Annie Groves - Daughters of Liverpool

Reviewed by Maggie Perkovic on show March 09
I have always been interested in stories of early Liverpool probably because I liked the books by Helen Forrester who wrote in a similar vein to Frank Macourt & Angela's Ashes.
Her stories were partly autobiographical and very gripping and quite shattering in the suffering and conflicts endured. However this book I fear almost falls into the 'Mills & Boon' category. It tells the story of Liverpool during early days of the war. Katie arrives in Liverpool from London to work on letters which possibly contain messages in code. She finds l;lodgings with lovely and warm family, Jean & Sam their older daughter a nurse and the teenage twins. There is also a son, a serving soldier, just returned from Dunkirk who seems to find a lot of time at home despite the country being at war. Of course he and Katie fall in love, argue and get together again in time ordered fashion.
Talking of fashion each persons dress is commented on at length, like she was wearing grey silk taffeta evening dress with a white sash waist and matching short sleeved bolero jacket decorated with one white and one grey silk flower that nestled stylishly together...or Katie, like the twins, was wearing red but whereas they were in tartan skirts and bright hand knitted jumpers, Katie was wearing a plain grey wool skirt and a white blouse and soft red cardigan that fastened with pretty red and cream buttons!!!!
The men are also described as having obviously uniform and smart grey suit with camel overcoat.....
Another reason I was not impressed was that obviously it is all part of a series so we keep having references to past relations, who have lost children, lost babies, lost husbands, been ill-treated behaved badly & so on.
I felt the characters a little on dimensional and though it ended happily felt there was more to come in another book all in the same vein!!
Not for me I feel!