This is the first in the Great Western Railway Girls series.Cathy is a clerk at GWR where her father is boss.She has been helping getting all the evacuees homed but then finds that her work is dull and wants more so she applies to work in the machine shop .As she doesn’t want everybody to know who she is she changes her last name so everyone doesn’t know who she is related too.Lily is trying to leave her domineering father so gets a job in the GWR working in the machine shop.Maggie also gets a job in the machine shop as she wants more than her sister who works in the laundry at GWR.The three girls become pals and Cathy ends up leaving home as her father doesn’t want her to work in the machine shop as he thinks it’s dangerous,so moves into lodgings with Lily.There are many ups and downs for the 3 girls to navigate, but what will happen.Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood.

A wonderful new WW2 saga based within the Great Western Railway works in Swindon. Lily, Catherine, Maggie and their family and friends take on new roles as men go off to war. Some accepted these changes however many didn’t. Based around friendship and love we get taken on a journey as they adapt to new ways. Thanks to Jane and her publisher. Would love to read more about these women.Thanks also to NetGalley.

A very interesting book about the woman who worked for GWR certainly will turn into a brilliant series.

The book is based on three woman in the book Catherine, Maggie and Lily there is also Naomi but mainly it is the first three. All the woman come from different backgrounds. Catherine is engaged to Charles, Lily is friends with Lenny and Maggie is single. The work is hard and as more men are called up then the woman help with the jobs the men left.

I really liked the characters and how the book flowed there was some sad bits in it and of course romance as well.

It was well researched and well written.

Would recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book.

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

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in a new series.

The story begins with war being declared in England. It’s the story of three women, who are different from each other. It was interesting to read about how their lives were so different from each other and becoming friends.

The story was well written and I loved the characters and how the public began to live with all the changes that war brought.

I’m looking forward to reading what comes next for Maggie, Lily and Cath.

I highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed The Great Western Railway Girls by Jane Lark. The author captured the time and place. The story is told from multiple points-of-view. It took me a little while to get into the story and to keep track of each character. The characters are likeable and relatable. I liked seeing the ladies’ come together and become friends. I wish, though, that the author had let us know more about what was going on at the factory. We learn about their jobs at the beginning, but then we do not learn more until the end. The women could have been working at any factory in England. It sounded like GWR was a large factory and I wanted more information about it (what the girls did each day, what the factory made, how they contributed to the war effort). The author included the predictable wartime pregnancy in the story (why is there one in every book set during World War II). There is an incident near the end that I expected, but I still found it shocking. This story takes a reader through a range of emotions. I am assuming that The Great Western Railway Girls is the first book in a series, and I will definitely be reading the next book in this series. I want to know what happens next with these women and how one is going to handle her new reality.

Jane Lark is a new author to me and this is the first in a new series.

For me it was a little slow - but it was interesting to read about a different aspect to life in WW2 Swindon. Having lived in the town in the late 80s I could imagine some of the areas mentioned.
This was the story of friends, Lily, Catherine and Maggie and their families. Along the way other characters were introduced so eventually there was a team of 5 who became friends despite their differences in their upbringings.
The book did end slightly abruptly but allowed plenty of scope for further books in the series - it was not necessarily easy to see how these stories would develop which is always a bonus.

this is the first book in a new series, likable characters. looking forward to the next book, to see what happens.

I particularly enjoy fictional stories based around a factual time and place. In this instance, the time is World War 2 and the place is the Great Western Railway factory in Swindon. The author researched well and I enjoyed learning new things about what the GWR did to help in the war effort.

The fictional characters and their relationships kept me entertained. The 3 main female characters, Lily, Maggie and Catherine are as different as chalk and cheese. They meet when they all sign up for work at the factory. Over time they become firm friends and share in each other's highs and lows with family life and relationships.

There are some lovely characters, but some equally nasty characters that will make you run the gamut of emotions. There are some heartbreaking moments, but they are balanced with enough light-hearted moments to ensure the book doesn't become dark. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading future books in the series.

“The Great Western Railway Girls” is the first book in a new series by Jane Lark. There’s a lot of set-up in this book (as there should be) with most of the story focusing on four women. All of the women work for the Great Western Railway - not on the actual train, but in the factory as WWII begins ramping up in England. It’s obvious that a lot of historical research went into this book and it shows. Ms. Lark mentions some of the places she visited and researched in the back of the book. There are a number of characters in this book - and some of the side stories were undeveloped (but maybe they’re developed more in the following books of the series?). I found this an interesting read - Catherine’s story I found most interesting, with Lily’s a close second. There’s a lot of talk about family and friendships, but - for me - most of my interest was in learning more about the town and infrastructure of the village supporting the company (GWR) opposed to the people. While this was an enjoyable read, with something happening that I wasn’t expecting, in many ways the story felt like others I’ve read based in this timeframe with the tropes I’ve come to expect. Maybe it’ll get better in the forthcoming books as the characters are now established and the reader won’t need all the background information. Overall, if you like WWII historical fiction novels with some interesting history thrown in, this may be a book to look into reading.

I am thrilled to say this is the first book of a brilliant new series which starts just as war is declared in England. It follows the story of three young women my favourite being Catherine! I came to feel like I really wanted to be a part of their friendship and I was eager to see them all happy and thriving. The research that has been done to write the story shines through the knowledgeable words. The banter between the characters is easy and flows creating a great dialogue. I would have liked to learn and explore more of the GWR but maybe it will develop further in the series. It was great getting to know Maggie, Lily and Cath and they are the picture of strength, determination and resilience. The story is engaging and rich in detail.

Lovely story with very believable characters. Plenty scope for her next book in the series with loads of ends which will need tieing up!!
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publishers for allowing me to read and review this book

The great western railway girls, the first book in this new series, a good read with plenty of different characters. The story follows a group of young girls working at the GWR at the start of WW2, as the men are called up to fight the women have to take on their jobs in the factory, hard and dangerous work, the book follows their lives as they navigate their way through their work and home lives.

A wonderful well written drama.
Great characters, some humour and overall very enjoyable.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book in a new series. I enjoyed the various characters and their backgrounds. The drama kept my attention and makes me want to continue to read the series. For fans of historical WWII fiction, I recommend reading this book.

I really enjoyed thefirst in the series by Jane Lark. I really liked all the characters and very heartfelt. The only fault is that it ended very quickly. I look forward to reading the second part.

The more World War 2 Historical Fiction I read, the more I realize I know little to nothing about situations in England. I thought talking to relatives was a great way to gain knowledge, but they could only talk (if I could get them to talk) about where they lived. Authors like Jane Lark have told me so many stories in different regions and guided me to learn more.

The Great Western Railway Girls opened my eyes. I had no idea that there was a GWR village for workers of the company. I was fascinated with how everything was in one location. The details of the interworkings had me in awe.

The story centers on four girls of different social statuses. They are all determined to work in the factories supporting the war, allowing men to go to war. While you are cutting copper financial status is erased. They are willing to face the dangers of the machines.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

They face challenges on a daily basis making for a very dramatic story. Even in war some are able to find love. It won't be easy. It will be risky. It had me excited to read which girl would find love or bumble through the beginnings of romance. Grab the book and explore what it was like at the beginning of the war and how the girls of the Great Western Railway get through their days.

What a joy to read this first book in a brand new series! The Great Western Railway Girls is a delightful offering of friendship, love, duty, bravery and resilience in the midst of civilian wartime.

The story is rich in detail and the author’s research is evident, particularly in relation to the wartime history of Swindon and the Great Western Railway works. Being an employee in this industry and a ‘railway girl’ myself is what attracted me to this book. Railway history is vast and fascinating, and the author has done a brilliant job of reflecting this specific location and railway company, and highlighting the women who contributed and continued factory production during wartime whilst husbands, brothers and fathers were serving in the military.

There is a wonderful dialogue between the characters - ranging from witty exchanges to more down to earth approaches. The way in which the friendship and camaraderie between the girls blossoms and becomes a real source of strength for them is beautifully portrayed.

I highly recommend this enjoyable and engaging story, and very much look forward to reading book two in the series, particularly as the ending felt slightly abrupt so I hope there won’t be too long a wait to be reunited with the GWR girls and continue their stories.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the publisher, Boldwood Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Historical drama featuring a mixed group of girls who work for the Great Western Railway during World War Two. Interesting ,heartwarming and full of drama.

Read in one sitting. Really loved the characters the story was amazing. A great saga which I hope to read more of in the future

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is the start of a new WWII series, and as with any introductory volume, this book introduced a ton of characters before whittling down the narrative to three women: Margaret, Lily, and Catherine. I really appreciated Catherine’s story the most since she came from wealth and is working for her father but doesn’t want anyone to know that. She wants to help out more with the war effort and her father allows her to work alongside the other workers instead of just being stuck in an office. Her story carries the most weight, as there is a really good character arc and a shocking conclusion to the book.

I absolutely love this kind of book and reminds me a bit like the Goodwill House series from Boldwood Books that I also enjoyed reading. As any good WWII fiction series, this one also shows the resilience and resourcefulness of the women who were left behind to work in place of the men, who were off fighting the Nazis. Women were busy back home helping the war effort in their own way. I’ll definitely be following along with this series. Highly recommend!