Cover Image: Duty Calls at Goodwill House

Duty Calls at Goodwill House

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I love this series of books. I like the fact its about normal people and how stuff actually happened during ww2. I cried when Betty died. But was also happy when joanna adopted the twins

Was this review helpful?

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Was this review helpful?

I have read and really enjoyed previous books in this series, although they can be read as standalone’s very well. Great wartime fiction reads with good stories to tell

Was this review helpful?

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

Was this review helpful?

This is the third book in the series, and this time we rejoin Lady Joanna Harcourt and her mother-in-law Elizabeth at Goodwill House but the storyline focusses more on the lives of two of the WAAFs, Millie & Di, who we met in book 2.
Goodwill House is quite empty as the WAAFs have left, but they hope to get some Land Girls soon. In the meantime we have wartime romances, a case of measles in the village, and the twins Liza & Joe become much more part of the family. Of course, things don’t go completely to plan and Lady Joanna & Lady Elizabeth must sort things out to prevent the new Lord Harcourt from getting his hands on the non-entitled estate.
It’s a quite light read, and the story moves quickly with plenty going on. It will appeal to people who like lighthearted wartime romances, and if only the author could have reduced the use of “tickety-boo”, I might have given this an extra star!

Was this review helpful?

Period drama fans are sure to enjoy Fenella J Miller’s latest captivating saga, Duty Calls at Goodwill House.

It’s July 1940 and Hitler’s bombs continue to fall relentlessly. WAAF Diane Forsyth wants to do something to help the brave pilots who take to the skies night after night and risk their lives for king and country. Determined to do her bit, Diane vows to face danger head on and not to let her fears get in the way of her duty. Having recently formed a friendship with Squadron Leader Freddie Hanover, Diane hopes that her friend stays safe amidst of all the danger and jeopardy he faces – especially as she has found herself falling in love with him.

With the world so uncertain and the future so bleak and hopeless, Diane knows heartbreak is a distinct possibility. Their love could end up being a casualty of this cruel war and despite her head telling her to keep things strictly platonic with Freddie, her heart is telling her something else entirely. Will Diane and Freddie ever have a future together? Or is their love simply not meant to be?

Lady Joanna Harcourt knows only too well just how unpredictable life can be. In these desperate times, one must cherish every moment and not waste a single second because it can be taken from you in a heartbeat. Joanna certainly understands Diane’s dilemma as she has taken a similar vow of duty herself.

Will Joanna and Diane manage to rise above all the obstacles in their path? Or will both of their futures end up marked by sorrow and disappointment?

Fenella J Miller’s wonderful wartime series is a must-read for readers missing Downton Abbey. In the third instalment, Duty Calls at Goodwill House, Fenella J Miller has once again penned a vivid, poignant and entertaining wartime tale about love, courage and sacrifice full of strong and beautifully drawn characters readers cannot fail but be enchanted by.

Beautifully evocative, wonderfully emotional and immensely enjoyable, put the kettle on, find a comfy chair and indulge in Fenella J Miller’s latest captivating saga, Duty Calls at Goodwill House.

Was this review helpful?

Another book in the Goodwill House series. Goodwill House is helping out the war effort and we get to catch up with the characters who cross it's path doing vital work. Fenella J Mlller does a great job of making you feel as though you are in the war years along with all the characters. A lovely wartime saga that has dealt with family issues, romance, war time efforts and the type of work that the females embraced.

Was this review helpful?

Duty Calls at Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller gives readers a chance to catch up with the people we have come to know and their trials during World War II. Goodwill House is a manor house in which live a variety of people, including Elizabeth the dowager, and her daughter-in-law, Lady Joanna Harcourt. They lost the title when Joanna’s husband died, but not the house. They had taken in boarders from the base, teens fleeing from the bombing in London, and now farm girls. It was a good life for them and now Joanna was adopting the teens that they had with them and making them true Harcourts. The story also follows Millie and Diana on the base, and their lives and loves as well as the pilots we we have become fond of. Too often WWII fiction focuses on the Holocaust and the camps and fails to realize that there were people back home who had lives and suffered as well.

Miller is doing a nice job with this saga. She has given us a variety of characters of all ages and made most of them sympathetic. The reader is anxious to be with them as they move forward and live their lives. There is not an overarching plot, but rather a slice of life, but there are subplots, which we follow with interest. I am a huge soap opera fan, in all forms, and so, I love this type of book. I love following the characters and, really, even the places, as the war progresses and life goes on. I appreciate that someone writes this kind of book, giving me insight into the lives of people so far removed from my own. There is a need.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Duty Calls at Goodwill House by Boldwood, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Boldwood #FenellaJMiller #DutyCallsAtGoodwillHouse

Was this review helpful?

As a bit of a history nerd I've always been interested by historical fiction but I've never really given it a proper go. When the email for this one popped into my inbox, I had to give it a go. The combination of romance and history ticked a massive box.
A bit of information about this one is that it is book 3 in the Goodwill House series but can be read as a standalone, which is how I chose to read and review it. Now obviously I can't know how much I've missed from not reading the other books, but I can say that it does work as a standalone in the sense of it was easy enough to get into and follow. Though, the ending is there to kind of convince you to delve into the rest of the series.

It took me a couple of chapters to feel that I was getting anywhere with this one and to get my whereabouts in the direction of the story. I didn't feel a strong connection to any of the characters and I feel that this did impact my overall experience, but sometimes it just happens and doesn't mean that another reader wouldn't be able to connect to them. I did however enjoy the characters of Diane and Millie due to their drive and passion for their career. I found the romance story of Diane and Freddie to be all a bit sudden, but I liked how Diane wasn't straight away prepared to throw her career away for a man. I do love a good strong female character.

The romance storyline between Diane and Freddie was one I couldn't entirely decide whether I liked or not straight away. It seemed a bit rushed but then this fits with the whole war setting and them not getting much time together. The lack of time enhanced their love story and I did become a fan of it by the end.

Another strength of this one in my eyes is the double story that is threaded throughout. You have the romantic line between Diane and Freddie and their friends, but then you get the story of Joanna and her new found family at Goodwill House. The multi-pov helped to break it up a bit and added a little something different.

Overall, I enjoyed my little escapade into historical fiction with this one. The only things that stopped me from adoring this one would be the odd dull moment and my lack of strong connection to the character, however maybe this would be different when reading it as a series and you are able to watch the character growth and changes in relationships. I'd definitely recommend giving this one a go if you're looking for a war romance story with a little more going on.

Rating - 3.75/5

Thank you for reading and thank you to Rachel and Fenella for having me as part of this tour!

Was this review helpful?

As the war continues we return to Goodwill house. As the series has progressed Joanna has mellowed and has become popular in the village. Hr daughter is still away in London working and studying in the medical world. 2 London evacuees (twins) have come to live at Goodwill house. Joanna and her mother in law are teaching them how to speak properly, they are also working for them and get on very well. Another great book in the series and cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I can recommend this and do not hesitate to give 5*

Was this review helpful?

I would recommend reading the Goodwill House series in order, starting with the first book, The War Girls of Goodwill House , to gain some understanding of the characters and the setting, eventhough each book can be read as a stand-alone. The previous installment is New Recruits at Goodwill House...

Duty Calls at Goodwill House is a fast paced story that hooks the reader in from the first page.

Miller has engaging plot by using vivid imagery and research to transport the reader into WW2. Miller shows some of the roles women played in the war effort, such as the WWAF and the land girls. The reader bares witness to how the daily lives of the characters are affected by rations and restrictions. The writing style is easy to follow with a good mixture of description and dialogue. Miller has captured the language of the era quite well, however it did become a little repetitive, especially of the point that Di won't get written up, regarding her relationship with Freddie, as Millie is a senior officer in charge of the women...

The character development of Duty Calls at Goodwill House is good. The characters are realistic and interesting. I really enjoyed catching up with the previous characters, it felt like rejoining old friends. It was great to see what has happened since they were last seen and how they were taking on the the changes and challenges of society. Also been introduced to some new faces...

Lady Joanna Harcourt has a better and relaxed relationship with her mother-in-law, Elizabeth and decides to comes out of mourning in support of Elizabeth. On their travels they meet the newly appointed Lord Peter Harcourt and things don't turn out as expected...

Diane (Di) is the Leading Aircraft Woman. She has been designated to drive an unnamed man from Manston to Hawkinge. Di isn't impulsive and has a secret reationship with Squadron Leader Freddie Hanover. They enjoy each others company. Di finds that Freddie easy to talk, yet she is resigned that she wants to take things at slower pace, as having any romantic entanglement isn't not part of her plans to become a officer...

Freddie is extreamely keen to become Di's official boyfriend. He is very charming... when he attends meeting, where he is informed that the Germans have invaded the Channel Islands and they now have to protect Britain against further invasion...

I would strongly recommend reading Duty Calls at Goodwill House to lovers of sagas, historical fiction and women's fiction based around WW2, as it is a character driven story that is emotive. The reader is shown a deep sense of community and patriotism, as they follow the drama, frienship, romance and loss found in the story...

I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the Goodwill House series...

Was this review helpful?

This is the third in the Goodwill House series and as I have read the previous two, I was looking forward to this next installment. The books are set in England during WWII with Lady Joanna Harcourt, the owner of Goodwill House, doing her bit for the war by housing the WAAF girls. Each novel tells a standalone story of a set of girls who stay with her.
This one begins in July 1940 and tells the tale of WAAF Diane Forsyth and her budding romance with Squadron Leader Freddie Hanover of the RAF. Millie and Di were in the previous book when they stayed in Goodwill House, but moved to the air base. Millie is married to Flying Officer Ted Thorrington. I really enjoy following these characters. Millie and Di are very inspirational and I love their friendship.
The regular inhabitants of Goodwill House are back – Lady Joanna Harcourt herself, of course, plus her mother-in-law Elizabeth, Baxter (now known as Jean) and the fourteen-year-old twins Liza and Joe – not forgetting the dog Lazzy, who was found in the previous book. Betty has more help around the place this time, with Joan and Val joining the staff.
I love Fenella’s writing, it has some warmth in it. The scenes come straight to life and the characters are so believable, that you soon feel you know them. I love the idea of returning to a familiar setting but meeting new characters each time. There’s both a continuity and a freshness using this format and I really enjoy it. I’m now looking forward to Book 4!

Was this review helpful?

In this third book in the series, we continue with the story lines of those living at Goodwill House and at the nearby base. As with the other two books, it was rich in historical detail about the lives of those in all different roles of World War Two. The level of attention to detail in the book was very impressive, I had a full picture of life at that time for all of the characters in every scene whether at the big house or on base. The camaraderie and spirt of the time were captured well with the attitude of the ‘stiff upper lip’ coming across well. It was also action packed with lots of twists and turns, many of them hair raising. I also enjoyed seeing how family life progressed for Joanna and Elizabeth and the romance between Di and Freddie.
It isn’t necessary to have read the other two books in the series, but it did help to give a full picture of the characters background. The book was left with some unanswered questions which I hope will be answered in the next instalment of this charming historical saga. Another gripping read that gave a great sense of place and time in the 1940’s.

Was this review helpful?

The brand new instalment in Fenella J. Miller's bestselling Goodwill House series. It’s very well written and definitely worth a read. Wow!!! Started this book and could not stop reading it until I'd finished!!

Was this review helpful?

Having not read the previous books in the series I did struggle at the start with all the different characters.

This was though a really well written story which dragged me in and at the end left me wanting more.

The Characters were well developed and it felt like you were there in 1940.

Well worth a read.

Was this review helpful?

Another in the series about Goodwill House and the RAF base at Manston. Wonderful book and lovely to read and enjoy. You can really imagine the life all these people were living. Wish I could give this more than 5 stars.

Thanks to Negalley and publisher for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

Many thanx to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Duty Calls at Goodwill House is a good read, not knowing it was 3rd in a series I still could follow and enjoy the characters and story. It pulled me into a story based in RAF camp during WW2 and enjoyed the many different stories based around the characters.

One little annoyance were the phrases used constantly by RAF personnel, I do understand that there was a whole new "language" spoken but it really did annoy me! I also feel that the last 10% of the book was very bland, as if the author needed to write a given number of words

Having said all this I will give 4 stars as it held my attention 90%, the ending could have been a little more interesting.

Was this review helpful?

This is the first book in the series that I've read and I just loved it! It works really well as a standalone but there are definitely hints at other storylines that have made me want to go back and read the others.

The characters were fantastic, warm, authentic. I love the way the village comes together, as you imagine people would have done in those difficult times. The description of the surroundings, the sounds, the language used, really makes you feel like you're there. It's obviously a time period that the author has researched and understands well, that really comes through in the authenticity of the writing.
Although this was quite an easy read, I found myself going back to sneak a few more chapters in as there was quite a lot of action and tension. 

This was a wonderful introduction to Fenella J Miller's books for me and I will certainly be reading more!

Was this review helpful?

Excellent story set in England about couples going through the war, each serving in their own way. Goodwill House is a Lords house, where they are going through many changes as well. The war affects each of them strongly. The girls are friends and or acquaintances at some points in time. Two of the guys are best friends and close to two of the girls who are best friends. Things happen that each of them has to struggle through. These four are also all enlisted. It's a pretty in-depth story of them all, and this is just part of an ongoing tale. Makes you want to read the next one right away.

I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#DutyCallsatGoodwillHouse #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #FiveStarBooks #WW2Stories @rararesources #BoldwoodBooks #FenellaJMiller

Was this review helpful?

What an enjoyable story about heros in WW2. Each character was well written and believable. I was especially interested as my family lived in England during this time.
Diane was my favorite. She was determined to make it in the Service. She was not going to fall in love with a pilot. She was not going to be deterred from her goals.

Life can throw you a curve ball. Diane found that out. Did you have your life all planned out? Did it work out? I can answer that for me. I would have not married my love of my life. I would not have had the career I had for 28 years. I wouldn't have retired at 55.

I received this ebook from Boldwood Books to give a review.

Was this review helpful?