I’ve absolutely adored the first two books about Emmy Lake and her life as an agony aunt working for Woman’s Friend magazine during World War 2 so I was over the moon to receive this latest instalment in her life.
It’s now 1943 and Emmy is house sharing with her best friend Bunty in Pimlico and working for Guy, her brother in law and chief editor of Woman’s Friend. Her husband, Guy’s brother Charles is fighting overseas and she tries to keep cheerful whilst waiting for letters from him.
When the magazine’s owner dies and his niece, Mrs Porter, takes over as owner, Emmy and Guy realise there might be a few changes. At first Mrs Porter seems ok if rather effusive and over the top but it soon becomes clear that she envisions major changes at the magazine and not all for the good.
As well as coping with work problems, Emmy decides to invite her friend, Thelma and her 3 young children to live with them as they are trying to get by in very poor accommodation.
Emmy spends her days helping her readers to overcome some major problems but in this book she must overcome some terrible war related issues of her own. Although some of the book is very light hearted there are some sections which are incredibly serious and very heartbreaking.
It examines the life of women on the home front and describes some awful things that happen to them during a time of war. No one is exempt including Emmy, Bunty and Thelma.
This is a lovely book which really held my attention and made me think what life must have been like during those very dark days of War. Emmy, Bunty and Thelma are wonderful, well rounded characters, young women making the most of life in very difficult situations.
I really hope that the author sees fit to write another book about Emmy, Bunty and all the other characters we as readers have grown to love.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for my advance copy.

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?

Book 1 & 2 didn’t disappoint and neither did book 3! More please!

Delightful first chapter. Just as I expected as I thoroughly enjoyed the previous two books. Looking forward to read the complete work.

I enjoyed the first two books in AJ Pearce's Mrs Bird series and was thrilled to see a third in the offing, meaning we get to visit all those fabulous characters again!
War-torn Britain is both a devastatingly sad place, as well as one filled with hope. This comes across in Mrs Porter Calling, where Emmy continues her journey with Woman's Friend magazine.
The arrival of Mrs Porter, the new 'boss', causes a stir. Their beloved magazine goes from one loved and read by women who can relate to every article to something akin to a third-rate Vogue or another society magazine.
Of course, the story doesn't revolve solely around the magazine but also Emmy's personal life as she navigates early marriage with her husband stationed abroad, living with her best friend Bunty, and a new set of housemates.
There is tragedy, but how it is dealt with still brings hope to the reader.
A lovely addition to the series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this little taste of the new book. Lovely to see familiar characters and settings. I can’t wait for the full book to come out now!

EDITED I’ve now read the full book and can confirm that it’s wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was funny and warm and just lovely. There are some sad parts but that just adds to the richness of the story.

Oh I was so excited to read this taster of AJ Pearce’s new book. I have so enjoyed the first two books featuring Emmy, I don’t know how AJ managed to evoke the war years so effectively, but she does, it’s another charming and beautifully written chapter in these wonderful lives and I simply can’t wait to read it when it is published in June. Get pre ordering people.

Edit: I have now been lucky enough to read the full book and it is wonderful, possibly the best one yet. It’s so eye opening about the reality of living with the War. The way of life tallies with my grandmother’s tales of the war; she would have been about the age that Emmy is .

This is a book about hope, love, friendship, sadness and most of all, it takes you right to the world of a 1943 London.

Such a good read! You must read it.

Having read the first 2 Emmy Lake books I was excited to read this one and it didn't disappoint.
It's absolutely brilliant although sad in places. We continue to follow Emmy and Bunty as they navigate the war and the challenges it throws up. As I said in my review of book 2 (Yours Cheerfully) I love that this series approaches the war from a different perspective, not only through Emmy and Bunty's lives but through the work Emmy does at Woman's Friend.
I hope there is a fourth book in this series as I want to be able to follow Emmy and Bunty to the end of the war, their story doesn't feel complete just yet.

Another absolute win for @ajpearcewrites and the third entry in her Emmy Lake Chronicles series. This book – and the entire series – is instant sunshine on a cloudy day. I have absolutely fallen in love with the charming and irresistible cast of characters who are navigating life in the British home front during World War II with courage, determination, and fierce love for one another.

The serious subject matter laced with humor and good fun is definitely my cup of tea. I give the entire series my highest recommendations.

This is an easy pre-order decision, my friends. And go ahead and get your hands on the first two in the series so you’ll be ready. Start with 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥 then 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺.

My thanks to @panmacmillan and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

Eagerly anticipated and very much enjoyed. Now very much hoping there will be a fourth instalment of life with Emmy and co

The third instalment of the Emmy Lake chronicles - I've read and really enjoyed the first two - continues the wartime story of Emmy, her friends and her job at Woman's Friend magazine. Emmy's now been married to Charles for over a year, but they've barely seen each other in that time, what with the whole war business going on.

Mrs Cressida Porter ("everyone calls me Egg!") is the magazine's new owner, following the death of her uncle, Lord Overton. The glamorous, apparently delightful Mrs Porter knows little if anything about magazine publishing, but has plenty of ideas for "tiny, tiny changes" to Woman's Friend.... Rather than addressing the concerns and interests of readers, as the existing staff are dedicated to doing, Mrs Porter instead wants to fill the magazine with dresses from Harrods, society weddings, and pictures of her dog. All much to the dismay of Emmy, editor Guy Collins, and indeed the readers.

To begin with, Mrs Porter didn't seem *that* bad - a bit shallow and silly - but her true monstrousness soon became apparent, turning her into a proper antagonist for our heroes.

Meanwhile, at home in Pimlico, Emmy is house-sharing with best friend Bunty, and it's not long before another friend, Thelma, and her three children are also living there, the presence of the children adding an extra dimension to the story.

An excellent read and I look forward to the next in the series. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Great first chapter, can't wait to read the rest! Anyone who enjoyed Dear Mrs Bird will also enjoy this.

I was suprised to see this was only the first chapter but as I havent read the first two in this series I guess that doesnt matter. From reading the chapter I think I will definately have to pick up the first two books now as I am really intrigued.

I thank Netgalley and the publisher for the first chapter of Mrs Porter calling. I didn't realise at the time that it was the first chapter of the third book in the series. I can honestly say I have not read any of the previous books. But I found this to be a good first chapter set in the 1940's and although I have not read any of the previous it was easy to get engrossed in the story. and I can't wait to delve into the other books. I really enjoyed it. 4 stars from me.

Emmy and Bunty are working for The Women’s friend magazine. The magazine is thriving. But when Mrs Porter inherits it. She wants to make changes that threaten the magazine reader and subscribers and Emmy, Bunty and Charles devise a plan to stop the magazine from going under.

Mrs Porters calling is the third book and continues the story of Emmy and Bunty. I am excited to receive the full advanced copy. This is an atmospheric WW11 story based in London, good storyline, great characters and I loved the style of writing, and it was quite humorous too. The only problem that I had was because I hadn’t read the previous two books in the series, I couldn’t connect with the story fully as I don’t know their full backstory. 4 stars from me.

Thoroughly promising start returning with the wonderfully old-fashioned delightful style and characters we've come to expect. Look forward to reding the whole book

I'm really excited for this book. I've loved the other books in the series and I just adore Emmy Lake.

A great first chapter and I can't wait to read more.

So excited for this book! The first chapter was brilliant and I love the writing so much. Emmy Lake is one of my favourite characters. I can’t wait to read more.

I adore the Dear Mrs Bird books and was thrilled to get then chance to read the first chapterof Mrs Porter Calling. A wonderful first chapter, I look forward to reading more of Emmy and Bunty.

It was just the first chapter but it reminded me how much I love these books. Looking forward to the full book being published in May and it will go straight to the top of my TBR

The excerpt was really great. All I can say is I badly wish it was the whole thing because it has left me longing for more. And I can’t bear to wait

Very sadly for me this was only the first chapter of the book. I can't explain how excited I was when I thought I was going to get to read the whole of the third book about Emmy but alas all I got was one chapter.

Of course, Ms Pearce writes like a dream and her characters are wonderful, so it was a blissful first chapter - but I now have to wait til the book comes out!