It was ok, i enjoyed the goodwill house series, it's well written and put together, a must read for those who enjoy historical war fiction.

Joanna is closing out Goodwill House and moving the family to a restored manse. While it's being restored, they're all still living at Goodwill House and up and down living continues as the War goes on. Newly married to John, they are separated most of the time because of the war, and each has rocky times. Her baby is due just before Christmas, so they focus on that somewhat. Interesting tale as they all cope with wartime issues. Disappointing, wobbling between atheism and prayers as convenient. Somewhat abrupt ending but overall a good read with likeable characters.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#AChristmasBabyatGoodwillHouse #NetGalley #FenellaJMiller #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BoldwoodBooks #HistoricalFiction

I loved this series and this is the 7th and final book in the series. It's like saying goodbye to a close set of friends. A really warm read- I've enjoyed my time at Goodwill House! I love the characters and the way that they've developed into well loved friends over the course of the series. I'd highly recommend reading the whole series- you are in for a great treat.

This book is full of the period detail which has given the series such authenticity. I found John’s story to be so interesting as he goes from posting to posting. Joanna goes through a massive change in her circumstances as she decides what direction her life is going to take. Life on the Home Front is a mixed experience as it is full of deprivations materially but brings out the best in the community.

This is the finale in the Goodwill House series and although it is 1941 and halfway through the war, there is a sense in the story of loose ends being tidied up. You also sense the pressure which everyone must have been under and the unspoken fears that the characters feel at each parting, unable to know where loved ones were actually being sent to or the dangers they were under. Every day normality carries on with tiny misunderstandings betraying the tension that was always there. Joanna’s expected baby represents hope for the future but there is also sadness in the story at separations and the cycle of life and death.

In short: love and separation on the Home Front

In the last book of the Goodwill House series, Fenella J. Miller brings Joanna, John, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Joanna’s adopted children into the Christmas spirit with a wedding and a baby on the way. As the cast approaches December 1941, John’s military duties pick up and change with the course of the war. Joanna, on the other hand, focuses on transitioning back into being a wife and a mother to an infant while also upholding her responsibilities to her mother-in-law, village, and adopted children. Miller’s characters are part of a large, dynamic, blended family, a refreshing and exciting change of pace for novels of this genre. Miller’s characters, as lively and fully formed as in the previous books, are the heart of the story and bring it to a satisfying conclusion. Goodwill House remains a powerful figure in the novel, with its charm, whimsy, and hidden secrets, and it continues to shape its inhabitants and bring them together for one final novel. Miller’s final book in the series is a satisfying, heartwarming conclusion for Goodwill House, Joanna, John, and their large family, and Miller has brought this World War II novel safely home, and just in time for the holidays.

Really enjoyed this book. Such a fab series of books. Sad that this was the last one in the series! Would have liked to see what happens in a couple of years

Thus book was a lovely read, historical in its setting. I'm lead to believe that this is book 7 of a series and the last one. After reading this book I will now have to purchase the others and start then from the beginning.

Book 7 and sadly the last in this wonderful series.

Joanna, finds herself pregnant having had a brief affair with John an FAF pilot from the nearby airbase. They had parted because of the age difference he was 10 years her junior and they came from different backgrounds. It was a shock to Joanna as when she had her first child she was tpld that she would not be able to have another baby. Joanna contacted John to tell him the news.

This final instalment centres around Joanna, her life at the house, her mother in law, adopted twins and everyday life and John and his escapades in the RAF. I will not go into the dangers of that.

The family decide to help the people of the village by making various things for Christmas.

A great 5* read which I can recommend.

Another fantastic book in this series although I'm gutted it's the last in the series, I would have liked to follow the family to the end of the war.

Goodwill House is a wonderful historical fiction series I highly recommend. Each book can be read as a standalone though I encourage you to read the complete series starting from #1.
A Christmas Baby revolves around Joanna and her husband, John. All the characters are likeable and bring the story to life.
What a truly heartfelt and enjoyable read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House is #7 in the Goodwill House series but can be read as a stand alone.

Joanna Harcourt has found love again with Flying Officer John Sergeant. Joanna is selling the Harcourt estate, anticipating her small wedding, and is in the last few months of her pregnancy while John risks his life flying his spitfire in the intense air combat fighting of WWII. Will he survive this final flight before his baby is born?

I came into this series (not realizing it was a series) with book #6 (Wedding Bells at Goodwill House) and I knew upon finishing it that I wanted to read the next (and last) installment. Book #7 is quieter than book #6, and it may be the quietest of the series because it’s a wrap-up. Wondering if John will survive his harrowing mission provides the suspense. Although I don’t know the characters well, I think I can love them all. If you are looking for a gently-written series with likable characters, heartwarming stories, and lovely themes, I can recommend the Goodwill House series.

Stories of everyday life on the home front during WWII are intriguing and cause me to wonder what I would do. Could I maintain the home and care for my family? How would I cope with occasional bombings, blackout curtains, rationing, and loved ones going to war? Their courage to carry on and make do is inspiring.

While romance is certainly central to this story, other substantial themes include unexpected life challenges, supportive family, community service, wartime hardships, class differences, resilience, and hope.

I recommend the gently told and heartfelt Goodwill House series for fans of a historical fiction/women’s fiction mashup. Each can be read as a stand alone but for a richer reading experience, I recommend reading them in order.

Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources for a complimentary e ARC of #AChristmasBabyAtGoodwillHouse upon my request. All opinions are my own.

A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller is the next entry in the World War II saga of Goodwill House, occupied by two Ladys Harcourt, although the younger, Lady Joanna Harcourt has come to London with the express purpose of being married. She had had a brief affair with a young flyer (ten years younger than she) and despite being told upon the birth of her daughter that should would never get pregnant again, here she was. She loved John and he loved her but she hadn’t seen him in months and, although she couldn’t bear the scandal of bearing a child out of wedlock, was very nervous. There were so many differences in the two of them. Sarah’s husband, Angus, John’s commanding officer had made all the arrangements. They did the deed and Joanna and her family returned to London to sightsee for a couple of days. She was very surprised when John showed up with twenty-four hours leave. They made the most of it. The next months were to bring lots of changes to all these folks we have grown so fond of. They were moving out of Harcourt Hall and into a smaller place that Joanna was having brought up to date, Christmas was Lady Elizabeth Harcourt’s eightieth birthday and they were planning a celebration, and of course, the baby. John, a military pilot, also had to manage to stay alive. It was all very exciting, and busy.

This had been such a fun series to read. It is during World War II and Joanna’s house had been home to many land girls, she had adopted two children who had come to stay with her from London to escape the bombing and then lost their mother, and certainly falling in love and becoming pregnant at her age. The story continues to be endearing, of not more so, filled to the brim with interesting characters and day-to-day situations that allow the reader to learn so much about what life in England was like during the war. Not only is it a time most of us can only imagine, but a look at the war much more closely. Although there was privation in the United States is was not nearly what it was in England, and didn’t last nearly as long. It is a well-written and endearing series.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Christmas Baby at Goodwill House by Boldwood Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #FenellaJMiller #AChristmasBabyAtGoodwillHouse

I have absolutely loved the Goodwill series. This book was a lovely ending to a great series. There were some great characters in this series and it was good to be able to follow their progress during the difficult times of World War Two. I highly recommend this series and this is another well deserved five star read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s 1941, and the grim realities of the  war make life more and more difficult for the residents of Goodwill House. Lady Joanna Harcourt’s life is about to change in ways she could not have imagined only a year ago. As she prepares to be a new wife and mother, she has hope for a better future. But until then her love, Flying Officer John Sergeant, must survive daily sorties and the threat of death. Can Joanna get that happily ever after? Or will the war take its toll on her nearest and dearest?

I felt that I got to know Joanna well in this instalment, and understood her, and her dreams for her family. Through Joanna, I saw how the war impacted families. Snatched moments were sometimes all that they had. Through her I also understood the social changes in Britain during the conflict. Class differences were breaking down  - at least for the duration. 

There was a real family feel to the story, and  it was not necessarily limited to blood relations. They were a family bound together by love and the desire to get through the war. And I must confess to a little tear at one point. If your heart does not soar reading this story, I would be very surprised. A wonderful story of resilience, love and hope.

As with all good series I feel so sad when they come to a end and I may have shed a tear or two at the conclusion of this book as it feels like losing a part of yourself. The characters feel like family members and it's sad to say goodbye but Fenella has written this with style and gentle words. I rejoiced in Joanna's happiness of planning for her baby and my heart broke for her worrying about John. This one really had me feeling all the feels and my emotions were all over the place but the story is written so that you really feel the care and protection that the family members provide for one another. I loved celebrating Christmas at Goodwill House.Although I am sad I also think Fenella brought the series to a conclusion perfectly and gracefully so it really was the perfect ending to a perfect series.

A new arrival...and a fond farewell...

We have come to the end of an era with the final installment of the Goodwill House series. Each of the characters have become like friends as we got to know them, love them and now we will miss being around them. I have been a part of Goodwill House since the beginning and I feel like a fixture as much as any of the characters. But with the end comes joys and sorrows in equal measure and it is difficult not to shed a few tears.

This final book focuses predominantly on Joanna, the former Lady Harcourt, and her new husband Flying Officer John Sergeant. The opening chapter sees them rushing to their nuptials on the news that Joanna is in the family way. With just half an hour to spare, the couple exchange vows, share a kiss and are pronounced husband and wife before John is whisked away on a mission and Joanna returns to the Savoy with her family. But she is to receive and early morning surprise as the honeymoon begins...albeit for one day.

Upon return to Goodwill House, Joanna continues presiding over the plans for their new home The Manse, where they will be moving to in the New Year. Goodwill House has seen many comings and goings and has been the heart of each and every story. But this time, it takes a backseat as the WAAF girls have long since gone and the land girls are soon to follow. After which, the house will return to Joanna and Lady Harcourt in which silence will reign. As much as Joanna has enjoyed housing the serving girls over the past couple of years, the time has come when she must move on. With a baby on the way and a new husband, her focus has shifted and her priorities have changed.

It was sad to say goodbye to those who have become like friends, particularly one such character who sparky wit will be missed. And while it is a delightful addition and end to the series, it wasn't the best of them but still hugely enjoyable. And emotional read at times, the ending was left a little ambiguous. Maybe leaving it open to revisit with a further chapter? Who knows?

Overall, an enjoyable read and an emotional end to a delightful series.

I would like to thank #FenellaJMiller, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #AChristmasBabyAtGoodwillHouse in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

A lovely snuggly book to settle down with. The characters are vivid, very old fashioned in outlook which made me giggle. Certainly can do a follow up for this one

Another great book in the goodwill house series. In the middle of the war Joanna and John await their Christmas baby. Already looking forward to the next book. A great series.

This series is just lovely. I really don’t want to leave the Harcourts behind! I don’t think that I have read all of the books in the series but this was like catching up with old friends again. Many of my relatives fought in the Second World War so I like to read books set in the war. This mostly deals with life on the domestic front, as Joanna and the family deal with rationing and wartime life.

In this one, Joanna, who has sometimes seemed a bit cold in former books, decides to give up her title and marry a handsome young pilot, who is much younger. They hardly know each other but she is pregnant. Joanna has her share of troubles worrying about John’s missions, but she now has some adopted children and her mother-in-law is also helpful. John has a harder time as he flies on secret missions, and has a series of accidents. The setting is well-researched, and the author sprinkles the book with wartime slang.

I kept imagining Joanna asAnna Neagle or Lily James! This book is incredibly English.

Heart-warming ww2 end of series

The Goodwill house series is a very engaging group of novels about the Harcourt family, land girls, refugee children and villagers during ww2. Perhaps they are best read in order, but, I was able to get into the plot having read one or two of the books a long time ago. I especially enjoyed reading about the challenges of daily life and the make do and keep smiling spirit. This is a very good book for sitting in your easy chair on your porch or next to the fire.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time limited e-arc via netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.