This has been my first festive read of the season and my first into this genre, i have always look at reads like this but never given them a chance. After also hitting a reading slump this came along at a fab time. We meet Frankie, Bella and Winnie who are working hard to keep those safe and life spirits during the festive time whilst dealing with their own troubles but with the help of each others friendships they can get through most things.
This is a beautifully written uplifting book, the description to me is the stand out, in my head i could visually see everything, i could picture the cobbled streets, the endless mugs of tea, it just really worked for me. I love a book that is like a movie in my head and this ticked all the boxes.
It was a read that came along to lift my spirits, to read something slightly different and this was that. I wouldnt hestitate to reccomend this to anyone, it was just the perfect dark nights read. The girls friendships shone through, how they interacted with each other, and supported each other, it was a real case of girl power.

I am a huge fan of wartime sagas/historical fiction, especially those that have a unique bite to them. That probably sounds quite a daft thing to say, but whilst novels set in the war are worth their weight in gold, if a storyline showcases a different side to the war or different jobs, it makes me feel very excited, aka that ‘unique bite’. Just like Rosie Hendry’s novel.

Set during World War II, ‘Christmas With the East End Angels’ puts the Auxiliary Ambulance service in the spotlight by allowing readers to ‘be’ in amongst the going’s on like main characters, Frankie, Winnie, and Bella.

Whilst this book is number 3 in the series, I was able to read it fine as a stand-alone but I would suggest reading the books in order due to older characters popping up again. That said, if not knowing all of the details about characters lives doesn’t bother you then reading these books out of order would make no difference.

I thought the topic of the ambulance service was very well researched and a joy to read, even though I found myself becoming quite emotional at times due to the poignancy of it all, and I loved the close knit relationship between the main characters as they came together despite being from different walks of life.

Now, this book is a ‘Christmas’ book yet the oneness wasn’t on the festive season at all, understandable to a point. Personally, I would have loved it if the storyline contained more of the Christmas element as it states just that in the title. However in the grand scheme of things, with such a strong and emotive storyline as the one in ‘Christmas With the East End Angels’, my heart was captured anyway, regardless of how little Christmas was spoken about.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed Rosie Hendry’s latest book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves wartime sagas, or those you wish to try something new.

Although this is the third book in the series and I haven't read the others, I found it fairly easy to follow as the backstory is referred to just enough to fill the reader in. Now that I've finished it though, I enjoyed it so much that I wish I could go back and read them all in order! At the moment historical books set against WW2 are popular and in this case rightly so. In this book, we follow the journey of the trio, Winnie, Frankie and Bella who are all working for the Auxiliary Ambulance Service. The story just flowed, hardly surprising with the brilliant characters especially Erika and Ivy. Horrible Ivy really deserved to get her comeuppance even if she is Frankie's step-granny. Wonderful saga.

https://allthingsbookie.blogspot.com/2018/11/christmas-with-east-end-angels.html

If you're a fan of Call the Midwife or love stories set in wartime England, Christmas with the East End Angels is a treat for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

In this book we are back with Frankie , Bella, Winnie and the rest of the east end ambulance crew. Another great read but I didn’t seem to enjoy this one as much as the previous two.

It has seemed very appropriate to be reading Christmas with the East End Angels, this week, in the run-up to Armistice Day on November 11th. This book concentrates on life in the middle years of the Second World War. The days of the London Blitz have passed and, in this story, we see the day to day grind of a city at war. It is full of the detail of the girls' routine and the relentless timetable of the Auxiliary Ambulance service. It is striking how the girls have to 'make do and mend' and carry on with their daily work, even though the danger their friends and relatives are facing is always in the background.

You can sense that a lot of research has gone into the preparation of the book. I particularly liked the sections where they harvested the allotments at the Tower of London. In a week when the moat there is being lit, nightly, with thousands of lights to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, these sections seemed especially poignant.

Bella, Winnie and Frankie are all bound together through their friendship and understand each other's concerns and anguish at being separated. I especially liked the feisty Frankie and her run-ins with her step-grandmother, the awful Ivy. It gives you a glimpse into her mettle and how she is managing to deal with the difficult situations. You also get to see something of the girls' aspirations for after the war. This is a gently paced and uplifting novel, with interesting backstories, well drawn characters and a great deal of period detail.


Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.
In short: The Home Front shows its strength through the lives of everyday people.

Christmas with the East End Angels is the third book in the East End Angels series by Rosie Hendry. Although part of a series this book can easily be read as a standalone. Having said that though, I think if I had read the previous books I would have had more insight to just how special a friendship the characters had with each other.

Frankie, Winnie and Bella are firm friends who work for the Auxiliary Ambulance service during the war. The blitz is over and the women are getting used to a much quieter time in the service.

I enjoyed learning about each woman and getting an idea of just what life would have been like during the war. It was heartbreaking when I read about the women seeing their men off at the station when they were going back to fight after having leave from service. I also found myself reaching for the tissues on a couple of occasions when the women were called out to various incidents. There weren't only sad times, but happy times too, such as when Station 75 put on a show to raise spirits and much-needed funds.

I have read a few wartime novels that take place during the blitz at the height of the bombing and the excitement levels were through the roof. This book was an eye opener in as much as the war is still going, lives are still very much affected, people are still struggling with rationing, but it's all happening at a much more sedate pace. I will admit that I missed the excitement, but I think that all aspects of wartime should be written about, and enjoyed this new insight.

Review: I would like to thank Sphere and Rachel for asking me to review and be apart of this blog tour.

I have a real thing for historical fiction right now and this is just perfect. Readers who like Elaine Everest and Kate Thompson will love the East End Angels saga. 

Christmas with the East End Angels is set in 1941 and we follow three friends who all work for the Auxiliary Ambulance service, a dangerous job during the war. Frankie, Winnie and Bella all have their own heartaches to bare but they are always thinking of others, as is the moto when living in the east end during war-time, and they manage to keep a smile on their faces while they go about their duties. I particular enjoy reading about this period in history where people pull together to overcome troubles. 

This is a heartwarming, beautiful written, historical saga. It is the third in the saga but can be read as a standalone as I did. However, I will be going out to buy the others as I loved it so much.

This is the third book in the East End Angels series, but can easily be read as a standalone. Christmas with the East End Angels follows the lives of three friends serving with the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service, based at Station 75, in the East End of London. We get a flavour of 1940's life during WWII as the main characters, Frankie, Winnie and Bella, go about their daily routines under post-blitz, wartime conditions, and it is obvious that a lot of research has been done to provide the accuracy which sets this story firmly in 1941.

This story reminds us that it was not just bombs that killed people during the war. Accidents happened too, and the ambulance crews had to be ready to deal with whatever, and whoever, they found. We are also reminded that life goes on, in this case, despite the war - babies continue to be born, people fall in love and get married, bills still need paying and rationing affected everyone.

I loved the opening spat between Frankie and Ivy, and hoped that the selfish and manipulative Ivy would soon be smiling on the other side of her face. I also enjoyed the ITMA sketch, put on during the fundraising concert. Whilst I am too young to remember the original, I do remember my father mimicking and laughing at the "Can I do you now Sir?" line, and that made me smile.

Although I found the pace a little too slow for my liking, I enjoyed the story-line and the memories it evoked, of my family members reminiscing over their war-time experiences.

Readers who enjoy the books of Elaine Everest, Kate Thompson and Donna Douglas are going to fall in love with Rosie Hendry and her East End Angels. In her latest novel, Christmas with the East End Angels, Rosie Hendry has once again penned a heartwarming, dramatic and uplifting read that makes for perfect festive reading.

War is a time of great hardship and sacrifice where the future isn’t guaranteed. Death stalks around every corner and loss and heartache are emotions that the people of the East End are well acquainted with. Still, this will not deter the East End Angels from keeping their community safe, even when the chips are down and everything seems so bleak and painful. The Women of the Auxiliary Ambulance service’s number one priority is protecting their friends and neighbours and keeping everybody’s spirits up. However, with the war showing no signs of abating, keeping a smile on one’s face becomes more difficult and challenging with every passing day.

Frankie is having a tough time at the moment keeping everything together. Although she is grateful for the support of her friends, she cannot help but be troubled by the strife which her family has unexpectedly found itself in. Is Frankie about to face her biggest challenge yet? Will her family ever have a moment’s peace? Or is she about to suffer more heartache and tragedy? Her friend Winnie is also going through a difficult time. She cannot help but worry about her husband, Mac. She lives in constant fear and worries that her husband will die all in the name of duty where he risks life and limb on a daily basis at the bomb disposal unit. Not only is Winnie worried sick, but she is finding being apart from her husband very difficult. Will she ever get a moment’s peace? Or is she doomed to spending the rest of the war worrying about Mac? On the other hand, Bella cannot remember ever being happier. Not only is her confidence growing, but her burgeoning friendship with Winnie’s brother James is growing by the day and might even lead to something more. Will happiness finally be within reach for Bella? Or will the war end up costing her everything?

Christmas is always tough when the people you love are far away, but will the girls’ friendship see them through this difficult time?

Christmas with the East End Angels is a terrific saga about friendship, loyalty, war, family and community that is absorbing, addictive and hard to put down. Rosie Hendry writes with such warmth and sensitivity that you immediately feel a part of the world she is describing and you cannot help but care for the characters that people this involving, emotional and compelling tale.

Heartwarming, satisfying and wonderfully written, saga fans looking for the perfect book to curl up with this Christmas should add Christmas with the East End Angels to their must-buy list this year.

I am well known for loving the wartime based novels. So of course I leapt upon Christmas with the East End Angels as soon as it was available because I have been waiting patiently for it.

As soon as I started reading I felt as though I was back where I wanted to be, surrounded by the warmth and friendliness of the gang. While London during and after the blitz was not a great place to be, the girls simply got on with life. It’s so refreshing seeing how they make the most of what little they have and in the main take care of each other.

Some are still having to kiss their husbands goodbye as they head off back to service either locally to bomb disposal units or further afield. There is secrecy which is linked to some paperwork, for others it’s having to tolerate a spiteful, vindictive old woman as a result of a death bed promise.

Life is busy, none of the mod-cons of today and I enjoyed reading to find out how the girls dealt with day to day living. Even though they were slowly sliding back into routines they were never far away from an ambulance call out from Station 75. So there is the fascinating aspect of following the girls in that guise as well.

Having Christmas with the East End Angels as the title of the book kind of insinuates the angels will be doing something charitable, they focus on providing some entertainment at the local hospital. No matter how busy their individual lives were, I admire the inner sense of pulling together in times of need, especially when it’s for the benefit of making others happy.

While this is the third story in this particular series it is so well written you can join in straightaway but why miss out on the previous two which are just as charming? I thoroughly enjoyed this book as much as I knew I would. By the time I was back in that era surrounded by ‘friends’ I was oblivious to this ‘real’ world and could easily have read it all in one sitting if the calls of nature didn’t have the audacity to interrupt!

I can’t praise Rosie’s books enough I would read any of hers in a heartbeat without needing to look at the cover or blurb and that is quite a confession from someone who reads hundreds of books a year!

Thanks to the author, publisher, netgalley & Rachel from Random Resources. I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This is the third book in the series but the first one I have read. It worked fine as a standalone but I will be catching up on the other books because I enjoyed this one so much.

The story centres around Frankie, Winnie, and Bella who make up the Ambulance crew of Station 75. The nighttime bombing Blitz has stopped but the girls find plenty to do both at work and at home, including carol singing and organising a concert to help the community.

This time they are joined by a fourth crew member Rose who originates from Austria, she soon becomes friends with the other girls and shares her harrowing backstory.

We find out how the war has affected the girls. Loved ones are still away fighting, food is rationed and there is always the threat of more loss of life. No matter what, the girls are there for each other, the overriding feeling of friendship is truly heartwarming.

Anyone who loves a World War II saga will really enjoy this East End story. It is just what’s needed during the busy run-up to Christmas. So, put the kettle on, choose a comfy chair and let yourself melt into the world of these brave, warm and funny women.

As I might have mentioned once or twice I really enjoy a wartime saga. I’m not sure if it’s the descriptions of the bravery shown by others or just nostalgia for a very different way of life but I always find them hugely enjoyable and addictive.

This was a slightly different read for me as unusually it didn’t focus on the blitz and the problems it caused. Instead it focuses on the middle of the war and the relentless grind of war and how everyone is getting on with life, trying to make the best of things. I enjoyed learning more about everyday life in London from the fear for loved ones away fighting to the constraint of rationing and finding new love this was a fantastic read!

The work that the girls do for the ambulance service was also very interesting, especially as the threat of constantly bombing had stopped. It was nice to see how they got involved in their communities helping when they could. The relationship between the girls was really heartwarming to read about and I found myself very glad that they had each other.

This is actually the third book in the series which I hadn’t realised but it works fine as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. I’m excited to go back and read the rest in the series.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the Publishers for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

This is the third book in the East End Angels series. I haven’t read the other two books in the series, so it can be read as a standalone, but as I enjoyed it so much I will be going back to read those also.

It’s Christmas and we’re back with the girls of Station 75’s ambulance crew. Winnie, Bella and Frankie, whilst doing their bit for the war effort by keeping Londoners safe, are also facing their own problems at home. To help them, they also welcome a new and very much needed member of the crew, Rose, who soon becomes firm friends with the others.

I love a wartime saga, and I can’t believe that this is the first book I’ve ever read by this author! Going by the blurb and the cover, I can guess what this book is going to be like, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much research the author has put into her books. It genuinely felt like I had been transported back to wartime London, and I was smack bang in the middle of the East End with all the girls!

I loved the characters and the different stories they all had to tell, each of them bringing me to tears at some point throughout the book! The characters also all showed a sense of camaraderie with them all shouldering together the burden of what it was like to be in London at the height of the Blitz. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though, the story was livened up with the Christmas carol singing and concert, reminding me that the wartime spirit carried on strong!

A fantastic book, and I will definitely be going back to read the other two books in the series to find out how the girls of Station 75’s crew all met up! If you love a wartime saga, then you will definitely love this!

It was lovely catching up with Station 75 again. It is nearly Christmas in this book and as well as catching up with old friends we also meet Rose who comes to join Station 75. We follow the girls through every emotion going. I don’t want to put in any spoilers but you will laugh and cry as you follow their journey. This is a fantastic series of books that I highly recommend you reading.

Absolutely beautiful story based during Wartime. Lots of laughter and tears, love and sadness.
Telling the story of an ambulance crew travelling through London during the war. Each member's lives are affected by the war.
Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.
Five definite stars.

While this is the third book in this series, I read it as a stand alone.
For anyone who enjoys Land Girls or Call The Midwives, this is the story of the strong women who man Station Seventy-Five. We learn about their life situations, how the war has changed each of them, made having personal relationships difficult, and caused family separations through death, imprisonment, and as a means to staying safe. Learning how to reinvent themselves and build friendships that stand the test of time and very trying circumstances, we follow these young women as they make the best of the worst.

The writing is very well done, the characters developed and visionable.
The story about choices and decisions having to be made will tug at your heart strings.
Overall there is a feeling that some good will come at the end.

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

I am glad that World War II stories continue to be important to today’s writers and readers. Author Rose Henry has chosen to spotlight a fascinating and underreported part of the war- the stories of an Auxiliary Ambulance Service in London. Christmas with the East End Angels is the third book in the series.

This is the first time I’ve met the self-proclaimed three musketeers of the series- young women Winnie, Bella and Frankie. For readers who have followed this likable series, I’m sure they are delighted to be back with these capable civilians again. Trixie the dog is still an important and energetic part of the crew. They are joined by a fourth new friend, Rosa. Rosa has an interesting and tragic past- she was sent on the kindertransport from Austria to England in 1 937.

Station #75 continues to do their best during the “beastly war.” Frankie, Winnie and Bella know they are living through extraordinary times, and the women continue to face challenges to their homes and hearts. Although the ghastly nightly air raid blitz is over, the women still have plenty to do to serve their country. Many other familiar characters are back in action, too.

The station crew organizes a caroling performance at a hospital, which leads them to put on a bigger production. Bella uses her writing skills in a different way and Winnie learns something new as she helps prepare the crew for their part in a Civil Defence Parade before the King and Queen.

I commend the author for her careful research and her dedication to sharing this story. As this is the third book in the story, there is quite a bit of backstory, which slows down the pace. Readers who love this series will be glad to continue this saga.

“None of us can know the way it will twist and turn and sometimes the things that happen are hard to fathom out…”

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and the publisher for an ARC. This is my honest review.

I have loved following the lives of the crew at Ambulance Station 75 the different backgrounds that they all come from.Frankie is still coming to terms with the loss of her dear grandfather but with Winnie,Bella,Connie and all their crews she is coping.That truly obnoxious woman Ivy is still being nasty and vindictive but frankie can cope with her now.A new crew member joins them Erika Rosenberg but known as Rose and soon becomes friends with the gang,and then later moves into Frankies house as a lodger.As time moves on the crews don't have the same amount of calls to go to as they did during the blitz.They decide to go to the hospital on christmas eve to sing carols for the patients and staff which they really enjoy.Then their boss thinks it would be a good idea to put a concert on,bella and the station officer organise it and it goes very well.I will stop here and recommend you read the book.