Keep You By My Side

From page one this book had me hooked. The three strong female characters were so believable. I loved how we travelled backwards and forwards in time within the flow of the story.
Hidden secrets, strong relationships and friendships flowed through the pages. I loved how the historical facts of the three generations came through; especially reading the popular tunes in the 80's.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy modern history but also love a great book.

This warm, wonderful book follows the lives of three generations of women, Gertie’s story from the close of the second World War, her daughter Rose in the late ‘60’s and Rose’s daughter, Abi in the mid ‘80’s. The weaving of the stories, the women’s lives, secrets and emotions is so cleverly developed. The chapters take us back and forwards seamlessly, each time adding another piece to this rich and engaging jigsaw.
The relationships between these beautifully drawn characters are strong and believable. My heart broke and mended along with theirs. The settings are so eloquently described that I could picture every room in Cliff Cottage, every bombed-out street Gertie walked down.
This is a book about, love, friendship, and the reverberating echoes of the past. I did not want to put it down and now that I’ve finished it, I am bereft. Callie Langridge is a brilliant writer and I will recommend this book to everyone who will listen.

Keep You By My Side follows three different women from three different generations in three different, iconic, decades: the 40s, 60s and 80s

I loved the characters of Gertie, Rose and Abi – both in their own right and in their relationships with one another as daughter, mother and grandmother. Family relationships are often complex, and the secrets the characters hold add to that, but there is a warmth throughout this novel which left me with a lump in my throat.

The quality of writing was a pleasure to read and also ensured that I felt fully submersed in each decade. The descriptions of the blitz added a depth to the story which I greatly enjoyed.

This is my first novel by Callie Langridge but I am eager to read more.

Keep You By My Side is told from three women's points of view. Gertie, who is grandma, Rose, who is mother and Abi who is granddaughter. It is also set in modern-day with flashbacks of each woman's past and how certain events defined them. It shows how a love for your daughter means so much that you have to hold back secrets of the past.
Very well written and enjoyable book. Well done Callie Langridge.

Lovely warm story that weaves the lives of the three female lead characters together through the book. We move backwards and forwards from the Second World War via the 1960s and into the mid 1980s ,learning something new about the characters every time. At first Rose ,Abi’s mother comes across as stifling and remote but as we delve further into the story we begin to understand the title “Keep you by my side” . The descriptions of places and people make you feel you are there with them and as such you ride a rollercoaster of emotions . A tale of family love ,secrets and how the past intrudes n everything A book to curl up on the sofa and read in one go ignoring the outside world. I shall read more of Callie Langridge .

5☆ Endearing, Captivating Historical Romance

Keep You By My Side is a poignant and Heartwarming read about family, relationships and secrets.

The story is told over several decades, by three generations.... Nan Gertie, Mother Rose and her daughter Abi.
They all come to live together when Rose's husband suffers from mental illness.

Abi is being bullied at her new school as she is an outsider.
Rose is struggling with her life in general... trying to start a new business and supporting her husband.
Gertie is the glue holding them altogether, she is a real sweetheart, warm, caring and loveable.
But what happens when we delve into their past? Can secrets stay secrets?

I adored how effortlessly the story flowed between the characters lives.
Sometimes when stories have more than one timeline it starts to get confusing but Callie has weaved their stories together perfectly.
It helped having the character and date at the start of each chapter.

The characters are so well written, I really related to them.
Each Character brings something special to the story. It was really good seeing how the three generations interacted and related to each other.
In my house we had three generations living together and people often asked what it was like living with my grandparents, but I adored it and wouldn't of changed it for the world!!

Although the story is told through different time periods and that they are all family members, the links between the stories keep you intrigued.
There are plenty of secrets kept that slowly unravel making this story impossible to put down.

I really enjoy historical reads, but this one is a lil different. It's also told in present day.

I love books that feature stories from the war. Gertie's flashbacks are from war time London. But they are so vivid, real, and emotional I actually felt like I was living those memories alongside her. They had a powerful impact and made her story and character by far my favourite.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this poignant, Heartwarming and endearing historical romance.
This is my first book I have read by Callie Langridge and im looking forward to reading more!

Thank you to Bombshell Books and Bloodhound Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.