“Mrs. Porter Calling” revisits Emmy Lake, her friends and colleagues for a third book. Dealing with a new publisher has it's challenges and makes for a really good read. A little more action and drama than previously, I enjoyed...

Mrs. Porter Calling (The Emmy Lake Chronicles #3)
by A.J. Pearce

Publication date: May 25, 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Audio

Summary:

London, April 1943. A little over a year since she married Captain Charles Mayhew and he went away to war, Emmy Lake is now in charge of “Yours Cheerfully,” the hugely popular advice column in Woman’s Friend magazine. Cheered on by her best friend Bunty, Emmy is dedicated to helping readers face the increasing challenges brought about by over three years of war. The postbags are full and Woman’s Friend is thriving.

But Emmy’s world is turned upside down when glamorous socialite, the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter, becomes the new publisher of the magazine, and wants to change everything the readers love. Aided by Mrs. Pye, a Paris-obsessed fashion editor with delusions of grandeur, and Small Winston, the grumpiest dog in London, Mrs. Porter fills the pages with expensive clothes and frivolous articles about her friends. Worst of all, she announces that she is cutting the “Yours Cheerfully” column and her vision for the publication’s future seems dire. With the stakes higher than ever, Emmy and her friends must find a way to save the magazine that they love.

Source: Goodreads

Thoughts:

Third in the series, I remember the first, “Dear Mrs Bird” and second, “Yours Cheerfully” quite fondly.

Leading lady Emmeline Lake is back again, still working for Woman’s Friend, alongside her loyal team of colleagues. Set during the Second World War, women across the country come to this magazine for advice on recipes, patterns and general woes. All is plodding along quite happily until one day a new publisher is announced and everyone is on edge about what that’s going to mean.

Bunty is back in this story too and her storyline is just lovely. I love the relationship between these two ladies and am glad to have found out a little more about where their story goes.

When reviewing book two, I said I wanted a little bit of drama. My goodness, book three brought that. Facing the reality of war, this book had more emotion for me and was much more powerful for that.

I admire how the author creates an immersive world, places the reader into the shoes of the characters, building empathy and feeling for those involved. Once again, I must praise the amount of research that’s gone into this series. It’s so very detailed without being overwhelming and the details really help this story shine.

This has probably been my favourite of the three, would definitely recommend! I don’t know if there will be anymore, but I sure hope so!

Overall rating: “Mrs. Porter Calling” revisits Emmy Lake, her friends and colleagues for a third book. Dealing with a new publisher has it’s challenges and makes for a really good read. A little more action and drama than previously, I enjoyed this a lot, 5 stars!

See my other reviews of books by A.J Pearce here:

Thanks for reading! What did you think of this book? Or if you haven’t read it, would you like to? Drop me a comment and say hello!

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