Cover Image: The Land Girls of Goodwill House

The Land Girls of Goodwill House

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Member Reviews

Part of a series,this historical saga is set during the war.Lots of varied and engaging characters who have to learn to get on whole learning new skills. A good read.

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I don't normally read books that are based in historical timeframes. I really enjoyed this one and Sally getting her feet under her was very interesting at Goodwill House. This was a very, very enjoyable book. I am going to look to read more from this series..

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A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

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The Land Girls at Goodwill House is the fourth enjoyable installment of Fenella J. Miller’s enthralling saga series set during the Second World War.

Autumn is just around the corner and in the final weeks of summer in 1940, Lady Joanna Harcourt is busy preparing for new guests to arrive at Goodwill House. Three land girls are set to be joining Lady Joanna at the estate and she cannot wait to welcome Sally, Daphne and Charlie. With the hours being long and the physical work very hard, will the three girls settle in and prove to be welcome additions to Goodwill House? Or will they end up being more trouble than they are worth?

East End girl Sally is a spirited blonde from the East End who doesn’t know the first thing about working the land. However, joining the Land Army has offered Sally the escape she so desperately needed and a chance to escape London and leave her horrible ex Dennis behind. Sal might never have seen a cow before, but she willing to learn and do the best job she can in order not give anyone any excuse to send her back home. Sal soon begins to feel like she has found a place to call home and makes friends with the other land girls, but when Dennis reappears and threatens to take her back home, is her time at Goodwill House set to come to a premature end? Or will Lady Joanna come up with a plan that will enable Sal to unshackle herself from the shadows of the past and keep doing the job she loves?

Fenella J Miller’s The Land Girls at Goodwill House is an engrossing and entertaining saga that is ideal for curling up with this winter. A captivating tale about second chances, new beginnings, friendship and finding the strength and courage to fight for what you truly want, The Land Girls at Goodwill House will delight readers looking for a saga rich in nail-biting drama, emotional intensity and touching romance.

A must for period drama fans, Fenella J Miller’s The Land Girls at Goodwill House is sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in this terrific wartime series.

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Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book

This is the 2nd book from the Goodwill House books that I have read and, although a light, easy read, I felt that it lacked a little substance. All the characters are believable and, in their own ways, likeable. The only reason I have given 1 less star is due to the liaisons between the lady of the manor and the firefighter. Felt there was a little unrealism to the clandestine meetings, with candles? in the blackout? in a burned area of the manor house? Other than this it was a good story and look forward to reading the next book.

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My first book by Fenella J Miller and I hadn't initially realised there were previous books in this series. This however did not deter from the enjoyment in reading this book.

An excellent book with interesting characters and after finishing this I now intend to read the previous ones in the series.

I would definitely recommend this.

A very worthy five stars.

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A first from this author and I'd like to go back and read the previous books in the series and any that may follow. I enjoyed the story, its characters and the genre. I was however thinking that it tied up each event throughout the book a little too neatly and that with two characters claiming such strong feelings for each other after 2 meetups, it was a tad fairytaleish. Overall I did think the characters were the best part and would like to read more about their origins. I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review

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A different kind of story set in WWII. Land girls were those women who contributed to the war efforts by working the farms to insure food supplies when most male farm workers had left to fight. The story is centered around a farm family and the 3 land girls who come to work. This is a part of a series, but you'd not know that if noone told you. I finished the book before I realized it was not a stand alone and will check the other books out to see if thay are as good as this one.

The story combines drama, romance, uncertainty, and so much more that it really is hard to quantify a genre. Historical fiction isn't quite right either. But, it's a very good story that gave me a break from the thrillers I usually read. There is enough background community and some wonderfully defined characters that kept the pages flying. Definitely a great new author on my TBR list.

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Lady Joanna Harcourt is preparing for Land Girls to join her at Goodwill House. Sally is escaping an abusive past and soon befriends the other land girls but sometimes the past can’t be kept behind.

This was a quick and light read telling us about the history and friendship within a time that was dangerous and also unexpected. This novel has a narrative of friendship as well as romance which I really enjoyed; Miller intertwines these themes really well.

This is my first read by this author and I found out this novel is actually the 4th in a series. This can be read as a standalone however I look forward to going back and reading the series.

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I am very quickly becoming a huge fan of Fenella J. Miller. This is my second visit to Goodwill House and I loved it even more than the first time. The characters are so warm and real, you get a sense of being part of their community. The authenticity of the time is so well done as well. I think my New Year's resolution will be to go back and read this series from the start.

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This is the 4th book in the Goodwill House series . I have to admit that I haven’t yet read the others in this series. However I can say that this can be read very well as a stand alone . This is one of my favourite genres and I loved this book . I settled straight in and got to know the characters and just loved the story . It’s an easy read, so perfect for those cold winter night curled up with a hot drink . I will definitely be reading the previous books in this series as I enjoyed this one so much .

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It was a book in a series but could be read by itself. The Goodwill House seems to be a refuge during the war, but the girls are actually helping to run the farm. It is located close to an airbase so air raids do happen to give you a little flavor of the hardships that were endured. This story revolves around Sal who escapes an abusive relationship in London. As she gets use to being a and girl her past shows up. It was an interesting story

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WW2 romance

This is the first book I have read by Fenella Miller. It is book 4 of a series but it was fine to read stand-alone. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a light novel and will look for her other books (from the bio on the Amazon site, it looks like she has written many books in various genres). I recommend it to you to read by your fireplace!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

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This is the 4th book in the Goodwill House series as was every bit as good as book 2 and 3 ( I didn't particularly enjoy book 1).
I enjoyed getting to see Joanna's character develop more as well as learning more about the land girls.
The author left a few story lines unfinished so I'm hoping this means that there are more books in the series to come.
Overall a really good read.

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Even though each instalment in the Goodwill House series can be read as a stand-alone I would recommend reading them in order, starting with the first book, The War Girls of Goodwill House. This will allow the reader to gain some understanding of the characters and setting, as they all tie in together. The Land Girls of Goodwill House takes place after the previous installment, Duty Calls at Goodwill House...

The Land Girls of Goodwill House is a detailed fast paced that hooks the reader in from the first page.

Miller has created an interesting plot by using vivid imagery research into the land girls and RAF firefighters their roles war. Miller also mentions some points of historic significance, such as the rationing, deprivation, and Dunkirk to give a sense of realism to her work. The writing style is easy to follow, with a good mixture of description and dialogue. However I did find that some points where a little repetitive.

The character development of The Land Girls of Goodwill House is good. The characters are relatable and realistic having their own individual personalities. Having read the previous 3 instalments I found it easier to be drawn back into what was happening and was happy to be reunited with old characters and meet the new members of the Goodwill House family. There was a good amount of background information so it was easy to recap where the previous journey had ended...

Joanna is a caring and classy person, who always thinks of others before herself, so it was nice to see her open up more and explore her daring side. Her interaction with other characters is a very loving one especially with her family members, Joe, Liza, Elizabeth and Jean. Joanna is a very important person in the village having a lead role in various meetings amonst the village and receives a great amount of respect by all.

Sally joins up as a volunteer in the serices as a Land Girl to escape her abusive ex-boyfriend, Dennis. Sally attends a agricultural college for 4 weeks to learn techniques and basics about life and work on a farm in the countryside. She has to work in dairy, arable, market gardening, timber work, mixed farming before been allocated to 3 main areas. Sally knows nothing about farm life and isn't that keen on animals, but over time she gets use to it coming out of her shell and eventually likes the work. As she arrives at the college she meets fellow land girls, Daphne and Charlie and quickly become friends with them. It was great to see how they all worked together to create the desired results...

Socialist RAF firefighter John Sergeant is from the working class and has a strong aversion to the upper classes. He is a charismatic person, who tends to prefers his own company and tries to avoid sergeant mess. Instead he likes reading or playing harmonica, when the time allows. His role as a RAF firefigter is vital. He is learning as he works and is seen as a good leader by his squad.

Dispite the 10 year age gap between them, Joanna and John become attracted and infactuated with each other after only meeting on two seperate occassions. They are both from different social classes and it is clearly outlined that nothing permanent would happen. Their scandalous affair is kept secret in order to protect Joanna's posion is society and to avoid any embarrassment or distress. As the chemistry between them grows they become increasing drawn to each other and take more risks...

Overall I felt that The Land Girls of Goodwill House was my least favourite book out of the series, as it is very different to the previous instalments. The "affair" between Joanna and John was short lived and pointless in many respects as afterwards John just seemed to disappear to become a pilot. The feel of the romantic relationships was sudden with little to no explaination to the reason behind them for example Charlie and the Doctor's relationship.... I was left with quite a few questions that I hope will be explained in the next instalment if there is one...

I would recommend reading The Land Girls of Goodwill House to people who enjoy historical fiction, women's fiction and sagas around ww2, as it is a character driven that focuses on friendships, community, secrets and misconceptions....as the reader follows the latest adventure in the lives of those at Goodwill House...

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Lady Joanna Harcourt is preparing to have three land girls come to stay at goodwill house. Sally, Daphne and Charlie. Sally is trying to escape her abusive ex Denis and she quickly befriends the other girls and takes to farm life. But will she ever truly be able to escape from Denis or will he be back to haunt her.

This is the fourth book in the Goodwill House series but can be easily read as a standalone. I was thoroughly engaged in this all the way through and the characters all felt like old friends I was having a catch up with. There is danger, romance and even a quite funny scene involving a bull !

I loved this from start to finish and I am looking forward to more of this lovely series. I can now highly encourage you to read this beautifully entertaining novel.

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This book is number 4 in the series, and I have read the previous ones. I find it hard to write about the book, to not give away spoilers. But you Will love following lady harcourt and her family. Their daily life and ups and Downs. Maybe this is spoilery but in this book there is a little bit steam😀 but i would recommend you read this series in the right order.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

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It's August 1940 and we are back with the next episode of the Goodwill House series, The Land Girls of Goodwill House. Lady Harcourt welcomes 12 land girls but the story focuses on three of the; Sal, Charlie and Daphne. None have had experience of working on farms apart from their training month but became friends during their training. RAF Marston's fire team is headed up by Sergeant John Sergeant who comes along with the team to help with the clean up after a fire. There is a spark between him and Joanna (Lady Harcourt).

Another great instalment which can be read as a standalone but is even better if you know the back story. Highly recommend

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Unfortunately I’m late to this lovely series as this is book four. Although I’ve not read the other books in the series it didn’t stop me from enjoying this one. If like me you are new to the series it definitely works as a stand-alone. Having said that I enjoyed it so much I will definitely be catching up with the rest of the series soon. Lady Joanna Harcourt decides to open up her beautiful home Goodwill House to some land girls who are coming to help the local farmers during World War Two. The book is about these land girls and also the Harcourt family. There are lots of ups and downs as everyone adapts to this new way of life. I can highly recommend this book

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4.5 stars
So now it’s the turn of the Land Girls to stay at Goodwill House with Lady Harcourt. Sal, Daphne and Charlie, all have their own reasons for joining up. They each have a different background and character. The reader is given an insight into the work they were expected to do. Lady Harcourt (Jo) and her family are experiencing the bombing raids as they live nearby a RAF base. There is danger in this story and an unexpected romance or two. This was another entertaining read in this series. The author does conjure up the unsurety of the time and a certain live for the day attitude by the population. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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