I do enjoy a good saga. Generally they're so easy to read, so full of warmth and wonderful characters. Brighter Days Ahead is a great example of a really good saga.

We meet Molly Winters and Flo Kilgallon. They're the two main characters and yet they don't meet until around the half way point. Up until then we are introduced to them and their lives. Neither had an easy start but whilst Flo is on the way up, poor Molly is about to have a very difficult time.

What initially drew me to this book in particular was the Bletchley Park angle to Flo's storyline. It always sounds like it was such an amazing place to be during World War 2. Actually, this bit of the story is only a small part of it and I found that I loved all of the aspects to the girls' tales and the friendships that they make.

Mary Wood doesn't hold back on the shocks. This is no fluffy tale, it's quite hard-hitting in places and I was quite surprised by some of the turns of events in what I kind of expected to be a bit more of a cosy yarn, but I loved it and because I cared about the characters it probably hit me harder when the more shocking things happened.

There's a real warmth to Wood's writing. She has created some fabulous characters. Molly and Flo are both feisty and brave, full of fighting spirit. And I have to say that I loved Flo's very northern accent and found myself saying some of her passages out loud (I'm northern but nowhere near as broad as Flo!).

A saga like this is a book I can rely on to give me a really good read, warm the cockles of my heart and have me heaving a huge sigh of satisfaction when I get to the last page and close the book. ( )