I simply love this series. This is book 4 in the Emmy Lake books. If you have read the first 3, you won't want to miss out on this one. This book is set in the last year of World War II, England. It has the same characters that I read about in the previous novels. I still remembered each person from the last books. How could I not--this book is written in a way that you just embrace the people in it. This is a book about the strong willed women working to increase morale across England while the war is still ongoing. You will cry, laugh and become fond of all the characters. I do recommend reading the books in the order they have been published. 5 stars and I can't wait to see what the author puts out in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the complementary digital ARC. What a wonderful gift it was. In return I have written my honest review.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series, and this was no exception. The characters are the epitome of those “keep calm and carry on” posters, finding love and friendship and meaning in their work and home lives despite the chaos of World War II and its attendant grief. Although I’ll be sad to say goodbye to Emmy and her friends since this is the last book in this series, I do look forward to seeing what AJ Pearce does next.

This is the final book in the series, and it has all the tension, camaraderie, and sheer friendship that kept me reading. Loose ends are tied up, and I guess I am ready to say goodbye to these characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC.

A warm and endearing conclusion to the series. This last installment finds Emmy and the rest of the gang at Woman's Friend navigating the end of the war with bravery and hope. Whether it's dealing with POW situations, fielding questions from subscribers about what to do when hostilities cease, or waiting to hear back from loved ones in the armed forces, there are no shortage of trials for the characters to face. But there are also unbounded moments of joy and celebration, too.

On the whole, a cozy little WWII series. An excellent choice if you're in the mood for something sweet and sanguine.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I am not typically drawn to WWII stories, but I have read all of the previous books in this series, and loved them all. Emmy is a character that I've loved, and I'm pretty sure that many of those who haven't read this series would love it, and her, as well. There is so much charm and love in this series, but I am a little heartbroken that this seems to be the final book in this series.


Pub Date: 05 Aug 2025


Many thanks for the opportunity to read Dear Miss Lake

I'm so sad this wonderful series is ending. There is a complete glut of WWII stories but this series is an exception and this was a great final book. It's a balm to read about ordinary people living through terrible things and doing what they can to rail and prevail. Emmy is not meek and neither are her friends. They are civic minded. They pitch in. A lesson to us all.

The final novel in this poignant series set in WWII England grabbed my heart and wouldn't let it go. I've loved the stories of Emmy, wartime advice columnist, and her team, and so will histfic fans keen on compelling tales from the home front.

Why do characters have to leave? A fitting end to this series but I am sad to see them go. Maybe a re-read is in order!

I know I have loved a novel when I am sorry the book has to end. Dear Miss Lake is the final book of a series, so I was especially sorry to end the stories of Emmy Lake and her many friends and colleagues.

This story takes place in England as WWII is ending. Emmy, who writes an advice column for the women’s magazine, Woman’s Friend, has been doling out advice and writing articles to keep morale up over the long course of the war. Immensely readable, the author does an amazing job of depicting what life was like on the home front. I had never considered that in addition to the emotional challenges of waiting for soldiers to come home, there were financial challenges if a soldier was missing. The help and bonding of the women in these pages was heartwarming and inspiring.

The final book in this 3 book series set in WW2 England (mostly in London). Emmy works at a women’s magazine answering advice letters and writing articles to help keep the women of England upbeat during the long years of the war. In the series, we’ve seen her suffer tragedies, grow in her journalism career and get married. In this final book, it’s 1944 and it’s difficult to keep up moral when people have been trying to keep upbeat for so long….food, clothes and necessities of daily life are in short supply, son/fathers/husbands/sweethearts have been gone for years…some are POW’s and many are dead. Emmy and her dearest friend Bunty, her magazine work family and her husband endure all of it. The charm of this series is stories about everyday people just trying to keep going when they want to do just the opposite. It’s a look at how people pull together and cope with hardships, suffering loss and looking towards the future.

The perfect ending to this charming and evocative series. Ideal for fans of Call the Midwife - it has very much that type of ‘feel.’

Sadly, AJ Pearce's four-book Emmy Lake Chronicles series is ending, but with a highly affecting book. Dear Miss Lake is satisfying in many ways, but not without quite a bit of serious drama, as World War II is in its final years. Emmy has spent several years in charge of dispensing valuable advice as she responds to letters submitted to Woman's Friend magazine from wives, widows, and single women who are trying to make it through tough times in England.

Bombing has increased in London, so the magazine staff sets up both working and living accommodations for the summer in a large house in the countryside. Many of the characters with whom we have become acquainted over the span of the series are present, although Emmy's husband has been summoned from his assignment in England to a place closer to the military action, which Emmy suspects may be in Holland. There are also major changes in store for her best friend, Bunty, for teenager Hester (the youngest magazine staffer), and for three children whose mother has died and whose father has been away in the military and not heard from for several years. At the same time, there are charming events to enjoy, such as a Christmas "Fayre" in which the whole staff and some new friends participate and a highly-anticipated wedding.

Although I'm not particularly fond of WWII stories, I made an exception for this beautifully-told, uplifting, and heartfelt series with indelible characters and many emotional highlights.

My thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I am very sad to see this sweet and touching series end. I've had so much fun, cried tears, and learned a lot with Emmy Lake and her friends at Women's Friend magazine.

Very much looking forward to more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read Dear Miss Lake. What a spectacular final book in the story of Emmy Lake! The characters in these stories are some of my favorites. They are written so well and they ring so true. Ms. Pearce has written a beautiful series about coworkers who become family during such dark times. I have loved my times with Emmy & the gang at Women's Friend magazine. I know I will visit them often. This series is absolutely not to be missed.

With all the pluck and spirit of the last three books in the series, this title brings the war and a cozy family of friends to life. Anyone who has enjoyed the world of Emmy Lake will appreciate stepping back into it and celebrating VE Day with the gang.

An absolutely lovely ending to one of my favorite series. I enjoyed every moment spent with Emmy and Bunty and their loyal group of friends. I’m sad to come to the end of their story but I’ll be looking forward to whatever the author treats us with next. Loved everything about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Oh, Emmy Lake. You sunshine-in-a-teacup, chaos-navigating, advice-column-writing gem of a heroine—you’ve done it again. In Dear Miss Lake, we find ourselves whisked away from bombed-out London to the countryside (because even war needs a summer holiday, apparently), where Emmy and her lovable band of magazine misfits are determined to keep Britain’s women inspired and afloat.

Emmy is juggling everything: magazine deadlines, rural life, mischievous children, an upcoming wedding, and a husband finally stationed nearby. All seems idyllic(ish)… until life throws her one of those heart-wrenching, “how do I go on?” moments. And here’s where the book really shines—reminding us that hope, friendship, and a good support system can carry us through the darkest times.

The story is equal parts cozy and courageous, with just enough humor to keep things from becoming too heavy (even when your heart gets a little bruised along the way). The countryside setting is lush, the magazine scenes are delightful, and the characters feel like people you’d want to write letters to—and actually expect them to write back.

Why not five stars? A few stretches of the plot felt a tad too neatly tied up, and at times Emmy's endless optimism bumped up against reality a bit too hard. But honestly, those are small quibbles for a book that gives you all the warm fuzzies and a good cathartic cry.

Read this if you love:
✔️ Wartime stories with heart and humor
✔️ Found family vibes
✔️ Strong, determined women supporting each other
✔️ British countryside escapism with just the right amount of drama

I’m so impressed by AJ Pearce’s ability to make the reader better understand and imagine what women went through during WWII.

I’ve enjoyed the characters, and this series so much, and Dear Miss Lake was a perfectly fitting end for it (though I will miss reading about everyone and their lives).

This series is a definite recommendation.



Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the DRC

“Dear Miss Lake” was the perfect ending to the Emmy Lake Chronicles. Throughout the series author AJ Pearce did a fabulous job of exploring all the different phases of WWII that the British people lived and fought through. This last book did a great job of exploring the heartache that British families experienced in the final months of the war, wondering how and when their service member relatives would make it home.

The author had a knack for making the series feel light and cozy without silly as she touched on a wide variety of serious topics. The characters, especially Emmy Lake, really make the books what they are. And in times like this, they provide a good reminder that we can get through anything by pulling together as communities and working together.

I highly recommend this series for readers with an interest in cozy historical fiction or for those who want to learn more about what life would have been like on the home front in WWII Great Britain. Readers who’ve been following Emmy Lake for years will enjoy the way her story is wrapped up.

The final installment in the Emmy Lake Chronicles brings our heroine and her loved ones to 1945 and the end of World War II. Woman's Friend newspaper temporarily relocates to the country for safety's sake, and the staff and their significant others have a jolly old time working and playing together, while also doing their part to support the brave men at the front. Emmy, now firmly ensconced as WF's Editor, is able to spread her journalist wings and get closer to the action. Personally there is joy and sadness, but fortunately no more tragedies in the vein of "Dear Mrs. Bird"" or Mrs. Porter Calling."

It's become abundantly clear that context affects my feeling about a book, and my reactions to the Emmy Lake quadrology over the past seven years is a prime example. "Dear Mrs. Bird," published in 2018, was a pleasant diversion, but 2021's "Yours Cheerfully" provided a stark contrast between England's stiff upper lip attitude towards WWII and our whinging about mask mandates, etc. during COVID. Two years later, in "Mrs. Porter Calling," the vanquishment of a Very Bad Person felt like a commentary on DT45's defeat (sadly only temporary).

In 2025, I have to admit, lots of things in books are likely to trigger me - for instance, government control over the media, which raises its ugly head here. Remarkably, throughout most of WWII, the Germans adhered to the Geneva Convention stipulations that Allied prisoners of war were to be treated humanely, allowed to write and receive limited correspondence (the contrast with the fate of Jews, queers, etc. is not mentioned). But that practice flies out the window when the Russians advance into German territory, and suddenly the status of the POWs is unknown.

Emmy and Co. have achieved esteemed status in government circles, as they dutifully support the official message that the war is almost over, Keep Calm and Carry On, etc. But when Emmy dares to acknowledge the plight of war wives and mothers who are frustrated in their attempts to locate their loved ones, there are Serious Consequences for Woman's Friend. I couldn't help thinking of the pressure on today's media to play nice with our fascist overlords. I wanted Emmy to rail against the patriarchy, then start her own substack newsletter and speak truth to power.

TL, DR: if you've read the first three books, you will not be disappointed with the conclusion of the Emmy Lake Chronicles. I recommend the series to historical fiction fans who are tired of adventure sagas starring intrepid female Parisian librarian spies, and want to read about everyday life in difficult times.

I received an ARC from Net Galley and the publisher.