I love these types of books, be it stand alone or a series and the highland girls at war didn’t disappoint! A mixture of girls who become lumberjills, not all friends at the start but as you read on, more happens within the group of lumberjills that brings them slightly closer. I really hope there is another instalment of the timber corps girls as I couldn’t put it down!

Persephone, Grace and Irene are all signed up as The Women's Timber Corps, also known as the Land Girls. When these three women are thrown together from different backgrounds friction is high, but soon they must work together and learn that struggling together is easier than being a part.

I loved these characters and how they were written. Each character gave a specific individuality and also showed growth in their persona in the narrative. This was a really easy read and I couldn’t put it down.

Yendall gives us an inside depth of something that was so real and giving us a fictional story that we can all empathise with.

Wow! I did not want this book to end as I loved it so much that I'm going to reread it! The lumberjills are the new recruits in the Women's Timber Corps and we get to know each of the girls and there stories. I really liked Seffy as she is the most privileged but I think the most fun. I really wanted to become best friends with all the girls and they always have fun no matter what they are doing. There are a couple of sad parts too and there was a particular scene that had my waterworks going. The author has created a perfect book where you feel like everyone is family and you are a part of it. I laughed at the name the lumberjills because it's the best name and suites to perfection. I adored the feeling of sisterhood. A suberb book with lots of feeling, love and soul. I recommend reading this immediately as it is really so good.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author and I must say, I am on the lookout for any more that she has written or will write!
I always love books that highlight a less common theme or in this case a lesser known corps. I very much enjoyed learning about the lumberjills and think that they must have been extraordinary women. The characters were very well written and they developed well over the story. One thing I must comment on was the element of surprise. It did have a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming and the ending has left me wanting more. In a good way!
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Highland Girls At War by Helen Yendall is a simply marvellous historical novel that gripped me from the start.
The action surrounds the lumberjills who were very much a part of the war effort during World War II. These are hard working young women who cut down and suppled the timber needed.
There is an eclectic mix of women – from a debutante to a widow to a married woman. These women from very different backgrounds all have to learn to work together as they face new challenges. There is a healthy rivalry with the Women’s Land Army.
We also meet a Canadian regiment of troops working the land but who have to be prepared to be mobilised.
The reader is treated to the fresh air in the Scottish forests. With comprehensive descriptions from Helen Yendall, we can practically smell the pine.
Family is important. A family was fractured decades earlier – now is the time to try to build bridges as tomorrow is uncertain.
Alliances are made in times of war that would not usually happen. Tomorrow is not guaranteed but the choices we make today will have consequences.
Tissues were definitely needed at one point in the novel. Helen Yendall perfectly captured the atmosphere and it really did feel as if heaven was touching earth.
I always love Helen Yendall’s novels and The Highland Girls At War was absolutely splendid. I cannot wait for more from Helen Yendall.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

The Highland Girls at War is an engaging historical fiction novel set during World War II. It features women working for the lesser known Women's Timber Corps. Set in the forests of Scotland, the reader gets insight into women from all walks of life each of whom faces her own challenge. The story highlights the many little personal battles which had to be contended with whilst also weathering the overwhelming presence of the war. It does of good job of highlighting the depth, comeradery, tenacity and capability of women in the face of adversity.

Books based around this era have found a really warm place in my heart. I love the group of strong, caring, real women and the sense that, even though they're very different characters, they learn to pull together to support each other in such difficult times. I hadn't heard much at all about the Lumberjills so it was a refreshing change to read a story set around them. I very much hope there will be a sequel, I can't wait!

The Highland Girls at War written by Helen Yendall was the first book I had the pleasure of reading by this author. This remarkable historical fiction book told the little known story of a group of women who called themselves The Lumberjills. These women who wanted to do their part in the war effort were recruited as members of the Women’s Timber Corps. These brave women from all different backgrounds ended up in the highlands of Scotland. They replaced the lumberjacks who were needed to fight in combat against Hitler and the Nazis. The local people were quite skeptical about how these women would fare. How could women be expected to do the work of strong and capable men? The Women’s Timber Corps came under the umbrella of The Women’s Land Army but was never given the recognition it so deserved on its own merits. It became known as “The Forgotten Corps”. Helen Yendall brilliantly researched and gathered the details about The Women’s Timber Corps and wove them into this historical fiction saga. While she conducted her research, Helen Yendall, also discovered that lumberjacks from Canada ( The Canadian Forestry Corps) had also been recruited by the British and were working close by in the forests of Scotland where the lumberjills were also felling trees. This was a part of World War II history that had never been told. I applaud Helen Yendall for telling the story of these women and The Women’s Timber Corps.

Lady Persephone (Seffy) Baxter-Mills had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She never had to worry about money. Seffy was English, titled, a debutante and lived in a castle. When her social season was cut short due to the numerous recruitments of the men in her circle and The Blitz, Seffy returned home to Dalreay Castle. She was bored and wanted something exciting to happen in her life. When Seffy’s twin brothers arrived home to let her family know they had enlisted in The Royal Air Force she was more determined than ever to make a difference herself. Seffy applied to be a Land Girl but was offered a position in the Women’s Timber Corps. Her family was flabbergasted! They made a bet with her that she wouldn’t last more than a month. Her father threatened to cut off her allowance if she went through with it. Seffy was determined to prove them all wrong.

The Women’s Timber Corps was not exactly what Seffy had imagined. Women from all different social and economic backgrounds had been commissioned to serve. Seffy soon learned that some of the women had received advanced training. She was not happy that she had not been offered that opportunity. Soon Seffy found herself surrounded by women who had previously been domestics, factory workers, shop assistants and hairdressers. One of the women had worked in a tea room and someone else in a hotel. All these women were “townies”. She really had nothing in common with any of them. What had she gotten herself into?

Seffy’s attitude of superiority and entitlement was recognized immediately by the others in the dorm she was assigned to. They took an immediate dislike to her and made her time there horrid. Seffy kept her head down and took what they dished out. She had hoped to make some friends but it didn’t seem like that was in the cards for her. Seffy almost quit several times but somehow she persevered and stuck it out. Of all the women in the Women’s Timber Corps, Seffy’s transformation was the most radical and the most recognized. Seffy was by far my favorite character in the book. Among others, Seffy shared the dorm with Grace McGinty, an only child that had been living on a farm in the middle of nowhere with her domineering and demanding mother prior to enlisting. Grace was tall and somewhat clumsy. She didn’t like herself very much and she was quite shy and withdrawn. Irene Calder was another woman that shared the dorm with Seffy. She was the hardest on Seffy and ridiculed her relentlessly. Irene was older than all the others. She was petite and beautiful. Irene had just been made “leader girl” by their supervisor. Her husband, her childhood sweetheart, was away at sea as a signalman in the Navy. Irene signed up for the Women’s Timber Corps to distract her until her husband returned home. The women and Seffy learned quickly that they were responsible for felling trees and hauling them to the mill. Their work was dangerous and taxing. The conditions under which they lived and worked were not optimal and often left much to be desired. Seffy and the others quickly learned that felling trees required the utmost concentration, maximum strength and a great deal of endurance. They named themselves Lumberjills.

Not far from where the Women’s Timber Corps camp resided, the Canadian Forestry Corps had built a camp. When British lumberjacks were called up for service during the war, Britain reached out to foreigners to take their posts. Many Canadian men responded. In addition to their lumberjack skills they also participated in military training. Sergeant Callum Fraser and his buddy Gordy soon discovered the existence of the Lumberjills. Over time, there were romances, scandals and good times and bad. The Canadian Forestry Corps as well as the local people from the village did not have a lot of faith in the Lumberjills. Would the Lumberjills succeed and be able to carry out what they were commissioned to do? Could these women accomplish what the men had previously done?

The Highland Girls at War by Helen Yendall was inspiring, compelling and heartwarming. I enjoyed the characters and felt like I really knew them by the conclusion of this book. It was fast paced and held my attention throughout. There was humor, disappointment, romance, disgrace, decisions and sisterhood. Helen Yendall combined just the right amount of fact with fiction to make this historical fiction saga believable and inspiring. Her research was impeccable. My only criticism was the ending. It left me hanging and did not neatly tie up all the loose ends for me. A sequel would be appreciated. All I can do is hope. I really enjoyed reading The Highland Girls at War and highly recommended it.

Thank you to HQ Digital/Harper Collins Publishing for allowing me to read the ARC of The Highland Girls at War by Helen Yendall through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Highland Girls at War is my first novel by this author and I hope it won't be the only one. I was glued to it at every opportunity. The story is around a group of women who are doing their bit for the war effort by signing up - to the WTC, Women's Timber Corps. It was great to read about another area that women helped out during the war.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and Helen Yendall for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I had not read any books by this author and enjoyed this one greatly.

I didn’t find the issue other reviewers had with not knowing who was narrating each chapter, I found the flow easy to follow and was disappointed when I had to put the book down and do something else.

It followed a group of ladies and some Canadian soldiers who happened also to be timber workers, in their work in the Scottish forests.
I felt in the beginning the girls thought that they might have an easier time than the Land Girls but soon learnt that timberjilling was hard physical work.

One character who had been born with a silver spoon certainly learnt quickly and grew greatly as a result.
In fact all the characters grew - specially Grace - who learnt her upbringing did not apply to everyone .

I really enjoyed this book and learnt about an aspect of War work I had little idea of - by coincidence another book waiting for me is on a similar subject.

I shall look out for other books by this author

This is the first time I have read anything from this author and this book was a wonderful one to read. The setting is Scotland during WWII. As some women join the WVRS or become LandGirls, there is another group they can enlist with, this is The Womens' Timber Corp. I seem to remember something about this but I am not sure from where. The WTC was set up in 1942, the aim was for women to take over the forestry jobs of the men who had to go to war.

The story focuses on a small group of women, you couldn't get a much different group as they come together to do what they can to help. A mix of Scottish women, a couple are married, some are engaged, some come from other jobs and there is even an English Lady!

The author brings this group of women together and over the course of the story, they start to form friendships. The work is tough, some that have come from crofts or small holding are more used to the physical work, whereas others come from shop or factory backgrounds. Each of them though odes brings their own personality and it seems that all have a reason to be there.

The women are not the only ones in the forest, there are some Candian Lumberjacks that have been stationed close by. The girls much prefer their own nickname, the Lumberjills. Living in close proximity there are dalliances between the two groups. There is going to be heartache somewhere down the line.

The author has woven a group of strangers that have a job to do, it also turns out they have a point to prove. Working a very tough job that is seen as being "men's work" gives the girls a push to do the best they can. As the months roll on the camaraderie between the women grows, and solid friendships are formed.

This was a wonderful glimpse into a group that I had heard about and it definitely made me search for more information about the WTC. The author has mixed a factual group that played its part in their service to the war effort and worked some wonderful storylines into the story. This was a wonderful one to read and if you are a fan of WWII historical romances and sagas then you are really going to enjoy this one. A story of friendship, support and overcoming the odds. A great cast of characters and I was sorry to get to the end of the story. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Beginning in 1942, this book focuses on a different aspect of the war rather than the usual WAAFs, Wrens, Land Army or ATS. It tells the story of the women who joined the Women's Timber Corp (WTC) and in this case, they are situated in the remote and largely unforgiving Highlands. The work is hard and the conditions harsh. Who'd have thought women would be felling trees? That was man's work, as society saw it. And so did many of the women before being recruited.

I am happy to say that this is the first in a series, particularly with how it ended, leaving everything open-ended and just more than a few loose ends. But what will the future hold for the remaining women of the WTC? And who else will join their ranks?

The story opens with one Lady Persephone Baxter-Mills (which is something of a mouthful), Seffy for short, at her Aryeshire estate (or rather castle) doing nothing but growing bored with...well, doing nothing! She has only her best friend Emerald's wedding to look forward to and even then she has been subjected to wearing the most awful bridesmaid dress in lime green!

So when her brothers, twins Percy and Tol, arrive home with the exciting news that have joined up with the RAF, Seffy couldn't be outdone, announcing that she was also signing up. Her parents and brothers laughed. Seffy? Lady of the manor? Born for nothing but marriage and breeding? Join the forces? With such an amusing announcement, nobody could believe she would last a week but they laid a bet of £10 that she wouldn't last a month...to which her father upped the stakes by cutting off her allowance for the interim. That should do it...or so they thought.

After her initial interview, she was recruited to the WTC and she with the belief that she would be working with the horses. Upon arriving at the camp, Seffy is shocked at the conditions. How is she to survive? But survive she must. She meets the other women allocated to her lodgings. Grace had lived her life with her mother on a small farm but decided she wanted something more. Her mother had not been impressed. Irene was working in a teashop when she saw the Women's Land Army marching passed with one of them telling her about the WTC, after which she marched back into the shop and handed in her notice. She had a husband away in the forces whom she hadn't seen in two years. Hazel was a slip of a woman who has lost her husband and her dog in a direct hit in their shelter. There was also Jean, Joey, Morag and Enid.

Seffy was looking forward to making some friends...but that was not to be when she immediately rubbed everyone up the wrong way with the way she talked and acted. She meant no harm but she had no idea she came across as condescending and looking down on them. As if that wasn't bad enough, the work was beyond hard and after the first day she was ready to toss it in and go home. Almost. But then she remembered the bet she had with her brothers and father who thought she wouldn't last five minutes. She just HAD to prove them wrong; that she could do it.

Then word reaches the women of the Canucks (Canadian Forestry Corp) stationed nearby and they are eager to meet these men. Soon they are enjoying dances, movies, boat rides and a little canoodling under the stars when they are not felling trees and lugging them via lorry to the sawmill. It isn't long before friendships and romance bloom between some of the lumberjills and the CFC servicemen.

Seffy is even surprised to discover her Aunt Dilys living in a castle of sorts nearby and takes to sneaking some of the women there for a much-longed-for bath. This goes some way into endearing her to the women somewhat, despite some still thinking she is a stuck up madam. Before long, Seffy proves her worth amongst the women and becomes a valued member of their group.

But tragedy strikes the women at their core, leaving one of the women risking her position with the WTC and Seffy blaming herself. Can she move past what happened and prove to her family that she was made for more than just marriage and breeding?

THE HIGHLAND GIRLS AT WAR is a delightful easy read set in the Scottish Highlands from the summer of 1942 through to the winter of 1943. I expected there to be more focus on the war given its title but was relieved to discover that it is merely a backdrop for the main story...which is that of the women doing man's work, working as lumberjills felling trees, and their subsequent romances and dalliances. It is enchanting without the sheer sadness that usually floods wartime fiction and readers will fall in love with Seffy, Irene, Grace, Jean and the others. Dilys is also an interesting story arc having worked for the Forestry Commission (later renamed the WTC) in WW1, as is her companion Marigold. I really enjoyed those two affable women.

I do have one complaint though...and that may well be because I'm so used to it in other books...and that is I'd prefer it if the narrator of each chapter was named at the beginning of each so that we are aware of whose narrative it was, despite the narrative changing mid chapter several times (which could have made way for it becoming another chapter). I don't know, it may just be me but it did make it difficult to follow whose narrative I was reading when it ended up being Callum instead of Seffy or Irene or Grace. If not named, then each particular narrative made clear as to who it is would be a little more helpful.

Overall, THE HIGHLAND GIRLS AT WAR is entertaining and am easy compelling read. Perfect for fans of wartime fiction. And I look forward to discovering what happens next...as I really didn't like the way it ended.

I would like to thank #HelenYendall, #Netgalley, #HQStories and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheHighlandGirlsAtWar in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The Highland Girls at War, I loved the setting of the Scottish forests. The characters were refreshing and unique since the women were doing jobs out of the norm at the time.

In this book we follow women in the timber corps. Women from different walks in life.
What the book was about for me. The strong bond between women. Betrayal, family, good and bad choices and forgiveness.
I enjoyed this book, but it felt more like a womens fiction book, not a bad thing at all.
Some of the Main characters i did not like in the beginning, but they changed, grei up and I started to like them. Some parts had too easy solutions. But still Worth the read.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

I do enjoy a book that teaches my something. I do appreciate a book that has me searching for more information. The Highland Girls at War is one of those books. I have heard a lot about the Land girls, women that worked on farms. But I was clueless to the Women's Timber Corp until I read this story. I can't remember them being discussed in history classes or in any of the conversations I have had with my English relatives. I am so grateful to the author for writing a dramatic, yet informative historical Fiction.

The Highland Girls At War brings together women from different backgrounds to help the war effort. They become the lumberjills, replacing the lumberjacks in Scotland. I am in awe of these women, the characters and the actual members of the WTC. The conditions were deplorable. The work was beyond physically draining. The dangers were extreme. The pay was miniscule. If it wasn't for this story I would remain in the dark about these amazing women.

Any good story has a lot of drama to hook the reader. Helen Yendall uses the personalities of the girls to create a lot of drama within the hut and in the forest. The author brings in the Cannucks, Canadian Lumberjacks, to create romance and tension. Who know that the Canadians came to replace the men sent to war? Not me. Isolation can make for strange bedfellows. Actions have consequences and some learn this in the story.

The Highland Girls at War was a wonderful tale with a blending of fact and fiction. I am grateful for the chance to read it.

4.5/5

I loved this book, the reason I didn’t give it a 5 is it left me with too many questions that I wanted answered. I’m not talking plot holes or missing information I’m talking about ending the book with an open ending! I know, I know it leaves it up to the readers imagination and they can decide what happens, but I want it wrapped up in a nice little bow thank you very much!

Steffy was my favorite out of the bunch and I loved the growth she showed and her fight! At the start when the girls were all against her she didn’t give up but kept her head held high!

Grace was just a meh character for me I enjoyed her romance with Gordy but there wasn’t really anything that drew me to her.

Irene I wanted to give a shake, at the beginning she was such an unlikeable know it all, I’m better then you. But by the end I enjoyed reading the struggles she has to go through and the growth that she made as well.

One grip I did have, and I’m not sure if it was because I had an Arc (which is why I didn’t really take this into consideration when I made my review) is that I wish the narrator of each chapter was written by the chapter number. It was confusing at times to think I was reading about one of the girls and then come to find out it was Callum.

All in all a wonderful read that I would recommend to all historical fiction/romance lovers!

That you to NetGalley and Helen Yendall for gifting me an advanced copy.

A great read and well worth it. WW2 saga and I really recommend this. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Scotland, 1942; The Lumberjills, the newest recruits in the Women's Timber Corps, arrives in the Scottish Highlands to a hostile reception from doubtful locals. The young women are determined to prove them wrong and serve their country - but they're also looking for a little bit more....

Lady Persephone signed up to show everyone she's more than just a pretty face - but it will take more than just some charm and her noble credentials to win handsome Sargeant Fraser over.

Tall strong Grace has led a lonely life working on a croft, with just her mother for company. All she wants is to find her place in the world - even if that's a thousand miles from home.

This was a different aspect on the work the women did during WWII. The women were from different walks of life, but they all had the same goal, to help their country. What a great bunch of women they were, well, except for Irene, who knew how to push my buttons. This book has been well researched. There's a lot more about the girls' romances than ther is about the war. A story of love, friendship and heartbreak.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #HQ and the author #HelenYendall for my ARC of #TheHighlandGirlsAtWar in exchange for an honest review.

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

wow i wasnt sure at first about this book but once i got into it i loved it....women doing their bit for the war but again not being recognised for it....and how they had to win the approval of the village they were based around....honest to god you cant make this up....

when the women first enrolled at the womens timber corp it was with excitement and trepidation, it was to be the hardest work they had ever done...and a learning curve for many...how to chop down trees and transport them to where they were needed....

and how to live in basic huts with no hot water.... but it was the camaraderie of those in the huts that saw them through many adversities

and what a story this is...based on fact there actually was a womens timber corps in the 2nd world war in the highlands of scotland.... amazing stuff

and this story kept me hooked on their journey though the actual storyline on them is fiction certain things are factual.... and i loved it

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

Sometimes I just want a fun easy read, which is why I picked up this book. There’s a feel of Downton Abbey as part of the story. It’s my wife’s favoured genre,, but I really enjoyed this book. This fictional story set mainly in the Scottish Highlands is based around a forgotten part of some women’s effort to help in Britain in the Second World War, by enlisting in the Women’s Timber Corps. The group of women in the story come from all sorts of backgrounds, and we see them develop friendships and grow as people and as part of a community. We see their lives, loves and their tragedies as the women find they have chosen a dangerous and tough role. But there are also the Canadian Timber Corps’ men who are stationed nearby and provide a welcome distraction for the hardships of felling timber in war time in all weathers. Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.