After reading and enjoying the Lark Lane series, I was thrilled to discover the first installment of the Mersey Square books; The Girls of Mersey Square

Pam Howes' true-to-life writing transported me back to the 1950s, where I was able to join The Raiders as one of their roadies. It was an exciting experience to be part of their journey, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am now engrossed in book 2, The Mothers of Mersey Square.

This book is the 1st of the series of a fantastic family saga, I love Pam Howes books. Set in the late 50’s and all about the music and the bands

Fantastic read and I recommend you read this before book 2, the mothers of Mersey square

I love all of Pams books so to be taker back to Roy and the raiders was a real treat.

It's great to be back with them and how they started.
Pam writes a lovely saga and her description of characters helps the reader to picture what the characters are like.
Well written and gripping Pam has thrilled us once again.

Fantastic start to a real family saga. Loved this book and couldn’t wait to read the next one.
Jane Sammy &Pat are girls from the grammar school who love music and dancing this is st in the 50s. They meet three loacal lads from the comprehensive who are also in a band Roy and the Raiders . They all pair up but Jane and Eddie have a hard time when his ex tells him she’s pregnant. Jane moves on with mark but is her love for Eddie going to go?
Throughly enjoyed this and read in one sitting

I love Pam Howes' series as the characters become sort of book friends and I root and feel for them.
This is a new to me series and I like to read about life after war, the rocker and how it was going to change.
Both Mersey Square books are moving and entertaining, features a cast of well thought characters and a vivid historical background.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series as I want to know what will happen.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Great books by Pam Howes. Having already read these as the Rock n Roll series I couldn’t resist reading them again in the new titles. These are my all time favourite books, with great and believable characters. Following the lives a group of young people in the 50’s fresh out of school and full of hope for the future. Roy, Ed and Tim form a band and dream of stardom, Jane, Sammy and Pat dream of a life with the boys. Things don’t run smoothly for them, there’s lots of obstacles in their way but they always stick together. This is a fantastic series a definite can’t put down book, I cannot wait for the next instalments of this wonderful series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Teenage’s rebel and mischieves. Young loves. Coming of Age. Rock ‘n’ roll dream. If you ever wondered about British teenagers’ lives pre-Beatles era, then this book is the one for you.

Fueled with the love of music from the young 3 lads who dreams to pursue a music career and 3 girls who’s in love with music as much as they’re in love with the girls. We get to look at how their friendship and bonding over music and teenagers love, hormones, and curiousity took action.

I’m digging the way the story also revolved around rock and roll historical events, from the release of new music from then musicians to the events surrounding them. Definitely will put some of the song mentioned on my playlist. And beware of the love triangle that will torn your heart apart.
p.s: 2nd boko of the series is already out too!

Love this author great for an easy read. Really enjoyed this book full of characters, emotions and a very absorbing tale really felt like you were part of the story. Cannot wait to read book 2 of the series.

The music filled years of the latter years of the 1950s comes to life in this story of a group of young people who are growing up in Stockport. They all desperately want to finish their exams, leave school and enjoy everything that life has to offer them. However, an interest in rock ‘n’ roll music isn’t really enough to forge a future but that doesn’t stop Jane Wilson and her friends, Sammy and Pat, from starting relationships with Eddie, Roy and Tim, three likely lads who hope to make their fortune in the burgeoning music industry.

The author has caught the musical heartbeat of the 1950s very well, I enjoyed the musical references to the hits of the day especially to Buddy Holly, who Eddie, Roy and Tim do their best to emulate. The heady days of rock ‘n’ roll are particularly well described and I enjoyed looking up some of the hits which are mentioned in the story and could picture these young people as they met up in coffee bars and record stores. I enjoyed being reminded of listening to records in the music booths which could be found then in most record stores. The reference to Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls also made me smile as these quirky sweets have been made in my home town since Victorian times. Well written, with a fine eye for historical detail The Girls of Mersey Square captures the mood perfectly. The author does a great job of describing those difficult teenage years when the pull of sexual attraction and lure of young love is irresistible and shows both the strength, and vulnerability, of all of the characters, particularly Jane and Eddie who I loved from the beginning of the story.

If you enjoy historical novels which are set during the 1950s, and early 1960s, then you won’t be disappointed with this one. It gets the series off to a fine start and I can’t wait to see what happens next to the characters in The Mothers of Mersey Square which is the next book in this lovely series.

Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Girls of Mersey Square” and “The Mothers of Mersey Square” by Pam Howes. Get ready to be transported back in time.
Get your dancing shoes on! Jane is a young fifteen year old living in Mersey Square, Stockport, England in 1959. She loves listening to rock and roll music and hanging out with her friends.
Jane is in love with Eddie but their relationship is complicated. Every obstacle that could happen, I was flipping through the pages so fast to see what happened. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Girls of Mersey Square by Pam Bowes

Mersey Square, Stockport, 1959. Jane Wilson’s parents met during the war in the north of England, but Jane is more interested in listening to the new rock music than hearing stories about the Blitz. When she meets handsome drummer Eddie Mellor, with his sparkling blue eyes and cool black leather jacket, she knows her life is about to start.

But Jane’s parents think Eddie’s rebellious ways will lead their beloved daughter into trouble. They forbid her from seeing Eddie, telling Jane to get a proper job as a nurse. But Jane cannot stand the idea of life without the boy she loves and secretly continues to see Eddie.
Another brilliant book by this author and I'm loving the Mersey Sq stories. The author perfectly describes the era and writes the story in such a way as you can almost feel you are there amongst it all .

Thanks Netgalley and the Publishers. What a lovely good old fashioned read with wonderful characters and a great storyline. Loved it.

I love the author’s books. They are quick reads that suck you in and make you want more. I was sure I knew what was going on in this one. Positive. And nope I was wrong. Uplifting and heartbreaking ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the prequel to That'll Be The Day/The Girls From Mersey Square.

For three young lads with a burning sensation to be famous, there was only one way in the 1950s, and that was to start a Rock and Roll group, like their idols, Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Eddie Mellor, Roy Cantello, and Tim Davis did just that. With parental pressure to "do well at school and get your o-levels" they battle against the odds to form The Raiders. Spurred on by their girls, a legion of fans, and Mario, the coffee bar owner who gave them their first gig, the group goes from strength to strength, For Roy and Sammy it's love at first sight, but Eddie is torn between the girl he's been dating at school and new love Jane Wilson. He's certain he knows where hos feelings lie, and plans a future that he hopes will be filled with love and longed for success., bit a one-night-stand has disastrous consequences for Eddie, Jane and The Raiders.

This story feels true to the era it was written in. We follow the ups and downs of Eddie, Roy and Tim as they try to make themselves big in the music industry with their band The Raiders., while looking for romance. This book was previously published as That'll Be The Day, and it's the prequel to the series. The characters are well-developed and likeable. This is a well written novel, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #PamHowes for my ARC of #TheGirlsOfMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.

The Girls of Mersey Square is the first book in the Mersey Square series by Pam Howes. To say that I loved this book is an understatement as I completely and utterly adored it . Once I started reading it I honestly couldn’t put it down , so invested was I in the story and the characters . Thankfully book 2 is published today also so I’ll be diving straight into that one later today as I need to find out how things are going to go for everyone . A brilliant start for what is for me a new series .
All the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

The story is set in the 1959’s, about Jane, Pam and Sammy and the boys in a group called The Raiders.

The story makes you smile as well as cry but you’re still turning the pages, and don’t want to put the book down.

I highly recommend this book.

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

set in the roaring 50s when rock n roll was at its best... and every boy wanted to be in a band and every girl wanted to be their girlfriends

a time of innocence and love

eddie was the drummer in a band, he was also a parents nightmare for his own and whichever girl he was seeing

jane was his girl but he couldnt stop meeting up with his ex...

what a roller coaster of a ride this book gives you... loved the era its set in and everything about being in a band and the hangers on... cant wait to see how this storyline pans out cos man that ending makes you want to scream...

I absolutely loved this book. A great read. Easy going. Love the rock and roll theme that's all the way through it
Amazing

As a fan of Pam Howes' Lark Lane and Bryant Sisters series, I was thrilled to dive into a rebranded series originally published about ten years ago and now stepping out into the light of day again as the Mersey Square series. It brings Pam's love of rock and roll music to life in the telling of the birth of a young teenage band trying to make a name for themselves whilst also trying to find their feet in an adult's world.

Originally published as the prequel to the series titled "That'll Be the Day" (in a nod to Buddy Holly who is a featured influence in the early part of the story), this tale begins with the emergence of three young lads - Eddie, Roy and Tim - establishing themselves as musicians as well as doing the usual teenage stuff as smoking, drinking and falling in love.

Jane Wilson first sees Eddie Mellor in the record shop they both frequent after school and while he winks at her, she's too shy to reciprocate, instead turning away. Her friends Sammy and Pat find themselves attracted to Eddie's friends Roy and Tim respectively and soon the three girls and three boys meet and the rest is history. Jane is head over heels in love with Eddie though he thinks she is 16 like him, whereas she is really 14. But will Eddie still want to be with her when he finds out her real age?

But the real fly in the ointment is his on-and-off again soon-to-be-ex girlfriend, Angie Turner. When she sees Eddie making eyes at Jane the green eyed monster rears its head and Angie makes it her life's mission to win Eddie back...whatever the cost.

But as the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for...

This is a cracking start to a promising series I've not read before that I read it in a day. I just had to know where it all ended...and then it really didn't because as it's a prequel, I now need to dive into the second book to see how things pan out for all involved.

I'll say no more and leave it for you to enjoy yourself...because enjoy it you will. It's such an easy read no matter what your age. And I can't wait to delve into the second one. I just hope the remaining three won't be too far behind because I will surely want to read those soon enough too.

Another cracking read by Pam Howes! Delightful from start to finish.

I would like to thank #PamHowes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlsOfMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.

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

Former title that'll be the day, when times are tough only the best friends can help you through.
Uplifting historical saga set in Stockport 1959.
Eddie Mellor and his mates Roy and Tim spend all their time in Flanagan and Grey's record emporium all sixteen years old and can't wait to leave school, forming a group Roy and the Raiders playing gigs in Mario coffee bar one day they will become famous.
Jane Wilson along with her friends Sammy and Pat are all fourteen years old and have the hots for the lads and pair up, Jane with Eddie, Sammy with Roy and Pat with Tim, and Jane and Eddie are very much falling in love but there's someone stuck between them that's Eddie's ex Angie Turner.
This is the second time around for me reading this book, loving every single bit of it as we hit the swinging sixties that I was born into, love the music and everything about the era is captured into it, Wonderful just wonderful.