#BlogTour Rose's Ever After by Chrissie Bradshaw

 It's my turn on the BlogTour Rose's Ever After by Chrissie Bradshaw.

About the Author

Chrissie, 2016 winner of the Romantic Novelist's Association Elizabeth Goudge writing trophy, is a seasoned tea drinker who writes contemporary and historical family sagas.

Chrissie has always loved match-making a book to a reader. Writing the kind of book she loves to read takes this a step further. When Chrissie is not writing or reading, you will find her walking her dog on the beach, travelling or spending time with her family and friends. She would love to hear from readers.

Chrissie enjoys tweeting on @ChrissieBeee, Her instagram account is chrissie_bradshaw_author and she has a Chrissie Bradshaw author page on Facebook.

Chrissie sends out newsletters whenever she has news or something to offer and when you subscribe you receive a free prequel to The colliery rows series called ‘Rose’s War’ Just click here and scroll to the green button on her home page. http://www.chrissiebradshaw.com

About the book

Rose has a promising future stretching out before her until a cruel twist of fate seizes it. Will she overcome her heartache as she tries to build a new life? Rose returns to the safe haven of Linwood colliery and her warm-hearted family. As she settles into life in the colliery rows, Rose makes an astounding discovery and a long lost family member appears who makes demands on them all..

Chrissie Bradshaw’s emotionally gripping historical reads have a northern Catherine Cookson vibe with a modern attitude. ‘Rose’s Ever After’ follows on from ‘Rose’s Choice’ yet it can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel

Read ‘Rose’s Ever After’ to follow the twists and turns of Rose’s eventful life. Will the rugged path ahead, full of challenges, lead her to a new ‘happily ever after’?

Review

This is the second book in the Colliers Row series. The books can be read as standalone novels, but if you are following the characters I would recommend reading all the books in the series.

Rose is happy with Danny and has a beautiful baby, you would think that means she is happy and satisfied. Hmm, it's Rose and life always seems to target her when it comes to her trying to keep family, friends and relationships evenly balance. That's something she has to contend with and she does so usually with maturity, and yet her reaction to her Dad's news is a bit like a child not getting her own way.

She still has an incredibly strong connection to her mother, which doesn't seem to have lessened over the years, and is perhaps something akin to obsessive. The pressure of taking her place has made her defensive of her mother's place in their household, despite the mistakes her mother made.

As I have mentioned before Bradshaw's style is nod to Cookson with a modern flair and an eye for the rollercoaster dynamics this kind of genre and story needs.

This story did not end up where I thought it was going to end up at all. Much like life, the author also likes to throw out some curveballs, which keeps the plot fresh and leads nicely into the next possible book in the series.

And darn it I think I might just try Ginnie's Cinder Toffee recipe.

Buy Roses's Ever After at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Vallum Publishing pub date 11 May 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Rose's Choice by Chrissie Bradshaw

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Rose's Choice by Chrissie Bradshaw.

About the Author
Chrissie, 2016 winner of the Romantic Novelist's Elizabeth Goudge writing trophy, is a seasoned tea drinker and a tenacious trainer of her welsh terrier, Oscar. She has always loved match-making a book to a reader. Writing the kind of book she loves to read takes this a step further.

She has written two contemporary sagas, A Jarful of Moondreams, a contemporary story about family relationships, secrets and how dreams can come true, and The Barn of Buried Dreams, a contemporary story about two sisters who are struggling after the death of their mother. Rose's Choice is her first historical saga and is set where Chrissie lives in Northumberland. When she is not writing or reading, you will find Chrissie walking Oscar on the beautiful Northumbrian coastline, travelling or spending time with her family and friends.

Follow @ChrissieBeee on Twitter, on Amazon, on Facebook, on Instagram,Visit chrissiebradshaw.com, Buy Rose's Choice

About the book
Rationing, bombing, disease and pit disasters are part of Rose Kelly’s World War 2 childhood. When the spirited coalminer’s daughter discovers a family secret, she makes a choice that overshadows her teenage years. Rose tries to make the most of post-war opportunities but family tragedy pulls her back to a life in the colliery rows. She relinquishes her bright future for domestic duties because her family comes first. Will family ties get in the way of her dreams?

Review
Rose lives the life of a working class girl. Families are always only one step away from death, disaster and being homeless. Her childhood is made tenfold difficult by wartime restrictions, fears and invisible diseases that kill those around her.

The Strangling Angel of Children - diphtheria. Given the pandemic we are going through at the moment this is a relevant walk through history and perhaps also because in a time where conspiracy theories are at the forefront this story should remind us how many lives have been saved by vaccinations.

Rose is torn between duty and personal achievements, which isn't an easy place to be. Those feelings are difficult enough to deal with, but being privy to a secret is what ultimately determines her choices in life.

Although her dreams become something Rose has to put to the side in order to help her family it is also a completely normal thing in that era for working class people. Feeding family, clothing family and keeping a roof over their head - it is all more important than personal dreams and possible careers. 

Bradshaw gives this historical read a Cookson vibe, but perhaps with more of a modern attitude. We will persevere, despite the sorrow and loss. It makes you wonder how much people can endure before they break, although one could argue that the those on the bottom rung are used to defying the odds.

It's a story that has its heart-wrenching moments, but also uplifting ones and characters full of determination.

Buy Rose's Choice (The Colliery Rows Book 1) at Amazon Uk. Publisher: Vallum Publishing,; pub date 17 July 2020. Buy at Amazon com.