This book is set against the backdrop of war
The characters were a little superficial and could have done with more depth
An emotional read

The girls in Blue by Fenella J Miller

A very well researched book in this period and a quick read . The main character Jane joins the Woman’s Air Auxiliary Force to escape an abusive upbringing . If you read this genre regularly there may be a few irritating things about this book -the terminology/ language used in it would not have been done or accepted then even in the most stressful situations.
Though historically accurate and it was obviously well researched some parts of the storyline very thin and farfetched in my opinion but I am a lover of this genre so may be a tad picky.

I really liked this book it did take Me a while to get into it and I had to keep stopping but I've finished and now want to read the rest in the series.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

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

It is about Jane Hadley who, with nothing to lose, joins the Wommen's Auxiliary Air Force. She finds herself in London where London is destroyed by war. It is no worse than if she stayed at home with her father.

London is not what she imagined, she goes from base to base to continue her top secret training.

She meets a lot of people and gains confidence. Except that her father will find her.

I read this book in one sitting and was immediately hooked on the story, which was so gripping, captivating, addictive, full of intrigue, suspense and twists and turns with very endearing characters. I can't wait to read the whole series.

Every time the past “that man” appeared I wanted to scream. It was ridiculously over done with the few chapters I read and I couldn’t do it anymore unfortunately

Fenella Miller wrote "The Girls In Blue" and it was a new one for me that you don't read many stories of "The Women In Blue" got enough credit for what they gave and sacrificed for their country! This is a heart warming store of a girl becoming a woman in all different areas and trying to move on from abusive up bringing from her own father! The characters they take on a life of their own where you forget your reading and you are watching this story become real.. Some parts they didn't make sense to me for that time in history but you can see much research went into this story especially about what part the women in blue played .. Find out if love comes into their lives and if forgiveness can come for the father what wouldn't let go and was abusive..can you forgive and go on with your life or can you not forgive and go on with your life? How healthy of a love relationship can you have? Read and find out !! I enjoyed this book and learned more of The Women In Blue! Received from Net Gallery!

Wow, what a fantastic read. This was such a great book with relatable people. The author grabs your attention at page one and keeps it all the way to the end. This is such a page turner that you can’t put down. If you haven’t discovered Fenella Miller, I highly suggest you read this book, and I assure you that she will be your new favorite author!!

I debated what I was going to rate this book for a bit and I finally decided on three stars. It's a good piece of historical fiction, it's just not the best that I've read. I can tell a lot of research went into the book and the author tells a good story, I just feel that a few parts of it were very far fetched , example being Jane's mother getting away with the part she played in the kidnapping and Jane recovering rather quickly both mentally and physically after everything she went through. I also felt that Oscar didn't deserve the way she treated him at times, I get she was severely damaged due to the horrific treatment by her father but I felt so sorry for him. In saying that I really liked Jane, she was a strong woman underneath it all who took control of her future and I was delighted when she and Oscar got the ending they deserved.

Thank you for the chance to read this book, to NetGalley and the publisher.

I love books of this genre - both novels set in and around both World Wars and to a degree romantic fiction.
And to an extent this book fulfilled both.

I did find the storyline a little thin and lacking in details but the thing that annoyed me most was the type of language used that wouldn't have been commonplace at the time. A person might well have referred to 'going to the bog' but it would not have appeared as a statement in a sentence. This is just one case where the language seemed inappropriate for the times and then became annoying. There were occasions when I felt the RAF hierarchy would not have spoken to one another as depicted in the book either

I found this disappointing as the historical facts had obviously been well researched. However some of the plot seemed slightly far-fetched. I rarely write a synopsis of a book in a review as I would hate to provide a spoiler for those coming along after me. Jane the main character was terribly abused by her father - who was repeatedly referred to as ' that man'. This was another aspect that became frustrating at times.
I have read another review where the main male character Oscar, to some extent struggled with the faith he has been brought up in and his need to serve in the War. However towards the end I felt he had reconciled his doubts to some extent.

So my feelings on this book? I read this quickly, and wanted to get to the end to find out what happened but some of the plot lines and language used I found extremely annoying.

Thank you again to the publisher and author for the chance to read this book

Jenny Holmes and Rosie Clarke fans will thoroughly enjoy Fenella J Miller’s emotional and enjoyable new saga, The Girls in Blue.

Jane Hadley would do anything to escape her father’s domineering and abusive clutches. With bombs falling all over the country, Jane seizes her chance and decides to do her bit for king and country by joining the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Having endured all manner of abuse at the hands of her father, Jane knows that whatever she might experience in the WAAF will not come close to the pain and violence that she had suffered at home. But no sooner has Jane joined that she finds herself on the move and travelling from base to base for her top-secret training – and she simply wouldn’t have it any other way. Not only does Jane find herself making new friends and growing in confidence, but for the first time in her entire life she begins to realise that she is not worthless and that she can stop cowering in the shadows and experience life.

Jane never imagined that she would be able to live life on her own terms – until her father tracks her down and her independent life comes to a screeching halt. Jane is now at a crossroads: will she surrender her freedom and her independence? Will she let her father subjugate and trample all over her? Or will she find the courage and strength to fight for her heart’s desire and find her way back to base – and to the man she left behind whom she has fallen head over heels in love with: handsome Officer Oscar Stanton…

A heartwarming, emotional and compelling saga about love, loss, resilience and courage, The Girls in Blue explores the indomitable spirit and the courage and bravery of ordinary girls in wartime who put their necks on the line and made sacrifice after sacrifice for their country.

Jane Hadley is a terrific heroine and her story will delight and move readers who will find much to admire in this nuanced and well-drawn protagonist.

Fenella J Miller’s The Girls in Blue is a poignant historical saga that ticks all the right boxes and will go down a treat with fans of the genre.

Another excellent second world war drama - all the better for this author's attention to detail!

While the rest of the country fears war for Jane Hadley it is a means of escape. Running away from home to join the WAAF when war is declared gets her away from her brute of a father and she embraces her new life. As soon as basic training is complete, Jane finds herself on the move culminating in top secret training. As her confidence grows, she encounters officer Oscar Stanton but before they really get their relationship on a firm footing, Jane's father find her. Can she survive to continue with her new found career?

Such an enjoyable tale! This is an author who can always be depended on for a good, realistic storyline and she manages to get across the highs and lows of the many young women who volunteered. Excellent characterisation and an exciting storyline all add up to a thoroughly good read. I do enjoy a good saga set during the second world war, and Fenella J Miller never fails to deliver. A complete read in itself, this is beautifully written and hard to put down. Highly recommended and one I'm happy to give four stars.

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

The Girls in Blue by Fenella J. Miller transports readers back to 1939 when war is declared in England. Jane Hadley has been waiting for this day. Jane has been beaten by her father regularly for years. With war declared and her eighteenth birthday the next day, Jane can finally escape. With help from the vicar and his wife, Jane departs the next day for London where she volunteers for the Women’s Air Auxiliary Force (WAAF). She trains with Charlotte and Nancy who become her close friends. Unfortunately, Jane is given a different assignment after training. On the first day at her new location, she has an accident and meets a handsome RAF pilot. Oscar Stanton would like to be more than friends, but Jane will not allow herself to get close to any man. Jane trains for a top-secret position and enjoys life in the WAAf. Her biggest worry is that her father will find her. One day Jane’s biggest nightmare comes to true. The Girls in Blue is an appealing and poignant historical novel. The author has an engaging writing style. I began reading and I was surprised by how quickly the book flew by. I could tell the author did her research for this book. I enjoyed an inside look at the WAAF. Also included are details on RAF pilots, their assignments, and war events. It is terrible what Jane endured at the hands of her father (it will have you in tears). I liked the developed and charming characters. The Girls in Blue focuses on Jane with chapters from Oscar’s point-of-view as well. Oscar is a delightful character. He is a cute RAF pilot with a big heart. This is an emotional story that will touch your heart. While I would have liked an epilogue, I understand why we did not get one (part of a series). I hope we get updates on Jane, Oscar, and Charlotte in the next book. I look forward to Nancy’s tale in The East End Girl in Blue. The Girls in Blue is a gratifying historical novel with a toast threat, dog drama, trust troubles, a vicious father, and horrendous hikes.

The Girls in Blue
by Fenella J. Miller
Back of the Book: “They'll come together to do their bit for the war.
Jane Hadley has nothing to lose when she runs away to join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Whatever faces her in war-torn London can't be any worse than staying at home with her abusive father...
The city is nothing like she could have imagined, but she's soon on the move, travelling from base to base for her top-secret training. Making plenty of new friends along the way, it doesn't take long for Jane to embrace her growing confidence – especially under the attentive eye of dashing Officer Oscar Stanton.
Life as an independent woman is as rewarding as it is exciting, until Jane's father tracks her down and it crashes to a halt. Jane will need all her new-found strength to find her way back to the frontline – and to the man she's fallen for...”
Impressions: It was a rollercoaster of thoughts and interest as I read this book. Overall, my feelings are that there are better wartime romances out there to read.
Rated: War, abuse, kidnapping, death, murder, assault
Liked: I liked the idea and the characters in this book.
Disliked: Jane's job seemed interesting and I would have liked to learn more of her position but it was quite glazed over. I feel like it would have been good to see another part of her character rather than the “abused girl, victim” as she was portrayed. I was also a bit put off by the medical scenarios. Being in a coma from a concussion is no trivial experience and you would likely have symptoms and side effects following that would prohibit you from working such an intense schedule as Jane had. As a Christian, I thought that Oscar's faith should have just been left out. Although his father was a vicar his personal faith was nonexistent and ended up being more offensive to someone who does follow the faith.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

I selected this book as an unknown author for me., was I delighted. It’s a lovely warm story following the life of Jane Hadley who signs up to the WAAF. Following her career and love life with the delightful and understanding Oscar.
I really felt for Jane with the evil father and downtrodden mother. Read it in no time.
So looking forward to the next book East End girls in Blue.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a well respected business man who brutalized his daughter

when war was announced in their church jane made the mistake of speaking out and knew if she went back home her father would punish her, the vicar and his wife came to her rescue and took her in for the night, as the very next day she was going off to join the WAAF now that was declared

and this is janes story, and what a story it is...kept me glued right to the end...

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Firstly, the cover of this book is gorgeous.

An absolutely lovely book.

This story is set in World War 2. Jane, 17 years old, is living a nightmare that she wants, at all costs to escape from.

So after attending boarding school, she returned home, only to realise that her father's cruelty towards her, hasn’t ended it was to continue, cruelty that’s not just physical but also mental abuse.

She again knows she must escape, it appears that the start of World War 2 is her only way out.

An enjoyable historical novel, giving an insight into the struggles and heartache that people had to face.

Recommend it

Loved this book from the onset and was team Jane all the way. Dad was a horrible character and Jane deserved all the happiness she found.
Will definitely read this author again.

Jane has been badly abused by her father so when she was eighteen, she ran away to join the WAAF. She learns new skills and makes new friends. She meets Oscar and it's not long before they are in a relationship. But things don't feel right for Jane. She's too emotionally damaged by her father so she ends the relationship.

This story takes place just as war is looming. It also revolves around Jane and the people she meets along the way. Jane is having a hard time learning to trust people after the abuseshd recieved from her father. This is an emotional book to read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AriaAndAries and the author #FenellaJMiller for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Girls in Blue is a gripping and emotional wartime saga by Fenella J. Miller.

It is a beautifully researched and written book starting just as World War 2 is beginning. Jane Hadley has been abused by her father all her life. She has been counting the days until she turns 18 and can sign up to the WAAF. She has to escape her father and she wants to do her bit to help when the war begins. The time comes for her to go and she has to run away before her father can find her and stop her leaving. He is a constant source of worry for her throughout this story because she knows he will never let her go.

Her life finally has meaning and she happily makes new friends, gains an admirer, and begins special training for the upcoming battles. She has been both physically and emotionally scarred by her father's treatment of her and fights to not let those scars overwhelm her when it comes to leading a normal life.

Hers is a very emotional story which had me in tears at times but also had me smiling. She made some wonderful friends from all different classes. They would become lifetime friends and be closer than most because of them all being in the WAAF and doing their bit. She has a budding romance with Oscar, a Flight Lieutenant in the airforce which was sweet. Oscar doesn't understand why she seems to blow hot and cold with him, but the minute he realises that somebody must have hurt her in the past he is determined to take his time with her and hopefully get her to learn to trust him. His reaction when he finds out that it was her father who had hurt her was fabulous. Oscar is the perfect hero and comes to Jane's rescue whenever necessary.

I really enjoyed this book, the only thing that was missing was an epilogue. I would have loved to seen into Oscar and Jane's future to see if perhaps they had children, and how they fared when the war was over. Perhaps there will be a sequel?