To be honest i wasn't wild about this. It may be its just not the book for me. I found it simplistic and dull. Sorry!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

"It’s late 1944. Hitler’s rockets are slamming down on London with vicious regularity and it’s the coldest winter in living memory. Allied victory is on its way, but it’s bloody well dragging its feet.

"In a large house next to Hampstead Heath, Vee Sedge is just about scraping by, with a herd of lodgers to feed, and her young charge Noel ( almost fifteen ) to clothe and educate. When she witnesses a road accident and finds herself in court, the repercussions are both unexpectedly marvellous and potentially disastrous – disastrous because Vee is not actually the person she’s pretending to be, and neither is Noel. The end of the war won’t just mean peace, but discovery..."

I'm not a massive reader of historical fiction, but I really enjoy Lissa Evans' portrays of the war, especially learning the role of the wardens in WW2 in this novel. I love how Evans brings the war to life from the pages of the book via her descriptions.

The writing is descriptive, beautiful and warm, and while the book is not fast paced, it is smooth and steady, giving you plenty of time to get to know the characters. The story is very much character-driven with lots of little plots, rather than one big plot.

'V for Victory' is the third in a trilogy. I have read the first book, 'Old Baggage', which I thoroughly enjoyed, but have yet to read 'Crooked Heart', and have found that missing one book did not affect my enjoyment for 'V for Victory'; it was easy to read as a standalone novel too. Saying that though, I will be purchasing 'Crooked Heart' as I really want to get to know young Noel further!

A very enjoyable read.

I had loved Evans' book Old Baggage but I found this one hard to get into. There is a pathos about the characters and their struggles in the last months of the Second World War and Evans has a sharp sense of humour at times. however I didn't love this one as much

Having enjoyed the previous books in this series, Crooked Heart and Old Baggage, I was looking forward to catching up with Noel, Vee, Winnie and also meeting up with some new characters. Many fascinating people feature in this novel and all try their hardest to cope with living in a war battered London.

It takes place during the last year of the war. Noel is fifteen, is doing well in his studies and is starting to develop feelings for a friend, Genevieve. Winnie is a warden, brave, funny, patient with her twin sister despite feeling hurt and frustration and uncertain how to feel about the husband she barely knew who was a POW. Vee is battling on, trying to feed a house full of people, maintain a sense of humour and look after Noel. Her friendship with Mario was good for her, and seeing how the house benefited from that friendship was lovely to read. I loved seeing the enjoyment that peanut butter and Florida orange juice brought.

The hardships, the rations, the bombings are all described perfectly and show how Londoners suffered. But this isn’t a depressing novel. Yes, there is sadness, especially towards the end, but there is also plenty of humour. Especially from Noel and Winnie, my two favourite characters in the book.

Whilst I feel this will probably be the last book in the series I would love to see it continue. With the strength of the characters, even the minor ones, there is definitely potential for this series to carry on into the 50s and 60s.

I became a fan of Lissa Evans after I read Old Baggage and was more than happy to meet again the great characters in this highly enjoyable and well written story.
I think she's an excellent storyteller and you cannot help loving her well developed and interesting characters.
The description of the historical backgrounds are vivid and realistic, the plot flows and kept me hooked, the characters old and new are as fascinating as they were in the other books.
I can't wait to read another book by this author.
I loved it and it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I found this another great read from the author. Although it could be read as a standalone, I think it would defiantly make for an even better read if read as part of the series. I have read Old Baggage so was familiar with Matttie and Winnie but haven;t read Crocked Heart yet so felt I lost out on something there in regards to back story on Vee.
We meet up again with Vee and Noel in Mattie's old house that Vee runs as a boarding house with some wonderful characters as lodgers. Vee ever fearful that her true identity will be discovered in this time where all names and facts are always being checked out.

We meet the lodgers as the book progresses and an American serviceman that Vee encounters after a traumatic incident whilst waiting for the bus. They become friends and Vee gets a chance to grab a little bit of fun during these very hard times.

The war is coming to its end but bombs are still falling and there is still the fear that someone could be hurt any time.  This is expertly portrayed with the checking of where an explosion has happened each time something is heard. The fear of being away from loved ones on a daily basis, never knowing if something was going to happen, must have been terrifying, even still after such a long time. 

The author always writes with such realness and sincerity that theses characters just leap of the page. All their worries and concerns swimming around in their mind as they face the day to day struggles through WW2, yet they manage to shine and give such enjoyment to the reader. London at the end of the war was brilliantly described with the use of some fantastic vocabulary. I loved the character of Winnie and her job as a warden are realistically described and you could tell the author had done a lot of research on this subject. Noel and Vee's vulnerability was touchingly vivid but so too were there wonderful characteristics. I now need to read Crocked Heart to piece this wonderful series together.

I very much enjoyed Lissa Evans’ Old Baggage when I read it back in 2018 and I’ve had the follow-up book, Crooked Heart, in my TBR pile ever since. Although V For Victory can be enjoyed as a standalone, it continues some of the storylines and features some of the characters from Crooked Heart. So I simply had to squeeze in reading Crooked Heart before starting V For Victory.

The formidable Mattie who played such a starring role in Old Baggage doesn’t make a physical appearance in V For Victory but her influence is still felt through her precocious godson, Noel, and some of the girls who belonged to The Amazons but are now grown up. In particular, air raid warden Winnie Crowther steals many of the scenes in the latter part of the book. She’s a young woman Mattie would be proud of for her bravery and “gumption”. Winnie also represents many of the real life women who stepped in to perform unfamiliar and often dangerous roles during World War 2.

For those who have read Crooked Heart and had their heart stolen by Noel, prepare for a repeat experience. I also enjoyed getting to know the characters living in Green Shutters, the lodging house run by Vee Sedge – with help from Noel and his newfound culinary skills. Never one to miss an opportunity, Vee has enlisted some of the lodgers in tutoring Noel providing him with an eclectic pool of knowledge.

The author’s skill in combining humour, interesting characters and intriguing storylines whilst at the same time presenting a realistic picture of wartime London – “The dismal grind of London life, the V-2s still slamming down, the queues for fuel, the frozen rubble” – is in full evidence in V For Victory. By the end of the book, all the threads have been beautifully woven together to create a moving and satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

I was sent a copy of V for Victory by Lissa Evans to read and review by NetGalley.
Another little masterpiece from Lissa Evans! With well defined characters, some of which we have met before in Old Baggage, and delightful prose which fairly dances off the page, this novel is a triumph. It has a very well-balanced relationship between the light-hearted and the heartbreak of war. I found myself totally immersed in both the lives of characters and the wonderfully descriptive portrayal of the work of the air raid wardens, the camaraderie and stoicism. Everything about this book warrants 5 stars from me!

I adored Lissa Evans' Crooked Heart and Old Baggage, so I jumped at the chance to be on the blog tour for V for Victory and I was not disappointed. What I really love about Evans' novels is the way her descriptions of people and scenes, a well as her characters' observations, absolutely shine out of the page. She has a brilliant, clever and witty turn of phrase that I just can't get enough of.

V for Victory picks up four years after the events of Crooked Heart. Noel is now an awkward teenager of fourteen, still living in his late godmother Mattie's house with Vee, who's less fly-by-night than she used to be, but continuing to use a false name and paranoid that someone will find out she's not actually Mrs Margery Overs. It's evident that they've really come to care for one another over the years, but in some ways, Noel is more like a parent to Vee than the other way round.

This comes out not only in his precocious maturity, fierce intellect and role as household cook, but also the way he coaches and supports her when she has to give a witness statement in court, and how he worries when she gets stuck in Brighton overnight when a jaunt with larger-than-life American Corporal O'Mahoney descends into chaos. While Noel's concerns that Vee might have been killed are understandable given the historical context, you can't help but be tickled by his imaginings of what a Methodist funeral might involve!

By filling Vee and Noel's house with lodgers (who double as home tutors), Evans brings in some memorable new characters, each with their own particular quirks and backstories, such as exacting Dr Parry-Jones, who doesn't understand jokes, and tiresome Mr Reddish, who recites poetry at every opportunity. Even though she's been dead a few years, Mattie - whose life we read about in Old Baggage - retains a presence in the memories of Noel and air raid warden Winnie, a former member of the girls' club Mattie founded.

Winnie's story brings additional comedy; I loved her POW husband Emlyn's letters, which reveal an increasing obsession with home and garden design, and her weary exchanges with her glamorous twin sister Avril, who has written a racy novel based on Winnie's job. However, Winnie's experiences also illuminate the more ambivalent feelings people could have about the war coming to an end. She's been very successful and useful as a warden, and is unsure what her purpose in life could be once she's no longer needed. She also feels as though she barely knows Emlyn, who was captured four years ago, soon after their short courtship and quick marriage.

In fact, virtually everyone has something to worry or be sad about, quite aside from the war itself, grumbling on in the background. Vee is never completely able to relax and have fun because she's worried her true identity will be exposed. Lodger Mr Jepson still suffers the after-effects of the First World War, where he lost an ear, and has a disastrous failed marriage behind him. People die, or lose everything in the air raids, having made it through so much of the war in one piece. Without giving too much away, Noel learns more about his past, resulting in heartache for both himself and Vee.

The world of V for Victory is one where things often feel untethered, scary and tragic, but the characters take care of one another, form new relationships, repair existing ones, and manage to keep going. There's humour to be found in virtually every situation, no matter how dire, and on the whole, the end of the war brings hope (however tentative).

V for Victory is a funny and bittersweet read about everyday life towards the end of the Second World War.

Here we are taken back to the wonderful characters of Noel Bostock and Vee Sedge who we first got to know in Crooked Heart. For me you need prior knowledge and background of Noel and Vee and the circumstances that lead them to where they are now. 

It is late 1944 - it is clear that war is coming to some sort of conclusion. However there is still the risk of death as the V2 rockets seem to be destroying an uncharted path through London. 

Noel and Vee now live in a large house, Green Shutters, adjacent to Hampstead Heath. Vee takes in lodgers to keep roofs over heads and mouths to feed, but she is still not quite telling the truth to the world. 

All of the lodgers are of varying occupations and differing personalities, and they are educating in their own way young Noel, now 15 instead of him attending school. But then Noel is also not quite telling the truth to the world either. 

Both Noel and Vee are locked into the secrets of their past but it seems that events in the present are going to change everything. 

The other strand of the novel is taken over to Winnie Crowther, who is a senior ARP warden. Married but having not seen her husband for the majority of the war, she simply exists until such times when the world will be righted again and she can live her life. Her twin sister, Avril on the other hand is as far removed from Winnie but when she uses Winnie's life as an idea of a book, little does she realise what work her sister is actually doing until she experiences it for herself. 

Winnie does meet Noel, there is a connection to the past, to Matilda Simpkin, the original owner of Green Shutters and Noel's former godmother. Winnie knew Matilda. Winnie also knew someone else close to Noel and it seems all of these past lives are going to come crashing together in the final pages of the book. 

Evans writing is unique and the books is unstructured which adds to it's flow and narrative. When I found myself in the midst of an incident that ARP Winnie has to deal with, you could almost taste the brick dust. With just as much ease we are sat at the table in Green Shutters as an eclectic mix of people gather to see what food rations and Noel have created for supper. 

The stories of Matilda Simpkin, Noel and Vee are brought to a conclusion in this novel and whilst there is enough information to understand all these people without having previously read the other novels. I appeal to any readers sense of completeness and read Old Baggage and Crooked Heart. You can then experience the great writing of Evans but also the wonderful characters for a lot longer. 

A book worthy of any fans of historical fiction.

This was another fabulous read from one of my favourite historical fiction author’s. I’ve been a huge fan of this series so I was very excited to read this book and find out what was going to happen next.

The thing that most made this book for me was the absolutely fabulous characters that the author has created. I quickly warmed to them and they started to feel like old friends by the end of the book. Vee and Noel were a fantastic duo and I really enjoyed getting to know them. Vee is such a strong, kind women and Noel such a strong, intelligent young man that they were easy to like and support.

The book focuses on what life was like towards the end of the war when there was still a lot of danger but maybe a glimpse of hope that everything would end soon. It was incredibly interesting to see what day to day life was like and to learn, through Winnie, what the role of a warden entailed. I thought this was really vividly described and helped me picture the scene and the characters in my mind. I often felt like I was inside the book, living everything alongside the characters.

Overall I thought this was a beautifully written, absorbing book which held my attention the whole way through. It isn’t a fast paced book but this gives the reader plenty of opportunities to savour the interesting plot and to get to know the characters. It’s a lovely story which accurately portrays what life was like during the war, with some quite dark humour at times as people try to deal with an impossible situation. I can’t wait to read more from this series.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is surely a must read if you are a fan of historical fiction!

I remember somebody once pointing out to me that while most of the literature coming out of and focusing on the First World War was to do with life in the trenches, that which took the 1939–45 war as its subject was far more likely to concentrate on the home front.  That may be very much an over-generalisation, but it certainly holds true where Lissa Evans‘s new novel, V for Victory, is concerned. The book begins in the autumn of 1944. London is being ravaged by V2s, rockets which were launched from mobile units only to come crashing to earth five minutes later with little or no warning, devastating buildings and killing in just a few short months over 2000 Londoners.  Fourteen-year-old Noel is living in Hampstead with his aunt Marjorie Overs. Except she isn’t his aunt and her name isn’t Marjorie Overs.  It takes quite some time for the full story of their relationship to be revealed but what we do learn very early on is that for some years previously Noel had lived in the house they now occupy with his godmother, Miss Matilda Simpkin, who is dead. Quite how he comes to be there at this point with his non-aunt Marjorie, who we actually know as Vee, isn’t clear, but what is obvious is that there is a great deal of affection between the two of them and that Vee, who is doing her best to keep the wolf from the door by taking in lodgers, is doing a very good job of bringing the teenager up. The situation rather reminded me of Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes, given that, like the Fossil girls, Evans’ Noel is relying for his education on the strengths of the various individuals who live in the same house.

English and Latin from Mr Jepson, who‘s a journalist. Mathematics and bookkeeping from Mr Reddish – he‘s a cashier – sciences from Dr Parry-Jones, French from Mrs Applebee… cookery from Miss Zawadska.

Running parallel with the story of Noel and Vee is that of Winnie, an ARP warden for whom the war has meant far more responsibility than she found in her previous role as a bit part actress and who has grown into the job until she is regarded by her colleagues with respect and affection. Only a month after their marriage Winnie’s husband, Emlyn, was among those captured at Dunkirk, and as a consequence their relationship since has relied on censored and stilted correspondence most of which, on Emlyn’s part, is centred around his plans for the home they will have when the war is over,

she had fallen for Romeo and now found herself padlocked to the editor of Modern Homes and Gardens.

Winnie is a twin; not, however, an identical twin. Avril is glamorous, svelt, works in the Ministry of Information and is married to a man who is currently abroad, doing something for the Foreign Office. She is also embarking on a new career, as a novelist. Her book, surprise surprise, is about an ARP warden but the life that she portrays is one that Winnie singularly fails to recognise.

Rodrick's profile had an ancient blankness, as of a frieze in a torch-lit passageway. Binnie turned, silently, knelt on the mattress and slid her cushioned form alongside his. “If we died now there’d be no more pretence,” she said. She imagined their two bodies fused by violence into one melded, bloodied being, ensexed eternally.

Fortunately, Evans herself is much more prosaic and realistic about not only the perils but also the sheer weariness that Londoners are facing day by day five years into a war that never seems as if it’s going to end. She speaks of the way in which everyone is bored of everything, not simply the dangers that they face, but the lack of food, the lack of fuel, the lack of colour, the lack of joy. And she also hints at the determination of those who have lived through the experience that when it is over things are going to be different. She never actually ventures into the political realm, but she does speak of the returning soldiers shocked by the dismal grind of London life for whom tin medals weren’t going to be enough this time round. I don’t think I’ve ever understood the reason behind the election of the Labour Government in 1944 quite so clearly before.

I‘m told that some of the characters in this novel appeared in the author’s previous book, Old Baggage, a copy of which I own but which I have yet to get round to reading. I’m sure, however, that those of you who have read it will very much enjoy meeting these people again in what I thought was a very satisfying novel and I look forward now to going back and encountering them in their earlier incarnations.

With thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for a review copy.

V For Victory sees Evans return to the characters she created and nurtured in Crooked Heart and Old Baggage. It's late 1944 and a bitterly cold winter. Vee and Noel are living in Mattie's old house in Hampstead, making ends meet by renting rooms to lodgers. Vee, you may recall, took the identity of Noel's frosty Aunt Margery at the end of Crooked Heart - so, especially in a wartime environment of regulations, identity checks and officialdom, she's never (at least in her own mind) more than heartbeat away from exposure and ruin (Vee looks, she muses, 'like the "before" illustration in an advertisement for nerve tonic') even if she was acting with the best of intentions.

I just love Noel and Vee - precocious child-going-on-adult (Vee reflects that girls and 'grown women went out of their way to talk to him... maybe because... he actually listened to people; he wasn't just waiting to tip in his own comments...') and and hardened ne'er-do-well with a heart of gold, they may seem ill assorted but their relationship is wonderful. Not quite mother and son, not quite partners in crime, they understand one another, fill gaps in each other's life and support one another. Noel's not attending school (that didn't work out well last time) but he's tutored by the lodgers (so Vee's requirements when letting rooms are very specific) who make up a delightful, off little community in Mattie's sprawling old house: the doctor, the journalist, the BBC presenter. They have their foibles and baggage and their own knowledge and experience to bring to this wise and funny and at times desperately sad book.

Noel and Vee aren't the only familiar faces here. I won't tell you everyone who turns up - spoilers! - but we do meet Winnie again, from Old Baggage, one of Mattie's Amazons. She's now commander of an ARP post, a role that seemed to be reducing in importance with the end of the Blitz- until the V1 and V2 attacks began. This book is punctuated by the roar of the rockets, the shaking of windows and the aftermath of a square or terrace being demolished.

Evans pays tribute in one extended and frankly moving sequence to the men and women who deal with the destruction and injury, when Winnie coordinates all the branches of civil defence after one attack. It's a celebration of ordinary men and women, of their organisation and management by one woman using hard-won knowledge and skill. In keeping with Crooked Heart, this is a very bottom up view of people surviving and coping. It isn't sentimental and there is no Vera Lynn soundtrack. The difficulties of life - shortages, cold, boredom (Everyone was bored of everything, really; it had all been going on for far too long') - are made plain, as are the ways people fall short, from grabbing more than one's share of potatoes at the dinner table to desertion from one's post and even getting away with causing a death. You won't find any heroes, just ordinary people doing what they must and hoping it will all end soon.

And trying to take a little happiness while they can. A central strand of the book concerns Vee's dalliance with a jovial American serviceman, a presence who threatens to drive a wedge between Vee and Noel - troubling as their is the central relationship of the book and they still depend so much on each other. Evans treats this very well and sensitively, conveying - without actually telling us - how much Vee needs a little glamour in her life and how much Noel, however outwardly confident and knowledgeable he seems, is still desperately insecure and fearful that the little haven he and Vee have found will be destroyed, as his life with Mattie was.

Evans is such a sharp writer, content to show and then leave us a moment of silence to take in what she's showing, ready with well-observed details ('bringing a cylinder of cold air into the room with her') as well some gorgeous scenes ('the Vale of Health magnesium grey under a three-quarter moon' or the mumbling publisher whose speech at a party sounds like a sequence of throat-clearing) and moments that are just, well, true - as when one character remarks that the end of a war is something that you only see once in a lifetime and another character quietly points out that, no, for many present, that's not right.

As well as reminding us of the aftereffects of that earlier war (not least in the characters who still suffer trauma from it) the book looks forward, both nationally ('There'll need to be a big shake-up when this is all over') and individually - by the end, we see the figures we've come to know well and, in some cases, even to love, facing up to change, to losing roles they've grown up into ('she herself... a woman in charge of men - would suddenly be in charge of nothing at all') or adopting new ones. With the end of the war, lovers, husbands, others who were thought lost, will turn up, relationships will have to be reworked and sometimes, started over again. It's an uncertain time. Our friends here may, as Churchill eventually said (there's a running joke about him still writing hs speech) be allowed a brief moment of rejoicing but it's an uncertain future. (I hope Lissa Evens might though return to document it - I have a picture in my head of Noel as a young man, just graduated perhaps, at the Festival of Britain...)

Best of all, perhaps, it the little impromptu memorial at the end to Mattie, who was the central character in Old Baggage but was lost to us early in Crooked Heart. Her grave is, we learn still kept fresh and I think something came into my eye as Noel and a friend remember and sing "March of the Women" together.

A wonderful book, which you just have to read.

Now – I didn’t realise until I saw on NetGalley – there are actually 2 books that precede this. I hadn’t realised it was part of a set and so read it standalone – which was totally fine, and the relevant back story was fleshed out enough that it made sense. However, if I’d known I probably would have read the other two books first – mostly because I’m a pedant who likes to do things in order.

The book tells the story of Noel and Vee and the interesting tenants of their boarding house near Hampstead Heath – and then a story running parallel, which interconnects at times, of Winnie a local ARP warden and her friends and family.

This is a beautifully written book and really evokes the feeling of London at this time in history. The destruction and sadness – but with glimpses of happiness and normality. The way the buildings are described – pre and post bombings – is wonderful, and makes it really easy to imagine being there.

The tenants of Green Shutters are an eclectic mix – and all teaching Noel different subjects. He’s a geek (in a good way, I am a geek and see this as a compliment!) and interested in learning – I liked him a lot! I was also proud of his chicken keeping (my kids love our chickens too).

Winnie was a wonderful character – she just knuckled down and got on with life. The sometimes strained relationship with her sister Avril was really well written – sibling rivalries – in this case even more so as twins – was observed excellently. The camaraderie between Winnie and her ARP colleagues – and many of the locals – was also beautifully portrayed. The letters between Winnie and her husband – who was away at war – were talked about a number of times – and the evolving story of them, particularly at the end of the book, was really moving – but also funny.

There are twist and turns involving Noel’s parentage which were really emotive – in very different ways. One minute you were happy, then sad, then laughing, then shocked – the whole gamut of emotions was run!

This is not a bare knuckle ride of a book, it’s a beautiful, well written, evocative novel and I really enjoyed it.

If I had my time again I would probably read the series in order – but overall this was a lovely escapist read, and I would highly recommend it.

Vera Sedge maintains an air of respectability in the lodging house on Hampstead Heath where she lives, known only as Mrs Margery Overs, with her fifteen year old ward, Noel and an assortment of paying guests who form this rather eccentric household. Living in London in 1944 is not without its challenges especially as Hitler is determined to wreak havoc on the population by dropping V-2 rockets and Doodlebugs with devastating regularity.

For those readers who enjoyed Crooked Heart and Old Baggage, it's a chance to catch up with Vee and Noel, and yet it's also the opportunity to learn more about the war effort during this latter stage of WW2 when spirits where at an all time low. Rationing was very much biting hard and it was fascinating to see how Noel, with this culinary skills, made ends meet in his own inimitable style.

In many ways V for Victory is a quiet story about ordinary Londoners living in extraordinary circumstances but which succeeds in capturing the charm and wit of people going about their everyday business. However, what this author does so well is bring a sharp eye for historical detail, especially in the heartbreaking description of the work of the ARP wardens who deal with such devastating human tragedy on a daily basis, and again readers will recognise some characters from Old Baggage albeit several years older.

I've been an avid fan of this set of novels so it comes as no surprise to find that V for Victory is every bit as good as I hoped it would be. It's compassionate, descriptive, feisty and funny, and with a few new surprises thrown in for good measure. I'm not sure if the author intends to continue with this theme but if not, V for Victory is a fitting ending to this fascinating series of historical novels.

These days I rarely take on review requests, but for this book I made an exception. I loved the first in the series Crooked Heart, and have only recently finished Old Baggage. Consequently I was delighted to be approached by the publishers and offered V for Victory ahead of publication.

Meeting Vee and Noel again, was wonderful. When we left them they were getting by as best they could, constantly wary of their deception being uncovered. Here, in the war torn Hampstead Heath of 1944, their back story is more established and Vee aka Margery Overs is running Green Shutters as a lodging house. It’s a move that gives her an aura of respectability and provides a ready made group of academically minded tutors for her ‘nephew’ Noel.

The book is very character driven, from the growth in confidence and blossoming of Vee and Noel, to the various lodgers and unexpected visitors, through to the re-emergence, of well loved characters (both real and remembered) from the preceding books.

Noel in particular, is a fabulous character, wise beyond his years, very sensible, literal, vocal and highly intelligent (he had Mattie as his role model!) but also thoughtful, kind, caring and always mildly anxious. The book sees him coming of age as he discovers that relationships can change, new ones can be forged and people are not always what they seem. His ability to forge a bond with those he meets results in a budding friendship with Winnie a local ARP warden. Another warm and wonderful character, made all the more important as she had been one of the happy band of Amazons in her youth – the group formed by Mattie (Noel’s deceased godmother). She becomes a gateway to Noel’s past with her memories of Mattie and also to the present via Ivy. That story you really need to discover for yourself.

The character constantly lurking in the background is London itself. The author paints a very realistic picture of the chaos and loss wrought by the constant bombing raids, along with the stoic and heartbreaking work undertaken by the wardens, and the resilience of the community. It’s a well researched and evocative portrayal of life on the Home Front.

If you enjoy great storytelling, memorable characters and historical accuracy then this is one for you. While it can be read as a standalone, you’d be missing a trick not to read the preceding titles first. In fact I envy you, getting to read them for the first time. Lissa Evans writes with heart, and the joy of her books is that they are by turn comic, evocative and heartbreaking. She writes with an authenticity that envelops you into whatever scene she is describing so that you feel you’re there. V for Victory was no exception, it was full of Lissa’s warmth, wit and wisdom. There’s certainly scope for more to be written, so I’d like to think that this may not be the last we see of a growing cast of characters.

This is the third (and final?) book about this group of characters and ties together the story of Noel and Vee as we saw them in Crooked Heart, with Mattie from Old Baggage. I’ve written several different sentences to explain that fact and have settled on that slightly vague one as being the way not to give too much away about the other two. Now you could read this standalone, but you’ll get so much more from this if you’ve read the other two. And why wouldn’t you want to read the other two – Crooked Heart is Goodnight Mr Tom but if Mr Tom was the female equivalent of Private Walker and Old Baggage is about a feisty but ageing former suffragette looking for a new cause to fight for.

V for Victory is funny and warm and moving and made me cry at the end. I mean what more could you want from a book? It also does really well at capturing the shades of grey of wartime - and of people in general. It's just wonderful and a perfect read for a grey and miserable day. And we've had a few of those recently!

The story begins in a bombed out London in 1944. The dreaded V2 rockets are destroying wherever they fall at great speed from the sky, with no warning. Silent killers leaving death and destruction.

Green Shutters in Hampstead is home to Vee Sedge, Noel Bostock, her young charge who is nearly 15 and a few lodgers of various occupations. There is a lot of making do going on, with the lodgers providing some tutoring for Noel in return for a reduction in their rent. Noel doesn’t go to school however he is one of those who have an old head on young shoulders. He has also taken over the responsibility of cooking for them all, something which Vee is happy for him to do!

As far as everybody else is concerned, Vee is known as Mrs Margery Overs. The reasons why, we discover later on. Noel also has a complicated past, some of which it seems was covered in a previous book – this is one time where I wished I had read the others.

ARP Winnie Crowther is a senior warden at Warden’s Post 9 – where she and her colleagues are the ones dealing with the aftermath of the bombings, attempting to locate people, checking damaged buildings and generally directing operations following a bombing hit. She has a POW husband that she barely knows; they were together for such a short period of time that she struggles to remember what he looks like however he constantly writes to her letters full of the minutae of domestic fantasy that they may never get to share. As if that wasn’t enough she has a twin sister who uses her for her own ends.

I hadn’t realised that V for Victory was the third book in a series when I started reading this and although it can be read on its own, personally I would have had more understanding of the characters and their situation if I had read the previous two beforehand. Backstory is given to an extent but there were times when I felt a little left behind with the characters and their history.

Having said that, this was a thoroughly enjoyable story set during the time leading up to the end of the war. There is no one big plotline to follow but lots of smaller strands which show off the excellent characterisations and storytelling, which include Vee witnessing a road accident leading to unexpected friendships and a slightly more sinister occurrence of which I will say no more.

The research with regard to historical detail comes through clearly and the dialogue brings the characters to life; the writing is both poignant and humorous – the latter especially where Vee is involved. She is quite a character and although she has clearly looked after Noel, (although at times it does seem like the other way around!) she doesn’t come over as a natural Mother Earth person. If an opportunity comes her way, she will take it.

Looking through my booklist I see that I do actually have the two previous books, Crooked Heart and Old Baggage. I now have the perfect excuse to catch up and spend more time with Vee and Noel.

V for Victory heralds a very welcome return to the world of Noel and Vee from ‘Crooked Heart’. When we catch up with them the Second World War is still ongoing, but the shadow of the First World War (and the wonderful influence of Mattie) is ever present. Lissa Evans paints a picture with words very skillfully, creating warm affectionate characters that it was an absolute joy to meet again. I felt quite emotional at the references to Mattie, and enjoyed meeting the new cast of lodgers at Green Shutters. With Lissa’s writing you’re in a safe pair of hands, and she clearly does her research to evoke an authentic feel of wartime life on the home front in London. This is a warm hearted read with some laugh out loud and some very touching scenes and a satisfying plot. Would wholeheartedly recommend.

A story of everyday people, living everyday lives during the latter half of WW2 and a fascinating story of those lives this book does tell. As a piece of the UK's cultural history this story gives a quite detailed view of the ups, downs and messes that living in the 1940s must have involved. From Doodle Bugs to V2s via the streets, shops and reused tea-leaves of the boarding house with its weird assortment of "types". Really a bit like the higgledy-piggledy world we live in but without the bombs!! Overall, a light and enjoyable read which I would have liked to have read on a cold dark night curled up in front of an open fire.