This is the fourth, and it appears the last, in the Emmy Lake series, one of the many Plucky-British-Women-In-Wartime books I’ve read in the last several years. I’ve read all four of the books in the series, and I strongly recommend you read the prior books before this one, so that you are familiar with the history of the characters.

In this installment, we start in 1944, with Emmy and all the staff at her women’s magazine working harder than ever to come up with ways to inspire women to make the best of things despite rationing, sexism, and so many husbands and boyfriends being overseas with some missing or POWs.

As London is now being bombarded with German V-2 rockets, the staff decides to relocate for the summer to the country estate of Emmy’s friend Bunty’s aunt. It’s idyllic much of the time, but harsh reality forces its way in, making Emmy and some of her friends and colleagues need to rely on each other to cope.

This book was a bit of a slow starter. It’s not so much that nothing happens—plenty does—but that it takes quite a while for any real adversity to add drama. It does pick up nicely and, as always, Pearce smoothly incorporates details of the reality of wartime Britain.

Dear Miss Lake is a satisfying, warm hug of a novel that concludes this sweet series. I thoroughly enjoyed it, like all the others! It is 1944 and Victory is in sight in Europe, but not quite yet. And the waiting in these final months of the war have become fairly excruciating for everyone in London while German bombs continue to fall and do damage.

The office of Woman's Friend moves out to the country for the summer where the team gets some brief reprieve and celebration while still answering letters about all the problems and pain the war continues to cause.. Emmy keeps her plucky, optimistic attitude as much as she can, even while dealing with her own wartime struggles. She gets to travel around the country a little bit more as a journalist which was her original dream and a full circle moment for her and the book series.

There isn't exactly a central plot or issue around which the story revolves. The novel mostly feels like visiting old friends (although I did have a hard time remembering who was who in the office at the beginning) and wrapping up the war. I felt more connected to the previous book in the series because there was just more action and a storyline. But this last installment was satisfying, if on the predictable and slow side. 3 stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review Dear Miss Lake by A. J. Pearce.
I first picked up the second book of this wonderful and charming story, not realizing at the time that it was part of a series. As soon as I was done, I went back to the first book (Yours Cheerfully), read the third installment (Mrs. Porter Calling), and now it has come to an end. I would love to have Pearce continue on, but the conclusion is well written and everything is resolved, though not always happily.
Emmy Lake is a young woman with a little more journalism experience, and still determined to bring hope and help among the challenges during World War II. Her group of loyal friends navigate life during this difficult time as they support each other, and in turn help Emily amid her own doubts of hope when she receives heartbreaking news.
Pearce has a knack for humor among difficulty and balances the dark times of war with love and friendship.

The books keep getting better and better in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the conclusion of The Emmy Lake Chronicles and was delighted with the ending. You should definitely read this series in order to fully understand the characters and their motivations. Follow the adventures of Emmy and Bunty and all of their close friends. At times, the story is harrowing but well worth the read. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions in my review are entirely my own.

On the one hand, I'm sorry Dear Miss Lake is the last of AJ Pearce's series about Woman's Friend magazine and WWII. On the other, the fact that it is the last means I can just go back to the beginning and read them all again. Her writing, like that of several other authors gives me hope in what might otherwise be a hopeless world.

I just finished reading the ARC from Netgalley of AJ Pearce’s “Dear Miss Lake”, which is the 4th and final book of her Emmy Lake Chronicles series. Although you can read this as a standalone, it’s so much better and satisfying if you have read the other 3 books in order beforehand. The setting is England during the final year of WWII. Emmy Lake works for the advice column of a women’s magazine that helps women to cope with the issues and problems they face during the war. As with the preceding books, this book shows the various situations encountered on the home front and how people coped and banded together as the months dragged on. This is a heartwarming book whose characters are genuinely good people. I feel the storylines are realistic but leave you feeling optimistic about what can be accomplished when people support one another in trying times. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel that this entire series is a gem.

See my full review at https://michelleardillo.com/2025/06/11/book-review-dear-miss-lake-by-aj-pearce/

I have read all four books in this series and enjoyed them very much. Their theme of what daily civilian life was like for women in Britain during world War II is very well illustrated by the time we spend with MC Emmy Lake and her family and friends. Their lives are a mix of daily routine, excitement, tragedy and friendship. We are drawn to these characters and their various struggles and challenges. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this entire series, including this final installment! Emmy, Bunty, and friends are charming. I also appreciated the focus Emmy’s journalism career and antics with the heaviness of WWII in the background. Heartily recommend!

Dear Miss Lake is the final book in the quartet of WWII era stories about a women’s magazine in London. It’s 1944 and things are starting to go well for the Allies. But after five years, England is mired in deprivation. Emmy is the editor, handling the interviews and also writing the advice column. Now she’s being given the chance to be a war correspondent.
The book gets off to a slow start. Yes there’s a wedding and the team moves to the countryside to avoid the doodlebug bombings. But the beginning needed a little more drama to make an impact. As the book goes on, it gets more interesting with the final push to victory in Europe. Pearce does an excellent job conveying the hardship of families of POWs - the fear, the lack of knowledge, the radio silence of the government. But overall, it’s a kind of cozy story about manning the homefront fires. It never gets too dark or brooding.
The strength of the book is the characters and their relationships. This is the weakest of the four books but is a pleasant ending for those readers who have been with the characters through the first three. It would not work as a stand-alone.
My thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book.

I have been a fan of the Emmy Lake Chronicles since reading "Dear Mrs. Bird", the first in the series. So, I was thrilled to be offered an ARC ebook edition of "Dear Miss Lake", the final book in this lovely, heartwarming series.

Set in WWII England, Emmy Lake is part of a close-knit group who work for the women's magazine "Woman's Friend". As war rages on and life in London becomes ever more perilous, Emmy and her best friend Bunty propose that the entire staff of "Woman's Friend" should move to Bunty's grandmother's country estate "Rose House" for the summer.

Old friendships are strengthened, new friendships are formed, and the group is all together to support one another through all the ups and downs of being separated from loved ones in wartime.

I love the gumption of all of the characters in this series and their "Keep Calm and Carry On" attitude. AJ Pearce weaves just enough drama throughout the story to keep it interesting, and plenty of love and cups of tea.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC edition of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner Books for this ARC. Book 4 in the Emmy Lake Chronicles. This sweet series during the war of the publication of the Woman's Friend and the group that makes it happen. Though the "office" needs to be moved to the countryside for everyone's safety, the press must go on. Great series and finale! #DearMissLake #AJPearce #ScribnerBooks #Aug2025

England, July 1944.

After nearly five years of war the nation is weary, and the readers of Woman’s Friend need agony aunt Emmy Lake more than ever. With London under attack from the doodlebugs, the magazine decamps to the countryside, determined to keep helping the women of Britain and give hope to readers feeling powerless in the face of desperate news. With husband Charles now posted closer to home, and best friend Bunty at her side, Emmy throws herself into rural life, juggling children, competitive knitters and plans for a very important wedding. And then a phone call comes that means she may finally have the chance to become the war correspondent she always dreamed of.
But disaster strikes, and suddenly Emmy is faced with her biggest challenge yet. Because when your own heart is breaking, how do you help everyone else?

This was a great addition to this Emmy Lake Chronicles. I enjoyed this wonderful read.

I did not realize that this was the last book of this series and was fully devastated to find out at the end of the novel. I have read all of these books and felt really drawn into their world, the time period and the relationships that had flourished throughout. Her friendships, the group of employees at the magazine all of their struggles in this difficult period of history felt grounded and real and the devastation and loss they experienced was always carefully balanced with small joys and wins. I really enjoyed AJ Pearce's writing and would happily read further books of hers outside of this series. I hope more are coming!

In this fourth and final installment of the Emmy Lake Chronicles the whole staff of Womens Friends magazine moves to the country in the summer of 1945 to avoid the bombs in London. Bunty has a family home that is big enough for everyone and the novel continues right where the previous one, Calling Mrs. Porter left off. While the staff works diligently to uplift their readers struggling with all the effects of war Emmy Lake is asked by the ministry to be a war correspondent, travelling to newly liberated Belgium to interview British service women.

Being true to war times, however, the fun of everyone living together, and Emmy achieving her dream of being a war correspondent doesn't last, and the novel progresses through several heart wrenching issues of the time, and the family and found family of the characters we have learned to love through all the novels come together to support each other.

I liked the way the author tied up all the characters story lines by the end, and although this was not my favorite of the series it was a nice conclusion. Although it could be read as a stand alone I would not recommend it as so much of it has its origins in earlier books in the series. Thank you to net galley and Scribner publishing for the e copy.

This was a sweet story. I really enjoyed it. It was easy to follow along and I enjoyed the characters.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is the fourth book in the Emmy Lake series and I have read and enjoyed them all. Emmy Lake, a sweet, slightly boundary-pushing reporter and advice columnist for a woman's magazine in WW2 Britain, is the main character. She is surrounded by a fun group of quirky friends and co-workers as they deal with food rationing, bombs, their "boys" off fighting the war, and keeping a magazine running. I loved all the British phrases and nicknames like Bunty.

I found the first third of the book a little slow but then it picks up when Emmy must face a new challenge regarding her husband Charles. These women are very inspiring.

The author brings the series to a satisfying close. There are happy endings for many but there is definitely some sadness and surprises along the way. A great choice for historical fiction lovers who want a slightly lighter take on WW2.

Dear Miss Lake is the fourth, and final novel, in a series set in WWII London. The first book in this series, Dear Mrs Bird introduces us to Emmy Lake as a young adventurous woman who wants to be a war correspondent. Over the course of 4 very well written and enjoyable books we follow Emmy and her friends and co workers as the war wages on.
This truly is a wonderful series. You can almost feel what it was like living through the war. Although there are many sad moments there is also joy and courage. I highly recommend starting with the first book, Dear Mrs. Bird, and settle down for some enjoyable reading time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dear Miss Lake is a heartfelt and fitting conclusion to A.J. Pearce’s charming and uplifting Emmy Lake Chronicles. While my relationship with the series has been somewhat on and off over the years, I find myself genuinely sad to see it come to an end. Part of me had hoped Emmy’s world would continue on indefinitely—a comforting place to revisit time and time again.

In this final installment, Pearce once again strikes that delicate balance she’s known for, tackling weighty topics like POWs and unwed pregnancy during WWII with remarkable grace. These potentially heavy themes are handled with such gentleness and optimism that you never feel overwhelmed by the sadness of the circumstances. Emmy’s unwavering “can-do” attitude remains the series' emotional anchor, eclipsing any shadows with her signature warmth and resilience.

Though Dear Miss Lake isn’t my personal favorite (that title still belongs to book three), it is a beautiful, satisfying wrap-up that honors the journey we’ve taken with these beloved characters. It can be read as a standalone, but its true emotional depth shines brightest for readers who’ve been with Emmy from the beginning. This final chapter is a testament to the joy, kindness, and quiet strength that Pearce has infused into every page of this singularly delightful series—the nicest historical fiction about WWII you’ll ever read.

Emily Lake and The Women’s Friend crew are back for another (apparently final) installment, and it is a highly enjoyable reunion. The bombings of London drive the whole office, extended family, and menagerie to the Hampshire countryside, where they set up shop and continue the magazine, all living under one roof. There are marriages, babies, separations, and reunions; new roles for Emily as a war journalist/operative and editor; and a focus on both the essential role of women in the war effort and the plight of POWs and soldiers who are MIA and the anxiety and frustration of their families back home trying desperately to obtain information. The story ends, as always, in an all’s well that ends well fashion, and one is very story to see them go.