"These girls will never stop trying to help their country – and each other"


It is 1940 Sally and Betty have been set to work in Manchester at a salvage yard, where anything and everything which can be repurposed for the war effort, is collected, sorted and redistributed. Having first met under strained circumstances, the girls, previously only on nodding terms, are now the best of friends, despite Sally's recent marriage to Andrew and her promotion to depot. manager. Now, a new girl has also been assigned to help in the yard, but Lorna is a completely different kettle of fish; obviously from a monied and entitled background, she announces that she feels the war work allocated to her is far below her station and that Sally definitely does not meet her expectations of how a manager should look or behave.

Sally has a keen eye and realises that the more valuable donated items might be resold or auctioned to earn some equally coveted extra cash for the war coffers. This includes the many vintage books which cross the doors of the yard. She therefore engages the services of local bookseller, Samuel Atkinson, who swaps Sally's potential treasures for his own salvage books, which he collects in his shop. The mutual attraction between Betty and Samuel is obvious, although Samuel is very shy and Betty has had her head turned by the vivacious and handsome stranger, Eddie Markham, who visits her at the yard when he knows she is going to be alone.

A bombing raid which destroys the home Sally and Andrew share with his mother, although thankfully none of them are injured, sets about a chain of events which could threaten Betty's reputation and freedom, whilst costing Sally her job and good name, when the true reason for Eddie's sudden interest in courting Betty is revealed. The ensuing press interest and police involvement in the salvage yard, does however, bring out into the open, the reasons which exist for Lorna's antipathy towards her workmates. She is both amazed and overwhelmed by Betty and Sally's reaction to her admission, so instead of working against the girls to clear their good names, she is only too keen to play her part in unmasking the duplicitous Eddie, lay a stake in the ground for any doubters of Sally's ability to run the yard and be able to call both girls her true friends. Samuel, deciding that he needs to choose to be a lion or a lamb, steps up to protect the girls when help is most needed and it looks as though a second chance for him to woo the naïve, but now much wiser Betty, is on the cards.

...

This is the second episode in what is already for me, a winning 5* series all the way! At its heart is the author's continuing attention to the way in which life here at home was altered and changed forever, whilst the brave men of the country were away fighting on the front lines of WWII. So far, this series has kept quite a small cast of characters at its core, which has made it an almost cosy and intimate reading experience for me. So whilst we are now introduced to a new member of the team, it is done in such a lovely, almost seamless way, with her story dove-tailing beautifully into the main storyline, until they merge. The book works fine as a stand alone story for those confirmed non-series readers, however I do think that reading the episodes in chronological order really does get you right under the skin of what brings the salvage team together and sets the scene for their important work.

Wartime salvage work was modern day recycling in all but name and was considered by many men who were left behind to defend the home front and work in protected jobs of national importance, to be a woman's work. Hence the author writes of female friendships forged by the necessities of war and having to pull together to defeat a common enemy who threatens everyone's future, no matter their class or standing in society. Even this early on, just one year into the war, in what no one could have anticipated being such a lengthy conflict, lives are being redefined on a level playing field and when the battle is finally over, no one will emerge as quite the same person as they were before, especially the women who have discovered an independent voice and have realised their inner strengths to succeed in what had hitherto had been predominantly a man's world of work outside the home.

Author Susanna Bavin writes of the importance of friendships and being able to rely on others around you to lend a helping hand when times get tough and challenging; never judging someone until you have walked in their shoes; and being able to rise above those genuine mistakes and errors of judgement which, let's face it, we all make, to value the true worth of genuine relationships. The characters, no matter how small their role in events, were wonderfully defined and developed and I was able to relate to and invest in them all, no matter that some of them were more important to me than others. I had no previous idea of the important war work a bookseller such as Samuel would have had, in helping to keep up the morale of the troops, so I found his inclusion in the storyline invaluable and satisfying.

The storyline is set firmly in 1940's Manchester, with a single, relatively brief flashback, as the new character of Lorna is introduced. Narration is in the third person and told from multiple viewpoints, with clearly marked bite-sized chapters, for those of us who are unable to finish the book in a single sitting, although I was still kept turning the pages, long after I should have been off working on other projects. The writing skilfully incorporates so much detail about the time and place in which the story is set that I didn't really realise just how much information I was soaking up as I read. Whilst the theatre of action is quite clearly limited to the relatively small geographic footprint of Manchester, England, the author's knowledge and passion for an area she knows so well, shines through, so as an 'armchair' traveller, I never really felt cheated. In fact, having worked for many years in the retail charity sector, I could imagine myself there beside Betty, Lorna and Sally, as they sorted their precious loads of salvage and did their part for King and country. I can't wait to read the next instalment.

Saga fans will thoroughly enjoy curling up with the latest engrossing wartime tale by Susanna Bavin: Courage for the Home Front Girls.

Doing their bit for king and country is of paramount importance to best friends Betty and Sally. By day, the two of them work in the salvage depot and by night they help the Auxiliary Fire Services. Their days are certainly packed, however, Betty still thinks that she could do more. When she hears that bookseller Samuel needs help sorting out books to send to the boys on the front line, Betty volunteers. Samuel’s kindness and humour quickly wins Betty over and she soon begins to look forward to spending time with him and being in his company.

However, tragedy strikes when Sally’s home is attacked during an air raid and her few meagre possessions are mercilessly and shamelessly taken by looters. Determined to move mountains to help out her friend, Betty is adamant that she will find the thief who took the last few things Sally possessed. However, as she begins to do some digging, she is flabbergasted by what she discovers – and by the stunning realization that it might all have been her fault!

Despite Samuel’s warnings, Betty plunges ahead and unwittingly puts herself in danger. With another bombing raid about to hit Manchester, there is danger round every corner for Betty. Can she help reunite Sally with her possessions? Will this valiant home front girl be successful in her quest for justice? Or is she about to lose it all?

Susanna Bavin knows how to write a rattling good saga rich in atmosphere, humour, drama, grit and emotion and Courage for the Home Front Girls is an excellent example of her storytelling prowess. A well-written and compelling tale about the ties that bind, the power of friendship and the importance of loyalty, Courage for the Home Front Girls is a spellbinding read by Susanna Bavin fans of Nancy Revell and Rosie Clarke do not want to miss.

Heart warming read and a lovely story, always been interested in ww2 stories
I hope there is another to follow

Loved this book. It was so realistic and interesting. This author writes cleverly and knows how to keep the reader interested. I love these wartime sagas. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Another fantastic book by this author continuing on from the last book and does not disappoint.

Sally & Betty are still working in the salvage depot with Sally now the manager. As they are a member down Mrs Lockwood who thinks she is in charge brings in Lorna who has troubles of her own. We see how things go with all the woman. Betty meets a man who seems to be perfect in her eyes. We also see Samuel entering their life’s who seems a nice man.

I enjoyed the camaraderie in the book and nothing got the woman down. It was interesting to find out what happens with them.

I could not put the book down. It was very interesting.

Would recommend the book and the previous one.

Another wonderful read in this saga. It was lovely to revisit Sally and Betty. Lorna was an unexpected surprise. She went from being a spoilt socialite to somebody who showed genuine compassion and a true friend to the girls. I didn't know anything about salvage work before reading these books, and its quite fascinating. I'm hoping that we will eventually get Deborah's story. But until then, I can't wait for the next book.

This is one of those books where I think everyone should read at least once!

I really enjoyed reading this book even though I didn't know it was the second part of a series. In my opinion, this book could completely be read as a stand alone book. I am, however, excited to read the first book now!

This book is one of those that make you think about how it would be to live during those times. It really makes you think about all of the hardships that people lived through and over came. I couldn't imagine having to go to sleep each night knowing that there was or will be bombing going on. I mean, how can one get so used to the sounds that you could fall asleep?

The characters in this book are great and are easy to fall in love with. The story line is amazing. This is for sure a 5 star read!

Here we are back with a second book in this series and to the lives of these hard working girls. They have a new girl arrive so how will things work out with her. Liked this very much and will give it 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

Courage for the Homefront Girls is the second in a planned trilogy The Homefront Girls by Susanna Bavin. Both books can easily be read as standalone stories as there is plenty of background information provided as to what previously happened and it’s not a case of having to dig deep and read between the lines which I dislike having to do in books when I am dipping into a series rather than starting at the beginning. As it is only a few short weeks between publication dates for both books the characters and storyline were very much fresh in my mind when I started this second story and I have to say from the outset I really enjoyed this book and even more so than the first. I think this is partly because I was familiar with the characters and there were no what I felt were introductory chapters as there needed to be in the previous book. Things pick up more or less from where the previous book left off and then moved along at a good pace throughout. I felt this book really moved the series along as a whole and with the introduction of a new character it also made things feel fresh.

October 1940 and the war is in full swing with bombs falling nightly on Manchester where Sally and Betty live. They are two brave and strong women who at first you would never have put them together as friends but through circumstance they have come together and now have a solid friendship which is only strengthened throughout the course of the book. A change in both their work circumstances has lead to them both working at the salvage depot. To be honest I’ve never given the merest of thoughts to the topic of salvage but Susanna Bavin makes it interesting and informative and has clearly done a lot of research around her subject matter. All the little details surrounding the salvage work the girls do, what the salvage is used for, how it benefits the war effort and how it establishes a sense of self-worth and community spirit all add to the entire story. But apart from that it’s the personal lives amidst the backdrop of the war that make this an exciting, heart-warming and engaging read.

Sally is now happily married to Andrew and they live with his mother. She has stepped up to become manager of the depot although Mrs Lockwood from the WVS seems to think that she is the bee’s knees and is in charge of everything. Boy did she deserve to be put in her place and this has needed to occur since book one. She is an awful person who thinks she is above everyone else and can just boss them around without actually doing any work herself, be it voluntary or paid. I don’t know how Sally kept her anger under control because the way she was spoken to was abhorrent and it was so demeaning. She held her dignity and self-worth very well because she knew she needed the job and also the fact that she enjoyed working with Betty. I did find Sally ever so slightly took a back seat at some points in this book and Betty and the new character of Lorna came to the fore but when Sally was needed the most she really put her neck on the line and I admired how she dealt with one of the major plots of the book and it showed how friends are always there for each other through the good times and bad.

For me Betty as a character is still someone who is very vulnerable and gullible and she shows these characteristics very strongly here. She has gained some independence since a situation in the previous book but still has very much a rocky relationship with her stepmother Grace. She longs to keep the connection with her Dad but new events with her mean he very well may be disappointed with her. Grace takes every opportunity to get a dig in at Betty and keep her away from her father. It’s like she resents Betty in the first place. I just wish that Betty was strong enough to stand up to her but she doesn’t ever say what she is truly feeling for fear it would upset her father and create a big chasm between them.

Betty meets Samuel when he needs help in his bookshop sorting through books that have been donated for the troops and to be used to replenish stocks of libraries that have been bombed out. Samuel is an absolute sweetheart. So kind, gentle and unassuming and you could tell that he is very self-conscious of his stammer. It was plain to see that he was developing feelings for Betty but she has her head in the clouds and is obsessed with another man who comes to the depot-Eddie. Right from the start Eddie caught Betty’s attention and she was right under his spell. He seemed to be a charmer and too good to be true. There was just something about him that seemed very off to me and my suspicions grew the further I read and suffice to say Betty’s story took a very interesting turn in the last quarter or so of the book and I wondered would she find anyway to redeem herself.

Lorna was the new character who was introduced and it was a breath of fresh air to have someone new as I was expecting the story to continue to follow just Sally and Betty. Lorna comes from a totally different background to that of Sally and Betty but is brought royally back down to earth when a court case with her fiancée who had jilted her goes terribly wrong. Her parents are furious and it’s obvious that don’t particularly care for her feelings rather instead they favour the money they would have benefitted from had she married George who held a title. Lorna does have feelings and I genuinely think that she did love George but thanks to her parents she was caught up in a mess that was only going to turn out one way. As a means of escaping the publicity surrounding the court case Lorna is sent away by her father and he finds her a job at the savage yard where he hopes no one find her nor will anyone discover her story. To say Lorna experiences a fall from grace would be an under statement and when she first arrives at the depot she seems to be very stuck up and acts like the work is so far beneath her. No wonder Sally and Betty couldn’t warm to her and Sally had to exert her authority even though it wouldn’t have been her favourite thing to do.

Deep down Lorna is lonely and over time she comes to regret what she went through with George and wishes that things could have turned out differently. Still, as much of an addition as she was I didn’t 100% warm to her and I still feel more connected to Betty and Sally. Maybe that will change with the next book. She was very emotionally separate from both of the girls when she was working but when a big twist occurs in the story which I do admit I guessed at, she really did start to change and become more down to earth. I loved the twist and how all the girls had to come together as one in a time of great trouble. It showed how friendships really matter and that we all have to take care of one another especially with all the hardships and horrors that the war brings. I really enjoyed my return visit to the Homefront Girls. The character development has been very good and the storyline kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything pans out in the concluding instalment which I hope we won’t be kept waiting too long for.

Courage for the Home Front Girls by Susanna Bavin is my first time reading from this author, the second book in "The Home Front Girls" series and oh my life I was utterly invested in Betty and Sally from the get-go!

Betty and Sally are best friends, working in the same salvage depot and volunteering for the Auxiliary fire service, doing their part on the home front in WWII. Betty volunteers to help with sorting out books to send to the soldiers overseas and meets Samuel, a quiet, but candid man who she almost immediately falls for, but who is the man that keeps asking after her at work?

Sally loses everything in a terrible air raid, the worst the girls have ever experienced. Not only was sallys home decimated, but all of her property stolen, leaving her destitute. Betty finds out thee truth behind the looting and feels that she is somehow responsible and as such, embarks on a mission to catch the thief, racing out into the night... and immediate peril from another raid!

Oh my goodness, my heart was ricocheting around my chest throughout this book. The characters are likable, relatable and endearing, the research is outstanding and the storyline compelling. Susanna Bavin writes from the heart and soul and with her wonderful descriptions, deep empathy for her characters and dynamic storylines is an author I will be following from here on out

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author Susanna Bavin for this wonderful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

It was great to be back with Sally and Betty. Now that Sally had been promoted it left a job in the salvage depot. Mrs Lockwood came barging in like she was the boss with Lorna the new recruit. Sally and Betty couldn’t help but notice that Lorna seemed to think herself better than them and definitely too good to do this grubby work. The book follows the ups and downs of all three of the girls as they all have their own struggles as they try to get through this difficult time during World War Two. I look forward to reading book three when it comes out

I really enjoyed reading this story. It’s the 2nd in a series and easy to read as a standalone. *I read both stories. This continues with the friendship of Betty and Sally who work at the salvage depot in Manchester during WWII. Everyone takes on additional responsibilities and Sally and Betty work at the Salvage Depot during the day and are fire spotters at night. It introduces some new characters rich socialite Lorna, charming Eddie, and sweet and steady Samuel.


My thoughts: I’m really enjoying this series. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live during that time. Most everyone felt a sense of duty and patriotism to their country and they had to take on additional responsibilities at home. It would’ve been hard to live in an area where you were bombed most nights and either had to spend your night in nearby shelters. The characters are great, even the new ones. I enjoyed the camaraderie among the girls and there was even a bit of mystery for them to solve. The author did a wonderful job of telling an engaging story, all while showing the way of life during WWII England.
I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.


Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC.

We are back with Betty and Sally the Home Front girls girls and another girl called Lorna joins them.A night Betty and Sally are AFS girls.Betty volunteers to help Sam to sort books for the service men.Kelly's house is destroyed in an air raid and litters take what they can.Betty thinks she is to blame so sets out to find the thieves.Another great book in the Home Front girls series.Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture.

This is Book 2 in the Home Front Girls series. It can however be read as a standalone but do try and read book 1 as it’s also a wonderful read. We are back with Sally and her friend Betty who both work at the salvage yard and Sally is now the Manager of the depot. It’s 1940 and the Blitz is causing upheaval and havoc everywhere. The two women are doing their utmost to help their country during this dreadful war. We are introduced to some new characters in this book. I won’t be giving too much away about them but let’s just say some of them are hiding a secret or two. This is another excellent read in this series and I really developed a strong liking for the majority of the characters and the storyline kept my interest right up until the final chapter. I love the strong bond that has developed between Sally and Betty and how close they now are . The author has such a wonderful way with words and describes so well how the people were affected by the war and how they would do anything to help each other. I really look forward to reading the third book as I so want to find out how they are all getting on .

Sally, who was featured in the first book of this series, is newly married to Andrew. She has just been made manager of the salvage depot where she works. This new promotion makes Sally proud, but she must contend with the overbearing Mrs. Lockwood, who thinks she should have been given the job.

Sally also works alongside with Betty, and the two of them are also voluntary fire-watchers. Indeed, World War II is raging. Air-raid sirens increase the already palpable tension. Then there is Lorna, a socialite who now works at the salvage yard, and due to drama and difficulties where she lived in London, she has had no choice to be working there, and works on an uneasy friendship with Sally and Betty.

Betty splits her time at the salvage depot to help a rather shy young man named Samual Atkinson, and they organize books donated for those needing a distraction from the war. In fact, Samuel said to Betty: “Films are an important part of c-culture. People need stories.” The same was true of books, especially for soldiers overseas. Samuel’s job running a bookshop was very important work at that time. As much as Betty enjoys her time at the bookshop, her head is turned by a young man with a “Clark Gable mustache”.

As in the first book of the series, The Home Front Girls, the tragedy and fear the war created unsurprising tension, but there is also drama that Sally, Betty and Lorna face as they each go about their daily routine.

While this second book would do well as a standalone novel, the connection that the girls share builds a fine foundation by reading the first book as well. In this second book, I love how Sally and Betty’s friendship has grown, and with Lorna now there with them, that too was something worth watching grow. I also continually enjoy some important parts of history that authors like Susanna Bavin brings to our attention, especially as more and more generations pass. I definitely can see a third book in this series, and I do look forward to reading it.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

This is the second book in the series about women in different occupations helping the effort in WW2

Once again we meet Sally and Betty and a new worker - Lorna. Lorna is from a different walk of life and thinks herself far above sorting salvage.

But after a disastrous broken engagement and Court Case she realises that her colleagues are full of kindness and compassion and that every one needs to pull together for the War.
As with book one this is well written and well researched. With characters to love and hate and getting to know ones we met in book one better, this is a book full of life in WW2 and the work that the 'salvage girls' have to do. It is more centred around Betty and the mistakes she makes and the realisations she comes to.

A beautiful representation of North West life in WW2

A joy to be reunited with the Home Front Girls for the second book in this series by Susanna Bavin!

This book demonstrates how all civilians were impacted by the war, regardless of their class or status within society. But love, friendship, kindness and courage can be enough to get one another through the worst of times.

Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue - it truly portrays how witty, yet very down to earth a number of the characters are.

As I read this book, there were some wonderfully written phrases and thoughts that were a real highlight for me and that will stay with me. Firstly, as spoken by Samuel, “Stories are good for the soul” - well, ‘Courage for the Home Front Girls’ was indeed one of those stories! Secondly, something that resounds from this book is to never underestimate the importance of putting the kettle on and the healing power of a cup of tea! (Perhaps it’s a Northern thing that I too have grown up with!). So, stories/books and a good brew…..the perfect combination!

I highly recommend this delightful story and look forward to a future instalment from the Home Front Girls and their salvage depot.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, for an advanced digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved book 1 but this one is even better, the salvage girls Betty and Sally are back working just as hard for the war effort. When a new girl joins the team things don't go so well as the new girl Lorna thinks salvage is beneath her. Betty takes a fancy to a new face and Sally is happy for her, this book had me hooked and is worthy of more than 5* EXCELLENT read.

The second book in the series is, again, set in a salvage yard, where they sort the rubbish so it can be recycled to help the war effort.

Sally is now the manager. I've enjoyed watching her development throughout and gaining confidence. She's proud of what she does and stands up for herself.

Betty's nativity puts everything in jeopardy. She was let down by her family and sent away as a result of a bad decision. She definitely needs a guiding hand. I find her vulnerability makes you want to hug her.

The new girl, Lorna, is hiding a secret. Her greedy parents sent her away in shame after her fathers botched attempt to make money. I always find it heartwarming that people who wouldn’t normally mix are doing so because of the war.

I just love the character development of the three women, I feel as if I know them personally. There has been a lot of research for this book, and it shows. She highlights things I didn't even think about, both the nice things and the gritty, darker side.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Just loved the 2nd book in the series, We again have Sally and Betty and now joined by a new girl, Lorna. This story just moved smoothly from the 1st book and I really enjoyed it, some late nights and time pushed getting ready for work but loved the book and looking forward to the next in the series.
My thanks as always to Netgalley and Bookouture for the early read