Well A J Pearce has done it again, what a wonderful instalment in the Emmy Lake series, but boy is the author brutal at times. Quite possibly the perfect uplit to immerse yourself in.
Emmy Lake is working for Woman's Friend, writing replies to readers problems, but all is not going well. The owner of the publishers has passed away and left the magazine to his nice Mrs Porter and let's just say, she is not the best at working/knowing what works.
Emmy with her can do attitude and her work colleagues/friends rally round and hope to just keep getting on with it, but Mrs Porter sure knows how to stick the knife in.
A wonderful story of friendship, of helping each other and of staying positive.
Loved, loved, loved it.

This is the third book in the series featuring Emmy Lake. It can be read as a standalone novel.

I loved the first book, I felt the second book dragged in places, but I can say that with the third book the author has won me over. A charming story, although not without a few tears being shed.

Emmy continues to work at the magazine as in the previous two books, answering letters in war time on various subjects. Everything is going along swimmingly when the magazine is inherited by a socialite. At first it seems she is harmless enough but then she begins to entertain ideas of her own making should feature in the magazine. Out of touch with working people in war time she even suggests "everyone has a sixpence to spare" and to feature more expensive fashions..

I disliked the character Mrs Porter enourmously and was hoping that she wouldn't undue all the wonderful work that had been done previously at the magazine. In the main all the characters in the book are "good sorts" so it somes as a shock to find Mrs Porter in amongst them. I'll leave you to find out what happens, but it was a fabulous read.

I absolutely loved the first two books in the Emmy Lake series (Dear Mrs Bird and Yours Cheerfully) so I was straight in there when I saw the third, Mrs Porter Calling, was coming out.

Once again AJ Pearce hit the sweet, wholesome mark with her third book, and it's just as delightfully easy and enjoyable as the first two.

There are lots of twists and turns, and it's chock full of heartwarming moments - as well as a few war-time heart-breaking realities. You'll love the characters and the good giggles the book gives throughout.

The best way I can describe this book, and the Emmy Lake series in itself, is just completely harmless and wholesome. Is it a ground-breaking, heart racing read; no, but it doesn't pretend or need to be. Embrace it for the gentle loveliness that it is.

First Chapter Feedback:
I love the Emmy Lake Chronicles by AJ Pearce and this sample chapter for the third book has already made me eager to read the novel. It's wonderful see the familiar names getting ready to return. I look forward to seeing them take on their next challenge.

Complete Novel Feedback:
“Running a magazine is all A Bit Mis, but we’re the dullards who enjoy it, so just leave it to us.”

Emmy Lake is the much-loved agony aunt at Woman’s Friend magazine, relied upon by readers across the country as they face the challenges of life on the Home Front. With the problem page thriving and a team of fantastic women behind her, Emmy finally feels she is Doing Her Bit.

But when a glamorous new owner arrives, everything changes. As the Honourable Mrs Porter tries to charm her way around the rest of the team, Emmy realises that she plans to destroy everything readers love about the magazine.

With happiness quickly turning to heartbreak, and war still raging in Europe, will Emmy and her friends find the inner strength they need to keep keeping on – and save the magazine they love?

In this third part of the series, AJ Pearce brings another impossible challenge for Emmy and the team at Woman’s Friend. We learn a little more about Bunty, Emmy’s dearest friend, and are introduced to some lovely new characters. And, as always, Guy remains my absolute favourite.

I love how the author infuses humour to puncture the air of melancholy and spread sunshine in an otherwise grey world. The will and determination of these women supporting women and the power of friendships is awe-inspiring.

Powerful, heart-warming and compelling, this feel-good adventure overwhelmed me with emotion. There is no doubt the series only gets better with every book and I don’t want it to ever end. It would be like losing a best friend.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Pan Macmillan.

The third book continues this wartime tale in a series that just gets better and better!

With the war continuing, Emmy Lake is proud of her work in the magazine; as the agony aunt she works hard to provide useful answers to the women who write to her as they have no-one else to turn to. With that and her shifts at the fire station, she is doing her bit. However, when the magazine owner dies and his niece inherits, things change. The new owner decides to take more of a hand in the day to day running and despite her initial friendliness, it doesn't take long for Emmy to realise that their best interests are not being looked after and the staff will have to fight for the magazine they love.

I have loved this series from the very first and it's great to see how far Emmy has come. Everyone does so much during the war and there is rarely a moment just for themselves. I feel as if I got to know Emmy's colleagues and friends so much better in this third novel. There is so much going on and I admit to shedding a few tears along the way. Another excellent book from A. J. Pearce, beautifully written and I can't wait for the next one. Easily meriting all five sparkly stars and my highest recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Another cracker of a book from AJ Pearce!

Whilst bombs continue to fall across the nation, and men are still far away overseas, Emmy and her friends and colleagues must pull together to save Woman's Friend from its new owner, Mrs Porter.

The third book in this series is just as heartwarming and funny as the first two, but it might be the most heartbreaking yet. I challenge you to get to the end without both shedding a few tears and laughing out loud.

It is truly a testament to Pearce's skill that she creates characters so real I forget that I can't invite them round for tea. Which is a great shame because I would LOVE to spend some time with this gang.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is the 3rd in the series featuring Emmy Lake but could easily be read as a standalone. I enjoyed this every bit as much as the other two.

Recommended.

The third novel in a lovely series from AJ Pearce.

I enjoyed catching up with Emmy and her friends as they battle Mrs Porter who is trying to take their beloved magazine in a very different direction.

This instalment sees Emmy’s friend Thelma moving into the flat upstairs with her three children and they all get involved in saving the magazine.

This is a well written book highlighting the day to day problems of women in WW2.

I really enjoyed reading it and thank Net Galley, AJ Pearce and Pan McMillan/Picador for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

A mostly jolly story about a group of workers trying to save the traditional womens magazine they work for when a rich new owner tries to make changes that could well destroy it. There is a lot of gentle humour at its heart, but there is tragedy too, as perhaps there has to be in a wartime setting. Emmy is a likeable character, with a big group of friends around her, but somehow I did not enjoy the book quite as much as the first two.

Emmy and Bunty are back in smashing form in Dear Mrs Porter, the third volume in the Emmy Lake Chronicles by A J Pearce. Emmy is the very successful agony aunt at Women’s Friend Magazine, helping her readers navigate the challenges of life on the home front. When the owner of the magazine dies and leaves the publication to his socialite niece, the much loved magazine and the team who write it are threatened. The story follows Emmy, her co-workers, and friends as they attempt to save the magazine they love and their jobs as war rages in Europe.

There are lots of twists and turns in this story, and plenty of heart warming and heart breaking moments. The characters are relatable and soon feel like old friends. It’s the kind of book that will make you laugh out loud, but be sure to have some tissues handy too.

I loved Dear Mrs Bird and Yours Cheerfully, the first two volumes in this series and Dear Mrs Porter is every bit as good. It's a book that could stand on its own if you have yet to read the first two volumes, but this warm, funny, and poignant tome is also a perfect compliment to them. I highly recommend it.

I love the writing of AJ Pearce! She is not the kind of writer I usually read. But I am so glad that I read her first novel, have loved the following two and am already dreading the day when she stops writing about Emmy and all her friends.

Pearce very deftly combines humour and lightness with the jarring drudgery and horrors of the Second World War. This is clearly a well-researched novel but it wears it lightly. (It’s a shame that Robert Harris couldn’t read Mrs Porter Calling before he wrote Munich!)

It is very rare that I am deeply affected by events in a novel, but I was by Mrs Porter Calling and I believe this to be a result of how well Pearce draws her characters and makes readers want the best for them.

Above all, Pearce shows the decency and kindness of people in difficult circumstances; a lesson which many people today would do well to heed.

The third book in the series. I just love how the characters from the previous books have been brought together to keep publishing the women's magazine during the war. A new owner, Mrs Porter, threatens everything they have worked so hard for.

Although most of the storyline is about the magazine, there are some heartbreaking moments about the war. But, with some heartwarming letters between Emmy and Charles and some belly laughs from the animals antics. It's really does have a balanced mixed bag of emotions. I'm already looking forward to book four.

The latest instalment of the Emmy Lakes series of books- this doesn’t disappoint! High society MRs Porter takes over the running of Peoples Friend magazine, along with many changes annd ideas, and Emmy now needs to find a way to keep her beloved magazine going. So well written, this is a beautiful feel good book full of highs and lows.

The problem with this sample chapter is that it is a sample chapter and to tease me with Emmy and Bunty then not release the book till next year is mean.
Yes I knew it was only a chapter but I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed the other two books.


Edit- I have now received and read ( well devoured ) the full book and it was delightful. Life is better with Emmy and Bunty.

Mrs Porter Calling is the third book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles series by British author, AJ Pearce. Emmy Lake has been married for over a year to Charles Mayhew, but misses him terribly: like so many husbands, he’s away fighting. She continues to live with her best friend, Bunty, and they share her grandmother’s Pimlico house with needy women.

But now the top flat is free, while their friend Thelma is in an awful damp flat with her three children. It seems the perfect solution: a nice flat and a back garden for the children; sharing cooking, chores and ration coupons, and good company. Soon they have former army bomb squad Captain Harold Thomas, who has a gentle eye on Bunty, rebuilding the dilapidated back shed.

At Woman’s Friend, major changes: Lord Overton’s death sees his niece, the Hon Mrs Cressida Porter becoming owner and publisher. And while her fluffy persona initially wins over staff with charm and sweets, editor Guy Collins is wary. It’s quickly clear that Mrs Porter (call me Egg) isn’t as daft as she seems.

Beguiling, rich and frivolous, she has ideas of her own about the magazine, and Emmy is dismayed to find they include cutting just about everything that readers love about their publication, things Mrs Porter regards as “A Bit Mis”. She wants prettier models, less ugly babies, evening frocks, and fancier recipes. Is she trying to turn it into a society magazine?

Guy Collins is having to tread a fine diplomatic line between sustaining what they have seen as the magazine’s raison d’etre, being a voice for the reader, and pleasing a superficial, demanding owner and her snooty 2IC. Emmy despairs at the idea of culling the readers letters to Yours Cheerfully to include only the “cheerier problems”; she’s told that the war work articles need feature less dreary careers; and readers’ own contributions, Woman’s Friend to Friend, will be heavily cut to allow room for Mrs Porter’s own column.

Worse still, Mrs Porter thinks she’s doing Emmy a huge favour by sending her out to interview wealthy brides-to-be about their society weddings. As the months progress, Guy concedes that he may have underestimated their new publisher. His valiant attempts to preserve their important connection with the readers, by cajoling, negotiating, flattering, and in the end, more or less begging Mrs Porter, are to no avail. Emmy is shocked to find him on the point of giving up.

Their cleverly contrived three-point plan to curb Mrs Porter’s more radical changes unfortunately works too well, in a direction that Guy and Emma hadn’t anticipated. Can they rescue Woman’s Friend and her loyal staff from a terrible fate?

An audacious plan born of a casual remark gets the staff enthused about potential salvation, but before that can get off the ground, the war intervenes and a tragic loss sees Emmy facing a bewildering challenge that takes precedence over Woman’s Friend.

This instalment features guinea pigs, chickens and ducks, a very spoilt dog with a discerning bite, a traitorous staff member, a budding romance (or two), and some very brave children. Pearce’s portrayal of life and its challenges during war demonstrates her thorough research.

Pearce easily captures her era and setting, her characters are endearing, and the plot is realistic. While most issues seem to be neatly wrapped up, more of this engaging cast is most definitely welcome. This is heart-warming and uplifting historical fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Picador.

I was granted a taster of the first chapter of Mrs Porter Calling which is the third in this series of books which began with Dear Mrs Bird. Fans of the series will not be disappointed as it carries on with the same tone, atmosphere and humour as the previous books and promises to be a lovely read.

I mostly judge a book by it’s first line and Mrs Porter Calling had me hooked straight away “Margaret and I had been tap-dancing in the garden for nearly 20 minutes”, from that line I knew it was going to be a charming read.
Set in 1940s London, it’s the third book in Emmy Lake Chronicles, with the return of Emmy and her pals.
Emmy is still working as the Readers & Advice Editor at the Woman’s Friend Magazine.
When the current owner of the magazine Lord Overton dies, he bequeaths the magazine to his socialite niece, the honourable Cressida Porter.
The first new owner in it’s 48 year history comes as a shock, described as ‘a Lancaster bomber in a hat’ she is a formidable character who is trying to make major changes to the magazine, which causes calamity and mayhem among the current workforce.
Love the bright and breezy style of writing.
I hadn’t read the first two books in the series and easily gelled with the main characters - Emmy, Bunty and all the staff at the magazine felt like old friends
Perfect pick me up, feel good read and you’ll be cheering for Emmy as she keeps going until all hope is lost.
Thanks @ajpearcewrites @picadorbooks & @netgalley for the eARC

The third installment of Emmy Lake’s story did not disappoint. The friendships between the characters and their tenacity living in London during WWII continue to be the strengths of the series and what keeps me engaged and excited to read. The historical details about life in that time and place show the thoughtful research that went into writing and give the reader a chance to further imagine what it was like for those who lived through WWII.

While the situations in the book have a depth and seriousness appropriate to the events of the time, Pearce manages to keep a hopeful tone to the story through the first-person narration. It makes the book an enjoyable read while continuing to be an interesting story full of wonderful characters that you root for the whole time. I’m already looking forward to reading more.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A delight from start to finish, this is the third book in Emmy’s adventures. Beautifully written, with fantastic attention to detail, it’s well researched & hard to put down. I confess to shedding the odd tear during it, but my overall feeling having finished the novel is to #bemoreemmy. I loved it.

This was a delight from start to finish. AJ Pearce has a lovely writing voice and the characters shine.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.