This is the third book in the series
The story contains hard hitting issues
The characters are so lovely and well written
A great historical fiction book.

Don't expect a festive read with CHRISTMAS WITH THE BOBBY GIRLS because about the only thing Christmasy is the title. But what a read! As with the previous two books in this charming series, the focus is on the origins of the Women's Police Service (WPS) as well as each of the women who are at the forefront of the stories. First we had Maggie in "The Bobby Girls" and then Irene in "The Bobby Girls' Secret" . Now it is Annie's turn to shine.

With Irene now stationed in Grantham, Maggie and Annie now have a addition to their trio in Poppy. As the girls got to know one another, the flat they had set out to rent together welcomed their new recruit as also their new housemate. The women continue to deal with drunken soldiers and the ladies of the night plying their trade, trying to keep them all in line whilst systematically taking the pressure of their male colleagues. Most of the men were skeptical of their presence, seeing it as a disruption to their already well-oiled machine, but the women soon won some of them over with their ability to handle difficult situations and holding their own.

While Maggie and Poppy continue to patrol their patch around Bethnal Green, Annie has taken time off to prepare for her upcoming wedding to the love of her life, Richard. She cannot wait until he returns and makes her his bride, despite him returning to the Front before they can set up married life together. But Annie knows it will all be worth it in the end. On the eve of her wedding she hears a knock on the door and races to greet her fiance, only to find a stranger in a soldier's uniform standing there. The devastating news he has to deliver shatters Annie's world and she crawls back into her childhood bed and stays there where she has no intention of coming out ever again. It takes a special visitor for her to regain her confidence to return to patrolling the streets with her friends. And when she does, she discovers they have a new beat to walk.

After one final shift at Bethnal Green, Annie and her friends relocate to Hunter Street Police Station in the Holborn borough. Again they are given something of a cupboard to change in before heading out on patrol but soon win over some of their male colleagues with home cooked stews and soup in the section house. The women are then faced with a busier sector than their previous beat with the biggest bombing raid of the war and prostitution even more rife in this area.

Whilst patrolling Kings Cross Station, Annie recognises a face from the past and endeavours to investigate and uncover exactly what he is up to, without alerting her two friends. This leads her meeting Bert and the two form an unlikely friendship whilst working towards a common goal. Upon discovering a group of men are forcing European refugees into prostitution, she then resolves to put a stop to them and rescue the women by Christmas.

Although dangerous, the mission Annie then sets herself appears to be a kind of coping mechanism to deal with her grief with the propensity to land her in unfathomable danger. It is precarious to the point of recklessness. And then she makes an incredibly risky decision without alerting anyone else to her intentions. I wanted to shout at her "NOOO!!" so many times but she didn't listen...not even to her inner consciousness. Due to the depth of her grief I don't think even Annie realise the extent of what she was dealing with and how, not only stupid and reckless, but unprofessional she'd been. As a serving member of the WPS, though voluntary, she owed it to women to not only look out for and protect them but to represent them as capable and well and truly able. Digging herself into a situation from which she barely escapes is not helpful to their cause. Remember, most men believe that a woman's place is at home not in the workforce or on the streets doing "a man's job". But needless to say, Annie finds hope where she leasts expects it and resolves to see each man involved punished. All the way to the top.

I must say I enjoyed this one more than the previous one but I still find it very wordy with a lot of description. But CHRISTMAS WITH THE BOBBY GIRLS is an engaging tale that will keep the reader turning the pages to find out the fate of Annie and the other women. It is a heartbreaking story, as those of this era tend to be, but it still filled with joys and hopes as well as sadness and sorrow. While she may have joined the WPS as a quiet girl who lacked self-confidence and was unsure of herself, she has come a long way in a short time. The Annie in this story is a far cry from the Annie from the first book.

Steeped in a wealth of history from the origins of the WPS to the Nation Union of Women Workers to the Foundling hospital to the suffrage movement prior to the war, the Bobby Girls series is skillfully crafted with some heartbreaking yet heartwarming tales. CHRISTMAS WITH THE BOBBY GIRLS is another great addition to this series that not all light and fluffy but filled with more sinister and nefarious activities that face the women and help them to make their mark in the police service and take their place them in history.

Overall, another engaging tale highlighting the beginnings of changes to come for women in the Bobby Girls series..with a little Christmas surprise at the end (which I'd already suspected long before). I look forward to Poppy's story next.

I would like to thank #JohannaBell, #NetGalley and #HodderAndStoughton for an ARC of #ChristmasWithTheBobbyGirls in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

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.

Christmas with the Bobby Girls by Johanna Bell is the third novel in The Bobby Girls. I recommend reading this historical series in order. It will allow you to get to know the characters. I have enjoyed getting to know Maggie Smyth, Poppy David, and Annie Beckett. Christmas with the Bobby Girls focuses on Annie. She is finishing her wedding preparations. Annie cannot wait to become Richard’s wife. Annie’s world shatters when she receives devastating news. She crawls into her childhood bed and stays there. It takes a special visitor to get Annie back into the world and patrolling the streets with her friends. Annie spots a figure from the past while walking the beat with Maggie and Poppy. She becomes determined to investigate the person so she can put an end to their corruption. It is a risky case which excites Annie. She does not want her best friends to know what she is doing, which results in a few white lies. Will Annie be able to catch her quarry? I thought Christmas with the Bobby Girls was well-written with great characters. It is great catching up with Maggie, Annie, and Poppy. They have a strong friendship. War is still raging on in 1915. Bombs are being dropped on London and wounded soldiers are returning home for treatment. As Christmas approaches, Londoners are determined to make it a jolly occasion. The author creates a rich atmosphere. She gives us just the right amount of detail. I thought she captured the time period very well. There is quite a bit going on in this story which I liked. I have enjoyed getting to know more about the WPS. These women were brave. They worked hard with little gratification. The men on the force did not want them nor did they feel they were needed. The ladies worked hard to prove themselves. I do not know how they withstood the uniforms in the heat. There is actually very little Christmas in this story. I would have liked a little more of that element. Christmas with the Bobby Girls is a tale that will have you quickly turning the page to see how the story turns out. I am looking forward to the next book in The Bobby Girls series. Christmas with the Bobby Girls is a compelling story with bursting bombs, a final fitting, painful news, agonizing grief, an intense investigation, firm friends, and a cheery Christmas.

Definitely not the most festive book I've read but what a read. I was hooked from the first page. I do wish that I'd read the previous books in the series but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book any less. I was on the edge of my seat whilst reading, I couldn't put the book down until all was revealed. I absolutely loved Annie. What a kind hearted, brave and wonderful young woman. Parts of the plot were a little bit predictable but that didn't take way from the drama of this book. It's really not an easy read and in parts it was quite brutal. A brilliant WW1 read and I can't wait to read more about The Bobby Girls.

This is my second by this author, I loved the first book although it wasn’t my usual
Genre and I equally loved this. I feel like you can drift away into another time when reading about the Bobby girls. A total page turner and feel good story.

Christmas with the Bobby Girls in the third instalment in the Bobby Girls series by Johanna Bell and three books in it’s certainly not lost any of it’s appeal for me. The stories continue to deal with gritty, realistic and hard hitting issues as in the midst of war volunteer women carry out the work of the WPS - Women’s Police Service. The title of this book may suggest it’s all about Christmas ,and therefore one would presume that’s when you should read this book, but honestly it can be read at any point in the year. Christmas features ever so briefly towards the end and really you will be far more interested in the development of Annie’s story and how she copes with major grief in her life and the loss of looking forward to hope and happiness in her life.

Johanna Bell has once again surprised me with the range of topics that she deals with that were so prevalent at the time. She is never afraid to shy away from gritty detail or focus on subject matter that books in the war time saga genre don’t centre on or else gloss over. I’ve read countless books set during World War Two so to see a concentrated focus on the first war and how women came to the forefront at that time is brilliant. The beginning of this new book gets you up to speed with what has happened previously and it serves as a great introduction for new readers and a refresher for those that have followed the trials and tribulations of the girls since the beginning. I had only gotten round to the second book quite recently so everything was fairly fresh in my mind and I was keen to delve in and see what the author had in store for her characters. One thing is for sure, they never have an easy time of it and through such brilliant writing and exciting, detailed and gripping plots the girls experience an awful lot and open the readers eyes to what was going on the home front during the war.

This time around Annie is central to the story and I have become used to the fact that although the other girls are present and supportive as the bond of the Bobby Girls is strong, they take more of a back seat. We have already read about Maggie and Irene, who is away working in Grantham, and I am sure relative newcomer Poppy will get her chance to share her story in the future. Even though from what I can already tell about her is that she is a no nonsense woman but there is definitely something she isn’t quite ready to share yet. When we meet Annie again she is delirious with happiness as her wedding to Richard is about to take place. He is to return home from war so they can celebrate their big day and she feels all the pieces are slowly falling into place. Her work with the WPS has helped her come out of her shell and she believes despite the traumas of war happiness is coming her way. But a cruel and earth shattering few opening chapters leaves Annie bereft, adrift and all alone. Her world is shattered into minute pieces.

My heart broke for Annie as she was happy and all excited and with a few simple words her world was ripped apart and would be very difficult to piece back together again. Johanna Bell does a fantastic job of conveying the sense of grief, loss and desperation experienced by Annie. She goes into a very dark place where no one can reach her despite their best efforts. It’s a huge set back for her and she reverts back to her shy, timid and weak self and will not leave the house. All the strength and growth she had experienced since joining the WPS is gone. But there comes a time when one must emerge out of the darkness and into the world again and when the trio are given the opportunity to relocate to a new patch for patrols they take it with open arms.

They have done good work where they were initially stationed and hope they can continue to do so in their new territory. I felt Annie had no choice but to get back out there and continue her work because that’s what Richard would have wanted. She needed a goal and a reason to keep going and a long running theme running through these books gives her that impetus to get out there. That being prostitution and women from normal homes trying to earn some money to support their families with their men away fighting. The influx of soldiers on the streets home on leave or in training did nothing to help the situation. The WPS has always tried to help women in this situation and they do stalwart work of warning women of the risks, moving them on and trying to solve challenging situations.

Annie seems to take on a personal mission in this book and I thought it was her coping mechanism to deal with the loss of Richard. She wanted to make him proud and to try and live a life without him but I felt she really put herself in the most dangerous and precarious of situations. It was like she threw all caution to the wind. Any training the girls had received went unheeded and it was like she was on a one woman mission to sort out the men running a prostitution ring. I really feared for her as her actions seemed so reckless to be going about things solo. It was as if all advice and protocols went out the window and no matter what she was determined to solve the case so to speak all on her own. Yes she can be seen as being brave, determined and a woman ahead of her time, but at the same time I feared for her outcome because I don’t think she realised the extent of what she was dealing with and that she needed support and back up.

At one point when she really takes going undercover to a whole new level, I was almost shouting no don’t do that. You are absolutely crazy. But I suppose this added a whole new slant to women doing their bit during the war especially towards women’s rights and yes the issue needed to be explored and developed. But I guess I was so concerned for Annie that at times I lost sight of why she was doing what she did. That’s not any fault of the author or the writing, it’s just me being too over protective of a fictional character but it does show how caught up I was in everything. I felt like Annie was a friend treading dangerous water getting into deep trouble and I didn’t want that to happen to her. It may sound like this is a bit doom and gloom and just a bit too much. It’s not at all in fact it’s more than reflective of the time.

Annie’s grief gave her the foundation to put herself out there at the forefront of danger and it made for a gripping read and I can safely say that the Bobby Girls series is one of the best I have read in a long time. It’s not all light and fluffy like some books in this genre can be. Yes we get the heart-warming friendship element but also a more serious, alarming, threatening and formidable presence is felt and that makes for a real page turner that keeps you reading as fast as you can until the very last page. The Bobby Girls War is the next in the series but it’s not published until October but I can guarantee I for one will be keen to get my hands on it as soon as I can.

I love this series and I loved this installment.
I was happy to catch up with the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the story.
Excellent character and plot development, vivid and well researched historical background.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you for the chance to read this book and offer this review which is my own opinion.

I had realised that this book was part of a series and, though references were made to previous events, this did not detract from enjoying this book.

It really had little to do with Christmas though - other than where the girls might spend the festivities. Some of the storyline was predictable and I had guessed the outcome for one of the Bobby Girls very early on.

The book is set during World War 1 - I knew little about policing of this time, and even less about the WPS - so it was interesting to read about this and to research further into the history.
I did feel the last maybe quarter was perhaps a little far fetched but understood the reasoning of the character and why she felt she should act as she did.
I purposely haven't revealed too much of the storyline - I dislike reviews myself that give away large chunks of the storyline.
But I enjoyed this book and was interested enough, and engrossed enough to keep on reading 'just one more page or so'

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes this genre. I am unsure if I will read the previous books or the one that follows but that is only because I keep seeing new authors and books that have captured my attention.

Thank you again to the author and published for my copy of this book

Annie is patiently waiting the return of her fiancé Richard so that they can get married. The influx of soldiers to the capital means that the WPS's is more important than ever and Annie, Maggie and Poppy are posted to the bustling heart of the city. The biggest bombing raid of the war caused chaos on their patch. Annie discovers a group of men are forcing European refugees into prostitution and she resolves to stop them by Christmas.

With Irene in Grantham, Annie and Maggie have a new addition, Poppy. They have moved their patch from Bethnal Green to Holborn. Annie throws herself into her work to try and escape her grief. There's lots going on in the book and faces from the past that the Bobby Girls had never wanted to see again. This is another great addition to the series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Hodder&Stoughton and the author #JohannahBell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bobby Girls are modern, courageous women, fighting in a man’s world during World War 1 for other women. Annie and Maggie after losing their friend Irene to Grantham WPS are carrying on the good work in London with their new addition Poppy. After moving areas from Bethnal Green to Holborn Annie throws herself head first into her work to deal with the grief of losing her fiancé Richard. Little did Annie realise just what she’d be getting involved in and how much her life was about to change. Another fantastic read and I give this a well deserved five stars. I can’t wait for the next book in the series next year.

Another fine read in this wonderful series and perfect reading for these strange times.

Our three Bobby Girls are very excited as the day of Annie's wedding to Richard draws nearer, but during war time things don't always work out as expected. Work is busier than ever; with the influx of soldiers and poverty at home biting more than ever, they find themselves re-assigned to the heart of the city where their special skills are more in demand. It doesn't take long for them to realise that there is more need than ever for them to be aware of what goes on in their new patch.

This is a series which introduced me to the beginning of women's police service in the UK, something I knew nothing about. The details are a revelation and, I suspect, the product of a great amount of diligent research. I'm very fond of the characters and enjoy how they continue to evolve; the story this time round is riveting and one to get your teeth into which left me in awe of the bravery shown for an unpaid post! Not only do I enjoy these books, but I also feel I learn so much from them and I'm delighted there is another to come - even if I do have to wait a while, I know I'll be reading it. Skilfully crafted with excellent characterisation and a gripping storyline, this is definitely one I recommend and is easily worth all five sparkling stars!

What a heart stopping, heartfelt book this is, flows beautifully from the previous two books.
The more you know the girls the more you feel they're a part of your own family- talk about up and downs and tears and laughter, this book has the lot. I've loved the journey with the Bobby Girls and I'm very happy knowing my journey with them will continue in 2021.
I fully recommend you read the series, a series really not to be missed.

In this, the third of Johanna Bell's series featuring the Bobby Girls, focusing on the origins of women in the police force with the establishment of the Women's Police Service (WPS). The trio of pioneering policewomen, Maggie Smyth, Annie Beckett and Poppy Davis are serving at Bethnal Green Police Station, where they have become mostly accepted as their successes are recognised after overcoming the initial hostility their presence generated. It is 1915, and Annie is in the midst of wedding preparations after her soldier fiance, Richard's re-proposal. She could not be happier as she awaits Richard's return, only for her world to be shattered into tiny pieces when she receives the worst news imaginable. She sinks into a dark abyss of grief and depression, unable to function, refusing to see anyone, confining herself to her bed and bedroom, cocooned in her parents home.

She can't even face seeing Maggie and Poppy, as the weight just falls off her body, until she receives a visitor who begins to open her eyes to the fact that she cannot continue like this. So Annie returns to work just as they are transferred to Holborn, having to once again establish their credibility amongst the male officers at the station, where Chief Police Constable Green offers no initial support or direction, telling them to just get on with it and to organise themselves and their work hours. The women do just that, familiarising themselves with their new domain, and proving to be worth their weight in gold almost immediately, despite having no powers of arrest. They are able to diffuse situations where male officers find themselves in incendiary situations trying to arrest drunk and disorderly soldiers that the public treat as heroes. In the run up to Christmas, they help to handle the tricky situations of prostitutes seeking or being sought by soldiers, are there on the frontline emergency situations that arise in a London being bombed and hit by the deadly Zeppelin air raids, and come face to face with the dangerous and ruthless criminal menace of traffickers targeting vulnerable female refugees from Europe.

It is Annie that takes centre stage in this addition of Bell's series, Annie has come a long way from the person she used to be when she first joined the WPS. Being a Bobby Girl, and the close friendship and support of Maggie and Poppy, has helped to shape her into a strong and independent woman. She faces heavy knocks that devastate her, pushing into her into a heavy pit of grief, despair and depression. However, she slowly learns to understand that she still wants to live, although this does not stop her taking on the riskiest of investigations when she spots a figure from the past and vows to see that he gets his comeuppance. This is a wonderfully heartwarming and entertaining historical read that will appeal to many readers. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Book 3 follows on easily from the previous book.

You can feel that the friendship is special between Annie, Maggie and Poppy as the characters all gel together .

For Annie, it’s heartbreaking news that her fiancé has been killed, all through the book you can feel her sorrow. How she coped with all the I trials and tribulations of working In the Women’s Police service, was very well described.

Not giving the whole story away, but there are circumstances which make her face up to what she’s lost and help protect Maggie.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I felt and loved the way it was gently brought to a conclusion.

Recommend the series.

An emotional, warm, fabulous page-turner that takes readers into the run up to Christmas and Christmas Day itself. The Bobby Girls Christmas is book 3 in this series and it is a joy to catch up with The Bobby Girls lives again.

What a surprise and sheer delight to be invited by Hodder and Staughton to review The Bobby Girls Christmas. Thank you to Hodder and Staughton and Johanna Bell for this opportunity and for providing an e-book.

Full Review:

Such a delight to be back in 1915 with Annie, Maggie, Poppy and Irene, who are The Bobby Girls. Readers will first find them in London in a train station. It shows that some things never change with people hurrying out of the station without much of a care, but Maggie, Poppy and Annie are observant as they come across a soldier displaying some distress from the effects of war that could end up with a devastating result. In amongst the action and potentially dangerous situations, the blossoming friendship is still depicted with heartwarming joy and there is a wedding to still finish planning for one of the girls. There is high emotion that depicts the effects of war very well between Annie and Richard. It's powerful and meaningful and feels real.

The build up to the wedding is one of excitement and beauty until something so utterly devastating happens. The mix of emotions is there and because there's so much to like about the girls, readers will be pulled into this too. The emotion and love is shown in a letter by Richard that is beautifully and realistically composed and emotions of sheer grief and shock are there in abundance and are natural. The support they give each other is strong and meaningful and heartwarming. Instead of it all being nostalgic, there's something in this that society could take the goodness from and apply to today's times. Resilience is also shown and even when the worst possible things happen and emotions run high with grief, The Bobby Girls still manage a certain professionalism and tackle situtations as they arise, in a way that is believable

There is a lovely and very interesting look back at some of the rivalries and the history of the WPV - Women Voluntary Patrol that fits in well with the plot, that then also explores The Foundling Hospital and its purpose. Moving around London shows some great places and then in the calm, Zepplins appear in the sky and the girls have to summon up all their courage to stay calm and to direct people to places of safety as the turmoil, confusion and casualties unfolds. There's also a mention of a battle that was also going on between Serbia and Bulgaria.

The book may be set during World War 1, but shows that certain things, perhaps, for now, never change as it highlights human trafficking and the girls want them behind bars before Christmas. It puts a different slant on a run-up to Christmas story with dangerous men and then the prostitutes who are needed to be allies; so whilst most people think about presents and decorations etc, The Bobby Girls are hard at it at work. The atmosphere all becomes tense and it's quite the page-turner. There is a touch of sadness that turns into some hope where Poppy is concerned about perceptions on life.

It all culminates in a Christmas Day that many people will be able to empathise with and relate to, which creates yet another fabulous book about The Bobby Girls that easily holds attention, even in the most challenging of times.

This was a lovely addition to the previous Bobby girls books. A raw, sometimes emotional story, well worth reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review, I will be putting this review on Amazon too.

A lovely addition to the collection! This time around the 3 girls are police volunteers whilst the war rages on. Some very challenging times come ahead and creates set backs in both profession and personal lives. The write keeps you entertained throughout, so I highly recommend this book! I adore historical fictional novels and this book and series are certainly well regarded in my eyes.

Christmas with the Bobbie girls by Johanna Bell is the third in the Bobby girl’s series.
Once again, we meet Annie, Maggie, and Poppy at the WPS. The girls are still dealing with the drunken soldiers and the Prostitute’s, keeping them all on the in line. The shifts are not easy but, rewarding if they can make a difference to the women lives.
Annie is preparing for her wedding and her fiancé Richard is always in her thoughts. He is a soldier fighting the war. She can’t wait until he comes home to be his wife but tragedy strikes when instead of Richard arriving on her wedding day, a fellow soldiers arrives at the door telling her that he is dead and gives her a letter of his last dying words.
She then spends the next few weeks she spends grieving but, the other Bobby Girls come to visit and tells her its time to get back to the WPS. She agrees but not back to Bethnal green. Because of their hard work they have been transferred to Holborn. Annie then gets stuck into the work even putting her own life in danger in the process with Richard always in her thoughts spurring her on.
Thanks Hodder and Stoughton and Netgallley for a copy of this book. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed this about the girls in the WPS. How they had to prove to men how hard they can work, and they can do work as the same as men or even better. I loved the characters, especially Annie. I felt sorry for her that her grief spurred her on to do what she did but not caring about herself. But I am glad that things turned out good in the end.

Thanks to Net Galley for granting the issue of this book in return for an honest review. This is book 3 and follows on easily from the previous book - whereas sometimes I find it hard to pick up where I left, on this occasion it was a joy to return to the Bobby girls. The characters all gel together and you can feel the friendship is special between Annie Maggie and Poppy.

Annie faces heartbreaking news that her fiancé has been killed and throughout the book you feel her sorrow - I feel this was described well how she coped despite the trials and tribulations of working In the Women’s Police service. I don’t like to give the story away but circumstances force her to face up to her loss and help protect Maggie.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and what I love the most is that it is gently brought to a conclusion rather than being left Mid air - I’m sure the next book will be just as good.