I've had this book on my bookshelf for quite some time and after finishing a series of 23 books that I just completed decided to pick it up! And it packs a punch! This book has only 2 reviews on goodreads so far which after completing it, makes me wonder why? This is the first book of Rita Bradshaw that I have read and if her other books are like this, I can see myself getting them all.

Hope and her sister Constance are orphaned and end up being rasied by their aunt and uncle in poverty in the East End of Sunderland. Previously she had been living in Hartlepool with her parents living a quiet sheltered existence. Her dad dies at sea and her mother dies in childbirth. She loves her aunt and uncle, they are good respectable folk. Hope then meets Daniel when she is 17. Daniel is 21 and come from a very well off family, living in a grand house and has attended university. The have several dates in which Daniel doesn't try it on with Hope. But Hope knows that he likes her very much as she does Daniel. But Daniel is catholic wih cash and Hope isn't Catholic and very poor. They soon realise they are in love and prepare to meet each other's families. They are both nervous. Hope's family is supportive of their relationship however Daniel's family think that Hope is after money and as she is not Catholic, they are very against the relationship. Daniel's father Abe owns a business and has the say of what happens in the family.

They decide to marry in secret with the support of Hope's family and move out to make it on their own. Daniel's family are very against the relationship and Abe decides that he won't support Daniel financially at all. Soon Hope falls pregnant and Daniel who is out of work goes to work for his father who although he doesn't like Hope lets his son work for him. Abe is very controlling and Hope doesn't like the idea but with her pregancy there's not much else they can do to make ends meet.
Soon they have twins and although life is difficult they try to make things work. They remain very much in love. However Hope has suspicions about the family business and about Abe. Daniel doesn't see it though and thinks that Hope just doesn't like his dad.

Things become difficult for them both, with family secrets and the war. Will Hope and Daniel make it through? Are the suspicions true. This book kept me entertained until the end.
I found it well written, entertaining and throughly enjoyable. This is not my usually genre of book but I just loved it so much. You get a real feel for the characters and the times and situations that they are going through. Not all is as it seems.
Overall a 5/5 for me. I book I just couldn't put down. ( )