Lovely, easily read book about a community library in London during WW2. Plenty of characters, some amusing, others rude and obnoxious! Not too exciting but gives an idea of the rigours of war.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

Whilst I'm yet to read the first book in this series, I did find it easily reads as a standalone and previous events were easily picked up on.

I'm a huge fan of #hisfic and absolutely loved the book, it was about a library full of books after all!

It was the first I've read by McBride and I really liked her writing style. She encapsulated the harsh realities of a war ravaged London perfectly, her descriptions making it easy for the scenes to come alive from between the pages.

Whilst the library girls are all dealing with their individual problems, they still have a great sense of community and cameraderie towards others in need.

I found the book to be a highly enjoyable, heartwarmer of a read and eagerly await the next installment.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the series, I had been looking forward to this next instalment.
Whilst I love the characters, their spirit and the storylines; I enjoy how we learn more about life in the East end at the worst of times, enjoy is possibly the wrong word but this period fascinates me and no matter how much you read of the atrocities and how awful things were, you cannot helped but be moved by reading stories depicting how peoples lives were affected.
The book takes us through a year; and we see just how important the library was within the community. The characters are all brilliant, I love how they are so different but compliment each other. Each has their story to tell but are so dedicated their jobs. We have a fourth member of staff this time around, Tom, who is a welcome addition to the team. Whilst the concerns about his beliefs worry some, he is a great asset to the library and proves this time and time again.
Patricia McBride has created characters we truly care about and has delicately balanced the devastation and difficulties, written with great care, with heartfelt moments.
A brilliant read, and the fact it only spans one year gives me hope for further books in the series. I shall look forward to seeing the characters again and learning more about East End spirit.

With the war still raging the three friends Cordelia, Mavis and Jane are still determined to make a safe and welcoming community library where they all work tirelessly and they have a idea for a quilting to bring the community together. I am in love with this book because of the determination of the characters during the toughest of times. I am well and truly invested in what will become of these women as they feel like treasured friends. There are lots of different twists in the plot to keep it interesting and it's also informative history. There are new characters in this book and tragedy and joys to unravel. Once I started reading I could not stop until I got to the end and then I was disappointed because I don't yet have the next book in the series to continue! I feel all book lovers can relate to the book as who doesn't love a library!?

Another great book in the Library girls series. The 3 friends Cordelia,Jane and Mafia are still running the library.Cordelia is the chief librarian and finds herself without anywhere to live as it has been bombed. James husband returns from the war with a broken and Mafia is worried about a young girl she helped and is now in a children's home.This was a great reaf. Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books.

A thoroughly enjoyable WWII fiction set in the East End. This is book two in the series, but worked perfectly as a standalone book.

I really liked all the characters in this book. They had really lovely friendships, and I could imagine them being real.

The storyline was nice and gentle for the most part, with a few exciting moments which I won't spoil by mentioning them here. Sometimes a nice gentle book is exactly what's needed on a sunny Friday afternoon.

I'll definitely be going back to read the previous East End Library Girls book, and hope there'll be more in the future.

I love this series. The girls are a fantastic threesome, the book thief section of the book really made me chuckle and then a few chapters later I had a tear in my eye at the locket moment. Cordelia, Jane and Mavis are characters I never want to stop reading about, I feel this is a series that should never end.

#boldwoodblogtourreview

This story really portrayed the sense of community that was present at his time. The three main characters, Cordelia, Janet and Mavis, came from very different family backgrounds. This especially applied to Cordelia, who was from the aristocracy, although she didn’t tell of her background but was concerned with helping those around her in the East End of London. They all have their own problems concerning loved ones and each one’s story is told. This story did give me a warm feeling, that even in the darkest days, most people pulled together to help one another out. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own,

The second in the East End Library Girls series and a welcome return to Cordelia, Jane and Mavis. Since Cordelia arrived at the library, the three have become firm friends. This book continues where the first one left off and we follow the lives of the three women and how they are surviving the war. Houses are bombed, children are evacuated and soldiers are injured, but the three are resilient and manage to cope with whatever is thrown at them.

I loved catching up with these three again. Despite the harrowing circumstances of war, the book has a lovely warm feeling. I enjoy reading about life during the war, the difficulties with housing, finding food and not knowing from one day to the next what will happen. It makes us appreciate everything we have today. The library helped bring the community together and for those who were lonely, I can only imagine that this must have been a godsend.

Although the second in the series, this could be read as a standalone. However, the first one is so good, grab them both and enjoy the adventures of the East End girls. I hope this isn't the last we hear from Cordelia, Jane and Mavis.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review Hard Times for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. How hard the people had it during that difficult time makes you appreciate the life we live in now. Great bunch of girls and a great storyline.

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time with the three main characters, Cordelia, Jane and Mavis. Their personalities are developed further in this book, and by the time I had finished reading it I definitely felt as though these three women were my friends.

The author is a great story teller and has the skill to bring her characters alive on the page. She is also accomplished at creating a setting which is completely believable. It is a very engaging story with much to commend it and demonstrates the importance of friendship and community. I highly recommend it.

This is a sweet, gentle easy-to-read novel even though it’s set in the Blitz in London! It features three friends who work in the library in the East End who each struggle with large problems. There is Cordelia, the boss, who works there against the wishes of her wealthy aristocratic father and worries about her fiancee, Jane whose husband comes back with shell-shock and working-class Mavis who wants to adopt a child. Tom, the warm and friendly volunteer, also plays a part.

I found the scenes in the spiritualist church rather strange, though!

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

While World War II historical fiction that takes place away from the frontlines only continues to increase in popularity, I ususally find myself hesitant when sifting through these books. Many of these 'back-at-home; stories are often described as 'heartwarming' or 'uplifting', and I often find that hard to square away with the ever-present, horrific backdrop of war. However, Patricia McBride's plucky Hard Times for the East End Library Girls, with resilience and determination at its center, might have made me a convert.

The title is indeed apt. McBride follows the three librarians of the Silvertown library, along with Tom, a new volunteer and conscientious objector, as they deal with an onslaught of hard times. Cordelia, chief librarian, first finds herself without an apartment after hers is bombed, and then can only watch as her partner is suddenly enlisted. Jane struggles with her husband after he returns from war with more pain than just his broken leg, an ailing mother, and a young daughter who's evacuated to the countryside. And Mavis worries about Joyce, a young girl she previously rescued, who's now living in a children's home. It's a lot packed into one book, but McBride manages to give each of their stories full attention in a satisfying way.

And while all of this back-to-back is quite heavy, there is in fact hope in these pages. McBride, with a gentle touch, has gone to great lengths to paint this trio of women as real, tightknit group. And by having three of them, McBride has crafted a built-in support system that always means there's room for light. While Cordelia deals with rebuilding her home life, Mavis and Jane are there to provide some levity and a laugh or two—something reciprocated to the others as they take control of the action. So even as the tightly plotted plot crashes from one tragedy to another calamity, there's always a sense that things will be okay—even if it's not in the exact way each of the librarians wants.

It also helps that one thing pulling them together is a library, a building I find practically irresistible in life and fiction. With the war in full swing, their branch has become even more of a community center than usual, and perhaps the one place many locals seek out as a refuge in uncertain times. McBride's careful attention to historic detail shines light on the important role libraries played in London during World War II, including, in this case, serving as a host for quilting circles. So, indeed, the idea of Cordelia, Jane, and Mavis working to serve the patrons around them with access to books and other resources against unprecedented times (both public and private) ultimately does feel uplifting.

Hard Times for the East End Library Girls serves as a well-constructed look at three individuals trying to find the best in a harsh world while elevating those around them. Heartwarming indeed.

There is much to recommend this second in a series, historical fiction narrative, such as community spirit and support during WWII's devastation; quilting; borrowing and reading books; volunteerism and the like. On the other hand there was the travesty and heartache that war brings, be it on the battlefront or at home. Through it all Cordelia, Jane and Mavis navigate and become friends to be counted upon.

However, I was not so thrilled with the spiritist input nor the bedroom intimacies, so there are those cautions for those who prefer not to read about these elements. Overall though, one can get the feel of the stress and distress of what folks back then lived through in those days in London's East End.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

April 2024

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Net Galley and the publisher.

This is an historical fiction about women, friendship and how the war affects everyone. I love the use of books and libraries to help people and to make the war and what is happening just that little bit more bearable.

This is a great book, well written and easy to read. I read it in one sitting as I didn't want to put it down. Enjoyable, interesting and heartfelt. A great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

the east end during the war was hit badly during the blitz, so its amazing how the library service continued during the war but continue it did and with these 3 librarians it became a source of information and comradery

a safe place for people to come together and share their stories whilst sewing together and chatting and for information about survivors but also it encouraged people to read

and also the librarians werent above any of the suffering as each time we visited them one of them would be going through some strife or other

not a bad read though at times i did wonder where we were off to at times, each incident went off at a different tangent that was at odds with what was happening at the time with no real explanation.... though the writing was easy to fall into i felt at times disjointed as though i was missing something before each incident

Second book in the series! Set in war times telling the story of how library girls were living there lives!
A lovely read from start to finish!

Second In this wonderful series.It was great catching up with the library girls again finding out what was new in their lives the good and the hardships.A heartwarming lovely series.#netgalley #boldwoodbooks.

An interesting pleasañt entertaining read, The three main characters fitted together well, each one having their own trials and tribulations.. it seemed to be an accurate account of the events during life in London during the second World War.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

I had read the previous book in the series so it was great to meet up again with Cordelia, Mavis and Jane and their new volunteer Tom.
I have recently read a different book set in WW2 Silvertown so at times it was difficult to remember what I had read in which book and to keep track of the more minor characters.
It seems that there are often 'flushes' of books within a genre that are set in similar situations and this is the case with some WW2 books set either in libraries and/or The East End of London at present. Maybe it's more that I am drawn to books like this?

However once again this book was well researched and well written. It didn't flinch from describing the hardships of War whilst also emphasising the community and camaraderie of all within the book. Some even showed a human side which was unexpected.
The addition of the quilt making group added to the book and I particularly found Chapter 34 very moving.

The book did end in such a way that there could well be another in the series whilst equally it did have an ending. I hope there is more

A great heartwarming read