A really enjoyable wartime fiction read. A genre I have started to read more of. I’ve already bought a physical copy to give to my aunt

Third in this series featuring the Dover Cafe during World War Two. Familiar characters and some new ones,great to catch up with them all. Heartwarming drama.

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This book is the third in the series about the Dover cafe, and ideally you should read the other 2 first. That is because when you approach this book you find hat the author has provided you with a cast of (thousands) characters who will make appearances in the story.
This cast consists of:
44 characters, plus some dead, plus a parrot, and is divided up into Nellie and Donald who had 7 children plus a parrot; Jasper, Hester, The Turner's Grocery 3; The Perkins Fish 3 plus 1 dead - important person; 2 at the Bakery; 4 plus a baby at the Royal Oak; 2 plus 1 at Pearson's and then 18 others!
This cast could put you off reading, and it is true that initially I was very dubious whether or not I could keep track of them as I started reading, and it took me to over a quarter of a way through before I could decide whether to continue or to abandon. In the end I finished the book. And thruthfully, there is more than enough drama to keep the series going for a good few more books, especially as we are very early into WW2.
All the above makes this a complex book to read as a standalone, but I found my self more and more interested in the story as I read on. It is very much a story of the working people of Dover and their very difficult lives. The war complicates things of course with death and destruction, bombs falling and of course, Dover was a high priority target for the Luftwaffe due to its strategic significance. But the people of Dover do seem to have a complicated family life too. And you will find them struggling with all the same types of issues as affect families in our era. Illegitimate babies; adultery; spies and crimes and more.
It is written in a simlpe style which very much reflects the lives described and the events that surrounds them - and they are characters of high drama personality wise! So if you like a good family drama or two, then read this book. If you like your stories simple, then don't.
!

When I first got this book I hadn’t realised it was the third book in the series I decided to get the other two books and read them in order. I’m so glad that I did. I loved the characters and following their lives during World War Two. Sometimes you just wanted to shake the characters. I loved the way Ginny wrote them they were very believable and I really enjoyed all the books.

Not as good as book 1. too many new characters introduced. list of characters list at the start of book. Everybody seemed to be arguing with each other

I just finished this. I Nellie, her family and friends such wonderful 'salt of the earth' characters. They get on with life despite everything the Nazisi and everyone else throws at them.

I felt for Nellie and her girls and Jimmy who seemed to have a lot to contend with, whereas Bert and his older brother seemed to get away with murder (not literally).

Thank you Ginny for a lovely book. I look forward to the next.

Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book held my interest from the first pages! The language used and the characters were so true to real life! Easy to conjure these people and the fixes they got into.

Many, many characters were introduced at the beginning of book, I raise my hand and confess to not reading this as felt I could quite easily become confused! Those who have read previous books will be glad to see some of the characters reappearing.

Lovely, easy read, great characters and many little stories within the main story. Would love to go to Devon and find this little cafe!

Absolutely love this new series by Ginny Bell & after reading the first two I couldn’t wait to read this third book.
I do love an historical WWII novel & the author has done a wonderful job with this entertaining well written story.
Although set in the war it is an easy enjoyable read with plenty of drama & emotional moments running through.
Many heart breaking secrets begin to unfold as they battle through the nightmare of being constantly under fire.
War brings out the worst & the best in peoples behaviour as the community come together.
Set in Dover this latest book finds Edie Castle’s life in complete turmoil when the garage she works as a mechanic at is damaged.
Her much loved boss & who she thinks the world of has been arrested with allegations of collaborating with the enemy.
She is desperate to clear his name & with the garage closed she has no choice but to return to her mother Nellie at Castles Cafe.
Living with her mother was never easy but tensions are fraught when an old friend of her mums come to stay after her home is damaged.
Meanwhile Edie searches out Bill her bosses nephew in a bid to help her clear her bosses name.
There is also much more going on as we catch up on the lives of the rest of the family & their friends.
I am thoroughly enjoying this lovely new series with its colourful entertaining characters there is never a dull moment.
I wait with anticipation for the next book in the series.

Dover cafe Book Series Book 3

Dover, 1940: As firebombs fell on Dover, Edie Castle's life is thrown into turmoil when the garage where she lives and works is damaged, and her beloved boss is arrested. With no job and nowhere else to go, Edie returns to Castle's cafe and her formidable mother, Nellie. Living with her mother is never easy, but tensions reach boiling point when an old friend of Nellie's arrives looking for a place to stay. Meanwhile, desperate to clear her boss's name, Edie turns to his nephew for help.

This is quite and enjoyable and easy book to read. Set during WWII, we learn of the Castle girl's trials and tribulations. The characters have been well fleshed out. You can tell the author had done her research of the era this book was written in. The storyline is easy to follow. It's also quite an emotional story as we learn of how horrendous lives could be during the war. Secrets are exposed. I seemed to have missed out on reading the second book in this series, but I will remedy that soon.

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

This is a light read, set during WW2 in Dover, an area of particular sensitivity because of the proximity to France and the Channel. Nellie Castle runs the Dover Cafe, with her huge brood of grown up children and Jasper, her friend. It is clear this is part of a series and the reader has to work a bit to establish who is whom and their relationships, as the various children are very different. There seemed really too many for the plot!

This story centres around Edie, who makes some astoundingly stupid choices in her life, but never actually takes responsibility for any. She works as a mechanic at a local garage, but her life takes a different turn when there is a fire at the garage, and the owner is injured. Enter Hester, an old 'friend' of her mother who has been bombed out and needs a home. There are plenty of clues set out and the reader soon works out what is happening, then waits for the characters to catch up.

Its an ok read, I wasn't blown away. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the Dover cafe under fire even though I haven’t read the first books, I found it hard to follow at times because of references to the previous books but still found it enjoyable, I am now going to read the first 2 books and will read this again to follow it properly. Great book.

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

I really enjoyed this book, the best one of the series so far I think.

In past books we’ve not read much about Edie and Nellie, who did not had a good relationship, but we don’t know why. This book, is mainly about them along with some other incidents happening in the town, together with targeted bombings.

Hester, who we briefly met in book one, is back in this one, but why has she come to see Nellie and how does she know Walter?

I recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Ginny Bell for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

I had read the previous books in the series and have, of course, read a few other books in the in between time and sometimes I struggled to follow who was who. So for anyone that had just joined the series it could be difficult to follow - or maybe it was easier - who knows?

However I enjoyed catching up with the characters - at times the book was harrowing - others the camaraderie between the people of Dover was uplifting. The main story between Nellie and her daughter Edie was so sad - and Edie had her own personal problems which seemed so common in the day. Edie had nightmares about her fathers suicide - which linked the terrible mental aftermath of WW1 with the hardships of the 20s and WW2 very well. - and her mother struggled with her own emotions about that time as well.
And then there was the lives and loves of Edie's brothers and sisters.

I enjoyed this book - there were one or two minor errors which I will add in the publishers notes.It was one of those books I would find myself picking up at odd times of the day

I hope we will return to the Dover cafe for more escapades from the family

Thank you again to all involved

This is the 3rd book in the series following the Castle family - this time the daughter Edie.
I adore books like this as I find them so easy to read but they still have plenty of excitement and drama! This was a very emotional story and had L kept me gripped to know what would happen next. I would definitely recommend this book

Thanks @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This competently written novel moves along at a good pace, keeping the reader's attention throughout. The story is set during WW2 and is part of a series of novels set in the same time period and location-Dover, in Kent, England. The author refers to a number of recognizable locations in the town, which adds to the book's air of authenticity. Similarly, the dialogues between the large cast of characters, focused around the Castle family, have a lively authenticity, and they also move the plot along effectively. One would have enjoyed more depth being given to some of the central characters, and a stronger sense of their inner lives, but for the general reader, the characters are sufficiently well drawn and differentiated to make the novel plausible. The central plotline of the story is about a number of newcomers to the town engaged in sabotage activities, as they are against the war and under the influence of Ernest Mosley's British Fascist movement. The love lives of the various Castle children-all young adults, and the mysterious death of the Castle father, Donald, prior to the outbreak of war, are also explored. I believe that this book is one that the general reader would enjoy, and perhaps also be moved to read further novels in the same series.

Five stars!!! This is definitely the most complex of the series so far, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Edie and Nellie have always had a rocky relationship and we never really understand why, this book centres very much around this aswell as some unexplained events within the town including targeted bombings.

We see Hester return after her cameo in Book 1, why has she turned up on Nellies doorstep all of a sudden and how does she seem to know the mysterious Walter.

Ginny Bell researches her books so well, interweaving some true events and people into her fictional stories.

Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the digital arc of this book, which I highly recommend!

I did not realise this was the third book of a series and found it confusing at times due to not knowing the back story of the characters. I would have no doubt enjoyed it more if I had read the previous two books,

The Castle family are entertaining, without doubt! Nellie being head of the household and always willing to help someone in need, an old acquaintance Hester comes along to take advantage of this.
Meanwhile Pearson’s garage is badly damaged by fire putting Eddie out of a job and also a home as she lived above it. Eddie decides to move back to the family home which is difficult for her as she has a strained relationship with her mother.
My favourite character is Jasper, he cares about everyone.

I love this series, this is book three in the Dover cafe series ww2 1941.
Edie Castle working at Pearson's garage visits her dads grave on his memory he dies in 1927 and there is a Hydrangea a single stem that means sorry who could it be? every year has been never been missed.
Her mum Nellie Castle has no good words about her father, and Edie still suffers nightmares about that fatal day. Her and her mum have never seen eye to eye and Nellie is though of in the community in Dover as war and is under fire, all around them it horrendous times for everyone.
Emotional story, with lots of heart-breaking secrets that we find as we read, that is so strongly written right to the end, this is the author's best work yet so be prepared for lots of sad chapters.