Mrs. Porter Calling is the third book in The Emmy Lake Chronicles, an excellent series that I would comfortably recommend to a wide range of readers. Strong female characters who "carry on" during wartime, not without tragedies, but overall hopeful in tone. Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read this...and now I'm off to recommend it to my wine club!

Book 3 of the Emmy Lake chronicles finds Emmy happily writing the Yours Cheerfully column for Women's Friend, writing letters to her husband off at war, and spending time with Bunty and her other friends. But things change when Mrs. Porter inherits the magazine and wants to make it "less mis". Everything at the magazine is changing and not for the best. Will Emmy and her friends figure out a way to save the magazine? A story of life and friendship that leaves you wanting more of the life of Emmy Lake.

Set in London, this begins in April of 1943, as World War II continues. This is the third book in the Emmy Lake Chronicle series, with Emmy’s husband, Captain Charles Mayhew, off fighting in the war. Emmy sends him letters often, and spends much of her time writing the ’Yours Cheerfully’ column for the ’Woman’s Friend’ magazine as the war continues on. Emmie is still running the advice column, and is devoted to both the column and actually listening to the reader’s stories, their problems and concerns. She considers what she does as helpful, occasionally crucial, and often heartbreaking, but her ability to truly listen and often sound advice is not insignificant. The mail they receive for the ’Woman’s Friend’ column is not just needed for some of those who write of more difficult problems, but also some not quite as urgent.

When a new publisher, the ’Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter’ becomes the new publisher, who turns everything upside down, and insists on tossing out what their readers love the most - the relatable issues, the concerns about their loved ones, the war, recipes, and personal issues and wants to turn it into a ‘society’ magazine for the ‘right’ crowd, the ones who are not struggling financially. The one that she targets to start with is Emmy’s ’Yours Cheerfully’ column, one of the more popular columns. Instead of keeping a popular column for the average reader, she wants to replace it with sharing the newest, most fashionable clothing, and stories about what the rich and semi-famous are wearing and doing.

Emmy and the children who enter her life, her friends and loved ones are what keep this story engaging, and Emmy’s desire to give more of her time to share the lives of those whose women who work is not only important, but crucial, as the jobs who previously were held by men who are now serving their country, can now show that they are capable of doing these jobs - if only the companies would provide child-care.

A moving story, with some charm, as well, this is a story of life during war, the effect the war has had on these lives, perhaps especially the children who have lost family during the war, this does have happier moments, as well.

A story of friendship, loss, and most of all, love.


Pub Date: 08 Aug 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Scribner

I like stories set in WWII Britain in general, so I'm predisposed to liking the Emmy Lake series by AJ Pearce. Even were I not, the series is so well-written that I'd read it, anyway. I genuinely enjoy spending time with the characters. We've seen Emmy grow over the last three years from an unsure young woman with dreams of being a war correspondent who is "doing her bit" to a professional writer (still doing her bit, though). She's also married and dealing with her husband fighting on the frontlines.

Woman's Friend, the magazine for which Emmy writes an advice column, is taken over by a relative of the now-deceased publisher. Mrs. Porter, or "Egg," as she wishes to be called, seems charming enough at first, but soon reveals her plans for the magazine, to the dismay of the staff. Egg is a typical, but not stereotypical, example of the upper class with no understanding of how the majority live. She has no desire to understand, either, as it's just "too mis."

While Emmy fights to keep the magazine 'friendly' to its devoted readers, she's also working for the Auxiliary Fire Services, and rearranging the home she shares with her best friend, Bunty, to take in another friend and her three children, and some livestock.

The potential closure of the magazine, on top of the death of a close friend, throws Emmy for a loop for a bit, and she loses her way. But, with the encouragement of her friends and family, she rallies (I would expect nothing less.) and fights to save the magazine for herself and her coworkers.

The letters the magazine receives reflect actual issues, such as domestic abuse and pregnancies, and it's interesting to see the differences and similarities in how they are viewed then and now. There are everyday issues, too, such as rationing, and the magazine also provides tips on how to "make do and mend" and stretch supplies.

Everything in this book worked for me - everything. The characters, the setting, and the story all seem so real that it's hard to believe this is fictional. It's everyday people doing everyday things in an extraordinary time. Even Egg, as narcissistic as she is, has one redeeming quality in her love for her (long-suffering) dog, Small Winston. Poor Small Winston - hopefully he'll have his own V-E Day (Victory over Egg).

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

These books continue to delight. I'm so glad Emmy and Bunty's stories are continuing. And that they continue to support each other. Female friendships are so wonderful to read about. It's just a pleasure to read about these two characters. The novel is fun and quirky and poignant and sad and just about every emotion....like life.

This third installment in the Emmy Lake series is heartwarming while still being realistic in the face of war. Still in London, 1944, Emmy and her friends are kept busy with magazine publishing and helping man the fire stations at night. Through good times and devastation, life must go on and they are faced with immeasurable loss and a fight to save the magazine they love.

Mrs. Porter Calling continues the story of Emmy Lake and her responsibilities at Woman’s Friend magazine. She enjoys helping people with their problems via her advice column, “Yours Cheerfully.” However, when the magazine is taken over by a new owner, sparks fly as the employees try to keep the publication as is while the new owner wants to take it in a completely different direction. Emmy is faced with the difficulties of defending her advice column while simultaneously trying to cope with personal problems at home. This novel really tugs at the heartstrings as Emmy faces heartbreak in her private life, resulting in my having quite a good cry at some parts. On the other hand, there are some real laugh-out-loud moments and I’m sure the people on my bus must have wondered why I was chuckling so much!

It is not necessary to have read the previous novels in the series to enjoy Mrs. Porter Calling but why would you want to miss them? All-in-all, this is a delightful continuation of the Emmy Lake series. This novel ends in 1944 with WWII still ongoing; leading me to hope that there will be a fourth novel about Emmy Lake. I look forward to reading more of this engaging series.

I am typically not a fan of women’s fiction, even when it’s historic. But the first two books in the Emily Lake series truly worked for me. And so did this one for the most part.
This time around, Lord Overton, the magazine’s publisher has died and he’s left the magazine to his niece, the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter, who just wants to make the teensiest little changes to the magazine, because it’s just so dull and dreary. Needless to say, the world Mrs. Porter inhabits and the one the readers of Woman’s Friend do are vastly different. Soon enough, Mrs. Porter’s changes are more than teensy. Unfortunately, Mrs. Porter quickly became a total cliche of the evil/clueless character, which made those sections of the story way too predictable. “Miss Lake, you always side with the women, and I fear it makes us look as if we are bitter, which is horribly unattractive.”
The personal story of Emily and her best friends, Bunty and Thelma, works much better. Pearce handles the volunteer work, the rationing and the attempts to still have a normal life wonderfully. “One day, I thought to myself, talking about borrowing a pair of shoes in the same breath as saying that people had been bombed will seem very strange and more than likely insensitive in the extreme. But it was normal conversation now. Just what we did, even though there was nothing normal about it at all.”
In fact, it’s the personal side of the story which pulled it through. Pearce shows us exactly what a horrible toll war takes. I will admit to crying through a meaningful section of the book. But it’s also a reminder of how people pull together and carry on. The ending was lovely and plus perfect.
My thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book.

The setting: "London, April 1943. A little over a year since she married Captain Charles Mayhew and he went away to war, Emmy Lake is now in charge of “Yours Cheerfully,” the hugely popular advice column in Woman’s Friend magazine. Cheered on by her best friend Bunty, Emmy is dedicated to helping readers face the increasing challenges brought about by over three years of war. The postbags are full and Woman’s Friend is thriving.

But Emmy’s world is turned upside down when glamorous socialite, the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter, becomes the new publisher of the magazine, and wants to change everything the readers love. Aided by Mrs. Pye, a Paris-obsessed fashion editor with delusions of grandeur, and Small Winston, the grumpiest dog in London, Mrs. Porter fills the pages with expensive clothes and frivolous articles about her friends."

And so it begins. There is a cast of many characters, both at the magazine and in Emmy's home life. And the lines are clearly drawn between likeable characters and those not likeable at all.

Not my preferred literary fiction, but this is an easy, breezy, entertaining read, IMHO. I can't quite put my finger on why I enjoyed it so much [perhaps because there were some not so enjoyable reads beforehand?!].

I found myself chuckling at some points due to descriptions and banter. To wit--a pin that is "both remarkable and quite dreadful at the same time," and a man who oozes and slithers,

This novel is just mainly sweet--=although there is also sadness--followed by resilience. I found myself routing for the good guys and wondering how Pearce would pull off the inevitable happy ending. No spoiler, but...
I did enjoy the rather neat and tidy ending but found it somewhat rushed.

I learned that jape is British for practical joke.

Recommend for escapist read.

I just adore Emmy and all her friends. I love how they are so good to one another, how they are so hard working, how they are so innovative,The new editor was a perfect villain, and that Emmy would triumph was never in doubt for me! Highly recommended for adult collections.

This is a sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird. It's 1943 London. We are returning to the offices of Woman's Friend, the magazine featured in the previous work. Recently married Emmy Lake is continuing to try to solve readers' problems while inspiring women's war efforts. But there is a new publisher in town. Mrs. Porter is a sort of 1940s "Devil Wears Prada" type but one with only attitude, no ability. Can Emmy and the staff save the magazine before Mrs. Porter drives away all their readers?

Reading Mrs. Porter Calling felt like a homecoming of sorts. This is the third book in a series that I have loved, and I was so happy to be able to get early access to it.

Within a few pages I re-immersed myself in the worlds of Emmy, Bunty, Guy, Thelma and friends. Their cares and joys became mine as I read. AJ Pearce has a way of welcoming the reader into the world she creates. She did so for me in the first two volumes of this series.

The setting is World War II London. Emmy Lake and her friends work for a magazine called "Woman's Friend." It is very successful and addresses the needs of the British people who are trying to navigate the realities of war. All is well until Mrs. Cressida Porter becomes their new publisher. She is an awful new boss, but also provides a lot of comical moments. She is truly "tone deaf" to the readers and decides that they need to hear about society weddings and see photos of her dog instead of reading about the war and getting a chance to have their problems addressed in the form of Emmy's advice column.

The roller coaster ride with Mrs. Porter is funny but also riveting. The ripple effects of her frivolous decisions are profound.

Mixed in with the comedy is also tragedy. AJ Pearce handles it deftly and does not allow anything to become melodramatic.

I highly recommend this book, along with the first two volumes of the series. The characters are endearing and the story is well developed. Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the e-ARC. Look for this book when it is published on August 8.

Loved this book! It was wonderful to spend more time with Emmy, Bunty and their friends. I laughed and I definitely cried, both happy and sad tears. This book has the perfect villain that you really enjoy not liking very much. Excellent character development. I was kept up late at night wanting to find out what happened next. You should definitely read the first to books in this series to get the background before delving into this story. I really hope there is more to come in the adventures of Emmy Lake! Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

What a delightful read! I enjoyed this book just as much as the first two in this series. It is set in London during the Second World War, so it isn't all sweetness and light. However, I feel that this book gives an accurate description of London during the war years. I look forward to recommending it to our patrons.

The third book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles is just as charming as the first two. As usual, it is best to read the series in order to have a better understanding of the characters.

World War II drags on. Emmy Lake is still enjoying her job with Woman's Friend newspaper. That is until the Honourable Cressida Porter inherits it and tries to turn it into her personal scrapbook. On the homefront, Emmy misses her husband who is at war and she also must endure an expected tragedy. But like every other person in Great Britain during this horrific time, Emmy, her friends, and co-workers stick their chins up and keep going.

Although overall it was enjoyable to be back with some of these characters, it was a bit of a bog to get through. This book had one of the most detestable villain characters since Umbridge from Harry Potter and about 70% of the book dealt with that. The first book in this series, Dear Mrs. Bird, is one of my favorites, and I kind of wished it stayed a stand-alone novel.

But I will be keeping an eye out on what else A.J. Pearce comes out with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the advanced e-reader copy to review.

This wonderful series continues with another great edition to the story. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley.

Loved!! This series is a balm for a historical fiction weary heart. I love that it hits on important topics and is very real, but also more uplifting in nature. I love the characters we have gotten to know over the course of the series and hope for more!

Dear Mrs. bird remains one of my favorite historical fiction books. I am so happy AJ Pearce continues to write about Emmie and Bunty, I love the characters and the can do spirit in the face of war. Two thumbs up and a wish for more sequels!

This is the third book in the series featuring Emmy Lake and her publishing friends in London during WWII. It is full of charming characters who the reader cares for as they get through all the challenges of war. This series has all the feels, but overall is charming and uplifting. I enjoyed this one while visiting London on vacation. I’ll look forward to see what happens in the next one.