Hope in the Valleys by Francesca Capaldi

Thank you to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour for the third book in this series by Francesca Capaldi. To read my reviews for books one and two, visit https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2020/06/13/blog-tour-for-heartbreak-in-the-valley-by-frances-capaldi/ and https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2020/11/26/war-in-the-valleys-by-francesca-capaldi/

Synopsis:

Will Elizabeth choose love over duty?

It’s August 1917 and WW1 continues to take a toll. The villagers of Dorcalon, a mining village in the Rhymney Valley, try to keep hope alive; but every day brings fresh tragedy as more of their sons and fathers are killed on foreign battlefields.

Elizabeth Meredith, daughter of mine manager Herbert, enjoys a privileged position in the village, but she longs to break free of society’s expectations.

Falling in love with miner, Gwilym Owen, brings more joy to her life than she’s ever known… until she’s forced to choose between her love and her disapproving family. Seeking an escape, Elizabeth signs up as a VAD nurse and is swiftly sent to help the troops in France, even as her heart breaks at leaving Gwilym behind.

Separated by society and the Great War, can Elizabeth and Gwilym find their way back together again? Or will their love become another casualty of war?

Purchase Links

AMZ: https://amzn.to/3aWYsl7

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3BQtzuF

Apple: https://apple.co/3aNTiIg

My thoughts:

Thank you to Francesca Capaldi for the opportunity to return to the mining village of Dorcalon in the Welsh Valleys to find out how the residents are coping with the First World War, poor living and working conditions, and changes in social expectations for women.

I enjoyed reading the first two books, Heartbreak in the Valley and War in the Valleys, and quickly was hooked by the continuance of the earlier stories and the new developments. It would be possible to read this book without reading the earlier books, but I recommend reading the full series.

Francesca Capaldi has created believable characters who this reader cares for, and provides historical details about how difficult life was for the mining families. There is a sharp contrast between how Elizabeth’s family live compared to the miners families. Can a romance survive the class divide?

This story includes secrets, dangerous occupations, family, community spirit, loss of loved ones, misunderstandings, love, a bookshop and more. Happy to recommend to readers who enjoy well written historical fiction. I’m hoping that there will be more books in the series.

Author Bio:

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child, largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was good at improvised story telling. A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into a career in 2006. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. Each month she writes a competition post for the Romantic Novelists’ Association blog.
@FCapaldiBurgess