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.

In this sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird, we are once again brought into the lives of Emmy Lake and her friends. The British Ministry of Information has asked women's magazines to help recruit women to work in war industries taking the place of the men who have gone off to fight. Emmy and her colleagues at Women's Friend magazine are happy to help but discover roadblocks that prevent women from working. I am totally in awe of British women during WWII!

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)
——————————————————————
“There are women who stick up for each other, and women who don’t. It was as simple as that.”
——————————————————————
👍🏼 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.
•
🤓 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!
•
🚨WHERE you should watch out:
Death of a spouse, general WW2 content
•
📍WHY you should read this book:
It’s a great look at a different aspect of WW2.
•
📚 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.

Although Yours Cheerfully by A. J. Pearce is a sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird, it is also a stand alone book. It's set in England during WWII and details the personal and professional life of Emmeline Lake. Emmy is a young wartime advice columnist who sees firsthand the difficulties women, especially mothers, face while working full time, caring for their children and home and earning less than their male counterparts. Even though some of the conditions are extremely difficult, it is all together a sweet book that is informative as well as optimistic.


With thanks to Scribner for my review copy.

This delightful sequel to Dear Mrs.Bird finds our heroine, Emmeline Lake, promoted to the position of advise columnist (with a bit of help from senior staff). In 1941 wartime Britain, the women’s magazines are trying to be relevant. When the Ministry of Information reaches out to seek assistance in recruiting. women to join the war effort, Emmy is eager to do her part. She finds that women are eager to do their part but face hardships (finding child care, discrimination and low wages.) Readers who enjoyed the first book will not be disappointed in this latest story.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for this review.

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.

This follow up book to Dear Mrs. Bird is delightful stand alone fiction, but it would be a shame not to read both books. The story has been rightfully called heartwarming and uplifting. The engrossing story of the young wartime advice columnist Emmeline Lake is appropriate for all ages from young teens to those who lived through the WWII. It honors grit and good will.

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.)