The second book in a series, I actually think you can read and enjoy Your Cheerfully even if you have not read the earlier book (Dear Mrs. Bird) as enough background information is given along the way to get any details you might need. In this book, which takes place in the fall of 1941, Emmy has an opportunity to finally write her own journalistic stories as part of British government's effort to encourage women to join the war effort. But as Emmy learns about the obstacles existing in the way of women workers, she is motivated to use her voice to bring about change for women. While not quite as charming as the first book, this was still a good read filled and gives a bit of insight into life in London during WWII.

I’m going through some tough times right now, so I needed something uplifting and cheerful to read. I had enjoyed Dear Mrs. Bird, so it made sense to pick up Yours, Cheerfully.
It’s four months after the end of DMB and Emmy is still with Women’s Friend. The war is requiring women to really step in to fill the void of jobs left open when the men enlisted. Emmy is moved into a reporting position when the magazine starts writing articles promoting women to take on these jobs. But she discovers that a lot of the women’s issues just aren’t being addressed. How to balance the need to promote the jobs with the issues that are being ignored, such as the need for child care? Emmy also quickly learns that neither management or government wants to be confronted with any problems.
I adore the writing style. It positively smacks of the idioms of the 1940s. I love the use of Capital Letters for each descriptive phrase such as The Unfortunate Hiccup, Careless Talk, The Big Plan or The Done Thing. I also loved the perfect turn of phrase, as when an older woman says “sometimes you just had to give in to the odd watery day.”
I also loved the characters. Not just Emmy, but Bunty, Charles, Mr. Collins and new friend Anne. These are people you’d want on your side.
This is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and possibly a tear to your eye.
My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner of an advance copy of this book.

This was a delightful return to the world of Dear Mrs. Bird! There was less plot tension this time, more so because we've already met these characters, which slowed things down a bit. There were also a few hints at potential twists but nothing came of them, which I was surprised by, considering the quite predictable storyline. But by the end, I was so won over by the charm of these characters that none of that spoiled my enjoyment.

Unfortunately, this story did not work for me, I tried several times to try and get engaged but it fell flat. I first tried reading Dear Mrs. Bird so I would have a basic background into this one. I probably should have figured out then that I might have made an error in my expectations for this one, but I gave it a go anyway. I couldn’t relate to any of the main characters.
In my years of reading, I have come to discover that I don’t really enjoy a light caper of a serious genre. I truly love historical fiction but this one didn’t seem to have a good true story based on actual events. Of course, coming off of an exceptional historical fiction tale didn’t help.
I will admit I didn’t make it all the way thru this one, but I’m sure there will be many readers that will fall in love with it. Maybe at some point when I want a truly light funny heartwarming fictional story, I will pick it up again.
I received an ARC from Scribner along with NetGalley for my unbiased review. This one comes in with 3 stars.

⭐⭐⭐.7 had to round up!!
Time period 1941 ~ Second in the ‘Dear Mrs. Bird’ series. Actually changed to
“The Emmeline Lake Chronicles” Book #2
Emmeline ‘Emmy’ Lake takes on the challenge of writing a wartime advice column called “Yours Cheerfully. The editor’s idea is to come up with ideas on recruiting more women to work in nontraditional jobs as so many men are off to war and women are needed to do jobs in factories.

Emmy’s idea is to invite omen to write in an address their problems and concerns.
Aww love these characters. Such an enjoyable read ~ now that is something I have never said while reading a historical fiction WWII story. However, Ms. Pierce does address topics that were going on at that time which were not fun enjoyable things! An additional part of this story is that Emmeline is planned to get married.
Hope this isn’t a spoiler but the wedding is such a nice part of this story.
Emmy wedding gown, reminded me that one of my aunt’s wedding gown was made from a parachute. I wasn’t born yet so didn’t see it in person but the wedding pictures were beautiful even in black & white ~ actually brown & white!

I always love reading the ‘Author’s Note’ as it always provides the inside to the research etc. However, this is an early uncorrected galley so I will have to check the “real’ book when it comes out!

Want to thank NetGalley and Scribner for this early release granted to me for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 10, 2021.

I received an electronic ARC from Scribner through NetGalley.
A light historical read with some serious undertones. This is a continuation of the characters' lives from Dear Mrs. Bird. Emmy has now taken over much of the advice column for the magazine and answers more serious questions than the column has handled in the past. She is offered a chance to cover women working during the war and discovers the complicated issues that surround this war effort in Great Britain. She is conflicted about writing positive articles to support the war effort while not addressing child care, low pay, etc. for the women themselves. Readers see her friend Bunty continue to heal and recover from the death of her fiance, and also see Charles and Emmy's relationship develop.
Pearce uses a lighter touch to cover this serious historical period. She keeps the focus calm and uses rather innocent characters as her main topics while hinting at darker edges for the minor ones. The book is designed for an overview rather than a deep dive.

Things I loved:
The author's word-choice and tone.
The protagonist's decisions on whether to please the status quo or be a vehicle for change, even if that meant loss of employment and possibly even imprisonment.
The concrete little details of sacrifice that came from living in a country that has been at war for three years (things like making a wedding gown from parachute silk, and the scarcity of eggs).

Things I didn't love:
The pacing. I started skimming to keep the plot plowing forward.
Some of the conflict seemed trite (who really cares about bathroom gossip anyway?)

All in all, I delightful book with a plucky heroine whose struggles brought tears to my eyes quite unexpectedly.

After six attempts to read more than twenty pages at a time, I decided to admit I do NOT like this book and that won't change by trying again. Yes, I'd like to know if the magazine was saved but not that badly. To me, the naive and gushy style of prose was very off-putting. It is apparent the author was trying for a '1920s innocence', but that effort fell flat. This book may appeal to some but was a dud, IMHO.

Thanks to Scribner + Netgalley for the e-ARC of YOURS CHEERFULLY by AJ Pearce, expected pub date: August 10, 2021.

A lovely change of pace WW2 novel about Emmy Lake and her friends - the sequel to DEAR MRS BIRD (2018 publication).
Set in WW2 London in 1941, Emmy (a journalist working for a woman's magazine) is trying to keep her chin up and report honestly, realistically, and firmly patriotically about the war and how it the women at home are dealing with it - especially those working war jobs and who are mothers - and sometimes honesty + realism + patriotism are difficult to manage at the same time, but Emmy does so with grace and courage. Plus, she gets married.

A charming and heartfelt second book in the Emmeline Lake Chronicles…Yours Cheerfully continues Emmy’s life living in London in 1941. World War II is raging overseas and Londoners are coping with rationing, destroyed buildings and their sons, husbands and boyfriends gone off to fight - some to never return. In the midst of all this, Emmy pluckily moves forward with her career at a women’s magazine, relationships with her great friends and the love of her life Charles.
Yours Cheerfully carries on the storyline started in Dear Mrs. Bird in a creative and uplifting manner. Women banding together to help each other, the courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times and the enduring hope of love. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Yours Cheerfully is both a good picture of what it was like to be a working woman in World War Two, and also an exploration of what it feels like to work together with others to improve conditions for everyone in an organization or in all of society. It's both touching and has moments of humor.

Yours Cheerfully • AJ Pearce
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
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“There are women who stick up for each other, and women who don’t. It was as simple as that.”
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👍🏼 Thumbs Up:
This series 😍 I love it! AJ Pearce does a masterful job of writing fresh WW2 historical fiction that is uplifting and hopeful.
•
👎🏻 Thumbs Down:
I can’t think of anything I didn’t like.
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🤓 For Readers WHO:
Are fans of WW2 HF, or have read the first book, Dear Mrs Bird.
•
👉🏼 This is what’s WHAT:
Emmaline is back at it with helping write an advice column for women during the war. When she gets tapped to assist with a secret plan for the government she bites off a little more than she can chew when helping new friends on the home front.
•
⏳WHEN I read this book:
It made me want more books in the series!
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🚨WHERE you should watch out:
Death of a spouse, general WW2 content
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📍WHY you should read this book:
It’s a great look at a different aspect of WW2.
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📚 HOW I read this book:
eARC from @netgalley and @scribner

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cheerfully Yours, a sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird. We see how Emmy Lake’s professional life has changed with the departure of Mrs. Bird from Woman’s Friend magazine. The editor, Mr. Collins, gives Emmy increasing responsibilities, from maintaining the advice column (now renamed Cheerfully Yours) to writing articles encouraging women to work in traditionally male jobs in support of the war effort. The latter involves Emmy attending meetings at the Ministry of Information as well as visiting a munitions plant that now employs women. She is torn between writing articles praising the women’s work efforts versus addressing their very real concerns about childcare while they are working. Management at the plant is staffed by men who are unsympathetic to the women’s concerns, even though the government has offered childcare where needed; however, it must be requested and an unwilling Management refuses to do so.

Emmy becomes increasingly involved in the lives of some of the women she has met at one of the munitions plants. At the same time, we learn about her evolving romantic relationship with Charles who is now stationed in London. There is also her ongoing friendship with Bunty. Her professional responsibilities and her personal life are frequently at odds, especially when her wedding date conflicts with a planned parade to support the women workers. The resultant comedy of errors makes things rather suspenseful as to how things will work out.

This heartwarming and frequently funny novel tells of friendship, love, and ordinary people who are trying to maintain a semblance of normality in difficult times. Cheerfully Yours is a delightful, lighthearted tale that is inspirational! Well-worth reading!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Yours Cheerfully. Yours Cheerfully is a follow-up to AJ Pearce's Dear Mrs. Bird. Both books are set in WWII in London. Emmaline Lake continues to help out with the war effort by contributing to the magazine Woman's Friend. Emma continues to write and assist with a new advice column called Yours Cheerfully, but when Emma learns of the conditions that women face in a local munitions factory, she decides to write a series of articles. The articles are not all well received by everyone, but Emma pushes forward to help out the women laborers. She is helped by her best friend, Bunty, and the editor and other staff members at Woman's Friend. And she continues to see her boyfriend Charles Mayhew as often as possible. As with Dear Mrs. Bird, the book is told as if you are in 1940s London with the words and language of the period, with a touch of humor to round out the story. It makes for a very charming novel albeit a novel set in a very serious WWII setting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Yours Cheerfully and learning more about Emma's life.

This is a celebration of friendship and resilience and working together. Emmy Lake is back and is finding her way at a woman's magazine in London in World War II. When the Ministry of Information asks for help from the women's magazines Emmy finds herself writing about women war workers. The articles give her a new perspective and she is faced with a choice.

I was very happy to see a second book with Emmy and friends after enjoying Dear Mrs. Bird so much. This story picks up where it left off with Emmy and her coworkers at the magazine. Their newest project is helping the government in recruiting women to work during the war (WWII). Emmy dives right in and along with her friend Bunty, she gets ideas and into some situations. She does manage to highlight the needs of women workers.

In addition to the serious topic of women working in munitions or where needed, we learn more of Emmy's personal life.

I found the book to be realistic and optimistic. It's entertaining and leaves one smiling.

In Dear Mrs. Bird, young Emmeline (Emmy) Lake takes what she thinks is a journalist job the magazine Women’s Friend, but learns she is to be dogsbody to the world’s least sympathetic advice columnist, Mrs. Bird. Now, in Yours Cheerfully, Mrs. Bird is gone and Emmy is taking her first steps as a journalist.

Women’s magazines are asked by the Ministry of Information to help recruit women to work for the war effort. Emmy dives in, but soon learns that real life for factory workers isn’t quite as hunky dory as the Ministry wants propagandized. The male supervisors and managers, unions, and government bureaucracies are uninterested and even hostile to any accommodation needed by female workers, especially those who have children.

Emmy is obsessed with finding a way to help her new friends in one particular munitions plant with a particularly odious plant manager. In her spare time, she is happily in love with her boss’s brother, Charles, and tries to spend all the time she can with him before he is inevitably posted overseas.

Because I read an advance review copy, the Author’s Note was omitted. I’m curious to know more about some of the author’s mentions of how married women were treated by the government during World War II in Britain. For example, can it really be true that if a man was missing in action, his wife ceased to receive his pay or any other government support?

This is an easy and, yes, cheerful, historical fiction read, with appealing characters. It makes a nice change of pace between more demanding reading.

Emmy's getting married and also a new hire at a (London based) women's magazine in the midst of WWII.

At first I questioned requesting this book from NetGalley and kicking myself as I thought that this would be a little too "fluffy" for my tastes. I'm really glad that I read this book. The Ministry of Information is pushing women to work in industry to support war efforts; but there are many challenges that women face in order to "help do their part". Emmy investigates and brainstorms with the women to raise awareness to their concerns. I had never really thought about the women's challenges before, work hours that don't facilitate child care, lower pay, and especially challenged on every imaginable front if your spouse is MIA and/or deceased.

Even though the cover of the book clearly states "author of Dear Mrs. Bird"; I didn't realize that this is the continuation of a series (I believe). If it is, starting with this book was not awkward for me ... as I really didn't notice. I'll probably look into reading Dear Mrs. Bird.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author A.J. Pearce and the publisher Scribner for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 10 Aug 2021.

** In chapter 24 ... IT GIVES ME NEARLY 4 HOURS, in the 4th paragraph ... it says ... "I'm going as a reported". This should be "I'm going as a reporter." (I believe.)

Set in England, this story begins in June of 1941, with Emmeline - who goes by the less formal Emmy - Lake, in the office of Woman’s Friend Magazine as an editorial meeting is about to begin, and the staff is happily congratulating Mr. Collins on his new title of Editor.

Emmy has been offered the opportunity to replace Mrs. Henrietta Bird’s place as the columnist for ‘Yours Cheerfully’ - under some supervision, of course. While Mrs. Bird’s advice approach had tended to be graceless and heavy-handed, Emmy hoped to provide more gently shared, helpful advice. The war had been going on by then for two years, men had been leaving to serve - some to never return, leaving behind their wives and children, and women were needed to replace them in their jobs. For one of her first articles she visits The Ministry of Information, who has invited her to visit so she can see the need for more women to take the place of the men who were needed to serve their country and defeat the enemy.

When she visits The Ministry of Information and interviews the young women working in this munitions factory, several of them mothers, she realizes the problems many of them face as mothers, and the lack of caring about their dilemma as to what to do with their children while they are at work. After all, they don’t have a “wife” at home to take care of them while they work, and are often forced to bring their children to work at the factory, which is not only not allowed, but potentially dangerous. And while there is government assistance for companies needing to establish child care to assist these women at their work, The Ministry of Information is not interested in applying for it. They feel they’ve done more than their part by installing mirrors in the bathroom established for women. After all, the men never needed special accommodations like on-site childcare.

Emmy loves her new position, but she also wants to help these women out, and tries to gently cajole the company into providing it, at least applying for the assistance offered by the government. As her efforts prove to be in vain, and some of these women whom she’s grown so fond of lose their jobs because of the lack of childcare, she meets with some of the women to try to help even more.

Meanwhile, Emmy’s romance with Charles is progressing even as the war efforts are increasing. Men are not coming home to their wives, some never to come home again. The women are fending for themselves as best they can, but they can’t do the jobs that two people previously did before, especially not in wartime with rationing.

This is an inspiring story, while at the same time as it shows the way women were treated as second-class citizens it also shows the determination these women had to prove that they could do these jobs that men formerly had done. Emmy is a wonderful character, one who is loyal to her friends - including the new friends she’s made in the course of interviewing these women - loyal to her job and those she loves.

A lighter look at the problems of living in this time, this does cover some serious issues, but with Emmy and her genuine caring efforts on behalf of others, there is also much love.


Pub Date: 10 Aug 2021 (US)

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Scribner

• Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for providing this Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is August 10, 2021.

London, November 1941. This is the continuing from Dear Mrs. Bird. Now, Emmeline Lake at Woman’s Friend magazine becoming a young wartime advice columnist. With growing pressure from the War Department for women to fill the jobs left open by the men who went to war, a growing number of woman band together to fight for what they need to be effective workers, like childcare. Powerful tale of what a society can achieve when women and men work in concert with one another.