I read Dear Mrs Bird last week and now Yours Cheerfully. I adore Emmy and Bunty and Mr Collins and Charles. Great group of characters all trying to help each other out while doing their part during the war in Britain. Women are being recruited to work in munitions factories but there is no childcare and no benefits for war widows. Emmy’s magazine takes on these issues as she tries to help her friends. It’s a look at what it was really like for these women. AJ Pearce writes thoughtful Prose with some humor and cheer thrown in.

"Yours Cheerfully" by A.J. Pearce is Book #2 in The Emmy Lake Chronicles series.

Emmy Lake continues to work as a journalist at Women's Friend magazine. After a meeting between journalists and the Department of Information, Emmy decides to follow leads to military wives and war workers. She finds military widows expected to "get by" by the government, military wives unable to support themselves on the pittance the government provides, and war worker women in dangerous jobs, without few if any safety measures in place...

What happens next is Emmy both taking on the cause of all these women, and growing up a bit in the bargain.

The story is engaging if a bit light, given the subject matter. Emmy's development is a positive sign that in further books in the series we may see Emmy continuing to grow and grow up.

Cheerfully Yours by A.J. Pearce

I so enjoyed this sequel to “Dear Mrs. Bird.”
Emmaline Lake is a journalist for Woman’ s Friend magazine during World War II. And she so much wants to be of help during this tragic period of time. She wants it so much that she sometimes gets a little carried away.

At the ending of “Dear Mrs. Bird,” Emmy came close to losing her job, but was able to hold on to it. Now she is more determined than ever to do her very best. As she is commissioned to do several articles to inspire women to join in the fight by working at munitions factories, she uncovers several problems with this plan, such as: who will take care of the children while the mothers are working?

Emmy tries desperately to help the women, who have now become her friends, solve this problem, as they very much need to keep these jobs to help support their families. At this same time, Emmy is planning her own wedding, while her fiancé, Charles, plans to sign up for a more dangerous position in the war effort.

Together, these two exciting issues come together to make for a warm-hearted, sad but also humorous, exciting, and inspiring story of people coming together to help each other during the worst of times.

I'd like to thank NetGalley, A.J. Pearce, and Scribner for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

A novel about strong, intelligent women who persevere during WWII by supporting the war effort working in factories where conditions are not always good. The characters are enjoyable, fully developed and interesting. At once serious and lighthearted, and enjoyable read. I highly recommend "Yours Cheerfully."

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

This is a follow up to "Dear Mrs. Bird" and, although not necessary, I was glad that I read them both in sequence to see Emmy's story develop. Emmeline Lake and her friend Bunty are two delightful young women living in London during WWII. Emmy's grown from the 1st book into an even more spunky go-getter not only trying to get the story for her magazine, but helping the women she befriends to better their lives. It's a feel good story from start to finish.

This sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird carries on soon after the previous book ends. Although this one could be read as a standalone, I think it'd be better to read the first one before this - it gives the characters more background and depth, and it's really good!! This too is a lovely story and I absolutely enjoyed it.

Emmy is now on probation at her job, but she's also so talented and given opportunities to assist the magazine in recruiting women to work in the war effort. Of course, the ministry wants propaganda and positive stories, but Emmy also sees behind the scenes problems that the powers that be don't want acknowledged.

Some things I liked about this book were:

1. I learned! I really hadn't thought about the complexities of women going to work during the war. And the people Emmy (and we) meet are so interesting and trying so hard in overwhelming circumstances. I admired them, and it's especially nice to think that similar things really happened (and continue to happen) to so many women.

2. The theme of women helping women instead of competing.

3. Emmy and Bunty are such great friends and I loved seeing Bunty's lists and organizational skills.

4. Emmy's wartime romance. How difficult that would be. And how brave everyone was.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book!

This was a lovely book. It’s the 2nd book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles, after “Dear Mrs. Bird”. Emmy works at a magazine called Women’s Friend during WWII. Her best friend and roommate Bunty lost her husband. When the Ministry of Information wants to recruit more women to work in factories etc., they reach out to women’s publications for ideas.

Emmy met a mother on a train named Anna who was just starting work at a munitions plant. Emmy goes to the factory to interview her and her friends, and she finds that not everything is rosy, especially for mothers with small children who’s husbands are deployed or lost.

I enjoyed the glimpses of WWII domestic life, and applauded Emmy’s efforts to help her factory friends. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

London 1941 journalist Emmy becomes involved in a campaign to encourage women wartime workers. I thoroughly enjoyed the aspects of the story dealing with the challenges of the female worker. Not only does Emmy face obstacles being a female journalist she meets Anne a worker at a place called Chandlers. . Through Anne and Anne's fellow workers Emmy gains insight to the women's workers struggles, childcare being a main issue. I didn't read the first of the series so I didn't understand some of Emmy's relations to the other characters, especially the politics of the magazine. At times the novel was too fluffy and upbeat for such serious subject matter at a contentious time in history. However, it is called Yours Cheerfully, an upbeat attitude and friendship can help even at the worst of times. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review of this interesting, heart felt story.

In this follow-up to Dear Mrs. Bird, the story of Emmy Lake continues — although Yours Cheerfully works perfectly well as a stand-alone. Emmy is a young woman who’s just learning the journalism ropes at Woman’s Friend magazine, while also juggling her wartime volunteer work as part of the fire watch, spending time with her best friend Bunty, and squeezing in precious visits with her boyfriend Charles whenever he can get leave. It’s 1941, and the war dominates every aspect of life in London.

As the story opens, the British Ministry of Information convenes a briefing for representatives of women’s magazines, urging them to do their patriotic duty by promoting recruitment of women workers to support the war effort. For Emmy, this represents a chance to advance in her journalism career, but as she visits a munitions factory as part of her research, she learns that there’s a darker side to women’s factory work: For those with small children, childcare can be difficult to impossible to find, and women who sneak their children into the factories so they can watch them face immediate firing.

Emmy learns as well that some of these women are war widows or have husbands missing in action, so that the factory work is not only patriotic, but is essential to their families’ financial survival.

Despite the magazine needing to keep up the positive portrayal of woman’s war work, Emmy can’t help feeling that she’s letting their readers down by not advocating for more attention to the needs of the workers — especially since there are supposed to be government-funded nurseries, but only if the factory owners make the effort to make the arrangements, and apparently, many of them don’t bother.

The story of the factory workers with whom Emmy becomes friends becomes a main thread of the plot of Yours Cheerfully. Interspersed with this is Emmy’s friendship with Bunty, recovering from injury and terrible loss after events in Dear Mrs. Bird, and the story of Emmy’s romance with Charles. There are sweet romantic moments, as well as a depiction of the challenges of everyday life during war and the fragility of every moment of happiness, knowing sorrow could be just around the corner.

I enjoyed Yours Cheerfully, although it starts very slowly. My interest was slow to engage, but eventually I was drawn in by the story of the factory workers, whom we come to know as individuals, each with their own backstory, and by the ups and downs faced by Emmy and Charles as they try to juggle courtship and engagement with the realization that Charles is likely to be sent overseas at any moment.

Yours Cheerfully is a quiet book — even the moments of greater action, such as a march to promote nurseries for the munitions workers, are fairly mild affairs. The characters are all lovely, but the book doesn’t build a great sense of drama or urgency. It’s a very nice read, but I can’t say I ever felt compelled by the plot or totally engrossed.

Overall, Yours Cheerfully provides a thoughtful look at women on the homefront during war, depicting the bravery embodied in carrying on during a time of heightened tragedy and crisis, and the power of friendship and joy to see the characters through the worst of times.

This is a follow-up to Dear Mrs. Bird wherein Emmy is introduced as a worker for an advice column at a newspaper press. This second book continues with Emmy and several other characters from the first book but now the advice column is known as Yours Cheerfully. This book focuses on female factory worker.
Being set in London, 1941, I thought it would have a bit more impactful situation. I lieu, I found a light read, which was enjoyable but after reading the first one and that one having some moving parts, I thought a little of that would follow on to this book.

I would like to thank the publisher, NetGalley and Author for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved that this book continues the story first started in "Dear Mrs. Bird". While the war dangers are still there and - perhaps more prevalent than they were in the first book, the optimism is catchy. I found this book to be one that I started thinking "I'll read for a few chapters..." and stopped several hours later.

If you loved "Dear Mrs. Bird," this is a must read - AJ Pearce does a seamless job at continuing the story.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley and the publisher. I have really only started reading historical fiction. This book though has to be one of my favorites. Its light, its fun but it is also accurate for the time. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc!

Yours Cheerfully is the highly enjoyable follow up to Dear Mrs. Bird. Emmy is now writing a column called "Yours Cheerfully" for Women's Friend magazine. It is towards the end of 1941 and WW2, and Emmy is tasked with writing articles focused on the women who are now working during wartime, and the challenges they face. Serious issues, like the long hours they work, for less pay than their male counterparts, but with the added stressors of finding childcare, having to work weekends or scrambling during changes in shifts.

Even though this is a lighthearted read, it tackles the very real issues that occurred in wartime London. The rationing (or lack altogether) of food and supplies. The loss of family members and friends to the war, and those who came home but with serious injuries, physical and mental. The creative ways people came up with just to survive sometimes, and the tenacity and spirit of everyone during the most difficult of times.

I truly loved these characters and the bond they all shared, especially the new friends Emmy made along the way while interviewing these courageous women who were doing their all to support their country, which really wasn't supporting them in return.

I commend Ms. Pearce on bringing us another entertaining story that really pulled at the heartstrings.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Emmy Lake is a delightful character, a ray of sunshine against the dreary and frightening background of Britain in the earlier days of WW2. She’s an old reliable friend of you’ve read the first book of this series, “Dear Mrs Bird”.

I had read the first book of this series a local Book Club selection (not something I’d not normally choose, but that’s the magic of book clubs), and I found it to be witty, charming, and poignant. However, I’m not sure that reading “Cheerfully Yours” as a stand-alone would be as wonderful an experience for someone who hasn’t read the first book. So, I need to say it — read “Dear Mrs Bird” before diving into this one. The first book had the tensions of Emmy in her new magazine position (surreptiously undermining the stern Mrs Bird and answering letters about UnPleasant Things), navigating a romance with a fellow employee’s brother, plus having her best friend Bunty deal with the reality of having a fiancée in the Fire Brigade during the air raids. In the sequel, all these issues have been resolved — Emmy has survived Mrs Bird (who has retired) and is free to answer letters on her own with minor supervision; her romance is going well (he’s no longer on the front lines, but safely back in England); her fraught relationship with her boss/boyfriend brother is smoother (he’s now her Editor); and her best friend is healing from the awful sequence f events in book on . It’s a nice extension to the first story, still poignant, but without those plot points in the sequel, this book drags a bit at first.

Emmy’s magazine has been asked to help with the recruitment of women into the war effort — war wives, widows, and mothers are being asked to take on more and enter the working world of manufacturing or at home military support. The magazine staff is Doing Its Part with good humor and persistence. However, Emmy begins to meet some of the women who have been recruited and realizes that low pensions, long hours, challenging childcare dilemmas, and suspect working conditions are lessening the “glamor” of Doing Your Part.

And then suddenly her beau is being sent back to the front — which means a hastily arranged and creative wedding (because of rationing) for Emmy (a gown made out of parachute fabric?)

A.J. Pearce does an incredible job of juxtaposing the hardships of war at home with the bright spots of treasuring the small things that let people survive and eventually thrive. I look forward to a another book in the series to follow Emmy, her friends, and co-workers through the duration of the war period and beyond.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Read “Dear Mrs Bird” first.
Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Thanks #NetGalley @ScribnerBooks for a complimentary eARC of #YoursCheerfully upon my request. All opinions are my own.

In this follow up to Dear Mrs. Bird, Emmeline Lake continues her journalism career as an advice columnist for Woman’s Friend magazine. Emmy’s best friend, Bunty, is reovering from her injuries and the loss of her fiancé, and Emmy’s boyfriend is now stationed back in the U.K. The focus and intensity of this story changes as the Ministry of Information asks women’s magazines to help recruit female workers to the war effort. Emmy is thrilled to do her part, but then she is confronted with the very real challenges that women war workers face and takes a stand to support her new friends.

Even though Yours Cheerfully can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading Dear Mrs. Bird first for a richer reading experience. Dear Mrs Bird centers around the London Blitz and its affect on Londoners (bombings are a part of the story) and follows Emmy as she begins her journalism career, Yours Cheerfully focuses on the war effort from the perspective of women left behind and on Emmy’s activism. Yours Cheerfully is very much a “day in the life” type of story.

Do you ever create categories in your mind just for your own benefit? Just me?! In my own mind I think of Dear Mrs. Bird as light histfic and Yours Cheerfully as cozy histfic if that makes sense! What I’m trying to communicate is that I see a different degree of war intensity between the two books, but they are both upbeat and charming in tone.

I admire Emmeline as the protagonist. I like a series that follows one character (as opposed to other series that rotate the protagonist of each story). We notice Emmeline’s growth as a competent and confident columnist, observe as she’s challenged by the unfairness of women’s work conditions, and cheer for her actions and involvement. Although Emmy has a fiancé, the romance is not a main focus of the story.

Thoughtful themes include women supporting women, women and the War effort, women’s working conditions and equal wages, friendship, influence of news media on current issues, making a difference, and wartime romance.

I’m warmly recommending Yours Cheerfully (and Dear Mrs. Bird) for readers looking for light, inspirational, and heartwarming WW11 historical fiction (closed door romance, no profanity, no graphic violence), for fans of fiesty and independent female protagonists, and for book clubs. I think I enjoyed Yours Cheerfully a bit more than Dear Mrs. Bird but that could be because I’ve become familiar with the characters, the setting, and the author. I’m definitely looking forward to more books in the Emmy Lake series!

A charming follow up to Dear Mrs Bird. I enjoyed my time with Emmy and Bunty. I also liked the story following the women workers and the need for childcare. It honestly was something that never crossed my mind and I am glad this book brought that to my knowledge. I look forward to seeing what Emmy has in store in the future.

🎉🎉🄷🄰🄿🄿🅈 🄱🄾🄾🄺 🄱🄸🅁🅃🄷🄳🄰🅈!🎉🎉

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒃𝒚 𝑨.𝑱. 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒆 is out TODAY!

🌷This was a fun, lighthearted story set during WWII (at least as fun and lighthearted as a war story can be🤷‍♀️). I read it while on vacation and appreciated the levity of the writing, despite the introduction of some heavy topics. AJ Pearce brings to light the difficulties female workers faced during the war, but does it in a resilient manner that makes readers really want to know the outcome for the women involved. These women tried so hard to assist with the war effort, but sometimes too much was required of them, and the reality of their situation with children in tow was often times overlooked.

I loved the idea of a column in the Woman's Friend magazine to offer advice to women who write in during wartime. I've always been a sucker for "Dear Abby", so this sweet story was right up my alley! The story also really resonated with me as a mom. This novel really is "Yours Cheerfully"!

Many thanks to Scribner Books and NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Yours Cheerfully (The Emmy Lake Chronicles #2) by A.J. Pearce

It's London, November 1941, and Emmy Lake is thriving at her job. She loves the people she works with and she's been given many more responsibilities at Woman’s Friend magazine. Getting to attend a Ministry of Information meeting for journalists opens the door for Emmy to do articles on the wartime female workers, giving their all for the war effort. It's when Emmy really gets to know some of these women, and the hardships they are facing, that she knows the magazine not only needs to promote the war effort but more importantly, they need to highlight and attempt to remedy the real, life crushing, challenges that working women face when they also have children and the other responsibilities of wartime life hindering their every step. These women are doing the same jobs that men did for much less pay, working weekends and ever changing shift work, with no help or understanding from their employers.

Although this is wartime London, and from the first book, Dear Mrs. Bird, we know the challenges and threats that all of England faces, both books have a lighthearted feel to them. I enjoy these stories and self deprecating characters that are able to support each other and find humor in the everyday strangeness of this wartime life they are living. No one is allowed to forget the loss of life and also the loss of health for those who do return from war. Wartime rationing means creativity is a part of each day and the generosity of others is often what gets people from one hour to the next. Everyone has lost someone and, for the most part, Emmy and her friends try to put a good face on each minute because that's the only way to keep going.

I love these characters, Emmy's co-workers who really care about each other, her long time friends and her family, and the new friends she makes as she tries to help the women factory workers who get no leeway when it comes to understanding the hardships of finding constant childcare for their children. Whether it's subtle or faced directly, we are always made aware of the heavy weight that the war places on each person.

Thank you to Book Club Favorites, Scribner, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I absolutely adored Dear Mrs. Bird which was published in 2018. That book felt entire to itself so I had no idea that there would be a new novel featuring Emmy. This sequel was every bit as charming, engaging and emotional as the first. Add to all of those qualities humor and sadness and AJ Pearce has done it again!

Cheerfully Yours can be read as a standalone but I recommend both titles, in any order, simply for the joy of the reading experience. Unless you are a true cynic, these books will be enjoyed.

In Cheerfully Yours, WWII is still raging. Emmy continues to work for the woman’s magazine where she became Mrs. Bird’s assistant in the first novel. Here the magazine is under an editor who believes in his staff and their abilities. He invites Emmy, despite some checkered work history, to come with him to an important meeting at the Ministry of Information. The minsters want to encourage women to work in war industries and hopes that magazines like Emmy’s will be a way to reach them. Emmy is very excited to become a reporter.

Through a chance meeting, Emmy comes to know Anne. Anne has two children, has been widowed and is working in a factory. Emmy wants to tell Anne’s story. Through this and other story elements readers learn about the obstacles that women faced within the work force. Through her fictional characters, Ms. Pearce engagingly immerses readers in the subject.

Readers also will meet or become reacquainted with Emmy’s closest friend, Bunty. They will also watch as Emmy and Charles spend time together.

One authorial decision that I really enjoyed was her choice of capitalizing certain letters in phrases. These add an emphasis, often comic, to the text.

This is a novel with hope and heart. It is about many kinds of love (for family, friends, romantic attachments). Readers will feel better for spending time with the irrepressible Emmy and those around her. I recommend this one most highly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Yours Cheerfully is the sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird and continues on with the story of Emmy Lake and her life in England during World War II working at a women’s magazine. I listened to the audio of Dear Mrs. Bird a couple years ago and was excited to see there was a sequel coming out. It had been a little bit since I read the first one, but this sequel had some gentle reminders that brought me right back into the lives of Emmy, her friend Bunty, and her colleagues at Woman’s Friend magazine.

The novel shows what life was like at this particular point in history, including many of the societal changes happening because of the war, especially those affecting women. The book is well-written with enjoyable characters, and covers some serious issues, but incorporates humor and is written in a way that you can enjoy and immerse yourself in the story. Having listened to the first book, I enjoyed reading the text of this one and picking up more of the author’s writing style.

If you are a fan of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society or you watched Downton Abbey and wished for more of Lady Edith’s storyline at the magazine, you will most likely enjoy this series!