Friday 18 May 2012

Review: The Penny Bangle - Margaret James

When should you trust your heart? It's 1942 when Cassie Taylor reluctantly leaves Birmingham to become a land girl on a farm in Dorset. There she meets Robert and Stephen Denham, twins recovering from injuries sustained at Dunkirk. Cassie is instantly drawn to Stephen, but is wary of the more complex Robert - who doesn't seem to like Cassie one little bit. At first, Robert wants to sack the inexperienced city girl. But Cassie soon learns, and Robert comes to admire her courage, finding himself deeply attracted to Cassie. Just as their romance blossoms, he's called back into active service. Anxious to have adventures herself, Cassie joins the ATS. 

My thoughts:
This is actually part 3 in a series but it can well be read on its own. Book 1 took place during WWI, book 2 was about that couple's daughter and this book has a new heroine named Cassie who arrives at a farm to work. The farm owned by the couple from book 1. It's her story.

I have read the other two books but this was actually my favorite. I can't say what made it so, was the writing better? The story? The heroine? Who can tell what tiny detail makes me fall more? I did like the two previous books too but I guess Cassie won me over more. She was brave, did not give up and most of all, she was sweet.

The story is about the war, family and love. Cassie falls for the son in the family, luckily the Denhams are good people and not snobs as they come from a better family and she is gutter trash. All is good on that front. But the war is always there and Robert goes back. Their romance takes some time to blossom and I liked this. No rush, even if we know it will happen (as he does not like her from the start.) And as he is away fighting and she does her best to serve her country there is always that amount of danger in the air. It's not showed though.

It was nice to meet the Denhams again and Daisy from previous books. And the twins Stephen and Robert were so alike, but nice young men. There is also another landgirl named Frances who befriends Cassie.

One thing I did not like, but as this was about the story, it's a very personal opinion. Because of something that happened I would rather have the book end unhappily then how it ended now, all happily. Somethings I do not forgive.

Conclusion:
Easy to read; romance, conflicts and war always present. Heartache and happiness is promised. 

Cover.
I do like how all covers fit their era.


Genre: Women's fiction /romance, Pages: 304, Published: May 7th, 2012 by Choc LitSource: For review


43 comments:

  1. I liked the covers that fit the era, too.

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  2. Oooh -- the cover is marvelous -- and I love the premise! Plus, the title is wicked cute!

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    1. And there is a penny bangle in it..of course :)

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  3. I never even heard of this one. I love that the HEA is promised.. You know me... gotta have my HEA! ;D

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    1. That I do know :)
      And heas are the best!

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  4. Nice review! I love a good rags to riches story with a HEA.

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    1. Not that she got very rich ;) I am afraid the Denhams are quite poor but nobl4e

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  5. This sounds really good.

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  6. i haven't seen this series before, it sounds like this one is especially good!

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    1. It was :D I really do not know why cos the other ones were good too, but this one was even better.

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  7. I love historical books especially those set in WWII. I think I would like this series and I do like HEA. Sorry that didn't work for you.

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    1. I mean yay for a HEA at the end, I just do not think that I personally would have been all happy at the end if it had been me

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  8. It seems a nice WWII series. Where is your flash though?

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    1. It's coming..maybe tomorrow..yes oh it's tomorrow already here, darn

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  9. I love it when characters from previous books make an appearance. It's so much fun to discover how they have been doing since we last met! :)

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    1. So fun :D And to see that they had kids, and the kids are well and just everything.

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  10. I've never read about this series before, but this sounds nice. Glad you enjoyed it, until the ending.

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    1. It's not that the ending was bad, it was just that personally I am not that forgiving and I felt that, oh well, good for all of them then. Cos a hea is good but..

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  11. I hear you about the ending - sometimes I really like it when the author forgoes the happily ever after.

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    1. Here it could have worked. I felt that everyone would have been strong in their own lives

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  12. This sounds like a novel and series i would enjoy. I do not have to have a happy ending either..it just needs to make sense.

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    1. The HEA made sense..I guess for the ones involved, but I, nah, I could have done without it. Or made it a HEA like 4 years after the war

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  13. It doesn't really sound like a book I would enjoy but I'm glad you did for the most part.
    I hate when endings let me down at the last moment.

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    1. It was not that it let me down, I mean i am happy that they are all happy it's just that I would not have been happy if it had been me

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  14. Margaret James is a new-to-me author. Maybe I ought to try her out with this one...

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  15. I'm intrigued but perhaps not enough. I haven't seen this series before though. I think if I did give this one a go, I'd start with this one (is that cheating?).

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    1. Lol, nah start with this one ;) if you like it then you can always go back

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  16. This sounds like a nice series set during an interesting time. Pretty cover too.

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  17. Sometimes books just need to end sad.

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  18. This sounds like a great series!

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    1. And so typical that I read the WWI this year when I am supposed to find more WWI books!

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  19. Oh you have me curious as to what happened to make you want the book to end unhappily. Hmm, Well, glad you enjoyed the book as an over all. :) Thank you. I have to say I like that cover. :)

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    1. I will never tell ;) I am a very strange person. Many others would surely have been all yay, but I..nay

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  20. I should read it for the challenge. Mhmmm

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