A lovely read and one that I really enjoyed. I'll look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

3.5 stars. It's a good book, I liked it, I just found it a bit long and drawn out at times. It focuses on the early days of the war and the uncertainty that lay ahead. There was a real sense of community which was heart warming and Donny made me smile so much throughout. Marianne was a wonderful, strong character. I'd like to see what happens the rest of the characters....particularly Jimmy. My heart broke for him. Overall, a decent start to a wartime saga.

I didn’t get on with this book. It failed to grab my attention at the start which unfortunately meant I struggled to get into it and therefore didn’t get very far with it.

This was a very good read and amazing for a debut novel. It was pretty typical of other books written about family sagas during Worl War 2 but that is fine by me as it's what I enjoy. There is depth to the story and the characters are well developed and interesting. I look forward to the second in the series.

This is such a good read. I have not read any ww2 stories set in Dover before. The characters seemed so real and Ginny brought them all to life.

I'm looking forward to the next one in the series 👍

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read it.

The Dover Cafe #1

Castle's Cafi is in the middle of the Market Square. The cafe is run by Nellie Castle and her six children. Her oldest daughter, Marianne, life changes when she gives birth to a boy, Danny, when she was just sixteen. Marianne decides to stay in the kitchen after her sons birth. Nellie's other two daughters also work in the cafe. But when WWII breaks out, Nellie's sons sign up.

What a great start to this new series. The characters are likeable and well rounded. It tells us what family life was like during the war. The storyline flows along at a steady pace. It's a well written book and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #BonnierBooksUK and the author #GinnyBell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I felt it would fill the whole left by the ending of Ellie Deans Cliffehaven series. I wasn't disappointed. We have started to learn all about Dover and the Castle Cafe during WW2. The saga has started with Mariannes story and it was good with lots of layers to work through - even a little bit of menace to spice things up. Ginny Bell has created lots of wonderful characters especially Nellie as the matriarch of the family who stands for no nonsense but will protect her brood against everyone. This is a stand alone story but with the threads that will lead us to the next story in the saga - which I am looking forward to.

This was an enjoyable and informative historical romance. The first part of a series that I am avidly looking forward to reading more of. The characters are full of depth and I easily became involved in each of their storylines and their lives. As well as being an excellent story, I felt that I learnt a lot about the effects of the war on the inhabitants of the south coast that I had never thought about before. I highly recommend this book.

This book is so full of love and camaraderie. Shows you what the meaning of community spirit is. From a history point the details of of all the small boats going out to save the war heroes from the beaches was so interesting. Loved it and fully recommend it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book by Ginny Bell.

At the beginning it's the year 1929 and 16 year old Marianne her life changes forever when she has her son Donny. Life goes on and 10 years later war is announced and life changes once again....

such a great historical fiction book, great characters, great storyline.

4 stars

This gripping family drama explores all the challenges of civilian life during the early years of WWII.
Matriarch Nellie Castle rules the family cafe in Dover with a rod of iron. In the kitchen is her daughter, Marianne – unmarried mother of 10-year-old Donny, product of a brief liaison when she was just 16. Nellie's other daughters and sons are variously in the army, working or at school. Besides the looming war, illicit affairs, small town gossip, forbidden love, and mystery and danger ensure the scene is set for epic drama that embraces the themes of war, community, family, scandal and romance.
The story is well told, with strong, sympathetic characters. The focus is on Marianne, but as time moves on, Marianne’s younger siblings gradually come to the fore with their own story threads.
As a typical wartime saga, this is a highly readable, enjoyable book, but the storywas gripping in an extra way by the mirror the effects of war on the homefront holds up to our current lives in the middle of the Covid pandemic. Like us, the Castle family live with fear and uncertainty. Their way of life is changed overnight, with large gatherings banned, the cinema closed, curfews in place, long queues at the shops, the uncertain situation killing the townsfolks’ trade. They have to carry masks with them. They face an unseen enemy that could bring death. Hpw frightening and unsettling it must have been.
Author Ginny Bell does a superb job of portraying wartime life through civilian eyes. The Castle family, their friends and neighbours, will get through this. Of course, there will be some casualties, but their courage, resilience, humour and strong sense of duty will ensure their way of life survives.

The Dover Cafe at War is set in mist of ww2, on Castle street there's the Dover Cafe where this sort is set. I love historical fiction so i knew I would enjoy this book.
In the opening of the book, it's 1929 and 16 year old Marianne her life changes forever when she has her son Donny. Life goes on and 10 years later war is announced and life changes once again.

The book was so heartwarming, dealing with family and life during the war. I loved all of the characters and really enjoyed the dynamic of everyone in the neighbourhood. The book touched on subjects like, illegitimacy, homophobia and illiteracy, I found that it really helped you to understand just how different life was at this time and how it could take its toll on people.

I loved the personal touch at the end of the book, talking about how the author was connected to Dover and the recipe looked very interesting, I might be giving that at go.

I would definitely recommend this book to any Historical fiction fan, I can't wait for the next book in the series to be released.

I received a copy of this title in return for a full and frank review. Thank you.

This is the first novel by this author - she has obviously researched it well, Its very well written and kept me enthralled right to the end.
I wanted to read on an on and find out what happened to the Castle family and the cafe in Dover.

It tackles all sorts of social issues from illegitimate birth, illiteracy and how different life was then.
I wont spoil the story for others but there is a rotter and a love interest as there are in many novels of this genre.
The author says at the end that this is the start of a series and I will definitely look out for the next instalment for the Castle family.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Castles is a cafe run by Nellie Castle with the help of her daughters Marianne,Lily and Edie the sons Rodney,Bert and Jimmy take no part.One day while working in the cafe 16 year old Marianne has the shock of her life and life changes for her.Marianne chooses to stay hidden away in the kitchen of the cafe until war is declared then it's all hands on deck the boys join up and Edie has her job at the garage that she loves.Then one day Mariannes past comes back to haunt her can she survive what she has to face.BRILLIANT book i loved it.

This first book in the series is an absolute delight.
Based around the castle family who own and run a cafe in Market Square , the head of the family is formidable Nellie Castle and she rules the cafe and her 6 children. Since the birth of her son ten years before, Marianne, Nellie's eldest daughter, has little confidence and tends to hide away from the town gossips. Overcome with shame, she has never revealed the identity of Donny's father - not even to her own mother. Until her past threatens to come back and betray her

Wonderful family saga full of interesting,lovely characters,set at the start of World War Two. A very descriptive and evocative telling of the beach rescue of thousands of troops. and how they dealt with it in Dover.

This was a very good read and amazing for a debut novel. It was pretty typical of other books written about family sagas during Worl War 2 but that is fine by me as it's what I enjoy. There is depth to the story and the characters are well developed and interesting. I look forward to the second in the series.

The Castle Family, Nellie, Rodney, Marianne, Lily, Edie, Bert and Jimmy.
1929 is a year Marianne will never forget, seventeen years old and gives birth to her son Donny, who she names after her dad. her family accept the little boy, and Marianne hold the truth to his fathers name for the next ten years to come.
1939 and the Castles Dover Cafe is still going strong and war is looming will the family all hold things together, Marianne doesn't want her son to grow up in a world of war, she has lived with the scorn of the town folks, and also his father who is dead to her. but one day she clearly pays for her mistakes as you read on.
oh this book is such a joy to read, I love how all the characters bring the book to life, all the community come together as one in times of needs, and all have their own stories to tell that i hope to read in future books by this author. greatly looking forward to them.
such a delightful read that I highly recommend it to all.

A wonderful english saga a book that drew me right in.The characters come alive the town the families.Sagas are my favorite books to read I look forward to each new story this was a wonderful read looking forward to next in series,# netgalley#the DoverCafeatWar.