Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the gifted ebook to write my honest review for the tour.
Can a long-kept secret ruin the future happiness of two families?
Paisley, Scotland 1745
Meg and Duncan Montgomery move to the flourishing Scottish town of Paisley to find work in the thriving weaving industry. Soon, Meg is expecting their first child, Margaret.
To make ends meet, they live in Peter Todd’s household, Duncan’s employer and Meg’s days are filled with domestic duties. But soon Meg and Duncan find themselves caught up in the intricate lives of the Todd family and when a tragic accident causes further conflict, a decision is made to keep a terrible secret from Meg.
As Margaret grows older, she despairs of the town’s inequality and becomes an advocate for the poor. While her philanthropic ideals are tolerated, even accepted by her understanding parents, Margaret’s affection for her childhood friend William Todd is greeted with disapproval.
But Margaret wants more from life than marriage and is overjoyed when she is taken on as a teacher at the local hospital.
As a dark secret from the past looms over the lives of both families,threatening to tear apart their futures, the younger Todds and Montgomery’s must decide between following in their parents’ footsteps or forging their own paths
The start of The Paisley Women saga series from Evelyn Hood, the original bestselling Scottish saga writer.
Previously published in paperback as The Silken Thread
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/FamilySecretsBook
The start of a brand new Scottish historical saga, The Paisley Women. Set in the early 18th century in Paisley, Scotland. I was looking forward to reading this. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. I also don’t know too much about Scottish life around this time.
We meet the Montgomery’s, Meg, and Duncan. They move to Paisley due to the weaving industry booming. They live in Duncan’s employers’ house, the Todds. As they get used to their daily work, Meg and Duncan become involved in the Todd’s lives. When a tragic accident makes for more conflict, it is decided that they will keep it a secret from Meg.
Margaret, their daughter, grows up and gets a job at the local hospital. She is overjoyed because she doesn’t just want to be married. What she doesn’t know is that there is something dark looming over the Montgomery’s and the Todd’s. A secret that has the power to rip the younger members of both families lives apart. Will they go their own ways or do as their elders did?
I read a lot of Catherine Cookson in my younger years. This book reminded me a lot of those books. By the time I had read a chapter or two, I was drawn in hook,line, and sinker. I cared for these characters and their way of life. Evelyn Hood has written a saga with heart. I felt so connected to the characters, especially Margaret. She has inner strength, which shows in her willingness to help the poor and go against society’s norms and work.
The way that it has been written gave me that feeling like I was alongside the characters, experiencing their way of life. It’s an immersive story and one I truly loved reading. I was so interested in what would happen, and I definitely need the next book! A series I know I will find addictive reading!
Author Bio
The Sunday Times bestselling author of 28 published novels, Evelyn Hood had a variety of jobs, including being a journalist and a poultry farmer. She was a full time writer, best known for her family sagas, set mainly in her home town of Paisley (Renfrewshire) and on the Clyde coast, where she also lived.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16YScQLN3J/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram: @evelynhood52author
Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/evelyn-hood
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 