The first book in the Goodwill house series. I loved this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Really good book. The plot was well-written and engrossing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I absolutely loved this book by Fenella J Miller. I have only recently discovered Fenella and I love her work, so much! Fenella always writes so brilliantly about this period of our history. Her female characters sometimes take a little while to like - as I think is true in real life too- but once you get to know them, you really want them to have their happy ending in life. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I am absolutely to find a new author to me writing such a wonderful new series set during the war. Sarah and her mum are worried about losing their family home whilst the father is away fighting. Although Sarah wants to train as a doctor she concentrates on turning their llives round.
Wonderful characters leave you wanting to read on and i am.keen to read the next book in the series

Fantastic start to a new series from Fenella, as usual with her ww2 stories it was well written and looking forward to the next instalment in this saga.
Highly recommended read

The War Girls of Goodwill House
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The War Girls of Goodwill House
by Fenella J. Miller
4.41 · Rating details · 374 ratings · 35 reviews
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Published January 12th 2022
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January 15, 2022 – Finished Reading2 Show more
Review I have been a fan of Fenella’s work for a while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Fenella – historical fiction at its best. I couldn’t wait to dive in and so without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an afternoon of reading. Oh boy, I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’. In fact I was drawn into the story from the very first word on the very first page. The book seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would be swept along by the story and so wrapped up in the lives of the different characters that I would still be sat there reading over an hour and several chapters later. I became very reluctant to put this book to one side for any length of time. Reading it became an addiction and I was constantly in need of my next fix. I couldn’t turn the pages of the book quickly enough as I made my way through the story. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ and I had to say farewell to Joanna, Sarah, Angus and the rest of the cast. I found ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ to be a gripping story which held my attention throughout and which certainly kept me guessing.
‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ is superbly written but then I have come expect nothing else from Fennella J. Miller. Fenella has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Fenella’s books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Fenella has clearly done a lot of research into the period in which the story is set and this shines through in the quality of her work. Reading ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ felt a bit like being on an emotional rollercoaster ride and I found myself going through all the emotions that the characters went through. I love the way in which Fenella makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Fenella’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is really a good book took me a while to get into it but once I did I couldn't put it down.
I hope there will be more as I want to know if Sarah does train to be a doctor and marries Angus.
I hope Joanna manages to get on with her mother in law.
Can't wait to read more of this series if there will be more.

Brilliantly written and descriptive, loved reading this book and didn't want to put it down, yet another fantastic book by an amazing author

I was excited to read this book as I love stories about women's role in the war, but it was a sad disappointment. Rather than an engaging tale of women in the services I got a poor Mills and Boon style romance with awful dared language and a poor ending
Not for me and not what I expected

Downton Abbey fans are going to love Fenella J Miller’s latest historical saga, The War Girls of Goodwill House.

Lord Harcourt might be doing his duty for king and country and fighting the enemy, but for Lady Joanna and her daughter Sarah, left behind at Goodwill House, life goes on without much change or upheaval. Everything seems set for the Harcourt women to see the war out in luxury and style – until they find themselves facing financial ruin! Joanna is absolutely beside herself. She doesn’t know what she would do if she wasn’t mistress of Goodwill House while headstrong Sarah feels as if all of her hopes and dreams for the future are being snatched away from her as all her plans to become a doctor are ground into the dust. But, Sarah soon discovers that all is not lost and that she can make her long-held ambition to practice medicine a reality – providing she trusts her instincts, follows her heart and embraces every new opportunity that comes her way…

Angus Trent is a dashing RAF officer who might just end up saving the Harcourt women’s futures. With the new RAF base at Marston bursting at its seams with young women wanting to serve their country, Goodwill House would make the perfect home for them. Sarah seems keen on the idea, but will she manage to convince Lady Joanna to go ahead with her plan?

As Angus and Sarah find themselves drawn to one another, they find themselves wondering whether they could have a future together – or whether war will put paid to all of their plans…

Fenella J Miller’s The War Girls of Goodwill House is an involving and engrossing saga perfect for curling up with. As always, Fenella J Miller’s attention to detail and ability to beautifully evoke the past is absolutely fantastic and readers will immediately find themselves drawn in by the lives and loves of the inhabitants of Goodwill House.

Compelling, emotional and atmospheric, Fenella J Miller’s The War Girls of Goodwill House will go down a treat with saga fans.

5 Word Review: War, family, privilege, love, hope.

I think this was exactly the book I needed to read right now. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.

Sarah and her mother Joanna come from a life of privilege. They haven't had to do much in the past and it's the absence of Lord Harcourt that really drives the plot. He's controlling and bigoted, and leaves them very much in the lurch. The two women are rattling around a mansion, trying to survive on what meagre money they have. For them, the war is a massive expanding of their horizons. As much as they are still confined to the house, they have greater freedom in small ways. Joanna leading committees and Sarah studying medicine and volunteering with St Johns.

I have to say that the characters are not inherently likeable, and that was something that I actually enjoyed a massive amount. As the story goes on and you learn more about them, they worm their way into your heart. I loved the way they broke down their own barriers and prejudices, and how curious they truly were about those around them.

I was prepared for WAAF and Land Girl shenanigans, I was ready for the conflicts of a group of women force together and pushing themselves harder than ever before. And although this didn't come to fruition, I was not disappointed. I loved the exploration of family themes, respect, and privilege. And when Sarah's grandmother appears, the tension between the characters exploded.

I liked the gentle slow burn romance that grows between two of the characters. Despite the age gap (which isn't big by any means) it is built on mutual respect and attraction. I thought the characters worked really well together as a couple, and I loved the small signs of care and affection between them.

I did feel like the ending was pretty abrupt, so I am desperate for more. The story is so engaging. As much as I didn't like many of the characters in the beginning, I am well and truly invested and by the end I loved them all. I can't wait for book two, and to see what happens to Sarah in London.

My thanks to netgally for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review, which I freely give.

I beleive this to be the first time I have read this author, this book is the first of a new series and I will be looking out for book 2.

Goodwill House is owned by Lord Harcourt. At the outbreak of war he returns to his regiment and France, we do not really meet him. His wife and daughter Sarah are left behind and we follow all the problems of them. Running the house, not much money. Manston airfield is nearby. Stationed here is Angus Trent, so we get an insight into the running of that.

Enjoyable read, perhaps dragged a bit. I wonder about the French family though. I can recomend

My thoughts

This historical saga had me intrigued from the start. I really believed that I was back in the world of the 1940’s in the faded glamour of Goodwill House. I quickly became engrossed in how the war changed the lives of Sarah and her mother Joanna.

The book did a really good job of portraying the freedoms and opportunities that the start of the second world war brought for women. This was through the different jobs and cultural changes that came about because of the war. I really admired the character of Sarah and her drive and determination to have a career for herself. She had a wise head on her young shoulders. The romance between Sarah and RAF officer Angus was everything that you’d expect from this period, whilst retaining a modern outlook. The open ending left me looking forward to more books in the series.

With thanks to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1940 and Sarah and her mother lady Joanna are left living in the huge old family mansion on their own when Sarah's father David was recalled to his old regiment and sent to France. When the funds he left for them to live on runs dangerously low, lady Joanna approaches the bank manager, only to find out she cannot access David's accounts, therefore they have no money to live on and keep things running while he is away.
When a wing commander from the neighboring barracks, Manston, calls with a proposal for them to house some WAAF's that have no appropriate place to stay since they are arriving unexpectedly, Sarah jumps at the prospect, knowing this is a solution to the problem of their finances. only her mother looks dismally on the idea, not at her best trying to accommodate strangers in her home.
I did enjoy the story of Sarah and lady Joanna's dilemma during WWII. I thought the characters were charming even though I got pretty angry at times with Joanna. She came across as not only spoiled, but extremely lazy and stuck up. She put on airs, refusing to dirty her hands with certain chores but she had no problem allowing her daughter to do the chores she herself couldn't be lowered to perform. This rankled with me pretty badly, especially when after getting the puppy she was just going to leave his mess when he had an accident for the maid to clean up! Come on lady, suck it up! You want to keep the dog, then you can clean up after it yourself!
Other than that aspect bothering me, I found only one other problem, it seems to me that at times throughout the book certains parts would drag on longer and more drawn out than was necessary, causing the book to slow down almost stopping at times. But since the story was a good one I muddled through and am glad I did. Sarah, for a very young woman is strong and brave, she knows her mind and isn't afraid to make the hard decisions and take charge when she needs to. I love reading about women like her, especially when the setting is at time in history when behavior such as Sarah's was not acceptable and women were more than a little suppressed by societies standards.
overall this is a warm and cozy WWII romance and I think readers will love Sarah and Angus' love story.
Thank you to Boldwood books and NetGalley for the free ARC and to Boldwood Books for including me on their blog tour for "The War Girls of Goodwill House". I am leaving my honest review in return.
#TheWarGirlsfGoodwillHouse #BoldwoodBooks #BlogTou#MyCatReads #WWIIRomance #historicalfiction #histfic #readerofhistoricalfiction

The War Girls of Goodwill House is a detailed well thought out story that is easy to follow and good sense of flow that captures the reader from first page to the very end...
I like how Miller has created an interesting plot with the use of a great amount of research and information into the history of the upper classes and who they were affected in a critical time in history. The writing style is good. The use of description gives the reader a detailed image of the setting and transports them into the story with ease!
The charater development of The War Girls of Goodwill House is good. The characters are realistic and relateable. I love and admire Sarah's stong will and drive to achieve her goals as both her and her mother are plunged into a life of independance and having to become more resourceful when they are struck by the harshness of the time.
I would recommend reading The War Girls of Goodwill House to lovers of historical and military fiction, as it is a powerfully emotive story that is captavating as the characters share their hardship and overcome their difficulty in adapting to change in times as women gain more status as people and how war impacts the country...

Another fabulous tale from an author who knows how to hook her readers and reel them in!

Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah have been very sheltered in their lives so far at Goodwill House, but now that Lord Harcourt is off fighting in France, they are having to fend for themselves and discovering a lot of things they’ve been shielded from – and not all to the good. With limited finances, they need to come up with some way of keeping their home and allowing Sarah to follow her dream of becoming a doctor. Flight Lieutenant Angus Trent is seeking accommodation for WAAF’s sent unexpectedly to the nearby RAF base, and that may just help with Sarah and Joanna’s monetary issues; however, Lady Harcourt may take some persuading but Sarah is one determined young woman who has her sights set firmly on success. Angus has only admiration for this young lady – he has never met her like before!

I do love a WWII based series, and Fenella J Miller really knows how to write them! This is a fantastic start to what promises to be a great new saga. The characters are beautifully created and developed; the storyline is entirely believable and so very interesting! Packed with domestic war details and the decisions which families were forced to make, this is a gripping story and a fine stand-alone read. The best thing, of course, is that it is the first in a new series and I am so looking forward to the next one. Well-written as always, this easily deserves a full house of shining stars and my hearty recommendation.

Such a thoroughly enjoyable read! Its 1939 and Britain is at war. Sarah and her mother live in the big house, her father is away serving with the BEF, when the RAF move onto an airfield that skirts their land. Life is soon very different for everyone! This is an engaging story with characters that you care about. I really enjoyed it and am keen to find out what could happen next. I'm sure there is another book to be written here.

The novel begins at Goodwill House in Stodham, Kent in January 1940. Lady Joanna Harcourt and her seventeen-year-old daughter Sarah live there, while Lord Harcourt is away due to the War. They are struggling financially and Sarah is having to do more of the work the servants would have covered previously.
Then they are asked to billet six WAAF girls who have been assigned to the nearby RAF base at Marston, as the base has no facilities to accommodate women. Goodwill House is huge and has many rooms that are never used, so the Harcourts happily take in the girls, especially as they are paid for doing so.
Sarah Harcourt is a great character! While the 1940s setting is beautifully done, Sarah is quite a modern woman, while still being very realistic and believable. She is feisty and determined to be independent. It is also interesting to see the contrast between Sarah and her mother and how the changes to their life help them evolve.
I was much more interested in the story of the Harcourts and the WAAF girls and visitors rather than the men at the RAF base. Some of the details about the military ranks and the way the planes worked were beyond me, but it didn’t detract from the overall story and I am sure some readers would love those details.
I did though absolutely love the relationship between Flight Lieutenant Angus Trent and Sarah. The pacing of the novel was perfect, there was enough drama to hold my interest throughout and the characters were beautifully written so I cared about them and wanted to know what was going to happen.
9 out of 10

A great start to the new Goodwill House series. The setting is set with the Harcourts and their lack of funds needing a boost to keep the house in the family. I loved Sarah she was a great character and as with other books by this author a strong woman in control. Looking forward to the next in the series

The War Girls of Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller is a wonderful WWII-era historical fiction saga that is the first in a new series. I just loved it.

I really enjoyed Ms. Miller’s The Girls in Blue series, so I am so excited that I was able to read this new series from the start.

Goodwill House is an older family estate in England that is having a difficult time up to this point of adapting to the changing times and the War. The man of the house has volunteered for duty and unfortunately finances weren’t quite figured out before he left. Lady Joanna Harcourt and their headstrong daughter, Sarah, become creative, and through a series of decisions of slimming down where they can, taking in paying guests, and taking in WAAF when they can, things are finally looking brighter.

Both women have their flaws, worries, and dreams. Both have been somewhat sheltered thus far and as they decide to take on more tasks and deal with obstacles, learn their own strength and intelligence. I just loved the mother and daughter bond (despite the hiccups) and I know that they will work everything out in due time. I love that Joanna found her voice and realized she can do so much more than she was ever given credit for by the men in society.

I also love Sarah and her passion to become a Doctor. She has drive, intelligence, and initiative, although can be quite stubborn and outspoken. I love that through these trials she adapts, matures, and also finds love with RAF officer Angus Trent. I am super excited to see what is in store for them in the next book as well.

The ending is wonderful and it sets it all up perfectly for the next book. Can’t wait!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Boldwood Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/12/22.