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Release date: March 31, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Blurb: 

Brighton 1930: Maureen O’Connell is a carefree girl, but her family is on the brink of tragedy, war is looming and life will never be the same again. 

Jack and Nelson have always been dear friends to Maureen. Despite their different backgrounds, they’ve seen each other through thick and thin. 

As Maureen blossoms from a little girl into a young woman, the candle she’s always held for Jack burns bright. But just as she’s found love, war wrenches them apart. The man she cherishes with all her heart is leaving. 

When the bombs start to fall, Maureen and her family find themselves living in the most dangerous of times. With Jack no longer by her side and Nelson at war, Maureen has never felt more alone. Can she look to a brighter future? And will she find the true happiness she’s dreamt of? 

An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching story about the enduring power of love, hope and friendship during the darkest of days. Perfect for fans of Pam Jenoff, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe. 

I’m so happy to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for When We Danced at the End of the Pier. 

Oh my goodness, this was such a gorgeous read! It was one of those books that truly transports you to a different place and time, I was totally swept away by this lovely story. 

It begins when Maureen is just a young girl, she has a simple life and a loving family who she adores. Her father is battling demons from the war so he cares for her and her sister, Brenda while her mother works to provide for their family. When they move to Brighton she quickly makes friends with three other young people; Jack who also lives on See Saw Lane, Nelson who is Jack’s best friend, and Monica her new best friend. These four had the most touching friendship, it was so sweet. As they grow up together, it seems a war is imminent and though they’re all frightened, they have each other. 

This read like an epic saga, it had bittersweet romances, tragedy, picturesque scenery, family drama, many moments of laughter and so much heartbreak. I don’t often cry when reading but Taylor caused me to shed more than a few tears, it was that moving. It was a captivating read and one that I won’t soon forget. The characters were so full of depth, the sort that burrow into your heart and steal a piece of it by the end. It was spectacular and I would love to see it play out on the big screen, I highly recommend this one to fans of historical fiction. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy and to Kim Nash for urging me to read this, I’m so grateful. 

About the Author: 

Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist.

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