Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce

Series: Emmy Lake Chronicles #2
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Publisher: Scribner
Released: June 24, 2021
291 pages

About the Book:

London, November 1941. Following the departure of the formidable Henrietta Bird from Woman’s Friend magazine, things are looking up for Emmeline Lake as she takes on the new challenges as a wartime advice columnist. Her relationship with boyfriend Charles is blossoming, while Emmy’s best friend Bunty, still reeling from the very worst of the Blitz, is bravely looking to the future. Together, the friends are determined to Make a Go of It.

When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain’s women’s magazines to help recruit female workers to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled to step up and help. But when she and Bunty meet a young mother who shows them the very real challenges that women war workers face, Emmy must confront a dilemma between doing her duty and standing by her friends.

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It was so fun to reconnect with Emmy. She has learned from mistakes make in the previous book and continues to work for the magazine Women's Friend. The press has been asked to help promote women works for the war efforts. We follow Emmy learning about the struggles that women working in factories are facing and her efforts to help. Meanwhile we see her relationship with her boyfriend blossom and the struggles that comes with having a relationship during war times. I enjoyed my time with these characters. I was invested in the story and felt frustrated alongside them at certain moments. The situations they are facing due to the war are hard, but this was a lighthearted read and there were some moments that made me laugh and showed the importance of having friends/family around you. Little Ruby was a cute addition. I look forward to spending more time with these characters.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Other books from this author that I have reviewed:   

   

Dear Mrs. Bird - Emmy Lake Chronicles #1

 

Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce (Review)

Series: Emmy Lake Chronicles #1
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Publisher: Scribner
Released: April 5, 2018
276 pages

About the Book:

London, 1941. Amid the falling bombs Emmeline Lake dreams of becoming a fearless Lady War Correspondent. Unfortunately, Emmy instead finds herself employed as a typist for the formidable Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt at Woman’s Friend magazine. Mrs Bird refuses to read, let alone answer, letters containing any form of Unpleasantness, and definitely not those from the lovelorn, grief-stricken or morally conflicted.

But the thought of these desperate women waiting for an answer at this most desperate of times becomes impossible for Emmy to ignore. She decides she simply must help and secretly starts to write back – after all, what harm could that possibly do?

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Set in London in the early days of the world war two. Air raids have become a common occurrence. We meet Emmy, who is in her 20s, volunteering at a firehouse as a dispatcher. She dreams of being a war journalist and takes a job as a typesetter at a magazine, not realizing exactly what the job was. We follow her everyday life and watch her grow and learn along the way. She makes some unwise decisions, she had the best of intentions but knew it was wrong and did it anyway. Eventually, she has to deal with the consequences of her actions. I especially enjoyed following her friendship with Bunky and reading the numerous letters throughout. There are some difficult situations that happen, but the story is told with a lightheartedness that it wasn't a heavy read. I really enjoyed the ending and feel like Emmy grew over the course of the story.

(I received a copy of this book from a friend; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)