Always a delight to catch up with the Tobacco Girls!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This is not a spoiler, however the war is now over and it's VE Day.

The 3 M's wonder now what the future holds for them. Although the war in Europe has ended, it still rages on in Japan and Maisie is very worried. Carole and her daughter still lodge with her. Bridgett's husband keeps badgering her to join him in America with his son but she is reluctant to leave her family and the UK. Phyllis, her husband has a relapse of his head injury he received in Malta. She had planned on going to Australia his home to begin a new life and vineyard.

We follow the ups and downs of the 3 M's Have your tissues handy as this brilliant series comes to an end. I will certainly miss them. However Lizzie has begun a new series 'Coronation Close' which is just as good.

I can recommend the final for the 3 M's and give 5*

In the final book of the Tobacco Girls series, Lizzie Lane brings the reader to the end of World War II and the ends of Maisie, Phyllis, and Bridget’s stories. All three of the Ms must contend with the lingering aspects of wartime on the men they love and navigate their romantic relationships. Maisie, still waiting for Sid to return from his POW camp, finds fulfillment in caring for Carole’s daughter Paula, while Bridget cannot seem to let go of her family and hometown to join her husband in America, and Phyllis has to rebuild her life and relationship with Mick, who is still recovering from and angry about his injury. Lane’s characters continue to shine off the pages, lifelike, vibrant, and dynamic, yet she still builds on their thoughts, struggles, and relationships in a natural way. Lane handles the new time period and the continuous perspective shifts well throughout the final book, and her settings continue to shape her characters. Lane has not left the charming aspects of the Tobacco Girls series behind; her characters’ relationships carry the book while the settings and background characters help her bring the main characters towards a fitting conclusion for the Tobacco Girls series.

Have read a few of the Tobacco Girls and thoroughly enjoyed each one. Nice that you can read any of those books as stand alones.
Really enjoyed this book it showed 3 different sides of how WW2 had changed the lives of the main 3 characters and their respective partners. Was an easy read that kept me "turning the pages".! The last few chapters were a little stretched out and a bit unnecessary but the sadness was very profound. Wonder if there will be another in this series, still quite a few was this could be carried forward!
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book

This was such a brilliant introduction to VE Day and the Tobacco girls never fail to disappoint. Their love and friendship shines out of every page and is captivating, entertaining and compelling.
Loved it from start to finish.

I’ve read all but the first in the Tobacco Girls series. When this one was offered on NetGalley, I had to request it! I’ve fallen in love with the Three Ms and feel like they’re my good friends. They’ve all grown so much and been through some crazy events. It’s great to see them reach the end of the war and still come back to support one another once again.

Maisie Miles is living in her inherited home of her grandmother. She is still working at the the tobacco factory and awaits a message from her dear friend Sid, who’s been a prisoner of war by the Japanese. It’s been a while since his last letter so she worries about his well being. She lives with Carole and her little girl Paula. Paula is the result of a rape and Maisie took Carole and the child in without question.

Bridget Milligan married an American and has a little boy, Lyndon Junior. She’s married into wealth and struggles when she realizes how well she’s dressed while her friends are struggling. She also finds it difficult to just sit back and do nothing when she learns of a group willingly sending young children to alone on a boat to orphanages in Australia thousands of miles away. She misses her own boat to America to spend more time with her family and good friends before starting her new life in another country.

And Phyllis Fairbrother, formerly Mason, is married to an Air Force pilot who was badly injured on their wedding day in Malta. Mick wasgiven the A-Ok to return to flying but he’s suffered headaches ever since. The new doctor is saying he’ll never fly again and fed it’s not safe to return home to Australia. He becomes moody and grouchy until he meets a new neighbor who suffered during the Great War and offers solid advice to appreciate what he has instead of wasting his last days fighting against the diagnosis.

The Three Ms all come together a few more times before they move onto their separate ways. They are there for one another as they have been during the war. Unfortunately I don’t have an M in my name, so I cannot become a fourth M and going their tight group of friendship. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for access for this amazing book and the series! It’s always sad to end a great series. But always a good reason to pick up another! Thank you so much for the adventures!

This is the final installment to a great series and one which I enjoyed reading. The war is finally over and life goes on. But will the girls remain friends and help each other out through life's tough times.

This is a book that will make you smile and make you cry. It is emotional and it is a book of goodbyes. The author has done a wonderful job bringing this series to and end and I just couldn't put this book down. It is a wonderful and heartfelt story and it really drew me in to the final story of the Tobacco Girls and I just couldn't put it down.

A book I highly recommend but make sure you read the others first, of course.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

As WWII drags on, Maisie waits for Sad to return to her from Japan. Bridget is finding it difficult to leave her family to travel to her husband in the US and Phyllis finds her Australian dream falling apart. Sensitive writing and lovable characters.

Keep a box of tissues handy because you are going to need them as we bid farewell to the Tobacco Girls in the final installment of Lizzie Lane’s enjoyable and uplifting saga series.

May 1945 and after years of hardship, sorrow and despair, the war is finally over. With the future looking bright and rosy for everyone, there is great excitement in the air, however, the Tobacco Girls cannot celebrate just yet as they still have a couple of obstacles standing in their way. As Maisie Miles waits for news about her beloved Sid’s return from Japan, tragedy strikes when her lodger Carole dies leaving her two-year-old daughter Paula orphaned. Will Maisie be able to keep the child whom she’s grown to love as her own? Or will heartbreak and disappointment be all Maisie has to look forward to?

Bridget O’Neill’s husband might be in America waiting impatiently for her return, but his wife cannot seem to leave her family and friends behind. Will she find the courage to leave everything that is familiar to her and make a new life for herself in the States? Is home truly where the heart is? Or is she about to let her happiness slip through her fingers?

A new life in Australia beckons for Phyllis Fairbrother and her family – until devastating news reaches her that puts in jeopardy all of her hopes and dreams for the future. Is Phyllis about to lose everything just when everything she has ever wanted was within her reach? Or does life have further shocks and surprises in store for her?

The Tobacco Girls have some tough times ahead and they are going to need to rely on each another more than ever as they face the challenges coming their way head on.

Lizzie Lane brings her Tobacco Girls saga series to a spectacular close with this touching, emotional and immersive tale of friendship, family and love. Full of strong female characters, nail-biting drama, heart-wrenching pathos and warmth and humour aplenty, A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls is a fitting conclusion to this hugely satisfying saga series by Lizzie Lane and I cannot wait to see what this talented writer comes up with next.

A Fond Farewell to the Tobacco Girls is Book six and the final installment of the Tobacco Girls series by Lizzie Lane. The M's have come through World War Two, and are looking to their future in peace time. Maisie still has Carole and her baby Paula lodging with her and Maisie adores Paula, Phyllis is planning to move to Australia with her husband Mick when he had a relapse and Bridget is due to sail to America to be with her husband but she is nervous about leaving her family and friends.

If you've been following this series, this is a must read! If you haven't read any of the previous books, where've you been? It can be read as a standalone but makes much more sense if you read the whole series. A Fond Farewell to the Tobacco Girls is a fabulous ending to the series. I loved it.

Final in the 3 M’s story. Heart wrenching and uplifting at the same time. A very clear picture of PTSD before it was labeled as such

Wow the war is finally over and so much has changed in their lives, but the three M's are still tight friends. What a great journey! complicated for each of them, such depth. Gives you a good overview of what life must have been like during the war, from different perspectives. Stretches your heartstrings with sorrow, joy, wondering, unknown, starting new. Excellent long read.
I received this book free from the authors, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #AFondFarewellfortheTobaccoGirls #LizzieLane #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BoldwoodBooks #HistoricalFiction

What a bitter sweet moment it was beginning A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls. I have followed these girls from day one and I am sad to leave them behind but what a final instalment book 6 is. The perfect ending that I could only have dreamed of yet the getting there has been fraught with danger, sadness, love, lose, marriage, war, death and hope. These girls, now beautiful women prove that there is always hope, no matter what, no matter the darkness there is always hope.

I don't think I have cried so much when reading a book. The 3 M's find themselves coming back together in this final series yet not in the happiest of circumstances. However they still hold each up and get each other through what ever hits them, with compassion and a never ending friendship. I love Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis, I feel like they have become part of me and I am going to miss them immensely.

Lizzie Lane is one of those writers whose characterisations are so realistic that you can not help but feel like they are your friends, that they are real and not just words in a book. I always become totally engrossed in The Tobacco Girls and their lives that it absolutely feels like a wrench to now let them go.

I haven't actually said much about the plot of this final books as the synopsis is enough to pull you in but I will say it is an entirely fitting end to this incredible historical family saga and if you need a series that creates a strong emotional response from the wonderful characters that you will fall in love with, be heartbroken by, be given hope by then this is totally the series for you.

All I can say now is a heart felt "Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls"

Thanks so much to Blog Tour organiser & the Publisher.

I was delighted to be invited on this Blog Tour as I’ve read and reviewed the previous 5 books in this series and this sixth and final book will really be bittersweet for me because at this point the Tobacco Girls are old friends and I feel like I’ve been through all the ups and downs with them.

This story starts in May 1945 on VE Night.

The war has finally ended, will all our Tobacco Girls find peace & happiness ?.

Tragedy strikes unfortunately and Carole dies, Maisie will do everything in her power to keep little Paula who she loves so much and she’s still pining for Sid who’s a POW.

Bridget has her tickets to meet her husband in America but something’s holding her back .

Phyllis and Mick are about to embark on a new life in Australia but tragedy strikes and it’s all thrown in jeopardy.

I was transported right back into this world that I adore so much, each page is as good as the last. The Tobacco Girls are all on the cusp of happiness but they have the inevitable knocks in life that set them all back.

This is the best Saga series that I’ve ever read and I’m gutted that this is the last ever one.

The three Ms – Phyllis Mason, Bridget Milligan and Maisie Miles will leave a special place in my heart and not forgetting young Carole and Pauline too.

My Review: I found this book fascinating and was engrossed in the historical aspects, such as the end of WW2, Changi, Singapore and the prisoners of war. People leaving the UK to start new lives, people returning and yet the post war effects still take lives, randomly though the fragility of the buildings. The resilience that people conjured up. The era is that of my Grandparents and parents. Carole Thomas and her daughter Paula, set for a new beginning in their story, and yet, the cruel twist ripples through to her aunt Maisie, mother, fiancé Joe Shaw and so many more. It's emotionally charged, sad and yet so much hope is found within the pages. Lizzie has done a lovely job with this book, perhaps the loss of my father, and inheriting his photo albums and my grandmothers diary from the year the war broke out, as well as my parents meeting in Singapore, has made my interest that little bit stronger and more profound. An interesting and entertaining read. Fact and fiction put together well.

This is the final instalment in the Tobacco Girls series. Although this does work as a standalone, I would recommend reading previous books to follow the story more easily.

This book follows friends Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis, and the end of the war and devastation left behind. Will Bridget make it to America to meet husband Lyndon? Can Phyllis help husband Mick through his injuries? Will Maisie ever see her POW beau Sid again?

A nice story, it feels well researched and the characters are a comfy group to return to.

The final instalment in the Tobacco Girls series. A Fond Farewell For The Tobacco Girls is a book I was so looking forward to reading. On the other hand, it's a series I didn't want to end.

These women are like my friends and I found this such a fitting end. It focuses on the post war years. Phyllis, Maisie and Bridget are together again in Bristol. Each having suffered in their own personal ways so are marked by the War as so many people were.

It was a rollercoaster of a read for me as the ups and downs of the women's lives continue. I was glued to the book as the pages flew by. As I got closer to the end I attempted to make it last longer. I didn't want it to end. I have lived through 6 books with these characters and as I say, they feel like friends.

Lizzie Lane has the knack of transporting the reader back in time. Her settings are so well described and detailed. The research she does must be immense! I love this series, I always feel like I learn things about the time period when I read a Lizzie Lane book.

The Tobacco Girls will be sorely missed by me. If you love historical saga's that have characters with heart and settings you can travel to from your chair, pick up one of these books. One of my favourite authors!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources,Boldwood Books and NetGalley.

I would recommend reading The Tobacco Girls series in order starting with the first book, The Tobacco Girls to gain some understanding of the characters and setting, even though it can be read as a stand-alone. The previous book is Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls.

A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls is a detailed medium paced story that reveals a slow plot.

Lane has researched the post war effects of WW2. The Rations has eased making life a little easier as people begin to start again. There is mention of historical events like the election and rebuilding and creation of new homes. The writing style has a good flow, that is easy to follow, with a mixture description and dialogue, yet some points come across as being repetitive.
The character development of A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls gives the reader a recap and links of previous events for those who have read prior instalments. There is also some background about the characters. Each character is relatable and realistic with their own personalities, both good and bad...

Carole has yet to tell Joe of her toddler of 2 and a half, Paula. Scared he will change his mind about the plans for their future. Carole craves happiness and becomes engaged to Joe...

Maisie still working at the tobacco factory has lost people in the past five years, she has come to adore Paula to the depths of her soul... she sees herself as a lonely maid. Her dearest friend, Sid a POW in Japan. When Carole is in an accident leaving her dead and Sid announcing that he is coming home Maisie is ready to fight tooth and nail for the little girl she has come to adore...

Bridget married her American sweetheart, Lyndon and now with a son of her own, Lyndon Junior. She is not quite ready to join Lyndon in America becoming tearful at the prospect of leaving her life, family and friends in the UK...
Phyllis married Australian, Mick Fairbrother after serving in Malta. Currently posted at Cambridge, she is given compassionate leave then is demobilised when Mick has to go to hospital regarding an injury to his head from Malta. Mick is advised that it's unwise to travel so Phyllis returns to her home and friends in Bristol...

Secondary characters like Sid, Lyndon and Mick give their experiences in their own words. Sid shares how the hardships of being a POW for 3 years has affected his physical and mental health and later his escape to return to Maisie, the woman he loves... Lyndon is angry and disappointed at first by Bridget's decision to stay. He soon realises the sacrifice he is asking from her... he hopes that the life he can provide will be enough. Mick comes to terms with his new life with the help of newly made friends and his loved ones...

Overall I feel that A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls gives a sweet conclusion for some characters but I found that the viewpoints of the secondary characters didn't leave much of an impression of the people only having the odd brief chapter. I also found that I was left with some unanswered questions...

I would suggest reading A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls to people who enjoy reading historical fiction, sagas, and women's fiction, as it is an emotive character driven story about grief, friendship, relationships and community as the characters reunite for the final time...

A great ending to a beautiful series of books. Ive throughly enjoyed reading all the books and I’m sorry to see them end!

A lovely ending to a really lovely series. I shall miss these characters and I do hope there is another new series coming soon. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.