I was immediately back in the world of Emmy and Bunty and their friends from the first page. The book continues in the same charming style of the previous novels but I feel it could read without having read the previous books in the series. When Mrs Porter inherits Woman's Friend Magazine she appears to be very charming and respectful of the magazine and its employees, very soon though she makes her presence felt in a very demanding way. Everything the team had worked so hard for, helping readers and offering support is at risk on the whim of the not so honorable lady.

I adore the relationships in the book especially Emmy and Bunty, it doesnt shy away from the horror of the war as they struggle with stretching food and doing their bit for the war effort but their love for each other is joyful. I always learn so much from these books like the details about London Zoo and what happened to the animals and the terrible tragedy in Sussex. I fond myself doing a bit of research after reading wanting to know more. I thoroghly enjoyed reading this book and hope the series continues on until the end of the war and beyond.

I was so thrilled to be given the chance to read an eARC of this book and be quickly immersed once more into the lives of Emmy, Gus, Bunty et al and yet again I was completely enthralled by the characters, the storyline and even the insurmountable Mrs Porter. I read this over a few days, and I truly felt like I was there once more, in 1940's London surrounded by such a wonderful cast of characters and friends.

I urge you to pre-order this book now and if you haven't already read Dear Mrs Bird and Yours Cheerfully, then go do that first so you can be completely immersed in Emmy's world, just like I have been.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing on 25 May with Pan Macmillan, Mrs Porter Calling is the third instalment of AJ Pearce’s much-loved Emmy Lake Chronicles, preceded by Dear Mrs Bird (2018) and Yours Cheerfully (2021). This chapter in the story of Emmy Lake, writer for Woman’s Friend magazine and head of the problems page, sees her newly married and moved in with two of her best friends in 1943. Lord Overton, benefactor of the magazine for many years, has passed away and left the ownership and running of things to his niece, the glamorous Honourable Mrs Porter. All seems to run smoothly at first, until it seems that Mrs Porter may not be as honourable as her title suggests.

One resounding opinion held by many about these books is that they get better and better each time. Dear Mrs Bird was an enjoyable read, but took its time ramping up and developing its characters. Yours Cheerfully took the series to five stars and continued the character development seen near Mrs Bird’s conclusion. Mrs Porter Calling, it can be joyfully confirmed, has broken the sequel’s glass ceiling and sailed even further. It perfects the art of having a protagonist you love to loathe – which is what contributes to making this the kind of book you’ll want to speed through in two days.

It also speaks to modern issues just as poignantly as Yours Cheerfully – where much of the conflict in that book revolved around inadequate support for working mothers, Mrs Porter Calling looks at what happens when Emmy and her team are being commandeered by somebody woefully out of touch, both with Woman’s Friend’s readership and with the world in general. She wants the magazine to become about fancy fashion, lavish weddings and dinners at the savoy – never mind that readers have been wearing and repairing the same clothes for years even before the war, and can barely get their hands on meat and eggs.
That may be what gives these books their power – the overarching theme is not of the unpleasant people we have to deal with in life, but of the real struggles that ordinary people are enduring, and how they should not be wilfully ignored. Emmy and her coworkers really care about every woman who writes into the magazine, and go above and beyond for them, even when there are so many letters they can fill rooms with them. Nobody is ignored or forgotten.

This book is also, perhaps, the biggest tearjerker of the series so far. It has the most poignant meditations on grief out of the three, and it speaks well of Pearce’s writing that, in a series set during a war, in which loss has happened in every book, it brings fresh tears to the eyes every time. Just as the characters have largely become desensitised to such goings-on, one might worry readers had been to – not so.

The only criticism – or ‘tiny idea’, as Mrs Porter might call it – for this book is that some much-loved characters aren’t present as much as it might be preferred. Charles, Emmy’s husband, is particularly missed – and more letters from him, at least, would be nice. (And without giving too much away…I really did expect a bit more focus on poor Enid Smith!)

It's April 1943 and it's Emmy's twenty-fifth birthday. She is surrounded by her dearest friends and whilst the atmosphere is jolly with the wonderful addition of a Victoria Sponge (it is wartime after all, so this is a HUGE treat) she is, of course, missing her husband Charles dearly and hopes for his safe return soon...

Other than her heart aching for Charles' return, things are going quite swimmingly with her success at work and her shifts at the fire station. Emmy and all her friends are getting stuck in with the war efforts and doing their best!

But, there is a spanner in the works... following the passing of Lord Overton, Woman's Friend is getting a new publisher! When Mrs Porter first arrives everyone is swept up by her charm, glamour and the compliments she showers over the entire team, but soon after things begin to change and not just the new addition of an extravagant office for madam... Oh no, Mrs Porter has a new vision for the magasine from changing out all the current columns to attracting a different audience. How on earth will Emmy and Guy; the editor of Woman's Friend and also Emmy's brother-in-law, be able to juggle Mrs Porter's increasing demands and not upset and lose all their loyal customers? It's going to be tricky that's for sure!

I've said it for Dear Mrs Bird and Yours Cheerfully but I'll say it again, this series is full of the most wonderful characters! I love the kindness that radiates from Emmy and her best friend, Bunty and when they offer for Thelma and her kids to come and live with them... well the whole house is just full of cheerfulness, spirit and better cooking (thanks to Thelma!).

Emmy, is of course, my favourite character - she's so determined and forever pushing herself to make things right and help others. Her kindness in handling delicate situations will warm your heart, but don't be fooled, she's a force to be reckoned with when she's handling a difficult character... *coughs* Mrs Porter *coughs*!

The way Pearce writes is so special, her words are filled with warmth and capture both the happy times and the sadness that war time brings. The upbeat matter and chin up attitude left me cheery for the rest of the day even though I wasn't dealing with rations, air raids and the long waits to hear from loved ones!

I absolutely ADORED this book and would recommend it to all - it is utterly marvellous!

Mrs Porter Calling is the third novel in AJ Pearce’s series, The Emmy Lake Chronicles. I have to admit that I didn’t realise that the ARC only included the first few chapters of the book. I got happily stuck in to reacquainting myself with Emmy and her friends before the book abruptly stopped. This has never happened before and I was a little disappointed as I was enjoying the story – I’m more than happy to order a copy for myself when it’s published next month.

Dear Mrs Bird, Yours Cheerfully and Mrs Porter Calling make a great trio of books if you enjoy light-hearted historical fiction. Set in Second World War London, the main character Emmy Lake is a warm and engaging character, who has lots of adventures on her journey to become a journalist. I can’t help but read these books in a kind of Received Pronunciation kind of way. I’m sure Emmy would approve!

Intro: Initially reviewed a sample chapter (issued as a taster by the publishers some months ago!) - now happy to say I've read the full novel.

Having read the first two novels in this series, I was delighted to receive a review copy of this latest book. I think that you could read it as a standalone - but would recommend the first two novels anyway as they were both enjoyable reads.

Britain is still at war. Once again our heroine (Emmy) and her friends and colleagues are front and central to the plot, and we find out more about some of them. There are some very sad times in this novel however, so you may find you need a hanky and a cup of tea to hand!

This time our old friends are joined by several new characters, including "Mrs Porter" and her dog (who deserves to be classed as a character as he is rather eccentric!). Mrs Porter is not a nice person - though she seems to be initially! Her passive-aggressive behaviour gets worse as time goes by...

The magazine begins to reflect her self-centred attitude to life - totally against the ethos of the readers! Can our heroine and the staff of Woman's Friend save the day? You'll have to read this for yourself to find out!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

This is the third in the Emmy Lake series of books, where we rejoin Emmy and her friends and colleagues as World War 2 and magazine life continues.

Mrs Porter is a formidable foe as the new magazine owner, who is oblivious to what makes the Peoples Friend magazine the success it has become. Emmy and her colleagues take on the battle to try and keep the magazine going when Mrs Porter seems to be doing everything she can to bring about its demise.

This book is a delightful continuation of the series with its often lighthearted, but occasionally tragic, storyline. Ideally it is better to have read the previous books before starting this one to really immerse yourself in the storyline, but that is no hardship. This book brought joy to my life but also slightly broke my heart.

A lovely continuation of the story told in the first two novels but not enough in this preview to make me want to read the whole novel. Sad when I loved the first so much and was hooked from the first page, and found the second one equally enjoyable.

This is so much fun, and I just adored it. The third in the series following Emmy’s literary adventures and some more possibilities for Bunty, while the girls find themselves with some found family and new adventures with the magazine. The writing is very dense and there’s lots and lots going on, but Emmy’s voice is so distinctive and funny and rewarding, the plot gallops along. Emmy’s letters are so poignant, even with her chattiness and positivity.. The author really immerses us in that 1940s wartime London life. This is so good.

Start with the first one in the series, even though technically this is a standalone novel.

Thanks a million to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC, and I look forward to buying my own copy.

Another absolute smash hit from this series. Loved to see how Emmy and Bunty's lives have progressed and its a warm familiar feeling to be back with these ladies.

A great storyline, with some sub plots being equally endearing and thoughtful at this time of war. Did miss Charles but his letters kept me going!

Just lovely.

I loved this latest novel by A J Pearce. The war time years are conjured so well, and the characters are brought to life on the page. A J Pearce wields her research expertly, and it often didn't feel like a historical novel, as the story was written so well.
I loved Emmy Lake, and her struggles as an agony aunt at Woman's Friend magazine, The Honourable Mrs Cressida Porter plans to destroy everything Emmy has strived so hard to create at the magazine. But Emmy is not a heroine who gives up easily. Wonderful!.

"Woman’s Friend wasn't one thing or another. It felt rather like going to the greengrocer and finding potatoes and greens as normal, but next to them, an elaborate hat that cost fifty pounds while the lady behind the counter was dressed like Queen Mary and wanted to know if you were planning a holiday in Biarritz. You couldn't help wondering where the nice helpful man in the apron had gone. It was a mess.

Book three of the Emmy Lake series, set in 1940s London sees a new enemy - spoilt and privileged Mrs Porter, the new owner of buoyant Emmy's beloved 'Woman's Friend' magazine. With the return of many familiar characters and some new ones, including the titular Mrs Porter - described by editor Guy as 'like working with a Lancaster bomber in a hat'. The strains of wartime Britain, combing raids, missing men fighting abroad and rationing, combine with Emmy, Guy and the team at 'Woman's Friend' battling for the integrity and even the survival of their treasured magazine. Pacy and involving, there are moments of tragedy (I dare you not to bawl your eyes out at one particular event) and moments of pure joy, which make for an emotional and escapist read. I do hope there will be a book 4?!

This is the third book and just a good as the first two. Easy relaxing read with characters you can warm to. A tale of love, friendship, and perseverance.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I applied to read this book as I had previously read and enjoyed reading about Emmy’s life in the earlier two books. Book 3 we join Emmy, married to Charles who is now away at war, in her life working for Woman’s Friend magazine. Everything was going great at the magazine until the original owner passed away and his spoilt niece Mrs Porter inherits the magazine. She soon starts interfering in the much loved format and tries to make it more like a glossy magazine with expensive clothes, fancy weddings, etc that are of interest to her and cutting out anything which the magazine was loved for. There’s a bumpy ride in store for Emmy, her boss and brother-in-law Guy and their friends after this happens.

In other news Emmy is still living with her best friend Bunty who develops a new love interest in Harold, a previous friend and it’s nice to see Bunty happy again. Also their friend Thelma moves in with her 3 children whilst her husband is away at war,

There’s a few twists in the story, some laugh out loud moments and some tears.

I highly recommend this wonderful series of books.

Mrs Porter Calling is the third book in AJ Pearce's glorious series The Emmy Lake Chronicles. Readers may know of my regard for this series, which is set in the Second World War and features Emmy Lake and her friend Bunty, young girls trying to make their way through the war. Dear Mrs Bird was the first in the series, where Emmy takes it onto herself to answer letters sent into the Woman's Friend magazine problem page instead of the old battleaxe employed as an agony aunt. By the second book, Emmy is a roving reporter doing good deeds reporting on war work and encouraging women to do more themselves, and so we come to Mrs Porter Calling.

Emmy is established as the magazine's agony aunt and features reporter by now, and is a married woman to boot, despite her husband Charles being stationed away in North Africa. Since Charles was only ever a supporting character, I'm afraid to say we don't miss him (unlike Emmy, who does) but there's plenty going on to keep the reader occupied. The Mrs Porter of the title refers to the Woman's Friend's new owner, The Honourable Cressida Porter, who has been left the magazine by her uncle in an attempt to make her useful, I think. Like many members of the aristocracy, she is essentially useless and has ideas of her own to develop the magazine, but they're so far removed from reality, and especially the reality of the Woman's Friend readership trying to make it through the war, that the staff try and fail to keep the tone and service of the old style, and soon lose readers. With her job, and the wellbeing of her readers at stake, you might think there was enough to occupy Emmy, but as ever, the main relationship of the books is that of her and Bunty.

The two of them open their house to a friend with three children and a husband away at war, and Bunty has a developing relationship with Harold, old friend of her fiance Bill (killed in the first book). They also volunteer at the fire service and rescue some purloined chickens and all sorts goes on.

This series is absolutely charming and if you were so minded, you might say part of the tedious nostalgia that infects this country when it comes to talking about the war. BUT the Emmy Lake Chronicles do two things very well: first, it shows that the war years, far from being a marvellous thing we should be nostalgic about, were incredibly difficult, heartbreaking and painful for people who lived through them, and god knows we need a shot of reality into that conversation; and two, they pass the Bechdel test by some distance. These are real women with big concerns - making a living, having a fulfilling career, making and welcoming people into a home, wrestling with wartime, relationships with all people are discussed and explored. The books are masterpieces of real life, with characters you love and want to thrive against the odds.

Near the end, I got that feeling where you realise 'a big thing' was about to happen and braced myself for it, and lo and behold there it was. Just in case you thought things might work out ok all round. the series doesn't wrap everything up in a big tidy bow - there's plenty of mess and unresolved situations still there at the end, which contributes to the reality for me.

I love these books. And if AJ Pearce wants to give Emmy a rest and instead write the Guy Collins and Monica Edwards chronicles next, I am absolutely here for it.

Emmy Lake is not just popular with her friends and her new husband but also with the readers of Woman’s Friend magazine. Whilst her marriage is new and her husband is far away fighting the war, her love of the magazine is keeping Emmy and all her friends going.

But everything is about to change when Mrs Porter comes calling.

Mrs Porter is the new publisher, niece of the former one and is a well known socialite and purveyor of all things glamorous and shiny, the war it seems has not inconvenienced Mrs Porter in anyway at all.

Now with what she sees as a chance to do her bit, Mrs Porter decides to refresh Woman’s Friend magazine.

Gone are the tips on making meals, gardening, making do and mending and the advice column of Yours Cheerfully, which Emmy is now fully in charge. Now we have glamour and an abundance of it filling the pages. The magazine is no longer the friends it used to be but Emmy and her colleagues try their hardest to remind all their readers that they are thinking of them in such difficult times.

Whilst all of this is going on Emmy still continues her volunteer shifts at the Fire Service and finds that filling the house she shares with Bunty is going to be fuller when Thelma and her three children move in and they pool all their resources to create a home.

It might be 1943, but war is still very much in the minds of all the characters and the author weaves together the domestic home front, with the war far away from British shores and the impact it has in between to everyone, whether they be young or old. This book I think is the best in the series so far, and the first two were pretty awesome. I laughed with the antics of the children, the bull dozer approach that Mrs Porter had as well as cried at the tragedy of something unravelling and everything you knew and love suddenly changing.

I hope that I can pick up with Emmy again as I so dearly want to come back and see my friends.

Each book gets better than the last. I am always anxious to dive back into the world of AJ Pearce. Emmy and her gang are so loveable and the stories are so heartwarming, but still real and powerful. True stories of love, friendship, and perseverance.

Mrs Porter Calling was the perfect addition to the Emmy Lake chronicles - I immensely enjoyed the first two books in the series and this one just as much. It was full of humour, sorrow, grief, grit and determination. I loved the style of writing and language, it took me right back to the 1940’s.
Thank you for the ARC, 5 🌟 for this one!

Possible spoilers

3.5 stars

I understand the whole point of Mrs Porter was to be irritating, but for me, she was TOO irritating, and I couldn't get past the pages she was on quickly enough.
That aside, it was marvellous to be back with Emmy and Guy and Bunty.
They exude a lovely warm feeling, that no matter what else is happening in the world, here is a family.
A little bit emotional at times, it's a great installment into what I hope is going to be a very long running series.

I was delighted to be able to read the continuation of the story of Emmy Lake,her friend Bunty and the goings-on at the Woman’s Friend magazine during the Second World War.It’s warm and funny ,but doesn’t hide the turmoil and trauma suffered because of the war.
Emmy and Bunty are joined at home by a friend,Thelma, and her three children ,and this changes life for the two women.In addition,Woman’s Friend is taken over by the awful MRs Porter,who wants to change everything about the magazine she thinks is ‘all a bit Mis’.
This book will appeal to all those who enjoyed the first two books in the series ,although it could also be read as a stand alone novel. I hope the story will continue to the end of the war!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.