. Simon took over his father's dream for the cafe and it never quite seemed the right time to bring up the notion of her baking and becoming the cook. I guess we'll see where her story goes in the future.

While I found THE WEST END GIRLS a little slow to start, what with Annie banging on about "her dream" and yet never quite doing anything about it, proposals of marriage, rejections, village life and her teetering over actually going to London with Rose and going against her parents' wishes. This took up about the first 10% of the book and I wondered if Annie was ever going to pack up and go. But she and Rose finally made it and life certainly moved on for them once they got there.

The characters were mostly endearing, with the exception of one, and quite charming in their own ways. I found myself wanting to see where their stories would take them and how everything would come together by the end. The mystery of Joyce's missing aunt I had figured out fairly easily as well as the sudden departure of Annie's father's sister from the village years before. But it wasn't until a devastating event that occurred in Annie's life that saw Arthur Bradshaw take her under his protective wing whilst picking himself up and facing responsibility for past actions.

By the end of the book I found I had rather enjoyed THE WEST END GIRLS more than I thought I would, despite the slow start and the deluge of grammatical errors and looooong chapters. Yes, I say it again because it seems to be an ever-occurring thing - I hate long chapters. In fact, while these chapters were long, they were "broken down" and separated by asterixes but I cannot see why they weren't just given a completely new chapter. It seemed far more logical to start a new chapter with a new scene or another character and yet they were continually slapped in the middle of chapters, separated only by an asterix. I honestly didn't see the point.

Despite this, I still enjoyed THE WEST END GIRLS and I found myself back in time in 1914 watching events play out for Annie, Rose and Joyce and enjoying the journey. And I find myself looking forward to the next book "Big Dreams for the West End Girls" which I believe is Joyce's story, whereas this one was more Annie's. A nice touch and I look forward to it.

A thoroughly entertaining read, THE WEST END GIRLS is perfect for fans of historical fiction sagas like The Foyles Bookshop series and The Bobby Girls, and fans of Fiona Ford, Lizzie Lane, Nadine Dorries and Pam Howes.

I would like to thank #ElaineRoberts, #NetGalley and #AriaFiction for an ARC of #TheWestEndGirls in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

Three girls with a rural background want to move to 1914 London, and broaden their horizons . When WWI breaks out, their dreams and hopes for the future are forever changed, but their friendship gets them through. Well written historical fiction.

From the author that gave us the Foyles Bookshop Girls writes another lovely Historical Fiction based during WWWI. Annie Cradwell loves the theater. She wants to be on stage so badly that she leaves her family farm to go live with her friends, Rose and Joyce.

Like Annie, I love anything that happens to revolve around the theater, but I also love Historical Fiction. I read all of Ms. Robert's 'Foyles Girls' series and like that series, I see The West End Girls being full of struggle that helps Annie through her friendships, and the strength that each girl has will help them to excel or deal with anything that is thrown at them. I knew that these girls were strong. I just didn't expect how strong they would be.

The writing was smooth for the most part. The storyline interesting, and Ms. Robert's does a great job of building their characters so we can see who they are and feel as if we know them personally. I did find a little bit of a hiccup, there was too much discussion on baking, and it just got a little slow moving for me. so I wanted to skip a few paragraphs. It isn't distracting enough to not read the book, and I hesitate to even mention it in the hopes that I don't sway anyone into not reading the book because I love the book enough to be excited to see what direction Annie and her friend's lives head.

In a way, Annie reminded me of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. she starts out naive and ends up able to stand up for herself, finds love, and deals with the hardships she encounters through the gained strength of friendship and her own self-worth.

The West End Girls was a quick read, a good book for a summer reading, and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I give this book 4 stars.

Thank you Netgalley, Aria books, and Elaine Roberts for the opportunity to read and review this book in lieu of my honest review.

The West End Girls is a lovely quick read about three young girls who come from rural England and set out to live their life in London. Annie wants to be on stage and starts work as a dresser for a well known actress in London‘s West End. She lives with her childhood friends, Joyce and Rose who also have found work in London. When the war breaks out everything seems uncertain and whilst navigating their jobs, their new life and relationships with their families the girl‘s friendship is what each of them can count on.

I loved the setting and grew to like the characters in the book. Although the storyline is not without it’s tragic and sad moments, it really is quite a mellow historical fiction book and everything seems to work out fine in the end.
There’s books of a similar kind that I also enjoyed and the theatrical aspect of this book made it a great fit for me. I’m definitely wanting to read the forthcoming books of this series too.
So in all, it’s a lovely story and I can recommend it to fans of women’s fiction and historical fiction

I love historical fiction and The West End Girls really delivered. The author clearly does her research and I loved how the characters developed. Recommended!

If you enjoy historical fiction and books about friendships, then this book will work for you. I enjoy reading about the theater, and this story takes the reader into the theatrical world. Although the girls in the story have odds to overcome, they manage to get along with courage and resilience.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Girls from a remote village in England want desperately to see London. One of them has also aimed very high - the stage albeit an almost impossible task for a girl with no training other than a very good voice and good looks. No influence, no connections. In this escapade Annie is joined by her friend Rose and they link up with Joyce who is already in London and all of them want to seek their fortunes.

The girls are brave and forthright but they have huge odds stacked against them. They are naïve and trusting and this almost lands Annie especially in spectacular trouble. It is also the very beginning of WWI and although this is a new aspect to everyone's lives, it is something that is going to affect all of them immensely.

The story and setting is very good reading. How life was in the theatre at the time, the background and workings of it was imaginatively described. It was a bit too idyllic and the endings were too sweet to be true, although it does make for comfortable reading.

Set against the London and a rural background and the way the two areas run as well as the onset of WWI makes this an interesting read.

A captivating saga of loyalty, ambition and the ties that bind, The West End Girls is the first immensely enjoyable instalment of Elaine Roberts’ fantastic new wartime series.

Annie Cradwell yearns to shake off the claustrophobic shackles of country life for a career on the stage. Growing up on a farm has strengthened Annie’s resolve to have a future as far away as possible from the countryside and a life of back-breaking work and hard labour. When she hears that her friend Joyce has a room to spare in London, Annie thinks that this is the sign she has been waiting for, so she leaves the farm behind and heads off to the capital with her friend Rose in tow. Will all of Annie’s dreams come true? Or is she about to learn a very hard lesson – particularly as it is 1914 where the gathering clouds of war are fast approaching?

Annie and Rose both manage to stumble into jobs at the Lyceum Theatre. Although rather than performing on the stage, Annie finds herself working as a dresser to capricious star Kitty Smythe. Annie might not exactly be doing what she set out to do, but she is working at a theatre and edging ever closer to making her dream a reality – and with musical director Matthew Harris offering to give her singing lessons, it’s only a matter of time until she gets a part that will transform her into a star. But is this the chance that she has been waiting for? Or is further disappointment and dejection round the corner for her?

With the First World War around the corner, life changes beyond recognition for everyone. With everything so uncertain, should Annie give up her dreams of stardom once and for all? Or will she realise that when life teeters on the edge of despair and disaster, hope is the only thing she can cling to?

The West End Girls is another terrific saga by Elaine Roberts that is just perfect for curling up with. Full of atmosphere and heart, The West End Girls is a heartfelt, hopeful and entertaining read that sweeps readers back in time and plunges them into a vivid and colourful world that will keep them entranced from beginning to end.

Elaine Roberts pens delightful, immersive and uplifting historical sagas and with The West End Girls, she has written a captivating read sure to go down a treat with fans of Rosie Clarke and Nancy Revell.

I’ve read books by Elaine Roberts before and enjoyed them so couldn’t wait to give this one a go. This is a new series and I couldn’t wait to get to know these new characters! Pre World War One, the women are all great characters and I was so hopeful that Annie would be able to live her dream.

The story flows well and has you completely enamoured and enthralled with the characters and the plot line. I can’t wait to see more from the characters in the future and see what more they have to offer.

Overall, this was a great read with easy to like characters and the perfect break from the crime thrillers I have been reading lately

I haven't read anything by this author, but this book grabbed my attention. This is the first book in a new series that is focused on the friendships of three young women. I loved the historically accuracy of this book, along with the focus on strong female friendship.

I jumped at the chance to read this when I saw the author's name; The Foyles Girls was such an excellent series that it put Elaine Roberts onto my 'must not miss' list!

Annie Cradwell, farmer's daughter, has long since held a dream of a career on a stage. Rose wants to support her friend in any way she can so when their friend Joyce offers them a place to stay in London, they pack up and set off to see if dreams can become reality. As luck would have it, they both land jobs in the theatre very quickly but not everyone is trustworthy. With the threat of war, the girls need to stick together.

What a cracking start to a new series! Beautifully created with a range of totally believable characters, this is a smashing beginning as well as a complete story on it's own. The author produces smoothly flowing novels and I love that she manages to sneak in a mention of her previous series. My only criticism would be that there didn't seem to be any shortage of cash and all characters were very generous in handing it out! That aside, this is a wonderful tale, expanding to encompass so much more than only the three main characters and I'm already looking forward to the next book. I'm very happy to give this one 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Vicky Joss for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I have been a fan of Elaine's work for a little while now. I absolutely adored her 'The Foyles' Girls' series. When I heard that Elaine was due to release a new book in a new series, I just knew that I had to read the book as soon as I could. I knew that it would be one heck of a read and then some. I was spot on because I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The West End Girls' but more about that in a bit.
I loved the three main characters in this book- Annie, Rosie and Joyce. Annie is from a farming family and her parents seem to have her life mapped out for her, despite it not being what Annie herself wants. Her parents want her to get married to a farmer and then carry out her duties as a farmer's wife. Annie has a dream- she wants to go to London and try to find fame as an actress or singer or some such. Her parents and others in her village think that her dreams are silly and pointless. Rosie is Annie's best friend and her family circumstances are slightly different to that of Annie. Rosie's family all support each other and their home is full of love. Okay so some aspects of Rosie's behaviour isn't ideal but she certainly doesn't deserve the sneers or name calling that others subject her to. Joyce is currently working as a cook in London. I get the impression that Joyce hasn't quite achieved her dream yet but I have no doubt whatsoever that she will try her hardest to achieve her ambitions.
Oh my giddy aunt, 'The West End Girls' was a truly amazing read. I started to read and the next thing I knew, I had read nearly a third of the story. I had been so focused on the story that I didn't notice just how long I had been reading for and just how quickly I was getting through the book. I managed to binge read this book over the course of a single day because I couldn't bear to miss a second of the story. The book accompanied me everywhere. If I wasn't reading the book then I was thinking about the book. If I had to put the book down then I would immediately look forward to picking the book up again.
'The West End Girls' is superbly written, but then I have found that to be true of all of Elaine's work to date. Elaine has certainly done a whole lot of historical research and this shines through in her work. Whilst reading this book it was easy to imagine that I had borrowed a time machine and that I had literally travelled back to 1914, which is a period that fascinates me. For me, 'The West End Girls' was perfectly paced. It hit the ground running and maintained a gentle pace throughout. Elaine describes her characters so well that they seem to jump off the page and are just as real as you and I. I found myself becoming emotionally attached to the characters and I began to think of them as friends.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The West End Girls' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. Elaine is a brilliant author and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This was an enjoyable book to read. I really got to know the characters because they were interesting and fun. The story kept me interested and wanting to know what happened to them. I was so happy that Annie got to perform on the stage. If you want a god book to read then I recommend that you read this one .

It's 1914 and Annie dreams of performing, of using her voice to entertain crowds. Much like an American would set off for NYC in today's times, Annie sets off with her friend for London for the chance to reach her dreams. She lands a job working for a theater, but not yet on the stage. Does she make it, or does the pending war change everything?

The author paints a vivid picture of life for Annie and her friends, the challenges they face, and the successes and failures they experience.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this quick read will pull you in and leave you delighted.

I loved the Foyles bookshop series, so I looked forward to reading this new book The West End Girls. It’s set in WW1 and follows Annie Cradwell as she leaves the family farm to live her dream of going into the theatre. Nothing is completely straight forward for Annie as she moves to London with her friends, but she doesn’t give up. There are a few ups and downs along the way for Annie, and also a few unexpected surprises for her too. I enjoyed this book and hopefully Elaine will have some more adventures planned for and Annie and her friends and family soon.

I loved this, great story of family and friendship, was a bit muddled with the conversation with Joyce and Simon over baking but I'll assume it will be corrected. Such happy ending too, I hope there will be a follow up.

A great start for a new series.
I loved the well crafted plot, the fleshed out characters and the vivid and well researched historical background.
It's an engrossing and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.