Most of the historical fiction I read about WWII typically centers around the war and how people are coping. While this one is also like that, it's different in that it covers the women on the homefront and their work in the munitions factories. It focuses more on their daily lives and the need for their work in the factories but how the resources are not available for them to do this effective, mostly daycare for their children. It's not something I've seen covered before nor had I known about and I love the way it was presented, from the point of view of a reporter trying to capture the details for the subscribers of their magazine but also what she can do to help. This is such a refreshingly positive series that teaches you so much about the resiliency and determination of the women left to keep the country moving while their men go off to fight.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#YoursCheerfully #NetGalley #historicalfiction #bookstagram

Now that Mrs. Bird has left Women's Friend they need a new advice column. Emmy Lake has remained at the magazine but she is not allowed to write without supervision. Emmy does what is asked of her since she knows this is her second chance. Just as things are changing at Women's Friend, Her Majesty's government wants the lady's magazines to help promote women's war work. While Emmy is trying to come up with some ideas she makes a new friend on the train who is off with her two young children to live with her mother and work at the local ammunition factory.
Yours Cheerfully is the follow up to Dear Mrs. Bird and while the advice column is still important this one involves more action and integration to the war effort through the magazine work instead of the volunteer fire brigade. If you enjoyed Dear Mrs. Bird pick this one up. If you have not read Dear Mrs. Bird, so that and then grab Yours Cheerfully.

Yours Cheerfully, by A.J. Pearce, is a lovely, inspiring novel of a strong, talented journalist, contributing to change for women's rights during WWII in Britain. Determined women, working in the factories to help with the war efforts, coming together in their struggles. Loved the work environment at the newspaper, as well as the "Yours Cheerfully" letters and responses which were published. Thank you NetGalley, Author and publisher for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.

A charming book that tells the little-known struggles of women who manned Britain's factories during World War 2. I think readers will love Emmy's pluck and determination, as well as all of the colorful side characters who populate this book.

Yours Cheerfully picks up where Dear Mrs. Bird left off in London, November 1941! The crusty Henrietta Bird has left Women's Friend Magazine and Emmy Lake takes on the challenge of becoming a war time advice columnist while volunteering with the local fire brigade.

With the war raging on, there is a need for women to fill jobs left open when the men enlisted and the magazine starts to write articles encouraging women to take on these jobs. This book focuses on on the issues the female factory worker faces such as doing the same work (as the men) but for less pay, uncomfortable working conditions and lack of child care. Emmy's column encourages the women to write in with their issues and she works tirelessly to find a way to help these women. The cast of characters are vibrant, smart and resourceful and sometimes could be described as unconventional.

This books works well as a standalone but you may want to read Dear Mrs. Bird first to get more insight into the characters, especially those that carry over in this book.

Thanks for Scribner Books and Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emmy Lake is a journalist at Woman's Friend magazine, helping the Ministry of Information recruit female workers to support war effort in 1940s England. Emmy is passionate about the mission, but after befriending a widowed mother with two young children who is working in one of the munitions factories, she is torn between her duty and improving the working conditions of the women - specifically finding affordable care for their children while they're at work. I was expecting something fun and charming, which this book delivers on, but it's also a bit lighter and fluffier than what I prefer. Guaranteed to delight fans of Dear Mrs. Bird, I have to warn anyone who dives right into this book that you're going to spend the first several chapters trying to get up to speed on who everyone is and what all happened in the last book that is being alluded to in this one.

A delightful follow up to Dear Mrs. Bird! I have really enjoyed getting to know these characters, especially Emmy and Bunty (I'd like to know more about Guy though!). Although told during WWII and important topics are presented, the book is more lighthearted than most books written of the time. I do have to say I enjoyed the first book more. I didn't like the abrupt ending of Yours Cheerfully...perhaps there's a third installment in mind?

This follows the continuing story of Emmy and her best friend Bunty in London WWII. Emmy is working at the paper and feels called to help women effected by war. Bunty is grieving the loss of her fiancé. I loved the first in the series “Dear Mrs. Bird” and found the characters here just as charming but the story didn’t grab me quite as much. I do think I would continue the series if more books are added.

This is a wonderful story of the conflicts of war and the friction it can create with our personal lives. We don't always have the same opinions or views as our family and friends and this book does a great job describing the struggle that one woman endures.

When Emmy Lake takes over the women's column from Mrs. Bird, her one desire is to write for women and make a difference in their lives. When the magazine is given the chance to help recruit women to work in Britain's war effort she takes on the job with excitement. As she gets drawn into the working lives of the women she writes about, she realizes just how much help the women need just to survive day-to-day while husbands are away or dead.

When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain’s women’s magazines to help recruit desperately needed female workers to the war effort, columnist Emmeline Lake is thrilled to be asked to step up and help. But when she and her best friend Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the challenges women war workers face, Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma between doing her duty and standing by her friends.

This was a darling historical novel. I’d never thought about how women war workers left on the home front managed finances, home, and family while their husbands were off fighting against tyranny or had paid the ultimate price. Both the UK and the US set up day nurseries in factories and communities, but not without a fight. This book was light, romantic, educational, and empowering. I enjoyed it very much. 4 stars.

Such a fun read. I didn’t read the first book in the series but that didn’t hurt the story for me. London 1941, Emmeline Lake takes over an advice column for the local paper. It’s a great opportunity for her and she loves it. Her fiancée is back in England and not at the front and she seems to have it all. But there is so much hurt and sadness all around her. It seems like everyone is suffering from something and she is trying to live her life and help her friends and readers. With the help of her best friend and the support of Charles.. she finds her voice and starts helping the woman left behind. Who’s husbands are fighting in the war but they are home keeping it together. Such a great story of hope and friendship. It was very well written and I liked all the characters.. They all had such wonderful personalities..Bunty her best friend, has had a tough time, is such a special person.. I really enjoyed this story. With the world the way it is.. I needed to read a story like this. I will read the first book as well.. I hope you enjoy it..

Always a pleasure to read AJ Pearce. The follow up to Dear Mrs. Bird did not disappoint. I loved getting to continue the story line of all the main characters and the book was a little more substantial in topic this go around. The pace was perfect, the heavy vs. the comedy ratio was spot on. I will definitely continue to read anything AJ Pearce puts out into the world.

In this second book, Mrs. Bird is no longer at the newspaper and Emmy Lake has increased her role, now writing an advice column called Cheerfully, Yours. As England sets into the War in 1941 there is no end in site. Through the advice column Emmy notes the hardships of the single mothers working in the factories and sets forth to help improve their conditions. This book overall was refreshing with solid friendships and good humor. I recommend this book if you need a lighter WWII story. I received an ARC of this book and all opinions are my own.

I hadn't read the first book, but I don't think it's necessary - this book seems to stand on its own. The writing is light and cheerful despite the depiction of war time. The characters are believable and it's interesting to see this somewhat different view of wartime.

Yours, Cheerfully is a sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce. It is a sweet follow up with Emmy and Bunty and other friends that we met in the first book. However, it can easily be read as a standalone.
Historical fiction is a nice way to learn about not only the facts but the nuances surrounding the era. For instance, we know that women worked outside the home and often in manufacturing jobs while the men were fighting in WWII. We just aren't always aware of the circumstances and challenges the women faced. In this book Emmy and friends rally for nurseries on site so that their children have care while they work long shifts.

I loved the theme of women helping other women and standing up for each other. I enjoyed the book but did find it to drag at the beginning. It sometimes felt like Emmy was repetitive in making her point.
Overall a pleasant and informative read.

Emmy is working on the column with Mrs. Mahoney overseeing. I found the first part of the book to be enjoyable but I didn't seem to be as captivated with it as I did the first. Emmy was given an assignment to write a series of stories about women working in munitions factories and meets Anne Oliver, a young widow with two children. Things picked up for me after that as Emmy and Bunty joined their fight in getting nurseries so they can have reliable childcare and still continue the war effort. In the meantime Charles has asked her to marry him and there is a whirlwind planning of a wedding. The book ended on a good note with just enough left open for another book about Emmy and Bunty which I look forward to.

Even though Emmy annoyed me with some of her antics in the first book she has matured although still a delightful character. I look forward to learning more about Charles and his relationship to his brother and I am hoping that Bunty finds love.

I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and Scribner for providing me with a copy of this charming book.

OH. MY. GOSH. I love these books. Books set during WW2 are very hit and miss with me - I have read some of the best there is out there, so when I come across one that is tepid, I am so disappointed. Thankfully, the Emmy Lake Chronicles are FAR from tepid and boring and not your typical "war" book. Emmy is one strong, opinionated woman who isn't going to let being a woman get in her way of righting wrongs and helping those around her, and being the best journalist she can possibly be.

I have to say here that I received an ARC for this book and I waited until it was published to read it because I HAD TO HAVE THE AUDIOBOOK. Anna Popplewell is the narrator and she does an absolutely amazing job and really brings Emmy and her friends alive and brings you right into the atmosphere of London during the war. I would listen to her narrate anything. So so so good.

In this outing, Emmy is fairly settled in her life now - she is dating an amazing man, her best friend is recovering from the events in the previous book and moving forward, and the new person she works with now at Woman's Friend has the same ideals as she does and is willing to answer all the letters that are now flooding into the magazine, which makes even more letters come in - women have questions and problems and with the world in turmoil, they just want some friendly advice and a shoulder, even by letter, to "cry" on. So when she meets Anne, a young war widow with two young children and finds out she does war work but that her [and many others] job is on the line because there is no one to take care of her children and she is often forced to take them to work [where her boss refuses to get the women a government nursery], where it is very unsafe, Emmy wants nothing more than to help Anne and all the other women who have stepped up to do their part in the war effort. What ensues makes one of the best stories I have read in a long time [I liked this one even better than Dear Mrs. Bird - the author's first book in this series - and I absolutely ADORED that book. I can only hope that the author is going to write another one in this lovely, heartwarming series and I will be waiting on pins and needles until I find that answer out. Very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, AJ Pearce, and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce...
This is the 2nd book in the Emmy Lske Chronicles series. It's not necessary to have read the 1st book, Dear Mrs. Bird. This can be read as a stands alone but I will go back and read that book now.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and in particular, I've found that I really enjoy any book set in London, France, or Paris and I also enjoy historical fiction based during the 2nd World War. The story of Emmeline Lake is lighter and less weighty than many of the stories that you read set during this time frame however, I enjoyed this story and the different perspective it offers. This book marries the serious subject of war with a bit of comedy and dose of romance for a winning combination. This story was a little slow paced for me at the beginning but picked up the pace near the middle and by the 75% mark I had a difficult time putting if down! Addictive! I'm so glad to find out that there is a book preceding this one and hopefully another book to follow!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
The story and character development was good and continued well from the first book. This one seemed to wrap up most loose ends, but it also felt like it was purposefully stretched and leaving room for a third book.