I am so happy to continued the life of Emmy Lake, a writer for the Women's Magazine, "Women's Friend." This novel is during WWII but this reads more like a good Hallmark movie rather than a heavy novel that most books based in that time period can feel. Emmy is positive, vibrant and a great friend to all that she meets. I wished I had the confidence she had in every thing that gets thrown in her way. She helps strangers that she meets on a train, she helps her coworkers in their needs and gets to help the War Effort all at the same time. It was a delightful read.

As I am prone to reading books set in London during WWII, and the fact that I read Dear Mrs. Bird, of course I enjoyed this book and the continuation. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

London 1941. Emmeline Lake has taken over as editor of the Yours Cheerfully section of the newspaper, dispensing advice and answering questions from readers and determined to put a more positive spin on the daily lives of Londoners. Emmy and her friend, Bunty, deal with the shortages and stresses of daily life. They feel fortunate as they still have a roof over their heads and Bunty is recovering from her injuries and the loss of her fiance a year ago.

Women are being implored to go to work, to take the place of the men who are off fighting the enemy. Emmy comes to realize that most employers have not the slightest clue about the issues that women in the work force are dealing with, child care, food preparation, transportation - all this plus working 10-12 hours a day. Emmy meets Anne Oliver and they and other friends start making plans to force employers to realize the women need practical help. When spouses, family members and fiancees die, who helps the women cope with tough decisions?

On Emmy's personal front, her fiance, Charles, is now back in London, so wedding plans are being made. Wedding plans are tricky at best and during war time, things can get even more complicated, as Emmy and Charles soon discover.

A lovely historical novel of World War II and the strong women who helped win the war.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it so I was excited to see what was next for Em, Bunty and their friends.

Stars: This book was an easy, quick read. It could probably stand alone, but I would recommend reading the first book to better understand the characters and story. The issues these women face during WW2 in England are (sadly) not so different from what women face now with regards to needing better child care if they choose/need to work.

Wishes: There were too many coincidences for me which makes the story not as believable.

I do hope the author will write a third book! I'd like to see all of these characters have their happy ever afters.

AJ Pearce's Yours Cheerfully, the highly anticipated follow-up to Dear Mrs. Bird, continues Emmeline Lake's story as a young woman in 1941 London, doing what she can to support the men at war and the women left at home. She's cheerful, even in the face of tremendous sadness, and a true and stalwart friend to those closest to her, and even those she's just met. A very comforting book to read, I enjoyed revisiting Emmy, Bunty, Charles, and Guy, and the offices of Woman's Friend magazine. The author has a way of making the reader really feel the camaraderie of those making their way through the war - do yourself a favor and pick up this lovely second book (and the first if you haven't read it yet!) in The Emmy Lake Chronicles. 5 stars!

Yours Cheerfully is the absolutely delightful follow-up to Dear Mrs. Bird. The book revisits characters Emmy, her boyfriend Charles, and best friend Bunty in London 1941. Emmy goes to battle in her own way to bring awareness to the plight of female factory workers during the war. It's a serious topic, but AJ Pearce brings humor and whimsy to the story; this book oozes charm. If you loved Dear Mrs. Bird like I did, then this is a must read! Fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society would enjoy this series as well.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

If you read DEAR MRS. BIRD, you are going to love AJ Pearce’s new release on August 10: YOURS, CHEERFULLY that continues the stories of best friends Emmy and Bunty as they navigate life in Britain during WWII. In particular, the reader gets to jump back into the daily adventures of the ‘Woman’s Friend’ magazine staff as they serve as London’s ‘Dear Abby’ doling out advice and tips — serving not only as a mentor and companion to their female readers many of which are alone with their men fighting overseas, but also attempting to help ladies troubleshoot the war issues of rations in regards to problematic areas like food and fashion. However, when the UK government specifically calls on the female journalism sector to help rally increased numbers of women to the front to work in various factories to free additional men to fight, Emmy finds herself in direct conflict with doing her job and patriotic duty. In her loyalty and wish of not letting her friends and readers down, she longs to be completely transparent about the working condition issues and drawbacks especially in regards for working and widowed mothers who need childcare. In a time where women are giving everything and sacrificing all to their country to help achieve victory and bring home British soldiers, that same country is letting them down by not providing the means and same sacrifices for them to do so. Women who want more than anything to help their sons, brothers, and husbands overseas and are completely invested in any effort to do so, are crying out for reciprocal help from the powers that be so they may rise to the call of duty.

Despite the current conflict in the world and seemingly amidst towering obstacles and strife, daily life and relationships continue on for Emmy and Bunty. Emmy’s relationship with her boyfriend Captain Charles Mayhew, half-brother to her magazine editor Guy Collins, deepens and launches to the next level. Meanwhile, Bunty is still recovering physically and mentally from the accident that killed her fiancé Bill. Signs are possibly pointing to a third novel that may explore a new love for Bunty - could it be Jack (Emmy’s brother) or Guy - as well as Emmy’s struggles with a significant other being sent off again to fight in the war effort. Of course, the reader will also want to see what antics and assignments the ‘Woman’s Friend’ staff is up to next as they continue to help their multi-generational following live and not just survive in these restrictive times.

Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, Pearce provides heart warming positivity through the strong, loyal, and resilient best friend female relationships she’s created as well as great British humor throughout the novel. I particularly enjoyed a madcap frantic scene at the end, that without giving too many details or a spoiler, sees Emmy and Bunty rushing to get back to the city for an important event from an uncoupled train to a factory delivery van with bumper to bumper stopped traffic. Both women bring humor, levity, and a brave stoicism to all the pitfalls and harsh realities of war, exemplifying the famous British motto : Keep Calm and Carry On!

On a final note, although the US book cover design is beautiful, it’s going to be hard to beat the UK release with its extraordinarily gorgeous sprayed edges in the Waterstones exclusive edition. Still on the fence regarding if this particular book is the next to add to your summer stack? If you enjoyed recently released books like THE KITCHEN FRONT by Jennifer Ryan and THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn (both reviewed and featured previously on THE ERUDITE BIBLIOPHILE WITH WANDERLUST), this book would be a great companion read to those novels.

Your Cheerfully is the sequel to the Dear Mrs. Bird novel, the first in the The Emmy Lake Chronicles by A. J. Pearce. I read these two one after the other and it was the right way to read them, without losing the atmosphere.

What I like about this series is that it doesn't seem to rush things: the action is still happening in the early years of World War Two.

Dear Mrs. Bird focuses more on Emmy Lake becoming more sure of herself and her career as a journalist, as well as her love story with Charles. The second novel in the series, Yours Cheerfully, focuses more on the social issues - fair wages for the women war workers, and childcare for their children. Woman's Friend, the magazine Emmy works for, is aiming to be relevant and indeed a friend to its readers. I liked the themes of female friendship, and working women during the War time.

I enjoyed reading this novel, both novels in the series, actually. Because the action of the novel took place slowly, without quickly glossing over the War, it made it easier to focus on the story and see things from the characters' perspectives.

I am curious where Emmy's story will go next!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an ebook ARC of this book.

I didn't' realize this was a sequel to another book, and I have not read the previous book. I thought it would be ok, that I would be able to fall into the story and enjoy the book. I could not. I constantly felt like I was missing something, that I needed more information. And, I am fully 'burned out' on books of this era.

As all the other reviews say, if you liked the first book, you'd probably like this one. If you haven't read the first book, you might want to wait on this one.

2 stars - it was ok, and I'm feeling generous.

After reading Dear Mrs. Bird, I eagerly awaited the second book, Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce. And am I glad to have read both books! In Dear Mrs. Bird, Emmeline Lake takes over for Mrs. Bird in answering readers’ letters to the Woman’s Friend magazine.

Emmeline departs from Mrs. Bird’s strict rules about answering and publishing only upbeat, uplifting letters. When Emmeline begins slipping in letters that contain weighty questions, she gains readers.

In Yours Cheerfully, the war is still on, but Emmeline’s boyfriend Charles has been stationed in Britain. Bunty, Emmy’s friend, and Emmy look for ways to make the best of life in the war-torn country. Then the Ministry of Information sends out a request for women’s magazines to help recruit women to work for the war effort.
This request puts Emmy in a predicament. We’ve read many books about WWII and the circumstances which require bravery from all. Emmy finds herself facing difficult decisions. Yours Cheerfully provides readers with a moving story full of charm and wit.

One of those rare events in which the sequel not only surpasses its predecessor, but FAR surpasses it. This book is not the sort I would ordinarily reach for, but I found it to be as engaging a book as I could have hoped for. Four and a half stars.

An mostly easy, light read though the characters do deal with some difficult issues. An interesting look into the time period and what women in England and those who were not sent over to fight the war had to deal with. I found some of the dialogue over-the-top but enjoyed the book overall.

This is a story of Emmaline, an aspiring journalist who works for a women’s magazine in London in 1941. At the outset, it presents like a formulaic read, but there are meaty undertones which delve into the difficulties women war workers faced, especially child-care issues. The story is bittersweet and timeless, as women today deal with similar struggles.

AJ Pearce has written another satisfying read. It’s offers brevity during a serious era, known a series WWII. The main characters are hired to write an advice column, but that leads to something more than either expected. I grew up reading Dear Ann and Dear Abby so that’s what initially drew me to this book. As in life, when we begin one thing we often have no idea the angles it will pan out. I think this story will resonate with readers since it’s a solid plot and has good character development. Plus it’s an amusing read.

If you read Dear Mrs Bird then I highly recommend you pick up Yours Cheerfully, the second in the series. I have to say that I enjoyed this book even more. It's 1942 in London and the gang is back with Emmy, Bunty, Charles and Guy but there's a whole new cast of characters that are equally delightful. It's a lighter read that's full of heart!

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot (you can find reviews of that type already).

I thoroughly enjoyed "Dear Mrs Bird" - the previous novel in this series - so was delighted to be invited to read this latest book.

This was an enjoyable, light read, that also touched on some serious issues such as the perilous state of the finances of war widows and the difficulties of finding suitable childcare for women doing war work (which was far from a 9-5 existence in many cases).

It was great to see Emmy grow in confidence, and heartening to read of how people pulled together during the war to help one another, whether acquainted or not. I enjoyed getting to know more about the characters we met in the previous book (including Bunty and Charles), as well as the new characters.

Hoping there will be more in this feel-good series, just the thing to lift the spirits!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

A really delightful book. Set during WWII this book has lots of sadness and issues but it’s such a sweet fun book. I love the characters. I wouldn’t highly suggest this book and the one before it. Thank you to the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A good view into women’s contributions and sacrifices to the war effort in WWII England in factories and in the press. There is an undercurrent of the beginnings of a women’s right movement. Good read with a fairly tale ending.

Yours Cheerfully was certainly... Cheerful. It was kind of like reading a British sitcom. I had read the previous installment Dear Mrs. Bird and much like her previous work, this comes off as cute. Emmeline Lake certainly takes the keep calm and carry on mantra to heart. To be honest, it started to get a little grating with all the quirky British slang and her unheard of ability to make the best out of literally everything. At any rate, perfectly good summer beach read, just don't expect too much. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

Yours Cheerfully is a great title for this cheerful historical fiction which is full of the grin and bear it spirit of the British on the homefront during WWII. Emmy Lake is a young journalist/advice columnist who has been tasked with helping to encourage women to go to work in factories for the war effort. Once she starts investigating, she finds that conditions are more difficult than she has been led to believe, and that problems such as finding childcare during working hours are often dismissed by uncaring management. How can Emmy support the women in these positions while also doing her patriotic duty to help the country at war? A social and ethical dilemma many people face when working for the government. A delightful and easy to read historical fiction.